[WaistingAweigh]

Hi all,

I have 130+ pounds to lose and I'd like to begin watching calories. I'm planning tomorrow's menu and could use some input. Does this menu sound okay? Do I need to add more or adjust carbs/fat/protein, (etc.)?

Meal #1
1/2 cup oatmeal with sweetener and 3/4 cups frozen berries
Approx 220 calories

Meal #2
Egg white scramble (made with 4 egg whites, 1/2 cup onions, 1/3 cup green peppers, 1/2 cup mushrooms) and 1 large banana
Approx 245 calories

Meal #3
Veggie Stir Fry with 1/4 cup brown/wild rice mix
Approx 327 calories

Meal #4
1 large apple with 2 Tbsp natural peanut butter
Approx 300 calories

Meal #5
4 oz chicken breast with 1 1/3 cups frozen veggies
Approx 347 cals

Meal #6
1/2 cup cottage cheese with 8 large strawberries
Approx 147 calories

This all comes to about a total of 1586 calories. I'm not sure exactly what number I should be reaching for, but 1400-1800 sound alright to me as this menu looks like a lot of food.

[Ash15+]

Sounds good, but ditch the sweetener I say... its nasty stuff.
I read on here that it causes all sorts of birth defects and health problems.
Good Luck
Your determination will pay off.

[JustMeMk]

Kudos to you girl for planning.

Calorie counting is all about planning. the more we plan the less we tend to binge or eat junk food.

something that caught my attention ::

you seem to have given more calories to each food than its due. for example :
4 egg whites : 67 cals ( 17 per egg)
1/2 cup green bell pepper : 12 cals
1/2 cup portabella mushroom : 12 cals
1/2 cup onion : 21 cals
a banana : 93 cals
-------------------------
the total comes up to 205 ( if you use pam spray for cooking eggs )

i have a couple of sites that I use as a bible to get caloric information for each food item.

http://www.calorie-count.com/
http://www.calorieking.com/
http://www.caloriedatabase.com/
On most of them you can pick by tbsp/cup/piece

also - your per day intake will depend on your weight and how much you are burining on a daily basis. you seem to have selected an average range which is good . !!

Keep going girl. We are all with you !!

[MollyElise]

I was thinking the same thing, these numbers seem a little high, like

Meal #5
4 oz chicken breast with 1 1/3 cups frozen veggies
Approx 347 cals

4 oz chicken breast is like 130-140
1.3 Cups of veggies is like 100

So, this meal should be more around 250 at most, almost an extra 100 calories.

And thank you for Calorieking, I've never seen that site before!

[3Beans]

I know there's a wide range of opinions here, but I think 1500-1600 calories per day is too low for someone of your weight. It takes energy to run a bigger body and you may get so hungry you can't stick with your plan. Also, you will have to reduce your calories as you lose weight to continue losing, and how much further down can you go?

At your present weight, you should be able lose at 2000-2200. At least try it for a couple of weeks before restricting further. Good luck to you!

[JustMeMk]

Absoultely true !!

Start with 2000 calories a day and make sure you have energy for some kind of an enxerice every day. ( morning / evening walk / gymn / cycling anything )

Eat food that you enjoy - just make a low fat version of it. It will help you stay in a diet longer.

I have started make desserts that i love with splenda and i can't believe it's butter. yipee

if someone knows a low fat version of Ghee - the indian butter - pleeeease help me.

[lookergirl76]

From the meal plan that you provided it looks like a full on strict diet plan, add in something you love so you dont end up getting sick of this within a week. And add exercise. As for the egg whites I would do one egg with yolk and then 3 egg whites gives it the flavor of eating 4 regular eggs without all the calories.

[luvmypup]

What 3Beans said.

As a reference point, when I started counting calories (several months into my "portion control" program, when I plateaued), I started with 2500/day as my goal, and still lost about a pound a week.

But I am absolutely determined to go super-slow...

My point being, I've lost sixty pounds eating much more than what you have planned there (and I have at least that much to go); it's the most weight I've lost in my entire life, and I haven't been bored, hungry, or frustrated with it at all. Well, except for my pizza problem , but that's another story...

Why not give something more moderate a try? Surely you've been heavy for a long time, maybe you should take some time to experiment and see what works.