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So today has been a good day!
B - Overnight oats with toffee yog and blueberries.
L - Beans on brown toast no butter
D - chicken, cauliflower rice, mushrooms, peppers and onion.
S - 99kcal bar, banana and 2 satsuma
Total calories so far 1084.
Consumed my 5 a day 🍌🍊🍄🌰
Drank 4 pints of water and a couple of coffees. 💦🍵
Sadly no exercise 🚶♀️
Hello and welcome blindinglights and I’m so pleased you've had a good day, the first day is always the most difficult 😊👍🎉
I hope you've had time to read all the welcome information you were given earlier, in particular the Welcome Newbies post. You will notice a link to the NHS 12 week plan and recommendations that no one eat less than 1400 calories a day. Also, please don’t be afraid of fat, it’s an essential nutrient and very good for keeping you full for longer. For further help and advice about food choices please check out the Daily Diary, where our members share their meal plans and offer mutual support and encouragement
Best wishes
Indigo
Hi Indigo, yes I've had a good read, I've now added my banana in and my cheese and crackers for desert and with my snack bar later and a cuppa tea I will will be up to 1500, which is a bit less than the BMI calculater suggests but I'm okay with that 👌
This is day one with you guys on here, day 3 of my calorie counting so I'm getting into now xx 💞
I've also printed off the 12 week plan and got a little folder on the go with help and tips. Also made a sheet with my common foods, weight and calories, so I'm building it up each day. Xxx
Great news 👍. Lots of small steps lead to big changes
Thank you 😘
Firstly WELL done blindinglights - keeping track of calories really goes make a big difference in making us aware of just how much we're eating and making some better choices. I'm still logging my calories over 8 years down the line!
Exercise - perfectly easy to lose weight without it - get used to logging your food first (far more important) and introduce exercise gradually - ensure it's something you enjoy and can fit into your daily life, rather than something you dread. Housework, gardening, etc, is all exercise. Any sort of physical activity is better than not moving. I lost 2 stone before I introduced exercise.
I'd echo what IndigoBlue61 has said about the fat. I've cut down on the starchy carbs (bread, rice, pasta, potatoes) and increased my take up of "good fats". A lot of low fat products have the fast taken out but this is replaced with sugar or saccharin to make it taste better. For example, yogurts. I now eat Greek yogurt (not Greek style), butter, olive oil, oily fish, avocado, nuts. All in smaller measured quantities. But may be worth taking a look at the ingredient list on some of those products you're eating at the moment and making a few swaps.
Once I swapped to Greek yogurt, butter, etc - I found that the low fat varieties of things tasted pretty disgusting 
thank you for the advice, from my food yesterday what would you swap and what for? I'm open to all help and advice as this is totally new to me, I have only ever done WW or SW, and it's so hard to retrain your brain straight away!
I'm also trying to eat what I have in, as before none of it was really allowed on the other 2 diets, I must say thou even though my calorie intake has been way lower than normal, I have loved the variety of food, I just hope I see something off on the scales come Monday morning xx
My suggestion is to join the Daily Diary (in pinned posts healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh... ) share your meal plan and ask for suggestions 😊
At a glance I’d add in cream and nuts at breakfast, and maybe eggs and butter rather than baked beans for lunch. I also stick to one or two fruit servings maximum. But keeping check, weighing and planning are all vital skills so well done 👍
thank you x
You’re very welcome 😊. Remember this is a journey and we all learn and make changes along the way
Your menu looks quite "sweet" or contains a lot of sweet things and things with added sugar (even bread has added sugar!)
Try to include more protein - do you like eggs? Eggs are a great breakfast. Or half an avocado smashed on a half slice of toast (no butter/spread needed) topped with some pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds for some crunch.
Greek yogurt with some frozen (defrosted) berries?
If I was having beans, I'd probably not have toast with it (lots of carbs there), maybe add a bit of grated cheese instead? Or some mushrooms fried in a little butter/olive oil?
Those 99 calorie bars are likely to contain a ton of sugar/saccharine (check the packaging). Try having a tiny amount of nuts (brazils, hazelnuts, almonds). You won't need many for a great protein / energy boost that will keep your hunger satiated for much longer...
Just as an example, a Muller fat-free smooth toffee yogurt has lots of sugar in it (as much as some biscuits)
Per 100g
Fat<0.5g
of which saturates0.1g
Carbohydrate6.6g
of which sugars5.7g
Protein 4.8g
So I'd be looking for a yogurt with more fat, less carb/sugar.
Total 5% Greek yogurt
Per 100g
Fat5.0 g
of which saturates3.6 g
Carbohydrate3.0 g
of which sugars3.0 g
Protein9.0 g
So the carb content on the Greek yogurt is less, but the protein is double.
You are doing great though - many of us have been here for AGES.... so we have kind of tweaked our daily intake to suit us. For example, I only eat 2 meals a day but that definitely won't suit many!
Hi thank you for the info, really grateful, I'm just getting my head around it and counting calories is something I haven't done before.it will take me time to get into it.
The cereal bars I have are to stop me eating chocolate and crisp so I'm not sure I can knock them in the head just yet. But I'll try and cut back.
I'll do a separate post of what I've had today, if you get a chance, will you have a look and maybe suggest some swops or where I'm slipping up, 👍 xx
Very good interesting combination would keep an Eye on the coffee intake could have an hike on your`w energy levels and metabolism would stick to natural juices
Not fruit juices though? Full of sugar.
I only have 2 a day, and I drink lots of water, but thank you xx
Hello and welcome Moxond, and thank you for your advice 😊
Are you hear to get help and support with your own weight loss journey? Let me know and I’ll sort out a badge
In the meantime please read all the Welcome Information you will have been sent (in your inbox) especially the Welcome Newbies post
Best wishes
Very healthy - oats is such a good start to the day!
I notice you put 1084 calories 'so far' - just a quick tip to say it's generally advised you shouldn't go below 1200 calories a day.
Your body needs a certain number of calories to carry out it's normal metabolic functions, sustain your muscle mass and keep you energised etc while you're at rest. If you eat too little your body can get a little desperate for calories, let's say, and actually make it harder to lose weight and keep it off long term!
But you did put the term so far - so perhaps you ate more and my point is moot regardless!
Very good food choices nonetheless!
Hi thank you for your reply, God yes I ate more, I couldn't survive on less than 1400 as I stated yesterday to iñdigos reply regarding my calorie intake,I ate a banana and had my cheese and ryvita for dessert which took me up to 1500 for the day, gone a little bit more today thou, but I'm still getting my head around it 🤗
I love oats but only ever do them as overnight oats with yog and fruit, donyou have any tips on how to serve them please xx 😘
Phew - so refreshing to see someone trying to lose weight and eating plenty of good food in the process!
I always did overnight oats too! At the moment I have my oats warm though - I use 30g oats, 25g vanilla protein powder and 10g flax seeds. (you may not have protein powder at home so you can use more oats and vanilla essence instead). I add some granulated sweetener and mix it up with water. Microwave this for a couple minutes. Then I add soya milk to it after.
I like my oats to be kind of gloopy, which sounds gross but that's just my preference!
With the fruit in your overnight oats, chia seeds would be an excellent addition! They are filled with fibre and protein, and swell to make you feel even fuller for longer
I'm so sorry, feel rude that I haven't replied to you 🙈 I'm still navigating around and I've missed your reply and others !!, your oats sound lovely, the last couple of days I've warmed them up with milk and a little syrup then once cooked added a handful of blueberries, they have been lush and filled me up till lunch, I've got them again tomorrow but with strawberries, I hope you have a lovely day tomorrow and thank you for the oat recipe, 😘
Good Eating Day!
Oh dear - not a good day
Feeling good
It's a good day!
