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Click to view tdellaringa's profile Amateur 13 posts since
Dec 14, 2007

Oct 19, 2006 1:38 PM

Which is a better meal?

I'm eating 5-6 small (or sometimes normal) sized meals a day, trying to eat as best I can for weight loss while keeping my energy up for running.

In the past, what has worked for me is having a lunch of:

1 cup chicken breast (skinless) cooked on the stove in a smidge of olive oil
1/2 cup of white or brown rice
1/2 cup of applesauce

I'm always full when I finish and I lost close to 20 pounds before having this solely as my lunch.

I am wondering about the rice though. Today, I just had the chicken with about a half-3/4 cup of tomatoes instead (which I love - the ONLY vegetable I can eat (whether you think its a veggie or not)).

Would it be better to stick with the tomatoes instead of the rice? It's probably going to be tricky with winter coming on staying in good tomatoes, so that is a concern, but I want to eat the best lunch for me in regards to weight loss and energy.

Tips or suggestions?

For my other meals I am having:

Breakfast: Bannana or apple (sometimes both depending on size). It's very hard for me to eat in the morning, it's all I can get down before 9-10 am.

Mid Morn: Either a Balance bar (peanut butter honey), an apple or some other healthy snack (sometimes peanuts)

Lunch as described

Mid afternoon: Healthy snack like peanuts, apple, possibly another balance bar if I have not had one in the morning. (admittedly, sometimes I grab a piece of candy here...darnit!)

Dinner: A sensible dinner.

Eve Snack: Raisins, peanuts, apple, etc.

Thanks

Tom
Click to view Born to Run060's profile Legend 557 posts since
Jul 1, 2002
1. Oct 19, 2006 2:16 PM in response to: tdellaringa
If tomato is the only veggie you can eat, sqeeze them in whenever possible. Canned tomatoes offer many health benefits too (perhaps more than raw tomatoes).
Click to view reboot's profile Legend 398 posts since
Dec 14, 2007
2. Oct 19, 2006 3:15 PM in response to: tdellaringa
I suggest you confine your snacks to fresh fruit only. Peanuts, candy, raisins, etc are very high in calories and don't offer enough benefits to someone trying to lose weight. For the most part, any fruit will have about 100 calories or less and will make you feel fuller and satisfied longer than 100 calories from those other foods and, overall, likely far healthier..

------------------
gotta run...
Click to view Ariann092's profile Legend 681 posts since
Jan 4, 2005
4. Oct 19, 2006 7:17 PM in response to: tdellaringa
I agree, if you can only have tomatoes, have as many as you can, as often as you can and preferably in different forms (raw and cooked). Tomatoes are considered vegetables for nutritional purposes. But you don't have to cut out the rice, tomatoes have very, very few calories - if you're going to replace anything, I'd replace the apple sauce with tomatoes. The reason I say this is because you seem to eat most apples for fruit. Have you considered branching out to other fruits? The key to getting the most possible nutrition out of fruits and veggies is variety.
Click to view Ariann092's profile Legend 681 posts since
Jan 4, 2005
6. Oct 19, 2006 9:56 PM in response to: tdellaringa
How about bananas, citrus (oranges, grapefruit), peaches, apricots, nectarines, avocado (delicious - makes a great salad with tomatoes, too!), grapes are good (eat grapes, not raisins), and all kinds of berries - blue are particularly good (kind of expensive at this time of year, but so delicious).

Are you sure there's no other vegetables you can stomach? Believe it or not, potatoes are a vegetable and have a lot of great stuff in them, including potassium and Vit. C. If you can avoid preparing them loaded with fat, they're good for both carbohydrates and a veggie serving. Sweet potatoes are absolutely delicious. Cooked carrots are sweet and easy to eat.

I don't think eating a Balance bar everyday is a great idea. If you must eat some kind of bar, something much less processed will be better - for example, Clif Nectar bars (a combination of just fruit and nuts - very sweet, almost candy-like) - and they come in a chocolate-walnut flavor!), Odwalla bars, and there are many others available at natural food stores. You'd be better off eating real food instead of a meal-replacement bar. A piece of toast with a bit of peanut or almond butter is one possibility. Or, you could have a small bowl of cold cereal or oatmeal. Especially when dieting, I think people tend to be more satisfied eating small servings of real food than eating "fake food."
Click to view chele519's profile Legend 363 posts since
Dec 14, 2007
8. Oct 20, 2006 9:04 AM in response to: tdellaringa
I would stop eating the white rice. Eat just the brown. Also, if you eat pasta at all, get whole grain or whole wheat only, same with bread. Canned tomatoes are good and since they are usually canned fairly quickly they don't lose much of the nutrients. I've used italian stewed tomatoes with rice and it's pretty good. I agree that a Balance bar everyday is not a great idea. There are other, healthier bars. The Clif nectar are very good and there is another one that is just fruit and nuts but I can't think of the name. Something with organic in it.
Click to view HamaLee's profile Amateur 16 posts since
Aug 14, 2006
10. Oct 20, 2006 10:37 AM in response to: tdellaringa
Lara Bars are good, all natural/whole food too.

I have a rice question. Would jasmine rice be considered "white"? How about basmati?
Click to view Ice Cream's profile Legend 602 posts since
Dec 28, 2003
11. Oct 20, 2006 11:22 AM in response to: tdellaringa
quote:<HR>Originally posted by HamaLee:
Lara Bars are good, all natural/whole food too.

I have a rice question. Would jasmine rice be considered "white"? How about basmati?
<HR>


There is basmati brown rice.

Personally, I think you should keep the rice for lunch. You need the calories, esp. if you are running. I would substitute some of the snacks for veggies/fruit, though.
Click to view CSuzette's profile Legend 290 posts since
Apr 8, 2005
13. Oct 20, 2006 12:07 PM in response to: tdellaringa
A tomato is actually a berry, per my BIL.
Click to view wetfeetl33t's profile Pro 91 posts since
Sep 10, 2006
14. Oct 20, 2006 7:24 PM in response to: tdellaringa
Variety is best. On some days, have rice, on others, have tomatoes, etc. Aim for a variety of fruits too (there are literally hundreds of options for eating fruit, so you don't have to be picky). By adding variety, you make your meals interesting and get a broad range of nutrients. Likewise, have a balance bar sometimes, but also try the other possibilities that are mentioned.