400 calorie meals weight loss diet for a newbie (vegetables, low carb, pounds)

[Pnutty1]

I was hoping that there would be weightloss experts here who know how to diet frugally. And can name me the diet that matches me best so that I can eat the same for a lifetime.

Ive been searching for diets and they are really high carb or really low carb or expect lots of fruit and veggies or big on low no fat dairy.

From what I can gather 400 calorie meals is 1200 calories a day, which is just right for weight loss for me. But how exactly am I to go about it, Im driving myself kind of nuts! And I like nuts (pnutty).

So Id like a diet that is 400 calorie meals
Dont care for dairy everyday
Not high carb not low carb
Not expecting a lot of fruits and vegetables
Not super high sodium ( like taco bell 1500 sodium at <400calories )
I dont mind some processed foods dont want to cook 3X a day.
I even thought about McPick $menu and getting the double cheeseburger and spliting it in half and using one half for a meal with other calories to bring it up to 400. So even stuff like this works for me 390calories for burger, pull in half like an oreo at180 kcal add other healthy food...


Can anyone, will anyone help me? Is there a diet book that is like this, or do you know how I can do this healthy and frugal?

Here it is end of January and I still dont know how to eat this way everyday because I havent found a " do this directive, which apparently I need!". I dont know how to diet. Ive gained 30 pounds over a decade. And now Im ready to change the way I eat to lose it and keep it lost. I figure id to be calorie specific so then I can add a calories to meals to maintain. Or add lower calorie dessert.
Female 5ft 5 in 152 pounds 52 yrs Thats allot 5's Was always 125 mostly less. So like 3 pounds a year gain.
I want to lose 2 pounds a week. Learn how to eat, and to weigh self regular so to keep the 122-125 I like.
Help!

[dr.frog]

Here are some things I eat pretty regularly that will fall into your diet plan.

Breakfast:
- Oatmeal sweetened with Splenda with spoonful of dried cranberries or lite canned fruit (160 calories)
- Sausage/egg/cheese "Lean Pocket" (270)
- Hard-boiled egg (80)

Lunch/dinner:
- Sandwich w/cold cuts/cheese, mustard or fat-free dressing (no mayo) on plain bread roll
- Canned soup (read the label for calorie count) with a bread roll
- Lean Cuisine -type frozen dinners, several varieties under 300 calories.
- Small serving of rice/pasta with vegetables and lean meat (grilled chicken, fish/seafood, turkey meatballs)
- Chicken sausage cooked with sauerkraut or onions/peppers/zucchini, with a roll on the side.
- Zatarain's Jambalaya Mix cooked with onions/peppers and lean meat -- watch portion size and pack up leftovers into individual servings.
- Tossed salad with lean meat, fat-free dressing and a roll on the side.

Desserts/snacks:
- Banana (100)
- Cup of lite yogurt (80-100)
- Dill pickle (5)
- Lite canned fruit (read label on can and watch portion size)

A few suggestions:
- Don't keep high-calorie snack foods like cookies or chips in the house at all.
- Throw out high-calorie condiments like butter, mayonnaise and salad dressings that you might
have in your refrigerator, and replace them with lower-calorie alternatives (butter-flavor sprinkles,
fat-free dressings).
- I realized my downfall was really portion size rather than eating the wrong kinds of foods. I
haven't been so obsessive about my diet that I've been weighing everything I eat, but I do try to
make a 5-serving package last for 5 meals instead of only 3, etc.

[bande1102]

You might want to check out the Anderson Simple Diet. It's based on pre-portioned meals and uses a simple formula for evaluating meals based on fat/protein count.

It really is portion-based.

[maggie2101]

Life is too short for fat free anything. Fat is necessary to feel satiated. I use full fat dressings and toss the dressing into the salad instead of pouring it on top. That way all the greens are coated with an adequate amount of dressing.

Butter-flavor sprinkles? How about real butter? I actually prefer butter spray on my veggies, but pasta or rice or potatoes get real butter. As long as it fits within my calorie allotment I am eating real food.

[dr.frog]

Re fat. I'm not obsessive about cutting out all fat from my diet, but personally I'd rather spend my calorie budget on the bread/rice/pasta than on condiments. I don't miss butter or full-fat dressings at all, but it would be very hard for me to stick with a diet where I didn't get to eat bread every day, for instance.

[Pnutty1]

Dr. Frog you got me! That is what Im talking about! You have worked out the way for calories, ease and nutrition.

Also Bande I went straight away and purchased for a frugal penny plus shipping The Simple Diet. Looks that will best teach me how much to eat.
Maybe I gotta spend a bit more on frozen meals, but I will best learn on the fly that way. And I bet it ends very much like Dr. Frogs way.

Really thank you so much for your spot on answers.

[fleetiebelle]

I'd recommend signing up for a food/fitness tracking site like SparkPeople or My Fitness Pal (there are probably others--check the app stores.) They have recipes and message boards and you can really see where your diet is lacking nutritionally.

[ShannonMilligan]

Have you tried the 21 day fix? I did that and after 21 days I lost 6 pounds. Now, might not sounds like a lot BUT, I pet following the program (taking out a lot of the exercising after the 21 days) and I have now lost 21 pounds. It was really just a complete diet change. I eat a high protein, lower carb diet and give myself cheat days on Saturdays. This week has been bad and I need to get back on it. I am no longer afraid of fat. Your body will burn fat or sugar so I give it fat. I cut out most dairy and use coconut/almond mild instead. I cut our most sugar but get it from fruit. I allow myself no sugar ridge bars at night. (40 cals). Here is a typical day for me:

Breakfast: Chocolate Juice plus shake with kale and ice, using coconut/almond milk. This keeps me full.

Lunch: grilled chicken with baby spinach or, like today, I had steak fajitas with bell peppers.

Snack: blackberries and blueberries. If still hungry I allow myself a low fat cheese stick.

Dinner: burger without the bun with cheese and bacon. Or, like tonight, we are having pot roast with carrots and potatoes. (I will probably have 1 or two bites of the potatoes and that's it.) I eat sweet potato fries in stead of regular.

Snack: more fruit or a fudge bar.

I will also have 2 teaspoons of natural peanut butter per day. It is filling and keeps my metabolism going. Raw almonds are also something I have for a snack often.

[aneye4detail]

Originally Posted by fleetiebelle

I'd recommend signing up for a food/fitness tracking site like SparkPeople or My Fitness Pal (there are probably others--check the app stores.) They have recipes and message boards and you can really see where your diet is lacking nutritionally.

Lose It is awesome. User-friendly, "pretty," and just overall awesome.

[Hedgehog_Mom]

The reason a lot of low calorie diet plans have lots of veggies is that the veggies will fill you up without adding a lot of calories. Also, veggies help keep your bowels moving, which is also helpful for weight loss. Fresh vegetables can get expensive when you're eating a lot of them, but frozen work just as well. I try to make sure half my plate at dinner is vegetables.