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I have a feeling following this menu plan is going to be very difficult for me on at least two levels. First off I work a 10 -11 hour day so making some of these things at work wont be possible so I guess I will have to be vigilant and prepare things in advance to take with me. To do that means I will need to switch a great deal of foods in my menu as well.
Second looking at the portions of some of these things? OMG I am going to feel like I am eating like a bird definitely not use to such small portions ….sigh
I can only hope if I can stick to the plan and eat 6 times a day I wont feel so hungry to want bigger portions. As it stands now I generally only eat 2-3 times a day and yes tend to over indulge when I do.Hi, Tonya, and welcome. Just ease into it. You don’t need to be perfect, and certainly not right away. Small changes add up and ultimately make it all second nature.
hello im new to the trim down club and i have no idea or understand how to choose a menu planner can you please help me. many thanks
Hi, after a few months I’m still a newbie. I’m old with some digestion difficulties. I’d like to understand better, besides the amounts, what combinations are essential to this diet. Also, how much fruit a day? The same regarding vegetables. I’d like to give a try on adapting this diet to my health needs and/or difficulties. I lost almost 7 pounds but gain back about 5lbs. Fibers in excess (for me) can be a problem too. Can you help me to keep trying? Thnanks.
Hi Elaine,
To get tips and guidelines that will help you get the most out of the menu planner application, simply click on the following link: http://www.trimdownclub.com/menu-planner-tutorial/
Best of luck 🙂Hi, Everybody. It’s been a while. One reason is that I just got off a month long cruise and land tour. Ergo, the five pounds. Now it is back to the disciplined system to stay healthy and keep the weight off. If you’ve been around a while, you know that discipline is not my forte’…..LOL.
A couple of questions for Ossie………What happens if you just don’t eat? After being gone for a month the mail, email, bills, catching up around the house, etc, etc., I have eaten a bowl of cereal with almond milk, a couple of multi grain crackers with humus, and…….oh!!! nothing else. That is it for two days as of this writing and I don’t feel hungry at all. I know it is probably not healthy but what say you, Ossie?
The second question relates to something I got talked into while on the ship. Their “fitness advisor”…..I did lightly work out while on board…..sold me on some sort of algae cleansing and supplements from a company called Elemis out of England. I don’t like to think of what I paid for it, but wondered if you had heard anything about a program that is supposed to cleanse the body of toxins and make nutrition utilization easier.
I’m sure I have bored everyone by now so I will say goodbye. Keep it up, good people and remember, this is not a diet. It is a program for healthy eating.
Hi, Apensa, and welcome back! If you don’t do the only-cereal-during-the-day thing for more than one or two days a week, that’s fine. Some people do well with that – it’s known as “intermittent fasting.” the trick is to be sure you get enough vitamins and minerals on the days you eat all day to tide you over.
As for detox, the Elemis products won’t hurt you, but there isn’t any need to do the program as they recommend. Remember that the entire Trim Down Club is essentially a detox program, so you don’t have to starve yourself.Thank you so much, Ossie. You made my day. At least it does not sound like I totally wasted my money and the best part is that you’ve heard of the Elmis company.
Hi, I have been a member of TDC for quite a while but I had a time with a lot of illness (pneumonia, shingles, etc), and damaged rotator cuff from exercising. I had a hard time getting through the day let alone paying attention to my menus and cooking. I plan on retiring in October and would like to lose 30 pounds (want to start that part of my life a little slimmer) – that works out to approximately 2 lbs per week which is a good weight loss rate. What I want to know is: I usually take the same lunch to work every day (I don’t mind repetition) which consists of 1/2 baked chicken breast, 1/2c quinoa, and 1c finely chopped packaged stir fry vegies. I heat this up and add about one tbsp. olive oil mayo. I can package this on the weekend and put it in the freezer and it’s a really quick way to make my lunch. I do have rice crackers available and fruit in my office fridge for snacks. I don’t have a big appetite but I eat often. Will this be sufficient for me to lose weight? I don’t want to sabotage my eating habits.
Hello Ossie,I just signed up and have spent the whole day reading everything and setting up my menu for the week and feel completely overwhelmed. I thought this was going to be easy but now I’m concerned. My grocery list is a mile long! I don’t have a good track record when a diet plan starts to get complicated and there are a million ingredients in a recipe. It starts to turn me off and then there goes the best plan. I love the principles this plan is based around but fear it may get too fussy and I will never get out of the kitchen (exactly where I shouldn’t be.) Did I read somewhere today on this site that tells me more about how many exchanges I should be getting in a day? I did print out my weeks menus in both portion mode and exchange mode but am not sure how many exchanges I should have in a day to lose weight. About how many calories a day does this average out to be? Is this too many questions for one posting? Any help is appreciated. Thank you. I’m already afraid. I want this to be simple not too complex.
Hi, RetiredNP, and welcome! There are never too many questions!! Plenty of readers will benefit, and I am more than happy to help.
First, the overwhelming part is natural and t-e-m-p-o-r-a-r-y. It will pass as you find your way, and as your way becomes second nature. Second, we do recommend that you ease into it all. Since you were an NP, your scientific way-of-life probably drove you to plunge in headfirst – which is admirable, of course, but you absolutely can make little changes that add up. Additionally, you can select minimal variety in your menus, to ensure your shopping list doesn’t get too long AND repeat meals, days, and even whole weeks. To loop back to easing into your changes, you can start to build your menus from what you have in your cupboards/refrigerator/freezer etc. – benefiting from the portion sizes, combinations, and timing – and replace your stock gradually with upgraded items.
To find out how many exchanges are given to you, click on “Exchange view” in the toolbar above your finished menu; exchanges are listed here: http://www.trimdownclub.com/exchanges-lists (based on the American Diabetes Association exchanges, which you have probably encountered previously through your work). We are focused on nutrients, an so don’t work with calories, but I can tell you that you will be getting daily approximately 225 grams of carbohydrates, 100 grams of protein, and 75-80 grams of fat (range depending on the intricacies of your specific food choices) – note that these amounts will decrease gradually as you near your goal, to help prevent weight loss plateaus.
If you can be physically active – even a little – that will help, too. If you would like guidance on this part, please do repost.Thank you Ossie for your fast answer. I am feeling better today. I think I was so into all of this yesterday and praying for a final solution (which I believe I have finally found,) that I let myself become overwhelmed. Thank you for the info on how to find the exchange list. I was a diabetes educator and really feel comfortable using an exchange list. The way I figure it, using this plan I will average about 1975 cal a day to start. That is actually a really good figure when you take in my weight. I should be able to lose weight slowly and not be hungry (if fact, I am hoping I can eat as much as required.)I understand that all the calories and exchanges will change as I lose the weight. This morning when I got up I just relooked at some of the charting I used to use with my patients and smiled. I can do this! I remember telling many patients that and now its my turn to hear it and just do it. A healthy weight loss that I can LIVE with.
Thank you again.
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