Heathy Eating/ Weight Loss

Ah. Sorry. Of course, no human body is the same, different  people have different calorie requirements

Please take care not to veer into offering medical advice as per rule 6.

Thanks

Suzanne Mod

I've lost weight recently, but I must admit I was helped by low mood.

It has been simple for me. I just cut down my food - smaller portions - and cut out snacks. Not trying to sound dismissive, I promise

I also do a lot of walking, but I understand this might not be easy for everyone. I manage to average 15k steps a day atm, with a physical job,  because I started walking more on my days off. That combined with less snacking has really helped.

You could do 7000 steps a day and still lose weight - 30-40 minutes - if you do it regularly.

I do also use a couple of apps. Step Counter - Pedometer by Leap Fitness Group is simple to use.

I also use Google Health. In Health you can also add your calories and it will give you an overall calorie usage for the day, not just calories from steps. The app changed the way you add calories. It is not done by product and it's only American products, but you can search for calorie and it will let you add 100 calories a time.

I wish you the best of luck. Losing weight has changed my health so dramatically.

I've found using a [link removed by mod rule 12] leally helps simplify meal tracking. It lets you snap photos of your meals to log details instantly, which is a game-changer if keeping track of numbers feels overwhelming. The personalized plans and shopping list generator are super handy for planning meals on a budget. It’s free to use, and exploring different features has made staying healthy much easier for me.

I think there is a huge interplay- I sometimes think stress makes me loose weight faster which is really bad. 

Maybe a cookbook can help too? For some inspiration. I recently got myself ‘Eat yourself healthy’ from Jamie Oliver - no idea if the recipes are any good as I haven’t tried them yet but it had a nice assortment of recipes and they are meant to be healthy and nutritious. I know there are a lot of recipes on internet but sometimes it can help to just have one good book so that you don’t have to keep searching for recipes. 

In terms of cooking etc- you can assemble or make very simple meals with little effort. I only make things that take less than 10-15 min. Not sure what you like but things I like: wholegrain wrap or pita bread filled with some kind of protein (you can use prawns or ready grilled chicken slices if not in mood to cook) and you can pair it with some veggies (either grilled or even raw- lettuce, tomatoes, bell peppers etc- anything you like) and some sauce/ dip to make it taste nice if you want (like joghurt with herbs, guacamole or hummus etc)- this doesn’t really require cooking and is quick and versatile- you just need to assemble. pita bread and wraps tend to be quite cheap 

I like eggs on toast too- you can get a higher fibre whole grain bread if you want. Eggs are cheap too-

Stirfrys are nice and quick too (choose a protein of choice some veggies and then depending on preferences seasoning eg i like lemongrass and chili with some soy, mirin etc but you can put what you like) and can be really healthy- you can pair it with wholegrain rice or white rice whatever you prefer - if time is an issue you can even get microwave rice sachets - they are done in 1 min or so. A rice cooker also makes it very easy. 

egg fried rice is cheap and easy too

Potatoes ‘baked’ in the microwave are super easy too and make good sides- just poke holes in them first with a knife and place in microwave in a bowl and cook until soft usually 3-7 min depending on size and microwave strength. 

I personally also really like making my own sushi rice and eating it with salmon etc - might be a bit less healthy as there is some sugar in it but oh well. 

If you like pasta you could make a nice ‘bolognese’ but use the lower fat beef mince - add some passata and veggies and done- it doesn’t even need to cook for long- just fry and season the beef and courgettes/ bellpeppers etc. Maybe add a chili, put in the passata and cook while you are cooking the pasta and done. i also like to make a similar dish with seafood


I generally tend to choose one protein one starch and some veggies for each meal and then put it together. If you cook things like rice you can also make a bigger batch and reheat it to save time

these are just some of the quick options that I make - I don’t know if any of these ideas inspire you?

I can’t advise on what’s right for you (I haven’t even figured out my own diet and for me the battle is to put on weight) but I have a lot of experience with quick relatively nutritious cooking for one person and the food I eat is generally quite light (I barely use oil ) due to my digestive issues. 

Hi, It might be helpful to work with a dietitian that can help you find the best approach for you. I personally don’t find it helpful to track calories or macros but rather focus more on how I feel and overall patterns and habits. I have the opposite issue though and generally tend to end up underweight due to digestive issues and need to gain weight. But I think whether it’s about losing or gaining weight, it’s always hard to make changes especially when autistic. It can really help to have a dietitian that can help identify some small lasting changes you can make that are sustainable in the long term. At least in my experience any drastic actions or approaches that leave you not feeling well only yield short term results and are unsustainable. This is the dietitian who has helped me so much: [link removed by mod rule 12] She has experience with autistic imdividuals and is amazing- she has a very holistic approach and it is very personalised. I was very lucky that my university helped fund some sessions with her. 

Years ago I had a leaflet from our surgery where it told you how many portions of carbohydrate are required etc. From that I worked out how many handfuls of pasta, spoons of rice, size of potato etc. I put it this on the inside of a cupboard door to refer to. I don't have it any more though.

I then looked at reducing sugar by having tins of fruit in juice for example. I also cooked with very little fat. A roast joint is cooked in water with flavouring. I tried to cook at least one vegetarian stew with plenty of flavouring and lentils or chickpeas each week.

I think just counting calories isn't always helpful, there's so much else going on around weight and body size, a lot of people don't lose weight evenly across their bodies, some areas seem to thin out faster than others, in my case, my face goes thin and my knees stay stubbornly fat. I think weight and body size have a psychological component too, I've noticed that if I feel beseiged mentally then I put on weight, even though I don't seem to eat more or do less, I think this is physically taking up more space in the world that I don't feel I'm getting mentally. Of course age and gender play their parts too, women tend to get heavier as we age, and of course menstral hormones play a huge part, one that I think is under researched and recognised. 

Basically the average human body requires 2000 calories a day. Count the amount of calories each food item you get has and stick to that number or slightly below and do a little exercise and you should be good

I sometimes put what I have eaten into chat gpt and ask it to calculate the nutrition data that I want - calories, protein, fibre etc. If you put in the brand of food, it seems to do a pretty good job but obviously may not always be 100% accurate.

You could also try putting in the foods that you like, explain that you struggle with cooking and need it to be cheap and see if it can suggest some simple meals for you. 

I'm too fussy to like anything like this but some people find batch cooking helpful. You commit one day to making the food and then freeze portions meaning you don't have to cook all week you can just heat up the frozen food. Don't know whether you'd find that easier or harder.

I am having difficulties with nutrition too. I'm not overweight by do have slightly high cholesterol. Due to my sensory sensitivities with food and my difficulties with executive function with kitchen tasks, I struggle to make nutritious food. I'm trying to make small changes like gradually moving from white bread and pasta to whole meal and adding in more fruit and veg. I'm very limited with veg but I'm trying to make sure I eat something each week and gradually increase that. It's basically always the same thing because I dislike most of it but I figure as long as I'm eating something, it's better than nothing.

Yes, I wish I could get something like that. My cooker is electric and always hotter than it claims on the dials and the oven temperature.

That old saying about a bad workman blames his tools and not himself is often used as a stick to beat people with, it certainly was with my friend. I was so happy when she got diagnosed with Chronns disease, (finally) and had to start cooking for herself and seeing how that made her so much more confident as a cook and that she deserved decent equipment

Hi everyone,

For support around eating habits and weight, it’s important to make sure the advice you’re getting is appropriate for your needs. For support that involves medical needs or tailored dietary advice, it’s usually recommended to speak to a GP and/or a registered dietitian.

You’re very welcome to continue sharing experiences and suggestions, this is just a reminder to keep advice general and avoid anything that could be taken as medical guidance.

Thanks everyone for contributing to a supportive and helpful conversation.
Sharon Mod

I soak pans with hot water and bicarb, that lifts most of the burnt stuff off.

We got  new hob just before xmas and even when you turn the burners right down, they still don't go down low enough, so I end up with quite a lot of pans with crud stuck to the bottoms of them.

Remember whenyou could get those abestos tile things to put on a ring to make it a really low heat? I wish they make something similar now.

I changed to stainless steel pans and though I've burnt them several times it comes off with steel wool. I agree that it's false economy to buy cheap pans and also it makes cooking a far better experience if you have the right tools. Cooking is no different to tradesman, who always use the best if they are any good.

I totally agree Marianne, if you suddenly swap from not cooking to cooking from scratch, then you may have a couple of biggish bills, as you stock up on ingredients, but then they should level off to something more normal. I batch cook a lot, why make 2 portions of curry of bolognaise sauce when I can make 6 just as easily and freeze 4 of them?

One of the things that people over look when learning to or begining to start cooking is that you do need some fairly decent equipment, not cheap pots and pans from the pound shop, you could burn water in some of those cheap pans and that will put you off and waste money. I've taught a few people to cook and I always start out with the right pots and pans, those who I've taught to cook have been glad and one in particular was as she'd been told that if she couldn't manage in the pans she had it was her being a bad workman blaming the tools. I made her use my pots and pans and everything came out fine and she started to gain confidence and argued back at her parents who were insisting on her using pans that were little thicker than baked bean tins. You don't have to spend a lot of money on equipment, look somewhere like TKMAXX, they have a lot of nice stuff fairly cheap, I've got a set of pans for there that I've been using for over 20 years and they're still going strong.

If you're a real beginer at cooking then I'd recomend getting Delia Smith's books, How To Cook, she will take you right the way through from boiling an egg to cooking xmas dinner over 2 books. You should be able to get them second hand fairly cheaply and easily

My GP Surgery has a weight loss clinic and I know they refer at least some people to a dietician.  https://www.bda.uk.com/about-dietetics/what-do-dietitians-do/how-can-dietitian-help-you.html

The NHS links that pinkchocoholic posted have some useful information on what a healthy diet may look like.

AmyLR94 said:

I really would like to learn to lose weight/get into shape

I second pinkchocoholic 's suggestion to check out the linked NHS resources. In respect of your goals, the second link in that earlier post includes sections on:

NHS - How to lose weight

NHS - Get active

In terms of getting personal advice and support, I suggest starting with your GP. Not only might they be able to advise you themselves, but they can also refer you to other sources of support if appropriate.

Within the last few years, I've been on the opposite journey, diet-wise, in needing to stop and reverse weight loss.

As part of that, my GP referred me to a dietician in the local NHS dietetic service. Working within the constraints of my limited diet and other needs, they helped me to increase and stabilise my weight (which remains an ongoing challenge), whilst also advising on my nutritional needs.

Also within the last few years, and again through my GP, I requested a referral to my local social prescriber. Part of their role involved working around my autism and other restrictions - whilst also taking into account my personal interests and preferences - to find and suggest local activities that I could try as part of my own goal to become more active.

An example of their help is that I went swimming for the first time in many years, which was a huge achievement for me. And they didn't just send me to a large, public pool - which anyone could have suggested. Based on their experience and local knowledge, they suggested somewhere that was much more private and quiet, but still affordable.

Switching back to food for a moment, your social prescriber might also be able to help you find local cooking classes, for example, if that might be of interest. 

Getting back to activity, the surgery has also previously offered me access to a gym (although I didn't feel up to it at the time) in order to help me get more active.

It's worth noting that none of this cost me anything, which obviously wouldn't have been the case if I'd sought support privately.

I did also use the MyFitnessPal app for a while, to help me hit the daily calorie targets that the GP and dietician recommended. As almost everything that I eat has a barcode on it, I did pay for the Premium subscription, so that I could just scan my food and drink packaging, and then use the portion size setting - which then calculated and recorded my calories automatically.