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maman

Mediterranean_Mum wrote: »

I haven't really planned today because I'm trying to work with myfitnesspal as was suggested to me yesterday so still playing around with it to see what I can have that keeps me within my daily limits. I guess I'll get the hang of it but is a bit of a pfaff when I'm used to eating unlimited amounts of certain foods.

Sorry mm, didn't mean to cause you further stress!:o I was afraid that you'd go to see your doctor and just be told 'calories in, calories out there's no other way'. I recommended it as a tool to help you in such a situation. I do hope when you have your appointment you get some helpful advice.

Today will be more or less on plan for me: I've had beans on toast for breakfast, lunchtime some LO roast beef and veg planned. For supper I'm having HM burgers from the freezer with mushrooms, tomatoes and peas. I might have to do oven chips as I don't want to go shopping for potatoes. We'll see. Why do they only give syn value for raw chips???

Mediterranean_Mum

maman wrote: »

Sorry mm, didn't mean to cause you further stress!:o I was afraid that you'd go to see your doctor and just be told 'calories in, calories out there's no other way'. I recommended it as a tool to help you in such a situation. I do hope when you have your appointment you get some helpful advice.

Thanks Maman - just wanted to get an idea of what I'm consuming every day and where I could be overdoing it by calorie standards. The interesting thing is that sugars are also listed and just from breakfast, lunch and morning snack my intake is almost at the total sugar allowance for the day. This could be one place that I'm going wrong and for people who consume a lot of fruit and wonder why they're not losing also a very good reason. The only fruit I've had today is a banana (high) but I've also had beetroot and corn in my salad, both high in sugars.

stef240377

MM after reading your despair lately have decided to come out of hiding to post thisquote from a couple of months ago. Through my GP i have been sent to a weightloss group which works along side the NHS in my area so are all trained nutritionists. Whilst the group do not favour any 'money making' weight loss group they do approve of food optomising that comes from SW.

stef240377 wrote: »

For those who have been asking these are the FSA portion guidlines.

Fruit & vegetables. Eat at least 5 portions a day. Aim for half a plate of veg with meals. Snack on these foods.

Veg = 2 large tbsps
salad = 1 cereal bowl
tomato = 1 medium or 4-5 cherry
fresh fruit large = 1 slice of melon or pineapple. Half grapefruit or avacado
fresh fruit medium (apple, banana, pear, orange, peach etc) 1 piece.
Fresh fruit small = 12 grapes (handfull), 3 apricots, 2 plums, 2 kiwi's, 7 strawberries.
Stewed fruit = 2-3 large tbsps
tinned fruit in natural juice = 3 large tbsps
dried fruit = 1 tbsp
fruit juice = 1 small glass/carton - 200ml

Bread, other cereals & potatoes. Each one is one portion and the fsa recommend 5-7 portions a day from this section.

Breakfast cereals (eg. krispies or flakes)= 3tbsp
Porridge= 3-4tbsps
Shredded wheat/ weetabix= 1 'pillow'
bread= 1 large slice (medium thick)
bread bun, roll or bagel= half a large one
pitta bread= half a normal size or 1 mini/picnic size
chapatti = 1 small
crackers = 3 small
naan bread plain = half a large or a whole small
rice plain boiled = 2 heaped tbsps
cous cous cooked = 2tbsp
pasta plain boiled = 3 heaped tbsp
noodles boiled = 120g/4oz
potatoes = 2 egg sized.
Crumpets = 1

Milk & dairy foods. 2-3 portions a day. low fat not low calcium.

Milk (preferably, semi or better still skimmed)= 200ml or quarter of pint.
Low fat yogurt/fromage frais = 1 small pot 125g/4-5oz
Cheese = 30g
low fat cheese = 45g
low fat soft cheese = 60g
cottage cheese = 90g

Meat, fish & alternatives. 2-3 portions a day. Choose low fat more often.

lean meat (beef, pork, lamb, chicken without skin) = 3 slices 60-90g
Fish - white or oily = As meat
Fish fingers = 3
eggs = 2
Baked Beans = 5tbsps
Cooked beans or pulses = 4tbsps
soya, tofu, quorn, nuts or peanut butter = 2tbsps(120g)/ 30g peanut butter.

Foods containing fats & sugars. Choose low fat where possible.

Butter/marg/oil any types = 1tsp
low fat spread = 2tsps
mayo = 1tsp
low fat mayo = 2tsps
salad cream = 2tsps
low cal salad cream = 5tsps
gravy or white sauce (made by roux method) 4tbsps
Examples of other fatty and sugary foods include ~
crisps and other savoury snacks
pastry/pies
bisuits or cakes
sugar or honey
jam or marmalade
chocolates, sweets and sugary drinks choose any of these as 'occassional' treats and always chose low fat/sugar wherever you can.


As you can see not all of these are within the free or superfree foods of SW. Hopefully reading this will make people see what a portion size should look like especially with the fruit when a lot of people would eat one plum and assume it was a portion, whereas other parts like the pasta/rices etc are unlimited amounts with SW.

Some of the other foods mentioned on here that are considered healthy within the FSA guidelines to be eating in a day which would be considered a syn with SW could be wise swaps if you choose to use syns in this way instead of resorting to the biscuit tin. The FSA advise 100cals to use for snacking a day so a small/treat size chocolate bar or couple of biscuits.

In the weight loss group we are asked to be mindful of chosing anything with a fat content to be below 5g per 100g. Sugars and salt the same as fat.
To also try and mind the calories so you are not taking in more than 1500 a day as 3500 cals is equal to one lb loss.

stef240377

As you can still see i am alive an kicking just not popping in much now as to be honest as finding the whole weightloss thing too much to bare. Staying on track with SW but losses stilled again so just getting on with it now without stressing.

My son on the other hand is awaiting his 4.5stone award - was 2lb off it last weigh in but we missed thursday night as he has been diagnosed as having glandular fever right before the start of his exams so hoping this week we can weigh and run before he infects anyone.

Hope everyone else is ok and keeping on track.:)

Mediterranean_Mum

Stef240377 I so appreciate you popping in to give this advice and it just adds to what I've been saying that what works for one doesn't necessarily work for another and some people have to take a different route, albeit following similar principles of more vegetables and less of the protein and carbs.

5 portions from the carbs list a day is a lot and I personally couldn't eat that amount but for people who love carbs then that and SW is great.

I've now logged in all my food for today and there are some interesting things I've found -

I was given a total of 1900 calories for the day - I've had just over 1500.

The recommended sugar intake is 38g but it doesn't differentiate between sugar in processed food and that in fruit and vegetables. I've gone a good way over - 70g in total but of that total 60g (!!!!) is from fruit and vegetables. So should I cut back on fruit (only 2 pieces for the day) and vegetables????

The other point is that if I exercise for an hour (brisk walking), I get alloted an extra 400 calories for the day. I had a really really late night last night after the wedding so have no energy for any walking this evening but I will go tomorrow. However another 400 calories would also increase the sugar, protein and fats so I don't really get it.

One good thing that I have done today is drink 8 glasses of water as it also asks you to keep a record of that.

It's all very interesting although pretty confusing as SW say that practically all of what I've eaten today is "free" whereas Myfitnesspal says that I've been a naughty girl as far as sugars are concerned :eek:

I'm going to carry on with it for another few days and see what happens and whether the scales actually move this week. I'm also going to discuss it with my doctor on Wednesday who I hope will refer me to a nutritionist and for some further tests.

Watch this space....

Oh Stef forgot to say well done to your son on a great loss so far and wishing him better from his glandular fever.

stef240377

MM the following link has the recommended daily allowances for sugars, fats and salts for the UK under the weightloss group i am attending, hope this helps clarify a few more things for you -
http://www.gdalabel.org.uk/gda/gdalabel/nutrients.aspx

With all the information i were getting from here, SW and the weightloss group i too found it all too consuming and that i seemed to be drowning under the weight of all it and have had to take a few steps back to re-evaluate things. I think i have become so intent on wanting to shift the weight it is stressing my body out and bringing up health issues having just been diagnosed with psoriatic arthropathy and sitting on the waiting list to see a physiotherapist for plantaar fasciitis.

Thanks for you kind words about my son.:)

Mediterranean_Mum

stef240377 wrote: »

MM the following link has the recommended daily allowances for sugars, fats and salts for the UK under the weightloss group i am attending, hope this helps clarify a few more things for you -
http://www.gdalabel.org.uk/gda/gdalabel/nutrients.aspx

With all the information i were getting from here, SW and the weightloss group i too found it all too consuming and that i seemed to be drowning under the weight of all it and have had to take a few steps back to re-evaluate things. I think i have become so intent on wanting to shift the weight it is stressing my body out and bringing up health issues having just been diagnosed with psoriatic arthropathy and sitting on the waiting list to see a physiotherapist for plantaar fasciitis.

Thanks for you kind words about my son.:)

Thanks for the link Stef - I'll have a look at it tomorrow - I need to get myself away from this computer. Completely understand about the stress of it all and that's another think that's on the list for the doc on Wednesday - I'll need about 4 slots to get through it all!!!

frogga

Great to hear from you Stef, how typical of you to pop out once you could see the dilema :beer: you're a good egg.

I'm a bit concerned too now I've read the portions of fruit recommended. I ate a HUGE bunch of red grapes on the was home from work on friday, 2 punnets of pinapple, and raspberries, and blueberries! I eat them like sweets! My sugar intake would be massive.

But I don't want to cut down I like stuffing with fruit, surely you can't get fat from eating too much fruit? Loads of peeps on SW eat unlimited fruit don't they?

Hmmmmmmm

stef240377

frogga wrote: »

Great to hear from you Stef, how typical of you to pop out once you could see the dilema :beer: you're a good egg.

I'm a bit concerned too now I've read the portions of fruit recommended. I ate a HUGE bunch of red grapes on the was home from work on friday, 2 punnets of pinapple, and raspberries, and blueberries! I eat them like sweets! My sugar intake would be massive.

But I don't want to cut down I like stuffing with fruit, surely you can't get fat from eating too much fruit? Loads of peeps on SW eat unlimited fruit don't they?

Hmmmmmmm

The SW principle is that fruit is good, the weightloss rationale is that any unused calories or sugars are turned to fat, yes they are natural sugars but essentially if you are eating more than your body needs it can restrict weight losses. I have cut back on my fruit portions and upped veggies just to know my intake of natural sugars is lower and im doing what i can to see a loss.
When i first posted back in March about the information i were receiving from the weight loss group i know it started a few heated debates in here especially when pointing out that a punnet of grapes around 450g contains as much sugar as a mars bar.
The one thing you may notice eating high sugar foods be it 'syns' or fruits is what they call peaks and troughs in energy levels. So while you are feeling lethargic insticts say to dip into something sweet to give you a pick me up, then the short term energy wears off and you dip below the level you were originally at and so the cycle continures. This is where it is recommended to ensure you are eating the correct amount of carb portions spread across the day to try and even it out and eventually reduce sweet cravings.

robpw2

hey all , so i lost 4lb again thsi week meaning in 13 weighins but 14 weeks i have lost a total of 3st 0.5lb - i hope everyone else is well and heres to the next 4lb 4lb