Pointers on incorporating diet into life at home?

Planning is key for me! Before I leave work during the day, I plan out my supper and log it. This way I have a plan and I stick to it. Do this for the weekend as well. Plan out what you are going to eat each day and it makes life so much easier!

I agree planning out your day in advance, even by a day, if it is not in my plan or list it is not mine to eat. I had to realize I can eat anything and everything I want just not all on the same day. If I know I am going to eat out or be less in control in the evening then I eat less for breakfast, skip the morning snack and afternoon snacks and save those calories for the evening, or a beer or wine.

If going out I too look at the menu in advance, and log several choices, I load up my diary with all the things I think I might like. Depending on how my day goes calories and exercise I delete those items which will put me over or way over. Seeing the calories lined up waiting sort of helps, then when you get to the restaurant, don't even look at the menu, go with your pre picked choice.

When this is not working, I try to stick to a few simple rules, no fried foods and no stuffing myself to uncomfortable, these alone help reduce calories. Also, figure on taking some home, even if you box it when the meal arrives, I have done this too or ask the server to do this before it comes to the table.

Also if you think you can't keep in control, maybe eat at maintenance on the weekend, or figure maybe you are eating too few calories during the week and so now you have been making up for it on the weekend. If you have an aggressive calorie goal of 1300 during the week, maybe that daily total should be higher so you don't feel deprived and then going way over weekend.

And bottom line, you do have to make it an everyday (or nearly) everyday commitment, you said you are in the early stages of change, over time it does become more habit. I have been at this over a year now. Some days are a breeze and I am happy and satisfied with my choices, other days it is still hard...very hard. But shopping for 8-10's is WAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY better then barely fitting into 16-18's.

I will work out harder on the weekend and stay more active. You will have more calories to eat and not feel so guilty. Don't stop logging.

Unlike a lot of people on here, I'd say I eat out fairly often, probably once a week.

Once a week = fairly often? I ate out three times on Saturday alone, not counting the froyo from TCBY!

I just have to add---I def agree with logging no matter how ugly it is. I went on vacation during the summer and for one full week I consumed nearly 4,000 a day! Between alcohol and grease...it was disgusting!! FARRRR from my goal of 1,200 to 1,500 cals a day! But when I came back, after looking at all that crap- it made my resolve that much stronger to get back into the groove. I had gained 7 full pounds from that (still working them off but the scale is steadily dropping a pound or two each week and I'm ALMOST back to where I started) and I never want to go back there. I have my binges (I ate a 3lb steak last weekend) but if you put everything in moderation (That's legit ALL I ate that day) you'll still lose what you want to! I still lost a pound and a half after that! And my weigh day is 2 days after. It's all about how ya work it! Never feel you CAN'T have something. Just know you can't go crazy with it.

Once a week = fairly often? I ate out three times on Saturday alone, not counting the froyo from TCBY!

:laugh: :drinker:

I have the same problem. I'm trying to log in on the weekends now, I do it before I go to bed. I take my dogs out and while I'm waiting for them I log in. But staying within my cals on the weekend it tough for me. My husband and I love to cook and usually someone comes over on the weekend and then there is wine involved & desserts. I'm going to try to stay below my cals this week Mon. thru Thur. so that my average weekly will be better than this past week. :flowerforyou:

We eat out about three times a week. We tend to rotate between the same 2-3 places so I've developed an eating plan for each place. I've found too that most places are willing to juggle things a bit for you. I LOVE french fries, love, love, love them. However, I have no "off switch" when it comes to french fries and will happily clean my plate regardless of how big the serving size is (which explains my need for weight loss).

I've taken to asking to sub out the french fries for a slice of bread or something like applesauce. The places I've asked have been more than willing to do so and that cuts the calories / fat WAY down than having a huge serving of fries. Most places too are happy to do things like serve sauces on the side, when I get a breakfast sandwich I substitute the meat for applesauce and ask that the English muffin be tossed on the grill without butter etc. I wouldn't ask for anything really complicated because I know how busy it is working in a restaurant (been there, done that) but those are easy enough changes that it doesn't throw off things in the back and it helps keep me on track. I'll get a grilled chicken sandwich and ask to hold the top part of the bun and put honey mustard on the side etc. It's just little things but it really helps me a lot to stay in control (although of course everyone is different so this may be a useless post for you but it works for me!)

I also agree with the phone app. I too log in the mornings and pre-plan the day. At times if we decide on the fly to go out to eat I just zip in and change it. After you've been to your fave restaurants so many times you know the menu and you can make adjustments from there.

Oh also I add the restaurant meals I like and have gotten the nutritional info for into MFP under "my meals" so I can just pop over and pick that meal and I don't have to add each item separately.

Once of our fave places is a little diner which has no nutritional info listed but it's fairly simple to break it down. I love the open faced chicken sandwich. I have it in my meals as one slice white bread, one cup diced turkey, 1/2 cup stuffing and 1/2 cup gravy. Those are estimates of course but I have found that they must be close enough because the weight is still coming off. Look online for visuals to help you estimate. For example the palm of a woman's hand is roughly three ounces (so I will take my hand and hover it over the meat to see it if fits and if there's more than my palm I can estimate for them. I'm not sure if I can post a link here but I'll try. That gives some tips on visualizing portion sizes. A food scale and measuring cups / spoons is the best and most accurate but if you're out and about it's not very handy!

http://education.wichita.edu/caduceus/examples/servings/visual_estimates.htm

Keep low cal snacks around - carrot sticks/hummus, etc. Also, you can make lower fat/cal versions of popular dishes for yourself - or just have a smaller portion. For example, I made some mini pumpkin pies last week - some with the pie crust (for my office) and some just in a muffin tin (for me). You'd be surprised at how cutting out small things like the crust can make something either diet friendly or diet not friendly!

Also, going out to eat can be really easy (I eat out lunch and dinner every day - literally). LIMIT YOURSELF. I will stick to veggies and protein - so it's almost always a salad with chicken or beef on top. When I eat Chinese, I get tofu with veggies or wonton soup. Most restaurants have a chicken broth based soup of some kind too - just get it without the chips, cheese or dairy. You'd be amazed at how a massive bowl of chicken tortilla soup is, and how low cal it can be, with just the broth, chicken and veggies.

Good luck!