My Tips--please share yours!

kaseyAnne425

Hi Everyone!
My name is Kasey and I have recently (re)started my weight loss journey this past Monday. I am a 24 year old teacher and I wouldn't exactly call myself the active type. Of course, I teach a class of 9 two year olds everyday, so that counts for something.

I started this journey last year, with many fails and recently decided to give it another whirl. My heaviest was 193 pounds. When I restarted, I was 187. I am currently 185.4 after my first week. My goal is to get to 160.

I'd like to share some of my tips for those struggling in hopes that I can inspire someone to keep going with their goals.

BREAKFAST:
What I Used to Eat<
I wake in the morning and eat breakfast right away. My old routine consisted of unhealthy, carb-filled, sugary breakfasts such as french toast with syrup, Fruit Loops, and fat-filled breakfast sandwiches, not to mention the frequent Dunkin Donuts stops for Munchkins, Coolatas, and bagels.

What I Now Eat
I still eat carb-rich breakfasts, but with more nutrients. A bowl of oatmeal with a banana, or oatmeal pancakes is much better than my sugar filled cereals, and I stay fuller longer. One of my favorite breakfasts is a whole grain english muffin with 1 egg white, 1 slice of low fat cheese, and one slice of microwavable bacon. Under 200 calories!! I also enjoy Special K Fruit and Yogurt cereal with fruit and their Protein Plus cereal as well!

LUNCH
What I Used to Eat
Alas, my favorite meal of the day! I used to eat awful lunches; macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets, pasta, Bagel Bites and frozen french fries, leftover Chinese, etc. You name it, I ate it.

What I Now Eat
My new favorite lunches are salads. I have been experiencing with different toppings and ingredients and have found many combinations to be very satisfying and delicious. I ditched the iceberg lettuce and have been using romaine, spring mix, and baby spinach which are all high in nutrients. I would like to try arugula too! I do some shredded parmesan, sliced cucumbers, grilled chicken, tortilla strips (not great for you, but adds a salty crunch without a lot of sodium), and 2 tbsp. of light blush wine dressing. Goodbye creamy fatty dressings! Vinegarettes only for this girl now

DINNER
What I Used to Eat
Basically everything I would eat for lunch. Gross.

What I Now Eat
Basically anything my mother makes. I let myself get a little brave at dinner since my first two meals are low in calories. I always keep portion control in mind at this meal and make sure I'm eating more veggies.

SNACKS
What I used to Eat
Crackers, Goldfish, cheese, chips, etc.

What I Now Eat
My snacks today consist of granola bars (with low sugar), bananas, grapes, clementines, low fat cheese sticks, and yogurt. I am currently OBSESSED with Oikos Fruit on the Bottom Blueberry Greek Yogurt. So filling, and so yummy!

I'd love to see your What I used to/What I now do comparisons! Please post them in the comments and share your story!!!

edessad

Breakfast then - bacon, sausage, Fried eggs, bread hash browns...and lots of it....nearly every day
Breakfast now - oatmeal or hard boiled/scrambled eggs, yogurts and fruit...everyday

Lunch then - burgers, fries, coke, I had a frequent flier card for McDonalds and Burger King with a side-line in KFC
Lunch now - Soups, salads, wholemeal breads, fruit, yogurts lean meats usually chicken or turkey.

Dinner then - Pizza...a whole large one. Anything from anyone that delivers, fatty steaks, fries, pork chops, sausages...you get the picture.
Dinner now - fish, chicken, boiled or baked potatoes (plain), veg, chicken based casseroles, nothing fried, only grilled or dry baked, salads.

Snacks then - anything fried, chocolaty, salty, creamy...if it stood still long enough I would eat it.
Snacks now - Fruit, yogurts, veg, pickles, low fat/calorie snacks such as rice cakes, etc... for a treat I would have some dark chocolate (55cals)

I have dropped my daily calorie intake from about 4000+ (estimate) to 1750 a day. Change of eating habits and lots more exercise means I have lost over 51lbs in 73 days. I have already had to buy new jeans and trousers and a few new shirts. The old ones have gone to the charity shop as I won't allow myself to need them ever again.

kaseyAnne425

Breakfast then - bacon, sausage, Fried eggs, bread hash browns...and lots of it....nearly every day
Breakfast now - oatmeal or hard boiled eggs, yogurts and fruit...everyday

Lunch then - burgers, fries, coke, I had a frequent flier card for McDonalds and Burger King with a side-line in KFC
Lunch now - Soups, salads, wholemeal breads, fruit, yogurts lean meats usually chicken or turkey.

Dinner then - Pizza...a whole large one. Anything from anyone that delivers, fatty steaks, fries, pork chops, sausages...you get the picture.
Dinner now - fish, chicken, boiled or baked potatoes (plain), veg, chicken based casseroles, nothing fried, only grilled or dry baked, salads.

Snacks then - anything fried, chocolaty, salty, creamy...if it stood still long enough I would eat it.
Snacks now - Fruit, yogurts, veg, pickles, low fat/calorie snacks such as rice cakes, etc... for a treat I would have some dark chocolate (55cals)

I have dropped my daily calorie intake from about 4000+ (estimate) to 1750 a day. Change of eating habits and lots more exercise means I have lost over 51lbs in 73 days. I have already had to buy new jeans and trousers and a few new shirts. The old ones have gone to the charity shop as I won't allow myself to need them ever again.

This made me smile. Without even knowing you, I'm proud of you! It's such a lifestyle change! I find that I feel so healthy just eating healthy. It's the best feeling when you need to buy new clothes because your current ones are too big! Keep up the great work :)Thanks for sharing

slywon

bump for later

judyl1950

That is tremedous I hope to lose 50 lbs by changing my eating habits also.

edessad

Thanks. I haven't seen the inside of a fast food joint since the 1st of November...and I don't miss it either!

jlwbeans0823

Breakfast Then - Nothing, I've never been a big breakfast eater. Occasionally a bagel slathered with cream cheese or a donut.
Breakfast Now - Oatmeal, Grape Nuts, Vegetable Casserole, Yogurt, Whole Wheat Toast.

Lunch Then - Eating out mainly. Mexican, Chinese, gross Taco Bell (even though I love it knowing it's gross).
Lunch Now - Salads with Kale or baby spinach. Packing meals from home like spaghetti squash or steamed veggies.

Dinner Then - Pizza, Mac & Cheese, Chinese Buffet. Really just eating out more than I should have instead of cooking at home.
Dinner Now - Whole Grain Pasta, Steamed Veggies, Low Salt spices, Kale, Baby Spinach, Low Sodium Sauces.

Snacks Then - Potato Chips, French Onion Dip, Sugary Sweets.
Snacks Now - Raw Almonds, Carrots, Yogurt, Rice Cakes.

I still have my bad moments, but I've done so much better with eating low salt foods and cooking from home vs. eating out. I've been more conscious to check labels for sodium, sugar and calorie content. Portioning has also really helped! Today I had a check up with my Doctor. My blood pressure was great and I've lost 10 pounds since they saw me last. Overall total is 28 approaching 30 pounds lost!

sandradev1

I basically eat the same now as I ate before. I just cut down on portion size and frequency of certain things I feel are unhealthier for me. It was easy for me to do this, as I was eating very little processed foods anyway. Now, instead of having a large pizza every week, I have it say once a fortnight and a smaller portion. I just had sausages for dinner and instead of eating 4 I just had 2. I still drink wine at the weekends and just fit it into my diary.

The only change I did, as well as ensuring that my intake did not go over my goal, which is set at TDEE - 20%, was to play with my food choices to get my macro's nearer the mark. I have 1g of protein for 1 lb of body mass and if some days I cannot get enough protein in, I will add a whey protein shake which is a addition to my norm.

I want to be able to keep the weight off this time round, and for good. I realised therefore, that depriving myself of things that I want to eat would cause me problems in the future. Easier to get used to still having them, at correct portion size now.

edessad

Breakfast Then - Nothing, I've never been a big breakfast eater. Occasionally a bagel slathered with cream cheese or a donut.
Breakfast Now - Oatmeal, Grape Nuts, Vegetable Casserole, Yogurt, Whole Wheat Toast.

Lunch Then - Eating out mainly. Mexican, Chinese, gross Taco Bell (even though I love it knowing it's gross).
Lunch Now - Salads with Kale or baby spinach. Packing meals from home like spaghetti squash or steamed veggies.

Dinner Then - Pizza, Mac & Cheese, Chinese Buffet. Really just eating out more than I should have instead of cooking at home.
Dinner Now - Whole Grain Pasta, Steamed Veggies, Low Salt spices, Kale, Baby Spinach, Low Sodium Sauces.

Snacks Then - Potato Chips, French Onion Dip, Sugary Sweets.
Snacks Now - Raw Almonds, Carrots, Yogurt, Rice Cakes.

I still have my bad moments, but I've done so much better with eating low salt foods and cooking from home vs. eating out. I've been more conscious to check labels for sodium, sugar and calorie content. Portioning has also really helped! Today I had a check up with my Doctor. My blood pressure was great and I've lost 10 pounds since they saw me last. Overall total is 28 approaching 30 pounds lost!

This is great. I know how hard a complete lifestyle change can be. Well Done!

jlwbeans0823

Thanks Edessad! That means a lot to me. Today has been a good day. It's been a while since I've felt good about this process. I feel like I have been doing things right!

leyle20

My favorite breakfast now is: Greek Yogurt (fat free) with 1 teaspoon of honey, half a banana, and half a pomegranate (everything mixed in.) DELICIOUS and PROTEIN filled, helps me last for a VERY long time!!!

onyxgirl17

Cool thread!

Breakfast (before): Banana Walnut Bread (starbucks), other various starbucks pastries and muffins, toaster strudels, high calorie lattes and iced coffees.
Now: Banana, toast and butter, omelets with cheese and spinach, homemade pancakes and waffles, toaster strudels.

Lunch (before): Fast food, chinese, various eating out, deli sandwiches, subs, and a high calorie latte/iced coffee.
Now: salads, deli sandwiches, less fast food (and when eating fast food wiser choices), leftovers from dinner the night before.

Dinner (before): mac & cheese, spaghetti, cheeseburger macaroni ... most of the time
Now: more meat & veggies, salads, still have spaghetti and mac & cheese sometimes but less often.

Snacks (before): high calorie lattes and iced coffees, chips, candy, whatever
Now: fruit, nuts, still have some chips and candy just not as often.

You don't have to cut out things you like... I like to follow the 80/20 rule