Does this look like a good meal day?

I usually plan my meals out in the morning just so that I'm not scrambling come lunch and dinner time.  But I'm a little concerned I might not be eating right - I'm 27, 5'5, 198 with a workout 4 days a week that burns around 450 calories.  Anyways, this is what my menu for today is:

Breakfast - 2 packets of Quaker High Fiber Instant Oatmeal (320 cal)

Snack - Thin Matzo cracker (100 cal)

Lunch - 4 oz. chicken breast, one BirdsEye steamer of corn and one of peas (280)

Snack - Quaker Simple Harvest Oatmeal bar (150 cal)

Dinner - One cup of Barilla Plus pasta, with margrine spray and grated parmesan cheese, and another 5 oz. chicken breast (413)

My burn meter says I'm at 2,430 and my intake with this meal plan today is 1,263.  It says that my fat is 12.8%, my protein is 29.5%. and my carbs are 57.6%.  Opinions or suggestions? 

Pretty similar to what I might eat in a day.  However you need to up your fat a little.  Try to keep it at least 20% of your cals.  Your body needs some fat for energy, and believe it or not for digestion to "lubricate" things (personally learned this the hard way )

Just add maybe a teaspoon of olive oil to your pasta instead of the spray.

Edit:  PS, I see you are a new member - here are the best two places on this site to get good info:  http://caloriecount.about.com/new-improved-ca lorie-count-diet-ft93120  and  http://caloriecount.about.com/community-proje ct-faqs-ft17133

I should listen to my own advice...but I would suggest cutting some carbs and replacing with protein and veggies. I would say 1) have one packet of oatmeal (Quaker Oats Weight Control is great-made with Splenda so virtually no sugar as compared to other types of oatmeal) and replace the other with some scrabled egg whites. 2) The simple Harvest Oatmeal bar has a lot of sugar...have you tried some of the Special K protein bars? Or there's also think thin bars that have virtually no carbs or sugar but 20 grams of protein. I am also a big fan of muscle milk light or myoplex light (150 cals with 30 grams of protein). 3) Dinner looks okay but I would say try replacing Barilla plus with the Dreamfields pasta (5 grams net digestable carbs and it tastes great!) and throw in a side salad with light dressing or more steamed/grilled veggies. Even if it's just the frozen kind! 4) Get rid of the matzo cracker if you can and replace with something more nutritious...some reduced fat string cheese, a piece of fruit, carrot sticks and hummus...you get the idea.

I struggle with my carb consumption daily but am aiming for 20% carbs a day. Its tough and I don't always meet it but just remember how important lean protein and veggies are for weight loss and your health.

Good luck!

First off I'd say you may need to add a couple hundred calories on the days you are exercising. For me if I eat too much starch I get cravings and hunger pangs big time. So I stay away anything with refined sugar, enriched white flour or corn syrup.

If this was me, I'd substitute the instant oatmeal with the real thing - Old Fashioned Oats cook fine in the microwave too. For snacks I'd go with some protein. A cheese stick, cold cuts, nuts or a 1/2 cup of cottage cheese. For lunch I'd substitute the corn with some broccoli or some other green veggie. And for dinner the pasta would be whole grain and I try to limit it at 3/4 cup (dry) for a serving. I'd add a couple of servings of veggies for dinner too with a cheese sauce made with low fat cheese.

My fat & protein intakes are usually at 25-30% which I know is controversial but it has been working for me very well for the last 18 months. Just had my cholesterol checked and it is very low. The fat and protein keep me feeling full longer so I don't get hunger pangs and I don't overeat. Everyone is different so if you feel comfortable with your percentages then you don't need to change it. Good luck!

Thanks for the replies!!

Thmheh - I was a little worried about my fat intake being too low.  I'm a carb-a-holic so I try to keep that down, but I usually end up eating too much protein.  I like the olive oil idea - maybe I could throw in some peas with it and a little garlic.  Thanks for the links too!

jetlee1222 - I've never heard of Dreamfields pasta - is it something you can get at any grocery store or is it more in the whole foods stores?  Going off of what worked for me last time, I usually try to keep my carbs a little bit higher than my protein and fat only because I know that, being a lover of carbs, if I drop it down too much then I'll start craving them and end up binging :(  I love the Special K idea though, especially if they have less sugar (I gave up pop when I started this too, even diet pop, so existing on nothing but water is killing my sweet tooth lol).

sachapp464 - the amount that my trainer for my class told me was around 1,250 calories.  I know from reading on here that might be low, I think I'm not supposed to go below 1000 deficet for the day right?  Usually I have broccoli but they didn't have it at the deli today (broccoli's my favorite food lol).  I think the pasta tonight is only one cup cooked - do you have any suggestions for a good whole wheat pasta that tastes at least close to regular pasta?

I buy dreamfields at the local grocery store. It's a little bit more expensive than regular pasta but its sooo good and only has 5 grams of digestable carbs a cup!

Original Post by nuggetkong:

sachapp464 - the amount that my trainer for my class told me was around 1,250 calories.  I know from reading on here that might be low, I think I'm not supposed to go below 1000 deficet for the day right? 

If you are burning 2430, you do need to eat more - trainers don't always know as much about nutrition as we'd like them to. If it helps, I'm 27, 5'6" - I started at 168, eating 1500-1600, and lost my weight always eating at that level (more on the weekends). And I'd say that the were very few days when my exercise burned as much as 450 cals.

So eat up - add some more protein and veggies. Steel cut oats are good. Maybe some nuts or peanut butter? You definitely don't want a deficit above 1000, but many find it helps to start with a 500 deficit at first. If you find you can have a higher deficit and still lose, that's fine. But 500 is a good starting point, and will give you a pound a week loss, which is nothing to sneeze at.

I would recommend that you replace about 20% of your intake as fat instead of carbs. So aim for something like 30/30/40 f/p/c.

Fats are important. Of course, you want healthy fats. Ideal sources are:

Fish oil

Olive oil

Flax oil/Flax seeds

Natural peanut butter

Nuts

Trust me, that change alone will really make a difference in fat loss. You're getting more carbs than you need and too few healthy fats.

The other important thing is that you need to eat more. You should have around a 20% deficit.. yours is much too large and will only slow you down in the long run. Maybe add in some fish, and the fats like I mentioned. Try and get up to 1900-2000 calories.

Also, don't worry, you are nowhere near eating too much protein. Protein is of peak importance while losing weight, because it helps to maintain muscle. I personally go up to 35-40% protein most days and that's on a 1800-2000 cal diet.

Im so glad to see people promoting more fat consumption.  Its absolutely important to get lots of fat in your diet and as little grain and sugar products as possible.

Your body uses fat for everything.  Your brain depends on it almost exclusively.

Its really a great idea to drink whole milk.  A little goes a long way.

Stay away from oils that oxidize quickly.  Here is a good summary on why fats are essential (and carbs are not) an which fats are best:

The Skinny on Fats

Since I cut out starchy carbs and sugars I have been losing weight more quickly without working out more and I am actually eating a little more on average and not feeling hungry all the time like I was.  Try replacing at least one starchy item a day with something with high fat and moderate protein.  It doesnt have to be a lot.  100-200 Calories worth to start is good.

I think that having a deficit of almost 1200 calories is too high. Try to get in another 200 calories. Maybe add some sauce to that pasta? I mean, for one day it's not a big deal, but on a regular basis anymore more than 1000 calorie deficit is unhealthy weight loss and your body probably needs the extra cals when you're working out.

I also agree with trading up some of those carbs. Maybe instead of the cracker an applesauce cup (50 cal) and some grapes (50 cal worth)? That would be far more filling personally.

I'd also trade up the bar, but I am never satisfied with bars of any type. I'd down a ton of baby carrots, maybe dipping them in some peanut butter to add to some of your fats (and your calorie intake!) up.

Hi:

You have logged your foods I'm sure so now you can go to the top of the Calorie Count page and click on analsis.  CC will analyze what you ate for the day and give you an overall grade of A-F.  It will also give you new food suggestions below where you logged your food to help you improve your choices and grade.    

One serving of vegetables is not where near enough, aim for at least 4 times that much.

Ronzoni (Healthy Harvest) and Barilla make very good pastas that use blends of whole grain and traditional semolina flours and they taste great!

Hi,  Floggingsully is right.  You are going to need alot more veggies on average, and don't forget the fruit.  Natural sugar and fiber and vitamins and minerals galore!  Also if your at such a low calorie total, I hope you are taking a multivitamin at least.