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Does this sound like a good/healthy way to eat for the day? I'm trying to lose 20 lbs but I will also keep eating this way after the weight loss.
Breakfast- 2 or 3 packets of plain instant oatmeal cooked with enough water, and then about 1/2 cup fat free milk added to it after with 1 good size banana sliced on top. or a bowl of plain shredded wheat with 1/2 cup or so of fat free milk added and a banana.
Lunch- 2 Lara bars and 12 or 16 ounces of fat free milk to drink or 1 Larabar, a bowl of fruit and 12 or 16 ounces of fat free milk.
Dinner- 1 serving size wild rice or brown rice, 1 serving size vegetables, 1 serving size cottage cheese, also with some kind of fruit and 12 or 16 ounces of fat free milk.
Drinking water throughout the day and I'm exercising on the treadmill for an hour everyday.
Do you think this is to many calories or to little of calories for the day in order to hopefully lose atleast 2 lbs a week?
I just lost 20 pounds in 11 weeks and I only had a few "hungry" days. I was eating 1200 calories a day "max". First I would find out what your calorie requirements are. NCyank posted a great site to find this info: Calorie Calculator - Daily Caloric Needs
After you figure that out add up your calories that you are consuming each day and find out where you stand. I personally don't like any food bars or shakes because I want my new eating habits to become a way of life and I would rather have food over a bar or a shake any time.
It's great that you are already exercising. That will help in your weight loss.
As for your food plan. Do you eat meat? I would add some lean meat. I also try not to eat carbs(rice etc.) at dinner. I want the carbs I eat to have a chance to get burned off during the day. I have no "scientific" evidence to back that but I eat light at night.
Good luck to you. If you can make your own food I would recommend it. It is healthier and less expensive.
I think this may be a little more healthy for you.
Breakfast- 1 cup Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal with berries and skim milk, or substitute 1 serving instant oatmeal.
Lunch- Large vegetable salad with low fat dressing or a large bowl of clear broth vegetable soup.
Dinner- 3-4 ounces of lean meat and fresh vegetables.
Snacks- Yogurt, apple, cut up veggies, walnuts, 1 oz. cheese, etc.
Drinking water throughout the day and exercising on the treadmill is fine. But you may also want to add in some light weight training a couple times a week.
How much you lose will depend on your current weight and how many calories you consume. Do not starve your body, eat healthy calories like fruit, vegetables, lean meat, whole grains. 1200 calories per day is a little extreme for most people. You may not be getting the nutrients your body needs. I would suggest 1500 calories per day.
Look for foods high in fiber for health and to give you that full feeling. Bananas are a good food, but higher in calories. Eat 1/2 banana on occasion if you must.
Here are some healthy food choices for you to consider:
Remember to watch your serving sizes. With everything being served so large at restaurants nowadays, people are just eating too much food. Portion control, eating healthy foods, and consistent exercise is key.
2 or 3 packets of oatmeal is 2 or 3 servings. Stick to single servings. And not sure why you are drinking so much milk. And you definitely should add more veggies and fruit. As far as the total calories you need, that is a very individual number. 1200 is maintenance for me, but it is weight loss for others. You need to experiment a bit and see what works for you.
Thank you everyone.
I'm trying to stick with 1,500 calories a day and atleast an hour of exercise a day.
I do eat turkey, chicken, beef, fish. I just thought it would be easier to eat cottage cheese.
I don't want to eat anything with sugar added to it- only foods that are naturally sweet.
I thought milk was good for you.
Last edited by Hatetheheat01; 05-10-2009 at 01:14 PM..
Thank you everyone.
I'm trying to stick with 1,500 calories a day and atleast an hour of exercise a day.
Sounds like a good plan.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Autumn07
I don't want to eat anything with sugar added to it- only foods that are naturally sweet.
Very wise of you! That's why I think you should keep the fruit in your diet.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Autumn07
I do eat turkey, chicken, beef, fish. I just thought it would be easier to eat cottage cheese......I thought milk was good for you.
Milk and cottage cheese are dairy products. You need dairy in your diet, but you also need meat.
Milk is good for you! It has calcium and vitamins D & A in it along with protein.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Autumn07
Those of you that are eating 1,500 calories a day- what do you eat on a typical day?
I generally start off my day with a fortified cereal that has almost 100% of the nutrients. Lately, it's been Multi Grain Cheereos, but there are others on the market I switch between for variety. When limiting food, I feel it's important to make sure very food has as much vitamins and minerals as possible. Cereals with 25% of nutrients don't fit my criteria. I eat it with milk and I add fruits. I switch fruits to keep it interesting---sometimes banana, sometimes strawberries, sometimes blackberries, etc. I don't add surgar. When I'm bored with cereal for breakfast, I'll have a mellon fruit --- cantelope, honey dew, etc. Again, I'll have milk.
For lunch I usually have a big salad with lots of different vegies and I'll add rasins, sunflower seeds and/or green olives for flavor. I do NOT use salad dressing ever. Sometimes I'll have a sandwich, but I'll have half a sandwich so it's only one slice of bread. I make sure it's whole grain bread. I'll add sliced red peppers and cucumbers with turkey and swiss.
For dinner, I'll have a small serving of meat, a whole grain rice, and a dark colored vegie like broccoli. Sometimes I'll do stirfry.
My snacks are fruits and vegies --- an apple, carrots, etc. When I'm feeling the need to snack for no reason, I'll have a low calorie vegie like celery or cucumbers. Cucumbers are a great filler that you can add to any dish or sandwich. Sometimes I snack with nuts or seeds when I need protein. Protein is what gives you healthy energy. Most people get their energy from sugar, protein is the healthy energy source.
I try to eat whole grains for my grains. When I have juice, I buy only 100% juice with no sugar added. I drink water instead of diet soda. I drink milk or juice with meals.
I never eat sweets. That's not been a challenge since I'm the type of person who craves salt. Coworkers bring in donuts and I used to eat them just because they were there---not because I like donuts. Now I just pass them up. I've even suggested we eat more health in the office. The kitchen was always filled with junk food and sweets. Now coworkers bring in vegie platters to share instead of junk.
I think it's important to eat foods that you like. Otherwise, you're setting yourself up for failure. That said, give new food a chance. I was a big carbs eater---it was easy food to get a slice of pizza or a beagle. At first, I thought my new lifestyle was bland, but I ended up loving the salads and everything else I eat now.
It is. But that doesn't mean you need 36 oz of it per day!!! A couple of 8oz glasses a day is great.
Breakfast every morning for me is either steel-cut oatmeal, eggbeaters, or ff yogurt with Kashi.
Lunch is either a salad, or grilled chicken.
I eat several snacks though the day, fruit/veggies, and generally don't eat after I get home from work, other than a small snack.
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