I can see my problem already

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MandyCanDo
MandyCanDo Posts: 53 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Okay-if I am going to do this, I need to be brutally honest and need people to be brutally honest (but not mean please) with me too so I made my food diary public. I have lost 40lbs prior to joining MFP, but all I really changed was exercise habits. I did not fully commit to the dietary side of things. Now, after only 3 days of doing a food diary, I can already see that I need to make changes. The trouble is, I am at a loss where to start. I do eat organic and local most of the time, but there is organic junk out there and I do find it.

I am not looking for quick fixes, just some suggestions on general eating plans that may or may not have worked for you too. Thank you for any constructive advice you can offer.
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  • Whatareherthings711
    Whatareherthings711 Posts: 316
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    I like eating small meals/snacks every few hours during the day. Lately, although I could be eating much better, I've been wanting less...which is great. Keep up your great work =)
  • Johnsweaver
    Johnsweaver Posts: 46 Member
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    If you replaced the sweet stuff in your diet for a peach you probably would have saved yourself 1000 calories in the last 3 days.

    Maybe you can slowly move away from things in boxes/packages (even if they're organic) for fresh fruit and veggies.
  • MandyCanDo
    MandyCanDo Posts: 53 Member
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    That is a great suggestion, especially since sweets are my biggest weakness. Thank you.
  • atomdraco
    atomdraco Posts: 1,083 Member
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    * You are eating way over your goal (most of the time)
    * Eat more whole food, less processed food
    * Eat a real dinner (cereal, muffin for dinner???)
    * Eat lots of vegetable (green leafy), fruits. Cucumber, tomato are good but not the best, especially that's all I see you eat.
    * Cookie, or other deserts should be moderation
    * do not skip meal
    * eat a better and more nutritious breadfast
  • MandyCanDo
    MandyCanDo Posts: 53 Member
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    Thank you, I have tried that in the past, I just can't seem to find the right combination to stick to it. I know it is one of the best ways to never feel hungry, but sometimes I am still hungry at the end of the day and end up eating something I shouldn't.
  • MandyCanDo
    MandyCanDo Posts: 53 Member
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    AtomDraco-you are so right!! The cereal/muffin for dinner has been bad. Not an excuse, but it mostly stems from working til 7 each night, and thinking it is bad to eat more than that after 8 when I finally get home. As far as cucumbers and tomatoes, that is because the garden I have has been over abundant for them. Your outline was great and I will take it and try to institute it ASAP.
  • peytjalmom
    peytjalmom Posts: 76
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    Eat smaller amounts every 2 or 3 hours. Meals=300-400 calories, snacks=100-200 calories. You are making your pancreas work overtime on such large meals which shoots out large amounts of insulin at once, probably making you initially tired and then hungry a lot sooner than need be. And try to make meals with protein ratio of 2:1, which means if you eat 15g of protein, limit carbs to 30. You'll stay satisfied and have more energy.
  • laurad8911
    laurad8911 Posts: 99
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    i eat a similar breakfast to yours today but with 1 piece of bread, 1 tbsp of nut butter, and 1 tbsp of jam and then a piece of fruit if i need more food to help fill up more. you can always eat more nut butter later if calories allow!
  • dewgirl321
    dewgirl321 Posts: 296 Member
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    Switching from 110 calorie per slice bread can help a little too. I switched to Oroweat sandwich thins. Still a yummy sandwich but only 100 calories for the bread. 1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese and 1/2 cup fruit is a fulfilling snack for 150 calories and no fat.

    Maybe planning your food ahead of time will help you keep within your total for the day. I usually pack my breakfast, lunch, and 1-2 snacks for work, and only use about 1/2 my calories so I have room to get just about whatever I want for dinner.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    AtomDraco-you are so right!! The cereal/muffin for dinner has been bad. Not an excuse, but it mostly stems from working til 7 each night, and thinking it is bad to eat more than that after 8 when I finally get home. As far as cucumbers and tomatoes, that is because the garden I have has been over abundant for them. Your outline was great and I will take it and try to institute it ASAP.
    Remember that it isn't the time of day you eat your calories, it's how many calories you eat in a day. (That whole "not eating after 7" thing is a myth!) If you get home after 8, the likelihood is that you're starting your day later than someone who gets off work at 4 or 5. Eat dinner when you get home, whatever time that is and don't think you need to skimp because of the time on the clock.
  • ohpurdysure
    ohpurdysure Posts: 45
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    Ahh the sweet thing will get you everytime.. I am a chocolate lover.. along with a soda lover. but I have manage to let the soda go.. and only allow myself a coffee cup of soda a day with ice thats not really but a drink or too.. sooo but its how i manage.. the sweet thing was a little harder.. Now I eat yogurts, nuts of all kinds and frozen fruits / fresh fruits and abundance and once in a while.. I eat a small amount of Bakers choclate or Hersheys mini morsels just to take the edge off of wanting that cake haha.. Now i did opt for breakfast the other day a Ice cream cone verses a egg.. and a bottle of water and I worked it off.. so that was a good trade.
    I like to list all the foods i like, and then make my own desserts.. that way it isnt out of a box, its fresh and made by me..
    You can do it.
  • dragonflydi
    dragonflydi Posts: 665 Member
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    Even organic foods have calories and from the looks of what is in your food log, lots of them. I have to agree with the suggestion to eat a better breakfast. That is what gets your metabolism revved up and moving for the day. Breakfast should have a good amount of protein, which will keep you feeling full longer. 1 cup of raisin bran is mostly carbs, which are not going to keep you feeling full and 10 pretzel sticks ... well, that might keep you full for 30 minutes or so ;) An easy way to cut calories is to drop from 2% fat milk to either 1% or skim.

    Meals, ideally, should consist of 1/2 fruits/veggies (that have not been over cooked/processed and thereby depleted of all their valuable nutrients), 1/4 carbs and 1/4 protein (when you look at your plate as a pie chart). For me, I do 3/4 fruits/veggies and split the last 1/4 with carbs/protein ... going heavier on the protein.

    I also have a habit of eating at the end of the day. I make sure to have healthy snacks on hand so that if this happens, I can grab something that is good for me. I also have a sweet tooth. I treat myself (almost daily, if I have calories left) to candy to take care of that. However, I would be hard pressed to eat a bag of M and M's at 250 calories. My splurge is one or two Mini York Peppermint candies and I eat them very slowly. Each one is only 50 calories, so I get my fix for less than half the calories on the package of M and M's :) Score!

    I also agree with the advice to eat more frequently ... that helps to keep your insulin levels stable throughout the day and insulin largely affects what is burned and what is stored in the form of fat.

    Lastly, but certainly important ... lots of water ... it really does help a number of various functions in your body.

    While you will get a lot of ideas and advice on here, my biggest piece of advice is to not try and take all of it in and implement it all at once. Start with one thing and once you have that down, add another. Maybe amp up your breakfast first? Once you have that down, try making sure to get more water, etc. Slowly adding changes so that you don't become totally overwhelmed. That is the downfall that a lot of people seem to run into.

    Slow, steady and consistent. Also celebrate all the smaller achievements as you reach them because when you eventually add them all together, they create one BIG SUCCESS :)
  • atomdraco
    atomdraco Posts: 1,083 Member
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    AtomDraco-you are so right!! The cereal/muffin for dinner has been bad. Not an excuse, but it mostly stems from working til 7 each night, and thinking it is bad to eat more than that after 8 when I finally get home. As far as cucumbers and tomatoes, that is because the garden I have has been over abundant for them. Your outline was great and I will take it and try to institute it ASAP.

    I go home late everyday too, and go to bed late. It never bother me eating my dinner later than 8pm. To help with the hungriness before dinner, like others suggested, pack and eat more healthy snacks in between. There is nothing wrong even packing a salad for snack.
  • dragonflydi
    dragonflydi Posts: 665 Member
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    I like to list all the foods i like, and then make my own desserts.. that way it isnt out of a box, its fresh and made by me..
    You can do it.

    I do this! I have a ton of my own types of trail mix and since I make it myself, I know exactly how much fat, sugar, sodium, etc. is going into it and I can choose what I want instead of settling for what any particular manufacturer has decided to throw in a bag! :)
  • _SusieQ_
    _SusieQ_ Posts: 2,964 Member
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    I honestly think that by simply finally seeing the numbers you have turned a corner. Sometimes we don't realize how many calories are really in something until we do that research and write it down. Kudos to you for using that tool! I'm still working on my own journey so I don't want to start posting suggestions b/c really, what works for me may not work for you. But I firmly believe in accounting, for the calories, the meals, the exercise. Keeps ME on track anyway. Good luck!!!
  • purpleprose
    purpleprose Posts: 650
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    I would also suggest not having your daily goal set at 1200 - it almost sets you up for failure and many people on here (especially women) have found that they lose more by eating more.
  • saraoldham
    saraoldham Posts: 2
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    I find entering the food I'm planning to buy/eat before I buy/eat it really helps, because I can see what the effect will be on my daily goal. It gives you more contra. You can say to yourself, Don't eat the chocolate bar now because there will be no calories left for dinner! Having Fitness Pal as an app on the phone really helps for this as you can enter on the go. On the flip side, I do let myself have the odd chocolate bar - I'd go mad otherwise. But I will then plan a salad-style dinner to compensate.
  • Jamcnair
    Jamcnair Posts: 586 Member
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    Here are some ideas:
    Skip the jelly and have some fresh fruit. Have the PB (try using 1 TBS instead of 2) on bread and have an egg or yogurt with it. I love to have oatmeal with frozen blueberries and fresh strawberries mixed in with half a cup of chocolate soy milk.

    Lunch definitely shouldn't be half your daily calorie limit. I see that the cookies definitely pushed it up 200 calories. A lot of times for lunch, I will have a Lean Cuisine or Healthy Choice. It helps with calories and portion control and there are some pretty yummy ones out there. Also, one slice of whole wheat bread (there are some that are only like 70-100 calories a slice) with deli turkey and a slice of cheese with tomato/spinach/hummus/etc on it is good with some yogurt or a salad or fruit.

    I like sweets too so try a no sugar added fudge pop or the sugar free chocolate Jello pudding or a Fiber One 90 calorie bar.

    Drink water throughout the day! It helps keep you hydrated and more satisfied. If possible, try eating smaller portions more often throughout the day..it keeps me more satisfied and not feeling deprived
  • SlipperySlope
    SlipperySlope Posts: 34
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    I'm a big fan of big, filling breakfast (by "big," I mean about 30-40% of your daily calories), then medium lunch (about 25%), a few small snacks (100 calorie packs work great for me--total about 20%), then a small dinner (and small dessert!) with leftover calories. This keeps me happy throughout the day without constant hunger pangs! Everyone is different, of course, but I like "my" system.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    i think one of the things you need to remember is that just because its organic doesnt mean its very nutritious or good for you.

    I found that my first week here i thought i was eating quite well but when i logged i kept going way over my cals. If you can, try logging first thing in the morning, then you can see if what you plan to eat is going to be within your goal, or if you need to change a few things. I notice you eat a lot of carbs in every meal, maybe try smaller portions and increase your protien instead?

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