Weight-Loss Could use some ideas

[Terminallove]

I've never posted but i've been lurking this forum for quite some time. It's been a great deal of motivation. However I am stuck. Me and my boyfriend definitely improved our eating habits recently along with working out. Cut out soda, sweets, fried foods. Now i'm looking to take the next step and decided counting calories. Here is my problem. I have always been an awful eater..and I blame my weight gain in that. I don't eat a lot..I just eat once a day. Big problem, that I already know. So I am using fit day with some suggestions I have read here and I am trying to set up some kind of daily meal plan. I am finding getting up to 1500 calories(this is what I established as being healthy to lose about 2pounds per week with exercise) to be difficult.

So that being said, I could use some ideas as to what I could add to my day that would get me there..the healthy way.

I love fruits, and RAW veggies. Cooked I cannot stand the flavor..but I could munch on raw cauliflower, carrots and broccoli all day.

This was just an idea but this is what I came up with. Also I do plan on SOME variety..like maybe whole grain toast with eggs for breakfast some days and more variety in dinners(ex. fish instead of chicken..veggies instead of rice)
Breakfast -1 cup plain yogurt (154) 1 cup blueberries (83)
Snack -1 cup raw cauliflower(25) 1 tbsp ranch (74)
Lunch- ?
Snack - 1 apple(72) 1 tbsp Peanut butter (94)
Dinner-4oz boneless chicken breast(222) Brown rice (169)

This only put me at 893. I left out lunch because I honestly have no idea what a healthy choice for lunch would be. I could use all the advice I could get. I'm ready to go grocery shopping and I am lost. Breaking meals down into 3 times a day plus snacks is SO difficult for me to do with the awful eating habits I am used to.

thanks in advance.

 

[KaraCooks]

Breakfast -1 cup plain yogurt (154) 1 cup blueberries (83)
Snack -1 cup raw cauliflower(25) 1 tbsp ranch (74)
Lunch- ?
Snack - 1 apple(72) 1 tbsp Peanut butter (94)
Dinner-4oz boneless chicken breast(222) Brown rice (169)

That actually looks pretty good as a base to get started with. Let me throw out some ideas to help raise both calories and nutrition.

For your morning snack, instead of ranch dressing, what about trying hummus? It's good healthy carbs and fats. Also add more veggies -you don't need to limit to a cup and you're not getting a lot of veg the rest of the day anyway.

For lunch what about a sandwich? whole grain bread, with some deli turkey or some tuna or chicken salad? Add 1 tbsp of mayo or some kind of vinaigrette dressing with olive oil, and you've added 120 calories of healthy fat. Or slice some avocado into your sandwich or use guacamole as a spread.

If you don't like sandwiches, maybe a salad of baby greens and tuna?

For your afternoon snack - go for a full serving of peanut butter 2 tbsp. There are more calories, protein, etc.

For dinner - cook your chicken in some olive oil (just lightly basted) for both flavor and healthy fat and calories. Add some veggies in there - again, you want to have veg or fruit with every meal in order to get enough. Play around with various side salads - one I make a lot is baby spinach with sliced mandarin oranges, slivered almonds, and a sprinkle of either feta or blue cheese.

One way that I work to get healthy calories in is to make sure that EVERY meal/snack contains some protein and some veg or fruit. Carbs and starches are add on items.

Hope that helps some.

 

[Terminallove]

Thank you for your response Kara. Your advice was very helpful. I am nutrition challenged but I realize how important it is in learning to eat right. So thank you for the push in the right direction.