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Jim...If you really want to give up sugar & un-healthy carbs, try searching on the net for info on the health problems that you may end up with if you continue to eat the way you have been. Doing that & getting a book or two from the library can be a real eye-opener!
I am also in retail, but take my lunch & snacks to work with me, as we have a small fridge & microwave in the break room. You may want to try my diet. This is basically a low glycemic diet...a modified version of the cabbage soup diet (it is a chicken broth or tomato based veg soup. I have lost 8 lbs. in 4 wks...not a lot, but I am almost never very hungry & feel great! The best part about this diet is that you can eat all the time, which is recommended to keep the metabolism going. You may be able to increase the quantities, since you are male & will need more calories. The main thing is that there is no added sugar or white flour products on this diet, except for the first week, I made an egg & muffin sandwich( you could have a whole wheat muffin) for breakfast. The amazing thing is that I no longer want to eat things with sugar or bread (loved that home-made bread)...have lost the cravings for it.
Breakfast: coffee (mine's 1/2 decaf & flavored) with 1 tsp. creamer & sweetener(no-cal),& 1 egg omelet w. veg. filling,topped with salsa or 3/4 c. cereal(I prefer flax instead of bran) with 1/2 c. skim milk.
Snack: coffee again(yes, I have to have it) & Veggie Soup with meat & brown rice(either chicken or turkey Italian Sausage-my favorite) & thawed frozen fruit with 1/4 c. non-sugar sweetened lo-fat yogurt. Apples, chopped, with cinnamon & a sm. amt of OJ & sweetener warmed in the microwave is good, too.
Lunch: same as above, but may also have some veg. marinated in diet dressing...or seasoned vingegar & virgin olive oil.
Snack:usually just the fruit & yogurt or maybe plain fruit & soup if I am very hungry & the coffee, ofcourse!
Dinner: usually the soup, but may also have a salad or stir-fry some veggies with chicken. Or you could broil or bake some fish with a salad & brown rice or the soup on the side.
Snacks:I drink diluted juice (mix mine with no-cal drink mix), tea & water all day.I also keep some dried fruit-either apricots or cranberries or cherries with me, to satify any sweet cravings...do try not to eat too much at once ...just about the recommended serving size on the package, tho. Fresh fruit is good, too. I may also have some water based tuna mixed with plain lo-fat yogurt dressing ( I make mine with ranch dressing mix) & snack on that with celery sticks. Sometime, I have a small amt. of cereal with milk.
I also write down what I eat, that way you can look back & see where you may need to adjust what you are eating. Such as I found that drinking the diluted juice in the morning...sipping it constantly...not all at once...was necessary to keep my energy levels up. You could subst. Veg Juice if you prefer. This is an easy diet to stay on, as you are eating all the time. As time goes on, & you reach your weight loss goal, you could start adding additional food. The main thing is to change your eating habits permanently. I assume that you are basically healthy, but you may want to check with your Dr. & see if he approves of this diet.
Do you know your B/P or cholestral readings? This diet should improve those, too.
Good luck & Happy Eating...Pat
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