Tips and advice about eating clean ( no processed foods)

fitlancastermommy4

I have been on my weight loss journey for 3 1/2 weeks now I have lost 14lbs. 213.6 from 227.4. Which I am very proud but I cant help but find myself getting very discouraged on the food end of things! I can workout that's not a problem while it can be hard I can do it. But the food is something I have a very hard time with I am 21 and my whole life has been very very very unhealthy eating habits! and lets face it 21 years of a bad habit is hard to change. But I have been reading online and I think im going to try clean eating. Here's the thing though I have NEVER really eaten veggies my whole life so I have to force myself to eat them and I usually gag the whole time im doing it. So I am really looking for ways to healthfully cook veggies that taste good. Sorry It was long im just feeling a little down about letting myself get to this point when I should've just taking control of the situation and stopped it before I got 100lbs over weight!! So any eating tips on how to fight cravings and boredom would be appreciated as well as ALL clean eating tips thanks so much ahead of time!

healthygreek

I love chopping up a bunch of different veggies and sauteeing them in olive oil with my favorite spices. I also love to roast them, again with tossing in olive oil and spices. I always use onion and garlic too for great flavor.
In the winter I make soup with tons of veggies and beans or veggies and chicken or little turkey meatballs like Italian Wedding Soup.
You can also use beef and veggies to make a hearty stew.
I finely chop up onions, garlic, carrots, corn, peas, peppers and tomatoes, mix with lime, olive oil and spices and top my fish with it and bake at 400' for 20 minutes. Use a thick piece of fish like sword, wild salmon, halibut or sea bass. Of course you needn't chop up the corn and peas, lol!
You won't believe how good it is-don't forget the salt, pepper, etc.
Spices are your best friends when preparing veggies.
After a while, you WILL develop a taste for them and come to love them.
Your body will feel fantastic if you eat lots of veggies.

ehorn625

Do you like bell peppers? They are not spicy-you can blanch them, stuff them with a mixture of ground turkey, brown rice and tomato or spaghetti sauce. Throw some low fat mozzarella on top and broil. Awesome!
Also, mix it up a little. I make mashed carrots and mashed cauliflower-add garlic and a little (very little) sour cream. Also delish!
You have to think outside the box and be willing to try new things!
Good luck!

Francl27

Why do you insist on eating clean? I'm honestly curious. Especially if you're having a really hard time with it... if you only eat clean you're much more likely to get discouraged and give up. I had 35 years of bad eating habits, if I had to make such a huge change and eat clean all the time, I would never have made it so far.

I did it the first couple months though, and it probably helped in the long run because now I can have a bit of 'junk' food and stop at one serving. But the last 4 months I've switched to 80% 'clean' and it's actually been pretty easy... and I'm still here. And I never particularly liked veggies, but I tolerate them.

debaloo

You can get ideas from looking at peoples food diaries. I like bell peppers with hummus. I have cucumber several times a day because I am trying to have veggies at every meal. I make zucchini pancakes for breakfast (egg whites, shredded zucchini, oat bran, cinnamon and vanilla served with sugar free syrup). Try to think of it as a process. Try some new stuff. Try to add more in your day at different times but go slowly since you are already having a hard time with it.

pastryari

A caloric deficit is what is required for weight loss, not eating or limiting certain foods.

Hit your calorie goal and you'll lose weight.


I don't have any tips for not eating processed foods because I guess I eat them.

If you don't like a food, don't eat it.

I didn't used to like a lot of veggies but found that some of them I did like prepared a certain way.
I roast a lot of veggies with a little olive oil, garlic salt, and pepper and it usually comes out pretty yummy.

You can also chop up veggies to sort of "hide" them in sauces, soups, and stir frys.

Cyclingbonnie

It is okay to try and change it up. Eating a more balanced diet will actually make you feel better in the long run, however going from no vegetables (and not liking them) to eating vegetables (and maybe like them) overnight will not happen.

So go at it slow. pick a vegetable that doesn't repulse you, but one that you aren't terribly crazy about. Find all kinds of recipes that include that vegetable, experiment until you find something fixed with that vegetable that you like. Then pick another ... keep it up. Food is for fuel, but we need to like it too. I try to eat clean most of the time, but got to have me some junk food now and then. I keep track of the calories and go with it. I do not consider any food off limits. I just try to limit how often I go to the junk food and processed food.