New diet advice

themick

Started a new diet and while iv only been on it bout 3 weeks,just wondering if can get any constructive advice,where I might be going wrong or helpful tips,the sole purpose of this diet is weight loss

I'm a male
5'7
27
15 stone(goal is to get down to 11)

Breakfast would be one of the following:
Porridge
Turkey rashers
Special K

Lunch:
Usually just deli style chicken pieces with bit of tomato and use lettuce as a kind of wrap,and maybe an orange/pear

Dinner
2 grilled pieces of chicken/turkey fillets and cabbage,brocceli ,I put a bit of franks hot sause to give bit of extra taste,it says zero calories(but maybe someone can tell me if it a hinderence or not)

Snacks:
Bout 15/20 individual grapes or blueberries throughout day

Exercise wise,I do long hours of security,usually 11hour shifts with a lot of sitting,I usually try stretching or standing for bit,I cycle to and from work but they only 15minute up and 15 minute back..on my days off, I go for an hour walk and recently started to try a bit of jogging/running in but it only in spurts as I was/am seriously unfit and just trying to get into the exercise thing

As I said if people can give me constructive criticisim of what I'm doing right/wrong..I know iv proberly to up exercise a bit but as I say with long hours and on my days off trying to up it,maybe if people have tips on how to ease into exercise bit but mainly the food aspect of it I need help as iv read the 'stickys' as adviced in similar threads,but all this good carb/bad carb and all things like that go over my head

Cheers in advance

Frogdog

Hey OP!

Remove the Special K/porridge for breakfast and replace with eggs. Cook them whichever way you like them with the turkey rashers.

Remove the bread/wraps from your lunch and replace with salad/veg. Replace the deli style chicken with the real deal - proper chicken that you cook yourself (free range if possible).

Drink plenty of water throughout the day, if you're not already.

Other than that it looks good. Keep it up.

vard

Keep the oats in if you like them. Just make sure to count your calories. Know what you need; know what you're taking in; know what you're burning. You could have oats plus eggs for a high energy healthy breakfsdt.

Definitely get rid of the special K though. It should be illegal to advertise that refined sugar muck as a health food.

themick

Cheers guys for advice guys

Just few notes and questions

Yeah forgot to mention I'm drinking lots of Water but thanks for mentioning it.

Ill defo be dropping Special K (and I taught it was good for me)

I prob didn't make it clear,but meant instead of wrap or bread,I use the lettuce as a substitute for them.

One of yous say go for free range chicken instead of deli style cuts,can you inform me what difference is and reasoning to do so(just so can educate myself)

And is there anything to avoid when buying salads or veg..I like spicy stuff so are peppers,jalepineos, are they ok or should stay away

They're great. Get flavours into you!

Hows your culinary skills? Get yourself a lunchbox and make your own stuff to bring with you to work if possible. It's both cheaper and you can customise it a bit better.

Try not to think of what you're doing as a "diet" in the traditional 'this is a temporary measure' sense. But try to learn to eat as the man you want to be will do. If you eat like a smaller man, you'll be a smaller man. But when you 'get' there, what will you do? Continue eating rabbit food and boiled chicken breasts?

You're certainly eating some of the right stuff, but I'd actually encourage you to up your portions significantly enough. You should not be aiming for a massive deficit, a slow and steady 500kcal deficit will see you a different person in 6 months. It took time to put it on, it will take time to take it off. If you afford yourself that time and patience you'll be infinitely better for it.

You're on the right track. Eat eggs, meats, Fish and vegetables plentifully. Nuts and dairy in moderation. Get good at preparing yourself for what's ahead (longer shift, bring a tin of tuna and some spicy mayo with you for a snack etc).

metamorphosis

Jaysus .... Eat more!

Ditch the Special K, experiment with breakfast, eggs, leftovers fro. Dinner

It's deficient in fat big time - butter, olive oil, fatty fish especially salmon and mackrel, coconut oil etc

Up the volume at lunch at dinner , read the stickies threads here to get the basics on your maintenance and deficit calorie goal, and how you should go about things

themick

Cooking skills ain't the best,I can grill and boil things!!..that's bout the extent of my cooking skills so far..

Not a fan of fish,but like eggs so ill boil few night before for next day. Any suggestions on how to keep them the most fresh for next day or is it simple case of in the fridge then lunchbox next day...and is there any other suggestions of stuff I can pre-make for next day as sure there be a point of wanting to mix it up other than having eggs all time!!

Also yous talk bout having 500 deficit ..maybe it a stupid question,but 500 deficit from what??

Not a stupid question at all. Your 'Maintenance' calorie amount is the number of calories that your body needs per day to remain at the same weight you are at now.

Use this calculator to figure out a rough estimate of your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate)
http://www.muscleandstrength.com/tools/bmr-and-daily-calorie-calculator.html

Then aim for a daily calorie intake of approximately 500 kcals below this.

RE: Lunches, I usually cook two portions worth of dinner each evening. One for the dinner plate and table, and one for the snap-lock lunchbox for lunch the next day. If you have a microwave available in work this means you can have 'proper food' (what a lot of people would feel more comfortable eating than Salads galore) on a daily basis.

Are you sure there's no fish you like? Tuna Steaks, Swordfish Steaks (expensive I know) are more meaty than fishy and are fantastically good for you. Salmon Fillets cooked in lime with a dose of salt can be a great meal (accompany everything with vast quantities of spinach, kale, brocolli, cauliflower and other green leafy vegetables) for people who aren't a fan of white fish.

Think you should aim to get creative (learn to experiment in the kitchen - you won't regret it), adventurous (try new foods) and disciplined (lunchboxes will save you money and calories!) but if you're eager and concentrated you will develop a very healthy routine in 4/5 weeks that will last you the rest of your healthy and 'less shapely' life!

themick

Thanks for that explanation of deficit

Yeah,iv tried few types of fish,I just can't deal with taste of any of it.taught I'd be able to handle tuna but couldn't even get through small tin of it.

I'm going to try and experiment in kitchen but a bit wary of what good for me and what bad,as before jeans I use to think potatoes pasta,rice were healthy options but found out they bad,same with Special K as found out here..so many things you think "oh that's healthy option" then after going through some other threads and other things on Internet ,you find out are worst things you can be eating.

Apart from stuff I wrote bout at start and now finding out bout eggs been good, I'm just not sure of what good or bad..if any suggestions or even helpful websites that can educate me better,as I said people advice to read stickys but they either stuff I don't understand or people contradicting others so you not sure what right advice to take.

thegreatiam

themick wrote: »

Apart from stuff I wrote bout at start and now finding out bout eggs been good, I'm just not sure of what good or bad..if any suggestions or even helpful websites that can educate me better,as I said people advice to read stickys but they either stuff I don't understand or people contradicting others so you not sure what right advice to take.

you can make a whole weeks worth of meals from very few ingredients, and with practice, never make the same dinner twice.

start with your meat, you can grill and fry i assume?
excellent.
turkey, chicken, steaks and bacon. make sure that each meal you eat has a portion of this.


Now veg. Get some peppers, onions, carrots, garlic, sweet potato, kale/cabbage, beansprouts, bamboo shoots, ginger, add any other veg you like to this list and replace anything you don't.

spices: grab a spice rack and some herbs, anything you fancy. olive oil, butter. vinegar, (ie balsamic, cider etc)

get eggs, get greek yoghurt, get fruit (dealers choice)

on day one, chop your veg, boil all your eggs.

Most veg will keep for a few days in the fridge, use those magic green veg bags to keep them fresher. or put them in a bowl of water.
peel the eggs and put them in water, this keep them fresh.

chop your chicken and turkey.

(optional, but worth it for variety)Take half of the chicken and turkey and make a marinade with oil, vinegar, salt pepper and what ever spices/herbs you like. put the chicken and turkey in the marinade and into the fridge.
the rest of the turkey leave in the fridge wrapped in cling film.

steak: un wrap it, put it on a rack in the fridge. or slice it and marinade it like the poultry.

Breakfast= some of your eggs + fry or gril bacon or greek yoghurt and some of your fruit.

Dinner= grill or fry a 2 fist full of that poultry until its firm and starting to brown. mix in garlic, onions, peppers. add the bamboo shoots or bean sprouts, and thats your stir fry. (takes about 5 mins of cooking time)
flavour it with herbs and spices as you cook.

Take half of that dinner let it cool and put it in a bowl with some lettuce and other salad, that's lunch for tomorrow sorted and out of the way. use olive oil mixed with balsamic as a dressing. Add chopped fruit/nuts if you like.

Steak, hot pan+olive oil or butter and grill it to your liking.

boil or steam your sweet potatoes and kale or what veg you bought, or slice them thin and fry them in the oil the steak cooked in.

using different spices, grill or fry, chop the meat or eat it whole, use different combinations of veg then you can make a wide variety of healthy meals through out the week. Eventually you will learn more about prepping the food, which spices work best and start to experiment with recipes.

easy, convenient, healthy and cheap (ish) everything else you will learn on the way. dont worry too much that this food or that food is bad for you, no food is inherently bad for you, or it wouldn't be food. its more that the quantity we consume or the way it is prepared and packaged is bad for you. Always cook your own food, and make sure that its 'real food' as in 'its a chicken breast/leg/thigh and not a chicken nugget'

If its something you can pick from a tree, or the ground or walks/flys then its probably healthy. If it comes from a factory, then its probably not.

themick

Wow thanks for that feedback,great menu suggestions there,shall start experimenting tonight!!

Frogdog

Regarding free range chicken over deli style chicken - deli chicken, if it's not covered in breadcrumbs or sauces of some kind, is usually processed to some degree - injected with brine and/or some other nasty stuff.