I'm in the process of trying to shed a couple of stone of surplus lard. To aid me in my quest, I am using an android app called mapmyfitness. It's actually really good. You keep a record of what you've eaten and drank, and it tracks all your calories and gives a full breakdown of all your nutrients. But despite staying under my calorie goal, it always warns that I've exceeded my sugar allowance. This is a real eye opener, because I've mostly been eating actual "healthy" soup, some wholemeal bread, semi skimmed milk, and no chocolate or cakes or biscuits. So how come I keep exceeding my sugar allowance? well, it seems it's all in the shop bought soup. Who'd have thought it.
I've had to diet a few times over the years. The most successful method for me was to simply count my caloric intake and stick with a budgeted amount I allowed myself each day. If I decided I wanted to have a beer with my friends, I deducted those calories from one of my meals. I've noticed that it is much easier since I now work from my home and am forced to make rather than buy my meals. (oh, and the store stuff has lots more salt than most home made foods) That said, the other day I had a big piece of leftover chocolate cake for breakfast and then decided that I might as well eat the last piece for lunch. Good luck with the dieting. You have picked one of the toughest times of year to start what with Christmas approaching and I admire your resolve.
Always read the lables, i look at must things that you buy in tins, bottles and packets to have high salt and sugar
I usually make my own soup in a massive pan, then it lasts several days and I know there's no added sugar, colours etc. But since starting my diet properly, I find it easier to track calories from bought stuff, because when I make stuff myself, I don't measure anything. I cook by judgement, so I have no real clue whether one bowl of my soup is 50 or 300 calories. I don't worry about any of it. I just think it's really interesting. It's like for the first time ever I know more or less the exact nutrient profile of my diet. It helps me to ensure I'm getting everything I need. Just yesterday for example, I'd had a broad range of fruit and veg, but the profile said I'd only had about 10% of my vitamin A requirement, so I sorted that with a multivitamin supplement.
Only 10% seems exceedingly low if you're having fruit and veg. You shouldn't have trouble reaching the correct level of Vit A intake. Root vegetables (the sweeter tasting ones) are high in Vit A as are tropical fruits (I have mango, and porridge, for breakfast). Unfortunately, those fruit and veg are also high in sugars. You should eat them when you are going to have foods that contain fats as the fats help absorption of Vit A. Alcohol depletes absorption. Be careful if taking supplements. If you overdo it you can get jaundice and hair loss.
Everytime I take multivits, I go down with a cold . I have researched this, and it seems that other people get this too. I lost weight by chopping out choc, cakes etc from my diet, and also cutting fat (saturated fat). I have checked the labels of all my shopping for 18 moths now, and I was shocked by my saturated fat intake prior to June 2014. It's not surprising that I had a MI. It is true that many low fat products have a surprisingly high sugar content. Sadly.
Yes, a lot of people don't realise that when a product says 'low fat' it usually means higher sugar content - and some times, higher salt. Fortunately, as cooking is one of my hobbies, I rarely have to bother with labels and make everything myself. Unfortunately, I just eat too much of what I cook . I love potatoes, rice pasta and bread. So eat too many carbs!
I have the same problem @NorthantsGeezer , the moment I take a multivitamin tablet I get a dreadful cold . I always cut back on my food in January, I tend to put on a pound or two over Christmas I really love food especially the wrong food, but I try to fill myself up with fruit, veg & lean cuts of meat before heading to the chocolate box or biscuit tin! As you all know I do like a glass of wine or Prosecco but I've cut that down because I like a bowl of crisps with that too! I should drink more water than tea & coffee too, but I do find that's easier in the summer months. @clueless1, When I'm in slimming mode I tend to drink a glass of water with a half squeezed lemon in it first thing in the morning, it's a bit sharp but I do think it helps. Best of luck, I'm sure you will make good progress, fo let us know how you get on
I love my fish I read that sometimes your brain tells you it is hungry, when in fact, it's thirsty! Some people try a glass of water when hungry I believe. I tried it years ago and lost weight. I also eat porridge after my evening meal. 1. Because I like it , and 2. Because I believe it helps to bind fat.
I find counting calories does not work for me at all Also most of the foods like porridge that people say fill you up make me extremely hungry I find eating high fat and high protein works for my body. I havnt lost any weight but i have gone down bra back sizes from 40 to a 34 and lost 3 inches off my waist and gone down a trouser dress size. I have always been heavy tho and very dense so i find how much a weight does not reflect how much of my body i lose and i can be the same dress size as someone else but be 2stone heavier because im more naturally muscular. I seem to be building loads of muscle and i only do like 10 reps every few days which is great. I did find fasting one day and feasting the next work for me too. I did lose a stone doing that and i was eating junk food on the feasting days but it takes a lot of organising for fast days.
So essentially low carb same as me, I have gone from an 18/20 to 12/14 No rice, pasta, bread, biscuits, only above ground veggies, fruit is high in carbs too, raspberries best. Bacon and eggs, done anyway you like, for breakfast, or low carb sausages, Aldi specially selected good, read packets as some have onion or apple which is higher carb. A tin of tuna over salad if you take a packed lunch, or cooked meat, check carb contents as some processed meat quite high, I do have a lidl high protein roll occasionally, very filling. Evening meal, meat of choice with cauli and brocolli mash, stir in a spoonful of mustard delicious, and another veg if you want, I eat a lot of Kale or Cavelo Nero, or experiment with your slow cooker, a proper curry, not from a jar served with cauli rice, just a cauli blitzed in the processor, cook in micro 8 mins, followed by raspberries and cream or sugar free jelly. For snacks a packet of scratchings and a couple of squares of 85% chocolate.
Not quite low carb as still having pasta and potato and rice and pizza now and then. I do tend to have meat or fish and two veg for dinner tho But last night made quesdillas so thats carbs If im honest im also eating a fair amount of cakes and chocolate too so havnt really cut anything out Just mainly eating eggs for breakfast mainly omlettes filled with meat/fish, veg and cheese.
