We have one of these threads every so often, and with a lot of new people committing themselves to better eating and better planning, I thought it would be fun to do it again.

It's useful to see each other's menus, I think, just to see the great variety there is in eating plans. Some people eat three meals with no snacks; others eat six small meals that might all be considered snacks; still others do something in between. It's also helpful to get ideas for new snacks or meals you have never thought of.

So, I'll start - here's mine. I average about 1600 calories on the weekdays; I am posting typical weekday menus.


Breakfast: I eat breakfast late, when I get to the office, around 9:30AM - I cannot eat early in the morning.
* 1 c. Kashi Go Lean - I don't like this stuff very much, but it has a lot of protein and because I don't like it I can keep it in my office without eating through the whole box in one day.
* 1/2 c. skim milk on the cereal

Spread throughout the AM:
* 1 c. whole milk, divided among 3 mugs of coffee

Late AM snack:
* Apple or banana

Lunch - one or the other of the following, from the office cafeteria:
* Turkey sandwich on multi-grain with LOTS of vegetables (cucumbers, green peppers, sprouts, lettuce, tomato); small bag of pretzels
* Salad - several cups spinach leaves or mixed greens, 6 oz. roast chicken, sliced cucumbers, raw broccoli, etc., a little red wine vinegar for flavor. Sometimes also a cup of vegetable soup.

Early afternoon snack/dessert after lunch
* Banana (if I didn't eat a banana in the morning) or apple

Late afternoon/pre-gym snack - one or two of the following:
* Orange
* popcorn - I keep plain popcorn kernels in my office, and brown paper sandwich bags. 3 tbsp of kernels in the bag, fold over the top of the bag, 2 minutes in the microwave = tasty, fresh plain popcorn.
* Boiled egg

Dinner - usually a portion of something I cooked over the weekend (planned leftovers) and some fresh vegetables that I cook when I get home from the gym. Some typical examples:
* Curry chicken or fish
* Lentil stew or chana dal
* Chicken sausage or cheese, wrapped in a lavash with sauteed broccoli and onions
* Some fresh vegetable - roasted string beans, roasted cauliflower, sauteed broccoli, etc.

Dessert:
* Greek yogurt (I like Chobani), partially frozen (I usually stick it in the freezer when I get home, before I start preparing dinner)

okay, there's mine. it's a ton of food and I am rarely hungry. I eat loads of vegetables. I would like to tweak it to include more protein, but so far it's worked pretty well for me - tasty, sustainable (though it takes a bit of planning and doing), and I've lost a nice amount of weight.

What's yours?

I'm not so good with a typical menu, but here is what I ate yesterday....

Breakfast @7am:
Two pieces double fiber bread
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 cup coffee with 2 tablespoons coffee creamer

Snack @10am
Sliced Apple
20 oz. water

Lunch @1pm
4 oz. shrimp
7 oz. baked sweet potatos
Some sort of veggie side, typically a salad: spinach, tomato, bell pepper, cucumbers with a home-made dressing (1teaspoon olive oil, balsamic vinegar, spices)
Diet coke

Dinner@6pm
3 oz. low-fat turkey sausage
pan seared cabbage (2 cups)
(I normally have red potatoes with this meal, but I had sweet potatoes with lunch....)

Snack@9:30
Celery with PB
Yogurt

Mine is very similar. I have found that if I stay away from the processed food I can eat more food and still in my calorie range. I try to stay right around 1600 as well and I don't feel like I'm starving in any way.

Question for you. We both have the same start weight. How long did it take you to get down to where you're at?

Here's mine

Breakfast:
* 1 c. raisin bran or special K
* 1/2 c. 2% milk on the cereal

Late AM snack:
* Apple or banana or a piece of mint chocolate chip gum (my favorite thing right now)

Lunch - Usually one of the following:
* buffalo chicken wrap on a whole wheat tortilla
* Salad - 6 oz of chicken, mixed greens, mushrooms, green peppers, onions with light dressing
* tuna on wheat bread
I also usually have a light yogurt or jello with lunch

Early afternoon snack/dessert after lunch
* apple or granola bar

Dinner - Usually one of the following
* Chicken, turkey or fish ( I have really been experimenting with different spices lately to give it some variety
* Big salad with lots of veggies and sometimes with diced chicken

Dessert:
* Don't usually have dessert, but if I do it's usually jello


Thanks for posting this!

I do Weight Watchers, if that matters.

Breakfast:
Orange
1/2 cup rice and 2 fried eggs with tsp butter.

Lunch:
A small butternut squash, roasted and then pureed and mixed with 1 oz goat cheese and 2 oz pasta for the most out of this world mac and cheese.

Snack:
Banana with 1 Tblspn almond butter drizzled on it.

Dinner:
Whole wheat cous cous with chicken and mushrooms.
a beer

Dessert:
Blueberries and kiwi

this is my past weeks food journal

MONDAY 1/24/2011
B: Raisin Date & Walnut Oatmeal, 1 small banana,
2 pcs bacon, coffee
ML: digestive biscuit, 10 almonds on way home from gym!!
L: 1.5 cups Chicken & Dumplings, Cottage Pimento Cheese
on Pumpernickle Roll, Ice Water
AL: Green Tea
S: 4 oz Filet Mignon in Marsala Wine, small baked Sweet Potato,
1 tsp butter, 1/2 tbsp brown sugar,
Small salad with 1 small tomato, 1 cup Spring mix greens,
1 tsp pinenuts, 1 tsp italian dressing, 1 TBSP Feta cheese
totals: 1533.5 calories

TUESDAY 1/25/2011
B: Cheesy Ham Frittata, 2 pcs Bacon, Warmed Spice Peaches, Coffee
ML: Green Tea
L: Almond Butter and Peach Preseves on Wheat Sammie,
1 cup Watermelon, 1 Tapioca Pudding, Ice Water
AL: Pumpernickle Melba Toast with Honey Nut Cream Cheese,
7 Bing Cherries
S: Hot Peachy Chicken, Green Beans Almondine, Roasted Orange Bell Peppers, Ice Water
totals: 1327.3 calories


WEDNESDAY 1/26/2011
B: Sweet Potato Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal, 2 pcs Bacon, Coffee
ML: 10 Almonds, 1 Digestive Biscuit
L: Cottage Cheese Chicken Salad, Ruby Red Delicious Grapefruit, Lemon Lift Green Tea
AL: White Chocolate Chip Popcorn
S: Filet Mignon on Baguette, Homemade French Onion Soup, Ice Water
totals: 1209.0 calories

THURSDAY 1/27/2011
B: Scrambled Eggs, (1 whole egg, 2 extra whites), 2 pcs Bacon,
Warmed Spice Peaches, Coffee
ML: 2 oz diced carvery ham with 1 tsp mustard, 1 cup JUICY watermelon
L: Cottage Cheese Tuna Salad with Walnuts & Golden Raisins on Rusks
AL: 2 ginger snaps sandwich cookies with
honey nut cream cheese filling, coffee
S: Roasted Red Pepper Chicken Salad with Pine Nuts, 2 pimento cheese crackers,
Ice Water, 2 European Chocolate Coins
totals: 1206.5 calories

FRIDAY 1/28/2011
B: Sweet Potato Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal with Pecans, Coffee
ML: 10 Almonds. Dried Mango strip, Ice Water
L: White Wine Chicken Ramen Noodle Bowl,
1/3 cup Green Peas, few bell peppers slices,
few onion slices, 1 cup Broccoli, 1 TBSP Almonds!
Ice Water, Coffee
AL: Cottage Cheese Tuna Salad with Walnuts & Golden Raisins on Rusks
S: Filet Mignon and Sweet Green Pea Salad with Pine Nuts
(3 cups Mixed Spring Greens and baby spinach leaves, 1/8 cup feta cheese, 1 Tbsp pine nuts, 1 TBSP Roasted Red Pepper, 1/4 sliced orange bell pepper, 1 TBSP Creamy Parmesan Dressing, 4 oz Filet Mignon cooked in Marsala Wine with grilled onions), Ice Water, Coffee
totals: 1759.8 calories

SATURDAY 1/29/2011
B: Carvery Ham and Egg Onion Bagel (alternative bagel),
Tapioca Pudding YUM! coffee
ML: Pimento Cottage Cheese on Wheat,
Warmed Mandarin Oranges with Cinnamon Sprinkles
Cream Tea
L: Carvery Turkey on Wheat, lettuce, 7 grape tomatoes
Orangel Bell Pepper Strips, Babybel Cheese, Ice Water
AL: Coffee, 2 Biscoffs
S: Flatout Pepperoni Pizza with Red Pepper Flakes, Ice Water
totals: 1446.0 calories

SUNDAY 1/30/2011
B: Cottage Cheese Sweet Potato Pecan Pancakes with 1 TBSP Maple Syrup, 2 pcs Bacon, Hot Chocolate with Whipped Cream
ML: 3 Water Crackers with Laughing Cow Pimento Cheese, 7 Bing Cherries
4 Strips Orange Bell Pepper, Orange Pekot Tea
L: Roast Turkey & Vermont White Cheddar sammie on
Pumpernickle Raisin Roll, 7 Grape Tomatoes, 1 tbsp Honey Nut Cream Cheese, 1/2 Cup diced Watermelon, Ice Water
AL: Pizzelle Ice Cream Sammie with Chocolate Gelato and Nutella
and Almond Butter, Orange Tea
S: White Wine Chicken Alfredo Pizza, Ice Water
totals: 1560.4 calories

Mine varies a lot because I get bored easily but more often then not its something along these lines.

Morning:
One over easy egg
A plain piece of whole wheat sugar free bread

Mid-Morning:
1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
2 tbsp milled flax seed
A fruit of some kind chopped up and mixed in

Lunch:
A large spinach and romaine salad w/ no dressing topped with various things such as tomatos, onions, mushrooms, cucumber, and/or carrots depending on my mood

Mid-Afternoon:
A steamed Jenny Oh Turkey Sausage

Dinner:
A chicken breast or pork chop
Brocolli or Cauliflower

Dessert/Final Snack if still Hungry:
a low fat cheese stick or a piece of fruit or if im really ravenous a bowl of cereal

Today's menu is as follows:

*Note- you're reading a vegetarian menu

Breakfast-
1 whole wheat bagel thin w/weight watchers indiv. serving cream cheese
2 california clementines
1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese

After Gym-
1 serving of Muscle Milk Light powder w/water (yummy!)

Lunch-
2 cups of mini whole wheat farfalle pasta tossed w/zucchini, onion, fire roasted tomatoes, and sweet red bell pepper

Dinner-
spinach salad w/blueberries, strawberries, sliced almonds, & mediterranean feta.
Red bell pepper stuffed w/zucchini, pearl barley, mushroom, & tomato
Steamed cauliflower

Snack-
baby carrots w/2 tbsp. fat free ranch, & a mug of green tea

I do Atkins, so my meals are low carb high fat.

Breakfast: Eggs or an omelet fried in butter with a side of bacon or sausage

Lunch: Mixed veggie stir-fry with chunks of chicken, stir-fry seasoning and a few splashes of soy sauce

Dinner: Meatballs simmered in homemade no sugar pasta sauce over spaghetti squash/ Taco salad with lettuce, taco meat, sour cream, cheese, hot sauce, and olives/ Barbecued chicken with a side of broccoli salad/ No-bean chili with lots of meat and tomatoes and a sprinkle of cheese

Sometimes if I feel like I need a snack during the day I'll eat beef sticks, sliced cheese, salami rollups, or a tiny sugar-free treat.

I've started to eat low carb because my blood sugars are high. Because I had gestational diabetes 5 years ago, I remember what my trigger foods were for glucose spikes and what ones weren't. So, I do have some carbs, just the ones that work for me:

Typical day and I eat between 1500-1700 a day:

When I first get up - a high protein, low carb shake

When I am finally awake and hungry: 2 eggs with a VERY small microwaved baked potato crumbled in. Sometimes with a slice of bacon.

Lunch is usually my smallest meal and basically a big snack since I eat such a large breakast - usually eat either an apple with peanut butter, or a 1/2 cup of almonds, hummus with vegetables (peppers usually and cawliflower and broccoli), a garbanzo bean pesto with vegetables, or a high protein bar.

Late afternoon snack is one of the things above that I didn't eat for lunch.

Dinner is whatever I cook for the rest of the family, minus the starch.

Last night was skinless/boneless broiled chicken breast with some spices and a ton of brussel sprouts

The day before that was salmon and a huge pepper, orange slices and cilantro salad sprinkled with lime (no oil).

And the day before that was baked eggplant with ground turkey and spices layered into a casserole with a bit of feta cheese baked on top.

If I'm hungry for a late snack, I'll choose whatever I didn't eat for snacks before.

Breakfast is usually 400-500 calories.

Lunch is about 300 calories

Snacks are babout 500 for the day

Dinner is about 450-500 for the day.

Breakfast:

-Greek yogurt with 1/2 serving of Special K granola

Snack:

-1 piece of cheese
-low sodium V8

Lunch:

-Healthy choice steamer of some sort

Snack:

-jerky or another piece of cheese

Dinner:

varies. usually some lean meat and veggies of some sort.

So far today I have had
Breakfast: Chicken Parmegana (leftover) 300cals
Mid Morning Snack: Fruit Cup 200 cals
Lunch: Sushi(8 pieces) 300 cals and coke 100 cals

Here's what I had a few days ago (can't remember yesterdays)

Breakfast: one egg sunnyside up, whole wheat English muffin with half tblspn butter and one tblspn raspberry jam, Trader Joe's ginger spice coffee with 3 oz unsweetened plain soymilk.

First lunch: one cup fresh green beans dipped in two tblspns Basil tomato hummus, one satsuma and a little over a cup of homemade chilli

Second lunch: turkey, tomato, half sandwich with mayo, mustard and avacado. And a grapefruit

Dinner: one mini bacon cheeseburger with extra tomato from Kidd valley. And drip coffee with about 4oz 2% milk

Drank 70oz water throughout the day. No dessert. Meals 4hrs apart from each other.

My typical day on WW is as follows:
BreakfastB-
Coffee w/ skim milk
2 slices light bread toast
1 egg omelette

Snack
Fiber 1 bar
Coffee w/ milk

Lunch
WW meal
1 apple + 1 orange cut up in slices

Late afternoon snack
Sometimes I'll have hot chocolate made from GNC Lean shake chocolate protein powder-I make it hot cause it is so cold nowdays!

Dinner
A turkey sandwich
Greek yogurt
Fruit
Sometimes low fat popcorn

Snack
Pretzels

Thanks for adding to the list, folks. It's good to see the variety.

I am envious of you folks eating eggs in the morning. I find I cannot eat very soon after I wake up (this has always been true for me), so I can't eat before I get to work in the morning. This rules out nice hot breakfasts like eggs for me, at least on the weekdays.

This is my experience too. Sticking to mostly whole foods has been wonderful for me - I get so much volume for my calorie budget, and fresh whole foods taste so good. But I have the advantage that I love to cook - it took a lot of work and planning to prioritize time for shopping and cooking, but it's turned out to be the key for me.

It's taken about 17 months, counting a deliberate maintenance period of about 2-3 months where I (consciously) let my focus on diet and exercise lapse a little because of other stuff that was going on. I was able to get back on track after that, but I'm not sure I would make that choice again, given how far I've come now. We'll see.

Anyway - it averages to about 4 pounds a month, some months more and some less. That's fine with me. Lots of people lose faster, but I'm learning not to think of it as a race, not to be in any kind of a hurry. It would probably be frustratingly slow for some people, but for me learning to be patient has been a key to sustaining my weight loss for so long. I have never stayed with a plan as long as 17 months, and I've never lost as much as 75 pounds.

It's meant a plan that is a little less strict, a little less all-or-nothing. It's meant accepting that sometimes I'm going to choose having a couple of martinis, or overeating that one wonderful weekend meal, over seeing a loss on the scale that week. I've convinced myself to view those conscious choices as just fine, not a failure of will and not falling off the wagon, and not excuses to cast my whole plan out the window and fall face-first into the cassoulet.

I love these threads!

Mine for today:

B: 1 egg sunny side up on whole grain toast spread with Laughing Cow, and a coffee with skim milk

L: 2 cups of home-made vegetable soup with half a cup of 1% cottage cheese stirred in

S: 6 whole-grain melba toast crackers with natural peanut butter and a tall non-fat latte

D: home-made chili with low-fat sour cream and a sprinkle of cheddar; a slice of Calabrese bread; a glass of wine (this is an unusual dinner for me - snow day here! Normally it's some sort of lean protein, lots of veg, and a small portion of starch).