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Hey folks.....

I really need some ideas for meals..and snacks and such.

I started TOPS last week and I had a gain this week...partly because of a new medication that caused excessive swelling in my tissues but partly because my elbow slipped a gear....

This is what I have and I need some help....for breakfast I am gonna have 1 cup of cottage cheese with pineapple and 1 of those 100 calorie a pack wheatable packs...what else? I've been told that if you eat protein at breakfast or with your meals that you will feel full longer.

For lunch I am gonna have a lean pocket....steak and cheese...they are 7 grams of fat and very filling and satisfying for me.

I have been on so many fads, diets and gimmics over the years I am kind of at a loss as to what to eat. I do understand that a calorie is a calorie and that you must take in less than you expend doing exercise....I think I said that right...well you know what I meant .

Anyway....any and all help and ideas would be greatly appreciated. I am 5'2" and well over 100 lbs overweight...I am really scared...almost to the frantic state..my weight seems to be going up and up and up with no sign of ending anywhere...Everything in my life is affected, even down to getting in and out of bed...that is a chore for me now. I have to go down and climb a flight of stairs to get to and from my bedroom..now that's a pretty picture..puff puff.

Thanks a million.......

Teresa,

There are tons and tons of food that you can eat

Typically for breakfast I'll eat a bowl of bran flakes with 1/2 cup skim milk
or a banana and an apple

Lunch is usually a Lean Cuisine and a 4 oz of natural applesauce and if I'm feeling particularly naughty a graham cracker lol

Dinner, I love fish and chicken, but will also make chili (a huge pot) with beans and ground turkey breast YUM and not totally loaded with junk. I also like ground turkey breast tacos on low carb tortillas with non fat cheese and a dab of fat free sour cream, also I make a really good ground turkey meatloaf. Dessert is always jello sometimes cubed with a little dab of cool whip fat free. Or I will make sugar free koolaid popsicles. Another thing that I particularly enjoy are the meat substitute products from morningstar farms, and garden burger. Also enjoy some whole wheat pasta with some homemade marinara sauce.

Just remember everything in moderation, I don't believe that on any diet you should be able to eat as much as you want of certain foods, but portion control is the key.

Best of luck to you and welcome to 3FC's!
Michelle

Hi Teresa, welcome to 3FC

MichelleRae gave some very good examples of meals that will keep you on plan, and I agree with her, portion control is very important. It's just as important to make sure you get enough food, so you don't slow down your metabolism and have the opposite effect. I'm not sure a Lean Pocket would be enough for a meal, since they have around 260 calories. Adding an applesauce like Michelle does, or perhaps a salad would round it out more. If you need something more structured, you might try Weight Watchers or perhaps the South Beach Diet. Whichever path you choose, it sounds like you are on the right track and have realized that you are in more control of your diet journey. Good luck, and we hope to support you and watch you succeed

Hello,
I'm a regular poster on this board and it's nice to have you here with us. I'm glad that someone was able to get to your post. It does get a little slow here on the weekends and I just got my computer back up and running.

I can see that you were given some very good choices for menu ideas. Everyone is different and you have to find out what works for you. I would suggest that you write down everything you are eating. That will give you good idea of what you are putting into your body. There are several free sites on the web that you can log your food into and will give you calorie breakdown and such. One I have used in the past is www.fitday.com

I have been told that a person should never go below 1200 calories per day. I have found that a good range for me to lose in is 1500-1600.

This will take some time for you to get to know yourself and such. Concentrate on being healthy and the weight-loss will come. And you will start feeling better also. Keep your focus on that, because there will be weeks when you do everything right and the scales won't show it, but you will know that you are on the right track because you are feeling better, that you aren't so short of breath, that your knees don't hurt..things like that.

You will learn a lot of good things at your TOPS meetings and this board is a wealth of information also!

So, Welcome, it's nice to have you and I look forward to your posts concerning your journey.

Tops Hug,
Susie

Teresa,

Welcome. I didn't get here over the weekend or much last week as my 2 little guys were sick last week with ear infections and had to take the 6 mo old to the dr 3 times last week. So I was out of routine for everything and my house shows it.
You were given great ideas. As for what you are eating I do the WW plan and it seems to me that like Suzanne said you have to eat enough. It doesn't sound like you are. If you don't eat enough then your body will store fat and you will gain weight because your body goes into a starvation mode.
If you aren't writing down what you eat then you really should. It will help you to figure out if you are really eating enough calories.
Some foods I am eating now are lots of fruit. I eat different fruits cut up and measured for breakfast. It keeps me satisfied and I can munch on it throughout the morning at work. Or try oatmeal with skim milk. That will keep you full and is good for you. Or eggs with wheat toast or a wheat english muffin with some peanutbutter. For lunch I try to eat a salad with all the food groups. I take the afternoon to eat it and that way my metabolism stays up and I get all the things I should have including my veggies. Dinner is usually meat, potato and veggie of any kind for all 3.
Like michelle said it is all about portion control. You can have what you want as long as you control the amount you are eating and not having junk all the time.
I hope this helps. Sorry the boards were slow this weekend and we weren't there for you. Hope to see you back.

Sherri

Teresa,

I am very sorry I wasn't here sooner to help

We are really a very caring compassinate bunch of folks

It sounds like everyone has gave excellent suggestions.

Please keep us updated on your progress!

HUGS PENNY