Food advice to help lose weight

Here's what I did--I set my goal at 1 lb a week. I ate all the calories MFP gave me. I ate back all my exercise calories. I ate whatever I wanted, not worrying about "healthy" at all. And I logged EVERY SINGLE BITE. I still do. I've lost 89 lbs. Good luck.

A few tips and tricks I've learned over the years:

If you absolutely love mashed potatoes but don't want THAT much starch, go for mashed cauliflower. A bit of butter and milk added in and you're set.

Spaghetti squash is a favorite in our house, and better for you than pasta.

Chicken, LEAN beef (I prefer 93%), pork (occasionally). Turkey's another good way to go.

If you normally enjoy eating out, go online and look for the copycat recipes of your favorite meals; that way you can trim them at home. (My personal favorite - Olive Garden's Zuppa Tuscana soup; my homemade crockpot version is now better than theirs, according to my husband.)

Good for you for going to water, though I'd recommend against the diet soda, personally.

Another advantage of the crockpot route (provided you have the fridge/freezer space); when you make a batch of something, divide it into tupperwares for easy serving size.

Good luck!

That weight scale is a great suggestion. I suggest you get an electronic one you can easily put a dinner plate upon. Couldn't get out of the house the other day and, with trepidation, I asked my husband to go get me one. He came back with the most awesome one! I would not have been that generous with myself.

I've lost 124 pounds from age 60 to 64; I'm 67 now. Some of the main things I did were:
> bought smaller dinner plates to serve our food on
> added fruit to my diet
> drank more water -- icy-cold water all year
> cut out all added sugar and switched to sweeteners
> ate less meat -- way less beef
> grazed all day (fresh raw vegies), rather than waiting for meals
> didn't eat a whole meal unless I was hungry
> saw hunger as my "Badge of Courage" rather than something that needs to be fixed
> ate slowly, really tasting my food, and masticating it well so that the nutrients were better used by my body

I'm a bit of a rarity to be honest as I don't see how eating healthy has too be THAT expensive .. it can be done on a budget! Btw, 100% behind the food scale. £15 well spent.

Turkey breasts. Turkey rocks.
Any of your fav veggies are good, frozen is fine! £1 for a bag of brussels / sweetcorn / peas etc - awesome!
Stir frys + noodles / rice - Again, frozen peppers/mushrooms/onions/green beans - a pound each. Does multiple meals.
Eggs for scrambled / omelettes / boiled
Beans - green beans, baked beans, kidney beans, broad beans - all beans! Cheap and cheerful!
Salmon / Tuna - on Salads - Cooked with pasta - With a side of veggies - With a jacket - anything.
Sweet potatoes / Baked potatoes
Any amounts of salads and fruits of your own choice.

All healthy, not bad on the budget - more food for your money really compared to what we pay for a bag of chicken nuggets and chips or a maccy D!!

Water is your best friend if you can handle the toilet trips.

Move more, walk to the shop instead of drive, take the stairs when you can, gardening, little bits all add up.

Don't take on too much at once, it takes TIME. Lots of time. Time is something we have much of, don't rush yourself.

If you f up, take it on the chin, try again from the next day or even the next meal. Do not take anything too heart. Count your non scale victories. Take compliments. Take your measurements, these will give you more hope than the scales.

Expect fluctuations - you'll be surprised how many people weigh multiple times a day and don't understand how they've gained 5lb. Or even a big meal then think they've put on 2lb the following morning. Understand your body, sodium and nutrition. Learn as much as you can. Expect a dip in energy for the first 2/3 days, then it'll raise right up the moment you start eating good foods.

Most of all. Good luck on your journey !! It's a big one.

I started 2 weeks ago and eat a lot of raw veggies now. Carrots for sure! A fried egg on whole grain bread in the morning with some fruit. Lots of salads with canned tuna in water. Chicken breast. Veggie burgers from Whole Foods are great! And on the days that I just want to order food, I pick a salad and flatbread from Panera. Logging every single thing is great, too, because you learn very quickly what you can eat and when to stay under your daily goal.

As far as food suggestions are concerned, I'd check out other people's dairies. It may give you some ideas you wouldn't otherwise think of. Mine's open, if you're interested, but I'm at 1364 calories, and I've set my macros to favor protein.