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[DiveMonkey]

Hi All

I have yet to post in this forum but thought it was high time I did.

I am currently doing the couch to 5k program but have also started incorporating calorie counting into my diet as I am currently classed as obese/ pre obese. I know I might be asking to much but I have set my goal to loose 10 kg this year and loose the last 5 next year.

I still live at home with my parents so I don't have much choice when it comes to dinners, however I am staying away from home for three weeks up country to do fieldwork for my masters.

I just thought I would ask where I the best place would be to look for nice recipes that I could try while away that keeps within calorie limit of 1300 cal/ day. Then I can try these out and when I get home I can convince my family to join in.

I do not have access to a scale while I am away but hope when I get home that I may have made a dent in my weight loss! And will join in the weekly weigh ins too!

Hope everyone is having a good week? Yay its FRIDAY!!

[moreless Administrator 7 stone]

Hi and welcome DiveMonkey

First of all, I'd like to suggest that you check your calorie allowance with the NHS BMI calculator, as 1300 calories seems to be a bit low, especially as you're a runner in training

Take a look at the Pinned Posts section, to the right of your screen (bottom, if you're using a mobile) and have a look at the Welcome Newbies thread, it has a link to the NHS 12 week plan, which is a guide to healthy living, rather that a specific diet plan.

There's also a collection of delicious recipes, that may just tempt your family to make the move towards healthy eating

Consider joining any, or all, of our challenges, as they're fun and motivating.

Join us for the monday group weigh-in, when you return from your field trip. If you follow Zest , you'll be notified when she posts the thread. However, the latest thread can always be found in the events section, to the right of the home page.

Be active on the forum, as that's where we exchange ideas and get our daily dose of motivation and inspiration

Wishing you all the very best

[VickyDLM 2 stone]

Hi DiveMonkey! Interesting name.

I like the Hairy Bikers' Hairy dieters cookbooks. They're all calorie counted to make them easy to incorporate into calorie counting. I also love the fact that they don't have what you'd usually think of as "diet food", just real food cooked in clever ways. Maybe you could also see if you can get hold of the TV series to try to motivate your parents to try some of the recipes! I got copies from my local library and have copied out the recipes I like.

I think the biggest thing with meals though is to weigh your food. I was really surprised as to how much a portion actually is compared to what I was eating.

What are you doing your Master's in? The fieldwork you mentioned makes me think of archaeologists and palaeontologists chipping way with their trowels and brushes in the ground.

[DiveMonkey in reply to VickyDLM]

I will look in to those books thanks!

Weighing food will unfortunately have to wait until I get home as the backpackers I am staying in doesn't really keep a scale.

I am doing my masters in Marine Biology (I'm from South Africa) I am based in Cape Town but need to go to sea in Port Elizabeth as my sites where I will be collecting data/ images are there. So I am here now for a month waiting out for good weather. Will hopefully go out tomorrow if the weather holds (holding thumbs)

I have posted in the Couch to 5K forum with some pics of the beautiful beach front

[VickyDLM 2 stone in reply to DiveMonkey]

That sounds exciting, I've never been to South Africa but have heard it's beautiful. It definitely helps to have the sea nearby when studying Marine Biology!

Good luck with your research and with any luck it'll keep you from having extra time for snacking.

That's an interesting expression, holding thumbs, never heard that one before. In the US we'd say "fingers crossed" and they use the same expression here in the UK. I'll have to keep yours in mind, maybe it'll work better for the weather in England!

[slimpickings 2 stone]

Wow, south Africa!! Beautiful place to live. Portion control is going to be key to your weight loss, especially when you are back at home. Find a small plate and load it with vegies or salad first. Check your daily calorie allowance so that you are eating the right amount as you are exercising as well. Good luck. Xxx

[DiveMonkey in reply to slimpickings]

Thanks for the advise! I have been using MyFitnessPal and filling in everything I eat in there as it links nicely with my Garmin running watch so every time I run it automatically adds the exercise and adjusts the calorie allowance for the day.

I will scratch around in at the backpackers and see what I find for a good portioning plate.

Good luck with your week ahead!

[PippiRuns 6kg Restart Jan 2025]

BBC Good Food has a collection of recipes that have between 200-400 calories/portion bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/col... I can recommend many of them.