my "diet plan"

queensturg

Hi, I've been on MFP for just about a month now, and posted a few times recently in the forums, but since I haven't really introduced myself yet, I thought I'd go ahead and do that now Anyways, I'm here because I love food... but then again who doesn't, haha so yeah, I know for a long time I haven't been eating as healthy as I should, and I find myself about 20lbs heavier than I'd like to be. Basically, my plan is this: to eat a well-balanced diet, concentrate on the healthy foods that I like, and still allow myself not-as-healthy things in moderation, as to not feel deprived. Anytiime I've tried to "diet" before, it's always ended up with me feeling like that's just what I was doing, depriving myself, and it would always end with me falling off the wagon and not having the motivation to get back on. So I'm making changes that I can live with: on an average day, I start now with a bowl of cereal or porridge, often with fruit or berries, or maybe a fried egg or two if I have more time in the mornings. Lunches that I take to work with me always include a sandwich (usually a low-fat lunch meat or tuna on brown bread) along with a small bag of (low-fat, baked) crisps, a piece of fruit, and low-fat or non-fat yogurt. Dinners vary depending on how much time I have for cooking or what I'm in the mood for, but I try to always include some meat or fish, either potatoes or pasta for a carbohydrate, and a vegetable or salad.

I find that a lot of my cravings can be controlled by what I tell myself I want to eat... if I think about my favorite healthy foods, like fruits and vegetables that I like, I find that I prefer to have those when I'm hungry than to go for a less healthy option. Things like pastas, cheese, and sweets I'll always love, and I don't intend to deprive myself of those things, but instead to keep all things to moderation; there's nothing wrong with a piece of cake now and then, or a nice cheesy pasta dish, as long as you don't have too much of these things all in one day. Give yourself a little of your favorites when you really want them, and it will make sticking to a well-balanced diet a lot easier. Keeping my food diary here really helps a lot that way; when I keep track of what I eat, it makes me think twice about what it is that I'm putting in my mouth.

So, that's my plan to eat healthier. I've stuck to it now for just about a month, and even though the scale has only shown me a two-pound weight loss since then, I have to say that I've noticed a big difference in how I feel (less bloated and sluggish, generally more energetic, and able to go a bit longer between meals before I start to feel really hungry) and some of my clothes seem to be fitting a bit bigger on me too, which I don't *think* I'm imagining... but anyways, if any of you would like to be MFP pals or share any ideas on eating healthy, I'd love to hear from you