What changes did you make to your diet?

juganaut

What's your before and after diets? What changes did you make?

Here's mine...

BEFORE
Breakfast: Coffee (sometimes I'd have a slice of pizza or a meatball vietnamese roll)
Lunch: Spudbar, Burger Edge, kebabs, meatball vietnamese roll (if i didn't eat it at breakfast)
Dinner: big piece of meat with salad and maybe some baked potato or cous cous, or a parma with chips at the pub, Kebabs, pizza, whatever
Snacks: throughout the day - rice cakes with peanut butter, left-over catering sandwiches, chocolate, ice cream, whatever, whenever

AFTER:
Breakfast: porridge with fruit and yoghurt and tea or coffee
Lunch: tempeh wrap made at home, or a salad roll
Dinner: portioned piece of meat with salad and steamed vegetables, of a steak with steamed vegetables at the pub.
Snacks: high protein stuff once or twice a day like tuna, yoghurt, protein shakes, apples, green tea

i definitely don't feel as encumbered anymore, the cravings for starchy foods is gone, and swapping sugary stuff for protein has done wonders.

what's your story?

Acg67

i eat less often and bigger meals and i've added in ice cream and other goodies to make my diet more enjoyable

spammyanna

BEFORE
Breakfast: None
Lunch: Chinese take out, Subway, deli food from the grocery store
Dinner: Cheeseburger from a pub, pizza, pasta
Snacks: Whatever someone brought into the office


NOW
Breakfast: Cereal with fruit and 2% milk, somedays I have eggs
Lunch: Greek yogurt or cottage cheese with fruit and granola
Dinner: Protein with salad
Snacks: Apple, string cheese, oatmeal, carrots

And I feel a million times better!

moonflower09

Probably one of the biggest changes I have made is weighing and measuring everything. It is so helpful and a good education to see what portions are supposed to be like.

kittycatmeowmeow

Great topic.

Heh mine is in reverse, as I am just starting again after 2 years of mindless eating, and not saying no to anything.

Musicgrl4life

i'm very cautious with portion sizes. I am careful about how much sodium I have daily. I don't drink soda anymore. I drink more water.

1a1a

Probably one of the biggest changes I have made is weighing and measuring everything. It is so helpful and a good education to see what portions are supposed to be like.

I second this one. And, after some serious soul searching, attempting to cut down on dairy (haven't drunk even a sip of my beloved farmers union iced coffee in more than a week.)

jolinemariem

i stopped eating out all the time...now i only do it when i have to and i try to eat something as healthy as possible when i do. I watch my portions and calories. try to make better choices (white rice to brown rice etc.) and still struggling with stopping soda all together but def. cut down ALOT. got along way to go but small steps at a time

catwrangler

Several years ago I stopped eating red meat and pork. Then 2 years ago I stopped eating fast food and fried foods. I was having it more than once a week. Also no butter or margarine if I can possibly help it. I'm not a low carb person but I do tend to stay away from bread and that helps. Bread and pastry is my down fall.

I eat a lot more fruits and veggies than I used to and I think my egg consumption went up. Love my sweets so I don't think I could ever give up Splenda or things made with Splenda.

Other than that I am definitely more active. A big change that I want to keep forever along with eating right.

LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo

I eat heavy breakfast everyday, took out sugary stuff like sodas, iced teas, fruit drinks, sports drinks, processed foods & also junk foods from my everyday diet (though I take a few twice a month). I only drink fresh fruit juice once a month. So I drink lots of water, eat whole foods, whole grains, more fruits & vegetables everyday. I cook my own food, only eat out 2x a week when I'm at work.

AH2013

Before:

Breakfast - Either nothing, or toast with butter and marmalade/ croissants at the weekend
Lunch - Sandwich with cheese/relish/mayo/salad, packet of crisps, cereal bar or Tomato tart (large puff pastry base with tomatoes and oil and basil)
Dinner - Out a lot so, penne arrabiata with lots of bread, pizzas, curry's, and crisps & ice cream and a bar of chocolate each night. Weekends were far worse.

Now:

Breakfast - Homemade fruit smoothie or Toast with peanut butter
Mid morning - Yoghurt or handful of nuts
Lunch - Homemade leek and potato soup with crackers or last night's leftovers. Low fat or fat free yoghurt
Mid afternoon - Fibre plus cereal bar (111 cals 2g fat)
Dinner - Homemade Chilli, cottage pie, curry, lasagne etc & London Dairy low fat strawberry ice cream

I try to have much of the same as I had before for evening meal but make it very low fat and the icecream is my evening treat. It's my something to look forward to after I have my mammoth (so it feels sometimes!!) workout for the evening. I also try to take in a lot of my energy throughout the day as I usually workout when I get home from work rather than before.

it_be_asin

I eat more protein, I eat a smaller amount of low fat dairy products, my portion sizes at dinner have shrunk, I eat less sugar (have cut dried fruit and sugary breakfast cereals out), and I am careful about eating carbs now. I eat less pasta, noodles and flatbread because they don't fill you up; but I eat more oats, rice and corn because they do.

juganaut

Probably one of the biggest changes I have made is weighing and measuring everything. It is so helpful and a good education to see what portions are supposed to be like.

Measuring things has also been invaluable to me. It's amazing to see how many Twisties there are in 27g, or how heavy that piece of chicken really weigh.

lili200

I EAT SOUP, IT WAS THE ONE THING i NEVER AGREED TO PUT IN MY MOUTH..

jo_marnes

I changed my diet to start weight loss and then again when I was diagnosed celiac earlier this year.

BEFORE:

Breakfast - Cereal, often sugary
Lunch - Jacket potato/ Pasta/ Cheese toasty
Dinner - Pasta/ Pizza/ Curry/ Breads - not especially unhealthy, always with veg, but just far too much
Snacks - Ice cream/ sweets/ chocolate

AFTER

Breakfast - Muesli or porridge
Lunch - Peanut butter or beans on toast/ soup/ salad with roll
Dinner - Low fat curries (homemade) with naan/ stir fry/ chilli/ masses of veg!
Snacks - Toast, fruit, handfuls of cereal

NOW (after diagnosis)

Breakfast - Rice or polenta porridge with honey
Lunch - Leftover dinners/ eggs/ salads with feta and pumpkin/ homemade soup
Dinner - Stir fry with rice noodles/ Curries (no naan!)/ Chilli/ Gluten free pasta with homemade sauce
Snacks - Fruit/ Yoghurt/ Nuts/ More porridge to keep me going (dinner is late in my house!)

kyle4jem

The main change I have made is to portion size rather than to what I eat, although there have been some major changes because I'm watching my calories, so Ryvita has replaced almost all bread (apart from mini naans)

BEFORE:
Breakfast: Ham Cheese & Tomato Pannini; fruit or cheese scones with butter or paté; sausage roll in a bread roll with cheese and mayo; large bowl of porridge with maple syrup; 2xbowls of breakfast cereal

Lunch: baguette with chicken, salad & mayo and a packet of crisps; microwavable ready meals with toasted naan; pasta and sauce.

Dinner: usually large plate of meat potatoes & veg; lasagne with a lb of grated cheese + garlic bread; big bowl of meat curry with rice plus popadoms & chutney, samosas, naans; fish with half a tub of coleslaw; fishy rice & peas; moroccan chicken with whole pack of couscous - all meals included some type of bread.

Snacks: chocolate, sweeties, biscuits, crips, toasties, cheese & biscuits.


NOW:
Breakfast: Ryvita, cottage cheese and smoked salmon; cheerios with banana; ham omelette

Lunch: soup; Ryvita as above; omelette; beans on toast (1 slice); leftovers

Dinner: as before, just a lot less on my plate and only eating 1 or part of 1 mini naan.

Snacks: seldom, maybe a banana, some oat biscuits, a few grapes, water.

I still drink exactly same as before, but do include 3-4 glasses of water instead of snacks.

coatsie79

On the whole I pretty much eat the same kind of food, I'm just making sure I eat normal portion sizes, because I was actually eating enough for two people. The fact that I am now doing exercise where before I was doing none at all is another major factor.

HMonsterX

Before

Breakfast - None
Lunch - Sainsburys Beans with Sausages, 3 slices of white bread with i cant believe its not butter.
Dinner - 2 Chicken Legs with oven baked chips / Minced beef with rice/spaghetti/Burgers and chips. pint of coke
Snacks - Crisps, chocolate bars, etc.
10-12 cups of tea, each with 3 sugars and full fat milk.

0 glasses of water.

Now

Breakfast - None
Lunch - Turkey breast chunks in Best of Both bread, with i can believe its not butter light.
Dinner - 2 Chicken legs with oven baked chips/Be good to yourself diced beef with rice/extra lean beef escalopes with rice or chips. Pint of 7 up free.
Snacks - Crisps, fun size chocolate bars, similar things but now in moderation.
10-12 cups of tea, each with 2 sweeteners and skimmed milk.
Isotonic drink with every exercise session.
Multivitamin+minerals tablet, cod liver oil tablet.

1 glass of water with my tablets.

Not much of a change, just now logging everything, keeping things in moderation, and exercising 6 times a week, compared to 0 times.

stefchica

my diet then and now isnt tooo different only now i just watch my calorie intake.

BEFORE
Breakfast- Kashi cereal with 2% milk
snack- two handfuls of almonds
lunch- taco bell or a ready to go lunch from fresh and easy
snack- agave and peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat
dinner- would vary, but would mainly be homemade mexican food or bolivian food which consitsts of rich sauces and meats and rice

NOW
breakfast- egg w/veggies 1 slice of whole wheat bread with lots of water
lunch- smoothie or lite hot dog with whole wheat bread or leftovers
dinner- chicken breast with brown rice or modified versions of my favorite meals

the killer for me is the weekends...when i eat HORRIBLE things, dont exercise and drink a lot. hah

seal57

I now measure everything instead of just spooning/pouring it on.....I use actual measuring spoons to measure my sugar and measuring cups for milk.......My added sugar intake has really dropped......When I first started I was putting 1 teaspoon of sugar on my morning cereal, now it's half a teaspoon......

I haven't cut much out only pizza.....But I'm going to have a go at making my own using the cauliflour to make the base.......

My water intake has gone up........

RickinNH

Strict portion control and near (not total, but pretty close) elimination of processed foods. Just about the only thing I regularly consume now that comes in a container is milk on my oatmeal in the morning, and yogurt.

DWilbanks

Before

Breakfast - nothing
Lunch -something from a fast food place
Dinner Whatever was quickest to fix, (pop in oven dinners and such)
Snacks none

Now

Breakfast Mon-Fri Oatmeal Weekend Eggs and toast (no butter)
Lunch - Usually a turkey or ham sandwich with lettuce, tomato, and onion
Dinner- Some type salad, and a meat (usually baked)
Snacks Apple, or popcorn, or other fruit

Kate6868

I still have a green smoothie for breakfast, beans or an enchilada for lunch, vegetables and beans for dinner. I just eat about 1/2 the portion size that I used to! Who knew that 5 cups of beans was not one serving? :blushing:

LMorrison1009

My changes are a little backwards I think. Before I would live on coffee and diet coke all day and wouldn't eat until supper time. Then I would eat huge portions, and not stop eating until bed time. Telling myself its okay because I didn't eat all day long. Now I try to eat 5 meals a day, watch all my portions, and I still have a big supper, and sometimes desert, but I adjust the rest of the day to allow it rather than starving myself. I truly believe I put my body into starvation mode with my crazy ways. I actually eat more now and have lost 30 pounds in 3 months.

healthypeoplearehappypeople

Before:
Breakfast- white bagel with butter, smoothies with things like sherbert
Lunch- none, or some cafeteria food like processed crackers or potatoes and ranch dressing.
Snack- candy, chips, in uncontrolled portions. baked goods.
Dinner- milk, meat, bread and uncontrolled amounts of butter, cheesy pastas

Now:
Breakfast- whole wheat toast with peanut butter or hummus and fruit, smoothies with fruit and tofu
Lunch- whole whaet sandwich thins with peanut butter, or tempeh and tomato, fruit, soymilk
Dinner- no meat, no milk, bread and MUCH less butter, vegetables, salad, brown rice dishes, beans.

Looking back on how I used to eat, it's not wonder that I was so unhealthy.

gettingthin03

Before:

Breakfast- nothing or leftovers from night before, sugary cereal, cookies and coffee
Lunch- Microwave meal loaded with sodium, hot pocket, leftovers, fried foods out of the cafe , sweet tea
Dinner- Fried foods, bread, rice, sweet tea

After: (everything measured)

Breakfast- oatmeal, special k, smoothie, protein bar, eggs and chicken sausage on the weekends
Lunch- Turkey sandwich on wheat bread, salad, healthy leftovers
Dinner- Baked, broiled, or grilled meat, veggies, rice, bread (in small potions) and tons of water

I feel alot better also!

MiNiMoNkI

i eat less often and bigger meals and i've added in ice cream and other goodies to make my diet more enjoyable

Same here, definately ice cream as a treat, with some roasted nuts yummy!

eeebee

Before:

Brek: 2 thick slices white farmhouse toast with butter & a mocha, or 2 slices wholemeal toast with low fat cream cheese, a tiny bit of hellmans mayo and a couple handfuls of sliced cherry tomatoes

Lunch: anything and everything, often chicken and biscuits and salad, or catering sandwiches and cheese and ham baguettes

Dinner: Roast vegetables with sweet potato, broccoli and chicken (brown meat only) at 11pm or so. Followed by a bowl of sweet ceral.

Snacks: Crisps, a biscuit a day, kit kat, cheese biscuits all throughout the day

Now:

Brek: 1 slice brown gluten/wheat free bread (Genius) with 1/2 tsp light lurpak and a boiled egg white, sometimes two. Low fat/calorie mocha

Lunch: Ham, salad and gluten free bread or wholemeal pitta bread & water

Dinner: Stews, soups and salads, seafood noodle dishes, sometimes allow myself oven fries with ham and always eat LOADS of vegetables to fill me up.

Snacks: Oranges, melon, potato chips every so often and occasionally chocolate (1 stick of kit kat with unsweetened tea.

THE ONE THING I CANNOT SEEM TO GIVE UP ON, IS RED WINE, USUALLY ABOUT 150ML GLASS PER DAY. IT'S TOUGH TO STOP THIS HABIT OF RELAXATION VICE.

Maryfullofgrace

The biggest changes I've made is lowering my sodium level to 1500 mg/day, increased my sleep, grass-fed beef, I don't eat in restaurants except maybe once or twice a month, I measure everything.

Grokette

Before: Drinking too much coffee, eating conventional grocery store foods, counting calories and trying to keep the fat low. Exercising for hours at the gym.


Now: Eating high fat, moderate protein, low carb. Not counting calories and eating intuitively by listening to my body. No more chronic cardio so I can heal my adrenal glands and get my cortisol levels under control. So, I move slow, sprint occasionally, lift heavy things and play more. No more conventional grocery store foods either. Meat, eggs and dairy comes straight from the farm and I bought into a local CSA for vegetables. The fruit I eat I purchase from a pick your own farm down the road from my house.

chanceuse107

Well.. basically cutting out wheat and most grain foods, milk (but not all dairy), and just about all processed sugar. That's a big change. Changes. Those are big changes.

Worth it though... I feel good.