A few more questions...

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-31-2005
A few more questions...
3
Thu, 04-13-2006 - 11:43am
Ok, I just started here this week so some of this may have been discussed in the past so sorry if its a repeat.
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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-17-2006
Thu, 04-13-2006 - 1:47pm

When I started my diet (such an evil word!) it was hard trying to figure out how to get the right amount of servings for protein, fruit veg and dairy. What I did was I mad a spreadsheet. I took a sheet of paper and divided it into 7 columns and than divided each column into 6 rows. That way I had a column for each day of the week and a box for breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner and evening meal. Than I sat down and planed what I was going to eat each day in advance. Like 1/2 c. oatmeal, 2 tbsp walnuts and 1/2 grapefruit for breakfast. 1 piece fruit and a nutrional bar for snack. to fit in with my diet plan.
I even wrote in the evening meal box, what I was eating and below that what I was making for the rest of the family.
Than I put it in a binder, at home I left it open on the kitchen table, so I could refer to it whenever I was in the kitchen. and I took it to work as well. I didn't always stick strickly to it, but But by taking the time to do this every sunday morning, it meant I didn't have to think about what I was eating, how many servings, calories and such. I worked it all out on sunday, and than just tried to eat what I had on my menu.
I found this was much easier for me, and helped me stay on track. instead of everyday at every meal or snack trying to figure out how many servings of what I needed to eat, and the calories.

Also my menu, worked as my journal as well, if I ate something different I crossed out what I had down and wrote it in.
I've been doing this for 7 months now, and I find it really helpful, the added benefit is I know each night what I'm cooking for dinner, so I know what meat to defrost in the mornings, and what to pull out of the fridge and start cooking when I get home from work, instead of sitting there perplexed thinking "What should I make for dinner?"
Planning my food out for a week instead of a day allows me to take a broader look at what I'm eating, the nutrition I'm getting. Like how many times I've eaten fish (I try to eat it twice a week) and how often eating bread for lunch (I try to limit that).

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-20-2005
Thu, 04-13-2006 - 2:21pm
I am a diabetic and the diet (excuse me, lifestyle change) they gave me to follow only allows for two milks a day. I eat a bowl of cereal for breakfast so that's one, then I like to eat a sugar free chocolate pudding for an after supper snack -- that's two. I'd eat a ton of SF pudding if it were allowed! LOL!
Mary Anne
iVillage Member
Registered: 02-06-2006
Mon, 04-17-2006 - 6:08am

Lori, there are 2 ways that I use to determine the calories for 'combined' food.


There's the easy way: Use fitday... it has tons of cooking methods for food.. you can find pizzas, casseroles, soups, etc. These are some examples:






Vegetable combination, cooked


  • excluding carrots, broccoli, and dark-green leafy

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