Diet experts

[Rooter]

Ladies and Gents, looking for some help. Although i was originally trained as a chef, my diet is terrible! Have recently also started some medication that one of the biggest side effects is weight gain. Already crept up about 1/2 stone.

Time is money for me and very precious, so getting out on the bike is tough, so my main focus has to be my diet, any exercise is a bonus.

Looking for help with the types of foods i should be eating, while i am a chef by trade, i am not a dietitian!! I am bad for skipping meals, drink probably too much beer and coffee too..

I also need to avoid high fiber, beans for medical reasons, so help please chaps! What super foods should i be looking at? 3 meals a day? more smaller ones? help!

 

[Neilds]

Eat less, do more. I did and lost about 4 stones. Didn't cut anything out so didn't deny myself anything and accepted it would be a gradual process - took about 18 months. This way the weight will stay off and you won't have yo-yo weight.
Faddy diets don't work as you won't stick at it
Good luck

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I'm not a dietician but the obvious things are cut out processed foods, pies, pasties etc. I hate to say this but bacon and sausages have to go. Reduce the amount of bread you eat. Cut down on takeaways. All these things have excess sugar or salt in them.

Beer is bad. Sorry. High in calories.

Simple thing. Put less on your plate, buy a smaller one as that helps psychologically. Most people could cut back 25% of food on your plate and you wouldn't miss it. You would be amazed how simple to do this is.

It's summer. Eat salad for your tea. Ideal time to cut back on heavy foods.

If you want a snack have a banana or apple instead of crisps of chocolate.

Plan your meals for the week and shop accordingly. You often buy junk on the spur of the moment. If you plan your meals you are likely to buy healthier foods and stick to it.

Don't cut back on everything but reduce on the worst.

None of the above is drastic or follows a fad. You just need to change your mindset

 

[Rooter]

Eat less, do more. I did and lost about 4 stones. Didn't cut anything out so didn't deny myself anything and accepted it would be a gradual process - took about 18 months. This way the weight will stay off and you won't have yo-yo weight.
Faddy diets don't work as you won't stick at it
Good luck

Thank matey, Not after a faddy diet per say, just the right foods to eat and when i suppose. I agree, burn more or equal to what you stick in and you will drop/maintain! Just on a long course of some pretty brutal meds which means i need some extra help.

 

[Hobbit]

Eat what you want when you want. Die young(er) but die happy.

As for no time to exercise. Rather than spend 10 mins watching the news, walk up and down stairs twice a day. Makes a 'ell of a difference to fitness.

 

[Rooter]

I'm not a dietician but the obvious things are cut out processed foods, pies, pasties etc. I hate to say this but bacon and sausages have to go. Reduce the amount of bread you eat. Cut down on takeaways. All these things have excess sugar or salt in them.

Beer is bad. Sorry. High in calories.

Simple thing. Put less on your plate, buy a smaller one as that helps psychologically. Most people could cut back 25% of food on your plate and you wouldn't miss it. You would be amazed how simple to do this is.

It's summer. Eat salad for your tea. Ideal time to cut back on heavy foods.

If you want a snack have a banana or apple instead of crisps of chocolate.

Plan your meals for the week and shop accordingly. You often buy junk on the spur of the moment. If you plan your meals you are likely to buy healthier foods and stick to it.

Don't cut back on everything but reduce on the worst.

None of the above is drastic or follows a fad. You just need to change your mindset

Thanks Lord T, portion size is something i have always been quite conscious of anyway, Don't eat much if any processed stuff, probably too much bread. And i have been having brown, but need to reduce high fiber, so looking for alternatives, i am a big sandwich lover for lunch, so may have to switch to salads.. Cheese is my normal sarnie too, so may swap that for ham/chicken etc..

Thanks for the input! Appreciated! And the Mrs is very well planned with shopping, meal plans etc. Our kids eat brilliantly, we just never eat the same as them and end up not eating until 9pm!

 

[Rooter]

Eat what you want when you want. Die young(er) but die happy.

As for no time to exercise. Rather than spend 10 mins watching the news, walk up and down stairs twice a day. Makes a 'ell of a difference to fitness.

The unconscious exercise is something i do anyway, tube stations i take the stairs rather than the escalator for example,

 

[Hobbit]

I did the portion size thing with the help of Weight watchers following a heart attack a couple of years back. Lost over 2 stone that year. Managed to find most of it since...

 

[Dan2501]

This is a pretty good guide:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/10-rules-of-clean-eating-live-by-them-and-live-long-and-lean.html

 

[pbrown7582]

Make sure you have breakfast and some fruit or small snack mid morning mid afternoon, that way your body doesn't store the food you have in your main meals as it gets to know something else is on the way.

 

[Slab]

I did a crash diet two months ago and got lots of forum advice here, some of it may be of use to you , it certainly helped me

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I should have added good luck by the way. I think this creeps up on a lot of us. I am mid 40's and my trousers have suddenly become a little tighter around the waist. I have been the same waist size for over 10yrs and no way am I going up a notch. I just need to ease back the bread and cut the portions back and I know I will be okay again. I'm like you in that we plan and eat quite healthily. I just need to reduce the amount slightly.

 

[c1973]

It's pretty simple tbh. Just eat a bit less (smaller plates defo help) and cut out crap like fizzy juice, crisps, chocolate, sweets etc.

Your plate of food should be roughly 1/3 protein, 1/3 carbs and 1/3 veg.

Drink more water as well. 9 times out of ten if you feel hungry between meals your body is actually wanting fluids.

 

[Foxholer]

If it's caused by medication (like thyroxin can) then Doctor should be consulted. Dieting could cause further side effects or even prevent the drug from working properly!

 

[SocketRocket]

Dont eat sugars either refined or unrefined. Eat a more of a primeval diet, it's what your body has evolved to expect. Sugars in the form of carbohydrates (wheat, pasta, rice, root vegetables) biscuits, fruit drinks etc need to be avoided at all costs.

Eat:
Meat
Eggs
Non-root vegetables
Salads
Nuts
Dairy in moderation
Pasta only if it has been cooked then reheated.

Look for books by Dr John Briffa, a good one is 'Waist Desposal'

 

[Bazz]

I've lost 7.5stone over the last 6 years, started at 21st 13lbs back in March 2009, and got down to 14st 6lb at the start of this year, put a bit back on (7lb) but I'm not going to beat myself up about it.

Looking at what you've said 9pm is far too late for eating your tea, I never ate anything after 7pm, gives the body time to digest your meal before bed.

2 litres of water every day, without fail. You p1ss like a racehorse but it'll do wonders for your appetite.

Not sure on your spice tolerance but green chillis help speed your metabolism, add some to your diet if possible

Keep snacks around the house, stuff you can grab when you're between meals that won't be loaded with calories, jelly pots are my go to snack at the moment, 10 calories a pot.

Don't starve yourself, if you're ravenous at dinner time, you'll eat the plate too.

Good luck

 

[Rooter]

Thanks all. Good point foxholer, like in my 1st post, not necesarily looking for a diet per say in the lose weight context, but a healthy eating plan so I don't gain weight.

Water intake it going to go up first! Avoided my lads choc birthday cake last night too and had some home made soup instead! Lol scrambled eggs (2 eggs 1 yolk) and ham for brekkie.. Salad lined up for lunch!

Not allowed nuts, any other ideas for snacks? Was Thinking dried fruits...

 

[AmandaJR]

Check out http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

Lots of very useful advice and in reality there are no wrong foods - you just need less calories than you consume CICO (Calories in Versus Calories Out). Track your intake daily and have a deficit. Find your recommedned intake on MFP or IIFYM and go from there.

 

[Dellboy]

Look for books by Dr John Briffa, a good one is 'Waist Desposal'

Excellent book, was given this by a doctor friend, worked for me and is still working :thup:

 

[SocketRocket]

Check out http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

Lots of very useful advice and in reality there are no wrong foods - you just need less calories than you consume CICO (Calories in Versus Calories Out). Track your intake daily and have a deficit. Find your recommedned intake on MFP or IIFYM and go from there.

Calorie controlled diets dont work as they are not sustainable in the long term. Also calories are not the most important focus in weight control, a thousand calories of sugar is not the same for your body as a thousand calories of protein. Controlling blood sugar levels and insulin are factors that have a large effect on how body fat is created and stored.