Food

I try to limit processed food and artificial sweeteners, eat fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, protein, and some fat free dairy.  My weight loss plan was 1300 calories.  When I hit a plateau my online diet group advised me to vary my calories and my workout.  I was in a rut having the same calories every day and the same workout routines.  So I increased my calories to 1500 every few days, added power walking to my workouts, and added a few new floor exercises.  It worked.

Since I live in the UK I use metric and my food measurements for calories are generally kcal (same as calories) per 100 grams.  I find it much easier and more accurate to weigh my food in grams and mls than to use cups or ounces or tsp, etc.

A typical day's menu might include......

Breakfast:

• porridge (oatmeal) made with 100 ml of skimmed milk and 150 ml of water and microwave.  When finished I add 100 ml of milk, 10 g of raisins and 3 g of crushed almonds  239 cals 
• Black tea with 100 ml of skimmed milk 35 cals

Mid-morning and throughout the day

• Black tea with lemon  0 cals

Lunch:

• tin of tuna in brine mixed with 40g extra light mayo and onions on 2 slices whole grain bread  395 cals
• fat free yogurt - 44

Snack:

• grapes 100 g   61 cals
• clementine   30 cals

Dinner:

• salad (dark leaves including spinach, a mix of iceberg lettuce, cabbage, carrots, tomato, cucumber, celery) with one tbs fat free vinagrette   50 cals
• vegetable curry with Quorn pieces (calculating calories for this is very difficult as my 'chef' does not use a recipe and uses different ingredients each time, so I use the calories of the highest caloric density ingredients which is usually about 100 cals / 100 grams).  I weigh 300 grams of the curry and add 300 cals to my meal total.  I knew I was cheating myself out of calories as many of the ingredients had much fewer calories.  I then began to measure out 350 grams instead of 300.    300 cals
• rice - calculated as dry weight and divided by 3 servingss, 1 for me, 2 for husband   110 cals
• diluted squash (orange and mango fruit drink)  8 cals each glass

Snack:  

• low cal hot chocolate mix with a splash of skimmed milk to cool and add milkier taste   50 cals
• packet of dried apricots, or packet of melba toast   75 cals
• OR packet of baked crisps   98 cals

Throughout the day I drink herbal teas and water.

TOTAL 1308

TIPS:

Avoid diet snacks made with artificial sweeteners like cakes, biscuits/cookies, cereal bars, etc.  They don't satisfy a craving for sugar, they make you want more, and often people will eat the whole package or box.   They also make you hungrier.  Except  for a small carton of yogurt and hot chocolate mix I avoid artificial sweeteners.

I save my fruit portions for mid-afternoon, and I eat a salad about an hour before dinner to take the edge of hunger and keep me from wanting to overeat at dinner.  At first I tried not to snack at all after dinner but it made me miserable.  I have a small snack after dinner, usually less than 200 calories.

Allow occasional treats or the feeling of deprivation will make you quit.  Dark chocolate is a good way to get a chocolate fix.  Not as sweet so you can eat a couple of small squares.

Occasional meals at restaurants or having guests for dinner did not affect my weight loss.  In fact, occasional days of higher calories seem to give metabolism a boost.

Tracking calories:  I keep an excel database listing the foods/drinks I most often consume.  I have a daily log where I list everything I eat and drink and the calories and excel totals them.  I copy this data over to my daily blog on my diet support group.