I Need Help With My Diet!

amandainez08

Okay, so I've lost 6 lbs so far, but I feel I'm in a rut. I've tried dieting before, but most of them were just the fad diets and they ALWAYS failed! I want to eat right, but I'm so lost on what I should eat vs. what I shouldn't eat. I know to cut the junk food and the take out, obviously, and I have. However, I still feel like I don't know what to eat. I feel restricted on what to eat. Any suggestion would be great!

Just a side note: I love fruits and I love bread. I don't want to have to give those two up!

hut3523

Hi!
Okay, this is kind of what I am doing...

1) Keeping a journal of every thing that goes in my mouth. Even a piece of sugar free gum, or hard candy. Writing everything down has helped me so much, seriously!

2) Eating around 1400 calories a day. Draw a big circle for your plate... draw a line dividing it in half. Then the bottom half, draw a line dividing that section in half. Top half section is vegetables (50% of your meal), the bottom two sections are lean protein -- fish, lean meats (25%) and carbs (25%). I use to eat WAY TOO MANY CARBS and very little vegetables at dinner time. Plus, my portions were always huge, or I commonly had seconds of everything.

3) I haven't started exercising yet (besides parking further away from places to get extra walking in). And I have lost about 11 lbs. I feel the "more vegetables" and writing in my food journal constantly has been the key for me. Before a month ago, I tried falling old plans I used and a few other diets... had trouble and was not losing. And myfitnesspal.com is a great tool to use.

hut3523

Oh, couple more things.

Fruits are good, but you just have to limit them per day. They can contain a lot of sugars/carbs which could be a reason for not losing.

Also, I am trying very hard not to give up things I like -- because I'm training myself to eat this way for always. Plus there are certain foods I cannot have in the house because I just can't control how much I eat of them... and one of those things is fresh Italian or French breads/rolls. All white flour foods should be replaced with wheat flour foods. And cheeses -- I only use reduced fat or lite versions now.

runfatmanrun

Seeing your diary would help to give you advice. You could look at mine for ideas. I enjoy fruit and carbs, always have just in moderation.

amandainez08

Oh, I use MFP to log everything! I actually seem to eat way too much protien. I don't exercise vigorously, so I know it isn't being put to use in my body. When it comes to me a vegetables, I HAVE to dress it up somehow. I love broccoli, but I have to have it steamed with a little butter in it, or else it tastes too plain. I absolutely love flavor when it comes to my food, so I can never eat veggies plain. But thanks so much for the advice

hut3523

Oh broccoli with a little butter is fine -- and with other veggies too. Just moderation with the butter. Also, try one of the butter sprays... not bad.

mjsunshine16

You could try Mrs Dash to flavor your foods (veggies). Variety is important and having patience is key. this is a lifestyle change not a diet. It would help if you had your diary open so we could provide more pointers specific to you. Good Luck

bathsheba_c

Fat on vegetables actually helps the body to absorb the nutrients from the vegetables better.

For me, a big part of this was to just start logging everything I ate and learning about the nutritional content of what I was already eating. After about a week of that, I started to think of calories as like having a budget. I have a certain amount of calories I can eat per day, and so I have to decide if that candy bar is worth it, or if I need to go for a lower-calorie option instead.

The protein targets for MPF are pretty low, but if you go even twice over, assuming no kidney conditions, it shouldn't hurt you.

carriparton

I love flavor too, so I try to look for different seasonings in the spice isle. Mrs. Dash has a bunch of different seasonings (I am addicted to garlic) and I find putting those on veggies with butter makes them quite good.

ttesta20

Oh, I use MFP to log everything! I actually seem to eat way too much protien. I don't exercise vigorously, so I know it isn't being put to use in my body. When it comes to me a vegetables, I HAVE to dress it up somehow. I love broccoli, but I have to have it steamed with a little butter in it, or else it tastes too plain. I absolutely love flavor when it comes to my food, so I can never eat veggies plain. But thanks so much for the advice

My husband frequently complains about how bland broccoli can be (I love it too, so we eat it A LOT in our house!) so sometimes I mix it up a little and make a pesto sauce for whole wheat pasta. It's only 46 calories for 1 tbsp and has good heart-healthy fats from the olive oil. Here's the website for the recipe if you'd like to try it!

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/18/health/nutrition/18recipehealth.html

deadbeatsummer

The best thing to do is not to avoid eating any food type.

Try to eat as cleanly as possible - no chemicals and crap processed food - and log everything you eat.

I have found that creating a 'binge' catergory in my diary alongside breakfast, lunch and dinner and entering naughty food into their helps to show me what I shouldnt be eating.

keep eating that fruit and still have bread - but switch to wholemeal and seeded and only have a couple of slices a day.

if you aim to eat things that have less fat and more protein generally your meals will be healthier. just stick to your allowance and try some exercise and youll be on your way.

LivingtheLeanDream

to spruce up veg add a little chopped chilli for a bit of a kick
I actually find that brocolli is much nicer when its stir fried thats along with other veg or even roasted, it tastes nicer crunchy! I always add garlic/chilli/ginger to the veg which really helps

cookadook

I felt the same as you for a long time. But now I think I have a pretty good handle on what I am doing. If you are going to eat carbs, eat ones that have lots of fiber in them. At my grocery store, Kroger, they have these sandwhich thins.. its the same calories and carbs for the most part as one slice of regular bread.. but it also has 6 grams of fiber which helps your body process the carbs.
Instead of butter...either use very little... or consider spices or herbs instead. Mrs. Dash has some great seasonings and they have no sodium.
Sodium is the devil. lol... You think you are doing good and then you find out that something has 1000 or 2000 mg of sodium and it wreaks havoc on your insides. Stay away from processed and restaurant foods as much as possible. Research menus online before going to the restaurant if you are heading out. Ask them to modify the dishes when necessary.... No butter, no sauce, no salt, etc.
There are lots of recipe ideas here on MFP.. also on lots of other websites where you can make fresh food that is healthy for you and still tastes wonderful. Seriously.. like you won't even think of it as diet food. I have gotten some great ideas from MFP. I did a lasagne cupcake last week that was so delish, but still very healthy. It was basically modified lasagne, baked in cupcake/muffin tins... so it helps with the portion control and it makes them easy to freeze. There are lots of "cupcake" tin recipes that will help with portion control until you get a better grasp of what you need to do as a permanent way of life instead of just a diet. Remember this is a lifestyle change. Its a marathon, not a sprint. Be patient and forgive yourself quickly when you mess up. Just pick yourself back up and start again fresh at the next meal. You can do it!! Good luck!!

Rilke

Fat on vegetables actually helps the body to absorb the nutrients from the vegetables better.

This is a very important point. Vegetables are full of fat-soluble vitamins. Should you be slicing a quarter stick of butter onto your broccoli or drenching your salad in dressing? Of course not. But don't listen to the advice to cut the fats altogether. I believe (and as far as I know this is not scientific fact, but I don't care) that vegetables taste better with some fat because they are meant to be eaten that way.

babesintow

For me it isn't about pounds it is about overall health. I would have quit sometime ago if it were. I chose to focus on one thing at a time, trying to change everything at once will make you feel restricted. This is about changing habits one at a time for me.

I knew I had really let myself go, so my first change was building muscle. Don't be afraid of going to the gym, the only one judging you will be you. Most of them are focused on their health the same as you. When I started I wore my husband's clothes to hide what I looked like because I was so embarrassed. Most of the people in the gym that looks fit are because they are there several days a week and having been doing so for years. So many women say they need to lose weight before they can even get into the gym. Just go! Put in your headphones crank up your favorite tunes, and move! After about a month of coming home feeling like you need a nap you will begin to feel great. Don't wait until you think you will look a certain way after losing so much weight....get in there now and build the muscle your body requires to do it. Cutting calories will cause you to lose muscle mass as well.

So far I have lost 15 pounds, lost several inches and dropped from a 12/14 to a 6/8 . Before I would have to needed to be 5-10 pounds lighter to wear the size I am in now. I don't feel restricted in regards to what I eat but I am more motivated now than what I was when I started. I know it may have taken a while to get here but I know I am healthier for it and if I slip up I am not going to pack the pounds. My most success has come in the last two months. I have switched up my workout routine. I had been doing just a weightlifting with some cardio to circuit training.

If you happen to be craving something you shouldn't be eating, try to find a better option. When I want to eat chips...I eat nuts, something sweet...I eat my kids sugar cereal, bread and cookies were the worst....and still are. For a while I just didn't eat them and maybe you might do the same? Now when we have cookies in the house (because I have children ) I wait until there is only a handful left so if I binge I can only eat a handful at worst. I do the same when we have cake. I love nachos, but the calories are horrible so I will actually count out the serving size of chips spread them out add the cheese and meat then pop them in the microwave. I add the salsa and hot sauce, if that isn't enough then I might make more.

The bread thing I completely understand, it maybe just a woman thing I am not sure but it seems like all of the woman around me that I have talked to that is trying to lose weight has the same issues. We eat too many carbs and not enough protein. Protein will make you feel full longer and we need it to build muscle.

We tend to eat what our children eat even if it is still on their plates. They love fast food and it is really hard to say no to them when they are hungry. So we pull in to the drive thru and place our orders. Not only do we eat our meals but we finish theirs. What amazed me the most was to connection between pop and fast food. I tried to quit pop for a while before I actually did it, take out was easier. Each time I took the kids in town and grabbed fast food I would crave pop for days afterwards. The cravings were stronger then than at any other time. Once I realized that I actually talked with my children and told them we couldn't have fast food for a while, but we could still eat out as long as there was something healthy for me to eat. I can get fast food for them on the occasion they want it without getting it myself , in fact the last time we went I asked for a bite and it tasted horrible to me.

Sometimes you may have to just use avoidance. I told my family they could eat all of the Oreos they wanted but don't bring home any of my favorite cookies...and the same with ice cream. In the beginning it was just too hard to walk away from those foods now I can without an issue.

Your not a dog, don't reward yourself with food
It's better to make lots of small changes, than change everything and fail.
Get up and move, as long as your motivated the changes will come.
Don't rush this...you want to be "fit" and "firm".
Find healthy foods you love and eat them, you don't need to put together a five star meal every time you eat.
Seasonings, not high calorie condiments.
Avoid foods you can't control yourself around, until you can.
Be realistic in your goals and don't beat yourself if you slip.

Good luck!

We should start a board for just recipes!!!!!

amandainez08

Fat on vegetables actually helps the body to absorb the nutrients from the vegetables better.

This is a very important point. Vegetables are full of fat-soluble vitamins. Should you be slicing a quarter stick of butter onto your broccoli or drenching your salad in dressing? Of course not. But don't listen to the advice to cut the fats altogether. I believe (and as far as I know this is not scientific fact, but I don't care) that vegetables taste better with some fat because they are meant to be eaten that way.

I definitely agree with you there! But I don't drench my veggies in butter, anyhow. I usually use a tablespoon for a small pot of broccoli. The butter melts and boils in with the water, so by the time the broccoli is all eaten up, half of the butter is still left in the pot anyhow!

KilikiMom

dont diet??? i really hate that word diet....its a setup for failure IMO....lifestyle change....because its something you stick to for LIFE...not a fad crash diet just to try to loose weight....just continue to eat right....and exercise...and focus on your overall health other than loosing weight

amandainez08

For me it isn't about pounds it is about overall health. I would have quit sometime ago if it were. I chose to focus on one thing at a time, trying to change everything at once will make you feel restricted. This is about changing habits one at a time for me.

I knew I had really let myself go, so my first change was building muscle. Don't be afraid of going to the gym, the only one judging you will be you. Most of them are focused on their health the same as you. When I started I wore my husband's clothes to hide what I looked like because I was so embarrassed. Most of the people in the gym that looks fit are because they are there several days a week and having been doing so for years. So many women say they need to lose weight before they can even get into the gym. Just go! Put in your headphones crank up your favorite tunes, and move! After about a month of coming home feeling like you need a nap you will begin to feel great. Don't wait until you think you will look a certain way after losing so much weight....get in there now and build the muscle your body requires to do it. Cutting calories will cause you to lose muscle mass as well.

So far I have lost 15 pounds, lost several inches and dropped from a 12/14 to a 6/8 . Before I would have to needed to be 5-10 pounds lighter to wear the size I am in now. I don't feel restricted in regards to what I eat but I am more motivated now than what I was when I started. I know it may have taken a while to get here but I know I am healthier for it and if I slip up I am not going to pack the pounds. My most success has come in the last two months. I have switched up my workout routine. I had been doing just a weightlifting with some cardio to circuit training.

If you happen to be craving something you shouldn't be eating, try to find a better option. When I want to eat chips...I eat nuts, something sweet...I eat my kids sugar cereal, bread and cookies were the worst....and still are. For a while I just didn't eat them and maybe you might do the same? Now when we have cookies in the house (because I have children ) I wait until there is only a handful left so if I binge I can only eat a handful at worst. I do the same when we have cake. I love nachos, but the calories are horrible so I will actually count out the serving size of chips spread them out add the cheese and meat then pop them in the microwave. I add the salsa and hot sauce, if that isn't enough then I might make more.

The bread thing I completely understand, it maybe just a woman thing I am not sure but it seems like all of the woman around me that I have talked to that is trying to lose weight has the same issues. We eat too many carbs and not enough protein. Protein will make you feel full longer and we need it to build muscle.

We tend to eat what our children eat even if it is still on their plates. They love fast food and it is really hard to say no to them when they are hungry. So we pull in to the drive thru and place our orders. Not only do we eat our meals but we finish theirs. What amazed me the most was to connection between pop and fast food. I tried to quit pop for a while before I actually did it, take out was easier. Each time I took the kids in town and grabbed fast food I would crave pop for days afterwards. The cravings were stronger then than at any other time. Once I realized that I actually talked with my children and told them we couldn't have fast food for a while, but we could still eat out as long as there was something healthy for me to eat. I can get fast food for them on the occasion they want it without getting it myself , in fact the last time we went I asked for a bite and it tasted horrible to me.

Sometimes you may have to just use avoidance. I told my family they could eat all of the Oreos they wanted but don't bring home any of my favorite cookies...and the same with ice cream. In the beginning it was just too hard to walk away from those foods now I can without an issue.

Your not a dog, don't reward yourself with food
It's better to make lots of small changes, than change everything and fail.
Get up and move, as long as your motivated the changes will come.
Don't rush this...you want to be "fit" and "firm".
Find healthy foods you love and eat them, you don't need to put together a five star meal every time you eat.
Seasonings, not high calorie condiments.
Avoid foods you can't control yourself around, until you can.
Be realistic in your goals and don't beat yourself if you slip.

Good luck!

We should start a board for just recipes!!!!!

I use to go to a gym, but the main reasons I don't go is one: I never seem to have the time, and two: I get SO bored to the same ol' same ol', so thirty minutes of working out winds up feeling like two hours. I have found a home workout video that definitely seems to be working for me. I'm on day 2 and I already can't wait to get home and work out. This is how I've always wanted it to be! I feel great today now that I got a good workout in yesterday.

Bread may be a woman thing, and I do eat healthier choices for bread, but I've never seen the point in cutting it out completely. I could never see myself getting a sandwhich and just eating the meat and veggies out of it. What's the point? It's no longer a sandwich, but a tiny chef salad without dressing! I mainly eat bread during lunch, because I'll take a sandwich to work with me to eat. But I've gotten the flat bread to use, which it 100 calories for one piece. It's already cut in half, so it's like I have my two pieces of bread, just 20 - 60 calories lighter. I eat preservative-free meat with it and dijon mustard instead of mayo. (And trust me...I LOVE mayo, but dijon mustard is a great alternative.)

And I know what you mean about the kids. Even my daughter's dad brings in junk food (he's just as bad of a kid as she is!) when he knows I'm trying to eat healthier! And I don't "diet," I do consider it as more of a lifestyle change. And I'm happy my daughter likes healthy foods over things like french fries and fruits over junk. That makes me extremely happy, because I don't have to try as hard with her.

I have done well with avoidance. You know...if you don't have it you won't eat it. Every now and then I'll have a treat or two just so I won't over eat on the healthy stuff to try to supress my appetite.

But thanks for all of your advice! Your post really helps!

cookadook

SOMEONE SAID THAT WE SHOULD START A BOARD FOR JUST RECIPES... AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU ALL KNEW THERE IS A BOARD FOR ONLY RECIPES. CLICK ON THE COMMUNITY TAB AND YOU WILL SEE IT LISTED IN THE CATEGORIES. GOOD LUCK