I need some "dietian" help....

[nathaliabrown]

I am 5'9 @ 170. Though not huge I am not comfortable with myself. Dh is 280+ so he is pretty big. I work out 4 days a week which vary from walks/runs, elliptical, p90 X cardio. Dh doesnt do to much, He went running/walking with me yesterday and was only able to make it a little so I guess he will have to build up.

I think I got the working out part down. I just need to push DH. As for eating.... I know fast food, fried food, candies, desserts are all bad. But to actually eat who knows if I am making the right choices. This was what we ate yesterday.

Bfast: cup of coffee with truvia, skinny fat free creamer. 1 bisket (which I usually dont have anything as coffee fills me up)

lunch: cup of homemade chicken noodle soup with LOTS of veggies in it.

Dinner: homemade enchiladas. Now I know these arnt the greatest but we are broke this next month so I am really having to stretch and use whats in the house. This is how I made them

Corn tortillas, tomatoes, green paper, onion, garlic, chicken, and no cheese in the ench only on top .

I drink lots of water and allow myself 1 diet drink a day usually diet root beer.

I just dont know how to figure out how much protein, carbs, ect we should have every day and how to go about figuring out how much is in each meal since I make alot from scratch.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Anyone also know how to get DH really motivated?

 

[PEANUT1]

Hi..I think that if you are trying to lose weight you HAVE to eat breakfast. The best and healthy eating plans tell you to eat 6 small meals a day because then your metabolism is at its peak. If you don't eat breakfast, your body goes into a sort of starvation mode.

I think that if you are making alot of foods by scratch...try to limit your calories to 1250 a day..if you do you will do great. I would watch carbs..don't eliminate them, just don't over due it. It seems like you ate carbs with every meal..maybe eat carbs with one meal and have several heatly snacks throughout the day.Good luck!!

 

[patsal]

High protein, low carb and clean. I went to the nutrionist and found that by eating whole foods and steering clear of processed foods, avoiding white refined carbs and sticking to whole grain in moderation I have been able to help DH--who is at goal (and me but I also got lapband as I needed something more to help me). I was also told three days of exercise is for maintenence and 5 days is for optimum weight loss. My kids have made the transition as well and have also lost weight.
Good luck!

 

[IndianaPrincess]

For me, it's not so much what I eat, but how much I eat. Whenever I watch my portion sizes (and mindless snacking), I lose weight.

 

[eeyoresmom]

You need carbs for "fast energy". They are quickly digested by our body. Problem is, if you don't eat them with a scource of protein or fat, you will be hungry again soon after. Carbs are also the foods that most people overeat. ( pasta, bread, baked goods, etc. ) You need protein and fat for more "slow burning energy". An ideal meal has a combination of all three, but less fats since they are more calorie dense. I personally try to not eat any carbs after lunch, since I don't need the energy unless I'm doing a heavy workout. I also find that eating carbs later in the day makes me bloated all the next day. I agree, you should be eating some kind of breakfast that includes a source of protein ( peanut butter, egg, etc. ) and you should be eating MORE at lunch and less at dinner. This is not because if you eat the majority of your calories later in the day it will be stored as fat, but because you should have those calories available to use ( and burn) throughout the day. Snacks are also important to keep our blood sugars even throughout the day.Fruit, veggies, nuts, cheese, are good choices for most people.

 

[Golf4food]

Go find the "Eat This, Not That" books and give them a read. We have both lost 15-20 lbs just by substituting better stuff for the bad stuff we were using (without even knowing how bad it truly was) and are much healthier.

As mentioned, breakfast is a must - the right type of breakfast. We still enjoy a lot of the same "meals" as we always have, but now make them healthy instead of full of bad junk - tastes good, but better for us, so we aren't really missing out on anything we love (cut back on sugars and dessert things, but you don't really miss it after a few weeks and we still treat ourselves sometimes without shame or fear).

 

[VAfamily1998]

I've found that the only way for me to lose/maintain my weight is to keep a log of everything I eat. I use www.sparkpeople.com, if you plug in your information it will give you advice on how many calories, fat, protein, etc. is appropriate for you and your goals.

I also MEASURE everything I eat. I don't just grab an apple and eat it--I weigh it first. A fairly large apple (for example, the ones from Costco) will be about 230 ish grams and have about 120-150 calories! If I add cream to my coffee, I get out measuring spoons so I know exactly how many tablespoons. If I eat a bowl of cereal, I get out measuring cups so I know exactly how much "1/2 cup" or "1 cup" serving is...etc.

 

[nathaliabrown]

Is a plain hard boil egg a good bfast?

 

[mjkacmom]

Is a plain hard boil egg a good bfast?

Yes, if paired with a 100 calorie high fiber english muffin and an apple. The best advice I can give is to join weight watchers. I've done it a few times, and although I'm very aware of nutrition (my kids actually thought I was a nutritionist - they've been reading labels their entire lives), I still always learn something new there.

 

[PEANUT1]

eggs are great for breakfast. I ate egg beaters on a 100cal thin bagel with a slice of light cheese...yummo in a couple of hours, I'll have a yogurt. couple hours later lunch, couple hours later a healthy snack, then dinner and a light snack at night like fruit or veggies and light dip.

 

[disneydreamersx4]

I'm very interested in the replies. Carbs are the area I could work on.
I didn't know you should have protein at breakfast. I wonder why that is?

 

[worm761]

I'm very interested in the replies. Carbs are the area I could work on.
I didn't know you should have protein at breakfast. I wonder why that is?

Protein takes longer to digest and so you won't feel hungry a little while later.

I second Sparkpeople.com. It is free and there are a ton of tools to use. They also have a recipe section. They even have budget healthy recipes!

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

Try www.myfitnesspal.com. It is extremely easy to use and it will let you know how you are doing, what amounts you should be be eating each day and where you are going wrong. Good luck.

 

[mjkacmom]

I'm very interested in the replies. Carbs are the area I could work on.
I didn't know you should have protein at breakfast. I wonder why that is?

I think every meal should contain protein!

 

[rubato]

You have lots of good wide ranged advice. Let me add my 2 cents as an ex personal trainer.

Your exercise does sound good. Now, you need to go online to a calories needed calculator. Find out how many calories you need to maintain your current weight with the activity level you are at. Then, take 500 calories away per day. That can be with diet or exercise. You will lose 1 pound per week because a pound of fat is the equivalent of 3500 calories. You will need to keep track of everything that goes in your mouth and make sure you aren't just guessing. If you want to go for 2 pounds, take 500 calories away in food and burn 500 calories in exercise each day.

As far as what to eat. Clean, unprocessed food is #1. You obviously cook at home which is fantastic. From what you described as your daily menu, you need a real breakfast. I think carbs are not the enemy at all, especially because you are active. Eat a whole grain carb, and some protein for breakfast. A slice of toast with peanut butter would be fine. Or, the egg (love them) with toast or a whole grain muffin. Also, there was no fruit in your diet. Fruit is good. It's the only sugar you should really be eating.

Other than that, it doesn't seem like you are eating enough. Unless your portions are huge.

Hope we have all been able to help some!