I am eating 1200-1400 calories per day. Here's my normal habit:
Breakfast (7:30am): Slim fast dring (200 calories)
Lunch (12:30pm): Slim fast bar, 100 calorie snack pack (300 calories)
Dinner (7:30pm): Some sort of pasta meal, around 600 calories. 100 calorie snack pack.
I'm having a pretty easy time sticking to that diet. I've lost around 2-3 pounds per week. I am 5'5 and started at 145, and am now around 138.
I'm trying to wean myself away from all the carbs by substituting better snacks for the snack packs and eating more nutritious meals than the pasta. I'm wondering, however, if I should shift more of my calories to my morning/afternoon meals. I've heard the "no starches after 8pm" rule, which says you are supposed to avoid eating after that time, because your body will not have time to burn it off. But will I just burn whatever my body stores at the gym the next day, anyway? Does it matter WHEN I consume my calories?
It's good to spread your calories out throughout the day (i.e., don't eat all your calories in just one or 2 big meals), which you are doing. This keeps your metabolism working all day long. However, recent studies have shown that eating more at night does not make a difference (assuming you're not OVEReating at night, but then, overeating at any time of day would have the same effect).
Does not matter when you consume your calories. You are eating most of your calories with dinner - are you hungry during the day? Might want to spread some calories out just so you feel satisfied all day. Try to transition from the meal replacement shakes to real food as quickly as possible. Losing weight is only the beginning, keeping the weight off is the long term battle. Learning healthy habits for handling breakfast and lunch will be beneficial in the long run.
I agree with the others, I don't think the time matters at all. I think Glory has good suggestions about getting off the slimfast though. I used to drink their shakes and eat their bars and I discovered they just didn't have enough protein and had too many calories for how NOT filling they were. Just my opinion though, I don't believe in instant healthy-foods, just something to work towards as a goal and sounds like you are on the right track!
Hmmm. I was not so concerned about the Slim Fast shakes/bars, more concerned about the mountain of PASTA I eat every night! I am not terribly hungry during the day...and I still love the taste of the Slim Fast. Am I weird?
Problem is, I don't really have access to a microwave or fridge for lunch. Being a college student, my life is go, go, go for at least 12 hours of the day. I guess I will investigate other meal options.
Peanut butter and jelly doesn't need to be refrigerated or microwaved! I LOVE my low-cal, whole-grain bread (40 cals per slice) with 1T all-natural peanut butter (90-95 cals, depending on the brand--even though the only ingredient listed is always peanuts ), a 1T no-sugar-added fruit preserves (15 cals). It's about the same amount of calories as your Slim Fast bar, but I know I feel better eating a sandwich because it feels more substantial than a little bar, but that's probably just in my head But yeah, even the Slim Fast bars and shakes are highly-processed and full of crap you don't need. I used to have a Slim Fast shake in the morning, but now I make my own smoothie instead (skim milk, 1 banana, 1T natural peanut butter, and ice). I used to work 2 jobs (I'm sure people like Glory are sick of this story by now, but I still think it's a good example ), so I would leave the house at 5:30am and not get home again until 10:30-midnight, yet I still brought my lunch, dinner, and snacks with me and was able to lose weight. I will admit it takes some planning/preparation, but it is both possible and worth it
I think you are spacing your calories out just fine...but the actual foods that you are eating are not really that healthy overall.
Your breakfast and lunch about 2 servings of carbohydrates (due to the sugars, etc. in them) and a serving of dairy...so to balance that out-don't have a 100 calorie pack with it for "a meal".
With your pasta meals for dinner, and your 100 calorie packs for evening snacks-you are eating carbs, carbs, carbs, carbs...and two servigns of dairy. I am not a low carber-but you DO need to balance this plan out a lot. You may be on track calorie wise...but nutritionally speaking your diet is severely lacking.
I would start by replacing your 100 calorie pack that you have with your lunch Slim-Fast with a serving of fruit or vegetables instead. Depending on what fruit or veggie you choose-you could even have two servings for the calories. Your body needs the fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants present in fruit and veggies for optimum health. The vitamin supplements present in Slim-Fast, or in a multi vitamin are not the "same" as what comes naturally in fruits and vegetables.
The next step would be to change your dinner and balance it out more. If you are eating a 600 calorie dinner-you can surely have a serving of pasta in that-but an actual measured portion of pasta is usually around 200 calories...so be sure to have only one measured portion, and have the other 400 calories consist of vegetables, the sauce, and some sort of protein. A small servign of pasta with a dash of marinara sauce, a serving of steamed veggies, and a little cut up cooked chicken breast could be equal to about 600 calories-and would be much more balanced.
Calories are what count when you lose weight...but you also have to think about your health (because there is "healthy thin" and there is "unhealthy thin" and they LOOK different!) as well.
Jilly's right that it IS a challenge to get healthy meals on the go, but it can also be done! Invest in an insulated lunch bag (they aren't expensive). Pack some fruits, cut up veggies, a sandwich, and you can munch much of the day, but healthy! Maybe add cottage cheese or a yogurt too.
I've changed my mornings to pack lunches and snacks for me and hubby, but that extra time has really paid off!
Thanks, everyone. I appreciate the feedback. I get so caught up in counting calories that I forget to look at other nutrients, too. I think I did better with my dinner last night--I had 6 ounces of yogurt, a salad, red beans and rice, a slice of chicken, and half a cup of soy ice cream. I was pretty stuffed after all of that, and ended up only having around 700 calories for that.
I guess I will use of the rest of my slim fast bars and shakes and move on to 'real' food.
I actually like the taste of my fudge brownie slim fast bars...
Thanks, everyone. I appreciate the feedback. I get so caught up in counting calories that I forget to look at other nutrients, too. I think I did better with my dinner last night--I had 6 ounces of yogurt, a salad, red beans and rice, a slice of chicken, and half a cup of soy ice cream. I was pretty stuffed after all of that, and ended up only having around 700 calories for that.
I guess I will use of the rest of my slim fast bars and shakes and move on to 'real' food.
I actually like the taste of my fudge brownie slim fast bars...
Your dinner sounds pretty tasty.... If you want some creative ideas to get more veggies in - check the Veggie Challenged forum...full of nifty recipes for veggies...I am addicted to veggies 'cause I can eat a huge pile of some of them...and stay within my calories for the day.
IMHO - I don't think you need to give up slim fast bars entirely....they just shouldn't be breakfast and lunch every day. Maybe keep them around for emergency quick snacks. They are better than candy...and if you like how they taste...
I agree. You don't have to give them up entirely...there is a time and a place for a meal replacement bar or shake. Sometimes when I am traveling to a dance seminar-I have to have something that I can eat in the car, or throw in my dance bag to eat between the seminar and the show that evening-and it has to be portable. A meal replacement bar and a piece of portable fruit-like a banana or apple-usually fits the bill nicely.
It is just that they don't have to be two meals a day, every single day.
WHEN should I eat my calories?
I LOVE my low-cal, whole-grain bread (40 cals per slice) with 1T all-natural peanut butter (90-95 cals, depending on the brand--even though the only ingredient listed is always peanuts 
), a 1T no-sugar-added fruit preserves (15 cals). It's about the same amount of calories as your Slim Fast bar, but I know I feel better eating a sandwich because it feels more substantial than a little bar, but that's probably just in my head 
But yeah, even the Slim Fast bars and shakes are highly-processed and full of crap you don't need. I used to have a Slim Fast shake in the morning, but now I make my own smoothie instead (skim milk, 1 banana, 1T natural peanut butter, and ice). I used to work 2 jobs (I'm sure people like Glory are sick of this story by now, but I still think it's a good example 
If you want some creative ideas to get more veggies in - check the 
