what can I change (diet)

londoniana

Apologies if I'm not in the right place... just looking for some suggestions on what can I change about my diet, as I feel like I'm gaining weight with no reason. I think I eat healthy and could probably up my exercise level a bit but still... I gained 4 kgs in the past couple of months, out of the blue. (I'm 64kg now, use to be 59-61 range, and 168cm - sorry can't get used to stone and pounds).

I'm not looking for a quick fix, just a long term lifestyle change if that makes sense...

My typical day food-wise looks like this: breakfast is yoghurt and cereal, or some toast and cheese with tea, or on the weekends I'd make an omelette. No snacking until lunchtime - and typical is some meat or fish with a side order of salad or veggies or pasta or rice. Mid afternoon I have fruit. Dinner is around 6pm and it's similar to lunch. All food I eat at home is cooked from scratch.

I don't eat crisps and sweets and no sugary drinks. I don't add sugar to anything, but sometimes put honey in my coffee. Been trying to cut back on breads and pastas and potatoes. My only sin are croissants but I only tend to have them once or twice a week, at most.

Drinks: 2x coffees a day, water, freshly squeezed juice at weekends in the morning, wine at weekends with dinner (not always).

Exercise... not that much but not lazy either. 15-min walk to the tube station 2x day, rollerblading once a week, swimming once a week, then long walks at weekends as I live next door to a park. I used to go skiing in the winter but now living in London it's not very convenient.

thanks a lot for any suggestions!

thunderbird

That doesn't look bad at all - the only thing that you haven't mentioned is size of portions?

Also - what age are you? and is there any possibility you could be pregnant?!

londoniana

37 and no there's no chance for being pregnant :-) Sizes are.. normal and haven't increased in the past couple of months. My blood tests were all normal last time I checked and I'm fairly healthy overall.

Lozzy88

Ohhhhh I agree with thunderbird get a test (providing your female)

Also download my fitness pal it helps me to keep track of how much I am over eating lol

Lozzy88

Lmao my mam had me at 40..... sorry ignore that I read that as if you are 37 no chance of being pregnant at that age....sorry :-)

Carl31

Unfortunately, as we age, the initial growth we see up to out late 20s starts to reverse. Your body peaks during your twenties in terms of muscular structure. If you do not use muscle, your body reduces it so as not to use excess energy. If you lead a fairly sedentary lifestyle without regular exercise, this will result in natural weight gain, hence middle age spread. You have 2 choices, tailor your calorie intake to suit your body composition, or increase your lean muscle mass through exercise to keep your metabolic rate up. The 2nd choice is the easier option, with added benefits

Just to add. The regularity in when you eat also plays a part, so dont skip meals, especially breakfast, better to miss dinner if you really had to

thunderbird

'normal' is a bit vague!

I know what is normal for some people is huge for others. you say cereal and yogurt for breakfast - that could be 1 Weetabix and a spoonful of yogurt or 6 Weetabix and a huge tub?

It does get harder to keep wait off as you get older, which is why I asked your age. If nothing has changed at all with your eating and exercise it does seem a bit strange that you have put it on so quickly though.

thehappybutterfly

I don't think your diet looks bad at all. If you're being absolutely honest that is. I'm not suggesting you're lying but it's kind of like a spending diary. Write down every little thing and you may find that you're eating (spending) more than you thought. I echo Lozzy - download myfitnesspal and note everything you eat - even the bits of fruit you have etc.

The only other thing I can suggest (apart from an unexpected pregnancy!) is that maybe you're in a dietary rut? Have you eaten the same way for years and years? If so, maybe changing your diet completely might kickstart your metabolism. Maybe have fruit and yogurt first thing or even a cooked breakfast like turkey rashers, beans and scrambled eggs. And maybe swap veggies and salad at lunchtime for a baked potato. It sounds daft - like you're swapping healthy veg for a starchy potato but what have you got to lose? 4kgs! About 9lbs in old money.

Just remember that your body changes as you get older and it's harder to lose / maintain your usual weight and figure. I'm 44 btw so I'm not some young thing!

londoniana

I can't start counting calories but I can definitely try to be more active...

@thunderbird: 1 small yoghurt and one weetabix (equivalent, as I never had a weetabix LOL)

I know 'normal' is vague, but I know I don't eat a lot, compared with those around me. I don't go for 2nd servings at home when eating out sometimes I don't finish. Yes, that's what surprises me... it happened in like the past 2 months with no diet or exercise changes.

pukkamum

I would do a precise food diary, writing down every morsel that passes your lips, only then will you trulyknow how much you are eating, so many of us forget thigs we have eaten during the day, the odd biscuit or chocolate, sugary drink etc.
If this shows you are eating exactly the same and your portions aren't creeping up, as they are want to do then you need to check that the things you are eating haven't changed eg made with more butter etc.
I lost 6 stone with ww's and writing down what I ate worked!

Meadows

londoniana wrote: »

Apologies if I'm not in the right place... just looking for some suggestions on what can I change about my diet, as I feel like I'm gaining weight with no reason. I think I eat healthy and could probably up my exercise level a bit but still... I gained 4 kgs in the past couple of months, out of the blue. (I'm 64kg now, use to be 59-61 range, and 168cm - sorry can't get used to stone and pounds).

I'm not looking for a quick fix, just a long term lifestyle change if that makes sense...

My typical day food-wise looks like this: breakfast is yoghurt and cereal, or some toast and cheese with tea, or on the weekends I'd make an omelette. No snacking until lunchtime - and typical is some meat or fish with a side order of salad or veggies or pasta or rice. Mid afternoon I have fruit. Dinner is around 6pm and it's similar to lunch. All food I eat at home is cooked from scratch.

I don't eat crisps and sweets and no sugary drinks. I don't add sugar to anything, but sometimes put honey in my coffee. Been trying to cut back on breads and pastas and potatoes. My only sin are croissants but I only tend to have them once or twice a week, at most.

Drinks: 2x coffees a day, water, freshly squeezed juice at weekends in the morning, wine at weekends with dinner (not always).

Exercise... not that much but not lazy either. 15-min walk to the tube station 2x day, rollerblading once a week, swimming once a week, then long walks at weekends as I live next door to a park. I used to go skiing in the winter but now living in London it's not very convenient.

thanks a lot for any suggestions!

More down to portion sizes and activity!

On a weight watcher plan a portion of rice/pasta would be 40/50g, a jacket potato about 130 - 150g, a portion of meat about 125 - 150g (lean meat).
Potatoes can be calorie heavy as can bread. Sweet potatoes are less points (under WW) a Butternut squash the better option.
Most vegetables and fruit are points free but peas and parsnips have points values.
Butter/spreads/oils use minimally. Eggs use 2 -3 points each so again use with care as they all add up. But on the WW plan it is easy to eat fulfilling meals three times a day with in the points allowed and maybe have some left over for a dessert or a glass of wine without feeling you are doing without.

So while you may not want to follow a Weight Watchers or even Slimming world have a good look at your portion you will be shocked to see just what the calories are and why the weight won't budge http://calorie-data.com/ and note down what you eat as you forget the odd little things at the end of a day and say I haven't had much!