330 CALORIES & LOWER - RECIPE CHALLENGE

[Tokovaig]

Hi everyone, I am new here. Today is the first day of my weight loss plan. I have been weighing various ingredients and recording calories & fibre content to calculate weight loss suitability/adaptation of my favourite meals. I have also cobbled together/devised/copied various meals under 330 calories which can be tweaked to higher or lower calorie content depending on hunger/snack needs. Out comes the lever arch file and several pages later I have a handy little section on calories/weights of various ingredients I use regularly too. I would like to share if I can find a way to photograph my UNDER 330 CALORIES GO TO FOODS. All this so that I do not just wander into the kitchen and stuff slice after slice of bread into the toaster when I'm 'hungry'. So that I can still work quickly in the kitchen I have also weighed, say 30g of Buckwheat into a small container which I leave in the packet/jar so I can just quickly scoop out the 30g rather than weighing each time I cook. I've done the same with a larger container for pasta. Weighing food & recording things down really helps me to focus on how many calories I am actually consuming.

[Diane2]

You sound really organised Tokovaig, what a great start and welcome to the Weight Loss Forum! 🤗 You will have been sent a Welcome post on registration which gives you lots of advice and links to useful information on how to get the most out of this site. There's a lot there but it's worth taking your time to read,honest!

We recommend joining a Weekly Weigh In on the day of your choice, and using the Daily Diary, where members log their meal plans and get useful feedback. A key feature of the Forum is the support between members which you will experience as you join in.

Check out your BMI if you've not already done so..

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Please also read this information about security/privacy, especially as your post is unlocked

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You will see you have been awarded a date badge to mark your joining us. Different badges(e.g. to note weight loss stages and other events) are added to active members who participate on the Weigh In days. You will see these as you explore the site.

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In short our advice is, to make the most of the forum, please join in with activities, read and reply to posts, ask questions and encourage others – it will benefit you and support your progress, all best to you! 😊

[BridgeGirl Administrator 2 stone]

Hello and welcome, Tokovaig

I used to keep a notebook with calorie counts of 100gms of all my regular ingredients but my meals weren't as low as 330 calories. What are you planning on for your calorie total for the day?

If you use the NHS BMI calculator, you will find a range appropriate to you. I aimed for the middle of that range and lost 1 lb a week while following the 12 week plan. If you're thinking of 3 meals of 330 cals, that would be very low, but maybe you're very short and don't have much to lose.

[Tokovaig in reply to BridgeGirl]

Hi BridgeGirl

Yes I agree that 3 meals at 330 would be very low but my calorie meals are just a basic guide to have either as a lunch, breakfast or as a snack/meal depending on my needs. The ten favourites I have calculated are a GO TO in case I panic. I have calculated higher calorie versions of each meal by adding other ingredients, for example, I could have a poached egg on toast with tinned plum tomatoes, but I could add another egg and/or another slice of toast (without butter and bread is 55cals per slice) To be honest, the meals I normally make are stews/soups/curries so when making a big pot for the family it is hard for me to count the calories like that. I am aiming at a total of 1,300 calories per day but I haven't attempted the BMI calculator yet as I cannot face measuring my waist, which I know sounds a bit soft but I was so shocked at finding my weight has increased so much, that was enough reality for me haha. I like your idea of a notebook, it is handy too. I'm using an A4 lever arch file haha. Thank you for your suggestion of checking the BMI calculator, I will take a look when I feel brave enough to measure my waist.

[babss 2 stone in reply to Tokovaig]

Welcome tokovaig

You don’t need to measure your waist to calculate your BMI-just your height and weight. The waist measurement can come later when you are ready

Writing down all my food really helped me get started too and I still do it now-holds me to account!

Good luck

[Tokovaig in reply to babss]

Oh that is really helpful to know babss I will take a look at he BMI calculator now. Yes, I agree, writing a food diary really helps - we can't pretend we didn't exceed calories or eat too many unhealthy choices that way. Thank you for your help.

[babss 2 stone in reply to Tokovaig]

Pleasure

I find that if I commit to writing everything I eat down I am less likely to eat it- it stops the mindless consumption of everything going! I haven’t been doing this over Christmas and I have eaten far more without a doubt.

The daily diary is really useful too 😊

[Diane2 in reply to Tokovaig]

Hi I gave you the link to BMI calculator in my reply above (about half way into reply)

[Tokovaig in reply to Diane2]

Hi Diane2 - thank you - I have used the BMI calculator and now have a better idea. it wasn't too painful : ))

[Tiggerr in reply to Tokovaig]

Enjoying your enthusiasm Tokovaig.

If you haven't already, have a look at the NHS BMI calculator. At the end, it will also provide a sensible calorie range to stay between which will allow you to lose weight at a sensible rate.

Happy New Year and the best of luck!

[Tokovaig in reply to Tiggerr]

Thanks Tiggerr - I have now used the BMI calculator. I have noticed a lot of comments about avoiding too few calories as this just piles back on the weight, which is interesting. My activity level is very low due to my disability and pain on moving but I can increase upper body movement at the gym and I can work a little on an exercise bike, just not joined a gym yet!

[Tiggerr in reply to Tokovaig]

Glad you're taking comments on board as there's a lot of knowledge here

Don't fret about your inability to exercise too much. You'll have noticed that part of the NHS BMI calculator is that you can add the level of exercise you're currently able to manage. There are people here losing weight who are in similar situations to yours or even more challenged but are able to lose weight, which is 80-90% managing what and how much you eat.

Best of luck, keep involved and you will achieve your goals.

[Tokovaig in reply to Tiggerr]

Thank you. Yes, exercise/activity is helpfully suggested individually which is good. I am going to try some light stretches using a sensible you tube video, which, again, depends on individual abilities so I will find a video which suits me.

[BridgeGirl Administrator 2 stone in reply to Tokovaig]

I think if you rely on meals of 330 cals, you'll definitively panic You'll be just plain hungry and you don't need to be hungry to lose weight.

Please find the range appropriate for you and have confidence in it, rather than punishing yourself with an unsuitably low intake. As babss says, you don't need your waist measurement to calculate your BMI.

And then join the Daily Diary, or start by browsing and seeing others' food choices

[Tokovaig in reply to BridgeGirl]

Thank you. I can add to the 330 for a meal or lower it for a snack, they are really simple recipes which can be added to or reduced depending on if I need a snack or depending on if I need a meal. For example,

I can have 2 poached eggs on 2 slices of toast with half a tin of baked beans,

or I can have one poached egg on 3 slices of toast, with half a tin of baked beans,

or I can have 3 slices of toast with half a tin of plum tomatoes and a poached egg

or I can have half a tin of tomatoes (or fresh ones) on one slice of toast for a snack

I have devised meals with avocado, pasta and various tinned beans (cannellini, butter beans, adzuki beans, chick peas, black beans), Buckwheat salads, home made hummus with veg sticks etc. And I have done the same thing with each recipe (raising or reducing the calorie content depending on if they are a light snack, lunch or main meal). I find this a whole lot simpler than making stews and casseroles.

Each meal I have devised has a really easy way of either upping the calories if I am needing a full meal, or reducing down the calories if I just want a snack. I hope this is clearer.

I have used the BMI calculator thank you

[Cookie101]

You say that you don't want to reach for the toast... I just had to go back to Australia to visit family (don't ask me how it was, I hate family trips!) and I was able to find a very yummy gluten free alternative to vegemite. My toast is finally awesome again!

[Tokovaig in reply to Cookie101]

Oh wonderful Cookie101 - vegemite yumyum.