[ImpalaHoarder]

Basically what the title says. I restarted trying to lose weight about a week ago, cutting my calories to 1200, and I've lost three pounds! I'm really reluctant to back off, because this is the first time something has worked for me in a long time, and I don't want to get out of the habit. But on the other hand, I feel myself getting really sleepy, and I'm in college right now, so I have a lot of homework to do.

I've been eating as my staples for this week:
-cheerios with milk
-rice balls with tuna and pickles inside and some sugar on the outside
-curry made with mushrooms, onions, chicken and milk (and curry powder).
-ramen

Is this not enough variety? Could it help to increase the percentage of protein I'm eating or something?

Thanks!

[Calicofox]

Ramen is probably your problem. I used to eat the stuff when i wasn't dieting and it always made me feel pretty cruddy, Its empty calories and all salt. I'd switch to a chicken breast and salad or veggies. You will feel fuller and the scale will probably go down faster Your are not getting enough protein and your eating a lot of carbs (i can only eat carbs if i'm exercising otherwise i don't lose weight, But thats me and everyones different.) Try cutting up a banana or strawberries in your cheerios for a sweet pick me up.

[luckymommy]

This is just what I would do:

Instead of Cheerios and milk for breakfast, I'd have an omelet with 2 eggs and some veggies...maybe even 3 eggs and veggies.

Lunch would be veggies, grilled chicken, avocado and a bit of olive oil and lemon juice, salt.

Snack: greek yogurt with fresh or defrosted berries and/or handful of nuts

Dinner: Salmon or chicken with steamed broccoli

Basically, the breakfast is very sugary...gives you a sugar high and then you crash. White rice also gives you too much of an insulin surge and not to mention the sugar on the outside of the rice balls. You will be able to keep your blood sugar more steady by cutting out sugar/flour and you'll feel fuller for longer. If you do have some carbs, have something like quinoa and if you must have rice, go with brown rice.

Again, this is just what I would do. I hope you figure out what works best for you. (Btw, 1200 calories isn't very much....try to vary it between 1200 and 1600 calories...the calorie cycling will probably actually help keep your body guessing and will be a good thing, as far as I've experienced).

[muguet]

I agree with luckymommy. Keep your protein high in the morning. Eggs are a good choice but so is oatmeal. I've learned to love it and make it interesting and it keeps me full longer than cereal or toast.
If you're really into cereal, you could make yourself a blend of chia seeds and hemp seeds, both good protein choices.
Avoid the white stuff (white flour, white rice and ramen), it's not helping you at all. I'm also learning to choose wisely to avoid snacking on carbs.

Good luck!!

[IanG]

I am with luckymommy and muquet.

Protein works. And I like complex carbs too.

I'd get some oats in ya for breakfast and eat more fish, like canned.

My breakfast would look something like sardines, smoked oysters and a bowl of oats.

Or smoked salmon and scrambled eggs with broccoli if you have the $.

For lunch I would have canned wild sockeye salmon, smoked oysters and a big ol' salad.

[ImpalaHoarder]

This looks like a lot of good advice. I am on a very small food budget, so I think I'm going to have to boil it down to "eat more eggs, tuna, and oatmeal", but I will work on it!

[muguet]

Originally Posted by ImpalaHoarder

This looks like a lot of good advice. I am on a very small food budget, so I think I'm going to have to boil it down to "eat more eggs, tuna, and oatmeal", but I will work on it!

I'm right there with you! I'm a student so buying a lot of protein is a little difficult for me. That's why I like plant-based sources like eggs, oats, chia and hemp seeds. Chia and hemp seeds seem expensive at first but keep an eye out when they go on sale. They don't have a strong taste so you can add them in pretty much anything from smoothies to salads to on top of soups. Here in Canada I can find them discounted at Home Sense. They also often have dried fruits and nuts, just be careful to read the ingredients to check that there is no added sugar or salt.
Costco is another amazing option for discounted anything. I don't have a card myself but I always ask someone to buy quinoa, brown rice and unsalted nuts for me. They last for ages and are good sources of fibre and protein.

Tofu and eggs are my saviours. I eat a vegetarian diet when I'm cooking for myself because I find it much cheaper than buying meat every week. You can substitute tofu with chicken if you don't like it but I like that you can eat it in so many ways and that it's under 5$ (I like it grilled in sandwiches and in cubes in veggie sautés but there are so many ways to work with it).

If it helps, here's what a typical day on my student budget looks like:

Breakfast:
- oatmeal with almond milk and honey (extra protein: sprinkled hemp or chia seeds)
- a fruit
- coffee or tea

or

- half a (multigrain) toast with cheese
- one egg (hard boiled or scrambled)
- fruit
- coffee or tea

Lunch:

- big salad of whatever is left in the fridge (add hemp seeds, grilled tofu, eggs for protein)
- cheese
- unsalted nuts (usually almonds but sometimes pistachios or cashews)

or

- veggie sandwich (multigrain bread, tomato, salad, cucumber, cheese, hummus)
- baby carrots or cucumbers
- nuts or dried fruit

Dinner:

- grilled tofu with lentils, canned tomatoes and whatever veggies I have in the fridge (usually zucchini, carrots, onion, mushrooms and garlic)

or

- some kind of soup with a half slice of multigrain bread (barley soup, veggie soup, tomato soup...whatever you have)

or

- a salad if I didn't have one for lunch

Sometimes I'll make myself pesto with multigrain pasta/quinoa pasta/rice pasta (I grab the kind that's on sale) but I don't recommend it if you're trying to avoid having sugar crashes.

[luckymommy]

I'd like to add that beans are a great way to get protein and fiber with or without a budget. Just buy them in bulk and soak them overnight before cooking. You can make a lot and freeze them if you don't want to make them too often.

[souvenirdarling]

Black coffee haha.
I'm on board with the more protein advice, actually

[IanG]

Go easy on the tuna because I assume you are a young woman.

I don't believe all the hype about mercury (I do - after all - eat 6-7 cans of fish/seafood per day) but I would be careful as a woman who wants a kid someday, a pregnant woman or a very young child. The ones to eat sparingly are tuna, swordfish, shark, tilefish and king mackerel.

So mix up your tuna with other fish. Salmon, anchovies, sardines, cod, oysters, shrimp to name but a few...they are all great and variety with dramatically reduce your risk from mercury and other contaminants such as PCBs while giving you all the same great benefits and perhaps even some more (e.g. Omega 3s).

[ImpalaHoarder]

IanG- That is solid advice I did not even consider.

[jmh6251]

I also agree with Luckymomma, and Muguet. You do need to add some protein, and maybe a bit of fat.