Help me get an idea of what to eat

[huza78]

Hi I have about 25kg to lose and have so far cut out animal foods and fats. I have been eating fruit for breakfast and then usually for the rest of the day I eat vegies, beans, pasta, bread and rice, a couple of times of the week I might have junk food (I know I shouldn't, but I am craving these foods). I have been putting on weight. I think I eat to much, but for some reason if i don't eat, I get grumpy and bad moods.

Can someone give me some motivation and a bit of a guide on what I am doing wrong? I have read the mcdougall program, I don't have a lot of time to cook elaborate things. I started studying nutrition at a natural health college and I even went to the clinic to ask them about weight loss and the first thing they wanted me to do is eat more animal protein, which I don't want to do.

Can someone give me an idea of what they eat throughout the day to lose weight, and how much excercise they do. I must admit I haven't been doing much exercise. Anyway any help would be much appreciated. I don't have much support from the family, so I have decided to post on here to get some help.

[Faith in DC]

The eating of junk because you are craving is what is keeping the craving going. One thing I've noticed if I am full of good food, then the junk food isn't appealing. I really love it. Also you didn't mention fat, This is a no added fat program.

I eat a lot of food too, so it can be done. My lunch is 7 cups of salad veggies, plus a cup of vegetable soup. I have oatmeal, and two seasonal fruits in the morning.

I cook pretty homey like, with soups and stews and I freeze them, and then I have a variety of stuff to eat. I have my starch, with added veggies and pour a soup or stew over, or marinara, whatever. That's one of the beauty's of this program. YOU make it elaborate, not the demands of the doctor. I'm sure nuking or baking a few potatoes a week can be handled, and steaming some frozen veggies? Then opening a jar of no oil added marinara or salsa? There is so many simple ideas out there just wanting for you to combine them.

[Bunnylover]

Hi there,

One of the great things about this program is that it can be as simple or as complex as you want. I really like cooking, so I do make recipes, but I make them in large amounts so we have a lot of leftovers. It really cuts down on the cooking time.

To answer your question, I can give you an idea of what and how much I typically eat in a day to lose weight. By the way, I am not a big breakfast eater, and sometimes I don't eat it at all, so if my breakfast looks skimpy you could easily double it.

Breakfast - half a cup (dry) of rolled oats, with half a cup of fruit and a little lowfat soymilk

Lunch - large baked sweet potato plain, or white potato sprinkled with nutritional yeast & salt-free seasoning blend, plus a large serving of steamed veggies or salad. Or, a big bowl of soup (I often make a "soup of the week" and eat it for lunch every day until it's gone) with veggies/salad. Or, beans and brown rice, with -- you guessed it -- veggies or salad.

Dinner -- I personally have a lot of variety at dinnertime, but it isn't necessary. You could eat the same things you'd have for lunch. I often make some kind of stew type dish with beans, or a grain-based pilaf, or a hearty soup. I eat about 2 cups of whatever it is plus LOTS of cooked veggies.

Snacks - usually one in the afternoon and something after dinner. I am fond of popcorn, plain brown rice cakes (but not too many), or fruit.

This is what works for me. I also exercise (walking or running) most days for 45 minutes to an hour.

Looking at the information you posted, I'd say the top priority is to stop eating the junk food, even if it's just a couple times a week. It can make a bigger difference than you realize. I know this is easier said than done, but there are things you can do to help yourself. Try to avoid situations where you're tempted to indulge in it; make sure you are full of good, healthy food so the cravings for junk are not so strong; and if possible "junk-proof" your cupboards and fridge so there is nothing in there that you shouldn't eat.

Also, I'd encourage you to make sure that your bread and pasta are whole grain and have no added oil or dairy products. What are you putting on your bread and pasta? If you find that you aren't losing weight with the foods you are eating, especially once you incorporate some exercise, then you should think about moving away from the bread and pasta and using more whole starches like potatoes and brown rice. If you can get your hands on Dr. McDougall's Maximum Weight Loss Program book, it explains how you can lower the calorie density of your diet by eating unprocessed foods and more green and yellow vegetables.

I hope this helps a little -- please keep us posted on your progress!

[TominTN]

Here's what I eat every day:

B: oat groats & blueberries, ground flax seeds, green tea
L: sweet potato, beans, oat groats, corn, apple, banana, plum, green tea
S: brocolli, sweet potato, banana, green tea

I cook a pot of beans and 3 cups of oat groats on the weekend, add a pound of frozen corn, some seasonings I like and a sauce for a bit of flavor, then divide the whole thing into 7 plastic tubs so I have a serving a day for a week. I bake an oven full of sweet potatoes every few days, skin them, and put them in tubs, too. Karen keeps the fridge stocked with a large tub full of cooked oat groats. I use frozen blueberries. The brocolli at supper is a 1 lb bag of frozen florets.

So my menu is very simple and doesn't take much prep time (most of which is on the weekend).

I ride my bike to work (10 miles one way) a couple of times a week, go for a 3 mile walk with Karen a time or two each week, and sometimes get out and run a few miles. I try to listen to my body and avoid overdoing it.

When I follow this pattern consistently, it seems to keep my weight around 180 (~82 kg), which is a BMI of about 24.5 for me. I'd like to drop another 10 pounds, but I'm happy with where I am now. When I started working on this, I weighed about 260 (~118 kg).

Good luck with your efforts and do keep us posted on how it goes.

Edited to add: Based on Dr. McD's recommendations, I'm a bit heavy on the fruit, so you might want to take that into consideration.

[huza78]

Thanks for all your comments, its much appreciated. I guess I am not eating enough of the good foods that is why i am craving junk. I think I am going to cut down on the pasta and bread and only have wholegrain occassionally and really step up the exercise. You have given me some good ideas and your menu plans sound tempting and easy to make. I haven't eaten oats for breakfast in a long time, and thinking about it I used to really enjoy them. The only obstacle I have is the rest of the family want to eat the bad stuff, so it is in the house constantly tempting me. But I am sure I will be able to resist when I see the weight coming off, and hopefully it will motivate them to eat better also.

Also well done TominTN for losing 36kg thats inspirational. I currently weigh 91kg but would like to get to around 65-70kg. That was what I weighed when I was twenty. Anyway thanks again. I will be sure to post and let you know how i am going.

[talkingmountain]

Hi I have about 25kg to lose and have so far cut out animal foods and fats. I have been eating fruit for breakfast and then usually for the rest of the day I eat vegies, beans, pasta, bread and rice, a couple of times of the week I might have junk food (I know I shouldn't, but I am craving these foods). I have been putting on weight. I think I eat to much, but for some reason if i don't eat, I get grumpy and bad moods.

I have about 40-50 lbs left to lose (have lost 40 so far). I have only started exercising this month. I used to get so grumpy and shaky when I went for long without eating that it was frightening. Now I can go for hours without eating, and just feel, well, hungry.

Here is my typical "good" day (a "good" day is a day that I pretty much eat what I plan on eating and don't eat extra junk):

BREAKFAST - BIG bowl of thick rolled oats over a banana, with some raisins, covered with almond milk.
Small cup of coffee (yes, I know that's not on plan) with soy milk & 1 tsp sugar (I started at 6 heaping tsp and have slowly reduced the amount).

AM SNACK - A piece of fruit & some Wasa crackers, or sometimes I just eat lunch early.

LUNCH - 2 large burritos (2 Eziekel tortillas, 1 can fat-free refried beans, 1 cup salsa sauce) and 1-2 cups of vegetables, and a piece of fruit. Sometimes a diet coke when I am tired & need caffeine (another thing I am working on!).

AFTERNOON SNACK - A piece of fruit and a small boiled potato.

SUPPER - Stir-fried veggies over rice, or baked potatoes & steamed broccoli, or pasta w/tomato sauce & salad.

PM - Small scoop of dairy-free ice cream, or a handful of Annies' Bunny Graham cookies, or popcorn smothered with nutritional yeast, or a piece of fruit.

As you can see, I eat a lot. And I've still got a lot of room for improvement as far as my diet goes.

Any time I string 5-6 "good" days together in a week, I'll lose weight. Any time go several days where I'm eating Pop-Tarts instead of fruit, or have a rich dessert, then I stop losing.

So, you can see that what you are feeling is quite normal. The other commenters are right; the more you can completely put aside favorite junk food, the faster your cravings and mood swings will go away. The two thoughts that help me most with this are: (1) "I am choosing not to have [food x] today; and (2) tellingmyself I was just experimentingfor {x} days so I could go back any time I wanted to.g.