Healthy Eating

bcovely

Hi there, in 2 weeks I will be 55 and would like to drop 20 pounds. I am not a big fruit and vegetable person. I didn't grow up that way and I know for a fact, I'm to old to change. I do eat some, but not like I should. Like, I would rather grab a handful of pretzels instead of carrots. As long as I measure and count calories......does it matter? I mean, I know if I eat healthier I could eat more, but again.....I know I won't be able to change that much. Thank you in advance for your advice.

SuzySunshine99

For the purpose of weight loss, calories are all that matter. So, if you are accurately counting and creating a calorie deficit, you'll lose weight.

For general health, it's better eat a nutritionally balanced diet, with adequate protein and nutrients. But, as long as you're not doing something extreme, like ONLY eating pretzels, you should be fine.

You'll definitely have a better chance of success if you don't make yourself miserable by forcing yourself to eat foods you don't like.

Also, maybe it's just the way you worded it....you don't plan on trying to lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks, right? Because that is not a safe or realistic goal.

bcovely

Thank you "Suzy". I hope to lose the 20 pounds by Summer.....definitely by September when my daughter gets married. Thank you again and stay safe.

AshHeartsJesus

A trick I do with raw veggies which are harder for me too want/eat is put a serving with lunch and a serving of my snacky thing. I make myself eat the veggies first then the snacky thing. Still log your calories though😼

springlering62

Keto is not for everyone. It’s a commitment. One I have neither the time nor the patience for, although I respect those who feel it works for them.

Please don’t ever assume you’re too old to change.

I started at 56, and have lost well over 90 pounds (am now 58).

If you commit, you’re going to find that your tastes will change.

I grew up in a meat/a starch/ a (invariably canned) vegetable household. I loathed vegetables when I started.

But, as I lost my taste for processed sugars, fruits, and then vegetables began to taste completely different. It’s almost like having the veil removed from your eyes, only it’s your tastebuds.

I just finished eating a navel orange that was so much sweeter and so orangey-er than it would have tasted a couple of years ago. It still amazes me.

Salads become a thing of wonder- and padded out with some roast chicken and feta or halloumi, are a giant, enjoyable meal for few calories. (I make mine in a mixing bowl and they take a long, satisfying time to finish off the whole thing!)

Roasted vegetables with a bit of balsamic and a crumble of feta are divine.

If you count calories with attention, you can eat anything and still lose weight if you’re below your goal- which, btw, may take a few weeks of tweaking to find.

But......Fruits and vegetables will give you a lot of gnoshing for your calorie buck, so keep an open mind and don’t discount them.

363days

I have been a member since October and have only lost 2 pounds because I keep going into binges! What I have seen is when I eat the junk food I so adore, it triggers my want for more, more, more. In the past when I've been successful and eating healthier food, people would ask me if I lost weight and really, I had not lost much. It seems like when I eat "clean" my body loses inches and I have better results. I'm trying to go to a cleaner, healthier way of eating to prevent binges and over-eating. Congrats on daughter's marriage and good luck!

Dogmom1978

363days wrote: »

I have been a member since October and have only lost 2 pounds because I keep going into binges! What I have seen is when I eat the junk food I so adore, it triggers my want for more, more, more. In the past when I've been successful and eating healthier food, people would ask me if I lost weight and really, I had not lost much. It seems like when I eat "clean" my body loses inches and I have better results. I'm trying to go to a cleaner, healthier way of eating to prevent binges and over-eating. Congrats on daughter's marriage and good luck!

Eating “clean” means very different things to different people and isn’t necessary for weight loss. If you find that eating certain foods triggers you to binge, then yes, you should try to either avoid those foods or work on the issues that cause the binging. Avoiding a food you love forever because you are worried about it prompting a binge probably won’t work for most people. If you can identify and fix the mentality of binging on it or having it send you off the deep end, that will be more sustainable in the long run.