Critique my diet!

[bisous]

I am trying to lose at least 20 pounds that I just can't shake from my last pregnancy. I am really busy and I'm a bit of an emotional eater. So I decided to plan my calories for breakfast, lunch and snacks in advance. Only dinner will change. I will count those calories. I'm a boring person that just doesn't care if I eat the same thing every single day so keep that in mind. The current plan keeps my calories in the required range. The bonus is that I really, really like all the foods I'm eating. And the food is easy so it has been a cinch to follow. However, I think it has too much sugar. Should I tackle that now or later?

Here's my diet:

Breakfast:
Grapefruit slices from Costco
Chobani flavored greek yogurts
Homemade pumpkin bran muffin

Lunch:
Sandwich with sourdough, tillamook cheese and nitrate free turkey
apple, side salad or raw veggies

Snack:
Raw veggies (we already do this every day after school with the kids)

Dinner:
A so-called "sensible" dinner that I count out to be about 400 calories

After the kids go to bed:
my reward for keeping on plan? A Z bar. Don't judge. Got them for the kids and I LOVE the chocolate ones.

So...What do you think? Be honest. I think I like this diet but I think it needs tweaks.

TIA!

[SnuggleBuggles]

Did you plug it into MFP? It'll give you the nutritional breakdown.
I'd ditch the breakfast muffin.

[SASM]

That looks like what I would have eaten when I was counting calories, which is very different from my current diet. I eat PALEO/primal most of the time so my mindset is instantly "Where are the protein and vegetables?" and "Am I eating too much fruit?" I am currently on another Whole 30 (Day 10) to reboot. I feel great when I eat this way and have already lost 8#.

[123LuckyMom]

I think your breakfast is too high in sugar and will make you hungry. I'd choose one of those items each day and make the rest of breakfast protein. So one day have a Chobani, but pair it with eggs, turkey sausage, beans, or nuts-- no bread, no fruit. The next day have your muffin paired with protein. The next day have a grapefruit paired with protein. You get the idea. I'd also nix the sourdough bread in favor of a lettuce wrap or some non-bread alternative. If you must have bread, get a whole grain, high fiber bread. I promise you'll feel much more full if you ditch as much sugar and bread/pasta/rice as possible. If you're going to eat carbs, pair them with fats. Believe it or not, French fries or potato chips will help you better than pretzels or pasta. You want your foods to be difficult for your body to break down, and fats help that happen. They also are filling. Simple carbohydrates are exactly the opposite. Your body will break them down quickly, your sugar will spike, and you might get hungry.

[schrocat]

I would ditch the bran muffin and sourdough. Protein for breakfast would be good too .

[Tenasparkl]

My doctor recommended no sugar before 11AM and to stop eating for the day three hours before bedtime. I'd start the day with something that has more protein and ditch the muffin and sweet yogurt.

[Aishe]

I agree with PPs to ditch the muffin and sourdough. Can you do nuts? (Not sure if you have allergies in your household.) I rely on nuts a lot to fill me up and provide protein. What about smoothies? A smoothie made with Greek yogurt in the morning keeps me full until lunch. I just use whole fruit, no added sugar or juice, in it. That might help you lose the muffin without feeling hungry.

[abh5e8]

I agree that it seems low in veggies and protein. I would grab a salad for lunch, topped with meats/fish, cheese, nuts, olives and veggies. eggs + meat + veggie for breakfast. cut out fruit. its high in sugar and you can get all the vitamins and minerals you need from veggies. i'm not sure about a particular brand, but flavored yogurt in general is VERY high in sugar. you can add vanilla extract and/or cinnamon to plain yogurt to cut the sour taste with something sweet. you can also add ground flax seed to the yogurt for a real boost.

[smilequeen]

I am no expert and I honesty don't think that any one way works for everyone, but what stuck out to me (and I will admit that low carb is what works for me) is the high carb breakfast. I think you should try to add more protein to your breakfast and cut back on the carbs.

[StantonHyde]

greek yogurt for breakfast has lots of protein--23 plus grams for a cup of non fat yogurt. But don't get the flavored kind. I would put some oatmeal in it and some fruit. I love/need my carbs--I just use oatmeal and quinoa as much as possible vs. bread etc.

For lunch--I go for salad (with a variety of veggies) plus 3-4 oz of grilled chicken and then either a Fiber One bar with peanut butter or an apple and a banana.

I eat the same breakfast every day and often a very similar lunch. I get my variety at dinner. I like raw almonds for snacks or apples--I love apples.