Well, I've been on this board for a while now, and I've lost about 35 pounds so far... But I have been having some trouble recently with the diet part of my new lifestyle. I've decided that I'm going to try something different, but I'm really scared to do so. It's been a really scary time for me, honestly, and I'm doing things now to help myself.

I would really like to hear from you ladies who have been eating a wide range of foods, but limiting your calories. My caloric intake has been severely restricted for the past couple of months, and I want to increase it VERY slightly, but more than anything, I want to make sure that I'm getting enough of all the different kinds of foods that I should be getting, too.

How many calories a day do you eat? Do you get to have carbs? How do you feel?

Thanks for the help everyone. I'm making a list to go grocery shopping with.

Hey

I'm one of the people that lost weight eating a wide variety of foods everyday with plenty of carbs. While I was losing weight, I ate between 1400 and 1600 calories a day. I lost about 50 lbs eating that amount and then lost MORE weight while eating around 1800-1900 calories a day.

When I decided to lose weight and keep it off forever, I looked at the foods I liked to eat for breakfast/lunch/dinner. I liked toast, I liked sandwiches, I liked fruit, I liked pasta, I liked stir fry over rice, I liked quesadillas with tortillas. That meant that giving up carbs wouldn't work for me - what would i eat?

I just switched to healthy versions - I carefully pick bread that is sprouted whole grains with a high fiber content per slice. I eat plain oatmeal, not packaged with sugar. I eat brown rice as much as possible instead of white rice. When I make quesadillas or veggie tacos, I use whole wheat tortillas. I found this great organic sprouted wheat pasta at Trader Joe's that I really love - has this great, chewy texture. I love fruit, I eat 2-3 servings of fruit every day, especially berries and oranges due to their nutritional power.

I generally eat 200+ grams of carbs a day, didn't stop me from losing weight, hasn't stopped me from maintaining for a year.

As far as a grocery list, I generally pick what I'm going to eat for the week and then buy stuff for my plan. Here's a sample of a grocery list and what I did with it:

* La Tortilla factory whole wheat tortillas
* Natural peanut butter
* Veggie burgers (Garden burger 4 pack)
* Salsa
* Big bag of spinach
* Sprouted, whole grain bread
* Whole wheat pasta
* Roasted turkey
* Spicy mustard
* 1 orange pepper
* 1 bag of baby carrots
* 1 bag of sugar snap peas
* 1 carton of grape tomatoes
* 2 roma tomatoes
* 1 minute quick cooking oats
* Dried blueberries (I get this from Trader Joe's)
* 3 cans of peeled tomatoes
* 1 small can of tom paste
* 2 cans chickpeas
* 2 bags of sun dried tomatoes
* Fresh basil
* A few crimini mushrooms
* Red cooking wine (I normally have some, this lasts me forever)
* Onion
* Garlic (I usually buy the big jars of minced, so I don't need to buy this every time)
* low fat cottage cheese OR 5 organic low fat yogurts
* Fruit for 5 days, try to get a variety
* MOrning star farms veggie crumbles

B - either 1/2 cup of oatmeal made with 1 cup water, 1/4 cup dried blueberries OR 2 pieces of whole grain toast with natural peanut butter OR a whole wheat tortilla, 1/4 cup egg beaters, salsa, spinach leaves

S - either 1/2 cup of low fat cottage cheese OR 1 yogurt

L - usually a turkey sandwich on whole grain bread with sliced roma tomato, spinach, spicy mustard - sometimes with a cup of bean soup OR a salad with roasted chicken, almonds, tomatoes, dried fruit OR veggie burger in a pita with veggies OR tuna fish sandwich in a pita or something like that

S - orange (or some other sort of fruit, berries are good too, or a mango)

S - home made hummus dip with sun dried tomato, cut up veggies (orange pepper strips, grape tomatoes, sugar snap peas, baby carrots). I make the dip on Sunday night and portion it into those little 1/2 cup storage containers. I bag up the veggies on Sunday night so they are ready to go.

D - I will make a big pot of home made pasta sauce with the canned tomatoes, cooking wine, veggie crumbles, mushrooms, fresh basil, serve over whole wheat pasta. I usually eat it for 2 nights and then freeze the rest. The other two nights I'll have veggie burger tacos with 3 whole wheat tortillas, crumbled veggie burgers, salsa, spinach leaves

other dinner ideas:

Stir fry with veggies (chicken/tofu) over brown rice
Quesadillas - spinach OR black bean/quinoa (whole wheat tortillas, salsa)
Omelettes - omega 3 eggs - spinach, sun dried tomato, shrimp/crab, a little feta, mushrooms

S - baked apple with blueberries/walnut, smart pop single serve kettle corn, pumpkin pudding - I'm not much of an after dinner snacker

Since I eat so much produce, I generally go the store at least twice a week. On sundays - I shop for Mon - Thurs. Then on Fridays I shop for Fri night - Sunday.

For me... now it hasn't been working that well but I am giving it a chace. I aim between 1300-1600 cal (sometimes I got a bit higher, but sometimes I am lower then 1300 so it is okay) - I don't try and stay at the same number; what happens happens. BUT I don't big out and eat bad. I keep my fat under 30% and try and eat lots of protien. I don't worry about carbs because they are in all the foods I like. I try and stay away from too much bread but other then that I don't worry too much

Hope that at least kinda helped

Have a look at my fitday for ideas if you want (but ingore the cookies I had the last couple days, haha)

Congratulations Aerotigergirl on your success!! It is much deserved. Since reading your posts at 3FC I have been very encouraged and tightened up my loose diet plan. Thanks!! Right now i'm trying to eat around 1200-1300 calories a day. For me the more simple the better. I have a general idea of how many i'm having a day based on the items I let myself eat, but other than that I don't count every single calorie. I would end up failing the diet from frustration, plus i'm a little lazy. But my usual day goes like this:

Breakfast = Oatmeal (packet from a box kind) It only has 140 cals in it, to me that's not bad, and it's fast!

Snack = Carb & Sugar free yogurt by Dannon that was suggested by a very special friend and I can't thank her enough. I eat the vanilla cream flavor and it tastes like vanilla icing! Only 60 cals

Lunch = Lean Cuisine of some kind that ranges from 350-400 calories and usually a side of fat free/light potato chips because I love my chips. A serving of chips runs about 70 cals, and yes, i do count the chips.

Snack = another yogurt!

Dinner = Another Lean Cuisine! and yes, another side of chips usually, but i'm trying to get better about that and eat a vegetable instead, maybe some green beans, peas, cabbage, greens. Anything lower in cals.

And that's about what i'm doing now. Ask me in two weeks and i'm probably doing something different. I get bored easily. And I do not watch my carbs, but I will usually choose 1 roll instead of 2 or a half plate of rice instead of the WHOLE plate, which is hard for me cause I love rice.

Hope this has helped you a little bit in refining your plan. I think our bodies need a little mixup from time to time to keep the metabolism moving and shakin' and on its toes.

Thanks for the help everyone. It's a bit of a trying time for me. I have seen great success so far with my diet plan, but I want to try to shift my focus from just simply being thin to being healthy. It's a scary time, but I know I can find a way to make it work for me.

I appreciate the help everyone. Tonight I went to the store and I bought some new items for myself: whole grain bread, brown rice, fruit, and even a "desert"-ish thing (the WW little teeny chocolate cake thingys...)

I will update in a couple of days and let everyone know how the plan is working for me so far. I really appreciate everyone's help.

I've used counting calories as the basis for my weight-loss plan so far, but I've really focused on the types of food I'm eating - I try to make sure that the majority of my carbs are coming from fruits and vegetables, and that what processed carbs I do eat are whole multigrain carbs - I've completely lost the taste for white breads now... although the same can't be said for my taste for sugar! I guess i just try to make sure I'm eating a lot of fruits and veggies and lean protien (tuna, chicken, low fat cottage cheese). I'm actually thinking of upping my calories, too - I've been around 1,000 - 1,200 a day, which seems pretty low, and I know a lot of people have had success with increasing their daily calories. I'll just try to make sure the increase is in healthy foods, and not by adding a bag of chips to my lunch! I think I'll aim for about 1,400 a day and see what that does. As for a grocery list, i go by the perimeter rule - most of the stuff that's best for you is around the perimeter of the store - dairy, produce, meats (and we'll just ignore the fact that the bakery's usually there, too!). So I go all around the outside, get all my fresh food, and only go down the few aisles where I know I need something - tuna, spices, etc. I guess I figure the fresher and less processed a food is, the better it'll be for my body.

Glory -- I loved all the info in your post (again!), thanks!

I'm not where Glory is (well, not yet), but perhaps I am on the way.

I started out weighing a lot more than you ladies. First I just controlled portions, but when I started calorie counting at 282 pounds, I tried 2000/day, and for me at that weight, it worked! I am now eating 1800-1900 most days, exercising an avg of 30 min/day with cardio and weights and losing about 1-1/2 pounds/week.

I was very resistant to the idea of writing down everything I ate. I had tried it in the past and felt it didn't work. But I tried it again with an online program (I use nutridiary) and I can't say enough about how helpful it has been in this process!! Not only can I track calories, but all sorts of other info (carbs, fat protein, fiber, etc). I know I am eating healthier for the first time in my life because of this information.

I don't cut out anything entirely, but like others have moved toward more whole grains, fruits and veggies. And when I think about it I rarely have refined sugar anymore. That sort of evolved.

I think the best part (in addition to weight loss) is that I LOVE what I eat. We cook some awesome meals at home these days, and then there's the fresh fruit and yummy new pastas. For me, this has been a key, because I think I can do THIS for the rest of my life! It has also calmed me down about the rate of weight loss. I think if I just keep doing what I'm doing, the weight will come off. I am learning that as long as I am in control, I should be fine. And I know I can indulge sometimes, and that's okay too.

Good luck, and keep us posted!

Same for me Wyllen! What makes it "do-able" is that I am eating the most delicious food ever! And with really very little effort. Get that crockpot out on weekends and make double or triple the recipes to freeze. A wide variety so I have great stuff to take to work for lunches and also easy dinners with just tossing stuff into the microwave and fixing up a few veggies! I don't get that tempted with "junk" because I know I have something BETTER!! Also have plenty of fruit at work to snack on.

I eat around 1800 calories a day too... my doctor told me to do that and I would lose just as much weight as if I lowered it because it would keep my metabolism higher. She was right! I am losing from 1 to 3 pounds a week and having wonderful meals and something I feel I can live with! I even eat red meat, peanut butter, etc. -- just small portions of that kind of thing and heavy on the veggies! I stay completely away from junk... any kind of cake, cookies, ice cream that kind of thing... have yogurt just about every day. Personally I think eating it just makes you crave more, at least for me... and the less processed food the better.

LOL I was looking at your Avatar and you and I started out at almost the same weight... I was three pounds more! You are way ahead of me now though LOL but I am catching up as fast as I can LOL.

in Seattle

aerotigergirl? Did you have a fitday link that we've looked at before? Maybe we can just add in a few good things.

Misti -- You and I sound like we have very similar eating styles, and plan our days similarly, and I think you nailed why this is working for me -- such yummy food to eat, why would I stray! (Okay, yeah, MOST days, that's true.)

Even better, I've got my husband hooked on healthier eating, and losing weight too (that was a real trick getting him going tho, oy!).

I've also noticed that I less tempted because I'm not hungry most of the time -- at least for me, hunger is PART of why I ate bad food. Hunger usually brought on by lack of planning meant I was at the whim of whatever was most handy.

Now at work and home there are always lots of healthy options.

If you continue on, you will be where I am before you know it... though maybe by then I'll be further along myself!

Glory87 - that was a great post. I want your diet. It looks so much yummier than mine. I am printing it out so I can take a better look.

• Breakfast: Right before I get in the shower I microwave 1/2 cup whole oats (or oat bran) with 1 cup of water. When I get out of the shower I quickly stir in a cup of frozen blueberries (to cool it down) - then I can eat it fast and get out the door. I realized that we are not supposed to eat fast, but trying to get a husband (who always forgets stuff), two toddlers, and myself out the door in time to drop them off before work does not leave me with the luxery of a slow breakfast. I always have coffee with creamer (1-3 points). I also have a 12oz nonfat latte (2 points) a few times a week.
• Lunch: I am completely addicted to spring mix organic lettuce. They sell it (and romaine hearts) at costco for super cheap. I fill a large container with lettuce and a small ziploc with toppings (like chicken or tofu or tuna). When I get to lunch I put the toppings on the salad. I keep a bottle of lo-cal dressing in the fridge at work. Following this plan gives me about 7-9 points for breakfast and lunch.
• Snacks: I usually bring an apple or two (one for morning snack and one for on my way home) or some other 1-3 point snack (50-150 calories for calorie counters). I find if I have a snack while I am driving home that I am less likely to engulf food upon entering the kitchen.
• Dinner: I eat whatever I am cooking for the family over a bed of mixed greens and minus whatever carb is with dinner that night.

This week I am adjusting to a 'my cholesterol is too high' diet. I am switching the creamer I have with coffee during the day to a glass of wine with dinner at night, axing eggs, and trying to eat more soy and less red meat.

I actually do use fitday, but I haven't been using it as faithfully lately. (I had friends in town over spring break and sort of broke up my routine...) I should update it a bit more religiously before I ask anyone to look at it, I suppose.

Typically, my diet has very few calories, which is the part that I'm in the process of changing. I need to re-introduce specific food groups and increase my calories (but this is going to have to be very gradual...)

I really appreciate everyone's feedback. I was looking for advice about what foods are safe foods for me. I feel like the part about making a lifestyle change I've really gotten down pat (I routinely pass by sweet chocolatey things that would be yummy, but they no longer call out to me anymore...), but I need to get a better idea what is considered a "healthy and balanced" diet. Thanks for the help and the advice everyone.

I will update my fitday more in the upcoming days and then have you all look at it again. Thanks!

I'm not sure what you mean by safe foods, and I don't know if this is the kind of thing you're looking for, but here are the dietary guidelines from the American Heart Association

http://www.americanheart.org/present...dentifier=9203

And here is the USDA's dietary guidelines

http://www.health.gov/dietaryguideli...2005/document/

As for the kinds of foods to eat or cut carbs... I think I mentioned already that I don't rule anything out, though really have cut out lots of refined sugar.

One of the reasons I mentioned tracking food in nutridiary or fitday is because these programs often use dietary guidelines for healthy eating to help determine where you stand in a number of getting in enough nutrients. I feel like I got to learn the guidelines by doing. If I wasn't getting enough fiber for the day, I could see it right then and there. Today I see I'm a little low on calcium.

I wish I had a little better memory . What about adding in a fruit and an extra protein .... like berries and ff cottage cheese? Were you eating those before?
I have added ff yogurt, fruit and ff cottage cheese without much harm and if I'm low on calories I make oatmeal with egg whites to have with it. It's a sinfully huge bowl of goodies that I eat just before bed!