Okay after much labor I think that I have come up with a suitable list that I can stick with for a while.
The numbers @ the end of each entry represent Calories, Carbs, Fats and Proteins. I am using Sparkspeople to come up with all this stuff. Unfortunately they don't have a section for sodium or fiber so I will have to check that out all on my own. But as it is I have run out of time for today. It will have to wait for tomorrow.
So starting tomorrow this will be my daily menu with dinner being the only thing that changes. And as you can see dinner is currently not listed but will be added as it is eaten.
I am shooting to remain below 1650 cals for the day and with this menu that will leave with at least 700 calories for dinner. Not that I think that I would ever need that many for dinner but it is nice to see that if the opportunity arose to have something, say spaghetti or another high calorie meal, I could enjoy it without guilt. Of course it also leaves room for more snacks. And as the days progress I will see if I need to add some snacks in here and there.

Breakfast
Egg substitute, liquid (Egg Beaters), 0.25 cup 53 2 0 8
Bread, reduced-calorie, wheat, 2 slice 91 1 20 4
Smart Balance Light Buttery Spread with Flax Oil, 1 tbsp 45 5 0 0
Totals = Calories 189, Carbs 8, Fats 20, Protein 12

Lunch
Green Peppers (bell peppers), 0.5 cup, strips 19 0 5 1
Fresh Express Fancy field greens salad, 1.5 cup 10 0 2 1
Tomatoes, red, ripe, raw, year round average, 4 wedge (1/4 of medium tomato) 26 0 6 1
Cucumber (with peel), 0.33 cucumber (8-1/4") 13 0 3 1
Chicken Breast, no skin, 3 ounces 94 1 0 20
Flavorite Mild Cheddar Shredded Cheese, 0.25 cup 110 9 0 7
Totals = Calories 271 Carbs 11 Fats 15 Protein 29

Snacks
Fiber One Cereal, 0.5 cup (1 serving) 59 1 24 2
Raisins, 0.25 cup (not packed) 109 0 29 1
Almonds, dry roasted, 0.5 oz (22 whole kernels) 85 7 3 3
Strawberries, fresh, 0.5 cup, whole 22 0 5 0
Banana, fresh, 1 medium (7" to 7-7/8" long) 109 1 28 1
Pop-Secret 100 calorie Pop Butter popcorn, 1 serving 100 4 20 3
Totals = Calories 483 Carbs 13 Fats 108 Protein 11

Daily Totals = Calories 943 Carbs 32 Fats 143 Protein 53

Wow! I'm sorry you had to work so long over the weekend. You must have been exhausted on Sunday! Is there any way you could get transferred to a dept that didn't involve working in a freezer? No wonder you're so sick of the cold weather.

I think we're getting some of the storm here anyway..lol. H said there was black ice in spots this morning, and that they closed down both north and southbound lanes of 131 for awhile due to black ice and a small pile up.

Your eating plan sounds good to me, just maybe needs a bit more protein.

Thanks for looking out for me on the eating plan. I am going by the Sparkspeoples daily nutrition diary thingy. At the bottom of the page it lets you see everything in a graphed out way so that you can see just how much of this and that you are getting. It was saying the things that I had in earlier was putting me way to high on the protein and not enough on the carbs. Like 12% to much on the protein and 14%-15% not enough on the carb side. So I figured I would try to do it their way. We'll see what happens. If I feel that it is not working I will change things around.
Also you have to remember that dinner is not on the food log that you saw so there was no big portion of meat to push that number up.

Are you by chance suffering any problems with the site?
None of my images, except the Avi's, will come up. All I have is a bunch of shodow box squares with little red X's in them. And the screen is like 2 1/2 times wider than normal. I have logged out and even turned off the computer but it doesn't change.
It wasn't doing this earlier today just started about 2 hours ago.
Catch ya later!

You can make it so you track sodium at sparkpeople and fiber as well. I do. I think you do it from the start page, go down to the bottom where your goals are. Where it tracks your cals, you can change nutrients to track. HTH, if you don't get it, give me a call sometime (when I'm home) and I will talk you thru it.

Hey Bell, just a little advice, but with all the workouts you are doing - 943 cals per day is not enough! It's not enough for anyone - not even if you're just sitting on the couch doing nothing. Ok, I did just read where you said you didn't include dinner. Whew! So I'm guessing your totals will be going up, but still there are good things to think about below.

Your body will hold onto fat because it will think it's "starving". Plus you have to think of cals as fuel for your body.

Are you on a low carb diet? It doesn't seem like you are getting enough nutrients in the "carb" dept. Whole grains, fruits, etc. are all carbs you should be eating.

You can always change the data in sparkpeople too. I have it keep my carbs between 177 & 255 and protein is 60 - 137 grams/day.

This here is directly from the sparkpeople website:
Function: Protein is an essential part of your body and diet. Found in almost every living cell and tissue, its main function is to maintain and replace tissue in your body. Protein is also used to produce hemoglobin, which are the red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout the body. Protein is also essential in manufacturing antibodies and the body's ability to clot bleeding. Protein is found in meat, eggs, and dairy products, along with vegetables, beans, and other plant products.

Recommended Daily Amount: SparkPeople recommends that people get 15% of calories from Protein, which is typically 2-3 protein servings a day. Like carbohydrates, each gram of protein contributes four calories. Therefore, at least 75 grams (300 calories) of protein should be consumed on a 2,000-calorie a day diet. Your protein recommendation is based on your calorie goals.

A Note About High Protein Diets
It is important to note that high protein diets can be hazardous to your health. Any excess protein that isn't used directly by the body as energy will be stored as fat, as will any other non-expended calories. As well, high protein diets such as the Atkins Diet have been linked to kidney problems because of the amount of effort the body must go through in order to process all the extra amounts or protein. Too much protein can also lead to high cholesterol and gout, and they may be high in fat, leading to an increased risk of heart disease.

And on carbs:

Function and Overview: Carbohydrate rich foods are the main source of energy for all body functions, so it is important that everyone consumes at least a moderate amount of carbohydrates on a daily basis. Carbohydrates can be broken down into two different types - sugars and starches. Sugars are easily digested and come from sources like fruit, candy and cake. Starches are more complex forms of carbohydrates and take longer to digest. They come from sources such as pastas, breads, grains and tortillas. Generally, complex carbohydrates will be better for your body. It is important to note that carbs not used by the body will be stored as fat - that is why it is important to limit the number of sugars consumed.

Recommended Daily Amount: SparkPeople recommends that people get 55% of calories from carbohydrates. Like protein, each gram of carbohydrate contributes four calories. Therefore, at least 275 grams (1,100 calories) of carbohydrate should be consumed on a 2,000-calorie a day diet. Your carbohydrate recommendation is based on your calorie goals.

Focus on Fiber
Another important type of carbohydrate is fiber. While on average Americans consume between 12 and 17 grams of fiber daily, adults need between 20 and 35 grams. Fiber is only found in plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables and grains and can be broken down into soluble and non-soluble forms. Soluble fiber appears to help lower cholesterol and does help to control blood sugar. Non-soluble fiber does not serve the same functions as the soluble form, but it does appear to help reduce the risk of colon cancer. Good sources of soluble fiber include beans and nuts, oatmeal, carrots, rice bran, citrus fruits, bananas and peas, whereas non-soluble fiber can be found in whole-wheat breads, cabbage, barley, wheat cereal, and fruits and vegetables with skin.

A Note About Low Carb Diets
Many diets now aim to eliminate carbohydrates completely in order to quickly lose weight. Though substantial weight may be lost very quickly, the diet can have many negative long-term effects. Many carbohydrates are significant sources of nutrients and vitamins that are essential to the body's health and well-being. It is important to note how the body loses weight when little or no carbs are being eaten. By limiting the amount of calories being eaten, the body is forced to find its energy from other sources. The first place it turns is not the body's fat stores, but rather muscle tissue. Even though muscle weighs more than fat, it burns a considerably greater amount of calories than do fat stores. Once the diet is ended, weight will be gained back at a considerable rate until you way just as much or more than before.

Rather than extreme diets like this, the best way to lose weight and keep it off is by combining a well-balanced diet with a consistent workout routine. While limiting carbohydrates is not the answer, eating the right kind of carbs can greatly help. Limiting the amount of foods with added sugars can help keep unnecessary calories out of your diet. By eating whole-grain foods, you can get the most nutritional benefit out of your calories, and your carbohydrates can work for you.

Again you can adjust these levels in your "goals".

HTH!

First let me say a big thank you to SweetiePea. I really appreciate all the info. When you and I both have some time (LOL I know like that will never happen) we can get together and look over my numbers. 'Cuz I'll be honest I want to make sure that I get this just right. I don't want to set myself up for failure.
With that said.......
I started with the food plan this morning the 27th. I had hoped to start yesterday but did not have all the food on the list since I had not been to the store in a while.
So today is the day.
I meant to get on here yesterday to check up with everyone but there is something wrong with my 'puter and this site. I keep getting lots and lots of "shadow boxes" with little red x's in them. Also for whatever reason the page is like 2 1/2 times wider than normal which makes it very difficult to read since you constantly have to be sliding the bottom curser back and forth. Makes me a bit dizzy to read that way.
So my hubby is going to see if he can fix the problem tonight. Hopefully he can. If anyone else has an idea as to what is happening PLEASE pass the info on.
'Cuz this is driving me NUTS!!!! LOL
Well I am off to swim so catch ya all later.
Ciao

First let me say a big thank you to SweetiePea. I really appreciate all the info. When you and I both have some time (LOL I know like that will ever happen) we can get together and look over my numbers. 'Cuz I'll be honest I want to make sure that I get this just right. I don't want to set myself up for failure.
With that said.......
I started with the food plan this morning the 27th. I had hoped to start yesterday but did not have all the food on the list since I had not been to the store in a while.
So today is the day.
I meant to get on here yesterday to check up with everyone but there is something wrong with my 'puter and this site. I keep getting lots and lots of "shadow boxes" with little red x's in them. Also for whatever reason the page is like 2 1/2 times wider than normal which makes it very difficult to read since you constantly have to be sliding the bottom curser back and forth. Makes me a bit dizzy to read that way.
So my hubby is going to see if he can fix the problem tonight. Hopefully he can. If anyone else has an idea as to what is happening PLEASE pass the info on.
'Cuz this is driving me NUTS!!!! LOL
Well I am off to swim so catch ya all later.
Ciao

hey the comp thing happened to me. i downloaded 'firefox' - googled it and its free aswell and now it seems to be ok.

have a good day

x

The computer thing was happening to me too for a while. It seemed to fix itself. I think it must have been happening for most of us.

I am sure that the repetitive meal concept will work well for you. It removes a whole load of indecision - and makes the grocery shopping easier too.

I love my fruit snacks - so if you do decide to add some extra snacks they are really brilliant.

It is always hard to comment on how balanced something is (either by a computer system or a person) if you are only looking at part of a picture. You will be able to hone it by typing it into one of these websites together with a few main meals and seeing how balanced the day then becomes. If anyone looked at my food in a timeframe they would see that before about 3pm I eat tons of cereal. After 8pm I eat nothing but fruit. Whole segments of the day are dramatically unbalanced - but it ends up producing a pretty well balanced diet.

I am sorry that you had to do such a long shift at the weekend. It sounds so rotten for you. Things will be so much better if you could get out of that freezer. It certainly sounds like the shifts are poorly managed there.

Take care
Love
Margaret

Most people do not get enough protein. You should eat 1g of it for every half pound of your weight--as a minimum. Protein helps you maintain your muscle and makes you feel full. You are not going to get all of those heart diseases etc that Sweatpea mentioned from eating lean proteins. Things like beans, nuts, lean meats and non-fat dairy are good for you. I try to make sure I get at least 100-110g of protein every day. Sparkpeople and fitday should not be taken at absolute word, b/c they only recommend bare minimums. If you are trying to lose weight, you should eat more protein than what they recommend. I do, and I am healthy as a horse.

I also don't agree with their carb recommendation of at least 275g per day. That is pretty high, imo. I am by no means on a low carb diet, and my carbs are almost always under 250g. Low-carb diets are under 60g per day, so eating at my level is certainly not low-carb. Also, carbs tend to be empy calories, and not as filling as protein, making you feel hungry still.

Hi Bikinbound!

By posting that, I just wanted Bella to know where the numbers for sparkpeople were coming from. I rarely have a day where my carbs are over 250 either. Mine generally fall in between 160 and 240. I do focus on whole grains though. Also, as far as the protein, I'm not sure that with her original meal plan (sans dinner) she was getting enough of that either. My protein levels generally fall into the 60's and 70's - sometimes a bit higher. But I do have a lean protein with every meal.

The reason why I asked about her being on a low carb diet was because her carbs were fairly low. Even with missing one meal.

I was just posting the information from sparkpeople since she was using it as a guide. I was also letting her know she can change those numbers in her "goals" section so that they can reflect the way that she wants to eat.

I definitely don't do everything the "Spark" way.

But I did just learn something, that you should have 1g of protein for every 1/2 pound. I have never heard that guideline before. But it makes sense. However, a quick question - should it be for the weight you are now or the weight you want to be?

Hey Bell, Did you get your hair did? I wanna see some pics!!

I wasn't disagreeing with you, I was disagreeing with Sparkpeople. I just didn't want her to follow all that b/c Sparkpeople said to.

The protein is for your current weight.

So Bella, you, Margaret and I are on the same team. I think we'll do pretty well.

Hi Dawn

Just checking up on my team-mate. I hope that you are doing fine.

Take care
Love
Margaret

Yeah it is done did! And I love it. It is waaaay shorter than before but with all the swimming I really needed to it to be more managable. I don't have any pic of me yet but you will see it/me on Sunday. The rest of you will have to just wait! LOL
Isa got her hair cut too. ALL OFF!!! Wait until you see it. She is soooo excited.
~For those of you who don't know my 8yr old daughter was growing her hair for Locks of Love and finally had enough to get it cut last night. I am so proud of her for having such a caring heart.~