That's it?!

sashaverlene
sashaverlene Posts: 123 Member
edited September 23 in Food and Nutrition
Hey! So, for the past month, I've been having Tyson's Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast and Bird's Eye Steamfresh vegetables for dinner EVERYDAY! While it MAY look healthy, it looks like something is missing. I'd like to have a third item on the plate but I have no idea what it should be. Also, after dinner, I look at the total amount of calories that I have eaten and it says 180-210. I'm aiming for the total to be anywhere from 300-350 instead. ANY SUGGESTIONS?! :) Thanks!

(P.S. I'm leaving my food diary open in case anyone wants to see. Feel free to go through it and let me know if you see something that doesn't fit, i.e. something with preservatives or other bad things.)

-Sasha xoxo

Replies

  • watch48win
    watch48win Posts: 1,668 Member
    How about a starch? Brown rice, couscous or even a small potato.
  • somigliana
    somigliana Posts: 314 Member
    I'd add a complex carb:
    > brown rice, quinoa, sweet potato, potato, bulghur wheat, wholewheat pasta etc.
    > Maybe some beans or lentils in the mix
    and definitely some "good" fats like avocado or nuts.
  • chanstriste13
    chanstriste13 Posts: 3,277 Member
    i would barbeque that chicken and add *one* piece of texas toast - preferably five cheese! i know that many people might not recommend that, but i try to eat something that i really enjoy (within calorie limits) at least twice a week. keeps me from the binge of darkness! good luck!
  • tlp8rb
    tlp8rb Posts: 556 Member
    (P.S. I'm leaving my food diary open in case anyone wants to see. Feel free to go through it and let me know if you see something that doesn't fit, i.e. something with preservatives or other bad things.)

    -Sasha xoxo

    Sasha, I looked at your food diary and one thing jumped off the page - your sodium intake is much too high. I know MFP sets an automatic goal of 2500 mg a day but the American Heart Association recommends 1500 mg a day. Heart disease is the number one killer of women in America - more than all kinds of cancer combined.

    And heart disease is the prevailing cause of death in African-American women in the United States. Despite local, state, and national attempts to increase awareness, promote healthy lifestyles, and increase education, African-American women continue to have the highest incidence of uncontrolled hypertension, obesity, sedentary lifestyle and dyslipidemia when compared with incidences in white and Hispanic populations.

    You've got to look at more than the calorie count in the foods you're eating. Lowering your sodium intake should be your number one priority. Cheese, processed meats (from the deli), hot dogs, canned vegetables and soups are all loaded with sodium.

    Dump the deli slices and make an extra chicken breast or two, let them cool and then slice thin for your sandwiches. Just as tasty and no sodium. Use non-fat Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise on your sandwiches (I love Fage plain, fat free yogurt) or fat free sour cream. Eat lots of salads with lettuce, kale, shredded carrots, cucumbers, cabbage and use the yogurt, sour cream or even salsa as a dressing. You can do both - eat low calorie and low sodium. I know you can.
  • luv2ash
    luv2ash Posts: 1,903 Member
    I would increase your lean protein a bit and decrease your carbs, but not veggies. Cut out the snacking carbs mostly. If you eat lean protein you could have more than 4 ounces, I have 7 ounces every dinner. Lots of veggies but I don't eat any startch.
  • fitmamaoftwins
    fitmamaoftwins Posts: 116
    brown rice and 1/2 a sweet potato
  • Irie_chick67
    Irie_chick67 Posts: 15
    Hi Sasha!
    Congratulations on your weight loss so far! :smile:

    I took a look at your food diary and here's what I think. It's lacking in variety. Sometimes, if we eat the same things continually, specially when we're trying to loose weight, our bodies become accustomed to functioning on those calories, which causes our weight loss to stall.

    Also, the total daily calories in your snacks are larger than your meals, which is not good. Think of breakfast, lunch & dinner as major fuel and snacks as a boost, to keep you going until you can fill up.

    Look to get more dietary fiber, at meal time, as this will help to keep you feeling full longer and look for protein rich foods, in small sizes for your snacks.

    Here's an example:
    Breakfast: Combine 2 packets of Oatmeal. The first a flavor you like, mixed with plain oatmeal higher in fiber OR
    Egg & low fat Cheese sandwich/Jimmy Dean D'light sandwich OR combine a box of your favorite cold cereal with one that's low in sugar ( under 10 grams) & high in fiber (more than 7grams).

    Also, try switching your meals around. Have breakfast for dinner one day, lunch at breakfast & dinner at lunch. Those same calories in a different order will boost your metabolism to work differently.

    I'll have low fat cottage cheese, Laughing Cow Light cheese or a fruit/nut bar for snack. I keep a Special K Protein snack bar in my purse, for emergencies. I'm trying to keep my snacks under 150 calories and it's all trial & error. Milk proteins will keep us satisfied longer, because they are slow to digest. So, yogurt & cheese make perfect snacks.

    We all have our like and dislikes, when it comes to food, but try adding 1 new vegetable or grain a week, that's on the "eat more of these foods" list, that we're always hearing about. For me, last week it was Quinoa. Truns out, I like it much better than couscous and I enjoy cous.

    I plate all my protein entrees on 2 cups Spring Mix Salad Greens and place my side/carbs in a small plate.

    I love to cook & eat! I am also fortunate to have the time to prepare all my meals, so I plan ahead. I'll input my meals for the next day, the day before, so I have a meal plan in place. That was the hardest thing for me in the past. Smart technology, has made my approach to weight loss, very enjoyable, this time around and I've only been on this site for a week.

    Keep up the good work!
    Karen
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