I don't know what to eat?

myonlyhope513
myonlyhope513 Posts: 1
edited February 22 in Getting Started
Hi everyone! I have been using the app for a little while now and have been trying to maintain my "lifestyle change" for longer. Every time I've been to the doc he says the categories of foods that would be best for me and kind of touches on how much but never what or how much. I feel like when I ask for help from him he doesn't see that I really don't know what I should be eating. Maybe this stuff should be common sense. I know not to eat fried chicken 3 meals a day.. I hardly eat it once a month! It's the junk food and the extra helpings that are killing me...

Let's pretend I am not the brightest crayon in the box *Really, I am but for this not so much!* tell me what I should be eating and how much! Be as specific as you can be! I work 8 hours a day 5 to 6 days a week in a retail pharmacy so not sitting down expect for 1 half hour period. I am building up to going to the gym 5 days a week and we are usually there for more than an hour. I sometimes come home and go walking for about 45 mins. My goal has me set at about 1220 cal per day.

Replies

  • snooziebunny
    snooziebunny Posts: 15 Member
    Hi, I can only comment on what works for me - I aim to eat clean (no debates please! Its my choice :wink: ) 3 meals a day,

    Breakfast I typically have eggs of some sort - 1scrambled with smoked salmon on sour dough bread (or 2 eggs and no bread) serve with spinach OR 2scrambled eggs, on spinach topped with cherry toms (x4), 20g feta and chopped fresh basil (this is my favourite breakfast!), OR a poached egg on sourdough toast with mushrooms (5 or 6) cooked in a lil bit of oil/tsp real butter. OR 1 small banana mashed with 2 eggs - beat and cook in a tsp coconut oil - throw some blueberries on top while the first side is cooking (delish!).
    Lunch - salad with chopped chicken breasts/1 piece of salmon/tin tuna/2hardboiled eggs - apple/banana/orange to follow if still hungry.
    Tea - stirfired veggies with chicken/fish, curry, sweet potato dahl, Bolognese (I eat with broccoli and cauliflower rice or rice noodles) or shepherds pie topped with sweet potato, or any meat with a small sweet potato (baked or chopped in to wedges and roasted in coconut oil), Plus add whatever greens to meals you want - they don't have many cals but are soooo good for you.

    The above is what I aim for - but I am a mum so tea plans can go wrong, so if it ends up being burger and chips for example - I buy good quality burgers (so no junk or additives), then just have a burger (no bun) with salad or sweet potato wedges. But if I've eaten breakfast and lunch as above - I usually have a few cals left to play with for tea/evening - which is when I usually fall off the wagon lol!

    Oh and friend people so that you can see their diaries to give you ideas - and the forums are a great help. Oh and start eating then check your goals/totals at the bottom to see how you're doing.
    Hope this helped a little xx
  • RllyGudTweetr
    RllyGudTweetr Posts: 2,019 Member
    Hi everyone! I have been using the app for a little while now and have been trying to maintain my "lifestyle change" for longer. Every time I've been to the doc he says the categories of foods that would be best for me and kind of touches on how much but never what or how much. I feel like when I ask for help from him he doesn't see that I really don't know what I should be eating. Maybe this stuff should be common sense. I know not to eat fried chicken 3 meals a day.. I hardly eat it once a month! It's the junk food and the extra helpings that are killing me...

    Let's pretend I am not the brightest crayon in the box *Really, I am but for this not so much!* tell me what I should be eating and how much! Be as specific as you can be! I work 8 hours a day 5 to 6 days a week in a retail pharmacy so not sitting down expect for 1 half hour period. I am building up to going to the gym 5 days a week and we are usually there for more than an hour. I sometimes come home and go walking for about 45 mins. My goal has me set at about 1220 cal per day.
    Set macronutrient goals to eat enough proteins and fats every day, to maintain lean muscle mass and for greater satiety; many folks here recommend 40% carbohydrates/30% fats/30% protein as a good baseline.

    Make sure that you're meeting or exceeding those protein goals in particular (fats are at least nearly as important). Lean meats, nuts, and rice & beans come highly recommended.

    Strongly consider a multivitamin, particularly if you're not yet comfortable with building your diet to meet your micronutrient goals.

    Log your exercise, and - especially on that low calorie allowance - eat back at least 50% of the exercise calories you've burned; your mood and your energy level will appreciate it. Incidentally, given your stated occupation, you should probably be on 'lightly active' rather than 'sedentary.'

    Once you've hit your protein and fat goals for the day, there's nothing inherently wrong with choosing sweets or other treats that still fit within your calorie goals, barring specific medical issues like diabetes. On that subject, try to stay within 100 calories or so of your daily allotment; being 75 calories over for the day is generally better than being 400 calories under, in the long run, and being over (or under) by a larger amount is only an issue if it becomes a pattern of behavior. You're working on a lifestyle change, not just a diet.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Hi everyone! I have been using the app for a little while now and have been trying to maintain my "lifestyle change" for longer. Every time I've been to the doc he says the categories of foods that would be best for me and kind of touches on how much but never what or how much. I feel like when I ask for help from him he doesn't see that I really don't know what I should be eating. Maybe this stuff should be common sense. I know not to eat fried chicken 3 meals a day.. I hardly eat it once a month! It's the junk food and the extra helpings that are killing me...

    Let's pretend I am not the brightest crayon in the box *Really, I am but for this not so much!* tell me what I should be eating and how much! Be as specific as you can be! I work 8 hours a day 5 to 6 days a week in a retail pharmacy so not sitting down expect for 1 half hour period. I am building up to going to the gym 5 days a week and we are usually there for more than an hour. I sometimes come home and go walking for about 45 mins. My goal has me set at about 1220 cal per day.

    You just need a calorie deficit to lose weight....MFPs 1220 goal is BEFORE exercise, so you will want to eat a portion back. MFP gives generous calorie burns (hence the portion). Eating calories back helps you support lean muscle.

    Because this is a lifestyle change for me, I'm going to eat some of the same things I ate before dieting. BUT, I do need to make changes that I can live with forever (lifestyle changes).

    I look to my macros (IIFYM....if it fits your macros). I concentrate on making my protein goal everyday....I increased MFP's protein goal a bit because I need to hang onto as much muscle as I can. Then I try to reach fat and fiber goals. Carbs are what's leftover.

    Eating clean is not necessary. I won't eat clean forever. However, eating fewer processed foods is what gets me to protein & fiber goals. I added more veggies. I try to eat whole grains (fiber & protein). I do eat low fat dairy (fat is not the enemy) but it's what I can "afford" calorie wise. Healthy fats are olive oil, nut butter, nuts, avocado. I add a portion of these here & there.

    I do eat ice cream.....but the portion size is controlled. I do eat chocolate.....but the portion size is controlled. These are forever changes. Exercise is a forever change (for me) also.
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