My eating rules for staying slim

luluaddy

I'd love to hear your thoughts and rules for eating well. These are mine and have done right by me.

1. Eat 1 piece of fresh fruit every day.
2. Eat 1 serving of vegetables with every meal possible.
3. Don't drink your calories. Water and unsweetened teas only.
4. Get up from your desk for lunch. This one hurts the wallet but I find I do better if I get up and walk a couple blocks to buy my lunch every day. If I bring my lunch then I'll eat it and then go for a short stroll.
5. Breakfast should be boring a few days out of the week. If i have something like a plain bagel, with nothing on it, then it's so dry and boring, I naturally eat just enough calories to get me to lunch. That boring bagel will sit half eaten by my computer until my 4pm slump when I'll eat some more of it.
6. Carbs are fine. They make me feel full.

I'm sure rules aren't for everyone. But who cares if it's working, right?

AwesomeSquirrel

This is what's working for me at the moment:

1. Eat at least 5 servings of different fruits and vegetables each day and aim for 7
2. Have oatmeal, milk and berries for breakfast, nothing fills me up better for less calories
3. Drink only water and herbal teas. Occasional decaf coffee with skim milk, no sugar or sweetener ever (I've never used them anyway)
4. Pack a healthy lunch and healthy snacks. If you didn't bring it, don't eat it. See diary for examples during the week.
5. Log your day in advance, that means you know where you're at and whether you can have a small treat or need to plan a smaller serving of dinner. It's very hard to un-eat something so knowledge is power.
6. Minimise boxed/processed food. Cook from scratch as much as possible and bake your own cakes etc. If you can't pronounce it (and it isn't French) then you probably shouldn't eat it.

SideSteel

1) Eat within an appropriate caloric intake for my fitness goals. This changes as the goal changes.
2) Eat sufficient protein and fat for physiological purposes. Eat the rest in carbs for training intensity.
3) Eat "mostly" nutritious foods. Eat "some" junk food because I love it.
4) Train hard. Add weight to the bar over time.
5) Rest.
6) Repeat.

And I really don't worry about it beyond that.

Yanicka1

- don't eat breakfast
- get enough protein
- don't drink your calories.

Pretty much it

pg3ibew

Eat what ever you want. Stay under/at your calories for the day/week.

Works pretty well over here.

My diary is always open for all to take a look.

emotionalharlequin

- If your family are spontaneous eaters who could decided to get a pizza at 10pm, after you've consumed all of your calories for the day then eat a low calorie breakfast and lunch.

- Again, if your family are spontaneous and have bad diets and are likely to order junk late in the evening, then wait until 7/8pm to eat the majority of calories

- The number of meals you eat and the timings of your meals are not important. Look at intermittent fasting for your proof. Eat however many meals you want, and whenever you want, just make sure you stay within your calorie limit.

- CHEW! CHEWCHEWCHEW YOUR FOOD. If it helps, then make sure the texture of the food is like slush before you swallow.

- CHEW SLOWLY! Chheeeewwwwccccchhhhhheeeeewwwwwwcccccchhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwww, Does that help?

mfpcopine

--I try to stick to 6-8 basic healthy meals with a known calorie content and rotate them. When I experiment too much, I overeat.

--I have no absolutely forbidden foods, but there's a host of foods that I no longer consider on my regular eating plan, e.g., fried foods, with the exception of fried calamari. I do better when I basically eliminate certain foods.

--I drink coffee or lattes with skim milk, nothing else. I eat corn on the cob and lobster without butter. I generally don't use high-calorie salad dressings.

--Occasionally, I go on a very simple, very short-term diet of protein shakes, chicken breasts, and salad. My calorie max is very low and sometimes I need a no-brainer eating plan.

--I drink lots of water, preferably filtered or bottled water because they taste better.

--Sometimes I do a mild form of Intermittent Fasting (IF), which mainly consists of skipping breakfast. I've never needed breakfast, and eating breakfast makes me eat more during the day.

--I don't do cheat days. If I overeat, fine, that happens all the time, but I never set out to devote an entire day to overindulging as a regular practice.

--I try to stay close to my limit, or a little under, because chances are I've under-estimated the calories I've eaten or it's been understated on the package (which is perfectly legal)

--I weigh myself on a body fat estimating scale about three times a week. I take my measurements every couple of months.

--I take the stairs when other people use the escalator.

--I walk when other people take the subway or the bus.

--When I'm not recovering from an injury, as I am now, I try to engage in some kind of vigorous aerobic exercise several times a week, although I've never been as consistent as I'd like to be.

--I do not consider walking or other general activity exercise. Exercise means my heart rate is above a certain level for a certain amount of time.

--I use a heart rate monitor when I exercise.

--I often do interval aerobic work.

--I strength train, usually with free weights, applying direct weight only to my upper body.

--I don't pay attention to any exercise calorie burn estimates because they're apt to be inaccurate. I watch my diet, get in my activity and look at what the scale tells me, including my percentage of body fat.

--I make adjustments. For example, I realized after six weeks that the 1200 suggested calorie max on myfitnesspal was too high and I lowered it a bit.

--I keep up with diet, exercise, and general fitness news.

--I understand, that as much as I love food, that I value being fit more. I want to see if I can avoid some of the obesity-related illness that family members have developed. The doctors aren't sure that I can avoid, say, diabetes, by staying a normal weight, but I've been assured that a good weight will never be a health negative.


This is how I've managed to maintain my weight and I've never been overweight, although at times I've been a bit high for my personal standards (and no, I do not have an ED; I was much thinner when younger, but the weight creeps up as you get older.)

ninerbuff

1) Eat within an appropriate caloric intake for my fitness goals. This changes as the goal changes.
2) Eat sufficient protein and fat for physiological purposes. Eat the rest in carbs for training intensity.
3) Eat "mostly" nutritious foods. Eat "some" junk food because I love it.
4) Train hard. Add weight to the bar over time.
5) Rest.
6) Repeat.

And I really don't worry about it beyond that.

*kitten*, you beat me to it! But yep THIS.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Time2LoseWeightNOW

@ I am saving this to read later, but the ones I read are great! Being an overweight lady, I am going to use some of all of them to get where you are now. Thank you!

SPNLuver83

1) eat a big yummy breakfast
2) prelog dinner so I know what I have to work with for lunch and snacks
3) try to get as much protein as possible
4) don't drink away my calories (i only drink water and diet pop/crystal light)
5) don't deny my cravings, enjoy them in moderation
6) don't starve myself, ever.
7) High Calorie Metabolism Shock day every Saturday
8) whole grains instead of white for everything possible
9)olive oil instead of other oils
10) dark chocolate instead of milk

bpmartyr

1) Eat within an appropriate caloric intake for my fitness goals. This changes as the goal changes.
2) Eat sufficient protein and fat for physiological purposes. Eat the rest in carbs for training intensity.
3) Eat "mostly" nutritious foods. Eat "some" junk food because I love it.
4) Train hard. Add weight to the bar over time.
5) Rest.
6) Repeat.

And I really don't worry about it beyond that.

^^^ this

mfpcopine

if your family are spontaneous and have bad diets and are likely to order junk late in the evening, then wait until 7/8pm to eat the majority of calories

I, too, tend to like to leave room for calories at the end of the day. I had an argument about this with a sibling who is overweight and has been ordered to lose weight or be put on medication for a condition. The sibling wanted to pig out in the middle of the day and said, "Well, just don't eat anything else the rest of the day." But evenings, especially if I've had alcohol ,are when I tend to overindulge, so I always like to eat fairly lightly earlier in the day to offset the evening.

In the end, I gave up, and just ate what I wanted as this sibling was visiting from out of town and of course it was fun to eat out a lot.

Now I'm paying for it.

yancymichele

bump

Topsking2010

1) Eat within an appropriate caloric intake for my fitness goals. This changes as the goal changes.
2) Eat sufficient protein and fat for physiological purposes. Eat the rest in carbs for training intensity.
3) Eat "mostly" nutritious foods. Eat "some" junk food because I love it.
4) Train hard. Add weight to the bar over time.
5) Rest.
6) Repeat.

And I really don't worry about it beyond that.

WELL SAID!!

DaleenvanSchalkwyk

I agree with you...

pattyg1821

Chew rules don't apply to everyone. Um nurses have problems with this. Where I work you basically have to scarf it down. Have to be available all the time.

AlexandraLynch

Well, here are mine.

Eat three meals and two snacks through the day. Accompany each with a large glass of water. You can have two to three cans of soda, but no more.

No fruit. No cruciform vegetables. No beans. Fried foods ONLY in moderation, and only on free days.
No carbs without protein.
Watch your raw dairy. (I am not quite lactose intolerant, but take dairy best in aged cheeses and yogurt, or cooked.)
Watch whole wheat, brown rice, and other sources of fiber so as not to trigger an IBS attack.
If in doubt, have another two glasses of water.
Eat to "that's better" not to "I'm full."
Do not be too rigid; it is better to eat the chocolate or the ice cream than it is to have an emotionally induced binge. Remember, your inner teenager is trying to fill the void of fear of never being good enough by eating the entire universe.
Don't sneak food or lie about it to anyone. Eat honestly and openly if you're going to eat at all.

mmapags

1) Eat within an appropriate caloric intake for my fitness goals. This changes as the goal changes.
2) Eat sufficient protein and fat for physiological purposes. Eat the rest in carbs for training intensity.
3) Eat "mostly" nutritious foods. Eat "some" junk food because I love it.
4) Train hard. Add weight to the bar over time.
5) Rest.
6) Repeat.

And I really don't worry about it beyond that.

Nofair! Dude, you stole my answer!!

Edited to add: I think having too many rules is counter productive. The simpler it is, the easier it is to comply with.

Lina4Lina

I'm not slim yet but here are things i'm doing:

1) Eat 5 meals/day, mostly around the same calorie range (there are variations but I try to not be morning or evening heavy)
2) Do some kind of movement/exercise every day
3) Eat a variety of vegetables every day
4) Include some fruit every day
5) Eat at least one servings of beans every day, preferably more
6) Eat whole grains a few times/week
7) Listen to my body (if I need rest, need a certain type of food)
8) Don't go too low on fat, add in fats when necessary
9) Look for opportunities to increase my activity level
10) Stay within my calorie range on a daily basis
11) Take a multivitamin daily
12) Don't stress if I go over my calorie goal, especially if I've exercised that day
13) Slip ups may happen and that is ok, don't let a minor slip up turn into an avalanche

I think that is mostly eat

kris10cass

bump These are great!

Sarauk2sf

1) Eat within an appropriate caloric intake for my fitness goals. This changes as the goal changes.
2) Eat sufficient protein and fat for physiological purposes. Eat the rest in carbs for training intensity.
3) Eat "mostly" nutritious foods. Eat "some" junk food because I love it.
4) Train hard. Add weight to the bar over time.
5) Rest.
6) Repeat.

And I really don't worry about it beyond that.

^^this as I am too lazy to re-write in my own words and because it would say the same thing.