To cut a long story short, if I don't start losing weight I could be diabetic in less than 5 years and I'm 'only' 31
My problem is I can't seem to control my food urges, I don't smoke or drink alcohol, I don't drink tea or coffee either
I really want to commit to losing weight but my main issue is free time, all the healthy meals look great but my problem is this - I work Monday to Friday, I leave my house around 6:45am and by the time I'm back from work and finished helping putting kids to bed and finishing house work it's often 8-8:30pm and by then I'm too tired to start anything else, which is why I usually over compensate eating during the day as starting to cook anything will usually mean eating around 9pm which seems rather late as I like to go to bed around 10-11
I thinking about buying some low calorie/fat cereal bars to subtitute other stuff I used to eat during the day,
So if anyone has any helpful tips to start me off on my journey to losing weight that would be greatly appreciated
Written by
Peter-Russell
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I also have hunger issues and have given it lots of thought as I absolutely have to get in control of my weight this time. For me it was as much about portion size as actual type of food. Unfortunately ready prepared food bought awY from home is often calorie dense and large portion size. I personally prefer to cook from scratch, but am not a slave to the kitchen, there are links to healthy recipes on here, but simple things such chicken breast sakad and new potatoes is quick and easy 😊 You can but ready prepared veg and salads to bulk out the meat etc
For hunger I prefer to have a substantial breakfast or lunch, soup and sandwich for example. Or, like ypu, I get too hungry later in the day and over eat 😕
Good luck! I found light cereal bars good for snacking and they're actually quite tasty too! Tesco do their own Healthy Living range, those are nice. And Alpen Light too. Weight watchers also do some taste cake bars and biscuit bars that are far lower in calories that regular ones. Pound shops often have then cheaper than the supermarkets. Fruit is another good option though, or crispbreads with some form of protein on top.
I don't smoke or drink either, all my calories were simply coming from snacking to often. So I fill up on water if I know I am just wanting to eat and not actually hungry. It does help.
I also struggle with controlling my intake of food, it sounds like you do a lot at home after work which is understandable with a family to care for, maybe you could try eating first when you get home from work then doing the rest after that? Batch cooking may be a good way to ensure you get a health evening meal, that way it's already done and you can just boil/steam veg to go with it. Slow cookers are great for this if you have one.
One thing I've found that helps me keep on top of what I eat is making sure I have a healthy breakfast and prepare lunch and snacks to take out with me, I'm not tempted to buy high fat / sugar foods then. Hope it helps 😊
I have been in exactly the same boat as you. I get up for work at 4.15am and I work until 4.30pm. When I get home I am tired and have to cook dinner tidy up. Before long it's bedtime then groundhog day starts again. That was my old routine. I started the NHS 12 week plan 3 weeks ago. To be able to commit to it and do it right I have had to plan my menus carefully. I write out my full menu for the following week on the Monday or Tuesday of the previous week. On a Sunday I will prepare for Monday so that when I come home its quick and easy to get food on the table. So for instance I may decide that Monday is going to be spaghetti Bolognese and Tuesday will be Chilli con carne. So I cook a double batch of Bolognese on Sunday and store it in the fridge. When I get in from work on the Monday I just boil the past a for 12 minutes and heat up half the sauce. I would then add diced peppers, chilli flakes and kidney beans to the other half of the sauce and I have chilli for night 2 so only need to cook the rice and heat up the chilli. On Wednesday if I'm having grilled chicken with veg and potatoes then I prepare enough veg for 3 days and then I just have to grill my chicken or pork chop or whatever for the next 3 nights. You may also want to think about getting a slow cooker. There are some amazing low calorie recipes available. You basically just chuck everything in and cook it on low all day. When you get in from work dinner is ready. I also prepare my lunch the night before. I prepare my salad and my tub of fruit and sit them in the fridge so I just have to lift them out when I head for work. I know that it isn't easy but advance planning has definitely been the answer for me. I wish you every success
I try to snack on protein rather than carbs so at the beginning of the week I take to work 5 hard boiled eggs, a packet of lean ham slices and a packet of low fat cheese slices. If I don't prepare my meal the night before I have one of each for lunch and a wholemeal rice cake (my one carb concession) with a smear of marmite is always handy when the grumbles kick in!
Thanks for the advice guys, I forgot to mention I don't eat a 'proper' breakfast either - my office is my car so I usually eat an apple and a banana around 8am
I think my first goal is going to try and control my urges, stop eating crap and replace it with a healthier option as I don't think I have the will power to go cold turkey
I've just brought myself a diary as well to keep track of what I'm eating on a daily basis - hopefully this will stop buying crawl food during the day out of guilt!
Nuts are a good supplement to the fruit for breakfast 😊 But try to get a decent lunch - either brought from home or shop bought (read labels carefully) as this will help afternoon sugar lows which can be difficult to cope with 😕
Hi Peter I kno how u feel I work 9 till 5 and once I get in around 6ish I just want the quickest and most hassle free meal I can think of which certainly hasn't done my weight any good hence why I'm here. It helps to prepare your weeks meals at the weekend and then freeze them that way you just get it out to defrost that morning and heat it up when you get in then you are eating healthy but it's a nice quick tea. Win win
Stay away from cereal bars! Stay away from low fat! If you want to substitute grab some fruit or veggies.
I think you could benefit from a little weekend prep. Get a friend, a parent, a partner to watch your kids for an hour or two while you prep some weekly meals.
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