cpush

Hello, I attend a University and live on campus in the dorms. I eat at the cafeteria, and was hoping some of you could help me with my diet. First of all, let me explain my situation. I'm not a body builder and I don't lift weights. I do cardio and calisthenics. I am not looking to build mass, and if anything maybe lose a little. I want to stay lean and lose as much body fast as possible. I am not overweight but would like to get my bf% down.

Ok, now for my diet. As a college student I have a limited time schedule, and budget, so here it goes:

Breakfast [7:45 A.M.]
A granola bar or nutrigrain bar + multivitamin.

-I eat breakfast in my room so this item I will get at the grocery store, what could I get that is more simple and healthy, yet fast? A bowl of cheerios has way less sugar than a granola or nutrigrain bar, but just as many carbs, what would you suggest?

Lunch [12:30 P.M.]
-A grilled chicken breast
-salad including lettuce, mushrooms, green peppers, sprouts, and cucumbers topped with reduced fat ranch (very small amount)
-about a cup of cottage cheese (they say it's 1% but I think it ranges from skim - 2% and they just get whatever)
-sometimes a little yogurt to aid the cottage cheese
-crystal light

Dinner [6:30 P.M.]
Pretty much the exact same thing as lunch maybe a smaller quantity all around

As far as snacks in my room, I will get things such as wheat thins or pretzels. Both of which I assume are not recommended.

Here is the cafeteria's menu http://www.uwstout.edu/dining/nutrition.pdf

I do not go to the cafeteria for breakfast usually, there is no time and a limited menu + it gets expensive. But I will take advice on anything. I would like to know what I should eat for lunch and dinner. I can only afford to go to the cafeteria twice a day usually, so I will take recommendations on simple groceries I can keep in my room. Taste doesn't bother me, if it's bland I don't usually care. I want to lose about 8-10 pounds and keep it off. Also if you could recommend snacks, or a breakfast substitute I can make in my room before class. I don't have time or money to get a bunch of ingredients, so please the simpler the better. I read tuna and cottage cheese are great snacks I can eat in between meals. I love cottage cheese, and low fat yogurt together as a snack, however the yogurt is a bit high in carbs. Please I will take any suggestions, and then I'll go grocery shopping

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks.

JoeR.

My attempt at this:

cpush

Thanks for the reply

Ok for breakfast I could, and should get up earlier anyway. Are there any alternatives to shakes? I can pick up some oats, but should I have something else with them?

Eating in between there is a little tricky. Here's my schedule:

Monday Wednesday and Friday
Class: 8 - 11:05 (Usually eat breakfast at 7:30)
Off: 11:05 - 1:25 (Usually eat lunch at 12:20)
Class: 1:25 - 2:20
Work: (Monday) 2:30 - 6:00 (I work in a computer lab and could smuggle in a snack if necessary)
Dinner at 6:30

Tuesday and Thursday
Class: 9:05 - 11:05 (Sometimes go to the cafeteria these days)
Off: 11:05 - 12:20
Class: 12:20 - 1:45 (Usually eat lunch at 1:45)
Work: (Tuesday) 2:30 - 6

For lunch: I can completely ditch the yogurt if need be.

For snacks/meals in between: What would you suggest, I was thinking about going to the grocery store and stocking up on cottage cheese, tuna, and nat pb. Which should I eat when? Again I'd like to try and avoid protein shakes. As far as EFA's I'm a little new, but from reading I assume people take care of these with their "fish caps" ? Could you fill me in on these and when/howmuch I should take, and where I get them?

Yes I'm fortunate my school offers undergrads in both dietetics and food sciences, so our school is a bit more health concious than most. As for my meal plan, it is as follows:

Breakfast: $1.80
Lunch: $2:10
Dinner: $2:20

Basically it is the above cost and you get 1 entre, and unlimited anything else you want, including salad bar, CC, drinks, fruit, whatever. It works like regular money, you just pay for a meal, and you have so much money on your account. Each time you get a meal, x amount is subtracted from your funds. So I can't go and pay like .60 cents or something and just get a chicken breast I have to pay for a full meal, so it's most efficient to make a full meal of it.

Let me know what you think. Thanks.

maniclion

1/2 cup Uncle Bens Ready Brown rice and a can of tuna dressed up with fat free italian, lemon juice, lemon pepper and onion or not would make a quick breakfast.

JoeR.

If anyone sees any bad advice speak up, I am no Jodi.

ZAGLOBA

When I have time constraints to when I can eat and don't have time to prepare food, I could all my food on one day of the week and seperate it so I have it laid out for each day. It ends up being pretty cheap cause you can buy meat etc. in bulk.

Honor i Ojczyzna

cpush

Joe,

Today I mixed it up a bit.

I have not went grocery shopping yet so I am improvising with what I have.

Meal 1 (8 AM): Went to the cafeteria, had about a cup of scrambled eggs and a small bowl of cheerios with skim milk.

-For this meal I plan to change it to: 1/2 cup of oats or brown rice with cc or tuna (eating in my room)

Meal 2 (11 AM): A nutrigrain bar with a slice of fat free cheese for added protein.

-For this meal (it has to be quick) I'm not sure what I can squeeze in. A nutrigrain bar with a slice of cheese is FAST but I know not the healthiest alternative. Maybe I can make myself a small tuna sandwich on 1 slice of light wheat bread (9g carbs 45 calories)?

Meal 3 (2 PM): A bowl of instant oats + peanut butter, a small chicken breast, and a cup of cottage cheese

-I know instant oats are not the recommended oats, however this is all my cafeteria offers. Would no oats be better than instant oats? Instant oats > bowl of cereal? Also the peanut butter is most likely not natural, so no peanut butter > regular pb? Also chunky or smooth?, we have both. Otherwise how does this one look?

Meal 4 (6 PM): A small chicken breast, a cup of CC, and ???. Usually I have a small salad with this (Im in the cafeteria again) but that's carbs. Should I make a small salad or just go to the cafeteria and get a chicken breast and CC?

-This meal has to be at the cafeteria, it's more for social interaction than anything, people on the floor all go around this time so I don't want to eat alone in my room.

Meal 5 (10 PM): Don't really have a meal 5, but I plan on it being CC with tuna.

That is my Tuesday/Thursday schedule.

As far as if I would like calorie help with how much to eat at what meal, yeah that would be awesome. I am 5'8" and weigh around 135 lbs. I have no idea about my bf%, my waist size is ~27" I am built with a small frame. I'm skinny, but that doesnt mean I don't have excess fat over my stomach. In the last few months I think I've put on roughly 5-8 pounds that I'd like to get off. My tummy layer has gotten bigger and my abs less prevalent. My bf% can come down quite a bit and that's my main goal. Like I said I'm not a body builder and am not looking to gain mass. I am more after the lean/skinny physique. Does that mean I shouldn't consume mass amounts of protein so I don't put on too much muscle? Guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

JoeR.