How can I mantain a good diet??

Counting calories helps me. I have found a lot of what is healthy calories for me is also large amounts of healthy bulk food. So I have a favourite kale salad for example that fills me up a ton but i still eat favorite in moderation.
Also experiment with healthy foods you might find some favorites

Eat mainly nutrient dense foods, vegetables, fruit, lean proteins, and complex carbs in reasonable quantities. Keep less nutrient dense foods (chips, cookies, cakes, alcohol, etc) to around 15% or less of total calories. Use MFP to help determine and track appropriate intake.

Best of luck.

I think the Myplate website is helpful it's the new version of the food pyramid maybe see if that works for you!

accn1 wrote: »

Hi guys!
I think I need some help I don't know what to do anymore. Since I was a kid that I have this issues with food: eat to much (junk food) or eat to little (and healthy food).
I can't have a good diet, and this is messing with my head, I have this big insecurity because my weight it's always up and down and I am always afraid that people notice that, especially my boyfriend.
How can I mantain a good diet? Help!

It seems like you're swinging from one extreme to another....from mostly "junk" food to all "healthy" food. (I put those in quotes because the definitions are not well established and so they are much debated.). You can find a middle ground that is healthy enough but within your calorie budget. You can occasionally have junk if it fits in your calories.

Experiment with what combination of foods fill you up best within that calorie budget. For example, I learned that I am not a volume eater. I would rather eat a smaller serving of high calorie food (maybe broccoli with cheese sauce) than a huge serving of steamed vegetables. I make what is easiest for me to cook and not spend hours in the kitchen, even if it means using some processed foods.

There are no rules except to keep within your cslories.

accn1 wrote: »

WinoGelato wrote: »

Stop looking at food as good vs bad or healthy vs junk. Stop looking at this as a diet (verb). Stop thinking that when you eat something that is less nutrient dense, that you've screwed up so badly you might as well give up.

It's just food. You can build an overall healthy diet (noun) that includes a variety of nutrient dense choices and allows room for treats in moderation. Weight loss comes down to a consistent calorie deficit over time. Have you set up MFP with accurate stats and a reasonable weight loss goal and rate of loss? Can you share those? What calorie goal dod MFP provide? Do you log everything you eat, ideally using a food scale for accuracy? Do you exercise? Do you eat back those exercise calories when you do?

When I use MFP I always put everything I eat, my goal in here its 1200 cal per day. I also exercise.

But when I stop using MFP ( it's exacly in those moments that I eat something unhealthy and I just give up) I start to eat just unhealthy foods and I stop exercising or when I still do, doesn't matter because I'm eating so much, a few calories less don't make a difference .

You didn't answer the rest of my questions.
What are your stats?
What is your goal weight? What rate of loss did you select?
Do you use a food scale for accuracy?
Do you eat back the exercise calories?

As I suspected - you have the lowest recommended calorie goal for women. That is not always the most appropriate calorie goal, based on the amount of weight you have to lose. Additionally, that is a NET goal, so that when you do exercise, you should be eating MORE than 1200.

All of this, may be contributing factors to why you are eating foods you feel you shouldn't, because your goal may be too restrictive.

Last question - if you make a choice for an unhealthy food, why do you give up? Why not keep logging? You aren't going to undo all the healthy choices you've made, with one less healthy choice. One indulgent meal, over your calorie goal, isn't going to undo all your progress. Like Dory says, "just keep swimming".

WinoGelato wrote: »

accn1 wrote: »

WinoGelato wrote: »

Stop looking at food as good vs bad or healthy vs junk. Stop looking at this as a diet (verb). Stop thinking that when you eat something that is less nutrient dense, that you've screwed up so badly you might as well give up.

It's just food. You can build an overall healthy diet (noun) that includes a variety of nutrient dense choices and allows room for treats in moderation. Weight loss comes down to a consistent calorie deficit over time. Have you set up MFP with accurate stats and a reasonable weight loss goal and rate of loss? Can you share those? What calorie goal dod MFP provide? Do you log everything you eat, ideally using a food scale for accuracy? Do you exercise? Do you eat back those exercise calories when you do?

When I use MFP I always put everything I eat, my goal in here its 1200 cal per day. I also exercise.

But when I stop using MFP ( it's exacly in those moments that I eat something unhealthy and I just give up) I start to eat just unhealthy foods and I stop exercising or when I still do, doesn't matter because I'm eating so much, a few calories less don't make a difference .

You didn't answer the rest of my questions.
What are your stats?
What is your goal weight? What rate of loss did you select?
Do you use a food scale for accuracy?
Do you eat back the exercise calories?

As I suspected - you have the lowest recommended calorie goal for women. That is not always the most appropriate calorie goal, based on the amount of weight you have to lose. Additionally, that is a NET goal, so that when you do exercise, you should be eating MORE than 1200.

All of this, may be contributing factors to why you are eating foods you feel you shouldn't, because your goal may be too restrictive.

Last question - if you make a choice for an unhealthy food, why do you give up? Why not keep logging? You aren't going to undo all the healthy choices you've made, with one less healthy choice. One indulgent meal, over your calorie goal, isn't going to undo all your progress. Like Dory says, "just keep swimming".

This user does bring up some good questions you might find helpful answering.

accn1 wrote: »

WinoGelato wrote: »

Stop looking at food as good vs bad or healthy vs junk. Stop looking at this as a diet (verb). Stop thinking that when you eat something that is less nutrient dense, that you've screwed up so badly you might as well give up.

It's just food. You can build an overall healthy diet (noun) that includes a variety of nutrient dense choices and allows room for treats in moderation. Weight loss comes down to a consistent calorie deficit over time. Have you set up MFP with accurate stats and a reasonable weight loss goal and rate of loss? Can you share those? What calorie goal dod MFP provide? Do you log everything you eat, ideally using a food scale for accuracy? Do you exercise? Do you eat back those exercise calories when you do?

When I use MFP I always put everything I eat, my goal in here its 1200 cal per day. I also exercise.

But when I stop using MFP ( it's exacly in those moments that I eat something unhealthy and I just give up) I start to eat just unhealthy foods and I stop exercising or when I still do, doesn't matter because I'm eating so much, a few calories less don't make a difference .

Eating a healthy diet does not mean never eating anything "unhealthy". Just because a food is considered junk food doesn't mean it can't be part of a healthy diet. If you don't look at your diet as all or nothing (all good or all junk) and balance your diet and you'll probably have better success. Eat foods that offer good nutrition as the base of your diet but leave room for treats. And when eating the "good" stuff make it food you enjoy. Don't just look at is a food to eat for weight loss or because you heard it was "healthy". Eat it because it's tasty AND good for you.

Treat your food diary like data, everything you eat and drink should be logged, it's not embarrassing it's useful information. Also if you're only want to lose 5 kg you want to set your goal as 1/2 to 1 pd per week. Losing fast just means you're likely to re gain it fast. Aim to develop a routine that means you're eating five veg two fruit per day and once youve kept that up for a month or so look at what you can change next.

I found that 1400 to 1500 calories is more sustainable and that picking an eating plan helped me a lot and provided structure. (When I started this I was 185+/- at 5' 6 1/2" tall.)

Currently I am on a high protein (45%) / fiber / fat (40%) and low carb (15%) / sugar "Paleo-ish" eating plan (notice I didn't say diet) and I have been able to stick to it for the last six months more or less with little effort. I have lost about 25 pounds to date with no real plateau. It's been slowly coming off and it's proportionate. I notice it particularly on my arms and thighs.

I "glided" into my Paleo plan (November and December were hard with the holidays) and it took me several months of tweaking before I found a rhythm that suited me.

Daily in grams my nutrition goals are:

• 158 grams protein (not doable, way too much protein for me);
• 53 grams carbs (kind of doable, most times I am a bit over, but not by that much and I am well under 156 grams for a "low carb diet" guideline for 1400 calories);
• 62 grams healthy fat (usually under, but not by that much);
• 21 grams fiber (mostly over);
• 15 grams sugar (some days doable but most days not really, but I am still way under for a low carb / low sugar recommendation).

Here is a typical week day meal plan I use:

• Coffee with half and half and a homemade high coconut milk protein shake for breakfast (311 calories)
• Greek yogurt with shredded coconut and a "blended veggie jar" with mushrooms or egg plant for texture (350 to 384 calories, if I add a lot of avocado)
• Dinner is usually a Paleo recipe (high protein / low carb vegetable) (around 350 calories, sometimes more or less)
• Snack is almost always 1 TBSP peanut butter and some hot tea with a splash of half and half (112 calories); sometimes it's a small chunk of coconut cream that I keep in the fridge.

Weekends may have more / less calories over all depending on what time I get up (more sleep and I am less hungry) and if we go out.

I shop on weekends and I ALWAYS use a menu planner I created in MS Excel (with a shopping list I copied on line and then modified). The list of shopping items (several hundred) is on the left and the menu (Saturday to Friday) is on the right. For the items I need I put a Y in the Y/N column and sort on Y - so the list is only one page long. By printing across and then down, I print out my list and my menu for the week which goes on the fridge. Links for recipes go on the menu page so I can either print them out of have them on my tablet while I am cooking in the kitchen.

There is food prep involved and it can be time consuming. I usually make Sunday dinner and prepare my blended lunch for the week at the same time.

I use Paleo Leap and Paleo Tribe and look for recipe / menu ideas and then plan my list around that. If it's not on my list I generally don't buy it and I try to never go shopping when I am hungry. Note: you don't have to buy into the Paleo way of life or subscribe, just pick something with structure and go with it. If you google high protein / low carb recipes a ton of things will come up that are free.

For me, going low carb / low sugar helps me to not have blood sugar spikes or cravings for sweet things. My heart races sometimes if I am digesting a high carb meal like bread, pasta, rice or white potatoes. On low carb my mood is more even and I am not hungry. That is why I do this.

I still eat rice and pasta occasionally, but, rather than cook the pasta and put the spaghetti meat sauce (no sugar) on top, I now cook the sauce and half as much pasta and mix the pasta into the sauce and let it set for about 30 minutes. The pasta absorbs the sauce and I can easily portion it into 4ths to get a serving and I am satisfied with the portion without going way over my carbs. I do the same with rice. I incorporate it into the dish rather than having it as a side dish and use less of it and let it plump up with the main dish. Again, less carbs but still very enjoyable.

I avoid eating out most of the time because it's hard to control portion sizes. If I have a choice of where I am going I will pick a restaurant with an online menu with nutrition info and I will then preview the menu and calories / carbs and try to pick something I know I might like that is lower in calories / carbs. Otherwise - it's a WTH eating experience.

I do treat myself occasionally to a high carb meal. I like Dutch Babies (they are big puffy pancakes cooked in the oven) and I just plan it in my overall calories for the week. (9800 calories a week). So, if I know I am going to have a cheat day, I try to be more austere at least one or two other days that week. (That's why menu plans work for me).

I approached this as a lifestyle change and take it one day at a time. I also allow myself to have seasonal favorites. For example, I LOVE hot cross buns at Easter. I will kill for them. I buy a package of them (there are 6) and I will eat them all. My family knows this and leaves them alone. It's the same with fruitcake...

Give yourself permission to enjoy food. Just figure out where your boundaries are and try to be realistic. Hope this helps.

accn1 wrote: »

So how many calories per day should I put in MFP? I want to loose the weight fast.

I don't know, I guess that I simply remember what the other foods taste like, so I don't want to stop eating them... I think I have some addiction with food or something.

Why do you want to lose weight fast? Wouldn't you prefer to lose it slower and keep it off? Sounds like you have some pretty high expectations, without wanting to put the work in properly!

When it comes to losing weight, slow and steady wins the race. You don't have a lot to lose, set your weight loss rate to something more manageable (sounds like you've set it to the highest possible) and realise that this is a life-long plan and it will be far more sustainable if you eat food you like rather than focusing on "healthy" and "unhealthy" and giving up when you've had a bad day.