Food Diary Advice?

00trayn
00trayn Posts: 1,849 Member
edited September 26 in Food and Nutrition
Hey everyone!

I've gotten pretty comfortable with what I've been eating lately, perhaps too comfortable! I've been doing this healthy thing for over a year now, and I've been stuck around the same weight of 150 for a few months with 10 lbs to go. Since diet is such a huge part of weight loss, I was hoping for a fresh perspective on what I'm eating and how I can improve. Just a few bits of information about limitations, etc.

- I'm lactose intolerant, so I try to avoid dairy products (or I take a Lactaid pill with dairy)
- I'm limited with my breakfast to what I can eat right out a package, make in a microwave, add hot water to, or use a toaster. I can't make eggs on the stove or a smoothie or something because I have to eat at work
- I'm not an amazing cook... haha. But I can cook chicken and fish and such, and I own a crock pot.
- I don't log my dinners on the weekend with my boyfriend since there is absolutely no nutrition info for the places we eat at, so you'll see holes in my diary
- I'm not married to having to eat out for lunch every day. I have a cafeteria where I can make fresh salads, but I also could bring something easy from home to microwave... any ideas???

Thanks in advance! I know people love looking at food diaries so here's your chance... lol

Replies

  • mkcalvert
    mkcalvert Posts: 219 Member
    Maybe try and reduce your carbs? Also for receipe advice I love the website www.3fatchicks.com, maybe you can get some ideas from there..Like make the soups and portion them out in plastic containers to freeze..Hope this helps some :smile:
  • Raimie71
    Raimie71 Posts: 11 Member
    for lunc try smartones!!! they are great!!! and add some fresh fruit or veggies. You wont be sorry.
  • mathergirl
    mathergirl Posts: 16 Member
    Great loss so far, I would say more veggies and fruit! Many you can eat on the go.
  • ccaym
    ccaym Posts: 86
    Congratulations on your weight loss! One change I would recommend is to add raw fruits and veggies to your breakfast and lunch. They are easy to eat on the go, and give your body the nutrition it needs.
  • aochoa123
    aochoa123 Posts: 299 Member
    First off let me say Congratulations on your success thus far. I was looking at your diary and you are not logging any water. Are you drinking any water or just not logging it?? I believe if you have hit a plateau if you increase water you will see a difference.
  • catesalim
    catesalim Posts: 18
    A few thoughts come to mind:

    - Can you make smoothies before you leave for work and drink them on the way?

    - I hard boil eggs on the weekends, and then have just the whites at my desk with a bagel thin and a laughing cow cheese wedge.

    - Eggs (or egg substitute) can be microwaved in a cup - 1 minute. Add some spinach, mushrooms, and a laughing cow cheese wedge, and it's yummy.

    - I've found that for me, if I'm eating alot of processed foods (ie: microwavable), they're typically high in sodium, and that slows things down.

    - Try to add more fresh fruits and especially veggies to your diet. They help you to feel fuller, and bump up the nutrition. For my snack this afternoon, I'm having an apple and string cheese.

    Check out Hungrygirl.com She has some great suggestions for women on the move, and for those who are limited in their cooking skills.

    Hope this helps a bit.

    Cate
  • amelia_atlantic
    amelia_atlantic Posts: 926 Member
    I would estimate what you're eating for dinner on the weekends and still log it! Try to find the closest option to what you plan on having or even have already consumed. Add an extra 200 calories and 500mg of sodium. It'll help keep you in check!

    Find time to make lunches for work the night before.
    Some options I find super easy and I'm excited to eat at work:
    *Falafel wraps. You can buy falafel mix, you just add water! I used spray olive oil to cook and it worked just fine!
    *Make "taco salad" using salsa instead of dressing. I usually add black beans, red onion, cuke, chopped romaine and avocado.
    *Baked sesame ginger tofu (or chicken) with sauteed kale, onions and carrots. I suggest Newmans Own lowfat sesame ginger dressing. Just marinate overnight and bake it! SO easy. It's enough for dinner AND lunch the next day.

    For breakfast:
    I'm a HUGE fan of the smoothie! I bought something similar to a "magic bullet" and each container comes with a lid for on-the-go. I chop up all my ingredients the night before and put it the fridge. Blend it in the morning (in 30 seconds, FLAT) and there's breakfast! Invest in a decent whey protein.

    Hope this helps!
  • scarletleavy
    scarletleavy Posts: 841 Member
    Do you have extra space in your refrigerator or freezer to store things? I'm a big believer in eating healthy, fresh and unprocessed foods and I think it's totally feasible in most circumstances, if you're willing to put a little time and thought into it. Just takes some thinking ahead and planning.

    If so, I would suggest using either the weekends or time at home to make big batches of things in your crockpot that you can eat during the week, particularly for lunch. If you wanted to switch things up at breakfast, you can make oatmeal in large quantities in your crockpot and could mix it up for breakfast with different fruits or nuts. You could also hard boil some eggs in one batch and bring them along during the week for snacks or to add for breakfast.

    If you wanted to bring things with you for lunch you could make a few different things over the weekend, freeze them and switch them up during the week. You'd be surprised how easily you can change the taste of the same food with a few different additions. For example, I love to make things like chili, sauteed vegetables, pasta salads, baked casserole type things, pureed soups and switch them up during the week, add extra spices, stuff them in peppers, zucchinis, eggplants, pitas, serve over salad, cous cous, quinoa, etc.

    There are also tons of interesting recipes online that are easy to follow and don't have any crazy techniques. Maybe check out foodgawker.com and have a look through recipes. I seriously check that site every day for ideas on what to cook and bookmark things I like to come back to. Could get some inspiration for new things.

    Hope this helps. My ideas were all a bit scatterbrained. If you're interested in any specific recipes, feel free to add me. I'm quite obsessed with food and cooking.

    Best of luck!
  • 00trayn
    00trayn Posts: 1,849 Member
    I drink my 20 oz water bottle empty 3-4 times a day, so I'm getting at least the 8 cups of water a day I'm supposed to. I just got lazy about logging it, but I definitely drink it all the time.

    And great tips so far! I definitely need to start eating more fruits and veggies. I always have a veggie with dinner, but fruits as a snack needs to start happening again!
  • My3Rayz
    My3Rayz Posts: 373
    I printed the whole post because you guys have some great ideas :drinker:
  • 4gracealone
    4gracealone Posts: 13
    I noticed you like oatmeal, cinnamon and hazelnut soooo.....you may want to make ahead this oatmeal that is soooo satisfying that I now eat for dessert with a few additions.

    I read about how to beef up the single serving of oatmeal we eat without increasing calories.(Found on hungrygirl.com)

    I boil one cup water with one cup almond milk ( I like Almond Breeze brand...only 40 cal/one cup and lactose fee) to this you may want to add some cinnamon. Add 1/2 cup whole oats (not the pre-packet type...but can be the ones that state cooks in one minute. ..again, so long as it is whole oats. Cook longer than one minute....so some of the water cooks down. At first this will seem too thin, but trust me if you let it sit up awhile it thickens nicely.

    I like to make up enough for four breakfast. I put it in my refrigerator overnight and the next morning I draw a line in the mixture indicating 1/4 serving. For the basic recipe it's only 190 calories....all this and a huge bowl of yummy goodness!

    For a yummy dessert....I add two tsp. raisins, four to six roughly chopped dry cocoa covered almonds,a dash of nutmeg and a few dots of low fat cream cheese.

    Please let me know if you give this a try and what your thought s are.

    Best to you!
  • sarahleelee
    sarahleelee Posts: 79 Member
    I'm going to try to eliminate all processed foods from my intake starting Monday. I lost weight rapidly when I was eating fresh, whole foods. I love the Green Giants Steamer veggie bags. Trying to stay away from canned foods mostly, and diary (except egg whites). It worked like a charm last time!

    Good luck! oxox
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