New to Diet Chef

[Helcatt]

Hello

my box arrived today, I have sorted out a weeks worth of food and am ready to go! I hope!

I am just a little bemused. How do I know where and when to add to the food they provide? And how much?

I have been on all sorts of diets over the years and hubby is sick of hearing my moaning. I am sick of hearing it to be honest! So I have to do this!

I've done slimming world, pig2twig, dukan, other low GI options, food combining, to name a few! I realised a few weeks ago that I have no self control when it comes to portion sizes, so I am hoping that, if nothing else, this helps me wake up to the amount of food I am putting in to my body - a breakfast that is 3 times the size it should be, for a start!

So please, wish me luck, I really hope this is the last time I have to do this.

Ideally, I want to lose 2 stone, but between 1 and one and a half would be great

A friend is getting married in July, we have a holiday in august and I turn 40 in september, so a fair bit of motivation

Must stop picking at food from the kids left overs!

HX

 

[islington82]

Hi Helcatt,

Did you look through the booklet that you get with your hamper? There are some tips there on what constitutes good additions to the diet.
Also I found it useful to read people's food diaries here on the site to see what kinds of things they were addings.
Lastly I was already using MyFitnessPal to track calories - I find this invaluable when figuring out how much of a certain side dish or veg or salad or carb to add to the meals to make up the calories.

Usually in the morning I will have fruit either with breakfast as a topping to porridge or as a mid-morning snack.

Then I usually add a side salad or wheat free bread or Ryvita to my lunch. Then I add a portion or two of veg with my dinner along with carbs if needed.

I hope this helps!! Good luck with it all and keep coming on here - i find it helps to record your thoughts. I have my hen do in May and then I get married in August to trying to use these as the ultimate motivation! xxx

i82

 

[Helcatt]

Hi, thanks for that! I have been going through the purple booklet but maybe I missed it, there didn't seem to be a definitive answer and I guess I am used to being told to add fruit with this or add veg with that.
And what do they count as a good option to add?

Today, so far, I have had
Breakfast: Vanilla and banana porridge and a handful of raspberries

Lunch: Butternut squash with one slice of toast, a small banana and another small amount of raspberries.

I have a snack lined up to get me through the mid afternoon slump, not decided on dinner yet but will add a load of broccoli, but how do I know how much?

Does what I'm doing sound about right? I don't have milk in coffee, but I can not give up coffee and diet coke just yet.

Could probably do with drinking more water......

Hx

 

[Helcatt]

Ah, ok. Found the fruit, vegetables and extras pages. Helps a bit. Will try to fill in the food diary in the way they suggest so I can keep track and not go over.

Enjoying the food and not starving hungry, so far. Let's hope it stays that way

Hx

 

[islington82]

Sounds pretty good to me so far.

Have you looked at myfitnesspal yet - it's a free calorie counting app. You can use this to work how any calories in an amount of veg or fruit. I think it mentions in the booklet that veg should be about a third of the plate?

Also do you diet profile on the diet chef site - this will tell you how many calories you should be on a day. Once you know this, you can enter your daily menu into myfitnesspal and top up your calories with veg, fruit and healthy snacks. does that make sense?

drinking water definitely helps!

cheers

i82

 

[Helcatt]

Right, will try myfitnesspal! Thanks got the recommendation.

I have to say, I found yesterday really hard. The food so far has been good, I'm just shocked at how small the portions are!

Granola this morning with some strawberries, an saving a banana for mid morning, in case I struggle before lunch.

I think I went over by one fruit portion last night

Supper was
Thai chicken curry which I added loads of spinach and a few spoons of peas left over from the kids tea.

Must stop the obsessing, weighed myself and lost 2 lbs in the day and a half since I started.

Hubby its trying to be supportive but I can see him expecting me to fall off the wagon

Hx

 

[topcat7000]

Hellcatt, you are doing well. I think most of us weigh ourselves most days when we're trying to lose weight but I know that's not ideal as it's quite astonishing how your weight varies down AND up from day to day! So I only write mine down each Saturday. But it's very compelling when the scales are just there in the bathroom and hey, what the heck, you're curious to see what they say today!! To be honest, I seem to be the only one on here who's posting who doesn't count calories. I just stick to the Diet Chef plan (breakfast, lunch, dinner, with a Diet Chef snack in there somewhere if I need it). If I'm hungry and that's not enough, I'll eat 1, 2 or 3 portions of fruit on top. It is about getting used to the portion size I guess - that's probably why some of us are trying to lose weight as we've lost sight of what we actually need in terms of portions! The first day I started Diet Chef and opened the breakfast, I thought that would never fill me up but when I add a banana or blueberries and a cup of tea, it actually does at least until I have maybe some more fruit mid-morning. I think the worst thing is if you are hungry and don't feel you should eat anything. Just reach for the fruit instead of the biscuits

When I have dinner, I usually add half a ready-made pack of Tilda rice plus a small bag of mixed fresh veg. So my plate is full and I feel like it's a 'normal' dinner!

Keep it up. I found it really does get easier. I've lost 2 stone since January on Diet Chef and have just got 2 comments from men in my office about how well I'm looking (and I know they mean I've lost a lot of weight!). So keep it up ... honestly, it is so worth it and probably not as hard as you think. Good luck!

 

[Helcatt]

Wow - Topcat, 2 stone is fantastic!

You are right, my problem really is portion control. I have been low carbing for the last 2 years and even though I did well initially, I have repeatedly used the excuse that I can eat what I like and how much I like and I think my stomach now expects loads of food. So I just have to get used to eating less. And I will get there, as long as I stick to the plan.

I think this way, everything is done for me so I can't just add that little bit extra on to my plate and I have been making sure I go for a piece of fruit rather than a large bowl of nuts!

Luckily for me, my favourite veggies are the lower calorie ones so I am going to load up on spinach, green beans and broccoli when ever I need a bit extra with a meal

Today so far

Breakfast was the pecan granola and a handful of strawberries
lunch was mushroom soup, one slice of toast and an apple
Afternoon snack oat bar with ginger and a banana

Not decided on supper yet, maybe the strogonoff and broccoli and I have and orange or a banana planned for later if pecish

I am loading stuff on to the myfitnesspal for now, so I can get an idea of what I can add, but once I know, I don't think I will keep going as I don't want to obsess too much and this feels very obsessive at the moment

HX

 

[islington82]

You sound more positive today! portion control and eating at the wrong times were definitely my issues (still are if not for this diet)

I know the calorie tracking seems obsessive but it is a godsend when eating out ! i try and exercise on a day when I know I am going to have a drink or go out ot eat. It just makes me feel better knowing I have 'earnt' it almost. but i see what you mean about tracking every calorie. i just like knowing that by making the right choices I can eat more and if I feel like being naughty I can instantly see how much of the good work I will have undone.

 

[Helcatt]

Well, the has gone quite well. I was really hungry by dinner time, could smell the chicken cooking, which did not help. I did pick at some. I put it in to the calorie tracker, so have now gone over my calories for the day, but on the plus side, it its still much less than I was previously consuming.

So I'm not going to stress too much and just carry on tomorrow

Good point about 'earning' a drink or that extra food. I decided to miss the gym for a week or so, get used to the lower intake. I feel so tired as it is, hubby was worried I would pass out as my body isn't used to it.

Hx