X Unhealthy Eaters

CarriLu123
CarriLu123 Posts: 82 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Where did you start? I am trying to adapt a healthier lifestyle and change the foods we eat in my house. Honestly it is harder than I thought. We love fast food's, pasta's, pizza, you name it we love it. So how did you change your eating habits?

Replies

  • NonnyMary
    NonnyMary Posts: 982 Member
    I'm a sweet addict. HAD TO HAVE my morning muffin, HAD TO HAVE this and that. Totally addicted, felt good after eating that. Well one day my legs just got sick of carrying this big load on me, so i decided what can i do? I didn't have any motivation or any kind of plan, so i said what could i eliminate that I could.. so i said no soda pop, no added table salt and no desserts (coffee cake and donuts) i said i will have my one muffin in the morning, if thats what it will take.

    Now since escaping from that morning muffin routine, i started choosing other things, so for two weeks i was actually weaning myself off that. so now one month later, i am able to have something else.

    So long story short, I did what I could, started increasing my healthier choices, and not letting myself get emotionally attracted to food, i have chosen to stay away from certain restaurants, and find what restaurants i can, like I can go to a mediterranean restaurant and get something tasty and healthy.

    so one step at a time. then exchanging bad food choices for good. so far so good.

    the secret is - do something that is a permanent life change, not just a temporary diet, and that is the secret.
  • CarriLu123
    CarriLu123 Posts: 82 Member
    I'm a sweet addict. HAD TO HAVE my morning muffin, HAD TO HAVE this and that. Totally addicted, felt good after eating that. Well one day my legs just got sick of carrying this big load on me, so i decided what can i do? I didn't have any motivation or any kind of plan, so i said what could i eliminate that I could.. so i said no soda pop, no added table salt and no desserts (coffee cake and donuts) i said i will have my one muffin in the morning, if thats what it will take.

    Now since escaping from that morning muffin routine, i started choosing other things, so for two weeks i was actually weaning myself off that. so now one month later, i am able to have something else.

    So long story short, I did what I could, started increasing my healthier choices, and not letting myself get emotionally attracted to food, i have chosen to stay away from certain restaurants, and find what restaurants i can, like I can go to a mediterranean restaurant and get something tasty and healthy.

    so one step at a time. then exchanging bad food choices for good. so far so good.

    the secret is - do something that is a permanent life change, not just a temporary diet, and that is the secret.


    I have a morning Late' I would like to cut that out for starters. I justify it by saying it makes me feel good, but in all honesty I would probably feel better eating real food.

    Thanks for the advice
  • CookNLift
    CookNLift Posts: 3,660 Member
    I started after I went to the Crawfish Festival that is held here. It was a milestone that I looked forward to as an unhealthy day of eating, and drinking beer. I made that my final day for eating unhealthy, and proceeded to have a binge fest for dinner (not really bc we were so full from the festival) and I had a bowl or two of Crunch Berries, some ice cream, and candy.

    I then started the following day cold turkey - I have noticed a lot of things add up and have eliminated using a lot of olive oil on my salad and instead supplement the extra oil by putting hot chicken or beef on top and letting the natural juices and heat wilt the lettuce and make it much better tasting.

    I settled on a paleo ish diet but I still consume some legumes / beans and dairy primarily because they are things that I enjoy and don't over indulge in (I put about a half a cup of a serving once every day or so). Rather than using mayo I use either greek yogurt, cooked egg whites, hummus, or avocado.

    If you wanna get past loving fast foods, devote yourself to enjoying your meals and put some work into them. You will navigate back to bad foods if you feel like you miss them and what you're eating doesn't taste good. Every once in a while it is okay to have a slice of pizza, but try and eat leafy greens, or veggies (or even seafood) before hand to minimize the amount of pizza you eat.

    There are a lot of recipes out there for healthy pizza as well. Here is one off the top of my head. It's not paleo, because although I choose it as my lifestyle change, I don't like to push it on others and let them experiment for themselves.

    Buy an organic whole grain pizza dough or crust and READ THE INGREDIENTS. Make sure it doesn't have preservatives in it and that there is in fact only whole grain in it. Top it with some Muir Glen Organic Pasta Sauce (they add a little bit of sugar, which I think is fine, but there are others that are sugar free - this one is just really good.) Add some grass fed cheese one top or even some low fat skim or feta cheese (sprinkle it lightly, allow yourself to taste the sauce and the crust). Then you can top it with veggies or low fat pepperoni/sausage etc.

    Try spaghetti squash too instead of pastas or switch to whole grain or gluten free pasta. I recently turned to spaghetti squash as a substitute and fell in love (I prefer it actually). Add me and message me if you need any ideas. I'm starting up a food blog soon which I will post as well.
  • AlabasterVerve
    AlabasterVerve Posts: 3,171 Member
    Real food, seasoned well with lots of fat is delicious. No one will complain and it's a healthful way to eat.

    Look for some older recipes (like something Julia Child would have made) to get some ideas and recipes that don't call for a can or box of something. Take it one meal/recipe at a time and keep the sugar and starches to a minimum so you don't overeat and you'll do fine. Good luck. :)
  • lyndausvi
    lyndausvi Posts: 156 Member
    Pretty much went cold turkey. I started a few months ago working from home so it pretty much forced me to eat at home also. The longer I went without fast food the less I missed it. I have a hurt shoulder and had to go to PT a few times a week. PT is near some fast food so I found myself stopping in. It made feel sick and I haven't been back for 5 weeks now. Which is 2 weeks longer than I have been dieting.

    My DH is a big sweet eater. I just got sucked into walking to DQ a few times a week. I talked myself into thinking just getting the small or mini was good enough add in the walk, it's all good right? Yeah, not at 690 calories. Since I do 80% of the shopping i just stopped buying things like ice cream and cookies. Out of site out of mind. I haven't had anything in 3 weeks and I honestly don't miss it. My blood sugar levels seem to be much better (just by how i feel, I do not track the levels). The better I feel the less I seem to miss them.

    Restaurants are impossible for me to give up. My DH is a chef and really enjoys going out to eat on Sundays to check out other places around the city. I just do my best to make sure I eat healthier meals but don't beat myself up if I don't. I also do extra cardo on the weekends to offset any set back I might have. I am addicted to chicken tenders and fried chicken I just avoid them completely. I don't think I can do them in moderation.
  • Meg_Shirley_86
    Meg_Shirley_86 Posts: 275 Member
    I mean this lovingly, not with attitude:
    You have to want to change. There are ways to cut things out completely, and there are ways to still have your indulgences and be healthy. If you can't navigate through that, you didn't really want to make a new habit, you wanted a new hobby. Spoken from experience; not trying to scold. Good luck!
  • ncmedic201
    ncmedic201 Posts: 540 Member
    I learned how to cook with spices (other than salt) and herbs. Once I figured that out, it became fun. My youngest loves it when I cook from scratch vs buying something already made (like fresh alfredo sauce vs jarred) There were lots of things that I have changed over the last 7 months that were a slow process. You just have to start somewhere. Once you start, find other ways to add to your changes.
  • fooninie
    fooninie Posts: 291 Member
    First of all: CONGRATS! You are moving in the right direction.

    My advice is: start small. I like the idea of cutting one bad thing out per week. Example: I used to eat a raisin tea biscuit with my morning coffee. Instead I have a non-GMO protein bar (it has the consistency of a rice krispie square - YUM!) with my morning cuppa.

    I find leading by example is a good way to wean off bad habits...you will see results and everyone will want a piece of that joy! :)

    Last piece of advice, I cut out non naturally occurring carbs (I'm a certified carb addict - love all the pastas, breads and candies out there). It was VERY hard... I went through withdrawals and everything...True story. But after 3 days, things got easier. I'm 40lbs down and still losing.

    Good luck, you're in a really great place for support (just ignore any naysayers - they're everywhere)
  • ScouseNerd
    ScouseNerd Posts: 119 Member
    Honestly, I'm not going to say a lot has changed in terms of my eating, just my awareness. Now I just look at something delicious and unhealthy and evaluate HOW much I want it.
    My boyfriend would always bring home pizza and I'd eat it because, hey, dinner, AND delicious. It would be tasty. But now if he says he's getting pizza and asks if I'll have any, I think about that pizza so vividly and everything that would be good about it. If I'm not practically weak in the knees from it, I won't have it. If I find that I really do want it, then I'll indulge. But I also know that if I have that pizza, I don't get to have any other big treats like that that this week, and that plays a factor in my decision too. I would cut it out as a way to cut myself off from it forever, but I always promised myself that I wouldn't be the person who wouldn't eat something because I "shouldn't" for my whole life.

    My biggest change is when I'm actively trying to lose, I won't give it all up on a dinner out. Yes, I'd like to get something that feels like I'm paying that much for it, but it'll almost always be salad now, at least until I'm at my goal. But I used to go bananas at restaurants even on diets. I still want to. But I'll earn it!
  • CarriLu123
    CarriLu123 Posts: 82 Member
    Thank you all for the advice. Everyone has to start somewhere! It's seems overwhelming at times but I do like the idea of starting small and building on it one week at a time.

    Thanks again you all gave me a place to start.
  • joellemorin
    joellemorin Posts: 12 Member
    I hear you! <3

    I had the same problem with NUTELLA (insert here mouth-watering noises). My mother-in-law wouldn't believe that quitting Nutella was just as hard as quitting cigarettes. You crave it, you think about it all the time. You try to divert yourself by doing something else, but no, it's still there, lurking in your brain! You get stressed and frustrated because you cant have it...and when you give in, the very second this forbidden food touches your mouth, the stress drops down like crazy and your endorphin have a major party in your brain :)

    I found the best way to avoid bad food is to simply not buy it, and teach the whole family about it. "Mommy is no more buying Nutella because it has too much sugar and fat, and it's very bad for our bodies. Why dont we try strawberry jaw on your waflle instead?" Sometimes it's not easy, but sometimes they do understand and accept to make the changes along with you.

    Good luck! :)
  • terrappyn
    terrappyn Posts: 324 Member
    I'm a sweet addict. HAD TO HAVE my morning muffin, HAD TO HAVE this and that. Totally addicted, felt good after eating that. Well one day my legs just got sick of carrying this big load on me, so i decided what can i do? I didn't have any motivation or any kind of plan, so i said what could i eliminate that I could.. so i said no soda pop, no added table salt and no desserts (coffee cake and donuts) i said i will have my one muffin in the morning, if thats what it will take.

    Now since escaping from that morning muffin routine, i started choosing other things, so for two weeks i was actually weaning myself off that. so now one month later, i am able to have something else.

    So long story short, I did what I could, started increasing my healthier choices, and not letting myself get emotionally attracted to food, i have chosen to stay away from certain restaurants, and find what restaurants i can, like I can go to a mediterranean restaurant and get something tasty and healthy.

    so one step at a time. then exchanging bad food choices for good. so far so good.

    the secret is - do something that is a permanent life change, not just a temporary diet, and that is the secret.


    I have a morning Late' I would like to cut that out for starters. I justify it by saying it makes me feel good, but in all honesty I would probably feel better eating real food.

    Thanks for the advice

    Morning latte isnt too bad as long as you add the right ingredients. I get mine no syrup, non-fat and get a grade and I think it's 120 calories. You could make one at home. I do that most of the time. Not only am I saving money but I can really adjust the calories. More ice, more espresso less milk.
  • marywilsoncline
    marywilsoncline Posts: 301 Member
    I just got serious about loosing weight almost 4 years ago and it just became easy for me to make a better lifestyle for myself. Meaning, I don't eat out much . I hate to eat food that someone else has prepared instead of me preparing it at home b/c I do not know what is in it. I eat fresh fruits and veggies and organic foods. I eat chips that are organic and baked instead of fried in fat laden oil. It really gets pretty easy. Of course along the way, I have also become addicted to running and I do everyday run at least four miles so I can eat pretty much anything I want, but I don't. I still stick to my healthy lifestyle.
  • littlebrownbat3
    littlebrownbat3 Posts: 54 Member
    I found that it's easier for me to think of it this way: rather than think about foods I "can have," I eat more foods that are better for me. I still eat some crap (because sometimes it's delicious) but I feel better when I eat mostly clean. The more you eat less processed food, the more sensitive your taste becomes to junk food. If you fill up on healthier stuff, you aren't hungry for junk food, and then when you have an opportunity, you've already retrained your tastes to minimize the damage.
  • CarriLu123
    CarriLu123 Posts: 82 Member
    I'm a sweet addict. HAD TO HAVE my morning muffin, HAD TO HAVE this and that. Totally addicted, felt good after eating that. Well one day my legs just got sick of carrying this big load on me, so i decided what can i do? I didn't have any motivation or any kind of plan, so i said what could i eliminate that I could.. so i said no soda pop, no added table salt and no desserts (coffee cake and donuts) i said i will have my one muffin in the morning, if thats what it will take.

    Now since escaping from that morning muffin routine, i started choosing other things, so for two weeks i was actually weaning myself off that. so now one month later, i am able to have something else.

    So long story short, I did what I could, started increasing my healthier choices, and not letting myself get emotionally attracted to food, i have chosen to stay away from certain restaurants, and find what restaurants i can, like I can go to a mediterranean restaurant and get something tasty and healthy.

    so one step at a time. then exchanging bad food choices for good. so far so good.

    the secret is - do something that is a permanent life change, not just a temporary diet, and that is the secret.


    I have a morning Late' I would like to cut that out for starters. I justify it by saying it makes me feel good, but in all honesty I would probably feel better eating real food.

    Thanks for the advice

    Morning latte isnt too bad as long as you add the right ingredients. I get mine no syrup, non-fat and get a grade and I think it's 120 calories. You could make one at home. I do that most of the time. Not only am I saving money but I can really adjust the calories. More ice, more espresso less milk.

    That is a great idea. I drink Chi Tea Latte and it is 310 calories. I also don't eat breakfast since I am taking in so many calories. I'm sure this only compounds the problem.
  • palmerar
    palmerar Posts: 489 Member
    Look up healthy recipes for foods that you love to eat now, there are a litany of food blogs out there too I like cookinglight.com and skinnytaste.com. It's usually good to start with making your food at home, limiting large amounts of fat, insert more vegetables, don't be afraid of seasoning things or trying new things. Use your crockpot.
  • CarriLu123
    CarriLu123 Posts: 82 Member
    I hear you! <3

    I had the same problem with NUTELLA (insert here mouth-watering noises). My mother-in-law wouldn't believe that quitting Nutella was just as hard as quitting cigarettes. You crave it, you think about it all the time. You try to divert yourself by doing something else, but no, it's still there, lurking in your brain! You get stressed and frustrated because you cant have it...and when you give in, the very second this forbidden food touches your mouth, the stress drops down like crazy and your endorphin have a major party in your brain :)

    I found the best way to avoid bad food is to simply not buy it, and teach the whole family about it. "Mommy is no more buying Nutella because it has too much sugar and fat, and it's very bad for our bodies. Why dont we try strawberry jaw on your waflle instead?" Sometimes it's not easy, but sometimes they do understand and accept to make the changes along with you.

    Good luck! :)

    Thanks for the laugh. It's so true as soon as you stop fighting that urge and give in all the stress is gone.
  • abbylg1983
    abbylg1983 Posts: 177 Member
    I decided to start myfitnesspal in the middle of the day, so for the first half, I hadn't been trying to cut calories. I was pretty shocked by how many calories are in so called healthy foods (cereal, I'm looking at you). So, what I did for about 3-5 months is just eat the same things I always ate, but scaled way back. So, instead of 3 cups of cereal, I only had one. Instead of 5 pieces of fruit, I had 1-2. I tried to stay at 1,200 calories. This sucked big time for me because trying to fit my carb heavy and calorie heavy diet into 1,200 calories left me with not very much food. I lost the baby weight (my motivation for joining) and pretty much tabled the diet. I started up again just a few months ago.

    My biggest a-ha moment was my toddler daughter. She does not eat well (meaning she doesn't eat much, and has been underweight her whole life), so I bought a book on toddler nutrition. My favorite part was the "eat the rainbow" section, and I started incorporating more vegetables, as well as healthy fats into our diets to get her weight up. Now it's kind of fun to challenge myself- how many different colors can I get on one plate? My daughter eats most fruits but mainly sticks to green vegetables. We are still working on that. I *have* to eat a certain way in front of her so she will eat that way. If she sees me snacking on goldfish crackers and doritos and handfuls of cheerios, that's what she'll want. I think this time around my plan is much more sustainable, since I'm more focused on nutrition and exercise than calorie counting. I haven't really lost much weight, but I do notice I feel more compact and tighter, and my clothes are looser.
  • kookanddra
    kookanddra Posts: 92
    My first day with MFP I wanted to see what i was eating and how it compared with the calories that I was allowed. So I did my regular morning with a 32 oz of Coke and sausage mcmuffin. Logged it and Yikes!! Really?? So i did what I normally did for lunch and went back to McDonalds and got another 32 oz of Coke and a big mac meal. Large. I about died when I logged that. Calories already gone and I haven't even had my beers yet or supper!! That's when I decided to cut out all soda and went to ice tea. Don't get me wrong, I still have fast food once and a while but not like i use to. Haven't had a big mac since I started. Our suppers at home are usually pretty good anyway, I just cut my portions in half. I look at what I use to eat (portion wise) and it seems like I was trying to feed an army with just my plate. I still have pizza every friday night but only 1 or 2 pieces instead of 3 and reaching for the 4th. I still drink my beer every night. Just not as much as I use to. Everything is ok in moderation. It takes time but it is so worth it!! It will be easier for you to make the change if you want to and are still happy with what you are getting. Good luck!! :flowerforyou:
  • symba1130
    symba1130 Posts: 248 Member
    I agree with changing one thing at a time. For me, the first thing I changed was using goat cheese on my burger one day in place of mayo AND cheese. It had a bit of tang and was creamy so I didnt miss the cheese or mayo. Then I started trying new recipes that were usually bean/veggies based. From there I noticed there were weeks I would pass the 10 candy dishes around the office and not be bothered by not having any. Somedays I need more food than others so I dont let myself stress about it, I eat, I just try to eat healthier options and work out more.

    Also like someone else already said, this is a lifestyle change if you want to keep it off, so dont fret if you dont loose 40lbs in a month! It took me 18mths to loose 30lbs, but I feel confident that (after pregnancy, currently 32weeks along) I can get the weight back off and continue to maintain because its a lifestyle and not a "diet".
  • Kristy7418
    Kristy7418 Posts: 85
    I just finally said I'm done being fat and need to lose weight one day. I got rid of all packaged / canned food items in my pantry and bought veggies, fruit and whole wheat pastas. Have been experimenting with cauliflower and spaghetti squash recipes. This is a typical day for me:
    Breakfast - Scrambled eggs with veggies and cheese and a banana.
    Lunch - Spinach Salad with meat, veggies and cheese with cauliflower I dip in fat free ranch dressing mixed with franks hot sauce on the side.
    Afternoon snack - Apple
    Dinner - Meat - (i.e pork chops, chicken, steak) with a side of either whole wheat pasta with a garlic / olive oil sauce, or a spaghetti squash dish or mashed cauliflower and typically another vegetable on the side.
    Evening snack - bowl of FiberOne cereal

    When craving something sweet I have Low fat / sugar frozen yogurt in chocolate flavor or sugar free popsicles.

    Am I eating perfect ? no I'm just beginning my diet and exercise so I have a lot learn. I still get fast food from time to time but choose to make healthier choices. But this is WAY different and better to what I used to eat. I'm just learning as I go and looking at other's diaries to help out as well and searching for healthy recipes.

    Feel free to add me if you like. I have my diary open to friends. We could help each other!
  • amye004
    amye004 Posts: 32
    Definitetly ease them into it. Get their opinions on what they would like for dinner (I always liked when my mom asked).

    I would start by switching out fast food to made at home.

    Burgers: Make your own patties! This will control the portion and allow you to play with flavour. -Make in advance, cook, freeze and they are ready when you need them.
    Fries: Cut up some potatoes. Try out sweet potatoes too. Some spices and breadcrumbs (I like to use an egg white wash to make them stick) and bake.

    Add some veggies and you have a decent meal (depending on the bun).

    Pizza: Use pitas. Individual sizes plus then people can put what they want on their own pizzas. Plus a good opportunity to learn/ teach about portions/ veggie/ meat choices. Have them make a couple and again, freeze and use when needed. You could also buy and use already made dough if the pita isn't working.

    You can play around with healthier versions of fast food favourites if that's what your family likes to eat and ease them into different things. Hamburger to turkey to quinoa/ portebello/ chick pea...the possibilities are endless (and delicious!). Good luck! :)
  • rgrin
    rgrin Posts: 67 Member
    In the past, I've changed my diet too much too soon and made myself miserable. A recipe for giving up! This time, I've made small changes as I go. I don't know if it is available on the website, but on the app, I can review all of the nutrients from my day or from a whole week. Each week, I look at my numbers. The first week, I was over in carbs and fat, under on protein, and WAAAAAAY over on sodium. So, that's what I changed. I changed my settings on the website to show me my sodium and looked at the worst offenders. I chose which one(s) were the easiest to omit or find a healthy substitute, and that's ALL I changed. Keep it simple. After the next week, I re-analyzed and determined that my low protein was my biggest problem. By only tackling one problem a week, I have not been overwhelmed. I am able to fit in my must-haves (peanut butter and chocolate) and have been steadily losing weight. Keep it simple and don't overwhelm yourself. Slow and steady!
  • stardancer7
    stardancer7 Posts: 276 Member
    When I started in August, I decided that cream in my coffee wasn't worth the calories. Then I did my best to eat as many veggies as I could for breakfast--for a few months, about five out of seven days a week I was eating a two egg frittata with onion, garlic, tomato, zuchinni, red, green, orange bell peppers, spinach, mushrooms with some feta or cheddar on top. Having freshly cooked nutritious food like that first thing every day kind of spoiled the taste of the stuff I used to eat. I also found that for me, eating a huge breakfast kept me from inhaling junky snacks in front of the tv.

    I also learned, the hard way, that potato chips are a trigger food, especially in combination with pop.

    Planning ahead by making big pots of stew/chilis/soups with beans, lentils, etc. on Sundays so I would have my own 'frozen meals' ready to take to work the following week also helped. I don't enjoy take out the way I used to--even going to a regular restaurant doesn't interest me much anymore--but that's because the quality of home-cooked/made ingredients is much higher, I get the flavours I love, for a way cheaper price.

    This past two weeks has been crazy busy in my household with the end of a semester (I'm a high school teacher), my daughter graduating from high school, and we've just got a brand new puppy, so I've made some of the same choices I would have made a year ago--and I feel gross. It's the exception that proves the rule: I need to plan ahead, and even if other members of my family decide they have to have calorie dense, nutritionally poor things to eat around the house, that doesn't mean I should default to joining them.
  • JessiBelleW
    JessiBelleW Posts: 836 Member
    Where did you start? I am trying to adapt a healthier lifestyle and change the foods we eat in my house. Honestly it is harder than I thought. We love fast food's, pasta's, pizza, you name it we love it. So how did you change your eating habits?

    Pick just one or two things a week to change or alter. Love pasta? Thats ok you have two choices: eat a (much) smaller portion and still have your pasta (use veges/ salads/ soups to keep you feeling full), or make and eat a lower calorie option, ie mac n cheese: use skim milk and less cheese and whole wheat pasta.

    Make your own pizza at home - or on wraps, or tortillas with more veggies. Again try to pair it with veggies, soups or a salad to help you feel more full.

    What is it you like about fast foods? The taste, convenience? Try to work out why fast foods are so appealing to you and you may find a way to navigate them.

    Its really hard to change a life times worth of habits. Start small and don't give up!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    For me, it was really more about what I wasn't eating than what I was eating. I've actually never been a really "unhealthy" eater...I love to cook so preparing homemade meals from scratch ingredients has always been something I enjoyed doing. My problem was largely that I wasn't getting enough nutrition by way of vegetables and fruits. One caveat would be that I drank about 1/2 gallon of whole milk per day with about 1/4 Lb of cheddar cheese...not that those things in and of themselves are "bad"...but I was packing it away and it's a lot of calories.

    I largely got fat more because I neglected my fitness but kept eating like I was training. I incorporate a lot more fruits and veg in my diet now and have one or the other or both with every meal. I was never a huge junk food eater, but I eat even less of it now. I was a huge soda drinker though...I have maybe 3 per week now but used to have 2-3 12oz sodas per day.
  • LAW_714
    LAW_714 Posts: 258
    I've changed my eating habits one step at a time.

    I paid attention to labels on food and sodium content. Sodium content can vary wildly (with some options being incredibly high for no good reason). I of course use salt -- to taste -- but a lot of foods use sodium not so much as flavoring but as preservatives. I need the flavor, but why should I need the extra that just prolongs shelf life when it's more than I either want or need?

    Reading labels gives you information that you can use to make more healthful choices. So, lower sodium alternatives of the same products.

    I then began using that process on ingredient lists. The more things read like food and the less they read like chemistry class the better.

    Later I tried avoiding soda as my primary drink of choice. I thought that would be impossible because I was seriously addicted to soda, but it turned out, I didn't have much problem doing so. At first I stuck to water, sweet tea, lemonade, juice or coffee.

    Then I worked on reducing sugar by eating fruit rather than drinking them in juice form (you'll eat 1 orange, it's incredibly easy to drink 10 of them) and learning to like unsweet tea and eventually (took much longer) unsweetened coffee. I don't need the added calories of sweetened beverages unless it's some sort of intended indulgence (independent of a meal. No need to add sugared beverages to a meal. Sugary drinks add ro calories not to satiety. So no sugared beverages with meals... )

    Turns out, water, tea, & coffee, (and on rare occasions milk) work for me nearly all of the time (and saves a lot of superfluous calories).

    Eliminating sugared beverages also helped to reduce both my overall calories and the overall sugar that I consumed (I also don't like to rely very heavily on artificial sweetners. I'd rather go natural).

    Etc.

    Basically, eating healthier is a process. I've chosen to focus on one or two things at a time, and eventually it feels natural.
  • 43932452
    43932452 Posts: 7,246 Member
    From 300↓248 I quit ice cream (I a,lowed it 1-2 times per year)I also quit any candy,
    w/exception of occasional chocolate. More times than I wish but way less than in my
    heavier days. wasn'ttroubled w/soda luckily. I stopped using sugar imposters.
    They really aren't good. Switched to stevia liquid, no other ingredients.
    I then began to weed out my processed (boxed dinners like H.Helper) I gave up higher fat meats,
    steaks and such. Once I got under 212 I quit eating rice,pasta, oats and breads with
    exception of infrequently and measured. I also gave up dairy. I've been happy mostly
    w/these changes. W/o these sacrifices& the fitness I might have gotten bigger. :|

Categories