# What's your diet like most days?



## ABGT170 (Feb 20, 2008)

Evening!

I am trying to lose weight. I know how simple it is: eat less, drink less and then weigh less. I am overweight (5'10" and 17st) but I am active (+/-50 minute 10k, work outside all day etc). What are you pack lunch guys doing each day? I'm struggling with feeling empty and then completely demotivated and lethargic in the evenings when I should be out running or riding. Anyone got any tips or really ideally example menus that I could copy. The days just seem so long when I eat breakfast at 06:15!


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## RPC (May 11, 2014)

I have a protein flapjack around 6.30 am.. usually a turkey or chicken sandwich with brown seeded bread, salad and a bit of mayo around 10.30am, then 2.30pm a banana and a small bag of wholegrain sunbite crisps, maybe apple too. and that does me until tea at around 5pm.. i think key is eating often to keep the metabolism going.

My pack lunch is very cheap, costs me less than 10quid a week too.

I have been advised lots of time that when excercising to lose weight, brisk walking burns alot.more fat than running and also lifting weights burns more calories than anything else, also when lifting weights your body still burns loads more calories the following day


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## tomc (Jul 24, 2007)

I dropped a fair bit of weight last year/this year. 3 stone 3 months this time last year, purely through cutting out crap I ate! (I cycled occasionally but not enough I would have lost much, once it twice a week for 25 miles)

This year in 8 weeks I dropped 10kg, again by just reducing intake, start off on porridge, sandwhich for lunch and tea around 6:30-7 ish, just reducing portions, anytime I snack it's fruit, if someone buys you something and says 'ah just one will be fine' just refuse. After a while your tastes change, last year I could drink 2 liters of coke in a day - now I can't even drink a can it makes me physically sick! (Strangely enough I had a can of coke earlier for the first time in months, been sat on sofa feeling awful, then realised what it was that caused it!)


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## S63 (Jan 5, 2007)

I've had to adjust my diet not so much for losing weight but to get my cholesterol back to a healthy level. Rather than making or buying a sandwich daily I prepare a lunch the night before which might be a green bean salad, pasta with various leftovers, noodles with tomatoes and peppers, all much healthier and actually a lot tastier. Helps if you have access to a microwave at work.

Having a sweet tooth I found giving up sugar in tea very hard but since switching to green tea I have found leaving out the sugar not a problem, something of an acquired taste after a lifetime of builders tea but the healthy effects start kicking in almost immediately.


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## craigeh123 (Dec 26, 2011)

Ive been making batches of chilli . I use 500g of mince fry it off drain the fat , 1 stock pot , 500ml water , tin chopped toms, tin kidney beans , chilli powder , 2tablespoons bbq sauce , onion , half bag of frozen veg . Chuck it all together simmer it for 45 minutes , divide into 5 pots i got in 99p store . I keep 2 out freeze the others and get one out night before work . Bang in microwave at work for 5 minutes . 

Plan on trying a curry soon to to mix it up


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## craigeh123 (Dec 26, 2011)

Btw the chilli comes to a grand total of about 5 quid a batch . Cheap lunches ! 
I also like tinned mackerel , tuna , nuts etc


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## S63 (Jan 5, 2007)

craigeh123 said:


> Ive been making batches of chilli . I use 500g of mince fry it off drain the fat , 1 stock pot , 500ml water , tin chopped toms, tin kidney beans , chilli powder , 2tablespoons bbq sauce , onion , half bag of frozen veg . Chuck it all together simmer it for 45 minutes , divide into 5 pots i got in 99p store . I keep 2 out freeze the others and get one out night before work . Bang in microwave at work for 5 minutes .
> 
> Plan on trying a curry soon to to mix it up


Exactly what I do. I even took my small slow cooker in and turned it onto the low setting to heat up some paella, there's always a queue for the microwave at lunchtime.


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## empsburna (Apr 5, 2006)

ABGT170 said:


> I am trying to lose weight. I know how simple it is: eat less, drink less and then weigh less.


I think the "eat less, exercise more" myth has been well and truly busted recently (as well as eat fewer calories, weigh less).

Keep your sugar/carbohydrate intake to under 100g per day and see if you start to feel better and drop a bit of weight for a week.

Stock up on plenty of protein and some good quality meat (plenty of greens on the side) and see how you get on.

I know what that lethargy feels like - I wish you all the best!


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## empsburna (Apr 5, 2006)

craigeh123 said:


> Ive been making batches of chilli . I use 500g of mince fry it off drain the fat , 1 stock pot , 500ml water , tin chopped toms, tin kidney beans , chilli powder , 2tablespoons bbq sauce , onion , half bag of frozen veg . Chuck it all together simmer it for 45 minutes , divide into 5 pots i got in 99p store . I keep 2 out freeze the others and get one out night before work . Bang in microwave at work for 5 minutes .
> 
> Plan on trying a curry soon to to mix it up


Why drain the fat off?


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## Shane (Dec 4, 2005)

I have lost 5 stone in 5 months by stopping drinking diet coke and by eating the correct size portions. 75g of rice instead of a cup full (which was about 150g) etc. I have used my fitness pal as an app on my phone to keep a count. The other thing that I have done is swapped any bread for warburtons thins. They are only 100 calories and make a great sanga! 

I haven't been hungry at all since I started.


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

I think portion control is something overlooked by a lot of people TBH...

my typical day is something like:

homemade smoothie in the morning

banana mid morning

lunch homemade pasta plus meat/fish combo and salad... 50g pasta, handful of meat/fish and 2 handfuls of salad.

banana/apple/an other fruit for mid afternoon

dinner is one of my 80 odd meals that I randomly choose from a spreadsheet, all quite, easy and healthy to have.

and a glass of milk before bed.... plus about 3 litres of water per day.

of course, I have days that are all pizza, curries and chocolate... but hey.... who cares! :lol:

as far as exercise goes, CV style stuff (running/rowing/cycling) is completely useless for me... so it's weights, weights and weights.....


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## craigeh123 (Dec 26, 2011)

empsburna said:


> Why drain the fat off?


To get rid of the fat , i fry the mince up then drain it off .


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## bigmac3161 (Jul 24, 2013)

Stop eating bread white or brown I've lost 2 1/2 stone in 2 months.


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## Guest (Jun 1, 2014)

empsburna said:


> I think the "eat less, exercise more" myth has been well and truly busted recently (as well as eat fewer calories, weigh less).


Gary Taubes has a lot to answer for. One of the most eye opening things I've found about nutrition is how much bad science and personal agenda is out there.

10 years ago I lost around 3 stone through a low fat diet, medium protein, high carb diet.
2 years ago I lost a similar amount through low carb, medium fat and high protein along with intermittent fasting.
I now need to lose around 10 pounds. I'm going to try out HIIT (with Kettlebells) and not modify my diet, which is now pretty much following governemt guidelines.

After being pulled in by the low carb/Paleo/Primal crowd for some time, I've kept on reading and taking note of how my body reacts to food intake. I really do think the "eat less, do more" mantra is pretty spot on tbh. It really is all about calories in vs calories out - which can be achieved in many ways.


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## sfstu (Aug 3, 2010)

bigmac3161 said:


> Stop eating bread white or brown I've lost 2 1/2 stone in 2 months.


have heard lots say this about stopping bread, but that can be hard if you have to take packed lunches and maybe not have use of, or access to a fridge or microwave. 
sandwiches are usually the easiest option there unfortunately...

how do wholemeal pittas or wraps stack up in the cutting out bread though? are they viable alternatives?


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## Leicesterdave (Jan 25, 2012)

I don't believe bread makes that much difference. The killers are fried foods, sugary products for ex biscuits/chocolate, and some dairy.
It's pretty obvious what we need to eat. Lots of veg, fish, some meat (chicken especially) and fruit. In combination with exercise which makes you sweat- you will loose weight.

What I have found the hardest to give up is sugar. I don't have any biscuits or any coke but I crave them. The only fried food I have is one McDonald's a week- that's it.

You can have an occasional treat- it won't hurt!


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## S63 (Jan 5, 2007)

Leicesterdave said:


> I don't believe bread makes that much difference. The killers are fried foods, sugary products for ex biscuits/chocolate, and some dairy.
> It's pretty obvious what we need to eat. Lots of veg, fish, some meat (chicken especially) and fruit. In combination with exercise which makes you sweat- you will loose weight.
> 
> What I have found the hardest to give up is sugar. I don't have any biscuits or any coke but I crave them. The only fried food I have is one McDonald's a week- that's it.
> ...


Don't forget bread contains sugar, sometimes more in brown than in white. If you want to give up that McDonald's entirely, just remember that a Big Mac burger contains 15% beef, the other 85% is reconstituted unmentionable stuff that is washed in ammonia.

I too have found sugar hard to give up, harder than packing up smoking! One product I have started drinking recently with immediate healthy effects is green tea,can't say it tastes good or bad but I can drink it without sugar (or milk) and within a matter of days I have noticed a very positive healthy effect.

I have always had a sandwich for lunch just out of habit, now I spend a few minutes the night before preparing various tasty snacks like a green bean salad with chicken, hard boiled egg, tomatoes and a bit of new potato drizzled in rapeseed oil.


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## bradleymarky (Nov 29, 2013)

The shifts I work I have to eat at weird times so a sausage roll and pasty is not uncommon to be eaten at 7am, neither would a spam and mustard tea cake.

I eat until I`m full otherwise I`d just be picking at biscuits or crisps. I`ve stopped the beer and that's how I lost my weight, haven't had a pint for over 2 years and hardly touch spirits.


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## TIODGE (Jan 26, 2011)

Some good info on here.. thanks fellas im taking note. im currently 5"10 at 16st6 but i cannot run/jog due to leg injuries and walk with a limp so this info will help me a lot


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## uruk hai (Apr 5, 2009)

Leicesterdave said:


> I don't believe bread makes that much difference.


I never ate much to begin with but I stopped eating things like crisps and chocolate and cut my takeaways down to about one every ten weeks and I lost a small amount of weight. When I stopped eating bread (I only averaged about 2 or 3 slices a day) I lost almost a stone and a half and went down to 10st 9lbs. What I did do was make sure I replaced it so I didn't end up feeling hungry all the time. Instead of a chicken sandwich I had a chicken salad, to begin with not having sarnies every day was a bit odd but after six months it just feels as normal as when I did have bread.



TIODGE said:


> Some good info on here.. thanks fellas im taking note. im currently 5"10 at 16st6 but i cannot run/jog due to leg injuries and walk with a limp so this info will help me a lot


Try and do low impact excersise, swimming, cycling, cross trainer, rowing machine and if you can mix that in with a simple weight training plan.


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## craigeh123 (Dec 26, 2011)

Ill be honest ive list no weight since i changed up my diet , but i am lifting weights . On the odd day i fall foul of drinks like PowerAde . And at weekends ill have the odd treat like last weekend i had an icecream . But those types of things were a daily occurrence which now they aren't


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## Ravinder (Jul 24, 2009)

I have lost two stones since 7th January when I decided to get my finger out and lose weight and get fitter and healthier. I'm 6ft1 and weighed 15.8 stones, now down to 13.8, trying it get under 13 but still trying to lose the belly, which doesn't appear to be shifting as well as I'd hoped. 

My current diet is porridge in the morning with semi skimmed milk and a toast and one fried egg and 750ml bottle of water around 10am. About 2:30 I have an apple and a 9bar. 4:30pm I have a vegetable or fruit smoothie. Around 7pm I'll munch on some almond nuts and dried cranberries or blueberries. At 9:30pm I'll have another fruit smoothie. I drink 3.3.5 litres of ester throughout the day. Some mornings I will do a 15-20 min kettlebell workout and try and go for about a 40 min walk about 2-3 times a week.

I've noticed my face and neck is a bit slimmer but I still have the belly which is annoying and doesn't appear to be shifting. Can someone advise me if my diet is good in the above? Anything else I can change? I still find myself quite tired during the day. I'm not a good sleeper at all but I wish I could have a little bit of more energy throughout the day. Thanks. Ravinder.


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## empsburna (Apr 5, 2006)

Ravinder said:


> I have lost two stones since 7th January when I decided to get my finger out and lose weight and get fitter and healthier. I'm 6ft1 and weighed 15.8 stones, now down to 13.8, trying it get under 13 but still trying to lose the belly, which doesn't appear to be shifting as well as I'd hoped.
> 
> My current diet is porridge in the morning with semi skimmed milk and a toast and one fried egg and 750ml bottle of water around 10am. About 2:30 I have an apple and a 9bar. 4:30pm I have a vegetable or fruit smoothie. Around 7pm I'll munch on some almond nuts and dried cranberries or blueberries. At 9:30pm I'll have another fruit smoothie. I drink 3.3.5 litres of ester throughout the day. Some mornings I will do a 15-20 min kettlebell workout and try and go for about a 40 min walk about 2-3 times a week.
> 
> I've noticed my face and neck is a bit slimmer but I still have the belly which is annoying and doesn't appear to be shifting. Can someone advise me if my diet is good in the above? Anything else I can change? I still find myself quite tired during the day. I'm not a good sleeper at all but I wish I could have a little bit of more energy throughout the day. Thanks. Ravinder.


Quite a bit of sugar there.

That would have me awake at 3am for a couple of hours.


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## J306TD (May 19, 2008)

Breakfast is brown toast with Flora Buttery and marmalade with a coffee 2 sugars and spot of milk. Lunch is ham and mustard sandwiches on brown bread, bag of crisps, yoghurt and choc bar. Tea is normally something out the freezer or pasta with new potatoes and fresh veg. I drink a lot of squash and normally 2-3 cup's of coffee


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## S63 (Jan 5, 2007)

As above, worth remembering that most fruits contain sugar so smoothies aren't always the healthiest of options depending on what goes in them.


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