What do I eat

What is your goal? Weight loss?

For weight loss, you just need to eat at a calorie deficit.

If you want to eat "healthier food," define what that means to you and you may get some good suggestions.

As far as filling, different people are satiated by different things. Many people find that protein helps them feel full. For others, it may be fat, fiber, or even carbohydrates. If you begin logging and noting how you feel after meals, you can figure out what "filling" means for you.

@tacklewasher - should I do it?!?

Are you new to cooking or is it something you're practiced in? When I was new to cooking I found a lot of recipes overwhelming, and also found a lot of them required ingredients I didn't have (like spices).

But once I got over the "mental hump", it turned out that a lot of things are actually really easy to cook.

Here are some things I enjoy:

grilled cheese sandwich - easy to figure out calories, just two pieces of bread + cheese + slight amount of butter

roasted broccoli - sooo easy to make, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with onion powder / pepper and put it in the oven until it's just beginning to brown.

salmon, sweet potato fries, and asparagus - this is an awesome meal because you can slap everything on ONE BAKING SHEET. (With foil for easy cleanup later.) Toss sweet potato fries with olive oil and spices, cook for ten minutes. Take out baking sheet, add asparagus and salmon (also drizzled with olive oil and lemon) and put it back in.

blueberry 'shortcake' - slice of angel food cake topped with blueberries, fat free Cool Whip, and a decorative drizzle of chocolate sauce

spinach and berry salad - baby spinach leaves mixed with whatever berries you have on hand, plus crumbles of feta cheese. I think it would be taken to the next level with some kind of nut, but haven't tried that yet.

I too love chocolate, so I just buy chocolate bars or chocolate candies and then portion out a small amount each day.

katieglover89 wrote: »

But at the stage of entering it on here I've already bought/made the food and carbs seem to fill me up. On salads etc I never feel satisfied then I get the chocolate cravings....
I enjoy cooking but run out of ideas and get bored so resort back to old ways

This is why some people pre-log -- I log my planned meals the day before and then I can adjust if it puts me over my goals.

If salads don't satisfy you and carbohydrates do, then the solution seems pretty clear. Eat some carbohydrates, just stay at your calorie goal.

If you run out of ideas, try a website like Pinterest. I have found lots of great recipes there. Or reward yourself now and then by buying a new cookbook based on a cuisine or style that you enjoy.

katieglover89 wrote: »

But at the stage of entering it on here I've already bought/made the food and carbs seem to fill me up. On salads etc I never feel satisfied then I get the chocolate cravings....
I enjoy cooking but run out of ideas and get bored so resort back to old ways

Do you just want a list of food, recipe, and chocolate ideas or do you want strategies for building your own meal plans? You seem to be rejecting a lot of the latter and I'd like to be sure before offering my advice.

I log my foods in the morning as I'm making my coffee. Then I know what I'm looking at for the entire day and if there's any wiggle room if I want a snack, dessert or get hungry. If you love chocolate, have a small square but count it and work it in your calorie goals.

katieglover89 wrote: »

So carbs aren't a bad thing as pretty much every meal I have is carb heavy
Is there anything to look out for when shopping on packets etc
So far a lot of people have said chicken, rice, veg etc which I can only do two days of then I don't want to eat anymore.
Wondering if the chocolate/sugar cravings are pointing out that I'm lacking in something

Carbohydrates aren't a bad thing. When I lost my weight, about 60% of my daily calories were from carbohydrates. As long as you meet your needs for protein and fat, you don't have to limit carbohydrates. Just make sure you're at your calorie goal.

As far as packets, pay attention to the calorie content and look out for anything that you know makes you feel sick or that you don't want to eat.

You don't have to eat just chicken, rice, and vegetables. You can have the meats you like and lose weight. You can have the grains you like and lose weight. You can eat as many vegetables as you want and lose weight. You just need a calorie deficit.

There is no good evidence to show that cravings are related to deficiencies. But as long as you're meeting your needs with most of your diet, you can still have some chocolate and sugar while losing weight. Just figure out your meals, see how many calories you have left, and then enjoy a treat.

Carbs are fine. I eat tons of carbs and I lose weight.

Some people can fill up on a salad and others can't. Just experiment with various foods and figure out what makes you feel full.

Did you just start on your weight loss journey? During the first week to two weeks, I was ravenously hungry most of the time. And I think that was just due to the fact that it was a big change and my body was going "oh my god, what's happening, is it a famine, why isn't there food??". If you are experiencing something similar, then grit your teeth, stay strong, and POWER THROUGH IT. I promise that your body will adjust and you will not be that hungry the whole time you lose weight.

Now, if you're already past that point and are still getting hungry consistently, then that's when you experiment with different types of food (proteins, salads, carbs--different people are filled up by different kinds of foods) and eating at different times. I am usually not very hungry in the mornings, so I don't eat anything till about 10 or 10:30, or even 11. Other people need a morning meal to get going. Different strokes for different folks.

About the chocolate cravings, IMO it doesn't really mean anything except that your body has become used to getting chocolate and is "expecting" to get some. Or that you really like chocolate, lol.

A lot of this is trial and error and a learning process...you're not going to get it all right away...it's a process and you need to embrace the process.

Pinterest is a great resource for recipes and you can upload recipes to the recipe builder (just make sure you're going through them and editing as necessary).

There are all kinds of nutritious whole foods to build around...all those veggies and fruit...whole grains, legumes, lentils, eggs, variety of lean proteins, etc.

Just to give some context here, a sample of what I usually eat.

Some of my go-to breakfasts:
Greek yogurt
Mini egg frittatas
Overnight oats
Steel cut oats with fruit & protein powder
Bagel thin with whipped cream cheese and lox
Mashed avocado on toast
Blueberry pancakes (I eat mine with Greek yogurt instead of syrup)
Scrambled eggs & veggies
Leftovers from yesterday
Eggs on toast
Fried egg on a sandwich slim with cheese
Protein shake with fruit, yogurt, & protein powder
Fried egg on a multigrain waffle

My average lunch is a sandwich. I use sandwich thins/slims, pita bread, or wraps to save calories. Fillings might include any combination of: deli meat, chicken salad, egg salad, tuna, cheese, hummus, condiments, veggies, etc. And then I have baby carrots, string cheese, and an ounce of nuts. Sometimes I might add a hard boiled egg.

Dinner for me is some kind of meat and as many veggies as I can add to my day. Stir fry, soups, taco bowls, chili, pasta. Tonight it's going to be pork w/apples and roasted Brussels sprouts.

Snacks: string cheese, nuts, wasabi peas, fudge pops, cottage cheese, hard boiled eggs, hummus & veggies, protein bars, Greek yogurt, beef or turkey jerky, popcorn, apples & peanut butter, fruit

For chocolate I often eat: fudge pops, Jello pudding cups, chocolate chips added to my Greek yogurt (especially raspberry Greek yogurt with some chocolate chips - yum!), single serve ice cream bars (the Skinny Cow brand are great), whipped yoplait chocolate yogurt, chocolate-flavored coffee creamer, chocolate roasted almonds, etc.

There really is no magic to choosing foods to eat. The overall diet will determine whether or not you reach your goals, not the individual foods.

Start with what you like. Log it and see what a normal day of eating looks like for you. Make small changes as you go. For instance, protein is the hardest macro for me to get enough of, so I made a lot of higher protein snack and breakfast substitutions until I hit a good combination for me. But it sounds like you've got a way that works pretty well for you: high carb. And that's a great start. Now you just keep plugging away and tweaking things until you get where you want to be.