food plan

MrsEGreen · July 2015

Hey all
Ive just started my health journey
After my mastectomy last year and the passing of my Dad, I'm now ready to commit and look after myself.
I always read eating around 6 meals per day is essential for weight loss but I struggle as I'm not a snacker and have always just eaten 2 or 3 meals per day. I need help with a food plan but one that can work around what i eat daily.

Breakfast - i eat oats the quick 90sec sachet with a bit of milk normally the multigrain ones
Lunch- my biggest struggle. I end up eating 2 eggs on 2 pieces of white toast and a cup of tea with 2 sugars and milk.
Dinner- another struggle due to 3 kids that are particular with their food. But dinner has been getting much better now as i try to have a protein (chicken, steak or pork) with vegies, sometimes butter chicken with rice, sometimes homemade burgers but i am cutting thar down to only once a week or once a fortnight.
Can anyone help with lunch ideas
nothing to hard as i have twins at home and i dont have much time

And if you have any ideas on changing or adding to my meal plan please do

bmchenry02 · July 2015

There's no rule of eating 6 meals a day to lose weight. I prefer to eat 6 because it keeps my sugar in balance and I don't overeat at meal time. Do what works for you and track everything in MFP. Have you figured out your TDEE as a starting point? Why is lunch a struggle? Time or choices?

Sounds like you're consuming a lot of carbs. Oatmeal and bread are fine and eggs are wonderful but by the time you add in snacks and dinner you might need to balance your day with more protein.

I make turkey/chicken muffins (Google jamie Eason turkey muffins) and have them on hand for spinach salad or over a bed of lentils and cucumbers etc. great quick protein source and you can make them during naptime to have for the week.

Great protein snacks I like include cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, turkey jerky, protein smoothies, egg whites and lots of them!

Another thing you can do is make simple swaps for healthier choices. Swap your white bread for something more dense and fiber rich. Try flat out wraps that are low carb and high fiber. Have you tried steel cut oats? I make mine overnight to have on hand for the week. Super simple and more filling to me. Instead of rice at dinner what about 1/2 a plain roasted sweet potato, quinoa salad...

GenevieveRox · July 2015

My food plan or lifestyle is LCHF (low carb high fat [protein]).

I'd cut out as many carbs as you can: Pasta, white Rice, Bread. No pop (Soda as some might say). Switch white potato to sweet potato or even use cauliflower instead of any potato. It's just as good and kiddo's should like it. You can use cauliflower to make rice for when you need rice too.

smileyahp · July 2015

My nutritionist said that my fitness app low balls calories. Look it up online or see a nutritionist to get started. If you limit yourself to low amount you will give up. I did trying to stay under 1400 calories killed me. For my weight, age, height she said under 2000 and 20 or more minutes of exercise and I should lose. It's happening i am losing. If you are stuck with the same meals you will quit. I use this app, after I adjusted my calories and it helps to track. It's been very useful but double check your calories so you can eat more variety of food.

kimny72 · July 2015

OP, it doesn't matter what you eat or when, it matters how much.

Put your stats into MFP, accurately and consistently measure and log your food and drink, use a food scale, move more if you can, and play with what types of foods you eat until you find a plan that helps YOU feel satisfied and energetic. Everyone is different - what I eat might not work for you. If you find you are hungry with what you are eating, try adding more protein or fat - they both usually help.

MFP calorie values are fine, if you choose the right database entries. There are a lot of incorrect user-entered entries, but you can use "verified" entries or double check anything that looks wonky.

And if your profile ticker is correct, set your weight loss goal to no more than 1 lb per week, anything more will likely be too aggressive.

Don't make it harder than it needs to be, and good luck :drinker:

MrsEGreen · July 2015

Thanks all
Im not sure what MFP is?

Since Monday I have been doing pretty good.
On Monday I ate 1,185 calories and did pump class to burn approx 200-300 calories

Tuesday I ate 1,164 calories and did some shopping for a few hours (walking)

And Ive just finishes lunch today (wed) and have ate 698 calories and did a quick gym session and burnt 155 calories.

Breakfast is oats and 100ml milk
Lunch is now salad which includes
Chicken
Spinach
Avacado
Tomato
Red onion
Mushroom
20ml dressing
Cuppa tea 2 sugars 100ml milk

Dinner is a protein and vegies
Stir fry etc

Slowly but surely burning more calories.
Due to my mastectomy im still weak in my core as i had abdominal reconstruction so taking it east is still a must for now.

Really appreciate everyones help
Keep it coming

OldHobo · July 2015

mfp is just shorhand for myfitnesspal.com.

MrsEGreen · July 2015

Thanks heaps
I think im doing pretty well.
Not hungry throughout the day either and if I am i have a piece of fruit
But haven't needed to yet
All calories have been under 1200 every day
I haven't had bread or pasta all week and that is unusual for me
So im proud

Going out to dinner tonight with school mums so im hoping i don't go over 1200 for the day

MrsEGreen · August 2015

Dinner was great. I had a chicken and avacado salad which had fetta, green beans and olive oil
Guessing it was about 300 calories, not too sure though.
Have been doing really well still. No bread or pasta for the week
Monday tomorrow.... lets see how I go

6cents · August 2015

When I want something fast, easy and satisfying, a Greek yogurt (any flavor you like) with 1 c of GetBalance protein and fiber (Aldi brand cereal) makes a pretty healthy meal.

MrsEGreen · August 2015

Greek yogurt is on my to do list
Is that more of a snack meal or lunch meal?

maggieeric1 · August 2015

You're doing great mrsE!

yardprincess · August 2015

Another good tip is to keep planning ahead. Being spontaneous with food can still work as long as you account for it. Sounds like you are on the right track, just keep being determined to succeed and allow yourself to forgive and move on when you slip and know that everyone slips up now and then.

MrsEGreen · August 2015

Thanks heaps
We try to meal plan as much as we can
Just getting into a routine and finding what I want to be eating everyday
Twice a fortnight I let myself have bread and rice so I dont feel restricted
Hopefully I'm not doing more damage though

conniemaxwell5 · August 2015

I suggest eating more calories. You're only eating 1200 or less, burning 150-200 with exercise and as a mother of twins you are probably burning more than you think just taking care of them. Your body needs a certain amount to function, depending on your current size and normal activities. You should google TDEE and calculate what you need. It will be more than you think it should be but try it. I lost 50 pounds eating 2300 calories a day with 30 minutes of cardio (burned about 300 calories). If you struggle eating more, just stay away from low fat, sugar free foods or add another ounce or so of protein at each meal.

TangoFrog · August 2015

Try the "change4life" website which is advice by the NHS. It's really good as it has 100s of easy to cook recipes and they calculate all the calories for you too. They also give exercise advice.

Florida_Superstar · August 2015

I think you should see a registered dietitian. It changed my life. Just in general, though, it does not matter how many meals a day you eat. What matters is overall calories. Don't force 6 meals a day if you're not hungry. Personally, I am always hungry and I'm counting the minutes to the next meal. I would also not worry about macros (how much protein/carbs/fat) since you are just getting started. Focus on real, natural foods vs. pre-packaged foods like granola bars, frozen dinners, etc. Finally, my personal experience (and I know this is not true for everyone) is that I LOST weight when I added back in carbs after restricting them for over 6 months. Specifically, the foods I cut and later added back in were whole wheat bread, whole wheat tortillas, whole oats (not the instant kind), and whole grain cereal. If you feel deprived without those foods, you should eat them. It messed with my mind when I tried to add them back in (guilt), and I should have never cut them. Again, some people react differently, but you should experiment and see if grains work for you. Like I said, I lost weight while eating them. Good luck!

MrsEGreen · August 2015

Thanks heaps.
It all seems alot more complicated then I hoped haha
I don't get hungry enough to eat more meals and more calories
I need to find someone to meal plan for me i think based on my own body
I wish it was easier
Maybe as time goes on and my body recovers more from my surgery I'll be strong enough to exercise more and then need more calories
I just worry that because im not exercising enough if i eat more calories I wont helping myself

Florida_Superstar · August 2015

MrsEGreen wrote: »

Thanks heaps.
It all seems alot more complicated then I hoped haha
I don't get hungry enough to eat more meals and more calories
I need to find someone to meal plan for me i think based on my own body
I wish it was easier
Maybe as time goes on and my body recovers more from my surgery I'll be strong enough to exercise more and then need more calories
I just worry that because im not exercising enough if i eat more calories I wont helping myself

It's not really that complicated. But it IS hard to know where to start if you haven't been concerned about nutrition in the past. The best thing that can really help you is to see a Registered Dietitian. He or she will develop a plan just for you at your current activity level. You are right -- not exercising right now (due to your surgery) will affect your calorie needs. As you become more active, that will change, and a professional can adjust that for you. If you don't know where to find a Registered Dietitian, you can ask your doctor for a recommendation. Good luck.

kandell · August 2015

I work full time, so my lunches are typically something I can throw together quickly in the morning or the night before. Leftovers from dinner are always a great idea! I also like to have salads with a light dressing and some sort of protein, like a hard boiled egg or small pieces of turkey/ham.

Wraps are also awesome! They're easy to make and you can make them as light as you want. My favorite wrap is a tortilla with turkey, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and a little bit of cream cheese.

caroldavison332 · August 2015

My sister had breast cancer.
1. Stop eating so much white food (oats the quick 90sec sachet with a bit of milk normally the multigrain ones; 2 eggs on 2 pieces of white toast and a cup of tea with 2 sugars and milk;). It quickly turns into sugar which drops energy, and secretes insulin which tells your body it is hungry. Trash the quick oats for steel cut. Have a hard boiled egg with them.
2. Go on Dr Joel Fuhrman's gbombs diet (bitter GREENS collards, kale, turnip tops, watercress), BEANS, MUSHROOMs, ONIONS< BERRIES AND SEEDS for lunch to optimize nutrition. Eating the mushrooms and onions together exponentially increases your body's ability to fight cancer.
3. Nothing wrong with burgers at night as long as you eat more veg.
4. How I do it: Shop Saturday. Sunday: cook a tub of oatmeal, a tub o hard boiled eggs, a tub of veggie full soup or chili, and a dozen burgers. Eat on them all week.
5. blessings!

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