Help!

annegirl
annegirl Posts: 13
edited September 21 in Health and Weight Loss
I know that in this life everyone has a busy schedule and it can be very hard to eat the right things when you're trying to go a ton of different directions. I'm sure my schedule is not as busy as most, but it's pretty crazy. Do y'all have any tips about how I could try to incorporate better food into my life?

Replies

  • kristinlough
    kristinlough Posts: 828 Member
    Plan ahead. Don't buy crap at the grocery store. Don't allow yourself to go to a fast food restaurant. Log your calories before you eat them (it's a lot harder to put back 1,000 calories when you know how much it really is). Eat your vegetables first.

    That's all I got for now :)
  • creativefrugalmom
    creativefrugalmom Posts: 267 Member
    I know that in this life everyone has a busy schedule and it can be very hard to eat the right things when you're trying to go a ton of different directions. I'm sure my schedule is not as busy as most, but it's pretty crazy. Do y'all have any tips about how I could try to incorporate better food into my life?

    If you are out and about, make sure you have some healthy snacks on hand. This way, if you get hungry you won't go for the fast food or the gas station. If you are out running errands, throw a granola bar, a snack bag with nuts, banana, etc. in your purse or car. This even works at work. Keep a drawer with pretzels, rice cakes, fruit, granola bars, etc. Also, keep a cooler with snack bags full of veggies, if feasible.
  • APerry71
    APerry71 Posts: 9
    Good advice. Avoiding fast food restaurants at all costs is a big one. I have kids and staying away from fast food places is difficult but it helps knowing it's bad for them too. I would also say that keeping good choices stocked and readily available is key. Lastly, don't let yourself get too hungry. That's when my bad decisions win out.

    Good luck!
  • S_H84
    S_H84 Posts: 75
    I agree with the above poster.
    The best thing I can say is DO NOT go shopping when you are hungry. You buy things you don't need. Instead go shopping right after you had a good healthy meal.
    Also, fix your lunch/supper the day before, so the next day when you are hungry you got it ready. Because if you are hungry and don't feel like cooking, you will make unhealthy choices. You got to outsmart yourself ;)

    Good luck.
  • danibabs
    danibabs Posts: 298 Member
    Try making a plan for the week. I start working on mine the week before, looking up healthy snacks and recipes to compliment the easy staples that I always have. Basically I write out everything I plan on eating every day, with a little wiggle room in case someone brings in snacks to work or something.

    Each day I have a plan for:
    breakfast (an egg plus something like toast or half an avocado)
    morning snack (usually a piece of fruit)
    lunch (two days a week I have whole wheat penne and brocolli, the other days I try and get more creative or just stick with a healthy pb&j. Today I have shrimp with brown rice and spinach stir fried with soysauce and cayenne that I made last night before bed)
    afternoon snack (a granola bar or other healthy carb based snack)
    and dinner (I eat out at my fave healthy places on days I go to the gym since they're in the same neighborhood. Otherwise I like to pick something up at trader joe's or try a new recipe, or just quickly make some chicken and pasta)

    I started out doing this as a way to save money, so that I know exactly what I need going into the grocery store so I don't buy 4 apples when I only plan on eating 2. But I've found it's a great way to avoid eating junk, save time, and diversify my diet. Just get a little notebook to write out weekly eating plans and grocery lists.
  • bmayes
    bmayes Posts: 55
    Plan! Plan! Plan! Purchase 100 cal almonds, veggies and other portioned controlled healthy snacks. Prepare for the week on the weekends. Think about every single meal! Buy lots of fish and/or chicken and LOTS of veggies! You may have to wake up a bit earlier to prepare your breakfast and lunch. Take fruit along with you like apples, bananas, plums. You really have to plan so that you don't slip up. An occasional indulge is fine but more often than not - BE PREPARED! and remember lots of water. Sometimes you may think your hungry and you are really dehydrated. Also, water keeps you full. Good luck!
  • suejonestx
    suejonestx Posts: 256 Member
    Have Progresso light soups on hand. They're very low in calories, and you can add stuff like roasted chicken, broccoli, etc. to beef them up. Also buy plenty of fruit, they're a good snack and can be the first thing you reach for if you're craving a snack. Yogurt is a good snack, as are whole grain crackers and low-fat cheese or "laughing cow" cheese. One of my favorite snacks (and sometimes a meal!) is an apple with crunchy peanut butter...you have to be careful how much PB you spread on, but it's delicious with a cold glass of skim milk! Mainly, if you have some healthy items on hand, you'll have something to much on when times are hectic! Hope this helps.
  • pchristie
    pchristie Posts: 38
    This is something I struggle with too. I am very busy as well, and if I am out and about and super hungry, there is a chance I can and will make a poor choice. The way I try to avoid this is, I keep mini cliff bars in my purse. I also keep dried apricots in my glove box. I saw that someone else suggested 100 cal packages of almonds - great idea. If you have healthy things with you that you have already paid for, you may be less likely to spend more money on unhealthy foods.

    Another thing I try to do is plan ahead. For example, I have plans to go out with friends tonight. I know this could be a potential train wreck for my goal, so I am planning on eating dinner ahead of time and making sure I have something healthy with me just in case. If I know I have a busy work week ahead, I will do a lot of cooking and chopping of vegetables over the weekend so I have quick things available to me.

    Really, at the end of the day, it's all about commitment. Just knowing that I have to type in everything I consume seems to be the accountabililty piece I was missing. One of my friends has the app on her phone so she can access this website anytime. I haven't done that yet, but if I find that I need to for support, I will.
  • sagithia
    sagithia Posts: 135 Member
    I make my meals ahead of time and make the same meal for 2 days so I only have to cook every other day. I plan everything down to the snacks and always have almonds on hand. Try to eat something small every 2 hours, this will really help you stay full and twoards your goal.

    Eat a big breakfast and kind of graze on the healthy food you made all day long.

    Drink tons of water! That will help you lose the weight like crazy.

    PLAN PLAN PLAN, that is all you can do right now.
  • Breathe_Glamour
    Breathe_Glamour Posts: 136
    The only way to make sure you eat healthy foods is to make sure you buy them at the grocery store - there is no place you can stop for a "quick bite" that's healthy. So, like everyone else says: PLAN PLAN PLAN.

    I'm not going grocery shopping until this weekend, but I've already researched recipes & the nutritional value of the foods I plan to eat. I make my grocery list days before I even go to the store & I make sure I have my meals planned.

    It's much more cost effective & I've found that it's the only way that works for me.

    Good luck :)
  • annegirl
    annegirl Posts: 13
    Thanks so much y'all!!!! That was very helpful. I need to decide to be committed and PLAN!!!!! I can do this. :D
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