is this healthy?

[kezia_88]

I'm trying to tone up and be healthy so I am eating the following:

breakfast: cereal or tea cake

lunch: low fat crisps, sandwich, apple, low fat bar of sum kind

snack: cereal

tea: healthy living something then a weightwatchers pudding in the evening

I am also doing 5 minutes of cardio running on the spot everyday and sit-ups crunchies leg squats

whilst also using toning creams, an ab belt for legs and abdominal muscles

is there anything else I can add

sorry its so long!

x

[lethologica]

I always thought that healthy was at least five portions of fruit or veg a day and a balanced diet.

That sounds like a lot of processed food and one, if any fruit or veg...

why not have a breakfast of two fruits of your choice, a midmorning snack of a mix of sunflower seeds and nuts, a sandwich for lunch with maybe another piece of fruit and a meal in the evening containing meat and some form of carbohydrates, again with vegetables....

[FP]

lethologica's answer is right.  What you are eating is all processed food and is expensive for what you are getting.  Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables and make sure you eat a balanced diet with protein and carbohydrates, and include fish and chicken.  Just don't eat to excess and cut out on sugary and very fatty foods (you must eat some fat).  Only eat when you are hungry and drink plenty of water.

A good brisk walk in the outdoors is one of the greatest excercises out and you get fresh air as well.  Dancing is also great for your heart and you get to enjoy yourself. 

[marmaduke]

Why not see a dietician who can plan your diet for you, and perhaps someone who can sort out the best fitness programme?

[Hamish]

Hi you seem to focus on low fat, is one of the objectives to loose weight? I have altered by diet a little to loose weight, but being out 12 hrs a day (breakfast-dinner) I get really hungry. I also needed a plan that would let me keep it up indefinitely. I have poridge for breakfast, a fruit/nut bar 4 hrs later, lunch - salad (veg/normal salad/fruit salad) 2-3 hrs later and another nut bar at about 3pm. normal dinner at 6-7:30. no pudding usually and procesed food probably once a forghtnight.

[natalie_1982]

If you are interested in losing weight, you could try this website

http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk

I find it helpful, you get a three day free trial and it tells you the cals in everything.

For example, yesterday I had yoghurt and banana for brekkie, apple mid morn, cereal for lunch, kiwi and orange mid aft and homemade beef stew for dinner.  I was well under my cal intake for the day, and I wasn't hungry!  I also force myself out for a brisk half hour walk on my lunch break instead of sitting on my bum at my desk.

I'd agree with all the previous posts, cut out that processed pap, eat more fruit and veg, drink plenty of water and exercise more often.

In my opinion, toning creams and ab belts, etc are like those pulsing pads you put on your tummy - they don't work!  If they did, do you really think there'd be so many obese people in the world?  Would people really spend hours down the gym every week?

[Casey]

I heard that it is best to eat fruit for breakfast, and not to eat fruit after any meal as it doesn't digest as well.

[Englishbird]

Kezia, there are a milliion and one different opinions, what you are eating is not bad at all.  You could do with stepping up slightly on the fruit and veg.  Maybe swap the low fat bar for another piece of fruit (strawberry's/melon) and have some veg with your evening meal.

Yes, it would be preferable for you to cook chicken or fish rather than have a ready meal - but I for one don't always have the time.

If you're trying to lose weight, you have to find what works for you.  good luck.x

[nykkieberry]

This is repeating a lot of the above common sense but cut out all that processed, fad diet low fat 'food' products.

Focus on exercising 30 mins a day - cardio for weight loss/weights for toning - a good brisk walk will suffice or get a mini trampoline. Up your vegetables, fruit and nuts, cut down on starchy carbs like bread, pasta, rice and potatoes, and fatty proteins such as cheese, butter, etc.(but not cutting out completely). Drink plenty of water and cut down/out alcohol. Avoid processed foods if you can - including pre-prepared diet foods! 

One further tip, food combining does really work if you want to go that one step further and makes a lot of sense. Don't mix carbs and proteins together and leave a 2/3 hour gap between eating them. Eat fruit on its own with a 30 min break on either side and snack on seeds. You won't go hungry and your body will metabolise the food a heck of lot better.

i.e. fruit for breakfast OR porridge oats

mid morning snack - handful of nuts or seeds

lunch time - cottage cheese and a

HUGE salad

mid-afternoon - fruit

Dinner

- chicken and steamed veg (no potatoes)

salmon

and steamed veg

vegetable

curry in a tomato sauce (not cream sauce)

vegetable

[Gevs1966]

From what you have said it is clear that you don't do enough exercise. 5mins running on the spot is barely enough to get your heart rate started let alone up to where it needs to be when doing CV exercise for the purposes of losing weight and toning up.

 

As for the diet side of things, it doesn't sound too bad but it is not too great either and I agree that more fruit and veg is needed.

 

I do think the exercise is the main point though if you are trying to tone up, you should be doing at least 1/2 hour solid cv exercise at least 3 times a week. If you put that together with a balanced diet then you won't go too wrong.

[BUNNY]

Wheres the fruit and veg??Healthy eating is at least 5 portions of fruit and veg and most of that should be veg as fruit still has a high suagr content.Add 2 litres of water a day and a 30 min brisk walk and you'll be seeing results in no time.Its vitally important to include this increase in exercise to keep your metabolism up.Don't eat processed food.Its so full of salt and presevatives.use your own fresh ingredients.A can of tomatoes with fresh veg in it will give you a great sauce packed with vitamins and you'll have double the quantity for half the price of any processed stuff.Small changes,big rewards.

]

[kezia_88]

I dont think I quite explained myself well enough! I forgot to add that I walk to and from school which is roughly 40 mins in total (i dont walk slow either) Also I have at least 2 veg for tea I know I need more but there aren't many I like which is hard! Also my running is 5mins up and down the stairs so it is quite hard, is this still not enough then? I just find it so hard and as im at school (16) and have a part time job. I can't eat what I want so I have to have a packed lunch then I have lots of revision to do on top of excercising!There just isn't enough time it seems for me!

[natalie_1982]

We all have that problem though, most of us get in from work at 6ish and the last thing you feel like doing is exercising when you have dinner to cook, laundry/ housework/ shopping to do, kids to look after, revision to do, etc.

Where's the difficulty in taking fresh fruit or veg in your packed lunch?  Why not have a yoghurt instead of the weightwatchers pudding?  Why not have seeds instead of the crisps?  Low-fat crisps are rarely low-fat.  What do you have in your sandwiches?  Why not have ryvita or something instead?

I think if you are considering losing weight you really ought to learn about nutrition, exercise and your body as by just taking the 'low-fat' option you won't lose weight.  As mentioned lots before - increase your fruit, veg and water intake, and decrease the over-processed crap - it only leaves me feeling hungry and rarely tastes of anything!  Good luck.