I actually do know that is why I posted it for you ladies!
So many times I remember telling my hubby that if I could just find a fool proof plan that I know works, I would gladly do it! I have the motivation and the will power to carry it thru as long as I don't have to be too restrictive! This is a lifestyle change for me so I have to be able to do this the rest of my life, not just til I get to a goal. I lost 30 last year just by starting to walk and changing some foods around, cutting back on junk food and switching to boneless skinless chicken more often. I had some down time from Jan ~ April of this year due to a miscarriage. But at the end of April I was still at 250, so I did maintain my loss but was revving to get back on track! I started the walking again and the thing I still had trouble with forever was portion control! I would rather walk 5 hours a day then cut back on my eating.
One week I noticed something. Even though I had switched to no junk food and chicken more often than not. I was still not eating right. One week I noticed that sure, I had changed to chicken, but 1 nite was chicken tacos(fried and with cheese), 1 nite was chicken burritos, with cheese and one nite was chicken enchiladas with lost of cheese and 2 helpings and a helping for lunch the next day!
I was seriously overloading on the cheese!!
So I knew I also had to work on portions and watching the cheese not to mention I adore potatoes! I used to eat them almost every nite!! So I got strict! Red meat once a week! Well actually twice. The once is on sundays and then once when we go out to eat I allow myself a burger and fries or a nacho bell grande, etc. And besides that treat meal, potatoes are generally only once a week also! On sundays! I limit myself to one cup of mashed potatos and use 1/3 less fat butter. I have been getting tri tip roast lately cause all the fat is on the outside and you can skim it off. If I do happen to decide we just have to bar b q, I get the 4% low fat gr. beef! 4 grams of fat vs. 22 grams of fat per seving! Makes a heck of a difference!
I posted this elsewhere too, maybe this will help give you an idea :
This is what I eat on a typical day:
Breakfast:
1 apple, 1 orange, half a grapefruit, 1 banana, sometimes I'll add strawberries or blueberries but I make this into a smoothie with Ice! (The premise behind this is I have read a few different books/websites where your body needs to detox before noon. Also that fruit MAY spoil in your tummy if eaten with other food. Not sure if it is correct or not but I like the smoothies and need to get my fruit in anyhow and it is a great way to start my day. I feel full and actually have energy and am not weighed down. The days I do "slip up" and not start with fruit are the days everything caves in on me and my good eating gets thrown out the window.)
Lunch:
1 slimfast, 2 oz of tuna(in water) w/ 1 tsp of light mayo, 1-2 slices of whole wheat bread. I only do tuna maybe 1-2 a week, you have to be careful w/ the mercury! Or more often than not, I have a little bit of peanut butter on the bread. Like 1 tbs, (you could also substitute with turkey if you like)
snack: 1 yogurt or 1 serving of total(no milk) or honey bunches of oats(no milk)
Dinner:
It varies. I try to do boneless skinless chicken breast with 1 cup of rice (I have been working on switching to brown this past week)and brocolli and carrots 3 times a week. I usually add in a bit of bar b q sauce or sweet n sour for flavor, or add a marinade to the chiken. One nite, usually Sunday, I will have red meat like low fat roast or a steak with 1 cup of mashed potatos and a vegi. Once a month or so I will have french bread or rolls.
The other nites I will have bean and cheese burritos w/ spanish rice, go easy on the cheese, sometimes use mozarella. Or once every few weeks we will have lasagna(in moderation) or chicken enchiladas(in moderation) . I usually have to have tacos at least once a week or I freak! lol With chicken though. I use olive oil to fry the shells in, or sometimes just warm them up over the fire. Once a week I will go out to eat for lunch and I tell myself I can have whatever I want! I remember even last year that would mean a 1/4 cheeseburger with fries and onion rings and sugary soda and lots of ranch and thousand island! But I have since cut out sugary soda completely! It's just not worth it! If we go out to eat at a nice rest., I will have a salad w/ ranch, (which is like once a month) Plus a burger and fries. But I don't dip the fries in the ranch or thous. island no more and actually seldom even get onion rings any more. Next time we go, I am going to see if hubby just wants to split the fries with me and our daughter who is 2. Last time when we went out to eat I gave her 1/4 of my burger and that shaves cals off right there!! Him and I and her had split one fry and 1 onion ring and even brought onion rings home for the other kids cause there were so many but next time I go I think the 3 of us will just share 1 fry.
Anyhow. You are welcome to look at my fitday. Just remember, if you are eating too few cals your body may hold onto the fat as well! That is why small frequent meals are important! Sometimes in the evening I may have some 94% fat free popcorn with ICBINB spray. Or once in a while if I need to snack some pretzels, but try to get low salt! The best thing you can invest in is a food scale and use measuring cups and measuring spoons! I was tinkering along from the end of April til the end of August with alot of motivation and hard work, but only 12 pounds to show for it. I was 238 on August 28 and had not lost a pound all month! That is when I decided to start calorie counting and it has really helped! Around the 28 of September I found fitday and the womens health calculator and it just all fell in place. It makes sense! this is just a numbers game! Less calories in your mouth ~ more calories burning =losing weight!
Every 3500 cals = a pound
On the calculator for me what t says is my maintenance cals are 2200 right now(roughly) If I exercise 60 minutes a day they are 2800. So I walk 60 a day. If I cut my cals to 1800 a day or a little less, I burn at least 1000 cals a day. 1000 x 7 days a week = 7000 calories burnt = 2 pounds lost.
I have lost 18 pounds since August 28 this year just calorie counting, exercise and trying to fill those cals with healthy food though. Thats pretty good!
I hope you can find what works for you!! If you need any advice or help just ask!!