Hi Guys! I have fallen off the wagon and am now trying to get back on.
I was wondering if some of you would be willing to post what a typical day for you looks like ( or redirect me to a link if it's already be posted). I am searching for some good menu ideas. I was down to about 201 and since Nov. have put on 8 pounds.... I really need to get back in the groove, but I am struggling
with my menu.

thanks a bunch.

I try to stick between 1000 - 1300 most days, and I tend to weight the calories closer to the evening because that's when I want to binge, and its easier if I can have a snack instead. That being said, my days look like:

Breakfast: bowl of cereal with milk OR nutrigrain bar OR fatfree yogurt OR whole wheat English muffin with some sort of lowfat spread

Lunch: turkey wrap with spinach, turkey, laughing cow cheese & lowfat shredded cheese

Snack: some sort of fruit; if I'm really hungry, some sort of bar (Cliff bar, Kashi bar, etc.)

Dinner: whatever the family's having, but in smaller portions. The last couple nights it's been taco soup (the WW recipe - so good!!), pork chops, burrito, etc.

Snack: Depending on how many calories I have left and how late I'm staying up, I'll have some crackers, fruit or a piece of dark chocolate.

I also think it's way easier to stay on a restricted calorie diet when you shop well... for example, many tortilla wraps are close to 200 calories, but there are low-carb, high fiber ones available for 76 calories. Looking for products like these let's me make my normal meals, just healthier and with fewer calories.

I hope that's helpful!

Hi, I tend to eat 1000 to 1100 calories per day. I can never seem to go above that, but it's good because I'm able to lose at a nice pace.

May day goes:

Breakfast: a nutri grain waffle with a fruit (apple, orange or cup of grapes)

Lunch: Habanera wings (140 cal), with a salad

Snack: Any piece of fruit I desire

Dinner: Tilapia fish, mixed veggies and a serving of mushrooms

This is my menu for today (=

My menu this is a menu for 3 days.

Breakfast:
1/3 cup of oatmeal cooked in 2/3 cup skim milk and 1/2 cup of blueberry
1/3 cup of oatbran cooked in 1 cup skim milk and 1/2 cup of blueberry
2 slices of 6 grain bread with 1 tablespoon of natural peanut butter and you guessed it 1/2 cup of blueberry.

Lunch:

1 cup homemade vegetable soup that contain beans and a salad no dressing just lemon.
2 slices of ryvita biscotte oat and sunflower seeds with 2 tablespoon of humus and again a salad.
A salad with crab meat and grilled vegetable.

Supper
Mushroom omelet with 2 egg whites and one yoke and a salad.
Whole weat pasta 1 cup with homemade tomate sauce.
Bean salad with quinoa.

My snacks are greek yogourt with fruits.

I am not a meat eater so most of my food intake comes from vegetables. I feel no hunger or craving.

I have got to start reducing my sodium intakes and eat more fresh foods. (Baby steps... baby steps.) But, for right now this is two of my days that I have logged... they vary sometimes.

Here are two different days from my meal log:

Breakfast
1 Cup GENERAL MILLS Multigrain CHERRIOS Cereal
1/2 Cup Milk, Reduced Fat 2%

Lunch
8.0 Fl Ozs COKE Diet Cola Soda
1 serving GREEN GIANT JUST FOR ONE Niblets Corn & Butter Sauce
2 tbsp Skinny Chix BBQ Sauce
1 serving skinny chix lean chicken tender chunks

Snack:
1/2 Cup Milk, Reduced Fat 2%
8.0 Ounces YOPLAIT Smoothie, Yogurt, Strawberry Banana, Light

Dinner:
1 serving GREEN GIANT JUST FOR ONE Broccoli & Cheese Sauce
1 Serving morning star buffalo wings
1 Item STOUFFER'S LEAN CUISINE EVERYDAY FAVORITES Roasted Potaoes with Broccoli & Cheddar Cheese Sauce Entree

Snack:
0.5 Cup Milk, Reduced Fat 2%
8.0 Ounces YOPLAIT Smoothie, Yogurt, Strawberry Banana, Light


Days totals:
Protein - 73.5 g, Carbs - 174.4 g, Total Fat - 25 g, Sat. Fat - 10 g, Calories 1200.8

Protein was 24% of my diet, carbs 57%, and Total fat 19%

----------------------------

Breakfast
0.5 Cup GENERAL MILLS Multigrain CHERRIOS Cereal
1.25 Cup Milk, Reduced Fat 2%
16 ounces Yoplait Strawberry Mango Pineapple Smoothie

Lunch
8.0 Fl Ozs COKE Diet Cola Soda
1.0 Item GREEN GIANT JUST FOR ONE Broccoli & Cheese Sauce
2.0 Serving Nature's Own Honey Wheat
2.0 Slices OSCAR MAYER Turkey Breast, Fat Free, Smoked
1.0 Serving Skinny Chix BBQ Sauce
1.0 Serving skinny chix lean chicken tender chunks

Snack:
1.0 Serving oikos blueberry greek yogurt

Dinner
1.0 Apple
1.0 Item STOUFFER'S LEAN CUISINE EVERYDAY FAVORITES Roasted Potaoes with Broccoli & Cheddar Cheese Sauce Entree
1.0 Servings Nature's Own Honey Wheat

Days totals:
Protein 67g, Carbs 192.4 g, Total Fat 17.8 g, Sat. Fat 9 g. Total Calories 1193.1

Protein was 22% of my diet, carbs 64%, and total fat 14%

I do 1100-1300 every day too! This is what I had yesterday (my breakfast and lunch during the work week hardly ever changes):

Breakfast : 1 serving oatmeal w/ 1 c. fresh blueberries, 1/2 c. pumpkin. 1/2 c. soy milk
Lunch : huge mixed veggie salad, 1 slice bread, 1 laughing cow cheese wedge, 1 slice turkey (aka, an open faced sandwich)
Dinner : pizza on whole wheat pita bread; home made sauce, basil, mushroom, artichoke heart and fresh mozzarella topping
Dessert: 1 c. frozen strawberries, 1 c. frozen peaches, 1/2 c. soy milk, all blended up with stevia into soft serve/ ice cream consistency.
1248 calories for the day

Nothing speaks louder than a picture. Below you'll find:

BREAKFAST:
1. 3 Cinnamon raisin whole wheat pancakes w/1 morning star veggie patty
2. Pumpkin Raisin Flax Muffins..YUM! (usually have 1 muffin, 2 turkey sausage links)
-or-
3. bowl of oatmeal with flax, cinnamon and raisins

SNACK:
Atkins Protein Choco-Peanut Butter Bar

LUNCH:
1. Garlic shrimp over brown rice, brocolli

SNACK:
Activia Light Yogart
Svg of fresh fruit

DINNER:
1. Jamaican Curried chicken over spicy carribean black eyed peas, spinach

SNACK:
Orange, Pineapple, or other fruit
perhaps another Pumpkin Muffin (ooooh..so good!)
1/2 cucumber - raw


Please note: I generally cook once per week or bi-weekly. I make a large variety of main entries, put them together with some fiber rich veggies, whole grain starches and FREEZE! Therefore, my menu changes frequently!

TOTAL DAILY CALORIES: 1450-1500 cals. (not bad for all this food...eh?)

You will definitely lose eating 1200 calories a day, but I have a word of caution. I lowered my calories that low at one point and my body got used to operating at that level, meaning that as I lost weight I had no lower number to adjust to and keep things going. At that point I had to practice maintenance calories for awhile before lowering them again. Now I eat about 1500-1700 calories and exercise moderately several times a week and still lose at a conservative rate.

Just something to keep in mind

Hi there, first of all congratulations on your journey

I just want to highlight the importance of consuming the correct calories for your weight and height. I know most people think that the less calories you eat the more body weight you will lose but in reality you might be slowing down your metabolism and decreasing your fat-buring ability.

The less food you consume, the more likely your body will switch to 'survival' mode and store anything it can get as fat. This can cause you to feel tired as your body desperatly tries to save calories.

Low Calorie diets are much more likely to cause muscle loss and if you lose muscle tissue your weight loss will become even harder and any increase in calories that follows will cause immediate fat gain.

Basically any low calorie diet will work in the beginning but it will not be long before the fat comes piling back on.

It might be hard for some people to get there head around but its just like most things in life, it needs balance. Eat to many cals and put on weight, eat to few cals and burn your important muscle tissue and send your body into starvation mode.

I have only just begun Calorie counting and I'm still tempted to lower my calories in the attempt to lose more weight, even armed with the knowlege that I have. But I know in the long term it won't help me keep the weight off.

Back on topic!

My typical day is

Brek - Special K+milk+banana
Snack-Fruit+low fat yogurt
Lunch-Pita pocket filled with tuna, hummus, cottage cheese, lettuce, spring onion, capsicum, tomato
Afternoon tea - apple+hummus on corn thin
Dinner- Baked potato with cheese/springonion (Low fat cheese ofcourse lol)
Cabbage
Marrow
Silver Beat
Roast Pork

And today I have factored in a 156cal Pinky Bar but I'm still considering saving it for another day!.

Hope this helped.

Love to all,

L