[chronic_fatigue]

(Original post by Cherry Gwyn)
well 3 eggs is pretty self explanatory, in terms of the fish, I had 1/2 a can of mackerel. I don't have much money so buying things full of protein is a bit of a struggle.

What I meant is why no meat? Are you a student? You can get canned corned beef and cheap chicken from your local supermarket, red meat is a bit more expensive so I don't eat it often.

[PinkMobilePhone]

(Original post by Cherry Gwyn)
well 3 eggs is pretty self explanatory, in terms of the fish, I had 1/2 a can of mackerel. I don't have much money so buying things full of protein is a bit of a struggle.

1/2 can of mackerel is less than what I give my kids for dinner. They get a can each with some rice, and they're only aged 2, 4 and 6.

Come on, it's only £1 for a can of princes mackerel, and less if you buy supermarket own brand stuff.

[Cherry Gwyn]

(Original post by PinkMobilePhone)
1/2 can of mackerel is less than what I give my kids for dinner

. The canned fish was in reference to why i dont buy meat.. and it was half because I also had 3 whole eggs!!!!! And i struggled getting them down tbh

[Old School]

(Original post by kka25)
Wow if this is true, then this is very useful!

Why drop the toast? I usually warm my bread on the pan until it's brown after making my scramble eggs. Yum.

Mind if I ask what's wrong with vaccuum pack? Complete n00b alert

It is true.

Toast (and bread in general) has very little in the way of nutritional value. There are better alternatives, namely more eggs and veggies.

However, one or two slices a day isn't going to kill you- or hinder your weight loss.

If it's in a vaccuum pack (or cardboard box, or has a mascot) it's probably processed and or no good for you and or there are better alternatives that you can make yourself easily and for less money.

Basically, if there are more than a couple of steps between your food walking around or being in the ground and your dinner plate then it's probably not all that good for you. Despite what the package says.

[kka25]

(Original post by Old School)
It is true.

Toast (and bread in general) has very little in the way of nutritional value. There are better alternatives, namely more eggs and veggies.

However, one or two slices a day isn't going to kill you- or hinder your weight loss.

If it's in a vaccuum pack (or cardboard box, or has a mascot) it's probably processed and or no good for you and or there are better alternatives that you can make yourself easily and for less money.

Basically, if there are more than a couple of steps between your food walking around or being in the ground and your dinner plate then it's probably not all that good for you. Despite what the package says.

I usually have 2-3 eggs for breakfast. Would that be too much? I'm trying to increase my protein intake (as well as keeping me lean). I also eat them with 2 slices of bread. Sometimes I put tomatoes and some cabbages. Yum.

Thanks for the info

[arana2]

I'd recommend increasing the amount of meal you take in a day and reducing the size of each meal (may not be needed as your portions are fairly reasonable).

Your eating four meal a day, try raising it to 5 or 6 meals. Add more protein and slow digesting carbs instead of regular carbs.

Some really lean people I know eat from 6 to 8 meals a day.

If it gets too hard take a cheat meal somewhere around once a week.
Good Luck

[sil3nt_cha0s]

(Original post by Cherry Gwyn)
I've taken the carbs opinions on board and wanted to know if this was an improvement?

Yesterday:
Breakfast: Porridge
Lunch: 2 apples, some fresh blueberries and 2 squares of dark chocolate
Dinner: 3 eggs, tomatoes, spinach and mackerel.

Better, but still a very poor lunch. You're going from breakfast till dinner with next to no food (and the little food you do have is basically just water and sugar, no protein).

well 3 eggs is pretty self explanatory, in terms of the fish, I had 1/2 a can of mackerel. I don't have much money so buying things full of protein is a bit of a struggle.

You can buy a 1kg bag of oats for around 75p, you can buy tins of fish for around 60p, you can buy big trays of 30 eggs for around £3. Bags of peanuts are also reasonably cheap. If you substitute that for some of the rubbish you currently eat, you'll probably be spending less.

[missygeorgia]

(Original post by Cherry Gwyn)
If I eat anything over 1500 calories I put on weight.

Probably because you're underweight, and you need to put on weight.

[Moiraclaire]

I don't understand how you can eat so little dinner.
I am a little person (7 st 11) so I'm guessing if anyone bigger than me ate what I eat, they'd lose weight.

YESTERDAY

Breakfast - Fruit juice (220?) and a square of rocky road (70? the mini ones from waitrose)
Lunch - Palma ham (400? I eat a lot of it) and sundried tomatoes (100?)
Dinner - Salmon (300) New potatoes (200?) Broccoli (70?) juice (300)

Guessing that totals more than 1300, though it's all an estimate
SNACK - no one needs snacks

You're eating too many carbs. ATKINs FTW I'm sure vitamins and minerals help you lose weight more than just eating a small amount of carbs and nothing else.
I'm not a dietician

[Jimbo1234]

(Original post by Cherry Gwyn)
Hello! After loosing some weight over the past 9 months I have noticed some side effects from a low calorie diet (was around 500 a day some days). Therefore i'm really looking to change it in order to be more healthy, but still loose a little bit of weight, slow and steadily.
Over the past month or so i've been trying really hard to have a healthy diet of around 1000-1300 (not amazing I know but keep reading) calories per day, along with some fast walking (1 hour 30 minutes 6 times a week).

The thing is, following this plan I have lost no weight whatsoever. People have told me that 1000-1300 is not enough for maintaining weight (i'm female btw)... but I have been! And they are what I believe mostly healthy calories, calories my body can use.
This is an example of the last few days diet:

Thursday:
Breakfast: Large bowl of cereal - 20g cheerios and 30g plain corn flakes (always use skimmed milk)
Lunch: Fresh chicken and lettuce in a large whole-wheat bap
snack: An apple and a small bowl of corn flakes
Dinner: 2 low kcal slices of brown bread with hummus spread

Friday:
Breakfast: Porridge
Lunch: Corn flakes, an apple, some skips
Dinner: Lentil and cabbage soup
Afters: Small chocolate bar (100kcal) and some dry cheerios

Yesterday:
Breakfast: Cheerios and an apple
Lunch: Mixed bean spicy Dahl on toast (approx 250 kcal), small chocolate (100)
skips crips.
Dinner: The rest of the dahl with fresh salad, and an apple after.

Your body will always adapt to a calorie defect. To lose weight you have to eat well AND exercise.

[Fraga]

(Original post by Cherry Gwyn)
well 3 eggs is pretty self explanatory, in terms of the fish, I had 1/2 a can of mackerel. I don't have much money so buying things full of protein is a bit of a struggle.

Please stop concentrating on losing weight this isn't your goal here. When people are telling you to gain weight it doesn't mean you are going to look fat or flabby. It means you are going to stop looking like an ugly sack of bones and TONE UP making your body LEAN! (I hope you take this part on board the most)

You'll look like:


Instead of: (GROSS!! )



Try this...[will do you an exercise plan too to compliment your diet]


Breakfast:
> Egg white omelette with bacon (slice fat off 2 rashers of bacon and chop up)
> Followed by a bowel of blueberries with 1 chopped banana (can substitute for nuts if you wish or alternate between days) then yoghurt and honey on top. (leave the honey if you wish)

[A big breakfast is key to stop you having those crappy little snacks you have during the morning before lunch. If you still get hunger pains carry with you a tin of almonds. They are a great source of protein but also have a low GI keeping you fuller for longer. It also STARTS YOUR METABOLISM which is important when getting the body you want]


Lunch
> Chicken breast OR ham OR prawn OR tinned salmon, cucumber OR avacado, tomato, and black pepper sandwich.
> 1 Clementine
> Handful of blueberries OR some other form of berry if you get sick of these.

Use oatmeal or wholemeal bread as this has a low glycemic index and will keep you fuller for longer

I'd now recommend nuts for a quick snack at this point if you need one.

Dinner
Mackeral Salad
> Smoked mackerel (go to either lidl or aldi and in the fridge section they will have a pack of 3 smoked mackerel for just £1.48!!! If you don't want mackerel they sell other meats too for example, crab sticks)
>Chopped tomato
>Olives or capers or artichoke hearts (you can also buy anti-pasti in jars at lidl or aldi for amazing prices!)
> Feta cheese chunks (optional)
> Cashew or pine nuts
> Salad leaves
>Drizzle with olive oil, salt pepper and squeeze lemon juice over everything.
>Also a sweet baked potato is great too! Don't have to stick it in the oven and wait ages, instead pop it in the microwave for around 5 or 6 minutes whilst your sorting your salad out and looking for bones in the fish

Finish your day off with a yoghurt for pudding. Natural yoghurt with honey drizzled on it is best! (In my opinion)



Exercise Programme:
1) Warm up on the treadmill/cross trainer/bicycle for 5 minutes
2) Stretch statically work from the ankle up.
3) Stretch dynamically - bring your knee up level with your tummy and as you do this stretch the opposite arm to that leg, up to the sky! For example if you lift your left leg, stretch with your right arm. Walk in a straight line doing this for about 2 minutes.

Now your warm up is complete and your muscles have awoken and become more pliable and stretchy...it's time to work out!


4) Cross Trainer/treadmill/bike for 10 minutes - aim to maintain a speed throughout this times and in the final minute PUSH IT TO THE LIMIT.

5) Now work with your back and shoulders to give your legs a break - Go to a resistance machine such as the lateral pull down and do 3 sets of 10-12 reps.

6) Bicep curls - do this in front of a mirror and make sure your legs are shoulder width apart (look yourself dead straight in the eye) with you knees slightly bent and your elbow touching your torso...complete 3 sets of 10-12 reps.

7) Leg press - 3 sets of 10-12 reps.

8) Tricep Kickbacks - 3 sets of 8-10 reps.


9) Treadmill for 10 minutes (if you use light weights when you do this you get more of an upper body workout e.g. abs and arms. Since running only really targets the lower body and hardly works the abs...in fact its crap for abs).


Finally! ....Cool down by walking on treadmill for 5 minutes at a really slow pace, get your heart rate down to normal.
Get off and perform the same static stretches you do at the start but hold them a little longer.

GOOD LUCK

I study sports performance and excellence and have had to go through endless amounts of nutrition and fitness programs and instructing etc. etc. etc.!!

YOU NEED TO COMBINE EATING HEALTHY WITH EXERCISE! ITS SIMPLE! I have no doubt that what you are calling "flab" is your abdominal muscles becoming soft due to the lack of exercise IN THAT REGION. This is why a full body workout like the one I have demonstrated to you WORKS!!

[Claudine]

You should aim to eat about 1400-1700 a day. Any less and your body will go into starvation mode and you will store more fat than you loose.

[missygeorgia]

(Original post by hollymarie)
you're eating waaay too many carbs!
you may not enjoy it too much, but one of the best things i find for losing weight is going vegetarian, or pescetarian. i've been pescetarian for a year now, but not because i wanted to lose weight. i did lose it though way at the beginning, and i find that i always maintain a good weight now as well! it's a reeeally healthy diet; has loads of health benefits.
like above, definitely drop the cereal - replace it with fruit and nuts. (especially if you try the veggie thing - helps keep protein and iron levels up).
also, instead of eating lots of big portions, you could try eating small amounts often, and try and eat slower... it really helps. good luck. (:

Wtf? She's not eating 'waaay too many' anything, she's underweight and not eating enough.

[NuclearFusion]

OP, you really don't need to lose any weight, you are barely above the underweight threshold. You should certainly speak to someone who can offer advice on eating disorders, because it sounds as though you have some kind of eating disorder.

[NuclearFusion]

(Original post by missygeorgia)
Wtf? She's not eating 'waaay too many' anything, she's underweight and not eating enough.

That poster said that before OP stated her height and weight, until then it was assumed she was overweight.

[Cherry Gwyn]

Ok everybody listen please. I appreciate the responses so far about ways to improve my diet but I need to make a few things clear;

- I am looking to lead a healthy lifestyle with a healthy diet
- I have previously struggled with eating problems but I am putting all my energy into improving it and so far I have completely changed my outlook on food

Yes I am not overweight, but what I am saying is that if I eat mindlessly I will become so, so I need some direction and rules with my diet and my previously distorted thoughts are nothing to go by, so I needed some input.

Currently I have been advised to;
- Eat no carbs (I would be starving)
- Lower calories
- Increase calories
- Eat more frequent smaller meals
- Increase portion sizes
- Just count calories regardless of carbs
- Exercise more

All these things are quite confusing. I am going to try an approach of porridge and very occasionally cereal for breakfast, a brown/wholemeal carb with fruit for lunch, high protein and veg for dinner.

This is to ensure I have the components I need whilst not gaining weight.

opinions?

[PinkMobilePhone]

(Original post by Cherry Gwyn)
Ok everybody listen please. I appreciate the responses so far about ways to improve my diet but I need to make a few things clear;

- I am looking to lead a healthy lifestyle with a healthy diet
- I have previously struggled with eating problems but I am putting all my energy into improving it and so far I have completely changed my outlook on food

Yes I am not overweight, but what I am saying is that if I eat mindlessly I will become so, so I need some direction and rules with my diet and my previously distorted thoughts are nothing to go by, so I needed some input.

Currently I have been advised to;
- Eat no carbs (I would be starving)
- Lower calories
- Increase calories
- Eat more frequent smaller meals
- Increase portion sizes
- Just count calories regardless of carbs
- Exercise more

All these things are quite confusing. I am going to try an approach of porridge and very occasionally cereal for breakfast, a brown/wholemeal carb with fruit for lunch, high protein and veg for dinner.

This is to ensure I have the components I need whilst not gaining weight.

opinions?

my opinion is that you are going to get a plethora of conflicting snippets of advice on TSR. Your best bet would be to go to your doctor and tell them that you would like advice from a dietician as to what to eat, as you have struggled with an eating disorder in the past. Explain that you have found a lot of different advice online, so you would just like it straightening out to ensure that you are eating correctly.

In the meantime :

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/...thyeating.aspx

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/...twellplate.pdf

[shorty.loves.angels]

(Original post by Cherry Gwyn)
Ok everybody listen please. I appreciate the responses so far about ways to improve my diet but I need to make a few things clear;

- I am looking to lead a healthy lifestyle with a healthy diet
- I have previously struggled with eating problems but I am putting all my energy into improving it and so far I have completely changed my outlook on food

Yes I am not overweight, but what I am saying is that if I eat mindlessly I will become so, so I need some direction and rules with my diet and my previously distorted thoughts are nothing to go by, so I needed some input.

Currently I have been advised to;
- Eat no carbs (I would be starving)
- Lower calories
- Increase calories
- Eat more frequent smaller meals
- Increase portion sizes
- Just count calories regardless of carbs
- Exercise more

All these things are quite confusing. I am going to try an approach of porridge and very occasionally cereal for breakfast, a brown/wholemeal carb with fruit for lunch, high protein and veg for dinner.

This is to ensure I have the components I need whilst not gaining weight.

opinions?

Umm, lower amounts of carbs should not mean that you are hungry. If you are then it may suggest that you need to replace these with protein, rather than just cut them.

The bottom line is that there is no straight forward answer; the replies you have had are merely suggestion (all of which could be good) based on limited information.

Carbs are not BAD, it is just very easy to eat too many of these rather than enough protein. It often leads to people putting on fat - especially over a long period of time - because there's only so much that carbs can be used for and it is very easy for the excess to be stored as fat. Thus, portions of carbs around workouts is not a bad idea, provided you have had enough protein otherwise.

Lowering calories works when you're having too many - obviously.

Increasing calories can be important if you're working your body harder than you are fuelling it - even if you're trying to lose weight.

Counting calories is a great guide but should really be coupled with a sensible diet to ensure that we don't end up with a diet deficient in some macro/ micro nutrient.

Hunger isn't the aim here.

I'm not telling you exactly what to do because, like everyone else, I don't know. Take some time to work it out for yourself. Are you hungry a lot? Is it because you're not eating enough or eating the wrong thing? Are you fuelling your body for exercise? Are you feeding your body what it needs? Are you working out in a way that will achieve your goals? These questions are endless. It takes even the most motivated people a while to find out what they really need.

Personally, I think the sticky written by Powerlifter in the nutrition section is well worth a read. Have you read it/ tried altering your diet accordingly? Sorry if I've missed anything, I kept up with a lot of this thread but perhaps not all of it. I hope you work out what it is you need to do, just take your time and don't do anything that will be detrimental

[Cyanide]

A lot of people have already said what I'm about to say, but I'm gonna say it anyway xD

a low cal diet is gonna make you lose weight yes, but only if you continue to do it every day for years. when you begin, you'll gain weight, because your body will go into something like starvation mode and it'll start making you more fat. Other people could probably give you a more scientific explanation, but it's basically the same thing.

The best thing to do is probably to eat a balanced diet, stay at about 1500 cals and exercise regularly

[xoxAngel_Kxox]

(Original post by Cyanide)
A lot of people have already said what I'm about to say, but I'm gonna say it anyway xD

a low cal diet is gonna make you lose weight yes, but only if you continue to do it every day for years. when you begin, you'll gain weight, because your body will go into something like starvation mode and it'll start making you more fat. Other people could probably give you a more scientific explanation, but it's basically the same thing.

The best thing to do is probably to eat a balanced diet, stay at about 1500 cals and exercise regularly

Absolutely atrocious advice to be giving someone with an eating disorder.