Not eating that differently? Advice.

connbenn

I've been doing this for two weeks now and don't actually feel like I'm eating that differently to I would have before I counted calories. I'm on 1200 a day. I am no longer snacking between meals and I am eating more fresh fruit. But I feel like I'm eating the same as I would have before the 'lifestyle change' (shouldn't say diet) for my lunch and evening meal. Should I be changing this? And if so what to? I live in a student house so we generally cook and eat our evening meal together. I'm usually within my calorie goal but some home cooked meals i just have to estimate.

If i want to loose weight surely I should be eating dfferently? Or is cutting out the unhealthy snacks/takeaways enough?

Typical meals I might have are:
Lunch - wrap, jacket potatoe, sandwich, pita, toast with egg or beans, soup (+ salad & fruit)
Dinner - pasta bolognaise, home cooked curry, risotto, pasta with pesto, grilled chicken and potatoes, stir-fry (+ veg)

Your advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

havingitall

Do you feel you need to eat differently or do you feel you are eating fairly healthy

amymeenieminymo

Some might point out the pasta and the potatoes, saying to cut down on carbs. But the way I see it, we DO need some carbs, so as long as you're within or around your daily limit, eat away! But yeah your meals look pretty good. I don't see a breakfast though, do you eat breakfast? That will definitely help in the weightloss because breakfast is the most important meal of the day and kickstarts your metabolism for the day.

A lot of people can't eat a lot for breakfast, myself included. But if your not a breakfast eater just try something like a banana, small bowl of cereal, or even a granola bar or something. Those are the things that my typical breakfast includes.

A lot of people think they need to suffer and only eat rabbit food to lose weight, but that's not true. Cutting out high calorie snacks, eating more fruits and veggies and staying within your calorie limit is the way to go, so it sounds like you're doing great.

I would also recommend getting a digital food scale (I got one from walmart for like 15 bucks) and using the recipe calculator here http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp to calculate your home cooked meals, because estimating too much could put you in the red if you're not gauging your meals correctly.

tlblood

Some might point out the pasta and the potatoes, saying to cut down on carbs. But the way I see it, we DO need some carbs, so as long as you're within or around your daily limit, eat away! But yeah your meals look pretty good. I don't see a breakfast though, do you eat breakfast? That will definitely help in the weightloss because breakfast is the most important meal of the day and kickstarts your metabolism for the day.

A lot of people can't eat a lot for breakfast, myself included. But if your not a breakfast eater just try something like a banana, small bowl of cereal, or even a granola bar or something. Those are the things that my typical breakfast includes.

A lot of people think they need to suffer and only eat rabbit food to lose weight, but that's not true. Cutting out high calorie snacks, eating more fruits and veggies and staying within your calorie limit is the way to go, so it sounds like you're doing great.

I would also recommend getting a digital food scale (I got one from walmart for like 15 bucks) and using the recipe calculator here http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp to calculate your home cooked meals, because estimating too much could put you in the red if you're not gauging your meals correctly.

I agree wholeheartedly with this!

lukasmac

do you eat breakfast? that has been my downfall...

you need to spread those calories between 3 meals

lisawest

You would be amazed how many calories were in those snacks you used to eat! This IS a lifestyle change. You need to make changes you can live with. If you feel like you need to eat cleaner, go for it! My husband and I started out by just watching our portion sizes. Now we've started eating "cleaner" with less extra chemicals. We still enjoy our junk food every once in a while, but now it's in moderation.

itsmenatalie

I've lost 22 lbs since September and never felt like I had to change my diet that much. I cut out soda and decreased my fast food intake, but it didn't feel drastic. I tell everyone if I had known how easy it would be I would have done it a year ago.

Sunsh1ne

One thing that might help is calculating the value of your home-cooked meals. I like the recipe calculator at sparkrecipes.com.