What the hell do I eat

Hhhmmmm...i KNOW i will get called on this but...here i go...
You cannot have anything you please. That mentality is what got us in trouble in the first place. Whole foods that are not prepackaged is best. PB? Mmmmm...maybe natural but not Skippy or what have you. I have begun eating salads without dressing because i still get plenty of flavor from the meat and tomatos and jalapenos etc. Why add unneeded calories and bad carbs?
Spaghetti sqaush is a great alternative to noodles and my kids liked it better. We felt full on less volume with it too.
And we just tried fresh mango....pretty good actually. Look at food as a fresh new adventure. Try new recipes and dont be afraid to buy in bulk and spend one day a week cooking for the entire week ahead and freeze what you are able.
Good luck and hope this helped some.

Eat food and hit your calorie goals.

kuranda10 wrote: »

@BruceHedtke‌ , put your eggs in a pan with enough water to cover them. Bring it to a boil. When it boils take the pan off the heat and cover them for 15-20 minutes. Drain hot water and run under cold water for a few minutes until they are cool enough to touch.

Just 10 minutes! (15 max)

The mentality that got people obese is "I can eat as much as I want" not "I can eat what I want."

I have driven myself crazy over the years trying to do everything except..control my actual calorie intake. I did Weight Watchers (succeeded, but was always looking for all those "low points" "low fat" "low calorie" foods that did not provide me with all the nutrients I needed.) I tried Atkins. I tried Nutrisystem. I tried eating only organic stuff, tried eating stuff that didn't have HFCS in it. I tried juicing and smoothies as meal replacements I tried eating only whole foods. It all became discouraging at some point because I couldn't keep at it (mostly with the organic stuff, and juicing/smoothies, I couldn't afford it. An all organic "clean" diet is more for rich people, seriously...unless you're content eating spinach and carrots...)

Since I re-started in January I have had a change of thinking - I will eat what I can afford, what appeals to me (sorry I'm not eating it if I hate it, even if it's "good" for me), in reasonable quantities, all while meeting most of (if not all) of my macro-nutritient goals (Potassium, calcium, protein, iron, fiber, etc.) That means I include coffee, eggs, bacon, hamburgers, some processed foods, peanut butter, etc. in my diet.

If I meet all of those goals (or most of them) and have calories to spare, and I have drank my water minimum for the day, I am going to eat whatever treat I like. Which means, yes, I will allow myself to have cookies, ice cream, cheesecake, etc. Within reason. Not every day.

Since I restarted in January I have lost 14 pounds and am still losing. I am going to succeed this time because I am doing it with foods I enjoy, with foods I can afford, and with common sense.

Someone posted the other day that she hates tuna and wondered if anyone ever pretended they were eating a cheeseburger while trying to eat tuna. When asked why she was eating tuna she said "Because it's good for me and better than a cheeseburger."

Wrong.

I had a cheeseburger for supper last night. 90% lean beef, topped with less than 1 oz of cheese, 40g tomatoes, and 20g of onion. It was about 379 calories and 34 g of protein. I was more than satisfied. I didn't choke down something I dislike and pretend it was something I loved. I made room for it in my day. And I was happy and satisfied. And still within my goals.

Which way do you think is going to be more sustainable long term? How long before you can't even stand the sight of "tuna" because it's not what you want to eat?

I know the discussion isn't about tuna vs. cheeseburgers but it is about eating what you like. If you don't like what you're eating, you're going to fail.

Someone mentioned - I think on another thread maybe - Mud Slide Oatmeal. Just add a tbsp of Special Dark cocoa powder to your oatmeal. The recipe I saw added a sprinkling of chocolate flavored protein powder and a little honey to it.... OMG. I am going to try it. Special Dark cocoa is high in iron.

I'm a variety girl. When I get bored I change it up.

To change up breakfast, try a different spread like Quark or light Philadelphia cream cheese. Change the muffin. Do a wrap. There's an overnight steel cut oats that I have at least once a week. Someone here suggested non-breakfast foods at breakfast and on that suggestion I had some home-made soup warmed up in the microwave. That with pumpernickel bread I found most satisfying.

Here's a list of mid-day snacks.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/jgnatca/view/mid-day-snacks-722504

For lunch I just don't do sandwiches any more. I also went in to a funk for several months where I couldn't stomach another tossed salad. So I made other vegetables. Typically I have leftovers from the night before. Have you thought of wraps?

As for dinner, change up the meat to ALL OF THEM. Well trimmed of fat, the choice of meat can change up your dinner to all sorts of special dishes. I had turkey chili last night. On the weekend, it was a vegetarian eggplant dish, the veggies breaded and baked, then covered in spaghetti sauce and cheese.

wizzybeth wrote: »

The mentality that got people obese is "I can eat as much as I want" not "I can eat what I want."

100% agreed. My diet this week included Girl Scout Thin Mints, Manhattans, San Pellegrino soda, etc.--besides grilled chicken, greek yogurt, and baked potatoes--all part of a healthy balanced diet that hits my targets according to MFP and the USDA Dietary Guidelines.

wizzybeth wrote:

When asked why she was eating tuna she said "Because it's good for me and better than a cheeseburger." Wrong. I had a cheeseburger for supper last night. 90% lean beef, topped with less than 1 oz of cheese, 40g tomatoes, and 20g of onion. It was about 379 calories and 34 g of protein. I was more than satisfied. I didn't choke down something I dislike and pretend it was something I loved. I made room for it in my day. And I was happy and satisfied. And still within my goals.

Well put! I think this is the best attitude for long-term sustainable weight loss-the difference between this being a harmonious lifestyle change we enjoy vs. a diet that we suffer through when the "drill instructor" motivation's high, and then inevitably fall off the wagon in shame.

It's also perfectly o.k. to not have traditional breakfast foods for breakfast, etc. I often have something that was left over from dinner for my breakfast. This morning I had a small piece of lemon-honey-curry chicken breast. When I have to carry food with me, it's something left over, yogurt, granola bar, fruit, salad/vegetables, string cheese, hard boiled egg - stuff like that. I keep granola bars and protein bars on hand for quick grab and go; it keeps me out of drive-throughs.

I know it's because of the little things.. the late night spoon of ice cream because I was under my calorie intake. Ugh

A late-night spoon of ice cream is fine--we all enjoy our treats--the key is to diligently measure and log than "spoon" and be sure you're still under target afterwards.

Once a week I make an egg casserole in a 9x12 pan and cut it up into serving sizes and freeze them in baggies to take to work. Sometimes it is eggs cheese and sausage and sometimes it is eggs broccoli and swiss cheese.