help needed

[jochanc]

Hi wish I could say I am new to this world of dieting but I am not, I need something that will work, I have tried having a shake for breakfast with a low fat yoghurt and fruit, then a salad for lunch and the same shake and fruit for a snack in the afternoon, with one evening meal. Not sure if this is the best way to maintain a steady and healthy weight loss any advice greatly appreciated.

[Zest Healthy BMI]

Hi Jochanc,

Welcome to the forum and hope you'll enjoy being part of this community. Have you seen the NHS 12 week plan? It is healthy way of eating and it's really sensible as well as providing a good framework, you can see the 12 week downloadable pages here:

nhs.uk/Livewell/weight-loss...

We have a Monday group weigh-in - which I post just before 7am on Mondays - there is also an Afternoon/Evening post which is posted at midday on Mondays. You'd be very welcome to join us if it's something you'd like to be part of.

There are also other great Challenges going on, like Fizzyliz's Around the World in 80 days challenge, it's really good fun and motivates many of us to do more exercise.

Hope you have a great week.

Lowcal

[asics]

Hello jochanc!

I am sure others will be able to provide some great links to the food advice on here to help you.

I personally think the best bet is to keep it really simple to start which is what you have - a simple plan to follow.

However I would ditch the shake. Even if it is a slimming one it will be full of sugar. (Having done those myself in past, I think calorie wise they were designed as one for breakfast (with nothing else ) one for lunch (again on its own)and a sensible dinner.)

The yoghurt and fruit for breakfast is good. Maybe adding a little protein like a boiled egg, or some high fibre carb like a slice of wholegrain toast would help fill you up.

A large salad for lunch is good make sure you have some protein with it. Or homemade soup on colder days. Have a piece of fruit for pudding.

Snack: vegetables (pepper slices, carrot, mange tout) on their own or with a dip. Or fruit with handful of almonds or nut butter on 2 oat cakes.

Dinner: lean protein with lots and lots of veg - variety and colour in the veg is perfect or you can"t go wrong with lots of green veg.

You can add some good carb choices to lunch and dinner like small portions of brown rice or sweet potato. If I am being super good i try to get my carbs from fruit and vegetables.

Write a daily plan and stick to it too.

Hope this helps. 😊

[asics in reply to asics]

P.S. Take it one day at a time!

[sueper]

Hi,

Rather than a diet perhaps try to approach weight loss as a lifestyle change. Reduce portion size & cut down on the snacking.

The problem with dieting especially when living on salad and diet shakes is that when you stop the weight just goes back on again.

I have lost nearly 5 stone in the last 11.5 months but cutting down and walking. I still eat the same foods, just a lot less of them and the only thing I have really cut out is chocolate biscuits.

Good luck

[hydrogirl]

im not a fan of the shakes as I like real food and if I have real food I can live like that forever

have you seen the nhs 12week plan? and myfitnesspal app?

I would say counting calories works best as it quite easy and sustainable

try looking up alternative meals to replace shakes if you want a change

most shakes are meal replacement items and you seem to say you have them as a snack, as a snack they have more calories than some sandwiches etc therefore you would be better off eating something filling and just having your fruit as a snack

plan out your meals etc

one thing I would recommend is to download myfitnesspal and record everything you eat/drink/do for a week and see how much you are actually consuming then review and see what alternatives you can apply

[KK679]

Hi there. I really feel empathy with your post. I tried everything with either no success or success until I fell off the wagon! My weight loss journey changed recently when my GP who has so far lost 6st told me about The Hairy Dieters book which helped him lose weight. It's real food calorie counted and portion controlled. I bought the first book a few weeks ago and have used their recipes for every meal and snacks for the past 2 weeks and lost 12lbs! It has really spurred me on and I have all 3 books now (thanks to Amazon Prime and a helpful poster on here telling me there were 3 books and what they were called! lol) and plan to only cook from them whilst losing weight. With the help of the book I have got on top of my portions, am eating real food which is tasty and I even eat cake at least once a week. I have the odd chocolate bar if I want it. Day after day I'm dropping the pounds. I rarely go over 1500 cals a day and barely notice that I don't. I use My Fitness Pal and happily all the Hairy Dieters recipes are in there! The main trick is to control your portion sizes. I know it sounds obvious, but I honestly had no idea how much I was over eating at every meal. I had no idea that an adult portion of pasta was 40 pasta shells ... that is barely a cup! It looks lost on the plate until you add the sauce next to it (not on it, it looks more!) salad/veggies.

I also plan a month of meals (at least, I actually am up to April at the moment, anal much? PMSL) I order online shopping and ONLY order what I need for the recipes (meals/cakes) I plan to cook, lunchboxes and a couple of snack things such as lower cal biscuits ( I love a garibaldi or two ) low fat hummus, fruit, ryvitas etc etc But even the snacks I plan and buy for.

Also try and make your own cakes and cereals if you can.

I wanted to share an average food intake for me for 1 day: Today I have had 1/4 cup homemade granola, and coffee for breakfast for elevensies I had a small slice of homemade tea loaf and a cuppa. For lunch is leftover paprika chicken (half a portion) with 2 sesame ryvitas. I'll have a couple of garidaldi's mid afternoon with a cuppa which is my 2.47's before the kiddies get picked up from school. For tea we're having the Hairy Dieters Skinny Lasagne and salad which is a favourite of my kids, they're all cheese monsters lol. For pud is S/F blackcurrant jelly and fruit salad. I'll have 2 sesame ryvitas and a tablespoon of low fat hummus this evening. My total for today is around 1300 calories. The reason for this is portion control. I eat really well and really variedly every day and the weight is just dropping off me. I walk the dog everyday but other than that no exercise as such, just day to day stuff. You can do it, the secret is not feel like you're being punished but nourished. xxx

[jochanc]

Thanks everyone think the shakes are going back - thankfully I haven't opened them. Just wondered would a home made smoothie be a better option?

[hydrogirl in reply to jochanc]

yes homemade smoothies can be really good for you - maybe look up some recipies - although that's if you really like liquid form food

just remember having some other food options will provide the same nutrients but possibly fill you up more? like some of the options others have posted

I guess what im trying to say is that the shakes or smoothies will not fix everything you still have to work out what you are eating, how many calories you are consuming etc

I have a pre-made smoothie for my breakfast most days (from m&s super berry boost!)

[asics in reply to jochanc]

Hello lovely! Personally i would suggest having the whole fruits rather than the smoothie... then you get the filing fibre too..

Whole heartedly agree with sprout. One day at a time.

I have started this year differently... I know what i need to do personally.. but i am tryong to get each healthy habit one day at a time.

[jochanc]

Great thank you - I just feel a smoothie is better for me for breakfast and then Healthy lunch and dinner 😀

[Sprout15]

Hi Jochanc,

Well done in asking for support today. I would suggest taking one day at a time, looking after yourself by eating healthily and getting off the hamster wheel of food=guilt and diets =deprivation. You are not on your own, I have also decided enough is enough and I want this to be the last time I am this weight.

[jochanc in reply to Sprout15]

Hi sprout15,

Thanks very much for the support good luck to you on your journey. We must take one day at a time .