rhuba's tell-all food and exercise diary - comments and suggestions welcome!

[rhuba]

i have decided to write up my food consumption in a tell-all diary, so that i can shame myself into detailing everything i put into my mouth, as well as the exercise i do to counteract it.

having flicked through my food diary of the past few months to look for any anomalies, i have noticed an increasing number of instances where i have gone over on cals and NOT tried to balance this by eating less the next day. recipe for disaster!

My new plan is kind of like the lunch-box diet, which i heard about from another thread, although i will still be counting the cals (which is not done in the diet)

basically i will be having my normal breakfast and dinner, and creating a box of stuff to pick at throughout the day, without having a set 'lunch'. this suits me fine, as i go for walks on my lunch break anyway and that means i can extend those, as i will not have to leave time to eat.

i will also include my steps for the day, as well as any other exercise i undertake. i think this will help me, as i will have to include everything i do, and it will act as the angel on my shoulder, when that pesky 'snacking' devil appears.

wish me luck!!!

 

[rhuba]

First post, yesterday.

This is bad.

2 x weetabix with 100ml skimmed milk: 165 cals

satsuma: 25

salad box including 220g carrots, 20g celery, 50g spinach, 200g cauliflower: 120cals

home made vegetable soup: 150 cals

apple: 60 cals
sugar free jelly: 30 cals

nuts & seeds: 100cals

one chocolate from a collegues b-day cake - 80 cals (guess)

200g mackerel, baked, with rice pilaf: 700 cals

i didnt realise mackerel had so many calories, and the rice pilaf shocked me when i calculated it. normally i do it beforehand, but i didnt have time last night and it was not good!

pear: 70cals
strawberry & banana soya yoghurt: 80 cals.

i know i should have stopped when i found out how calorific the main course was, but i was having one of those days.

TOTAL FOR TUESDAY: 1580 :copon:

nearly 300 over my allowance. to be fair, it's not normal that i don't calculate my dinner before i eat it, but i really didnt think it would be THAT high!

Exercise: 1hr 20mins fast paced walking with my mum.

STEPS: 16,882

 

[serafyn]

Good luck with this xxx

Could you explain or link me to what the Lunch box diet is?

You went over but your diet seems so healthy. Mackeral is really good for you xx

 

[rhuba]

course. the lunch box diet is the brain child of simon lovell.

basically you make up a 'lunch box' and that is all you're allowed to eat between breakfast and lunch. the idea is that you pick from the box throughout the day, rather than grabbing unhealthy snacks or having a set lunch. it keeps your metabolism steady, so you're never starving, and you get your 5 a day in the box alone.

he gives you three categories:

1. vegetables. should be 45-60% of your box. you need to choose 5 different types: each a different colour (ie. rainbow of veg) today i have cauliflower, spinach, sugar snap peas, red cabbage, and mushrooms. not quite a rainbow, but i'm just using up what i've got in at the moment.

2. protein, should be 15-30% of your box - 80g for red/ white meat, 100g fish/sea food/tofu etc. also in this category is beans and pulses. today i had 80g mackerel left over from last night (160 cals)

3. dressings, 10% of your box - can include 'healthy' oils: rapeseed, olive etc. things like balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, herbs, seasonings etc. didn't have a dressing today as i like my veg without, but i may start bringing a small pot of hummus to dip in etc.

i'd recommend his book if you fancy trying it, about £8 from amazon. or google the 'lunch box diet' and there's a website and forum thing as well.
if you want any recipes just read my diary lol.

it's pretty sensible, most of the advice, but i think the structure is definitely something i can work with, and with so few cals during the day, it leaves a lot left for my evenings, which is where i fall down.

hopefully that helps a bit serafyn. you're welcome to share any opinions about what i'm doing right/wrong and make any suggestions about where i should change things.

ultimately i'm going to try and phase out all artificial colours and sweetners, but at the moment i absolutely neeeed my jelly and diet coke to keep me sane!!

 

[SkinnyMalink]

In the RC diet they say you shouldn't worry about the fat content in oily fish because it's so good for you! I too am curious as to this lunchbox diet...

 

[SkinnyMalink]

So, it's essentially a big box of salad that you can chomp on all day? Sounds interesting.

 

[rhuba]

pretty much, yeah. it's a pretty massive box though - i fill a 2 litre ice-cream tub, and it lasted me all day yesterday. plus i was able to go for a powerwalk before my dinner without really being hungry

the oh is now under strict instructions to scold me if he sees me picking or order me to log even the slightest nibble of something so i know exactly what's going in. he's doing well so far and has already stopped me from sneaking one fizzy haribo! (which, when you consider taste vs calorific value, totally isn't worth it!)

i have also purchased some accurate scales for measuring my food - they weigh in increments of 1g, so no more weighing and saying 'that's about 50g', when it's more like 60g!!

 

[serafyn]

Thanks Rhuba, will defo check it out xx

Yes I'm a jelly and diet coke person too. I have a permenant stash of sugar free jellyx

 

[rhuba]

Right, here goes for wednesday's food. i was very good yesterday

2 weetabix w/100ml skimmed milk - 165cals
satsuma - 25cals

salad box including:
50g spinach
120g cauliflower
50g sugar snap peas
220g red cabbage
80g mackerel (from tuesday's dinner) Total = 270

apple - 60
sugar free jelly - 30

nuts, seeds, raisin mix - 200

quorn sausages with 100g smashed potatoes (with garlic and spring onion) and mixed baked veg.
Total = 385

50ml fresh orange with soda water - 25

skinny cow hot choc - 40

nuts & raisins - 40

Total for wednesday = 1240

 

[rhuba]

Here's thursday for you:

2 x weetabix w/100ml skimmed milk : 165
satsuma : 25

salad box including:
30g organic hummus
30g feta cheese
250g red cabbage
60g sugar snap peas
50g spinach
100g mushrooms
110g fennel
80 baked aubergine (amaaaaazing with the hummus!)

TOTAL lunch box = 300

fruit & seed mix : 175
100g blueberries : 60

1/2 apple : 30

spicy millet with red pepper and roasted hazelnuts: 400

frozen banana : 100

TOTAL FOR THURSDAY: 1255

exercise-wise, i went round to my mum and dad's house and power-walk/jogged for an hour and 20mins with my ma.

i clocked up 16,613 steps yesterday

 

[serafyn]

^ Is smash low in fat or did you mean to put mash?

It all looks very healthy x

 

[rhuba]

nah, i know 'smashed' sounds like i mean smash (ick) but i mean this lumpy mash that i make, which looks like the pots have been smashed.

i weigh 100g baby new pot, boil them up with a clove of garlic and chop up a spring onion. when they're done i smash it all together with a fork and sprinkling of salt and pepper. it's absolutely scrummy and less than 100cals for the lot

i guess my diet is pretty healthy, i have made ta concerted effort to cut out as much processed foods as i can (the jelly and diet coke being the last hangers-on!)

it is absolutely AMAZING how much better my food tastes for it. i spend longer eating coz every mouthful is like a taste sensation! if anyone wants any recipes for low-cal, really tasty dinners, i'd be happy to share them. the oh likes his meat, so we normally cook a separate portion of meat for him to stir in to his meal. that way i get my low-cal and he's satisfied too. i'm just so grateful that he's a big fan of the food i eat as well. if he was a junk-food eater it would be so much harder!

now for the real test though.... the weekend. we're having a bbq tomorrow with the oh's family, and i'm DETERMINED to stick to my cals

wish me luck....

 

[serafyn]

I'm gonna give the smashed pots a whirl!
Cheers anything that gives taste without butter is great xx

 

[rhuba]

it really doent need butter, either, as the garlic clove goes all soft and gooey when you boil it. if the potatoes are a bit dry, i just add a little tiny bit of the potato water and mash. leave the skins on and it's extra tasty

 

[rhuba]

Right, the last three days. here goes!

Friday:

2 weetabix w 100ml skimmed milk: 165
lunch box total: 295
1/2 apple:30
nut & seed mix: 150
jelly: 30
lemonade ice lolly: 50
spicy chickpeas w pita bread: 430
twister: 35
weightwatchers cheesy puffs: 75
TOTAL: 1260

Saturday:

40g porridge w/ 10g raisins & 250ml soya milk: 260
snacks during day: 400 (flap jack, mixed summer fruits etc)
2 x bread sticks w hoummus: 50
salmon fillet: 200
couscous w apricots & almonds: 200
fruit salad / ice cream: 250
TOTAL: 1420

Sunday:

40g porridge/10g raisins/ 250ml soya milk: 260
leftover couscous: 400
summerfruit mix: 40
roast chicken salad: 350
gooseberry tart w/ ice cream: 280
gu flapjack bite: 75
TOTAL: 1405

I know i went over, but i thnk i did okay this weekend. considering that's the time when i normally go about 300 over!!
next weekend i'm gona stick 100% as there won't be any bbqs to tempt me!

 

[rhuba]

okey dokey, here's Monday's scrannage & exercise a la rhuba:

2x weetabix /100ml skimmed milk: 165
large granny smith apple: 100

salmon fillet: 200
150g new pots: 110
mixed salad: 50
(left over from saturday's bbq, so had to be eaten)

125g blueberries: 75
cherry brandy ice lolly from the ice cream man: 50

spicy butterbeans with prawns & sweet potato: 395

mini home-made gooseberry tart: 180 (mother-in-law made me take them home after sunday tea but they were so yummy i HAD to factor one in for yesterday! lol.)

TOTAL : 1325

Exercise: 11,059 steps and 80 lengths in 55mins in swimming pool at the gym

 

[rhuba]

Tuesday went something like this:

2 weetabix/100ml skimmed milk: 165
lunchbox with mushrooms, tomato, carrot, celery, cauliflower, broccoli & 30g feta cheese: 240

nut & seed mix: 150
sugar free jelly: 30

1 square lindt dark chilli chocolate: 50

coucous with roasted red peppers, tomato and mint : 495
fun size bag haribo: 50
couple of dried apricots w/ 100g soya yoghurt: 85

TOTAL: 1365

Note to self: just because you have a good weigh in result, doesn't mean you can let your cals creep slowly up! NAUGHTY!

i reckon if i tell myself off for only going a few over, it will stop me doing it further. am now aiming for 1235 today to balance it out.

Exercise: 10,635 steps. no other exercise to speak of. was going to do some yoga, but needed to take some clothes back and buy a bikini for my holiday (eek)

 

[Little Noo]

hey rhuba, hows the lunchbox diet going? do you find it fills you up enough? or do you have extra snacks throughout the day to keep you going?

 

[rhuba]

it's going well, and fills me up. i'm kind of doing my own variation on it, so not following it to the letter. if i were doing it properly, i'd need to put more meat protein in it, but i'm not a big meat eater anyway. plus i love my nuts and seed mix, and as i'm cc-ing would have to for-go those for a bit of meat. not doing it!

the food you see between brekkie and dinner is what i snack on throughout the day. i don't have a set lunch, but i tend to eat whatever protein/fat that's in my box as my main bit of lunch. yesterday it was the feta cheese, and i am currently enjoying a ryvita thin smothered in mashed avocado with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. yum.

i do find that i'm quite hungry when i get home, but not absolutely starving and can quite happily wait until my dinner is ready. i'm definitely a picker, and it helps to know that i have a box i can pick from throughout the day, the calories of which are already written down and accounted for. anything else i may consume (like the single chocolate i had from a collegues birthday cake last week) come out of my evening allowance. i try and use up 650 cals throughout the day, leaving me with 650 for the evening. it tends to work quite well

hope that helps darling. how you getting on today??

xx

 

[Little Noo]

cool glad its working out for you!

today is going well, im having extrememly long lie-ins at the mo so less time awake to eat lol! works very well!! xx