Newbie, need to lose 20lbs & start eating better.

Ferguson1388

Hi all,

New to the forum. Hope everyone is doing ok.

Right, lets get into it. I'm 28 years old and over the last few years my eating habits have gotten worse, I eat lots of junk, no veg, only fruit is apples/oranges. But over the last 6-9 months I've notice 2 things changing, the first is my mood, I feel groggy a lot of the time and also I see my stomach getting much bigger, it's now like it's constantly bloated. I've went from 30inch jeans to 34 in the matter of a year and a bit. I now realize it's got to stop.

The problem is, I'm not sure how to go from fussy eater to better eater. I know the basics, eat breakfast, lunch, dinner with next to no junk in between. But I'm not sure 'what' to eat for those 3 meals, also how many times a week do you exercise.

Any help guys would be awesome, I wait in anticipation.

Thanks!

greeneyedfitness

You should be eating 6xs a day and working out 3-5 times a week... You don't want to diet you want to learn how to eat healthy! Any more questions send me a message!

janejellyroll

greeneyedfitness wrote: »

You should be eating 6xs a day and working out 3-5 times a week... You don't want to diet you want to learn how to eat healthy! Any more questions send me a message!

It's really irrelevant if one eats 6 times a day, 3 times a day, or even 1 or 2 times a day -- the calories consumed is what is going to determine weight loss, not the frequency of eating.

RoxieDawn

janejellyroll wrote: »

greeneyedfitness wrote: »

You should be eating 6xs a day and working out 3-5 times a week... You don't want to diet you want to learn how to eat healthy! Any more questions send me a message!

It's really irrelevant if one eats 6 times a day, 3 times a day, or even 1 or 2 times a day -- the calories consumed is what is going to determine weight loss, not the frequency of eating.

This.

Balanced approached to your meals should contain, protein, carbs, healthy fats. In terms of how many, MFP does that for you when you setup your account and put your stats in.

If you absolutely are going to restrict this stuff you call "junk" replaces those with fruits and veggies, healthy type snacks, nuts, yogurt, etc..

Exercise is a personal choice. Find something fun you will enjoy doing. Start out slow with exercise and build on that each time you work out. You will get fitter and stronger with each workout.

CasperNaegle

Welcome to MFP and the forums.. One you will get tons of advice both on here and off. Know that there is no magic pill, no magic exercise, and no magic food. There is no evil food either. There isn't a perfect time to eat or bad time to eat. There is at the most basic level calories your body burns every day and the calories you put in your body. Put in more than you burn and your weight will increase, burn more than you eat and your weight will go down. Exercise is great and you can build some muscle, recomp your body, but.... in general doesn't burn that many calories. SO the biggest thing you can do it really understand how many calories you need daily and put yourself in a deficit. Weigh all your food, track all you eat. Measure your body with a scale, tapes, etc. Over time you will see a difference. Eat in moderation, but stick with the foods you like. Start with the calculator on here with how many calories you need, etc. and you can modify it from there. Don't be afraid to ask questions and remember when someone proposes something that sounds magic it IS!!

Charis50

What do you normally eat? In my experience, it was helpful to just log what I ate and my activity (or lack thereof) on a regular basis. It was pretty easy to see where I could make a couple immediate changes for the better, and once I had some success with those, I felt like I could take on more challenging goals.

I still have a ways to go, but I didn't gain a bunch of weight overnight so I can't expect to lose it that quickly, either.

However you choose to approach your journey, I wish you the best!

laur357

You don't have to eat 3 meals a day. You also don't have to make rules about when to eat unless you want to (like no eating after 6:00, must eat breakfast, etc.). Meal timing and frequency might impact you hunger levels, but it isn't necessary for weight loss or improving overall nutrition (unless you have a medical reason or medications that require it).

As far as your eating habits, maybe try picking one new fruit or vegetable to eat each week. Taste it, find a new recipe or two, and see how you can fit it into your diet. If you like it, bring it back regularly! If you don't, move on to something else. Also, you can add flavor and try different preparations. Veggies and fruit don't have to be boring. Roasting, sauteing, stir-frying, pureeing, adding sauces/dressings/fats can do a lot to change flavors and maybe make it tastier. Also, personally, once I've tried something a few times, I start to like it more than when I first tasted it - sushi, mustard, balsamic vinegar. There are many things I didn't used to like that are now in my diet.

You don't have to completely overhaul your diet and cut out foods you like. You may find you can just eat less of what you already eat and add some fruit and vegetables. Have some roasted broccoli along with a smaller serving of pizza, get veggie soup instead of fries with a burger, add cauliflower to your potato soup or finely-chopped mushrooms and carrots to your meatloaf.
Some people do make certain foods off limits (I don't keep potato chips in my house because I have a really hard time eating just a few - I will have them when I'm out or a party), but that's also up to you.

If you decide you want to follow a specific diet, or just want to lighten up some meals you already like, try looking at blogs like SkinnyTaste to get some new recipes - she posts calorie counts, fat/protein/fiber, so you can pick recipes that fit your goals. You can also look at the MFP Recipes & Food/Nutrition boards - there are often "What's for breakfast/lunch/dinner" threads so you can get some ideas about what everyone is eating.

**I eat most everything in moderation as long as it fits my daily calorie deficit, exercise 3-4 times a week, and I've lost 65 pounds. I do eat a fair amount of vegetables, and regularly add new ones to my diet. I like to focus on what's in season too, since that's usually when they taste the best!

cee134

Count your calories so you have an idea of how much your eating. For eating healthy, try to eat alot of vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Also pick a healthy source of protein.