Help With Finding Healthy Options For Diet

[mrireland]

Hi,

I lost a lot of weight over the last year (4.5 stone) but over the past 6 months started putting it back on (maybe 2 stone) and i know how hard of work and i want to get back on track before i end up at stage one.

So i know whats involved to lose weight, i know the basics, avoiding empty calories/bad carbs and eating fresh veg and fruit and high protein meat, exercising, lots of water, no soft drinks, cut out alcohol as much as possible.

For me what worked well was a low carb/high protein diet, ive tried others than didnt work so well so i think this suited me best. What used to be a huge help to me was low fat/high protein bars i used to get, they had about 15g protein but werent high carb or high fat maybe 130 calories for a 30g bar or something like that.

Anyway im a bit fussy, dont like seafood and im not a huge fan of thai food but i like the vegetables in Pad Thai, Pad See Ew, love pork and chicken, like rice etc

Im quite happy with sticking to the same menu for a long time too so if i find something that i like and it works i dont need to change my menu that much so im looking for help. I mostly eat out and right now im eating out twice a day for breakfast and dinner. I usually end up having a snack like toast, crisps, chocolate etc later in the day. Of course i plan on cutting out the snacks and the plan is to have either 2 resonable size meals eating out and 1 small snack at home and possibly 1-2 protein bars to keep me going when i get a craving.

Problem is i have no idea what kind of calories are in foods when eating out, the info online for things like pad see ew and pad thai can vary so much. i dont know thai so explaining to them to go low fat probably isnt realistic and it would be a pain for me, some of them have trouble as it is understanding my order as their english in a lot of places i go is very limited.

So im looking to put together a diet plan and stick to it and am looking for suggestions.

Breakfast

Rice with egg - You know the bowls with the egg mixed through it, or maybe the one with pork mixed through it

Lunch

This i woud probably make at home, im really looking for ideas here. Maybe something like Egg, tomatoes and mushroom, or maybe a small salad sandwich.

Dinner

Is it possible to get something like Pad Thai or Pad See Ew without the fried noodles and without the veg fried and instead steamed. Is there a dish like that or would i have to ask for that specifically? If i asked for a double portion of that instead of having noodles and rice would they look at me funny?

2 Snacks in between Breakfast and lunch and Lunch and Dinner

I was hoping for a high protein bar thats low in fat/carbs. Is there anywhere in chiang mai or online i could get these? What about one of those protein shakes, id prefer bars but the main thing is to keep my protein levels up so i dont get hungry, anyone know anywhere online or in chiang mai i could get those. I know some people will say drop those for fruits but that has never worked for me, ill instead end up snacking cause i dont feel like fruit sometimes so i found the protein bars prevented this and kept me feeling full between meals.

It would be really great if someone could give me details on calories for the basic thai dishes eating out like Pad Thai, Pad See Ew, Bowl of steamed rice, bowl of steamed rice with pork etc as right now i dont know if there 200 calories or 1000 calories, my guess is the bowl of rice is around 250 calories, pad thai and pad see ew around 800-1000 calories and pork and rice maybe 450 calories. If im looking to keep my calorie count low i suspect pad see ew and pad thai are out of my league and maybe im better off dropping rice and replacing with something else, but what is the question, whats a good high protein low/medium carb meal for a non seafood lover over here?

[ding]

I'm no expert but...

Glycemic index is important to those in the know. Oddly, carrots have a high glycemic index number. But they have roughage and nutrients, so I don't care - I eat 'em.

Also, wheat (even whole wheat) is seen as an irritant by the body, many say. Inflamation, especially on a cerllular level, seems to be bad - hampers the processing of sugars and fat.

LDL and HDL fat is important wrt cholesterol;

• Low-Density Lipoproteins (LDL) - "bad" cholesterol. It is produced in the liver and circulates through the body, transporting fat to the muscles, heart, fat stores and other tissues.
  
• High-Density Lipoproteins (HDL) - "good" cholesterol. It is produced by the liver to carry cholesterol and phospholipids from the cells back to the liver for recycling and/or excretion. Because HDLs represent cholesterol removal from arteries and blood to the liver for breakdown and disposal, it is considered "good" cholesterol. Therefore, high levels of HDL cholesterol is considered a negative risk factor for heart disease.
  
• Eg yolk, liver, and shrimp are bad if you're watching cholesterol.
  
• Fruits and veggies have none, eat away. Fish is good if not too often, as it has heavy metals that build up over time.
  
• I was in great shape a few years ago, but my Thai wife's great cooking has me back where I started and wishing I could get back into it. I ate raw spincah like chips. Only used EV olive oil, no butter. Salmon, chicken breast... very little crap.
  

[muratremix]

Sadly there is no calorie information table in none of the products sold in Thailand. Telling how many calories for thai food is not easy. To lose weight, you should take control of what you eat, meaning, you should prepare your meals.

Also, I believe pork is not a good option if you want to lose weight. Eat more chichken breasts (minimum fat) instead of pork.

[JungleBiker]

If you want to cut out calories and/or reduce the glycemic index of your meals then yes I'd cut out the rice and just have stir-fried veggies with some meat added - chicken without the skin has less fat than pork or beef. Don't eat too many eggs or leave out the yolks because yolks are high in fat.

Beans are a healthy way to get calories, protein and fibre in your diet.

Or do what I do - eat what you like but ride a bike (bicycle) for over 1,000km per month!

[mrireland]

An update which will hopefully get the thread rolling for more ideas.

Heres what i've been eating so far baring in mind im eating out.

Breakfast:

2 Poached Eggs, Big Grilled Tomatoes and small portion of beans, you know the small sauce dishes the thais usually put them in, i would estimate no more than 30-40g

or

Omelette - This was a pretty small portion and didnt look too greasy

Dinner

Got steamed vegetables which looked to be cooked in a watery type soup which was very flavourable, im hoping there wasnt too much oil/sugar in it and it came with chicken, not sure if it was steamed or fried

or

Chicken Salad, it was served with 3 slices of small bread and the dried noodle things, i managed to avoid most of the noodles and just had 1 of the small slices of bread with no butter. Not a great choice as too tempting to eat the other options so ill try a different restaurant for salad next time

Snack 1

2 Poached eggs on a small slice of wholewheat bread cooked at home (only have a small stove that doesnt really have a temperature gauge so its not great for even cooking poached eggs.

Snack 2

Got bananas and strawberries from the markets on the way to the train station, looked lovely and fresh. Bought a blender and some ice and i usually make a smoothie which would consist of 1 banana and 2 strawberrys and a small bit of soy milk, maybe 30-50ml. First couple didnt taste great but last one seemed to get it right and tasted quite nice.

Ive cut out all treats, smoothies, shakes, fruit juices etc and just sticking to water

Because i was already used to eating out just twice a day and usually only had a snack once a day at home its actually been quite easy so far. I went to the supplement shop in central plaza looking for whey powder for the smoothie but the 3kg buckets were coming in at 3,500 baht or something mad like that, this is way more expensive than europe, is this the norm or does anyone know a reasonable priced supplement shop in Chiang Mai or online.

Speaking of that is there anywhere online that delivers to thailand that has reasonably priced protein bars/diet bars?

So my biggest problem is the language barrier, its very difficult to explain that i would like my chicken boiled or grilled and also very difficult just to explain i want just chicken and veg as they usually have very little english, even finding poached eggs on a menu is hard.

So im basically trying out a bunch of restaurants and trying to find something suitable, so after a while ill have a couple of options, plenty of restaurants near by within walking distance just wish someone in Chiang Mai would come up with a restaurant specializing in healthy foods. Maybe a tough business giving the number of restaurants but then again maybe a niche restaurant is whats needed to stand out from all the others

Anyway if you have other suggestions for healthy meals i would be grateful, the above is working for now, 5lb down since the 1st although i know the first few days you always lose quickly and then it evens off and some of it is probably just me losing water retention since im drinking more water and less fruit juice and shakes but it at least appears im on track.

[LozinLOS]

I have the same problem....I love all the yummy thai food but it's not too good for my waistline.

I've found eating the following seems to stop me from gaining too much weight:

Breakfast: Porridge or Poached eggs on wholewheat toast

Lunch: Chicken or Tuna salad that I make at home, if I'm really rushed for time I have chicken noodle soup

Dinner: A Thai stir fry, like chicken w/ cashew nuts or chicken and ginger and I cook veggies at home to go with it rather than have white rice late in the evening

For snacks I have a protein shake twice a day. I try and avoid fruit as it's carb heavy and full of sugars which doesn't help if you want to lose weight.

A good place to buy whey protein powder online is phuket health shop - they have reasonable prices (well for Thailand, anyway), they have free delivery on all orders and they deliver quickly!

[mrireland]

Thanks Lozin, ill checkout that website, those protein shakes/snacks are a real help.

Day 6 following the diet and down 9lbs so far although i dont expect to keepup that kind of pace its a good start to keep me motivated.

Im going to bangkok this weekend and staying near nana plaza so if anyone knows a good protein place near there please let me know

[mrireland]

Also just wondering isnt fruit good carbs and not like the carbs you get from sugar? The good thing about fruit is unlike bread and other carbs youll rarely eat too much, ive never pigged out on bananas and apples lol

[tropo]

Don't eat too many eggs or leave out the yolks because yolks are high in fat.

Under no circumstances should you throw out the yolks. Half the protein is in the yolks and just about all the nutrient value of an egg. The fats in the yolk are healthy fats and egg cholesterol causing an increase in blood cholesterol is an old wives tail. My cholesterol levels improve when I eat more eggs, not that high cholesterol is unhealthy anyway, but that's another subject for much debate.

I would suggest increasing your egg consumption and limiting your rice and other starches.

Thaisupplements.com has a big selection of energy, diet and protein bars and they ship free to anywhere in Thailand.

[JuliaThazinMayerhofer]

Hi there,

finding healthy and diet-friendly options when eating out can be difficult. People always say Thai kitchen is healthy but there are so many deep fried things, put sugar in everything and use a lot of bad oil. The best is always to cook by yourself and prepare meals for the next days - I have a busy job and schedule, but on Sunday I spent 2-3 hours to cook my meals for the next 4 days. I am bodybuilding but the basics for weight loss always remain the same.

A lot of things you can also buy ready made in the supermarkets, here are some ideas and tips:

- Instant oatmeal for breakfast: Easy to make and you can put some blueberries inside

- Cottage cheese (available at Gourmet and Villa Market) or low-fat yoghurt as snacks

- Almonds and other nuts as snacks (be sure to get the natural ones)

- Many supermarkets have salad bars, buy a can of tuna and you have a full meal

- Fruits: apples, pomelo, grapefruit, blueberries, cantaloupe (watermelon, mango have high GI)

- Choose brown/red rice over white rice

- Seaweed as snack

- Sweet potato: you can find cooked ones in all supermarkets

- Frozen berries, like strawberries can be great to help with cravings

I personally wouldn't snack too much on protein bars - for me they are cheat foods when I have cravings. Always go for the natural and unprocessed staff.

Are you also working out?

[mrireland]

Thai supplements is very expensive though, €3-5 per bar, i can get it for half that in Europe. Its sounds like there all imported and not made here in Thailand which would probably account for that. If thats the case i might stick to fruit as it will work out more expensive than my rent at that price eating just 1 bar a day each.

I did find i nice place Mozzeralla, it serves delicious grilled vegatables, tomatoes, onions, peppers, pumpkin and egg plant i think but the flavour is amazing. Its not on the menu but i get the grilled vegetables with Chicken and its delicious. Ive never craved vegatables before and usually eat them for the sake or eating them but these are so nice i do actually crave them, maybe thats a sign that there is something unhealthy in them but im still losing the wieght, 13lb's down after 2 weeks..

The also do a breakfast set, half portion of those grilled veggies, 2 poached eggs, ham and Grilled tomatoes. Very filling breakfast, toast comes with toast but i pass on that.

If you want to give it a try, pass by Central Plaza on the way to Nimahaemin road, take a left at the traffic lights just before the nimahaemin cross roads turn off, its just up a small bit from there past the hard to miss pink shop on the right hand side, basically on the corner of the 2nd or 3rd soi. You can also get to it down one of the soi's from nimahaemin road, take a left just past the big pink bank or possibly the next soi after that.

Some good suggestions above for snacks too so ill try that, cheers

[aletanda]

try www.bodybuildingthailand.com you can get whey protein at cheap price same as europe

than start a diet

star to play firtness

drink water only

Edited January 16, 2012 by aletanda

[Shurup]

Fat doesn't make people fat.

The best diet is a caveman's diet. Before you put something in your mouth, think if a caveman had this available in the form and shape as you have.

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

[NancyL]

I'd lost 60 pounds in the U.S. during 2005-2006 by attending weekly Weight Watchers meetings and doing EVERYTHING they told me to do. The pounds had started to creep back once we moved to Thailand in 2008, so this year I joined Weight Watchers on-line on January 1 and have lost 15 pounds so far. Fortunately, I had gained back just 25 pounds and knew it was time to do something.

They totally revamped the WW online program in 2010 and I find they have things like pad thai (4 or 5 recipes) and pad si-eew in their menu of foods. Som tham is reported as "papaya salad, with pork or without". Overall I'm impressed with the listing of Thai foods they have in their "points" calculator.

But, it might be difficult for a WW newbie to figure out the program, plus it costs a little less than $20 per month.

What I've found is that if you avoid anything deep fried, made with coconut or containing a lot of sugar, you're OK here. What got me in trouble was beer! I didn't drink alcohol at all for the month of January and now just have a little red wine. Yeah, it's a bummer, but I'm loosing weight.

Some ideas --

0% yogurt with fresh fruit from the street vendors for a snack

air-popped popcorn (yes, I bought yet another small electrical appliance!)

Kellogg's All Bran cereal with 0% yogurt and enough fresh fruit to choke a horse (fresh fruit has 0 points on the new WW!)

Just about any Thai dish with tofu instead of real meat

[jinjinswing]

Go vegetarian...none of my vegetarian friends have any fat on them.. And dont avoid RICE as some say, 150g of rice contains 5.2g of protein wasn't till we arrived that Asians began putting on weight you know..

I wouldn't worry about your food being cooked in oil i would only be concerned about the quantity i eat...Thais eat a lot of soups etc, ive watched what my gf orders...i should eat what she does then i would have a hot body too

[cluby]

if you look for whey protein or soy protein isolate in thailand, you can look club-protein.com

1kg of whey concentrate (from Hilmar ingredients USA) is 750 THB

delivery is free