Help.

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KeelyTaylor
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Jan 21, 2014 3:09 pm
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by KeelyTaylor on Tue Jan 21, 2014 3:15 pm

Help.

Hi

I've been told that I'm overweight with a BMI of 28 but I was also told I need to also eat more because I tend not to eat much (On an average day I'll have a few drinks of coffee,toast and a meal at night time) How can I bring more variety to my diet whilst losing weight.

ericdeeson
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri Nov 29, 2013 4:08 pm
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by ericdeeson on Tue Jan 21, 2014 7:10 pm

Re: Help.

Hi, Keely!

You don't say how much variety you currently have in your diet, well, in your evening meal. Nor do you say anything about the toast you take - a couple of slices of brown toast a day is fine, with low fat non-sweet spread (eg low fat cottage cheese/houmos) and as much salad as you can eat. You don't mention alcohol either - a smallish glass of wine a day is fine (which I drink, but I don't know how much beer or spirits or whatever is a good maximum!).

Your daily diet needs to offer a balance of fruit (as much as you like except avocado), veg (as much as you like other than peas and a few other less common veg), lean non-processed meat, low fat dairy products (without more than say 50 g cheese), some bread (brown) / potato (inc skins) / pasta (brown) / rice (whole if possible).

Many people would probably say you need more than one meal a day; many of those would say breakfast is essential. I shan't comment: I tend to live as you describe (but without the toast!)....

Ask your GP about NHS's LightenUp programme, which lets you access WeightWatchers and similar programmes for say three months at no cost to yourself. Most, if not all, these programmes give good advice on balanced diet and foods to concentrate on and ones to avoid.

Please note that I am not a professional medic or dietician.

Good luck! - Eric

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Wendy Green
Posts: 159
Joined: Thu May 24, 2012 11:27 am
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by Wendy Green on Tue Jan 21, 2014 8:10 pm

Re: Help.

Hi Keely,

You say you don't eat much and have been told to eat more - yet your BMI is 28; this suggests that the foods you are eating must be high in calories - hence your weight problem. To lose weight you will need to focus on eating a balanced diet based on wholesome foods such as lean meats, chicken, fish, natural/Greek yogurt, reduced fat hard cheese, milk, fruit, vegetables, and moderate amounts of fats (not trans fats), nuts and seeds. Eat wholegrain carbohydrate foods such as brown rice, whole wheat pasta, jacket potatoes, wholemeal bread, porridge and oatcakes - these fill you up because they are rich in fibre. You can add variety simply by trying different fruits and vegetables and trying new recipes using healthy ingredients; you could also try different herbs and spices to ring the changes.

Some reduced-fat foods e.g. yogurts, biscuits etc., contain added sugar, so avoid these if you can. For more dietary advice, please see my other posts within this clinic - including those on the psychological aspects of losing weight, such as low self-esteem and comfort eating.

It may also help if you keep a food diary to make sure that you really AREN'T eating much - it's easy to eat without thinking and under-estimate how much you actually eat in a day!

You also need to look at your activity levels - aim at doing 30 mins of exercise daily at first - building up to an hour a day. This could include walking, gardening and housework, as well as more formal exercise such as swimming, or an exercise class; however there is no need to go to the gym if you don't want to - any, or all of the first three activities would be fine.

Good luck!

Wendy :D
Wendy Green
Health Expert and Author

http://www.talkhealthpartnership.com/on ... _green.php

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