Need suggestions on eating healthy

ladylaycee

Okay, I'm trying to lose 70 pounds by my birthday! When it comes down to eating healthy, that's a hard thing for me to do! I like veggies, but not all the time! I like fruit but not all the time either! I've been a junk food junky for all my life! it's hard for me to resist sweets and fast food! I need suggestions on things to eat! I like fish and chicken, but if I eat healthy food all the time I will become bored, and fall off my diet! I just need some suggestions!:happy:

ladylaycee

Okay, I'm trying to lose 70 pounds by my birthday! When it comes down to eating healthy, that's a hard thing for me to do! I like veggies, but not all the time! I like fruit but not all the time either! I've been a junk food junky for all my life! it's hard for me to resist sweets and fast food! I need suggestions on things to eat! I like fish and chicken, but if I eat healthy food all the time I will become bored, and fall off my diet! I just need some suggestions!:happy:

Anna_Banana

My number 1 diet food is Soup. You can throw what ever combo of veggies and protiens in and seasoning and they usually turn out pretty good.

jdonahue

I think it's good to keep the healthy eating but allow yourself to have treats sporadically. Otherwise, if you eat an "off limits" food, you might get discouraged and even give up. My downfall at my "healthiest" was swedish fish. OMG I could eat a whole big bag. I had to allow myself to have a small package of swedish fish once a week so that I didn't constantly crave it.

I'm just starting over my diet so that's the only advice I have coming from someone with 64 pounds to lose!!

FatDancer

Greetings Ladylacee...check out the recipe section board...I see folks coming up with creative low-cal ideas quite frequently.

Some folks allow themselves a free day to eat some of the foods they crave...that doesn't work for me on a regular basis, it jump starts more cravings...I stick to healthy eating for as long as I can before I allow myself just one treat on a Sunday.

Good luck...I know other folks will chime in with ideas for you real soon.

Teammate,
Fat Dancer

ConnieLynn

Hi ladylaycee,

I didn't plan on eating healthy when I started this program. I just planned to cut calories. A few days into it, I just started eating healthy without even thinking about it. It is a wonderful side effect of doing this program. You start to reach for food that you know will satstain you and this food is what your body craves. I was a big sweet eater and I have cut that down considerably without even trying.

Just take it one meal at a time, one day at a time and pretty soon you will not even miss the junk food.
You will crave the healthy stuff. The key is to realize you can still have it and never deprive yourself of the good stuff, just adjust the portion so if fits in your caloire plan for the day.

I am now enjoying food and I am never bored because each meal tastes so good.

Take it slow. It took me 3 weeks before I really got the hang of things. I am still learning every day.

Welcome to the site and blessings to you,

Connie Lynn

jokerrn

I have to tell you that avoiding the junk has been the hardest part for me. Hot Tamales, gummy bears, Oreos, and a root beer float have been a daily occurance for me for a long time. A couple of things that have helped me:

1)Like the poster above said...count calories. If you hold yourself to a certain number of calories per day, you will seek out and find foods that you can eat more of and still make your calories go far. I like almonds, beef jerky, 100 calorie packs, apples.

2)EAT SLOW! Take your time and be deliberate with every bite. Don't watch TV or read a book...focus on the food. Take smaller bites, appreciate the tastes and chew slowly. This has really helped me eat one tuna sandwich for lunch instead of 2 double cheeseburgers.

3)Allow yourself some cheats...don't feel guilty, don't go overboard, earn the cheats with extra workouts, or skipping a 100 calorie pack, etc.

I am 2 weeks in, so I don't have a clue what I'm doing, but these are the things that have helped me get this far. Hope it helps.

lotusfromthemud

Here are the two number one tips.

I always think of weight loss/maintenance success as the two "Ps": portions and patience.

I still eat just about everything. But, I've educated myself about portions. For example, an entire pie is not a portion. (I'm speaking from my own past life there. I used to seriously eat a whole pie.) If I want a lot of food, I reach for fruit, veggies, popcorn, etc. I still have all my favorite treats, but I only buy a portion that I can "afford" calorie-wise. (ie: one piece of pie, not an entire pie.) For me, if it walks in my door, I'll eat it. So if I want chips, I buy a tiny bag. (Even this blows my cal.s for the day). Also, even in treats, I only eat what I can pronounce. If there's something on the ingredients list that I don't recognize as food, I put that bag right back on the shelf.

Patience is harder, but the most necessary ingredient in any lifestyle change. I've lost my weight super-slowly (over three years) and it was hard! You just have to keep going.

You can change your life. :flowerforyou:

createsure

Some of you may be tired of reading this, but APPLES with CINNAMON & SUGAR is the greatest treat ever!!!

Preparation:

Slice one apple into eight slices ( I prefer Fuji or Pink Lady because they are small, and more sweet than tart )
Place slices on a plate and refrigerate for at least a half hour.
Eat with one tablespoon of cinn./sugar mix (I do one part cinn. to five parts sugar).

Total: 115 cal. , 30 carbs

I discovered the refrigerating thing by accident, because I prepared this treat the other night but wasn't ready to eat it until an hour or so later. Having the apple slices cold somehow made it taste even better than normal! Also, I rarely use the whole tbsp of cinn. sugar.

usagijunjou

From watching certain shows, I've learned you can sometimes substitute things you like for the healthier versions of themselves. For instance, pizza. Well, if you used a wheat crust, and cheese with less calories, and sauce with less calories, you can pile on some veggies and you're on your way. If it is something that can't really be substituted, I'd say (and you're gonna think I'm nuts), but make a list about the positives and negatives of eating said food. If you do, you'll probably see that the benefits of not eating it are far more attractive. Its all about state of mind. If you need a small package of (say swedish fish!) then have a little, but by thinking it out, sometimes the process can make it so you don't need it anymore.

teasdino

Okay, I just did a quick browse and www.allrecipes.com has 10 soups under 300 calories. What I did was go to google and type in - healthy ingredients for my recipes. They gave me several sites. I do like allrecipes. And there is another one www.epicurious.com. They also have good stuff.
Here is one really odd suggestion but works very well! You can substitue 1/4 cup of tofu for every egg you put in a recipe. We had to test it out. It worked very well. We even used it in one of those store bought cake mixes. That and applesauce for all the oil. Oh My Goodness! The cake came so very nice and fluffy and moist! Really quite nice. Got that suggestion off a vegan site. Now, we have only used it in baked goods with applesauce for oil sub...but they have came out really nice.
I posted in the recipe area I believe. You can substitute a spaghetti squash for pasta.
hope that helps some.
Here is another site- http://www.cookinglight.com/cooking/

Cowboy

"I have to tell you that avoiding the junk has been the hardest part for me. Hot Tamales, gummy bears, Oreos, and a root beer float have been a daily occurance for me for a long time. A couple of things that have helped me: "

If you like Root beer floats, you've gotta get some A&W diet rootbeer, and some no sugar added, lowfat vanilla ice cream. I'm telling you, for less than 150 calories, you CAN have a great rootbeer float! (Okay it isn't Henry's rootbeer and Ben & Jerry's French Vanilla...but then it isn't 567 calories either!)
Cowboy