Tips on eating right anyone?

Good tips for staying away from junk food and ensuring healthy meals?
«1

Replies

  • prettygirlstorm1
    prettygirlstorm1 Posts: 721 Member
    i am probably the wrong person to answer this question. For me this is a life style change and not a diet so I have not cut anything out of my "diet". I am learning how to eat things like chips in moderation. As long as I eat at a deficit, I know that I am going to lose weight. I am an emotional eater so I try to fill my time with other things instead of eating like playing games, going to the gym, talking with friends etc. Good luck to you!
  • H34v3nlySinsx3
    H34v3nlySinsx3 Posts: 65 Member
    My tip on staying away from junk food: Don't buy it. I know it sounds like a smart-@$$ but it's true. If you don't have it to eat it, you won't be tempted. Other tip is to eat often and keep [healthy] snacks around so instead of snacking on a cookie or a hoho, you can snack on something like a granola bar or banana.

    My tip for ensuring healthy meals: same thing, buy healthy options. Don't go to the supermarket hungry. And make sure you know what your buying. Not everything is actually good for you. Read labels.

    Hope this helps! Good luck!
  • CherylP67
    CherylP67 Posts: 772 Member
    I've been here for over 2 years, had great success, and fell off the wagon. I'm back and I'm going to finish what I started.

    I stayed away until I was ready to do this right, including resetting my weight, redefining my goals, and logging every bite. I've done a lot of thinking and I think we need to take the focus off of what we are trying to eliminate and focus on what our bodies need.

    Here is what I am doing for this week only, I will do a new challenge next week. It takes the focus off of not eating junk and makes me think about good foods. I focus on weekly so that I am always changing things up and thinking ahead.

    This week I am making it a point to eat the rainbow of colors in produce every day.

    Here is todays plan:

    Red- frozen strawberries, cherries, and raspberries with my greek yogurt for breakfast, probably red pepper strips and tomatoes in salad for dinner.
    Orange- orange for a snack
    Yellow- yellow grape tomatoes with cottage cheese for a snack, golden delicious apple is chopped up in my sauerkraut I'm having for lunch
    green- cabbage (sauerkraut and pork) for lunch, green apple is chopped up in my pork and sauerkraut, will have salad with kale for dinner.
    blue- frozen blueberries in my greek yogurt for breakfast.
    purple- cabbage in my salad with dinner
  • wizzybeth
    wizzybeth Posts: 3,578 Member
    *WHEN I AM ON PLAN*....I strive to meet my nutritional goals (fiber, fat, protein, vitamins, etc.) with every calorie I eat - or at least come close. If I am close to my target and I have calories to spare, I will indulge. Otherwise I will talk myself into eating something that will add to my fiber, protein, calcium, etc. need for the day.

    Last night I indulged in ice cream to help me meet my fat target for the day (believe it or not, it is very difficult for me to get my minimum fats every day).

    BEST advice is to not buy it in the first place as stated above. When I buy junk food for the family I strategically buy stuff they like and I don't particularly care for - because my other rule when I am on plan is to NEVER put something in my mouth unless I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. Not wasting calories on stuff that's meh to me. I have to love it. That leaves out a lot of the stuff the hubby and kids like so that makes it easier on me.

  • julielh72
    julielh72 Posts: 92 Member
    Weigh and log everything BEFORE you eat it.
    Ensure you have a plentiful supply of healthy options readily available.
    Plan your meals.
    Do not use food as a reward.
    Don't do what I just did.....5 years into maintenance and take your eye off the ball and gain 20lbs and have to do this all over again!

    Best of luck x
  • ecjim
    ecjim Posts: 1,001 Member
    My tip on staying away from junk food: Don't buy it. I know it sounds like a smart-@$$ but it's true. If you don't have it to eat it, you won't be tempted. Other tip is to eat often and keep [healthy] snacks around so instead of snacking on a cookie or a hoho, you can snack on something like a granola bar or banana.

    My tip for ensuring healthy meals: same thing, buy healthy options. Don't go to the supermarket hungry. And make sure you know what your buying. Not everything is actually good for you. Read labels.

    Hope this helps! Good luck!

    That is good advice - don't eat food that come in cans or boxes - buy meat, eggs and vegetables & fruit and make your meal from that - then bring some for lunch the next day- Drink water - carry a protein bar . an apple, nuts, veggies etc. with you to eat when you are hungry. Eastcoast im

  • wizzybeth
    wizzybeth Posts: 3,578 Member
    Doesn't a protein bar come in a box?
  • ecjim
    ecjim Posts: 1,001 Member
    Yep - I carry them because sometimes the only choice is a protein bar or worse junk.- chips or candy bar or a Happy meal. My point was start with real food and prepare your meals from that, as your Grandma did - not the prepared meals in the store today - Eastcoast Jim
  • wizzybeth
    wizzybeth Posts: 3,578 Member
    Lots of good stuff comes from boxes and cans. Rice. Oatmeal. Pasta. Total cereal. Pasta sauce. Canned tuna. Legumes. Fruit.

    No need to add more restrictions on top of an already challenging job of losing weight.

    Eat what you want as long as you meet your basic nutritional requirements for fats, protein, calcium, fiber, etc...and as long as you stay within your calorie goal...and stay hydrated. That's challenging enough without putting more restrictions on top of it.
  • ecjim
    ecjim Posts: 1,001 Member
    My comments were to get you to think about what you are eating and make better choices - You do what you feel is right - Eastcoast Jim
  • marayalynn847
    marayalynn847 Posts: 3 Member
    Thanks everyone for all the support and amazing advice! I'm glad to be a part of this supportive community. I will take all your advice, once again, thank you all so much!! :)
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    ecjim wrote: »
    My tip on staying away from junk food: Don't buy it. I know it sounds like a smart-@$$ but it's true. If you don't have it to eat it, you won't be tempted. Other tip is to eat often and keep [healthy] snacks around so instead of snacking on a cookie or a hoho, you can snack on something like a granola bar or banana.

    My tip for ensuring healthy meals: same thing, buy healthy options. Don't go to the supermarket hungry. And make sure you know what your buying. Not everything is actually good for you. Read labels.

    Hope this helps! Good luck!

    That is good advice - don't eat food that come in cans or boxes - buy meat, eggs and vegetables & fruit and make your meal from that - then bring some for lunch the next day- Drink water - carry a protein bar . an apple, nuts, veggies etc. with you to eat when you are hungry. Eastcoast im

    so no pasta, rice, noodles, etc????

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    OP - here is my suggestion.

    1. get adequate nutrition from nutrient dense sources like vegetables and what not.
    2. make sure you meet fat and protein minimums
    3. maintain your calorie deficit
    4. realize that there is no "bad" food and that you can eat the foods you like just work them into your caloric needs.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    ecjim wrote: »
    Yep - I carry them because sometimes the only choice is a protein bar or worse junk.- chips or candy bar or a Happy meal. My point was start with real food and prepare your meals from that, as your Grandma did - not the prepared meals in the store today - Eastcoast Jim

    gotta love how it is a false choice between a protein bar and a happy meal ..

    if I eat a happy meal and get adequate nutrient for the day, meet my macros, and stay in my calorie deficit, what is wrong with having a happy a meal?
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    ecjim wrote: »
    My comments were to get you to think about what you are eating and make better choices - You do what you feel is right - Eastcoast Jim

    How will eliminating things like crushed tomatoes and black beans from my diet (because they come in cans) get me to think about what I'm eating?

    Your method is to adopt a rule that will arbitrarily eliminate foods based on packaging. It's the OPPOSITE of thinking about what I'm eating. If I'm thinking about what I'm eating, I'm looking at the nutritional content of a food and deciding if it fits in my plan. Rejecting foods based on the container that they come in may have me rejecting delicious foods that fit within my goals.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    OP - here is my suggestion.

    1. get adequate nutrition from nutrient dense sources like vegetables and what not.
    2. make sure you meet fat and protein minimums
    3. maintain your calorie deficit
    4. realize that there is no "bad" food and that you can eat the foods you like just work them into your caloric needs.

    I will cosign this...

    OP I don't restrict types of food based on whether or not it is processed (because pretty much everything is), packaged in a certain way (lots of healthy foods come in boxes and cans), comes from a certain place (ie fast food), or has certain ingredients in it (ie sugar). I try to eat a variety of food, cook more at home than I used to, but leave room for all the foods I enjoy in moderation. Yesterday I ate homemade pumpkin bread for breakfast and closed out the day with nachos and beer. Still ended the week at a deficit and had plenty of nutrient dense choices as well.

    If there are certain foods that you have difficulty moderating, because they are triggers for you, then it may be helpful as others suggested to not have those foods in the house, or to buy them only in single serving portions, etc.

  • sweetpea03b
    sweetpea03b Posts: 1,123 Member
    I've tried really hard not to make anything "off limits" but for the most part... I stay away from trigger foods (foods I can't say no to... like Doritos where I will sit there and eat a whole bag in 1 sitting). I just don't buy them. As for other things.... I make myself weigh out a portion or buy the pre-portioned snack packs and that's it. I try not to eat after dinner so I let myself have my 1 carby snack (usually goldfish - love 'em!) pre-workout and that's it. I'm not usually big on sweets but I did buy some halloween candy when it went on sale so I can have a little chocolate and its only 40cals or so for the fun size.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    Make the healthy stuff taste good, so that you aren't sitting around wishing you could eat something that tastes good.

    The idea that you must choose between healthy food and food that tastes good is a depressing one. You can have both! You don't need junk foods to eat yummy ones. :)
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    ecjim wrote: »
    My comments were to get you to think about what you are eating and make better choices - You do what you feel is right - Eastcoast Jim

    How will eliminating things like crushed tomatoes and black beans from my diet (because they come in cans) get me to think about what I'm eating?

    Your method is to adopt a rule that will arbitrarily eliminate foods based on packaging. It's the OPPOSITE of thinking about what I'm eating. If I'm thinking about what I'm eating, I'm looking at the nutritional content of a food and deciding if it fits in my plan. Rejecting foods based on the container that they come in may have me rejecting delicious foods that fit within my goals.

    because anything in a can or box is bad...
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    ecjim wrote: »
    My tip on staying away from junk food: Don't buy it. I know it sounds like a smart-@$$ but it's true. If you don't have it to eat it, you won't be tempted. Other tip is to eat often and keep [healthy] snacks around so instead of snacking on a cookie or a hoho, you can snack on something like a granola bar or banana.

    My tip for ensuring healthy meals: same thing, buy healthy options. Don't go to the supermarket hungry. And make sure you know what your buying. Not everything is actually good for you. Read labels.

    Hope this helps! Good luck!

    That is good advice - don't eat food that come in cans or boxes - buy meat, eggs and vegetables & fruit and make your meal from that - then bring some for lunch the next day- Drink water - carry a protein bar . an apple, nuts, veggies etc. with you to eat when you are hungry. Eastcoast im

    It is awfully hard to get the eggs home from the store without a carton, isn't it?