"Normal" food?

Im_NotPerfect

Is anyone else trying to do this weight loss thing on NORMAL food? What I mean by "normal" food is, the same food your own family eats. Not Protein Shakes, or supplements, etc?

My main goal during my weight loss journey is to not up my grocery bill by buying "diet" foods. If it's something the rest of my family won't eat, I don't buy it. I don't make separate meals for me and my family. Granted, in general, we don't buy a lot of processed things anyway (my husband can pretty much make everything from scratch). But if this is going to be a TRUE lifestyle change for me, I need to learn how to eat normally. I don't want to be drinking protein shakes or buying twice as much food for the rest of my life.

But it makes me wonder....does anyone else have this philosphy? What kinds of foods do you eat that are "normal"?

SweetSammie

This is my struggle since getting married. I think having a HUGE leafy green salad and water before dinner really helps. Then if you eat less healthy entrees you can eat less of them and not be so hungry.
I also use evaporated milk instead of cream in recipes, I no longer fry things... roll it in some kind of breadcrumb and bake or dry saute. I also just change the distribution of foods on MY plate. More steamed veggies. I made burrito bowls last week, and my husband had a TON of (brown) rice, cheese and sour cream on his. I had more lettuce, salsa, veggies and beans on mine, with 1 tbsp each sour cream and guacamole.

It is WAY harder living with others. The last time I really tried to lose weight, I lived alone. I simply did not buy anything I "shouldn't" eat. Now I'm not the only one eating and buying!

Krissy366

Everything I eat is normal. I just eat more of the good stuff and less of the bad stuff now. Other than soda, which I've completely given up (25 days and counting), I don't have a single item on my "can't have" list. Not one. I was craving a Bloomin' Onion the other day - probably haven't had one in a year. I decided it was worth getting, so I got it. Between a cousin and I we ate about 1/3 each. After I got a simple side salad. The calories weren't too crazy (and I had plenty of room for it), and being here made me make a better decision. In the past, I would have gotten the onion plus a full meal. Now I'm not that careless about what I eat.

neanderthin

My normal type of food would probably been seen as health food by most people, so normal really doesn't mean much. imo

IveLanded

I think you need to re-think what you are doing. You want a TRUE lifestyle change BUT you want to continue eating the same way you always have??? That doesn't make sense.

You know what I did? I changed the "normal" for my family. I don't buy "diet" food........I buy healthy food we can all eat. I think a key to a true lifestyle change for moms with families is that the reality is your entire family will have to change how they eat. You aren't going to change your life if you don't do anything to change.

And, you know what? You might have to make separate meals. And it's not the end of the world. I am a mom of three and there are meals where I make something different for EVERYONE. For breakfast, I had half a bagel, my boys had cereal and fruit, and my daughter had toast. It's more important to me that I eat healthy and put good food into all of us than make excuses to keep with the status quo. Generally when I'm cooking a big meal like dinner, I will add slight variations for me. It's not that big of a deal.

jenlarz

You can make slight changes to "normal' food without anyone really noticing. Using lower fat versions and switching to whole grain for things. Smaller portions, adding more veggies and lose weight and be healthier all around. Plain greek yogurt works well as a switch for sour cream for example

crazytreelady

Lots of fruit.. I like slicing pineapple up as well as frozen blueberries.
I grill zucchini and steam carrots a lot, or sometimes I roast carrots and potatoes in a little EVOO with Italian spices.
I love almonds and soy nuts. I also eat yogurt every day.
Hmm, I don't really eat a lot of meat, but I love peppery chicken salad with apples and thee raisins ... In fact I think imma make a sammich right now hahaha.


EDITED..... It's not expensive to eat healthy if you don't buy prepackaged foods.

RillSoji

I think 'normal' food is whole food. "As close to the tree as possible" is a phrase I like to use a lot. I try to make as much as possible from scratch. Eliminating a lot of highly processed foods with too many unpronounceable ingredients. Stuff like that. I'm not perfect, still working towards my goals, but I'm getting there!

My husband is on board with eating this way and that's good cause I'd refuse to make two different things every meal. ~_^

kerrymh

I eat "normal" I do make protein shakes and I don't have a family..lol
BUT I think your family should want to eat healthy too...so it depends on how healthy your family eats as to what is normal.
Nothing wrong with wanting something that works well with everyday life. If you cook at home which it sounds like you do, just eat a smaller portion, make sure there is lots of whole grains, fruits and veggies and good lean protein, and don't fill up on non nutritious foods...cut the crap out. Your family doesn't need that either.

original_cake_face

I'm 25 and on a budget. I can't really afford all the fab "diet foods". I buy basic things: lean meats, veggies, fruit... Sometimes I splurge on nuts and raisins to make trail mix. I spend a little more on the better applesauce (I don't want the supersweet cheap stuff). I cook at home for nearly every meal, so it's not hard for me to avoid the diet food fad. I just changed my cooking styles, my quantities, and added more veggies.

LittleMissNerdy

I eat "normal" foods. I'm pretty much eating what I've always have, just in moderation. Before I didn't watch or look at the calories I was eating. Now that I am, I know what I can have, what I should skip and what I can have in moderation. I don't take supplements or shakes.

geri1geraldinesuzanne

i generally eat what the rest of the family eats only smaller portions also i tend to use low fat ingredients, if they are having something like burgers for example i have a wholemeal pitta and chicken burger, with low fat mayo and low fat cheese..... less calories, and tastes yummy. :laugh:

Im_NotPerfect

I eat "normal" I do make protein shakes and I don't have a family..lol
BUT I think your family should want to eat healthy too...so it depends on how healthy your family eats as to what is normal.
Nothing wrong with wanting something that works well with everyday life. If you cook at home which it sounds like you do, just eat a smaller portion, make sure there is lots of whole grains, fruits and veggies and good lean protein, and don't fill up on non nutritious foods...cut the crap out. Your family doesn't need that either.

^^This is how I actually meant to word it! LOL Thank you!! We eat fairly healthily anyway (Lots of fruits and veggies). I'm basically just eating smaller portions and relearning how to eat.

And just for the record...there's nothing wrong with protein shakes and "diet" food (or what I consider to be diet food). This is just MY philosophy behind how I want my journey to go and was looking to find out if anyone else had the same philosophy.

estjames

Granted my boyfriend is not really picky about the foods I make, but I often try to find new recipes that are a healthier take on favorites or recipes that we may have never even heard of. SparkPeople.com is a good website to look for recipes and they also have some email newsletter you can sign up for that give you a daily recipe or tips for incorporating a healthier lifestyle for your family.

shiseido_faerie

Normal for me is shopping the outside aisles of the grocery store
We buy fresh produce, meat, dairy, we don't buy a TON of bread products but only because they bloat my belly up like crazy lol
We avoid processed foods but have been known to buy for example, pre-made sauces
We don't buy frozen entrees of any sort anymore (including pizzas - which we now make on little pita breads)

For us it was about learning portion sizes, we got a $10 food scale and weigh and measure everything. We don't have food that is strictly off limits but we try to look at those not-so-good foods now as a treat, and even that gets measured. Our only real cheat is that if we DO go out for a nice sit-down dinner (usually once or twice a month), we get what we want and we enjoy it without feeling bad, sometimes that even includes wine or a dessert!

bcattoes

I only eat normal foods. No supplements, other than a few vitamins that my doctor suggested. When I was younger and maintaining a healthy diet / weight my girls ate what I ate (they are grown now - both at a heatlhy weight).

Typical meals are a lean meat or fish with a veggie or two, or a veggie and brown rice or quinoa.

We often skip meat and have a beans and brown rice one dish meal, or with a side of greens (kale or collards).

I cook wth olive oil 99% of the time. In the summer we grill a lot, both lean meats or fish and veggies.

ETA: we occasionally have meals that are not healthy like baby back ribs, or something, but only occasionally.

mes1119

Fresh foods are normal and diet foods. They are cheaper, located on the outside of the grocery store and rich in nutrients.

My grocery bill has DROPPED since I started eating healthier.

Personally, I'm learning how to have a sustainable healthy lifestyle by eating fresh, natural foods.

em9371

i eat normal food, generally 'diet' food is full of processed crap, and especially 'low fat' stuff can be really high in sugar.
As i cook for me and my husband, i will make the same main meal, but with different sides, he will have more potatoes / rice / pasta / cheese, i will have a smaller portion of that plus more veggies / salad etc.
Its better to cook the same meals for everyone, i dont get people that buy healthy food for themselves and feed the rest of their family junk food!

I do also have protein shakes, but just on days when i dont get enough protein from my meals, or as a healthy chocolately treat :-)

dme1977

I actually eat NORMAL food... its all about PORTION CONTROL .
I use my measuring cups and measuring spoons to eat the actual serving sizes... after awhile you'll be able to eyeball it but i know for almost the first month and a half i HAD to measure EVERYTHING. ( istill measure A lot of things)
I eat whatever everyone else eats but in moderation.
I eat cheesecake...Lawlers cheesecake bites= 80 calories/piece
I eat chocolate... M&Ms, 5 calories per M&m ... 5=25 calories 10=50 calories
I eat burgers ... 80/20 chuck but I measure or weigh out exactly a 1/4 lb burger (before i cook, so the calories are accurate)
NOW I DONT EAT THESE THINGS EVERYDAY MIND YOU but this journey isnt about depriving yourself or having to eat certain things...
diets= yes and no foods
life style change for weight loss= moderation, portion control, exercise

But do what works best for you and your family. Just because someone else is doing it one way doesnt make that the ONLY way to do it.!! :flowerforyou:

AlabasterVerve

I cook real food and my husband likes the food I'm making now more than what I was cooking before and so do I. We eat chicken parmesan, chili, stuffed cabbage casserole, chef salads, roasted vegetables, taco salads, beans and rice, calzones from scratch, steak & hamburgers on occasion and I don't know what else. Just normal, nutritious foods that have a lot of vegetables in order to have generous portion sizes without a ton of calories--our dinners are usually between 350 - 550 calories.

The biggest change I've made I think is doing away with the separate meat, vegetable and side dishes I used to serve at dinner time and instead I make more composed/complete dishes. Sometimes I incorporate relatively small amounts of rice, potatoes and pasta into the dish but I've done away with the starchy sides I used to serve (and everyone would want seconds of) and no ones noticed the difference because there doesn't look or taste like anything is missing.

Skinnytaste and Allrecipes are great resources I use all of the time for "real food" recipes and ideas.

http://www.skinnytaste.com
http://allrecipes.com

Nikki_42

I eat "normal" food ala if I want pizza, I eat pizza. Same with wine or dessert.

I'm just MUCH more aware of correct portion control, calorie counts, how much I'll have to exercise if I go nuts....ala iHop 900 calorie breakfast Saturday morning = 3 hours in the gym, yet was totally worth it.

I will try to find low fat/healthier substiutions for foods if possible. Ie> Low fat olive oli mayo tastes the same as regular, PAM vs. butter, egg beaters vs. eggs, etc. While there are certain things that taste funny in the low-fat option (ewww no-fat cream cheese) I bet your family wouldn't notice if you snuck in a few items at a time. Healthier breads, condiments, etc. I save a ton of calories on some things that I never even thought of before this site.

Bottomline-- I think it's totally unrealistic to cut off foods you like or might crave. It's a life style change (not diet for me), but I want a happy satisfied life.

Now if your doc says "don't eat x,y,z", or you know you need to cut out something in particular for your health, that's a different story.