Newbies

Oh dear! End of first week and have gained 1 lb but I think I read somewhere on here that it takes the body a couple of weeks to respond to the new way of eating. So, here goes on a second week which will, hopefully, show a move in the right direction.
My problem is that I can’t eat all that it is recommended that I eat. I keep to the menu balance for the meals I do eat. Yesterday, for example, I had breakfast, late lunch and 3 snacks. I had thawed out salmon ready for my dinner but just couldn’t face cooking and eating it so I settled for a third snack. I just can’t fit in 3 meals and 3 snacks. Is this why I am not losing weight? What meals/snacks would you approve of me leaving out? I would like to lose weight this week to encourage me to keep going. If I know what I’m doing is right and should result in a weight loss I’ll try and develop some patience.

I was going to order some trousers a couple of sizes larger than those in the wardrobe from last year (which won’t close over the tum now) but I am putting off the expense of that for a few weeks in the hope that I can, at last, lose weight instead of it gradually going up.

I will step up the activity side this week as suggested but just want to make sure I am OK in leaving out a snack, or a meal, on a regular basis.

Thank you for your helpful reply and, yes please, I would like guidance on activity to help me lose weight. I am 78 so don’t suggest jogging or similar. I have a wii U Fit, and when I walk to the shop it’s just 20 minutes there and back – I don’t count the minutes in the shop. The wii Fit I haven’t used recently as I’ve had to spend time in the garden. If I get back to 20 minutes minimum on the wii Fit and the walk to the shop about 3 times a week do you think that would be enough? I can’t go to exercise classes as I have multiple chemical sensitivities and react to the stuff they clean the floor with at the local Community Centre and elsewhere. I’ve tried wearing a mask but it isn’t effective enough and is uncomfortable (and embarrassing) to wear while exercising.

One last question on the food side. I am now weighing my rice cooked, and I have read that I weigh meat products before cooking – where do porridge oats come in on the scheme of things. I have been measuring them before cooking on the theory that measuring them in a cup after cooking the size would depend on how wet the mixture is. It would be helpful if you could tell me what weight of oats I should be cooking.

I am settling down into this pattern of eating now and looking forward to my week being up on Tuesday so that I can do my first weekly weigh-in. Fingers crossed for a loss, however small.

Sorry for a second question. Looking at the recipes it states exchanges. Am I supposed to have a certain level of exchanges a day. Or what are they for.
Once I have found my way round the site and understand it I’ll stop posting on here.

Hi, Bernadette. You are welcome to mix and switch as you like 🙂

Hi, MAPierce. You can steam green vegetables until they are at the desirable texture.

Am new and finding this a little confusing????
How does it work?help!!!

Hi, Anita. I highly recommend that you use the personal version of the Menu Planner (the right-most of the 3 options in the Menu Planner application area). There you can choose the specific foods to go into your menu.

Hi, Caryl, and welcome. I recommend that you select “Non-Dairy” in your profile, and then use the personal version of the Menu Planner so that you can select the foods that work for you – including almond milk and nut butters.