Different foods to normal

I,m new here names Robbie and from the Uk aged 44 I have spent this past 3 evenings having a look about and attempting to fill in my food log each day.

At the moment I,m 12 stone 1  which is about 15lbs more than I want to be, never had to diet before as i was trim so must be old age :(

Diet wise I'm lost though, as what to change so i still feel satisfied after each meal. I,m a meat and spuds and veg bloke, crunchy nut cornflakes for breakfast with tea and toast. lunch can be anything, and i tend to eat a wee bit a night with a night cap some nights.

The other thing i,m not sure about is targets basically the site says i need 500 calories less a day to loose 1lb a week until 20th april etc, is that without burning of more calories each day ?

Hopefully some nice people here can guide me in the right direction

Hey Robbie, welcome to CC!

The 500 cals bit is based on the fact that there are about 3500 cals in a pound of fat, so if you want to lose one pound per week, you need a deficit of 500 cals each day :)

First off, you have to calculate what you burn each day (this is what shows up in your burn meter) - so you fill in the necessary stats in account settings, and there you go! For example, I'm 5'9", 157 lbs and pretty much sedentary (especially now what with the exams), so I burn about 1850 cals a day. I subtract 500 cals, which leaves me with 1350 cals to fill up :)
If you are more active, then you should tick the corresponding box in your account settings under activity level. If you normally are moderately active, but you had a day where you've worked out a lot more than usual, add the activity to your activity log and eat more calories so you can maintain your 500 cal deficit. If you don't eat enough but work out a lot, your body starts hoarding cals which isn't good.

It will probably take a few weeks until you figure out what works for you diet-wise - some people need more protein to feel full, others have more fats. Basic guideline though: 50% carbs, 25% protein, 25% fats.
If you want to feel fuller for a longer period of time, why not try porridge for breakfast? It's healthier than breakfast cereal and really gives you a lot of energy :) Things like brown rice, whole-grain bread, lentils, beans...are all very filling as well, and legumes are a great source of protein too.
Just figure out what you like and don't like, and never restrict yourself too much - if you've the will and patience to make it work, it will work. Good luck!

Now I understand the 500 per day approach, As a starting point I recon i need 2300 cals per day less 500 so that's a target of 1800 max, I,m trying to target around 1650 to start with to see how I go. Though I have started to increase my exercise over and above what I would normally burn in a day. If I burn 250 of in extra exercise does this mean I only need to reduce the calorie intake by 250 to achieve the 500 difference ?

I see a lot of people opt for porridge, can't say its something i really like which is one of my problems with this diet unfortunately. Though I can take it 2 or 3 days a week OK.

Lentils and beans I bought some today to try  

I'd definitely try sticking between 1650 and 1800 on days you're not doing any extra activity - creating too large a calorie deficit will make you so very hungry (been there, done that, ate a whole box of cereal :p)

Just calculate it like this: if you normally have a 2300 cal burn rate but you are adding 250 cals of extra activity, you end up with 2550. So whereas you would normally eat 1800 cals to lose a pound (500 cal deficit), you have to add 250 to that, and tada, you now have 2050 cals to fill up. It's important to eat back quite a bit of the calories you burn - your body needs fuel, and if you're exercising, it will want to build muscle. Basically, you lose weight if you burn more than you eat. But don't undereat or you end up not shifting a single pound, I've had it happen and it's not very motivating :(

Well, if you don't like porridge, then don't force yourself to have it every day - just some nice brown toast will do, or if you don't want to give up your cereal, then don't :) Cutting out what you like best will only leave you craving it. Just give yourself some time to see what you want, like and feel full on.

I'm a lentil addict haha; they're great in soups, curries (dahl, yum!) just mixed with some garlic, onion, peppers and carrots...so many options! I believe there is a post with a couple of lentil recipes up, have a gander :)

About dinner - I've been living on my own for a couple of years now, but I go to my parents' most weekends and it's pretty much meat and two veg over there, and there is nothing wrong with that - I do find I have to watch my portions though, so maybe try having a smaller piece of meat and more veggies, and cut down on sauces that go with them.

Original Post by kateveeoh:

I'd definitely try sticking between 1650 and 1800 on days you're not doing any extra activity - creating too large a calorie deficit will make you so very hungry (been there, done that, ate a whole box of cereal :p)

 But don't undereat or you end up not shifting a single pound, I've had it happen and it's not very motivating :(

 This past couple of days I was around 1700, but today was lower as I missed a meal and hmmmmm hungry yes so just had a chicken sandwich

For now the night time snacks are going, pizza, bread crumb prawns, cheese and crackers ooooooo and no vodka and coke or JD

The under eating bit is worrying me though, would hate to do this and not loose a pound, I would have to console myself with a bottle of wine and a Chinese

Your body will tell you pretty quickly if it needs more food :p I once stayed at around a 1000 cals a day (which is a seriously stupid thing to do) for a week just to see what would happen, and I'd never wanted a full fry-up more lol.

Same here with the night time snacks - I'm a student, and all students seem to have a 'kebab at 3am' addiction. You don't need them, so just leave them out. If you feel peckish before going to bed, have a low-cal hot chocolate, some fruit...anything but processed foods. If you are a snacker, make room for some low-cal (150 cal-ish) snacks throughout the day :)

And yes, alcohol...this will really ruin a diet if you don't moderate (which can be a problem - I think it's related to the kebab-at-3 am problem :p) - so one shot of vodka won't ruin it, but one shot of vodka and about six beers definitely will!

I love Chinese as a comfort food haha - or a good curry, yum!
Anyways, just see how the calories work out for you and try out a couple of different things, it might take about three weeks for you to find a way of eating that you are comfortable with :) And don't worry if you don't start seeing results immediately, once you get into the swing of things, it will come along just fine.

Anyways, I'm off to bed, if you want to ask some more questions, need motivation or just want to chat, feel free to message me :)

The late night snacks seem to follow you through the years lol, could be the drink to blame  also depends on what size of tumbler you use for that one drink 5 or 6 shots fit in the bottom of a large glass  lol just top up with coke and enjoy, saves running in and out of the kitchen.

Crispy aromatic duck with spring rolls is always a good starter

Time for some sleep here also

I was good this morning :) a cup of hot water with some lemon juice in it and some porridge with loads of cinnamon and a sweetner.

I read somewhere on one of the forums, where a lady adds loads of Cinnamon to her porridge  . Well it works for me tastes a whole heap better now, though still wouldnt go for it everyday.

will have to find a few other things to have but aint got a clue what as yet i need ideas

How about eggs for breakfast?    Two poached eggs on a couple of slices of wholegrain toast is a fairly modest 300 calories and the combination of protein (egg) and complex carbohydrate (high-fibre bread) is pretty satisfying.  Washed down with a cup of tea you could even afford a blob of ketchup or HP to liven things up....  Baked beans on toast is another good one for these cold winter mornings.  Beans are chock full of protein, fibre and all kinds of good things for remarkably few calories and you'll feel quite full for a decent amount of time afterwards.  You don't have to eat porridge if you don't like it.

Beyond breakfast, a good tip... make sure that at all your main meals you fill half your plate with vegetables or salads before you add anything else.   Vegetables are filling, low-calorie, taste good and have lots of sparky vitamins.  So your meals feel like they're quite chunky & satisfying but they end up lower calorie.

If you like Chinese food ... how about having a crack at making your own?  Dried noodles take about 3 minutes to soften up in boiling water.  Get a big packet of pre-shredded vegetable stir-fry from the supermarket produce section, chop up a skinless chicken breast to go with it... a little oil, garlic, some chopped ginger, maybe a chilli pepper for a bit of zing, soy sauce to moisten at the end.... Very quick, pretty low in calories, save yourself £££s and feel like you've had a very decadent 'takeaway' treat.  Indian food is really easy too.... I highly recommend Patak's Rogan Josh ready-made sauce as being very authentic for a fraction of the calories they lob in at the local Taj Mahal!

Well done ditching the alcohol.... as a 'glass of wine in the evening' girl myself, I found it made a big difference leaving it out for a while.

Great ideas gi-jane :) Worcester sauce and tabasco are also a good idea to liven things up a bit.

Messaged you the link Robbie, but I'll post it here in case someone else would like lots of ideas for porridge: 30 oatmeal recipes.

Got the message Kate thanks you got this going , Hi Jane

beans and toast yummie poached eggs on toast yummie though i normally boil them and have soldiers lol,

wooooooooooooow I thought they would be no no foods as i had it in my head high calories, but when I seen 300 cals approx i decided to have a quick look at what i would of had for breakfast before this adventure.  headed into kitchen poured out some crunchy nut into the normal cereal bowls we have, then weighted it  approx 100 grams that's nearly 400 calories I was having before and sugar cals at that .

have to admit never was a big breakie fan, prob due to eating late at night before, but i find myself hungry in the mornings now, So far with the input i,m actually feeling pretty good, welllllllllll apart from one thing stood on scales on Monday night was 12.1 on Tuesday night 12.2 sommit really weird there BMI is 24.5 at the mo.

Lunch today hmmmmmm Salisbury's taste the difference multi-seed loaf 2 slices with ham, used flora light as well but ain't got a clue how many calories would be in that ? Followed by a spelga low fat yogurt poured over a mandarin orange and about 8 grapes.

One question when you say fill half the plate with veg etc does that include spuds  I love me spuds lol

That's the thing with breakfast cereals - they always put an unnecessary amount of sugar in it! So you're better of making your own brekkie cereal mix, or just having something different altogether :)

I only weigh myself once a week, as your weight can fluctuate from day to day; even within the same day you could have a huge difference because of the food you ate, maybe water retention if you're not hydrated enough etc etc. So do a weekly weigh-in and as long as the trend line here on CC is going down, you're good.

Two teaspoons of Flora light is 37 cals btw (googled it)

Potatoes are a great source of vitamin C, I'd have them instead of rice or pasta or something. A cup of potatoes (boiled without skin) is about 135 cals. If you're having tea, have another helping of veg apart from the potatoes, like spinach, broccoli...anything you like really! If you want to have more spuds, just calculate it into your cal total, but make sure to get enough nutrients and vitamins from other veggies :)

spinach.................yukkie I'm no Popeye

I do have an issue with some veg, cheers for the stats on flora, i think i just used benecol in my food log, I'm really surprised at the cornflakes figures and just to think Mr kell keeps telling us how good they are for us, hmmmmmmmmmmm porkies springs to mind.

I think I may have to drink more, IE water not JD and coke.

who ever said diets were not fun, you meet nice people and learn heaps

Haha just go with the veg you like best - forcing yourself to eat stuff you don't like will only make the diet a chore, which is what it definitely shouldn't be.

Uh huh, porkies indeed - I was a big fan of Kellogg's, but I haven't felt like having it since I started CC again, I like my own porridge better :)

Just keep well hydrated, i.e. when you're thirsty, drink (preferably water) and have water with your meals to help you feel fuller. Sometimes people confuse thirst with hunger, so before you run to the cupboard for a snack, drink a glass of water and then decide if you're still hungry fifteen minutes later. Stay away from coke haha, it's sugar in liquid form :p!

Glad you're having fun on CC, and enjoy your tea later (I'm doing egg-fried rice and veg, yum)!

Bit of trivia for you... Kellogg was quite an ardent vegetarian and part of the reason he invented breakfast cereals was to get the population away from eating all that nasty ham and eggs for breakfast!  You can get some healthy breakfast cereals... look for the ones with less than 10g sugar per 100g and with the most fibre possible.   Ironically 'luxury' muesli isn't a great choice because all those extra nuts and fruit etc., make it as high calorie as your sugary cornflakes.  However, a 2oz serving is pretty generous when it's something like Tesco's Healthy Living Branflakes. 

Potatoes are a good food ... but if you're watching the calories limit your portion to about 6oz and choose waxy new potatoes over floury old ones.  Firmer textured potatoes take longer to digest so they keep you full up for longer.  Drinking more water is always a good option.  Coke is pretty sugary and even Diet Coke does horrible things to your gnashers...

Dieting isn't fun, usually.... too many dumb-down ideas out there like 'carbs are bad...'K?'.  But if you're improving your diet sensibly, watching your portions and getting more exercise you can tweak it so that it's quite enjoyable.  Then it becomes a 'healthy lifestyle' that you can keep going long after you've lost any spare weight.  Win-win.

the not so fun bit is knowing when i,m home there's mince pies, shortbread, buns, ice cream, i swear I'll start dreaming about the stuff soon, but I had visions of turning into a rabbit and eating fish to loose weight and diet, I hate all those companies that exploit people with pills and potions grrrrrrrrrrr they just don't work long term.

Kate some duck with plum sauce would go well with that fried rice

I,m guessing this is my figures for today so far. tried to ember pic but forum does not support it

 http://www.vxopel.com/pic/temp/70109.jpg

My job for this evening will be to figure out what to do with those funny beans i soaked in water overnight

Haha or duck à l'orange as they have at our local chinese :p

You've still got around a thousand cals to fill up by the looks of it - that's going to be one huge dinner haha. Maybe leave some cals for a snack later on, or try having a small snack between lunch and dinner tomorrow; whatever works best for you.

I'm sure you can find some good recipes for those beans, try preparing them like you would lentils (as there are lots of recipes on this forum for lentils), or google a recipe if you've no clue. I usually have my beans in salads, or mix them in with lentils or rice.

@ gi-jane: oh the irony of it all :p what would Kellogg say now eh?

The only thing I use lentils for before was home made soup with barley, veg and chicken or else shin some times.

Hmm i wont have a prob filling in the cals for today  I really like the yogurts and fruit, as a snack in the evenings, mind you if i,m low i just may have a chicken and mayo toastie.

Just before xmas I took into talking the dog for decent walks around a local forest park, route is supposed to be 3.5 miles and takes 60 mins if you walk reasonably quick, firm ground and some soft, the amount of energy burned does confuse me though, my watch which does cals and heart rate recons 500 plus or minus depending on the day but looking at stats on the web they say about 300. Think I,ll use the low figures just to be sure.

That soup sounds really nice :)!

That's pretty good exercise, finally got the dog to get off its lazy bum eh haha. Go for what it says on CC, because I found that when I used to go to the gym and the machine told me I'd burned 500 cals, it was lying to me :p

Anyways, enjoy the rest of your evening, I'm gonna start on tea :)

Hope you enjoy the tea Kate, I've just had mine

egg noodles fried in a wee bit of sesame oil, small piece of frying steak, carrots and butternut squash. the Red meat jumped the calories but still got about 300 left for today if i fancy something later ......which i will

Breakfast tmw is porridge or beans on toast

lunch is soup

dinner is curry i think got to do sommit with those beans, I got them cooked this evening.

Think your right on the Calories burned during exercise, though my heart rate was well up from rest. Anyways I'm just using the cals burned in exercise to have the odd wee treat

Original Post by kateveeoh:

That soup sounds really nice :)!



Anyways, enjoy the rest of your evening, I'm gonna start on tea :)

 Well how,d the dinner go   was it nice , Just as well i had spare calories yesterday I kinda had a nice bit of ginger cake and a shortbread finger last night (bad me lol) but still managed to stay under 1750

Today was porridge for breakfast and a couple of bowls of the homemade chicken and veg soup for lunch. dunno how many cals is in a bowl allowed 200 to be sure.