Health tip help

Maidofmer

Hi, I'm looking for some tips on how to start eating healthy again. Tasty food I can prepare that my family and I would enjoy.
I know the basics. I have cut out soda, don't eat much food with fructose corn syrup or sucrose. I am trying to stay away from the breakfast claws. 2 a day is a big accomplishment for me. I didn't get to 266 by eating salads. Starting tomorrow, I give those up too.

I have lost weight before, when I was 19, but even though I felt fine through it, (6 months of aerobics) my diet wasn't healthy I don't think. I took 19 different diet pills a day (acai, resveratrol, slimquick, stacker 3, mega green tea, lipozine, hydroxycut (before pulled from the shelves) and some others that said to help detox, took them all at once in the morning with an Ensure. Had one dannon lite n fit 40 cal yogurts for lunch, lots of vanilla soy milk, and I would eat between 2-3 of the steam able veggies bags a day. Also, no soda, fast food, sweets, or bread because I thought lunch meat was also a bad factor. All of this was based on my lack of knowledge of how to diet. I didn't know what a calorie was, a carb, and I still don't. The only thing I thought of with the yogurt was a Yoplait 8 oz with 100 cals seemed too much to a dannon 8 oz 40 cal. I did lose 30 pound and nearly 40 inches. Went from a size 32 to a 14. But, I am not as naïve as I was when I was a teenager. I know diet pills don't really work. I know how dangerous it was for me to be taking that much a day.

I don't expect to loss a lot of weight in a short amount of time. I know It is a long journey and I want to make sure I get there the safe and healthy way so my baby can watch mommy chase after her.

So, how did you make your transition? was it cold turkey or gradually fade bad food out with good? I have just joined 24 hour fitness, my fist night last night went well, but I need the menu to match the exercise.

Curvatures

I think it's important to eat yummy things, even if they are healthy yummy things. As a self-confessed foodie I would really feel like my life has ended if I could never have yummy things again. But the good news is that a lot of healthy things are incredibly delicious! We are wired to find fat and carbs yummy, but it's not all bad. Make sure it's good fat in smaller amounts, and make sure they are good carbs, in smaller amounts. Fill in with lean proteins and vegetables to feel full.

I find that those 40 calorie yogurts leave me feeling like I didn't eat anything at all - while the 100 calorie yoplait leaves me satisfied for a couple hours sometimes. If you deprive your body of all fat and carbs, you will feel like you are starving, and you might even fool your body into thinking it's starving.

I suggest experimenting a bit with some healthier options, and finding ones that really hit the spot for you. You are less likely to break down and indulge if you feel like you ARE indulging.

Some supplements are useful and great, but you have to sort out the snake oil from the real thing. Also, anything in large amounts is bad - it's possible for some vitamins to be toxic in large amounts. (Trivia - Vitamin A, apparently is highly toxic in large amounts - so don't eat a polar bear liver if you are ever stuck in the arctic for any reason... it will kill you!)

So - what kind of food do you like/dislike? Anything you absolutely hate/cant stand? Anything you love in particular?

I will come back with a few concrete recipes if you let me know!

Maidofmer

I don't really know what calories are honestly. and carbs, good and bad fats. some diet guides say never touch them or have them every meal. I love fruits and veggies, but I need to learn how to prepare them without loads of butter or dressing. when I was just eating the steamable veggies, I didn't really know what a serving size was, if the bag was a meal or just a side. I love hot food so I always add chili sauce. But I was also single and living alone at that time. I gotta figure out how to incorporate healthy eating and living into family life. my husband lives on fast food and soda. and he's 6'2" 190 when wet. @$$hole.

Things I don't like.
Veggie wise- asparagus, cauliflower, squash, lettuce. don't mind in a salad, but would rather have lots of spinach.
Fruit wise - cantaloupe, honeydew, strawberries.

I don't really eat beef. Have a hard time digesting it and it leaves me feeling sick. I love chicken and turkey.
I'm allergic to fish and shellfish. Had tuna, swelled up like a blimp. Had clams, throat closed.

I used to treat myself once a week with a starbucks mocha frappichino vente. gave me something to look forward too.

10manda86

(Trivia - Vitamin A, apparently is highly toxic in large amounts - so don't eat a polar bear liver if you are ever stuck in the arctic for any reason... it will kill you!) ...

this is a handy bit of information to remember... never know when I might have a Bear Grylls moment and have to kill a polar bear before it kills me.... or even make a meal out of polar bear road kill!!!

Curvatures

Ok, this is a nice starting point!

Spicy food boosts your metabolism, so go to town with that hot sauce if you want

I would honestly say to never, ever worry about what a "portion size" is for fresh vegetables. It doesn't matter. Eat all you want of that.

(bah, interrupted, will come back to it!)

MissJanet55

I'd suggest start experiementing with recipes, especially vegetables and grains like quinoa with simple roast chicken or fish. The library is a great starting point, you can check out all kinds of cookbooks without having to buy them. And there are some great recipe sites online. It's so much easier if you can have a small roster of healthy and delicous recipes.

Maidofmer

that's good. I don't think I could give up the hot sauce. does it really help with metabolism?

Maidofmer

Thank you

buzzcockgirl

Yes! Check this out. GO SPICY FOODS! I am partial to curry... LOVE it!

http://www.livestrong.com/article/421532-can-spicy-food-help-you-lose-weight/

Maidofmer

mmmm curry

deksgrl

I eat meats, potato, rice, veggies, beans, fruits, dairy, nuts, basically anything that passes for food. I eat the proper number of calories where my body will have enough fuel, but at a deficit that allows me to lose weight. I do a little exercise, 30 minutes a day. Sometimes I eat sweets or ice cream.

Captain_Tightpants

'Bad' foods vs 'Good' foods thinking is really important to overcome. It leads to exclusion, denial of wants and eventual diet breakdown.

You wanna eat more healthy - fresh veg, fruit, meat, fish and nuts... barely any nutritionist in the world would argue with that.

CrazyCatLadylovescats

First, look at labels and see what a serving size is on all the things that you are eating. This will help a lot.

Get baby carrots, and cut up broccoli and celery for kids to eat for snacks. (I do let my kids eat these right before dinner and count it as part of their vegi servings!) These can work for snacks for you too. Keep fruit on hand to snack on.

It is important for food to taste good. Not you, or your family, will want to eat healthy stuff if it doesn't taste good. Fortunately stuff like mayo, sour cream and butter when used with the correct servicing size, will not be unhealthy. (If your kids are young, they need some fat for healthy brain development.) A little bit of ranch dressing will make it taste good, help you absorb the nutrients and as long as you stick to a serving size or smaller, not cost a lot of calories. Learn how to use spices in what you cook.

Drink lots of water. Before you eat, drink a full glass of water. Eat slowly. Don't eat in front of the TV as you are likely to eat more. (Not sure that you do this, lots of people do though.) Eat at the table with your kids. Use a measuring cup to measure out your portions, if kids are young, they should be getting a smaller serving than you.

Don't shop with kids if you can help it. Make a list, don't get stuff that is not on the list unless it is a vegetable or fruit. Bring a bottle of water to drink while you shop - it will help keep you full and may make you need to pee so that you get done faster!

Good fats - good fats come from things you can identify, like avocado, coconut, butter, sour cream. (When used in the recommended serving sizes.) Bad fats are the names you can't tell what they are: Crisco, margarine, trans stuff, hydroxy.whatever they are.

Calories: Calories are what you discussed in Chemistry in high school. They are the amount of energy in any given product, be it wood or sugar. Some things we can't digest, like wood or grass. But things like meat, wheat, sugar, honey, all have different amounts of calories, or energy. Our bodies like the calories that convert to sugar - they are easy to digest. (These are foods like rice, cereal, bread, honey, sugar, etc. that are listed as carb foods.)

Carbohydrates: are foods that the body converts into sugars to fuel the body. Protein foods are low or have none. Green vegetables usually have none. Starchy vegetables, like potatoes, carrots, other root crops, tend to have more. Grains, like wheat, oatmeal, buckwheat, have lots per serving. Fruits tend to have a fair number. Grains (bread products, pasta, rice) and pure sugars (honey, brown sugar, maple syrup) convert in the body quickly and easily to sugar. When the body has more of this sugar in the blood than it can use, it makes it into fat. Which is why you will gain weight if you eat bear claws all the time.

Our bodies are also capable using fat as energy - that is why we store it so well on our bodies, so we can save it for a "rainy day." Unfortunately, our modern diets say we don't have many rainy days any more. When you diet, you basically want your body to start using the stored body fat as energy, so that you use it up. If you eat lots of carbs (the bread, rice, pasta, bear claws) your body wants to make that into fat, so many people find that restricting these foods helps them to loose the weight faster as their body burns more fat because it doesn't have the sugar carbs available.

pbl1966

A calorie is simply a unit of a measure of energy. All foods are made up of carbs, fat, and/or protein. I believe you need all three to have a healthy diet and just need to determine the ratio that works for you. Lean protein (w/o a lot of fat) is a great when you are trying to lose weight because it will keep you feeling fuller longer than carbs (usually 100 calories of protein will stay with you longer than 100 calories of carbs). Protein sources I like are chicken, turkey, seafood, and greek yogurt.

I had previously tried many, many different diet plans and also did the diet pill thing in my early 20's which left me with some minor heart damage. MFP is the first time that I have lost weight with a well balanced diet and been able to maintain that lose. I continue to log everyday as I am maintaining my weight. Exercise will help you lose weight faster and allow you to have more calories to compensate for what you have burned.

You are going to need to educate yourself by reading labels, and weighing and measuring portions. Choose what you like and determine the calories before eating it. It will be tedious at first but will become second nature soon. Best of luck to you! :flowerforyou:

CrazyCatLadylovescats

And yes, as someone said above, you can eat as much vegetable as you want. It is the sauces or butters that you need to limit if you eat them with vegetables.

Curvatures

Boys tend to have better metabolism. *kitten*... I agree, it's highly annoying to see someone eat their weight in butter, and have it all slide off, lol.

Ok, Recipe time!

I see someone just mentioned quinoa, and I just had it for dinner last night, so I'm still excited about how delicious it is! I've never had it until like a couple years ago, and now it's my absolute favorite grain!

Here is my quinoa recipe. It is highly modifiable - You can add different veggies, or stir in bits of chicken, or whatever you want.

Cook quinoa according to package instructions, but toss in a bullion cube for every cup or so of dry quinoa.
Meanwhile, slice up some red onions into thin strips, drain a can or chickpeas, and chop up shiitake mushrooms. Sautee the mushrooms in a little bit of olive oil. Mix up a basic vinaigrette - a little olive oil, a little lemon juice, fresh crushed garlic, salt, pepper. Making your own dressing lets you control how much oil goes into it! Ok, so when the quinoa is done and still hot, toss in the sauteed mushrooms, chickpeas, sliced red onions, and fresh baby spinach. Pour in the vinaigrette, mix, and serve!

This pairs very well with a roast chicken. But, if you are in a hurry, like I am usually, I tend to opt for chicken breasts or tenders. They are like a lovely blank canvass, that you can color with any spices you wish!

Here is what I do with chicken to speed up cooking on busy days:

I buy those huge trays of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken tenders, and I throw them into a large bowl with some marinade. I have 3 basic marinades I use most often:
Lemon juice, olive oil, salt, red pepper flakes, garlic (and sometimes rosemary or dijon mustard). This is my most basic one.
Soy sauce, peanut oil, crushed fresh ginger, and garlic. This one goes great with asian themed dishes!
Lime juice, cilantro, red onion, garlic, olive oil. This is my tex-mex meal choice

I let the chicken marinade in the fridge for at least a few hours, or over night, and then I divvy it up into freezer ziplock bags. Be sure you get some marinade into the bag with it, and then squeeze out the air - and freeze. In the morning take out the chicken you plan to use, and let it defrost until dinner. To cook, I fry it in a heavy non-stick skillet misted with olive oil. If the chicken breast is very thick, fry on both sides till browning nicely, and then butterfly it, and fry the inside side of it. In addition to imparting flavor, the marinade works much like brining meat does, and makes it retain moisture during cooking.

Maidofmer

First, look at labels and see what a serving size is on all the things that you are eating. This will help a lot.

Get baby carrots, and cut up broccoli and celery for kids to eat for snacks. (I do let my kids eat these right before dinner and count it as part of their vegi servings!) These can work for snacks for you too. Keep fruit on hand to snack on.

It is important for food to taste good. Not you, or your family, will want to eat healthy stuff if it doesn't taste good. Fortunately stuff like mayo, sour cream and butter when used with the correct servicing size, will not be unhealthy. (If your kids are young, they need some fat for healthy brain development.) A little bit of ranch dressing will make it taste good, help you absorb the nutrients and as long as you stick to a serving size or smaller, not cost a lot of calories. Learn how to use spices in what you cook.

Drink lots of water. Before you eat, drink a full glass of water. Eat slowly. Don't eat in front of the TV as you are likely to eat more. (Not sure that you do this, lots of people do though.) Eat at the table with your kids. Use a measuring cup to measure out your portions, if kids are young, they should be getting a smaller serving than you.

Don't shop with kids if you can help it. Make a list, don't get stuff that is not on the list unless it is a vegetable or fruit. Bring a bottle of water to drink while you shop - it will help keep you full and may make you need to pee so that you get done faster!

Good fats - good fats come from things you can identify, like avocado, coconut, butter, sour cream. (When used in the recommended serving sizes.) Bad fats are the names you can't tell what they are: Crisco, margarine, trans stuff, hydroxy.whatever they are.

Calories: Calories are what you discussed in Chemistry in high school. They are the amount of energy in any given product, be it wood or sugar. Some things we can't digest, like wood or grass. But things like meat, wheat, sugar, honey, all have different amounts of calories, or energy. Our bodies like the calories that convert to sugar - they are easy to digest. (These are foods like rice, cereal, bread, honey, sugar, etc. that are listed as carb foods.)

Carbohydrates: are foods that the body converts into sugars to fuel the body. Protein foods are low or have none. Green vegetables usually have none. Starchy vegetables, like potatoes, carrots, other root crops, tend to have more. Grains, like wheat, oatmeal, buckwheat, have lots per serving. Fruits tend to have a fair number. Grains (bread products, pasta, rice) and pure sugars (honey, brown sugar, maple syrup) convert in the body quickly and easily to sugar. When the body has more of this sugar in the blood than it can use, it makes it into fat. Which is why you will gain weight if you eat bear claws all the time.

Our bodies are also capable using fat as energy - that is why we store it so well on our bodies, so we can save it for a "rainy day." Unfortunately, our modern diets say we don't have many rainy days any more. When you diet, you basically want your body to start using the stored body fat as energy, so that you use it up. If you eat lots of carbs (the bread, rice, pasta, bear claws) your body wants to make that into fat, so many people find that restricting these foods helps them to loose the weight faster as their body burns more fat because it doesn't have the sugar carbs available.

Thank you for all that. There was a lot of info I had no idea about. I didn't know what had carbs, or that there are good fats. I think I need to use the tips about bringing a water bottle while shopping. The urge to go potty would make it a simple get in and out trip instead of wondering the isles. My baby is 2 so I shop with her. the only thing she wants that's not on my list is toys. My husband... he needs to stay. I'll end up with 20 extra things. Do serving sizes matter with veggies or is it ok to fill up on them?

Maidofmer

A calorie is simply a unit of a measure of energy. All foods are made up of carbs, fat, and/or protein. I believe you need all three to have a healthy diet and just need to determine the ratio that works for you. Lean protein (w/o a lot of fat) is a great when you are trying to lose weight because it will keep you feeling fuller longer than carbs (usually 100 calories of protein will stay with you longer than 100 calories of carbs). Protein sources I like are chicken, turkey, seafood, and greek yogurt.

I had previously tried many, many different diet plans and also did the diet pill thing in my early 20's which left me with some minor heart damage. MFP is the first time that I have lost weight with a well balanced diet and been able to maintain that lose. I continue to log everyday as I am maintaining my weight. Exercise will help you lose weight faster and allow you to have more calories to compensate for what you have burned.

You are going to need to educate yourself by reading labels, and weighing and measuring portions. Choose what you like and determine the calories before eating it. It will be tedious at first but will become second nature soon. Best of luck to you! :flowerforyou:

thank you.

Maidofmer

Boys tend to have better metabolism. *kitten*... I agree, it's highly annoying to see someone eat their weight in butter, and have it all slide off, lol.

Ok, Recipe time!

I see someone just mentioned quinoa, and I just had it for dinner last night, so I'm still excited about how delicious it is! I've never had it until like a couple years ago, and now it's my absolute favorite grain!

Here is my quinoa recipe. It is highly modifiable - You can add different veggies, or stir in bits of chicken, or whatever you want.

Cook quinoa according to package instructions, but toss in a bullion cube for every cup or so of dry quinoa.
Meanwhile, slice up some red onions into thin strips, drain a can or chickpeas, and chop up shiitake mushrooms. Sautee the mushrooms in a little bit of olive oil. Mix up a basic vinaigrette - a little olive oil, a little lemon juice, fresh crushed garlic, salt, pepper. Making your own dressing lets you control how much oil goes into it! Ok, so when the quinoa is done and still hot, toss in the sauteed mushrooms, chickpeas, sliced red onions, and fresh baby spinach. Pour in the vinaigrette, mix, and serve!

This pairs very well with a roast chicken. But, if you are in a hurry, like I am usually, I tend to opt for chicken breasts or tenders. They are like a lovely blank canvass, that you can color with any spices you wish!

Here is what I do with chicken to speed up cooking on busy days:

I buy those huge trays of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken tenders, and I throw them into a large bowl with some marinade. I have 3 basic marinades I use most often:
Lemon juice, olive oil, salt, red pepper flakes, garlic (and sometimes rosemary or dijon mustard). This is my most basic one.
Soy sauce, peanut oil, crushed fresh ginger, and garlic. This one goes great with asian themed dishes!
Lime juice, cilantro, red onion, garlic, olive oil. This is my tex-mex meal choice

I let the chicken marinade in the fridge for at least a few hours, or over night, and then I divvy it up into freezer ziplock bags. Be sure you get some marinade into the bag with it, and then squeeze out the air - and freeze. In the morning take out the chicken you plan to use, and let it defrost until dinner. To cook, I fry it in a heavy non-stick skillet misted with olive oil. If the chicken breast is very thick, fry on both sides till browning nicely, and then butterfly it, and fry the inside side of it. In addition to imparting flavor, the marinade works much like brining meat does, and makes it retain moisture during cooking.

yummy. sounds like that's my next trip to the store.

CrazyCatLadylovescats

First, look at labels and see what a serving size is on all the things that you are eating. This will help a lot.

Get baby carrots, and cut up broccoli and celery for kids to eat for snacks. (I do let my kids eat these right before dinner and count it as part of their vegi servings!) These can work for snacks for you too. Keep fruit on hand to snack on.

It is important for food to taste good. Not you, or your family, will want to eat healthy stuff if it doesn't taste good. Fortunately stuff like mayo, sour cream and butter when used with the correct servicing size, will not be unhealthy. (If your kids are young, they need some fat for healthy brain development.) A little bit of ranch dressing will make it taste good, help you absorb the nutrients and as long as you stick to a serving size or smaller, not cost a lot of calories. Learn how to use spices in what you cook.

Drink lots of water. Before you eat, drink a full glass of water. Eat slowly. Don't eat in front of the TV as you are likely to eat more. (Not sure that you do this, lots of people do though.) Eat at the table with your kids. Use a measuring cup to measure out your portions, if kids are young, they should be getting a smaller serving than you.

Don't shop with kids if you can help it. Make a list, don't get stuff that is not on the list unless it is a vegetable or fruit. Bring a bottle of water to drink while you shop - it will help keep you full and may make you need to pee so that you get done faster!

Good fats - good fats come from things you can identify, like avocado, coconut, butter, sour cream. (When used in the recommended serving sizes.) Bad fats are the names you can't tell what they are: Crisco, margarine, trans stuff, hydroxy.whatever they are.

Calories: Calories are what you discussed in Chemistry in high school. They are the amount of energy in any given product, be it wood or sugar. Some things we can't digest, like wood or grass. But things like meat, wheat, sugar, honey, all have different amounts of calories, or energy. Our bodies like the calories that convert to sugar - they are easy to digest. (These are foods like rice, cereal, bread, honey, sugar, etc. that are listed as carb foods.)

Carbohydrates: are foods that the body converts into sugars to fuel the body. Protein foods are low or have none. Green vegetables usually have none. Starchy vegetables, like potatoes, carrots, other root crops, tend to have more. Grains, like wheat, oatmeal, buckwheat, have lots per serving. Fruits tend to have a fair number. Grains (bread products, pasta, rice) and pure sugars (honey, brown sugar, maple syrup) convert in the body quickly and easily to sugar. When the body has more of this sugar in the blood than it can use, it makes it into fat. Which is why you will gain weight if you eat bear claws all the time.

Our bodies are also capable using fat as energy - that is why we store it so well on our bodies, so we can save it for a "rainy day." Unfortunately, our modern diets say we don't have many rainy days any more. When you diet, you basically want your body to start using the stored body fat as energy, so that you use it up. If you eat lots of carbs (the bread, rice, pasta, bear claws) your body wants to make that into fat, so many people find that restricting these foods helps them to loose the weight faster as their body burns more fat because it doesn't have the sugar carbs available.

Thank you for all that. There was a lot of info I had no idea about. I didn't know what had carbs, or that there are good fats. I think I need to use the tips about bringing a water bottle while shopping. The urge to go potty would make it a simple get in and out trip instead of wondering the isles. My baby is 2 so I shop with her. the only thing she wants that's not on my list is toys. My husband... he needs to stay. I'll end up with 20 extra things. Do serving sizes matter with veggies or is it ok to fill up on them?

Fill up on Vegis, but be sure that if you put a sauce, ranch dressing, butter or other stuff on it, that you don't overdo those things. Raw, plain, you can eat what you want. Root vegetables, like potatoes will have more calories than green ones. Green ones, you could probably never eat enough to count. For a good diet, eat your rainbow (which is enticing to two year olds too!) Try to get in some orange, red, purple green and blue if you can every day.

Oh, and everyone has to start someplace with the knowledge about this, so don't be afraid to ask. I have had friends (and family) whose parents never cooked, they grew up in foster care and had no idea, who were never allowed in the kitchen when the parents DID cook. Being open to learning is a good thing! You are setting a great example for your little one!

anifani4

Lots of great information for you already posted. Look at the food tracker as a learning tool and don't expect to be perfect (well never really). The process of measuring your portions and putting things into the food tracker is always an education...even for me and I know a bit about nutrition. At first just try to stay close to your alloted calories but if you end up hungry later in the day, have something to eat. It does no good be hungry because we are apt to binge when we do get something (even the next day). If there is something you really want....have one serving no matter how many calories it contains. Soon you will learn how to fit those things into your food plan.

Keep reading the message boards and you'll come across information you didn't even know you wanted to have...but you do. And you can use the search feature at the top too....put in a topic you want to know more about.

Come back and ask questions anytime.

I've tried to lose weight and failed more times than I can remember. I failed because I quit. I quit because I couldn't do a 1200 calorie diet perfectly. Never again will that happen. Now I don't expect perfection, or even excellence every day. If I indulge in something that boosts be far over my calorie allotment, well....it happens. So what. I look at the overall average for the week or the month. It evens out in the bigger picture. And I also use this: No looking back and ruminating. No trying to make up for an indiscretion of diet or a lack of exercise. Just start over again at any time.

MemphisKitten

Find fruits and veges that you like, and make sure you have some variety. Research things that really are healthy, and don't just claim to be. Eat protein in the morning and supplement with protein powder as well. This will go far in keeping you full and satisfied when starting to add more fruits and veges; let's face it, if you are not used to eating them, they don't satisfy your hunger.