What works reliably for you?

tindeyy

I've realized that if I follow these three basic tenants, most days I do great:

1) eat a bunch of protein at breakfast; I easily stay full till lunch
2) eat a huge salad with a low calorie dressing everyday; I usually do this for dinner so I go to bed with a full stomach, lots of nutrients from the veggies, and it usually ends up being under 500 calories
3) the rest of the calories are my choice, however, certain choices mean I have to go to bed hungrier than usual or only get a few bites for the same number of calories I could have a whole meal; this concept usually motivates me to make better choices.

What are your basic rules for yourself that keep you on track?

redfisher1974

Staying at my calorie goal everyday, And not eliminating any foods works great for me.

cwolfman13

Protein punch at every meal or snack

Plenty of veg and some fruit..at least a serving of one or the other at every meal or snack.

Some kind of grain or starch with pretty much every meal.

lots of almonds, oats, and avocados

Need2Exerc1se

Exercise. It's the only thing that works for me. I simply will not eat few enough calories to lose weight without regular exercise.

Fruitylicious03

I eat mostly the same breakfasts and dinners (my cooked meals are at lunch). I also only keep that food in my house. So if I want to mindlessly eat on a bunch of other stuff, there's nothing else to eat, except the stuff that I'm supposed to eat anyway.

I also try to keep to three meals a day. I don't like snacking taking up a lot of calories, I prefer bigger meals.

And I constantly sip on water between meals to TRY and avoid mindless eating.

Do you see my problem? Mindless eating...

sofaking6

1 - Good breakfast, lots of protein but also carbs and fat
2 - Enough sleep every night (not 100% possible but pretty close)
3 - Exercise, because it helps with the whole mindset of this being about health and not weight
4- I'm a 'mindless eater' as well, at least when I'm trying to relax at night. So dinner is planned out as two smalls meals + dessert spaced out over the last 3 hours of the day. So it can be both mindless and mindful at the same time

peachyfuzzle

I get two 15 minute breaks, and an hour lunch at work. I generally drink a protein shake for breakfast with some fruit/peanut butter/oats mixed up it the blender. I'll take some snacky stuff, and lunch with me to work. That way I can eat a little on each break, and also at lunch.

On gym nights, I will eat half a protein bar an hour, or so before getting out of work, and then the other half with a whey shake after getting out of the gym while cooling down in the parking lot.

Dinner normally consists of some lean, high protein meat (chicken, turkey, pork, lean beef) along with vegetables. If I haven't hit my protein macro on gym days, I'll drink a casein shake before bed.

Fruitylicious03

sofaking6 wrote: »

4- I'm a 'mindless eater' as well, at least when I'm trying to relax at night. So dinner is planned out as two smalls meals + dessert spaced out over the last 3 hours of the day. So it can be both mindless and mindful at the same time

You're gonna laugh, but I've gone as far as setting the alarm clock on my cellphone for eating time. If the alarm doesn't go off, I'm not allowed to eat ANYTHING. Sounds really silly I know, but it has helped my mindlessness some. I'm off it now and "relapsing", so starting to do it again.

willrun4bagels

Lifting consistently heavy things in the gym and eating a lot of food that fits my macros is what works for me.

ntnunk

Having my meals sorted out ahead of time and sticking to my plan. When I start "freelancing" meals, i.e. don't have lunches and such prepared ahead of time, is when I start getting myself into trouble. 2nd, keep the evening snacking under control.

mikem0218

Sounds crazy, but beans! I've found that when I eat beans (black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, etc), it's easier to keep to my calorie goal and not feel hungry. They have a lot of protein and fiber. I make soups and chili with them, mix them into salads, or even pour over whole wheat pasta.

brightsideofpink

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

Exercise. It's the only thing that works for me. I simply will not eat few enough calories to lose weight without regular exercise.

This is true for me as well. I fully understand diet is most important, but I never feel satisfied on my calorie limit (and no, its not 1200). Even earning 100-300 extra on a given day is enough to push me over that limit to make me feel content.

Second to that, the big thing for me is figuring out when to eat. I don't eat if I'm not hungry, but I never wait until I'm really hungry to eat.

Third, knowing nothing is off-limits. I eat chocolate in some form nearly every day, and rarely does it come with a label of diet or low-fat.

lorib642

I stop eating when I am at my calorie goal.

lemurcat12

I don't always do all of these, but my big rules for myself are: (1) have a decent amount of protein at every meal; (2) focus on getting lots of vegetables with every meal; and (3) eat only at mealtimes or planned snack times. The last one doesn't mean I can't have a dessert--I often have ice cream after dinner--but even that is going to be a planned activity. No mindless eating or "I'm bored, I'll eat something," since I don't think to eat when it's not mealtime anymore.

Exercise too--I just naturally eat better when I'm active, since I think I do focus more on health then.

tindeyy

redfisher1974 wrote: »

Staying at my calorie goal everyday, And not eliminating any foods works great for me.

I agree with both parts, but especially about not eliminating foods, otherwise its just a diet--not a lifestyle change.

tindeyy

lorib642 wrote: »

I stop eating when I am at my calorie goal.

easier said than done for some of us! I have to plan it out meticulously or I'm not full enough to stop eating.

tindeyy

mikem0218 wrote: »

Sounds crazy, but beans! I've found that when I eat beans (black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, etc), it's easier to keep to my calorie goal and not feel hungry. They have a lot of protein and fiber. I make soups and chili with them, mix them into salads, or even pour over whole wheat pasta.

I'll have to try adding some more into my meals! I'm a vegetarian so my protein usually comes from protein bars or eggs.

tindeyy

Fruitylicious03 wrote: »

sofaking6 wrote: »

4- I'm a 'mindless eater' as well, at least when I'm trying to relax at night. So dinner is planned out as two smalls meals + dessert spaced out over the last 3 hours of the day. So it can be both mindless and mindful at the same time

You're gonna laugh, but I've gone as far as setting the alarm clock on my cellphone for eating time. If the alarm doesn't go off, I'm not allowed to eat ANYTHING. Sounds really silly I know, but it has helped my mindlessness some. I'm off it now and "relapsing", so starting to do it again.

That's a fun idea actually! I used to just brush my teeth half an hour after dinner and then chug a glass of water--same concept, no more food after I've done that.

malibu927

Eat in moderation, focus on protein as much as I can.