Energy Boosting Foods

I'm new to this whole calorie counting, working out lifestyle.  However, I have always unconsciencly ate really healthy foods. (i.e. not a fan of anything fried, prefer whole grain bread, sherbert or low-fat yogurt instead of ice cream, HATE cake and icing,etc... I can go on forever).

I am extreamly committed and determined to make this work. I work out twice a day and am aiming to drop 15 lbs. I've only been going to the gym for about 2 weeks and work out at home to fitness videos or FITtv, and counting cals for 2-days... so I obviousley need your tips.

I am finding myself at times, extreamly lazy. Not fatigued, just not motivated. Which types of foods are good for an energy boost? Or would I get more energy by eating more carbs in the am, and lower cals in the eve for example?

I eat a lot of fruits and I know they are high in sugar (pears, apples, bananas, berries, and yogurt) but, I figured they would give me the boost I'm looking for.  Then I found I kind of crashed with weakness so, I picked up the carbs a little more with 100 cal packs and healthy choice low-sodium soup... only, I felt really bloated     help.

Two areas you could look at are a) that you're eating enough in total and b) that you're choosing a wide range of foods.

To lose weight you only need to consume 500 cals fewer than you burn up each day.  So if you use the CC calculators and they tell you you need... say... 2200 to maintain your weight, you should start weight-loss at 1700.  If you aim too low you can find your energy levels quickly drop, you stop enjoying yourself and you lose interest.

The 'wide range of foods'.... you could be eating too much fruit and not enough of other types of food.  Sugary foods, even when they are natural sugars, don't stick around long in the body.  They give you a temporary blood-sugar 'high' but then you get a 'low' quite quickly.   At every meal try to get a serving of high-fibre complex carbohydrates, protein & fat and top up with vegetables and salads since this combination gives you more sustained energy.   Home-cooked/prepared food is 10 x more satisfying and energising than 100 cal packs and other starchy junk.   Go with no more than 3 pieces of fruit a day and save those for after exercise when you need a short-term boost.   Aim to eat/snack regularly so that you have a steady stream of energy going into your body.    Try to have even-size meals for the same reason.

The other advantage of a wider range of foods is to keep things interesting and fun.   If you find you're eating the same things over and over or doing the same exercises time after time you can quickly lose your enthusiasm.   But if you consciously inject new foods and new exercises into your day it becomes much more enjoyable and you start to look forward to it.    When you're enjoying yourself, you don't need motivating to do it.  Best of luck

Best of luck