assess my diet please? (vegetables, Alli, overweight, system)

[el_marto]

So I am 26, male, and between the ages of maybe 22-25 I lived like a pig. Greasy take-away food multiple times a week, smoked a lot of weed so used to stuff myself on the munchies, zero exercise beyond walking to work and stuff. I got fat, at least 2 stone overweight, pot belly forming, love handles, stretch marks, the beginnings of moobs. 5 ft 9 tall and weighed maybe 12.5 stone.

Late last year I started making changes. I've lost at least 1 stone or more and gone down a notch or two on my belt, but I'm not where I want to be yet. There's still some flab on my gut and chest that I want gone. What's more, when it's gone I don't want it to come back. So, I'd like it if someone can tell me what they think of my diet, ie. whether it's missing anything important, whether it should just be my permanent lifestyle now. I've been eating pretty much the same meals daily since christmas. It goes like this:

3 sandwiches - each consisting of 2 slices of brown bread (75 cal each), butter/marge/whatever it is (50 cal per tablespoon), a slice of ham (27 cal each), 4 slices of cucumber, handful of lettuce (? cals).
--> I'll call this 600-700 cals in total.


tortilla wraps - 3 (180 cals each), sliced chicken breast totalling about 150 cals, half a can of chopped tomatoes (50 cal), 1 chopped green pepper (40 cals?), half an onion (? cals), handful of mixed salad (? cals).
--> I'll call this 800 cals maximum.

This is all I eat all day. 2 meals, each leaving me stuffed and satisfied for hours. Sometimes I'll have the odd banana or apple or whatever just randomly but what I've described above is what I'm eating day in, day out.

Am I getting everything I need here? Are there any improvements I could make?

[EuroTrashed]

I'm on tablet so can't write too much.

Make sure the butter you use is actual butter and not margarine or anything. Preferably from grassfed cows. The brown bread should be whole grain and not just brown colored.

You can't really overeat on vegetables so don't worry about those too much.

I'd vary more inside the foodgroups you mention (sometiimes fish instead of chicken, avocado instead of banana, etc.)

Looks good

[schmedes2]

It's a start and it's certainly better than what you were eating before.

There's three steps to diet

Step 1: Stop eating crap

Step 2: Eat mostly whole foods and track your calories via my fitness pal or a journal

Step 3: Worry about meal timing, macronutrients

You're in between stage 1 and 2. Learn how to cook some meals and start adding in more vegetables and protein. The biggest issue that most people have is they start worrying about how many times a day they should eat, what's the best time to eat, when they should have carbs and all this other crap. Meanwhile, they still eat pizza and burgers and can't seem to lose weight for some reason.

You've made really good progress with changing your bad habits. Now just build upon that through fresh foods

Diet

[Cattknap]

Too much bread, preserved meat and not enough fresh vegetables, fruit and variety of fresh foods. I would cut out the processed meat, eat some lower glycemic fruit too (berries, kiwi, small apples, grapefruit). I don't think you are eating a balanced diet. By eating more fresh vegetables (colored peppers, radishes, celery, spinach, kale, chard, cauliflower, cabbage and broccoli, a variety of beans (garbanzo, black, kidney, navy and pinto), legumes (especially lentils), modest amounts of whole grains along with modest amounts of fresh fruit, you will feel fuller and add some nutritious variety to your current pretty boring diet. I see no reason to eat butter or added fat (including cheese) when trying to lose weight....avocado, hummus, raw nuts, nut butters, seeds and a modest amount of lean protein (not preserved meat with nitrates or nitrates)- this is healthy eating that will provide plenty of fat. Drink water throughout the day.

Also weight bearing exercise, hand weights and sit-ups will help you tone up as will stretching and yoga. Cardio exercises always make me feel great and are great for the Casio vascular system....walking, runny, jogging, etc.

I lost 80 lbs. 2 years ago and have kept the weight off...and I understand the problem of needing body toning with significant weight loss...I have outlined what has worked....is working for me.

[el_marto]

hmm ok. The reason I go for bread/sandwiches is because of how easy/convenient they are. If I was going to introduce one new, cheap and convenient meal, what should it be?

[schmedes2]

Chicken thighs/drumsticks. Most people want chicken breasts because they're "healthier" so they're cheaper. Throw them in the oven to bake for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Add in some vegetables and you have dinner and lunch with a prep time of about 2 minutes, including the time spent unwrapping the chicken

[Cattknap]

Also, making sandwiches is probably not any cheaper than buying fresh whole foods. How about a big green salad with roasted chicken - throw in some canned garbanzo beans (or make your own) and lots of vegetables or make a pot of pinto beans (from dried beans - really cheap) and make up some chili with lots of fresh vegetables and spices...you can freeze it also. Make up a pot of brown rice or quinoa (a complete protein) - freeze it in single portions.

If you are willing to spend some time cooking on the weekend, you can freeze quite a few things. A big container of mixed salad (if the greens are fresh) should last for at least 3 to 4 days.

Try to limit your bread to 2 slices a day - make sure that the bread is made with whole wheat and has at least 3 grams of fiber per slice.

If you can buy directly from farmers at a local farmer's market - go for it.

[jambo101]

Originally Posted by el_marto

So I am 26, male, and between the ages of maybe 22-25 I lived like a pig. Greasy take-away food multiple times a week, smoked a lot of weed so used to stuff myself on the munchies, zero exercise beyond walking to work and stuff. I got fat, at least 2 stone overweight, pot belly forming, love handles, stretch marks, the beginnings of moobs. 5 ft 9 tall and weighed maybe 12.5 stone.

Late last year I started making changes. I've lost at least 1 stone or more and gone down a notch or two on my belt, but I'm not where I want to be yet. There's still some flab on my gut and chest that I want gone. What's more, when it's gone I don't want it to come back. So, I'd like it if someone can tell me what they think of my diet, ie. whether it's missing anything important, whether it should just be my permanent lifestyle now. I've been eating pretty much the same meals daily since christmas. It goes like this:

3 sandwiches - each consisting of 2 slices of brown bread (75 cal each), butter/marge/whatever it is (50 cal per tablespoon), a slice of ham (27 cal each), 4 slices of cucumber, handful of lettuce (? cals).
--> I'll call this 600-700 cals in total.


tortilla wraps - 3 (180 cals each), sliced chicken breast totalling about 150 cals, half a can of chopped tomatoes (50 cal), 1 chopped green pepper (40 cals?), half an onion (? cals), handful of mixed salad (? cals).
--> I'll call this 800 cals maximum.

This is all I eat all day. 2 meals, each leaving me stuffed and satisfied for hours. Sometimes I'll have the odd banana or apple or whatever just randomly but what I've described above is what I'm eating day in, day out.

Am I getting everything I need here? Are there any improvements I could make?

Read a book called Wheat Belly..
Congratulations on your success..

If anyone is wondering a stone is the equivalent of 14lbs