Appropriate eating for weight loss

janejellyroll wrote: »

The foods you eat are less important (for weight loss) than the calories you're taking in. If eating things like fat-free ranch help you meet your calorie goal and feel full, then keep using them. But there's no reason why you can't use things like regular ranch (or burgers or whatever) as long as you log the calories and stay within your goals. In fact, many people find that including some fat in the diet helps them feel fuller and more energetic.

So my best tip: get a calorie goal from MFP (if you haven't already), log every day, and strive to meet your calorie goal. Don't think you have to eliminate everything you enjoy or eat just "diet foods."

All of this.

For a reference, it took me 16 months to lose 40lbs and I continued to eat all of the food that I enjoyed in portion sizes that fit my calorie goal. I found that eating as close to my calorie goal as possible helped prevent me from over eating. I also found that protein and fat were really helpful in keeping me full. Good luck with your weight loss!

Fat free ranch sounds like a nightmare.

Do you do any exercise? It doesn't need to be complicated. I started by just going for short walks. I liked it because there is no special equipment or training needed, no cost, and you can walk anywhere.

I am in no way a weight loss expert, so take my advice with a grain of salt (everything in moderation, right?). One thing that worked for me in the beginning was to start slow. Don't cut too much out of your diet, or it won't be sustainable long term. These days I try to eat a variety of foods, with a focus on vegetables and whole grains. I do eat the occasional burger and sugary treat.

When I first started, I didn't even try to cut things out at first. I just logged in the diary to get a feel for what I was eating, and how much I was eating. That was eye opening.

Portion control is my weak point. I highly recommend that you invest in a food scale if you don't have one already. They are relatively inexpensive (I think mine cost $30) and they are invaluable for portion control. Use it to weigh your food versus measuring with cups and tablespoons. It is much more accurate, and less messy most of the time. This is especially true for calorie dense foods like peanut butter or mayonnaise. I put the whole jar on the scale, tare the scale, and then what I take out is shown as a negative number.

Are you cooking your own food, or eating out? If you are cooking yourself, you'll have the greatest control over your diet. I do a week's worth of meal planning at a time, and pre-load my intended meals into My Fitness Pal. That way, I know if I have some extra calories to play with, so I can go on a Starbuck's run or have a slice of cake at the inevitable office birthday party.

Lots of places have healthy recipes you can use. I use Cooking Light a lot. I have a subscription to the magazine, but the recipes all end up on myrecipes.com, which you can access for free. A lot of people here are more than happy to share recipes, too.

You also mentioned that you're eating lots of veggies. That's good. Vegetables tend to have a lot of volume for minimal calories. Make sure you get enough protein. It will help you feel full. Chicken is relatively inexpensive, and versatile. Fish is another good choice, but tends to be pricey, though you can get some good deals. I am a big fan of pork, and I've noticed that it's on par price-wise with chicken these days. Red meat is not off limits. There are some great plant sources of protein, too, like beans and nuts. Don't fear fats too much. They have their place in a healthy diet.

Good luck!

I would suggest using a food scale, and while you may need to eliminate a few things for now, you need to be aware that deprivation can lead to binges which can lead to quitting. Also, if you're having nightmares, I would be concerned.

Only put lemon in your water if you enjoy it. It will not do anything magical like raise metabolism, and the acidity is very hard on your teeth.

aubrii94 wrote: »

The Calorie intake it gave me was 1600 a day and a lot of people said that was a little high. I enjoy the veggies, my body feels a lot better. Now I'm worried I'll get sick if I eat anything greasy or fattening because 1. I had a few pizza rolls the other night at my friends house and it cause my stomach to get upset and 2. I now have nightmares that I'm binge eating fattening food like tacos and burgers and fries and candy. Should I includ a little bit of "fatty" foods in my diet if I'm having these nightmares?

How do they know what works for you? How do YOU know what works for you until you try it. If you find that you are not losing after a couple weeks at 1600 drop it down to 1500. Repeat until you find what works.

Good luck.