Im new!!

Smetfam4

I just started tranning for a half marothon and the running isnt to bad its my eating habbits i cant seem to get ahold of. I feel like im hungry all the time which doesnt help when im trying to lose 50lbs. I really need support and help im not sure what to eat and how much and foods that i can feed my family as well.
I find my self snaking on anything i have in the house cereal chips bread, and for dinners i cook a lot of meet hamburgers brats or i find myself eating out a lot to, i really want to eat better and want to know snacks that are healthy that i can feed my children as well. im not a huge grape fan, and i like veggies but i eat them with dip so im not really sure what else i can do.

tvandevoort

Hi MiRanda!!
I just wanted to let you know that I am hungry all the time too! lol! Some tips I have learned from our personal trainer we worked with at work are: eat every couple of hours: I eat at 8a.m. 10a.m. 12p.m. 2p.m. 4p.m. and 6p.m. it sounds like alot but it keeps your metabolism going all day. Some snacks I like are: yogurt, cottage cheese, apples with peanut butter or celery with peanut butter, bananas, strawberries, rassberries, english muffin with cream cheese, string cheese, carrots, brocolli, green peppers (I too can't eat them without dip) salads, egg whites and toast (or if you make an omelette, use 2 egg whites and 1 whole egg) I buy a "diet bread" I call it and it is less calories per slice (if you want I can find the name of it), I eat alot of turkey sandwiches with just mustard, pistaccios (they have the least calories of all nuts-and nuts are good for you!!) The trick is to make sure you eat smaller portions, and you want to eat protien if you can because it keeps you feeling full longer. I try to eat what I make the whole family, but I also try to eat a small side salad with my meal so that I am not eating too much of the pizza or spahgetti or whatever we are having, but this way I still get to have some of the good stuf . Another tip the the personal trainer gave us was to try and think of a way to "make it better for you" so when you do go out to eat, try ordering things without the mayo or cheese, or take the top bun off your burger, or instead of fries get a veggie or fruit or yogurt. Another thing that I learned is the vegatables are "free foods" so when you are counting your calories, you don't have to count the veggies, just the dip : ) Another thing I have come to learn is that once you do lose the weight, you can incorporate more into your diet without really gaining, because then you will maintain your weight. Plus, make sure you track all of your excercise calories, you burn around 100 calories/mile when you run, so your body will want more food when you are burning so much, just make it as healthy as possible, and you need to eat some things you enjoy like icecream and chocolate cake or you will just binge on it when you get the chance. Dark chocolate is very good for you (if you like it). I don't know if any of this helps, and it is a tough road. I still struggle trying to maintain my wieght, but I am happy with where I am at, so it is worth it! GOOD LUCK and if you need anything just call! Oh and another thing I just thought of is to do strength training too, it will help you stay injury free with all the running you are doing! SO PROUD OF YOU!!

yabba45

Welcome!!! This site has helped me a great deal. I new nothing about calories, always had the mind set if I liked it I ate it. that all changed when I joined this site and saw just how many calories are in the things I love so much. I have a whole new way of eating now. I also am one of those ladies in the store that reads labels that I never thought I would be. Good luck to you and feel free to add me

tvandevoort

A couple more things I remembered from the personal trainer: drink lots of water!! Start out drinking about 48 oz a day and increase to 64 oz a day. Try to use the 80/20 rule. 80% of the time eat as healthy as you can and the other 20% indulge in what you like, so I try my best to eat really good all week long Monday-Friday and I treat myself here and there on the weekends. Another thing, if you are looking for something sweet, chew some gum if you get the sugar free kind, there aren't many calories

freem467

I'm training for a half marathon as well!
Which one are you doing?
And for me, I'm going on a sort of detox diet. I'm not eating anything that has more than one ingredient, aka processed foods.
I just started though so we'll see how long it lasts haha

mama78loosinWeight

Hello! I've just started using this site too. You are the 1st person I have responded to. So hear goes my advice.
I have heard several people talk about eating six meals a day as well. I have found eating 5 times works better for me to start. You get to eat 3 "real" meals and get a couple of snacks to fill in the hungry times. I think the 6th feeding is for the folks with late night cravings. Maybe? Which in general isn't that good for you. Eating late at night gives you indigestion and what ever you eat goes straight to fat, your body doesn't get a chance to burn it off doing anything. So the trick would be to fill up at dinner.
Well really there are a few things to consider...when are you hungriest? You should plan your meals around when you know you get hungry, there are a million plans because everyone is different.
If you want to eat six meals though here might be an idea
1.breakfast =greek yogurt (160 cal -low fat 4gm, 14+ gm protein, lots of taste) this is my favourite breakfast
if you dont do yogurt try hot "weight control" oatmeal it has 2x's the fiber and fills you up twice as long and is under 100 calories!
2. snack = if hungry a 1/2 of a whole grain big blueberry bagel (120 cal, 3 gm sugar, .5 fat, 5gm protein), with low fat country crock churn style spread 30 cal
3.lunch= 1/2 c ronzoni smart taste 2.5x's fiber pasta (120cal, 6 gm protein, 0.3gm fat, 0.5gm sugar ) with roasted chicken breast (aprox 138 cal per 3 oz breast, boneless skinless ...thats 46 cals per ounce, and 8 gms of protein ) & add 1/8 cup of a couple types of beans they are about 30 calories good sized spoonful vary in fiber and protein depending on bean but are high in both.
4. Snack= low fat whole wheat cracker ( 50 cal, 4 fiber) and baby bell low fat cheese (35cal )
5.Dinner=stew= are great you can add lots of healthy stuff and pick out exactly how much meat and carbs you want in your bowl, I make soups and stews all the time my boys love them. I use whole grain rice, barley or potatoes as my carbs add lots of veg and choose clean protein like trimmed chicken,or beef. You can eat an entire bowl of delicious yummy food that's healthy veg and whole grains that tastes wonderful and not have to eat much of the fattier meat to feel full. If you use noodles use high fiber ones. Keep your serving sizes in proportion. It will make all the difference. As will the meats you choose check into the fat content and calories in the cut of meat you choose for you stew or soup
An alternative to soup/stew is steamed or baked or broiled chicken or fish any kind...season to taste.
6.snack 100 cal high fiber fruit or vegi snack like apple or brocoli or if every one is eating dessert and you dont want to be left out try a frozen yogurt bar or a frozen blended berry bar made with splenda...we got at the store for a $1.50 cheap and only 30 calories.
As far as fast food goes I found a book that really helped, It's called The Calorie King Calorie Fat & Carbohydrate Counter. If you buy the book you can get the updates on their web site calorieking.com. I got the 2009 edition on ebay for like $3. It's a purse sized book that's got all the fast food/ eat out places/ and a lot of grocery store items in it and their nutritional information. Everything from booze, to Emiril's Pasta sauce to Quiznos subs, they even list fresh fruits, meats, ect. Its a handy pocket guide that helps you become familiar with some healthy choices. Really making the healthy choices in the long run will keep the weight off for life.
I hope this helps.
The key in eating is to make sure your eating plenty of fiber, plenty of protein, and plenty of vegies. This will make you feel fuller longer and give you the nutrients you need while your loosing weight. The last thing you want is to feel hungry all the time.

Smetfam4

thank you for all the great advice it gives me many ideas on what to eat and how to really get started with this all. I am aiming to run in the community first half Marathon, that is my big goal aside from losing weight.