Uppung my protein and iron intake

[Fatburn]

Good morning.

I am struggling to contain my sugar intake, i sometimes end up having double of what i should have according to my fitness pal.

I have breakfast at 7am and its usually granola/bite sized shredded wheat/grape nuts or oatibix with a banana and skyr yoghurt as i find that feels me up longer than porridge.

I usually have a cup of semi-skim milk at 10am as that ties me over til lunch.

Then i will have a good lunch mackeral and whole grain rice or an omelette with light chedder, spinack, peppers and tomatoes or grilled chicken in a wrap. Which I all find filling too. This is usually about 11.30am (breakfast and lunch are at these times due to my working hours)

I get hungry about 2/3 pm so try to have a satsuma or some mixed berries, if I am still hungry I will grab a cereal bar if I feel i need one as i get light headed.

My evening meal is usually pasta based with some frozen mixed veg, but i may have spag bol made with quorn mince (dont like the fat on mince) or a pasta bake and add chicken in, or sometimes il have sweet potatoes with steak (if i can afford steak) and yesterday was a fish cake with boiled potato, wild rice and brocolii, and occasionally a jacket potato with bake beans so i do vary my meals up.

I guess you can see I'm not a great chef. I look at recipes but they have loads of ingredients that i don't know of or can't afford or won't use enough of to warrant buying.

But in the evening I want a sweet hit so Il have a muller light and if I still dont feel satisfied Il have a curly wurly or a biscuit with my cup of tea (i wont lie I sometimes have 2 or 3 biscuits)

My fitness pal says I am not taking in much iron and only having half my daily protein intake.

Any advice to up my protein and iron intake and lower my sugar would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

[Scubadoc 3lbs]

The trouble with simple sugars is they quickly raise the blood glucose levels, insulin is released and you get a rapid albeit mild hypoglycaemia and a desire to eat more. Along with that is the immediate psychological desire to eat more. Its what plagues me! Along with expecting to snack in the evenings its a toxic mix. Unless you are truly iron deficient that not the answer. Protein might be. But its impotent to stop the sugar fixes, replace it with anything else. Practicing imagining the negative consequences of the biscuits prior to the event then using it at the time may help. Its a long hard struggle. Well done for hanging in , others have done it and so can you.

[BridgeGirl Administrator 2 stone]

You have some good advice there from Scubadoc . The problem is not just in the obvious sugars but in the foods that are rapidly turned to sugar in the bloodstream, and you're having a lot of those i.e. carbohydrates. You're probably also feeling hungry and eating between meals because you're not getting enough healthy fat.

As for not being much of a cook, maybe that's something you could work on. Just because that's been you in the past, it doesn't have to be you in the future. Same for trying different foods

You might like this short video: it's one of a series, The Skinny on Obesity: you can find the rest on YouTube - all worth watching

youtu.be/Xn1cI8FNU6M(Not working as expected?)

[Scubadoc 3lbs in reply to BridgeGirl]

The advantage with the more complex carbohydrates over the simple is that they have to be broken down in the gut before being absorbed into the bloodstream, and tend not have quite the same rush to hypoglycaemia. But they do not tend to satisfy as you say as the lipids or protein.

[Tiggerr]

Scubadoc and Bridgegirl have said it all.

I can only add my own experience in that I've minimised my carbs during the day and all but stopped having any in the afternoon/evening and have been replacing them with natural fats.

Before this, I couldn't see a way forward but this approach appears to have curbed my sugar troughing that used to happen every evening.

[Fatburn in reply to Tiggerr]

What are you eating instead?

[Tiggerr in reply to Fatburn]

Cheese, meats, eggs, cream, other dairy (all full fat), avocado, olive oil, salad, veg, herbs, spices. I'm not one for seeds and nuts but they can be thrown into the mix.

I'm still one for porridge, fruit and some honey in the morning but that's reducing and the good old bacon, egg & tomatoes or asparagus is becoming more prevalent.

I love all those foods so I'm left not particularly missing bread, pasta, rice etc... lol... for what it's worth, that is not a sentence I ever thought I'd be writing about myself

[Tiggerr in reply to Tiggerr]

Oh and more fish then I've bought in my life I think

[Fatburn in reply to Tiggerr]

Thank you!

[Juppy]

Good advice there. Sugar breeds sugar cravings and hunger. Rice and skim milk are both very high in sugars, as are cereal bars and even just cereal. I spent the last 20 years on low-fat diets and suddenly discovered that if I add healthy fats to everything I eat I don’t get hungry! And I’m losing weight.

You don’t have to be a chef or buy lots of crazy ingredients... those of us trying interesting recipes are just having fun. Your meals look good... Simple meals include eggs, canned tuna, grilled chicken, etc. I add fat to all my meals (400 calories a day), mostly healthy fats like olive oil, olives, nuts and avocados. If I were you I would reduce the sugars by reducing breads and cereals and fruits (and eliminating rice) and add in veggies, fats, and a little more protein. The iron can come from spinach and broccoli (I think) as well as red meat. Best wishes!

[S11m]

I think many people eat refined carbohydrates and/or High Glycaemic index foods all day... and this is why obesity and insulin resistance and diabetes are so common. Sugar makes you hungry for more sugar.

You need calories in some form. Grains, Potatoes and sugar are the main, cost-effective sources... but try to avoid them.

I suggest you try to cure your sugar addiction... set a time in the evening after which you do not eat, and gradually make you eating window shorter. See:

healthunlocked.com/fasting-...

[Fatburn in reply to S11m]

Thank you. I just get so hungry about 8.30/9 that I need to eat then or il wake up in the middle of the night needing something!

[BridgeGirl Administrator 2 stone in reply to Fatburn]

You need to adjust what you eat during the day. It isn't inevitable that you'll always feel this way. Choose foods like Tiggerr has listed above, eat filling meals, stick with it, you are not stuck with these same patterns of behaviour.

And while you're getting there, if you feel hungry at that time tonight, have a piece of cheese or a few nuts, or an egg - anything but biscuits, bread/toast, sweet stuff.

What do you think of that video?

[Fatburn in reply to BridgeGirl]

Thanks, the video was a bit confusing but i get the jist of sugar addiction.

[Fatburn in reply to Fatburn]

I realise this is what the video means and relate, if i have a square of chocolate something in my head goes i loved that and even though im still having the taste in my mouth my brains saying i need more of it and then the next mouthful isnt as good as the first so you have a bit more trying to get the initial high abit like a drug.

[S11m in reply to Fatburn]

Hi, again, Fatburn ...

As BridgeGirl says... to avoid snack cravings... eat plenty of good food at mealtimes, and gradually transition into Not Eating All Day.

[Allsaints49]

It sounds to me as though you are eating really well. I am surprised that your sugar is too high as although you eat some biscuits in the evening, you eat healthy in the day. I believe nuts are good for protein and iron. Perhaps you could try eating a handful of nuts and raisens in the evening, maybe adding some chocolate chips too but be mindful of portion size.

[moreless Administrator 7 stone in reply to Allsaints49]

Hi and welcome, Allsaints49

Follow this link to our chat thread and a list of all the activities we run. We've found active participation to be key to success, especially with our weigh-ins and Daily Diary.

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

To make navigating the forum easier, we've put all the information you'll need in a newbie pack and here's the link

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

Please take the time to read it carefully, so that you're able to enjoy everything that we have on offer.

We ask that you also read this important information about internet privacy and security.

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

Wishing you all the best

[Arghh]

I recommend flax seeds. A few table spoons of ground flax seeds kept me full (and more importantly energetic) the entire days without any hunger pangs or sugar cravings. Also, I believe they have quite a bit of protein apart from omega 3 and fibre. Just make sure you drink enough water or the extra fibre can be constipating.

Having said that I have a huge problem with sugar cravings (and I rarely remember to use flax seeds) and the only thing that helped me was abstinence ie no added sugar at all. I usually find it easier though to follow blanket rules rather than try moderation so this might not work for everyone.

Also, don't keep biscuits or anything sweet at home. It's just a constant drain on your will power.

[Fatburn in reply to Arghh]

Thanks, i've never tried flax seeds. However i totally see the sugar point, if i have a square of chocolate something in my head goes i loved that and even though im still having the taste in my mouth my brains saying i need more of it and then the next mouthful isnt as good as the first so you have a bit more trying to get the initial high abit like a drug and i now realise thats what the video bridgegirl put on was meaning