Help! Having a hard time eating healthy.

sbrant1994

I have absolutely no problem going to the gym 6 days a week. Exercising isn't my problem when it comes to weightloss. It's the eating healthy part! I take seroquel for sleep and once it kicks in it's like an eating monster takes over! Also on my days off, I bored eat. What do y'all suggest?

kommodevaran

Why can't you eat healthy? First find out what eating healthy means. Are you trying to eat food you don't like? Then, find out if you're trying to eat too little. Then, find something else to do than eat when you're bored or tired.

lemurcat12

Like kommodevaran said, probably the place to start is really understanding what you consider healthy and why. Then it's often pretty easy to live by that.

I don't eat between meals, which controls consumption pretty well, and if I am tempted to (i.e., bored eating), I find something else to do. If I graze I know I won't control calories well, so for me it's something I just don't do.

DaintyWhisper

If you're trying to lose weight, you need to realistically keep track of everything you eat. That's probably the most crucial step you need to do! At least, it was for me anyway. This includes investing in a scale and weighing out all of your food. If you guesstimate or use measuring cups, you will be constantly underestimating the amount you eat. You'd be amazed how off foods are when you guess! Weighing out food is very straightforward and leaves little room for error. (As long as your honest with yourself)

I was never an exercise person and lost my weight strictly by diet. You don't need to eat stereotypical 'healthy'. You can still gain weight by eating fruits, veggies, and whole grains. Believe me, I could eat all of my calories in fruits and vegetables and still eat more! For the most part, you can eat the foods you want in moderation, as long as it fits into your daily calories. If you're someone who eats out of boredom (me too), keep some low calorie snacks on hand that you can eat frequently. Some things I usually have is fruit/veggies, string cheese, yogurt, granola, pretzels and laughing cow cheese, boiled egg, meat jerky, and anything else you like. You can also plan your day and log your food in advance. Sometimes doing that can put you in the mindset of staying on track. Hope this helps!

quiksylver296

Start by honestly logging everything you currently eat. Don't leave anything out. Do this for a couple of weeks. Then evaluate where you can make healthier changes, and do those.

Don't cut out everything you love. Just make what you eat fit within your caloric allowance. I leave 200-300 calories every day to have dessert. Cutting out sweets completely causes me to freak out and binge.

cangler

Bored eat? try to occupy your mind with other productive tasks to get your mind off food... i have to do that too otherwise i could eat all day. also plan out your meals for the day so that you don't get too hungry where you binge, etc.

Tried30UserNames

So don't eat healthy. Eat unhealthy food and keep it within your calorie limits.

Macy9336

I used to take seroquel and I'd literally take it and brush my teeth...kept me from eating in the evenings.

sbrant1994

Macy9336 wrote: »

I used to take seroquel and I'd literally take it and brush my teeth...kept me from eating in the evenings.

now that's a great idea. so it gave you munchies too?

sbrant1994

quiksylver296 wrote: »

Start by honestly logging everything you currently eat. Don't leave anything out. Do this for a couple of weeks. Then evaluate where you can make healthier changes, and do those.

Don't cut out everything you love. Just make what you eat fit within your caloric allowance. I leave 200-300 calories every day to have dessert. Cutting out sweets completely causes me to freak out and binge.

great idea! thank you!

Lizzy622

For bored eating you can try coloring or crocheting or putting together a puzzle. Anything that can occupy your hands and keep them from putting food in your mouth will help.

tbirk

Throw away all the snacks and junk food that you have and don't buy anymore. Temptation gone! You'll have to just experiment with new types of meals and snacks that make you feel satisfied for longer. Lean protein and lots of veggies are key! Nothing fills me up like roasted brussel sprouts or steamed broccoli yuuumm! I have to snack, so I have things like bananas or apples with tea to help me make it between meals. Sparkling or flavored water also helps satisfy sweet tooth cravings. The first few days are tough, but be strong and you'll get used and even enjoy a healthier diet.

tbirk

regpark85 wrote: »

Bored eat? try to occupy your mind with other productive tasks to get your mind off food... i have to do that too otherwise i could eat all day. also plan out your meals for the day so that you don't get too hungry where you binge, etc.

^^ Agreed! Even better -- occupy your time with exercise! Play volleyball on Friday nights or go for an evening walk after dinner. Something to get you moving and take your mind off food. (Watching TV is ok too, just no snacks!)

kommodevaran

Tried30UserNames wrote: »

So don't eat healthy. Eat unhealthy food and keep it within your calorie limits.

This is often claimed to be a common advice in here, but this is the first time I've actually seen it. I would never recommend eating "unhealthy" food. You can eat anything you like and lose weight, but nutrition still matters. And foods aren't even unhealthy, foods are just more and less nutritions and calorie dense.

maytalharrosh

I have the opposite problem. I prefer to shut my mouth and not eat , which is not always the case. Or eat very healthy, which is also not so easy, than exercise.

Hate excercise

RodaRose

Find something to do on your days off so that you are not bored.

lemurcat12

kommodevaran wrote: »

Tried30UserNames wrote: »

So don't eat healthy. Eat unhealthy food and keep it within your calorie limits.

This is often claimed to be a common advice in here, but this is the first time I've actually seen it. I would never recommend eating "unhealthy" food. You can eat anything you like and lose weight, but nutrition still matters. And foods aren't even unhealthy, foods are just more and less nutritions and calorie dense.

On the whole I agree with you, and liked your advice to OP, but I do see this kind of response as a reasonable one to someone who says (and I don't think this is OP, but the person might have been reading OP this way) something like: "I can't lose weight because I just can't make myself eat healthy foods." Rather than debating with the person about what they mean by "healthy foods" (often it's ridiculously restrictive, they think they must eat only skinless chicken breast and raw veg) or about how they should eat a nutrition-conscious diet, it's sensible to just say "okay, for weight loss all you have to do is eat at a calorie deficit, so do that and eat what you want."

(I think that anyone who becomes aware enough of food to eat at a calorie deficit will start using calories more carefully and be concerned with satiety, at least, and that often develops into a nutrient-dense diet, or more nutrient dense diet, even if they were using "yuck, I don't want to eat healthy" as an excuse. But again I didn't particularly think that applied to OP here.)

kommodevaran

lemurcat12 wrote: »

kommodevaran wrote: »

Tried30UserNames wrote: »

So don't eat healthy. Eat unhealthy food and keep it within your calorie limits.

This is often claimed to be a common advice in here, but this is the first time I've actually seen it. I would never recommend eating "unhealthy" food. You can eat anything you like and lose weight, but nutrition still matters. And foods aren't even unhealthy, foods are just more and less nutritions and calorie dense.

On the whole I agree with you, and liked your advice to OP, but I do see this kind of response as a reasonable one to someone who says (and I don't think this is OP, but the person might have been reading OP this way) something like: "I can't lose weight because I just can't make myself eat healthy foods." Rather than debating with the person about what they mean by "healthy foods" (often it's ridiculously restrictive, they think they must eat only skinless chicken breast and raw veg) or about how they should eat a nutrition-conscious diet, it's sensible to just say "okay, for weight loss all you have to do is eat at a calorie deficit, so do that and eat what you want."

(I think that anyone who becomes aware enough of food to eat at a calorie deficit will start using calories more carefully and be concerned with satiety, at least, and that often develops into a nutrient-dense diet, or more nutrient dense diet, even if they were using "yuck, I don't want to eat healthy" as an excuse. But again I didn't particularly think that applied to OP here.)

Yup, the term "healthy food" is pretty meaningless, I admit that. Reducing body weight will in itself improve health for an obese person. And the advice "calorie deficit for weight loss", I think it's great. AND for me personally, just focusing on calories, no judgement, steered me towards an overall healthier (my definition) diet. Not just to not be starving, but because I started to enjoy it - and it stuck, this time. But... telling someone straight out to "eat unhealthy", well, I don't feel that's allright.