what to eat

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hi all,

i am new to this diet website and need help. i am trying to lose 20 pounds. the problem is im only allowed 1,471 calories per day and with a busy schedule it is hard to eat right given the allowed calories.
i can squeeze in exercise 2-3 times a week to allow more calorie intake but during a normal busy day, from the calories allowed i can only allow 400 cals per meal! that does not seem a lot to work with, and eating veggies and fruit during a meal, especially around lunch will not give me enough energy throughout the day please help. thanks.

Replies

  • myraamparo13
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    hi all,

    i am new to this diet website and need help. i am trying to lose 20 pounds. the problem is im only allowed 1,471 calories per day and with a busy schedule it is hard to eat right given the allowed calories.
    i can squeeze in exercise 2-3 times a week to allow more calorie intake but during a normal busy day, from the calories allowed i can only allow 400 cals per meal! that does not seem a lot to work with, and eating veggies and fruit during a meal, especially around lunch will not give me enough energy throughout the day please help. thanks.
  • smcclain
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    You would be surprised on what you can eat with that allotted number. Stick to chicken and seafood for main meals if you can that doesn't take up much of your calorie count at all. Eating the 80 or 90 calorie yogurts is a great snack that fills you up with out taking away too many calories too. There is planning you will have to do. But I played around with the calorie counter to see what would be filling and less calories. This site is great for that. I only have 1,200 calories to work with and I'm not starving at all. It just takes practice. You can do it.
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
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    Breakfast
    Pepperidge Farm Seeded Whole Grain Rye Bread, 2 slice
    Butter - Salted, 0.25 tbsp
    Dairy - 1% Milk, 0.2 cup
    Meal 185

    snack
    Strawberries - Raw, 5 extra large (1-5/8" dia)
    meal 43


    lunch
    Publix - Lean Ground Beef 93/7, 3.5 oz
    Ronzoni- Smart Taste - Elbow Macaroni, 2 OZ (1 cup cooked)
    Bertolli Vineyard Premium Collections - Marinara With Burgundy Wine, 1/2 cup
    Publix - Grated Romano Parmesan Cheese, 3 teaspoons
    Meal 447

    snack
    365 - Almonds- Unsalted, 1 oz 160

    dinner
    Butter - Salted, 0.5 tbsp
    Yukon Gold - Yellow Fleshed Potatoes, 1 medium potatoe
    Generic - Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thigh, 4 ounce
    Oil - Olive, 1 tsp
    Stubb's - Smokey Mesquite Bar-B-Q Sauce, 2tsp
    Squash - Zucchini, includes skin, raw, 1 cup
    Squash - Yellow, Fresh, 3/4 cup

    Meal 545
  • ivykivy
    ivykivy Posts: 2,970 Member
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    Maybe..
    1 can Tuna with celery or spinach
    1 6oz chicken breast with spinach or lettuce and maybe 0.5 table spoon of lowfat dressing, 5 fresh strawberries
    or make a half sandwich with sliced lunch meat and an apple or banana
  • astridfeline
    astridfeline Posts: 1,200 Member
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    Yes, you can do it! My base is 1575 cals and sometimes I am so full from eating all healthy food--I never thought that would happen. I'm rarely hungry. I eat 5 little meals a day to spread out my cals, maybe I eat a little more in the mornings just so I'm not hungry later. I try to keep a variety of foods on hand & it really helps to plan each day ahead and pack my food the night before. The things I eat are:
    different beans, plain or with brown rice, or made into a bean salad w/ vegies or bean spread like hummus
    whole wheat crackers with cheese or hummus
    fruit with cheese or hummus
    greek yogurt, cottage cheese with homemade apple or pear sauce
    string cheese & babybels
    different grains like brown rice, kasha, lentils, couscous, made into pilafs or salads; or I put sauces on top of them like curries or ratatouille
    fish, chicken, meatloaf muffins

    After awhile you'll get the hang of it with your favorite foods and you'll discover new ones. Welcome! :flowerforyou:
  • Nonibug
    Nonibug Posts: 1,214 Member
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    You would be surprised on what you can eat with that allotted number. Stick to chicken and seafood for main meals if you can that doesn't take up much of your calorie count at all. Eating the 80 or 90 calorie yogurts is a great snack that fills you up with out taking away too many calories too. There is planning you will have to do. But I played around with the calorie counter to see what would be filling and less calories. This site is great for that. I only have 1,200 calories to work with and I'm not starving at all. It just takes practice. You can do it.

    Yes, she is soooo right! I have to agree 100%. I am on 1460 calories a day and its all in the choices you make of what to eat. You can make wise healthy food choices and be full! I know that to me there are days when the 1460 is ALOT of calories and adding in the workout calories makes it much more than I can even eat on some days:ohwell: Good luck to you!:flowerforyou:
  • benw
    benw Posts: 211 Member
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    Try something like this:

    Lunch
    Grapes - Raw, 10
    Carrots - Baby, raw, 5 medium
    Almonds - Almonds Raw and Unsalted, 0.2 cup
    Chicken - Chicken Breast, 0.5 breast
    California Seedless - Raisins, 1/8 cup (40 g)
    277 Calories

    I am full by the time I eat all this. I use to eat cheese burgers and fries.
  • havingitall
    havingitall Posts: 3,728 Member
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    Breakfast
    Strawberries - Raw, 1 serving
    Liberte Mediterranee - Yogurt, 131.25 g
    Blueberries Raw - Blueberries, 20 blueberries
    Natures Best - Organic Peanut Butter, 1 TBSP
    Ace Bakery - Organic Multigrain Bread, 1 slice
    Meal 441

    Lunch
    Red Bell Pepper, 0.25 medium
    Pineapple - Pineapple Chunks, 0.5 cup diced
    Carrots - Baby, raw, 2 medium
    Tomatoes - Cherry Tomatoes, 6 tomatoes
    Radishes - Raw, 2 small
    Cauliflower - Raw, 3 floweret
    Chicken - Chicken Breast, 0.5 breast
    Broccoli - Raw, 1 spear (about 5" long)
    Meal 142

    Dinner
    Organic Brown Rice - Brown Rice, 1 cup
    Broccoli - Broccoli Steamed, 0.2 cup
    Chicken - Chicken Breast, 1 breast
    Publix - White Mushrooms, 0.3 container
    Fresh - Green Beans,
    President - Feta Cheese,
    Remember Meal 512

    This is a day for me. I like a bit more for breakfast and dinner sees me through the night


    By the way... BenW... who's that beautiful woman in your picture.... Oh It's me!!!!!


    He's my husband:love:
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
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    I remember before June, when I changed my wicked ways, I was ALWAYS hungry!

    I dont know if my tummy was hungry, but my mouth wanted food all the time. Even after I ate small fries, med iced tea, quarter pounder with cheese............which is a LOT of ,but loaded with sodium and bad fat, I was hungry!

    Hungry?!?! Truly??? Well no not really. The bad stuff makes you want more bad stuff. Not scientific, but def true.

    I tested it!

    One day I ate 1400 calories of 'bad' foods. I ate sausage and butter and homefries for breakfast and lunch of micky d's and then dinner of high fat pizza. I was hungry all day long. I mean, I could not think of anything but food!

    The next day I ate 1400 cals of GOOD foods. I almost forgot to eat my mid morning snack! I ate every 3 hours 200-400 calories and felt wonderful! Energetic, spunky even. But most of all, I was not EVER hungry.

    When you feed your body the nutrient it was intended to have, it will be satisfied.

    Good luck in your journey :flowerforyou:
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
    Options
    Breakfast
    Strawberries - Raw, 1 serving
    Liberte Mediterranee - Yogurt, 131.25 g
    Blueberries Raw - Blueberries, 20 blueberries
    Natures Best - Organic Peanut Butter, 1 TBSP
    Ace Bakery - Organic Multigrain Bread, 1 slice
    Meal 441

    Lunch
    Red Bell Pepper, 0.25 medium
    Pineapple - Pineapple Chunks, 0.5 cup diced
    Carrots - Baby, raw, 2 medium
    Tomatoes - Cherry Tomatoes, 6 tomatoes
    Radishes - Raw, 2 small
    Cauliflower - Raw, 3 floweret
    Chicken - Chicken Breast, 0.5 breast
    Broccoli - Raw, 1 spear (about 5" long)
    Meal 142

    Dinner
    Organic Brown Rice - Brown Rice, 1 cup
    Broccoli - Broccoli Steamed, 0.2 cup
    Chicken - Chicken Breast, 1 breast
    Publix - White Mushrooms, 0.3 container
    Fresh - Green Beans,
    President - Feta Cheese,
    Remember Meal 512

    This is a day for me. I like a bit more for breakfast and dinner sees me through the night


    By the way... BenW... who's that beautiful woman in your picture.... Oh It's me!!!!!


    He's my husband:love:

    Did you peek in my kitchen and copy me???:laugh: :laugh:
  • havingitall
    havingitall Posts: 3,728 Member
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    Nope.... no peeking. It just all tastes so good!
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
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    Nope.... no peeking. It just all tastes so good!

    so true! My dh just went to get chicago dogs...offered to get me some. I thought about it and said.....nah. I just ate chicken breast, angel hair pasta, mushrooms, evoo and lemon... I really do not WANT the hot dogs with nitrates and sodium and who KNOWS what they put in those things!:laugh:
  • havingitall
    havingitall Posts: 3,728 Member
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    dang your lunch sounds better than mine I just did a nice plate with some raw veggies, a few Nut Thin crakers and two oz of low fat cheddar. It was tasty...but yours sounds great
  • myraamparo13
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    thank you all to those who replied. :flowerforyou: this is a very good start to plan out my meals. thanks again. i wish you all well with your goals. :bigsmile:
  • allaboutme
    allaboutme Posts: 391 Member
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    I work in an office, we moved so we are not around anywere you can go to lunch (which is good!) we have a microwave a fridge and a toaster. Therefore, most times, when I make supper, I make enough for my lunch the next day that I can throw in the microwave and voila, instant protien carbs and fat that keeps me satisfied all day (usually around 300 - 400 calories) sometimes chicken and potatoes, sometimes spaghetti, whatever I have, stirfries are great rewarmed too. When I don't have leftovers, it is canned salmon or tuna with 1 slice of whole wheat bread (toaster) some mayo (fridge) and a baked potatoe (microwave) I try to utilize all the benefits my office offers :laugh: Or a baked sweet potatoe some days. Think outside of the box and you can almost always come up with something.

    The hardest thing about this for me was it took planning, before I started here, I never knew what I was going to have for lunch ever unless I had something really yummy left over from supper. Now I have to know before I leave the house, otherwise, I have nothing to eat.