What you started eating to get the weight to start coming off?

MichelePBennett

Don't ask me why I didn't turn off the infomercial about the 3 Things you Should Never Eat, but I didn't and I watched the whole thing. In the end I search Dr. Amy Lee. Somehow it was linked to MyFitnessPal. I tapped into it and was able to log in from having it back in 2011. So I'm just going to try this and see if I can eat train myself to eat healthier and lose this extra 20 or so pounds. I would love to know what you started eating to get the weight to start coming off.

Lietchi

I lost 75lbs basically eating the same foods I ate before. I ate less of them: by weighing my food and logging it, I became more aware of appropriate portion sizes. Along the way I made some substitutions (less calories for similar taste, for example) and changed some proportions, but still basically the same foods.

You can lose weight eating pretty much whatever food as long as you are in a calorie deficit (although your food choices will influence your satiation)

quiksylver296

I’m a lot like @lietchi. I didn’t change it up too much. I logged what I was currently eating and then I began to make small tweaks when a food wasn’t giving me enough satiety bang for my calorie buck.

AnnPT77

What I started eating to lose?

Less. 😉 In calorie terms.

Like the others, no big changes in my range of foods, just changes in portion size, proportions of the various foods on my plate, and frequencies of some calorie dense things.

TBH, it was far simpler than I'd ever imagined - not always psychologically easy every second, but manageable, and a simple process.

The payoff in quality of life was huge. I could kick myself for not doing it decades earlier.

avatiach

I too am kicking myself for not doing it earlier, and I am only halfway to goal! I think I doubted myself and one thing I have gotten from these message boards is that lots of people are successful!

I started eating a lot less sugar and generally cut out potato chips. Without those two (big) things my diet was basically sound and now I am working to tweak it to make it better. If you are looking for “model” diets the DASH and Mediterranean diets were the ones I looked to.

JenKindo

For me, it was realizing what foods are worth the calories and which aren't. I focus on lean protein and veg, but still eat chocolate, bread, etc. I just don't eat low quality stuff. If I'm eating chocolate, it's not going to be Hersheys! Ghirardelli make individually wrapped squares that taste so much better to me and also help me limit portions.

I also figured out some substitutions, like plain Greek yogurt for sour cream... Nothing is really off limits, I'm just more aware of calories in general and what I am willing to make room in my plan for and what isn't worth it or makes me feel like crap.

I eat well through the day and if I have room after dinner, I'll have a fudgcicle, some cheese and crackers, a beer, whatever I'm really craving. Which also makes me stop and think, "am I really hungry and if so, what does my body want?" Sometimes it's fruit, bread, something fatty... and usually it's a macro I'm low on that day. Not intentionally, just more in tune with my body.

sbelletti

I eat a lot more plants and a lot less meat and processed foods. But really, I can have whatever I want as long as I'm at my calorie goal for the week. 43 pounds down and entering maintenance now.

nsk1951

It's not what I started eating to lose weight. It's more what I ate less of.

JaysFan82

I cut out stuff like junk food and soda, but nothing else. Just stay within my calories and keep up with exercise. Currently down 78 downs since Feb.24.

Chef_Barbell

I eat food. 😋 Nothing is off limits for me.

sijomial

The quality/nutrition of my diet wasn't the problem, I just needed to reduce the quantity for a while.

_Dan1985

sbelletti wrote: »

I eat a lot more plants and a lot less meat and processed foods. But really, I can have whatever I want as long as I'm at my calorie goal for the week. 43 pounds down and entering maintenance now.

This is sensible. As everybody else has pointed out, all that really matters is calories when it comes to pure weight loss. But making better food choices is good for long term health and in many cases much more satisfying than high processed meals all the time.

xrj22

One thing that seems simple and silly, but has really helped me is overnight oats for breakfast. Having something ready to go in the morning, that I need to eat that day because it won't last keeps me on track for the morning. Starting the day with something filling and healthy seems to set the tone and get me started off on the right track. I am also having a lot of fun experimenting with plant-based, low fat recipes. I made some great tofu-mushroom lettuce-wraps yesterday, and found a good peanut soup recipe, and a couple of bean salads.

cwolfman13

Mostly I cut way back on eating out and soda. I used to eat out for lunch every single day and drank anywhere from 3-6 Mt Dews per day. I started brown bagging my lunch and cut the soda out and that was pretty much it in regards to "cutting out". I put a lot more emphasis on things I was nutritionally lacking like trying to get in or close to the recommended amounts of veg and fruit than I what to cut out. Getting into regular exercise was also huge for me as a lack of exercise was a big part of my slow weight creep over 8 years or so.

SuzySunshine99

I didn't really adjust the specific foods that I was eating...other than the portion sizes, as others have pointed out.

My biggest change was how I distributed my calories throughout the day. I realized that for me, I didn't need a lot of calories for breakfast or lunch, but I like a big, multi-course dinner.

So, I kept my big dinner and reduced the amount of food I was eating for breakfast and lunch. It worked for me and my lifestyle, it's a formula that I still use now in maintenance, but I realize it wouldn't work for everyone.

COGypsy

What did I start eating to lose weight? Less.

I didn't change much in terms of what I ate. I mainly just made more calorically economical choices and adjusted my portion size. So I still went to Mexican restaurants, just had soft tacos instead of a chimichanga. It never worked or lasted long when I changed everything about my diet and lifestyle. The reality is that I'm just never going to be one of those people that finds prepping and cooking and cleaning up afterward in any way entertaining, fulfilling or satisfying. Once I made that realization and figured out ways to fit my calorie goals into the way I tend to actually eat, weight loss got a LOT simpler.

swimmom_1

In 65 years I have done many diets and have lost the same weight many times. This time I knew someone who lost well and has kept it off eating low carbs. So that is what I did this time and have had good success with. For some reason my body doesn't burn carbs well. Even including healthy carbs, not just the starchy ones. Since I started low carb I don't crave them as much anymore either. When I do eat them they are ones well worth the calories, taste wise, but then I retain water weight. And that seems to take awhile to get that to drop back off. Definitely not for everyone but as we have all said, "You have to do what works for you."

My advice is, "If your younger than me don't put it off. If your my age or older, Don't put it off any longer!"

Pdc654

I now eat less low nutrient high calorie food (junk food) and more nutrient dense lower calorie food. This allows me to be satisfied with a lot less calories. I haven't given up anything but really limit the junk food now.

Alatariel75

I haven't cut anything out, but I focus on my meals having lean meats, plenty of protein, multiple serves of veg and some healthy fats and when the 3 meals are good and balanced I fill in the gaps with snacks that satisfy me and fit my calories. I also eat lower calories during the week, so that I can have more flexibility on the weekend.

wunderkindking

Like everyone else, my diet didn't change a whole lot in regards to WHAT - more a matter of 'how much' and 'how often'.

The only two big changes I made were prioritizing protein (I was way low before) and switching to lower calorie condiment/sauce choices. I was adding a whole lot of calories (like a thousand a day with those). Almond milk instead of cream/creamer for my coffee, light mayo or mustard instead of the regular stuff, making my oatmeal with water, fat free dressing, stevia instead of sugar stuff.

DancingMoosie

I ate a lot less bread and butter, cookies, chips....and ate more salad. I really like salad, so it was easy to make a basic lunch every day with salad greens, pickled veg, and tuna. When I needed to increase calories a little, I added a fruit as well. My dinners were also based around veggies and protein. Breakfast was usually egg...either a taco on corn tortilla or egg and avocado. Low cal veg can bulk up almost any meal...

MaggieGirl135

Same food, less of it