Nutrition Help with diet

[Gary W]

Im really trying to cut the sugar and carbs from my diet slightly, as im turning 38 and getting a little soft around the edges!

I aim for 2600 cals a day, 180lb 5.11ft
I keep 400 cals for dinner which is what ever the other half cooks so i try and get 2200 for breakfast and while at work.
I drive therefor cant heat anything up and really try to keep things as simple as possible.
Im hoping to list my current diet and hope someone can suggest some small changes or cheap foods i can add as im falling about 400cals short at the moment.
Currently i have the following

250ml coconut milk (lactose intolerant)
150g granola
Banana
3x fish oil

100g chicken
Tortilla wrap
Lacto free cheese
Mayo
20g dark choc

Same as above plus..
Apple

Dinner

2eggs
1 egg white
100g green peas.

Totals are P 122 C 233 F 82 sugar 73

I want to drop the granola as it has 100g carbs and 30g sugar.

What im thinking of trying...
Breakfast
4 toast
2 eggs
1 egg white
This will save me time in the evening also allowing me to fast for longer over night.

250ml oat milk
4 tbsp peanut butter

200g chicken
150g peas
40g lacto free cheese

40g dark choc
Apple

Dinner

Totals would be P 126 C 136 F 92 sugar 44
So i good drop in carbs and sugar but im falling 300 cals short of 2200 and struggling how to add something else

Sorry for such a long post but its doing my head in as im on a tight budget, not being able to heat things at work ans being lactose intolerant means ive had to drop protien shakes and milk from my diet over the last year

 

[North Coast Miller]

Im really trying to cut the sugar and carbs from my diet slightly, as im turning 38 and getting a little soft around the edges!

I aim for 2600 cals a day, 180lb 5.11ft
I keep 400 cals for dinner which is what ever the other half cooks so i try and get 2200 for breakfast and while at work.
I drive therefor cant heat anything up and really try to keep things as simple as possible.
Im hoping to list my current diet and hope someone can suggest some small changes or cheap foods i can add as im falling about 400cals short at the moment.
Currently i have the following

250ml coconut milk (lactose intolerant)
150g granola
Banana
3x fish oil

100g chicken
Tortilla wrap
Lacto free cheese
Mayo
20g dark choc

Same as above plus..
Apple

Dinner

2eggs
1 egg white
100g green peas.

Totals are P 122 C 233 F 82 sugar 73

I want to drop the granola as it has 100g carbs and 30g sugar.

What im thinking of trying...
Breakfast
4 toast
2 eggs
1 egg white
This will save me time in the evening also allowing me to fast for longer over night.

250ml oat milk
4 tbsp peanut butter

200g chicken
150g peas
40g lacto free cheese

40g dark choc
Apple

Dinner

Totals would be P 126 C 136 F 92 sugar 44
So i good drop in carbs and sugar but im falling 300 cals short of 2200 and struggling how to add something else

Sorry for such a long post but its doing my head in as im on a tight budget, not being able to heat things at work ans being lactose intolerant means ive had to drop protien shakes and milk from my diet over the last year

You might use only 2 slices of toast in the morning. Add some rice to the chicken and peas. If tolerated swap out the oat milk for soy milk. Whey isolate has very little lactose, so maybe you could add some of that to the diet as well, possibly reduce the 4 Tbsp peanut butter to two. You could then add a small salad at midmorning?

Personally when trying to lean out I drop carbs and fat, one or the other on its own doesn't have the same effect.

 

[Snowman]

What is the reasoning behind keeping your dinner down to 400 calories?

 

[Gary W]

What is the reasoning behind keeping your dinner down to 400 calories?

That's just when the mrs cookes its normally around 400 ish cals so thats what i keep

I cant afford protien shakes really (4 kids)!

Used to have chicken and rice but because of my job not being able to heat food swaped to wraps just for ease and got fed up eating cold rice!

 

[Gary W]

I find it really hard to fill 2600cals since i got lactose intolerant because a huge chunk of things ive always eaten i cant eat anymore, like milk, so cheap it suited me well.

Also replacing the granola im finding hard because its like 650 cals that is hard to replace

 

[Snowman]

In my mind, the easiest time to add extra food is at the end of the day, whereas the easiest time to cut back is at the beginning of the day. Considering that you're only taking in 400 calories for dinner, this just seems like very low hanging fruit. Especially since you wouldn't have to do anything more as far as packing food with you, since that seems to be an issues (a very relatable one at that). Obviously, you have to find a way to communicate that to your significant other, which is not always a simple thing .

Alternatively, just generally eat more when you're home. Maybe that means more eggs for breakfast, following up dinner with some peanut butter or an omelette, and putting a reasonable amount of butter/olive oil on your toast, peas, etc. If you're trying to replace carbs with healthy, cheap protein and fat, it's hard to beat eggs...your whisking arm gets tired

In case you're wondering what the healthy max dose of eggs is for an adult male, I'm pretty sure the answer is "all of the them." They're little protein packed vitamin pills.

 

[Gary W]

Haha i used to eat 5 eggs a day, but cut back now.
Maybe ill add a couple more back in.
Good point about butter and oils, i think i aways get caught up in haveing a certain amount of fats and not going too high with them

 

[Snowman]

i think i aways get caught up in haveing a certain amount of fats and not going too high with them

At the end of the day, if you drop carbs, replacing it all with protein will start to get pretty expensive. You can counter a lot of the fat related issues by separating it from your carb intake. For example, move the toast to later in the day, and let your first meal be almost entirely protein and fat (i.e. whole eggs cooked in fat). That means your insulin, which should already be low in the morning, will stay low while as your body is processing the fat, which significantly changes how that fat is used. If you'll forgive a little oversimplification, nearly all of the problems caused by fat only exist when co-ingested with processed carbs, which is largely due to insulin.
I'm not saying that you should change everything to completely separate fat and carbs, just that you can get away with eating a much fattier meal if you stay away from carbs for 2-3 hours before and after that meal.

 

[North Coast Miller]

I'm actually the opposite in many respects - if it were me (and it is, short on $ etc) I'd pound the breakfast and taper back as the day goes on. Its the meal you have the most control over.

Lunch I'd keep up on the wraps maybe, load em up with the cheapest lean animal protein you can find - don't confine yourself to coldcuts. I used to brown up a couple lbs of ground turkey on Sunday and dole out a 1/2lb a day into a salad for lunch - load it up. Again, the soy milk is a blessing if you're lactose intolerant and don't have problems with soy.

Maybe with the dinner you could add some nutritional yeast - DO NOT BUY AT GROCERY STORE - get it at a health food store that carries it in bulk and its about the cheapest source of complete protein on the planet by a large margin. It works great in soups and in smaller doses it stirs in to pasta or any meal using a sauce. For a cheap power shake toss in peanut butter, banana, walnuts, honey, tofu.

I don't sweat the carbs, just the pasta and breads and even then as long as the portions are small put em on the plate. Some of the protein reinforced pasta has 17g protein per serving and still very affordable. A cold pasta salad made with this stuff, filled out with veg and some red meat makes a great lunch option and you have complete control over the fat content.

For keeping weight up and decreasing fat I have a lot easier time reducing fats and subbing out for lean carbs.

From another conversation about nutrition:

Basically I look at all foods based on protein content.
If protein content is respectable I eat a solid portion no matter how much else is fat or carbs.
If the food is high carb and low protein I try to make sure its low fat as well. If its high carb and relatively high fat I limit my portion size considerably (pasta, bread based meals).
If it is high fat and low protein I limit portion size even more.

I eat about half my carbs via fruit and veg and the other half through bread and pasta - it doesn't take a lot of pasta or bread to = a heap of fruit or veg. I try to spread my protein sources around - milk, whey, soy, nutritional yeast, poultry, high pro grain products, peanut butter, eggs, etc.

Basically I shoot for 20/50/30 protein, carbs, fat - as a baseline but am always trying to casually limit fat and increase protein via selection and portion control. I will eat the odd cookie, small dish ice cream, cake. I drink 2 beers/night religiously and have about 5 cups coffee spread throughout the day. I don't drink soda or fruit juices. If my carb count goes up that's fine as long it was a swap for fats and not protein.

 

[Gary W]

Thanks guys, some things to look into.

I also find i like to eat more early in the day and less as the day goes on

With the wraps, i buy 2 whole chickens a week cook and divide them for my wraps with cheese cucumber tomatos.

 

[elli]

Im really trying to cut the sugar and carbs from my diet slightly, as im turning 38 and getting a little soft around the edges!

I aim for 2600 cals a day, 180lb 5.11ft
I keep 400 cals for dinner which is what ever the other half cooks so i try and get 2200 for breakfast and while at work.
I drive therefor cant heat anything up and really try to keep things as simple as possible.
Im hoping to list my current diet and hope someone can suggest some small changes or cheap foods i can add as im falling about 400cals short at the moment.
Currently i have the following

250ml coconut milk (lactose intolerant)
150g granola
Banana
3x fish oil

100g chicken
Tortilla wrap
Lacto free cheese
Mayo
20g dark choc

Same as above plus..
Apple

Dinner

2eggs
1 egg white
100g green peas.

Totals are P 122 C 233 F 82 sugar 73

I want to drop the granola as it has 100g carbs and 30g sugar.

What im thinking of trying...
Breakfast
4 toast
2 eggs
1 egg white
This will save me time in the evening also allowing me to fast for longer over night.

250ml oat milk
4 tbsp peanut butter

200g chicken
150g peas
40g lacto free cheese

40g dark choc
Apple

Dinner

Totals would be P 126 C 136 F 92 sugar 44
So i good drop in carbs and sugar but im falling 300 cals short of 2200 and struggling how to add something else

Sorry for such a long post but its doing my head in as im on a tight budget, not being able to heat things at work ans being lactose intolerant means ive had to drop protien shakes and milk from my diet over the last year

first thoughts and some swaps I would make
missing the veggies. cut out peanut butter and oat milk (uuahhh...highly processed) and snack on vegetables.
have oats insted of toast (porrige)
have a carrot instead of the apple, switch from dark chocolate to 2 tsp of peanut butter.

 

[krg]

If I was looking for a couple hundred extra calories that were low cost, high quality with some protein and didn't require heating then I think I'd pack 3 hard boiled eggs and a bottle of tabasco to season bite by bite.

 

[Neuro-Bob]

So....I fly for a living, multiple day trips, and pack my own food. I never plan on the hotel having a microwave. Your goal is 100% doable. You CAN make a positive change to your diet, and you’ve come to a GREAT place for it.

Take some time to experiment as you figure out your tastes and what fits them. I’ve done experiments on how to pack olives for longest life, how long will a pancake last, and other quirky things.

An incomplete list of things that work well for one who is not in their own kitchen:

Nuts (almonds, walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, etc)
Canned fish (I prefer salmon, just be sure for an easy open lid)
Hard boiled eggs
A chicken or egg salad
Bean-based salads
Charcuterie meats
Greek yogurts (they make coconut ones)
Goat cheeses (lots more becoming available)
Whole uncut avocados

Another thought.....and I believe it has been mentioned. A sort of intermittent fasting or skipping a meal regimen may be of interest. Bigger breakfast (the toast is probably doing very little for you), skip lunch, eat dinner. Just a thought. When I worked a more typical “office hours” job this worked well for me.

Feel free to reach out for more, as I’m not sure I covered everything in my limited knowledge. Or feel free to stop by my training log - I usually post what I’ve packed for a trip and it may be of use to you.

 

[SamTon]

Why can't you just have more balancing meal. Sugar is death to your health, carbone are not good if your work is sitting. So maybe you just try not to eat deep fry food or fry. Try to eat veggies and also steam food. It helped me a lot

 

[Dekapon]

I understand that economics makes it more difficult to eat healthy.

Have you tried rice, pea or soy-protein powder? In my country the price for pea-protein is about the same as whey.

My girlfriend is raising three kids by herself. She has started to make oatmeal porridge for dinner one or two times a week to save money and time. The kids are picky with what they eat but oatmeal works fine. She "compensates" during the weekends by baking pizza, making sushi or lasagna (the kids favorites). No complaints yet and she's saving money.

 

[Marc]

@Gary Wilson have you considered intermittend fasting?

 

[Harry Westgate]

@Gary Wilson have you considered intermittend fasting?

+1...

I find eating less often to be a great life simplifier ...

And as someone who has for the last year or two been quite stressed out about food, I'm currently taking the approach of "eat less often, eat more real food," to borrow phrasing from @Al Ciampa ... what I define as "real food," is simply single ingredient stuff - though perhaps Al has other thoughts on this..? I would not want to speak for him.

I'm typically eating one main meal per day (Warrior Diet is recommended reading), and trying not to stress too much over those evening meals... just real food! Current staples are veggies, beans, lentils, eggs, fish, maybe some oats and whole milk... spices to taste.

Since repeating the mantra of eating less often and eating more real food over the last week or two, rather than analysing calories or macros, I've leaned up a tad without really trying too hard.

Just throwing my thoughts out there!

 

[Marc]

The one biggest plus if intermittend fasting that I see is, that you don't have to worry about having food around.
Just eat one or two really big (relatively speaking, i.e. smaller when fat loss is desired) and satisfying meals in the afternoon/evening. Just have some fruit and/or nuts around if you get really hubgry earlier.

 

[Gary W]

I have tried it yeah, a few yrs ago.
Did it for about 2 weeks got a nasty flu, put it down to that and stopped doing it.
I will most probably try again someday soon but as i drive 500 miles or more for work find it hard to just have a couple big meals, for example say im breaking my fast at 12pm i might be in a job and not be able to eat till 1/2, then im in my van driving again so my diet is based around things i can eat on the go like chicken wraps fruit etc
Most my calories come from a big bowl of granola in the morning, ideally i want to cut this out but find it hard to replace the 800 cals.
Dont help being on A budget too

 

[Steve Freides]

@Gary Wilson, if you choose to change your eating habits, realize it takes a long time to get used to the change. Two suggestions:

1. Try a simpler approach, e.g., have breakfast 20 minutes later each day. Or try having breakfast at the same time, but having a little less each day. Whatever approach you take, have a "cheat day" whenever you feel the need. Maybe you skip breakfast twice a week and that's what you do for a few months. The point is to learn to listen to your hunger and also to allow your hunger to change over time.

2. Read the Warrior Diet book - it's inspiring in one's quest to eat better and eat less often. He talks about how alert one can feel without a full belly - it's good stuff and can help.

-S-