I want to offer you a periodic blog post about what I am eating to stave off cravings (see Fatty Tendencies post), feel good, and lose weight. I also want to show you that you can eat very well, including fat (even saturated fat), and still lose weight. This particular way of eating, balancing protein, carbs, and fat at every meal and snack, has helped me lose 55 pounds and balance my moods over the past year. Also, I can sleep now!
The particular food I choose works for ME! What will work for you will undoubtedly be different. I think everyone interested in losing weight and getting well should consult with a nutritionist to figure out their unique needs. However, not all nutritionists are created equal. Many of them are still afraid to let fat people eat fat, and often serve up dated nutrition information. I recommend the nutritionists at Nutritional Weight and Wellness for life-changing nutrition advice (they do phone appointments too!). So, here is a typical day of eating for me.
Breakfast (about 8:00 a.m.)
Blueberry smoothie with full fat plain yogurt, coconut milk, blueberries, banana, and vanilla whey protein powder
Mid-AM Snack (about 10:00 a.m.)
Two ounces of chicken, strawberries, pineapple, and olives
Lunch (about 1:00 p.m.)
Two eggs, nitrite-free bacon, coconut flour biscuit, and strawberries
Mid-PM Snack (about 3:30 p.m.)
Apple, hard-boiled egg, and cashews
Dinner (about 6:30)
Chicken Salad of a sort, with 3 ounces of chicken, roasted corn, red peppers, tomatoes, avocados, olive oil, and lime juice
Bedtime Snack (about 9:30 p.m.)
Strawberries with 100% real, full fat whipped cream
Yes, you are not dreaming. A good old-fashioned bedtime snack rounds out my day! This snack keeps my blood sugar balanced while I am asleep so I don’t wake up in the middle of the night. I eat every 2-3 hours throughout the day to keep my blood sugar balanced and my metabolism revved up, which both help me to lose weight. This way of eating also keeps cravings at bay so that I don’t find food staring at me throughout the day saying, “Eat me!”
Another thing to note: switching to this way of eating took me over a year. This was a year of trying new things, while still mainly eating with my old habits of lots of carbs and sweets. I had to let go of those foods slowly, or my body would rebel as it always had in the past. When I let go slowly, I could focus on all the great food I could eat, rather than that constant feeling of deprivation I had felt on so many diets. Now, I follow a gluten-free diet, with very little grains. For my body, grains (rice, pasta, bread, and, yes, even the whole grains touted as so nutritious) in even moderate amounts cause my weight loss to grind to a halt. But this is my body. You may be different.
I literally tried everything to lose weight before I started eating this way, so I was very skeptical that I could make this work. Nothing worked long term because I still craved all the bad stuff. Will power can only take you so far. Sometimes I can’t believe this is actually working for me to lose weight. But it is. Do something radical: question what you know about losing weight and eat!
It’s great to see a specific diet plan from someone who has really lost the weight. Thanks for putting up this info.
Without whole grains, do you have trouble getting enough fiber? Or are you not worried about that?
Great! I just boost fresh vegetables. I am not so worried about fiber though. It seems like since I have been living low carb and sugar, the problems that everyone is trying to solve with fiber have resolved themselves. Thanks!
Your blogs are so informative! Thanks very much for sharing. I’ve really appreciated being able to see how much you eat when on this plan. I have a question. You said you took about a year to adjust to this kind of eating. How long did it take for the cravings to be curbed? I think I need to try the crave control, because I have experimented with this food plan but haven’t fully committed and I get completely sidetracked by cravings. It is very frustrating! I have always had trouble with food, but being in my 50′s has made it worse. I can gain a few pounds very easily, and it doesn’t want to go away. I am a Weight Watchers lifetime member who is not able to continue on their plan because of the cravings I have, and the weight I have gained from it.
Wow. You and I sound really similar. I was on WW and I thought cravings would always be with me. I swear by Crave Control (you can get it on nutrikey.net now). As a matter of fact, I am going to get a bottle tonight. My cravings have snuck back in the past few weeks. I have had a really stressful time (new job, kid in new school, really busy) and I slipped and had lots o’ carbs the last few weeks. If I have time, I am going to write up my get back on track regime. Hang in there. It took about a year for my cravings to really abate!
Hi Nell! Any chance you could share the recipie for the coconut flour biscuits? I love your blog!
Sure! Here are some great recipes!
http://www.tiana-coconut.com/coconut_flour_recipes.htm
Thanks for reading!
Hello Nell, I just stareted listing to the NWRadio show, its been a great help for me Im 50 f, about 190 lbs. and my doctor said I’ve got to get my wait down my tryglicerides are creeping up there, i hope this isnt to much info? I’have started to make changes that you have all talked about on the radio and I have lost 5lbs, its a start, but Im still not sure how to put a meal toghter and snack, I just purchest gary taubes book hope that will help. Im the kind of person that needs things written out so I can refer back to. I must say you are an amazing insperation for all that you have done with your life!!! Any derection you could offer would be greatly appreceaited. (you’ll have to forgive my sp Im use to speel chk. I live in the seattle Wa. state so that rules out seeing anyone at WW. Im on the hunt for a good nutritionist. Thank you for your blog and listening, Thanks Cathy.S.
Thanks for listening cathy! 5 pounds is huge. I lost my weight at about a 3 pound a month rate. Losing slowly is so much better than quickly. It helps prevent sagging skin and also gives your body a chance to catch up with your new way of eating. If you have the resources, I highly recommend talking to someone at NWW, a nutritionist. A big part of their clientele is out of state, and they have gotten very good at remote and phone consultations. Sometimes I even do phone consults when I can’t get away from work. They do a very comprehensive health survey. Then, they put together a meal and supplement plan that is tailored to your body. I have found that as I go through this 100 pound weight loss journey, I have had to tweak my diet about 3 times to keep things moving. In the past, I would have gotten frustrated, asked “why isn’t this still working!”, and quit. Instead, now I consult with my nutritionist Kara and she gives me tips on foods to add or take out and inevitably the scale starts moving again. When you have a lot of weight to lose, sometimes it takes a dynamic approach to lose it. That is why strict, static diets like Weight Watchers never worked for me.
I hope this helps. I will be writing a post yet this week about how to plan for eating this way. That may help you as well. Thanks for reading!
Nell,
I can’t tell you how happy I am to have found your blog. I heard you on the DUN radio show and really enjoyed your inspirational story. I listen through itunes in southern California and envy the fact that you can walk into the NW&W center to learn such valuable ideas from all of those fabulous and knowledgeable ladies. I’m 53 but I have always been interested in nutrition, and have been an unsuccessful yo-yo dieter until about 18 months ago. I vowed to find out what is wrong with my body and why I can’t lose weight no matter how hard I try. I lost about 15 pounds and have been stuck for over a year now . I look forward to learning more about this balanced way of eating and am incorporating as many of the recommendations as I can absorb from the show and books you and the nutritionists talk about. It makes so much sense! Thanks for sharing your food ideas and I’ll be a regular visitor on your blog looking for more inspiration. I want to be healthy more than anything and need all the help I can get. Sorry to be so long winded–will try to keep comments brief in the future. You look wonderful–and healthy! I can’t wait to hear more from you on your second visit to DUN!
So great to hear from you Barb! I am so glad you are listening and finding useful information on the blog. It sounds like you and I have the same profile. It is such a complex problem, and there is a sea, no, an ocean of bad and contradictory information out there. I know. Being near Nutritional Weight and Wellness is such a gift. If you can, I recommend you do a skype or phone appointment with Dar or Kara. Getting an eating plan that is customized to your health challenges is so key to losing weight. Those plateaus are the worst. I am stuck in one right now as I try to lose the last 20 pounds. The body is a very conservative system I am learning. I will be posting another day of meals to give you more ideas. In the mean time, I really recommend the Taubes book (see post from last week). Take care. Nell
Thank you for posting one day of your meal plan!
I hope to do more of these in the near future. I am in a bit of a food rut right now, in that I eat the same thing all the time! So when my food is a bit more exciting I will take photos!
I just listened to you on the Dishing Up Nutrition podcast! Congrats on your success and thanks for sharing your story. Your blog is great and I look forward to reading it.
Sue
Thank you so much! I will be posting more frequently, so I hope you enjoy it!
Thank you for sharing the visual of what you eat in a day! I work on eating the weight and wellness way and sometimes when I feel overwhelmed with figuring out what to eat, having something to look at helps simplify things.
Loved hearing your story on the radio too!
.
Thank you so much! It was so fun. I just love that show for all the good information it gives, so being a guest was a thrill. Glad you loved the photos. I will do more of those posts in the near future. Keep up the good work! It is so hard to eat this way sometimes when everything is packed with soybean oil and sneaky ingredients. I am here for you!
One other question! What whey protein do you use? I bought jay rob and I have to force it down my throat because it is so sweet with the stevia.
Thanks for commenting! Yes, I love your blog too.
The Jay Robb powder is kind of sweet, I agree. I can’t really tolerate too sweet anymore. I use BIOCHEM Whey Protein Powder in either chocolate or vanilla. Both are awesome and blend very well. You can get it at Vitacost.com for pretty cheap. And the best part is, my nutritionist at Nutritional Weight and Wellness approved this brand, so it has NO junk in it.
Hope this helps!
Thanks! It does. I was going to try that one buy I didn’t want to buy a whole one and then have it be too sweet like the last one!
Hi Nell!
I just noticed your comment on an older blog post of mine! Thanks so much! You’re blog looks great so glad to meet you!
All of your meals look great. I need to get better at taking my own pictures!
Wow! I applaud you. I am a teacher at Nutritional Weight and Wellness and as many times as I have taught exactly the plan you are following, I often wonder if anyone is listening. Is any of this information sinking in. I came to NWW to help my daughter (age 12 at the time) with her weight issue among other things. She has also eaten her way to a healthier lifestyle and a healthier weight. Thank you for sharing your story. It inspires me to continuing to promote real nutrition and real food, especially fat. I know from my daughter it is not easy, fun or fair, but once it becomes your way of life it is truly remarkable and the rest doesn’t matter. Continue to do what is right for your body, no matter what anyone else tries to tell you, because like you said, it works.
Mary, thank you for commenting. This means so much that you enjoyed the blog! I am currently taking the Nutrition 4 Weightloss class now, and it is awesome. I see the light at the end of the tunnel!
Yes, you nutrition educators have a huge impact. It took me 2 years to get on board, but once on board it is really hard to go back. It seems like the longer I am following this program of eating the harder it is to fall over board!
Keep up the good work!