Getting ready to start

[Seanita]

I'm going to start this plan in the next few days. Just sorting out breakfasts as I'll stick to the same thing everyday which I always have porridge but now I'm weighing it out and putting each portion In a wee bag so it's ready each day. I've allocated my self 300 ml skimmed milk allowance everyday. I am having trouble though finding ideas for lunch and dinner with only 420 calls allowed for each. Where do yous Find your recipes. What is the best site?

[voley1]

In the past I actually used by weight watchers magazines but not doing weight watchers just getting the low cal exciting meals ,I only picked and chooses the simple ones that I thought was easy and motivating for me it was actually really good got me away from my rut and food was bit more fun but healthy

[andrewleeone]

Hi Seanita, Good for you. I pretty much did the same. What's your calorie target for the day? sounds like you are going below 1500 which might be a little too low. I went to low to start and I actually loose more weight on 14-1500 per day.

Lunch is a tuna Salad if I'm at home. Tuna in water or Brine - a tin is about 130 cals. seasoned with soy chilli & pepper with salad leaves, tomatoes, olives & low cal. Coleslaw - followed by a banana comes in about 350. If Im out & about I'll go for a sandwich and I'll choose one between 250 and 350 cals. If I need it I'll get a banana to top up.

Dinner is usually a larger meal - chicken or a lean breast, more of the same Salad stuff followed by natural low fat yogurt & strawberries. Looks and feels like a substantial meal but its not a load of calories.

Drinks - black coffee, flavoured water, water, etc. I like to plan a couple of days ahead and as I eventually move onto weight maintenance I'll have another lot of learning to do.

Its all easy to plan, prepare and organise in advance. It gets me a calorie intake which makes be feel well nourished, energetic. I also save a bit of brass!

As I've got the eating more sorted out I've got more flexible with it but still stay within limits. for me its been the planning, weighting and measuring that has helped.

Have fun with it and let us know how you get on!

[Seanita in reply to andrewleeone]

Thanks for that. I was doing 1400 cal a day as the plan on week 1 said this is what up a for. Your ideas are great. Like you I will need to plan especially as I work shifts inc nights so have to have stuff ready too mAke easily.

[Nsky24]

Lots of ideas, I personally choose rolls for work, I work shifts, lidl or Aldi ones come in 150cals, so choose a variety of fillings.

Bread varies quite a bit in cals, and will sometimes have cheese on toast, buy sliced cheese, scrambled eggs, no butter, a splash if milk

[Elissy 3kg]

Hi,

I have found the hairy dieters books a real life saver. I have a family to cook for as well, I adapt many meals anyway, like lasagne, but my portion is with courgette pasta. But the H.D. Books are a real treat, recipes are low, easy AND nice.

I love curry, and the whole family favourite curry is in their yellow book. Once you get used to cooking"light", you can adapt many recipes, but starting with a good collection of recipes is a good way to learn.

[2bFabnfit]

I have porridge for breakfast. (SEMI SKIMMED MILK/or skimmed ) if you add grated apple and cinnamon /nutmeg tastes like Apple pie 😊sometimes add blueberries instead or just cinnamon. It keeps me full till lunch.

Lunch I have a wrap or a salad. I like the one portion no drain John west tuna steak. Or lean meat. Sometimes I have houmous and veggies.

Then at dinner I have more or less what I want but watch portion size, count calories and balance it out over the week. So eg I can have sausage one night but will then have a low fat meal the next.

You can pick up great ideas here or research recipe cheats to lower calories. I love courgettI now and that saves a heap of carbs. Plan in for treats.

[2bFabnfit]

Oh and I use the free app myfitnesspal. Helps not just count calories but balance nutrition too. Very easy to use. Barcode scanner. Import recipes and it works everything out for you.

[Hidden]

A normal meal becomes a 420 cal meal as soon as you start cutting your portion size. I cut the amount of rice I had with a meal down from 100g to 75g to begin with and now I can have 50g without feeling I'm missing out, in fact this is a normal healthy portion. I use a Tala dry measures cone, really easy for measuring any dried goods (I think they have them in Robert Dyas). The same applies for all the other elements of a meal. I used to put loads of grated cheese on my food which added loads of calories, and also never measured the oil I used for cooking. I suggest measuring oil with a spoon and adding water if frying onions etc are drying out, rather than adding more oil. Also grill/poach rather than frying, or use 'frylight' 1 cal per spray. Once you get all these things in place it becomes easy to make a 420cal meal. Good luck

[Tracey19]

I'm eating 1200 kcal or less a day, and have been for ALMOST (minus 9 days!) a year and I've lost, currently, 7 stone 3 Ilbs - weighing in this morning at 8 st 13!! My meals at dinner time usually consist of about half vegetables or salad and then maybe 1 medium size potato and 100/150g of meat such as beef or chicken, etc. Recently I have had a small sandwich size plate of salad with one large boiled egg and a tablespoon of lighter than light mayo (11kcal) and it satisfies me untill breakfast the next day.

It's much easier to reduce calorie intake if you increase the vegetable intake and reduce the consumption of high calorie dense foods like potatoes.

[JoolieB1]

I use an app which is free, My Fitness Pal. You can join in discussion on the forum, set a weight loss and daily calorie goal and calculate calories and keep a food diary. I have used it for 10 weeks and lost 15 lbs.

Julie

[Seanita]

Thank you all for your ideas. I think I was daunted as it seemed so little calories. I am now the proud owner of a set of digital weighing scales as I think it will be more accurate and shows the weight as a number. I am determined to succeed on this as i just see myself getting bigger and bigger despite having increased exercises and doing c25k.