What I have learned about my eating habits.

TiffanyDeanee
TiffanyDeanee Posts: 158
edited October 6 in Health and Weight Loss
So I joined MFP December 22 and for the first few days I have been using the calorie counter to get a sense of how I have been eating my whole life. I have always thought that my weight gain was due to a lack of exercise instead of the things that I eat. I'm 22, 5'4 and I weigh 236.2 lbs steady. I always thought that I ate pretty good, considering that I never tend to put alot of food on my plate, and I'm really good at not stuffing myself. But while I was counting my calories I learned that daily I was over my calorie limit by a good 500-800 calories. Why? Because of soda, and Kool-aid. True, my eating habits aren't the best since I love anything Italian or Mexican. But I would have never thought that what I drink would lead to soo many unnecessary calories. As you may notice I love soda and kool-aid and this will be a hard habit to break.

Happy weight loss everybody, and I hope you reach your goals in 2012! :happy:

Replies

  • AnninStPaul
    AnninStPaul Posts: 1,372 Member
    Water, water every meal! I gave up soda (including diet) 4 1/2 years ago. It took a while for me to get used to ordering water, and sometimes I go nuts spiking it with lemons or limes, but people are increasingly complimenting me on my skin!
  • Hambone23
    Hambone23 Posts: 486 Member
    I gave up soda a couple years ago and dropped about 20 pounds from getting rid of those empty calories.
  • JacksMom12
    JacksMom12 Posts: 1,044 Member
    If you really like cool aid, try crystal light! It might help the transition from cool aid to water. They have many of the same flavors as cool aid like fruit punch, grape, orange, pink lemonaid. They also have generic store brands that are cheaper.
  • bigwill5
    bigwill5 Posts: 77 Member
    Koolaid and soda was my weakness as well. I have been on MFP for 2 months now and still have several packs of Koolaid in the pantry but now have no desire to stir it up LOL. You get used to the water after a while. Good luck to you.

    I have noticed changes in skin as well.
  • TiffanyDeanee
    TiffanyDeanee Posts: 158
    @ Annin yeah, I have heard about the benefits of drinking water and it is my goal to someday completely give up soda and kool-aid.

    @ Hambone, and considering I want to drop more than 20 lbs I can see the changes I will have to make.
  • annabellj
    annabellj Posts: 1,337 Member
    crystal light is great!~ helped when i stopped drinking coke zero. im right there with ya, i love fruit juice but gave it up cuz its not worth the calories and i love wine and coolers and pretty much gave those up also, except for today and tomorrow of course!and get a cup with a straw you drink so much more that way!
  • hooah_mj
    hooah_mj Posts: 1,004 Member
    If you really like cool aid, try crystal light! It might help the transition from cool aid to water. They have many of the same flavors as cool aid like fruit punch, grape, orange, pink lemonaid. They also have generic store brands that are cheaper.
    JacksMom has got it right....tremendous difference with little taste difference.

    You've taken a huge step recognizing the additional calories....sounds like you'll drop and easy 10% just by substituting what you drink! AMAZING....keep logging :flowerforyou:
  • TrekkerCynthia
    TrekkerCynthia Posts: 155 Member
    I like to buy San Pellegrino at Costco, or some other sparkling water, and add a splash of lime. And kudos for you on logging now and getting a baseline of what your daily eating habits are. That is certainly going to help when you are ready to make those dietary changes!!
  • gashinshotan
    gashinshotan Posts: 749 Member
    Yeah fluid calories are actually the worst... I read a few articles that talked about how its inferior to whole food because you lose the thermogenic calorie burning that comes from digestion and because liquids just don't satisfy as well as whole food so you're more hungry.
  • mem50
    mem50 Posts: 1,384 Member
    When I started I found my problem was mainly Lattes. Triple shot, whole milk, chocolate, caramel, (extra please and thank you) and the whipped cream. Yikes!!!! I was doing at least one a day and sometimes 2. Talk about empty calories!
  • GaiaGirl1992
    GaiaGirl1992 Posts: 459 Member
    to get the fizzyness of soda, try soda water. i dunno if you're boycotting artificial sweetners, but most brands have full flavor with no calories =3
  • NicoWoodruff
    NicoWoodruff Posts: 369 Member
    So many years now since I quit sodas and I no longer miss them at all.

    Sugar free (with no fake sugars) flavored seltzers/"italian waters" and and just plain water (with or without lemon or lime) are (for me at least) the way to go.

    Love my cup of black tea with a little honey in the mornings.

    "Alacer brand: EmergenC" is a fizzy flavored vitamin C packet that you add to ice water, comes in many flavors and is great for only 20 calories; my favorite flavors of it are raspberry and tangerine. (and no nasty fake sugars like in crystal lite)

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    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Nutrition Facts For Foods
  • Jupitermermaid
    Jupitermermaid Posts: 270 Member
    I was a diet sodaholic for many years and still gained weight. What I do now is get a quart of diet cranberry promagranate juice (at 50 cal a serving), and add 1/2 cup to a half gallon pitcher and fill the rest up with water. Refigerate, and drink at will. Tastes better than plain water, very few calories (50 cal if you drink the whole 1/2 gallon!), and satisfying. Try to stay away from the artificail sweeteners ( they have done studies that show they have addictive tendencies) and empty calories. Good luck!
  • ALH1981
    ALH1981 Posts: 538 Member
    my weakness is champagne!!! empty calories but sooogood!!!
  • imjessly
    imjessly Posts: 140 Member
    I found that i really wasn't drinking enough. water water water! you definitely feel better :)
  • scarlettd12
    scarlettd12 Posts: 111 Member
    Isn't it crazy how recording your food really opens your eyes? The thing that gets me is snacking or picking at food. You think one bite here and there isn't going to hurt you, but all those little bites really add up!

    I didn't use to drink a ton of soda, maybe one pop a day, but I don't miss it now that I don't drink it at all. In fact, sometimes I think I am craving it, so I will grab a little glass of it at work. As soon as I take a drink of it, I end up dumping it out. Soda tastes so gross to me now, even the diet kind! It is just too sugary. I don't know how I drank it before. So I think once you get it out of your diet, you won't even miss it!

    Good luck with your journey! You can do this :-)
  • Smokey19
    Smokey19 Posts: 796 Member
    I found that I, too, was over my calorie limit by about 500 calories. I drink Crystal Lite and iced tea, along with water. I can't drink soda, but I used to drink diet. I started at 304 lbs. and am down to 239 lbs.
  • sheilajane
    sheilajane Posts: 133 Member
    I too am an all day "picker". Just a little here and there couldn't add up to that much !! WHOA !! I was in for a shock when I started keeping track. Before supper time I had already gone over my calorie limit for the day !! :sad:
  • cassandra67
    cassandra67 Posts: 10
    During the transition, make your water as delicious as possible. I add lemon and Stevia.
  • shine82
    shine82 Posts: 14 Member
    I haven't had soda or any type of aerated drink in years and have maintained a healthy weight... My weakness is coffee but only at home, i do not do startbucks lattes or whatever the crap is in there.. i only drink 2 cups coffee at home with half and half.. half and half is a luxury that i want to keep for myself..

    My main issue is sweets, if i eat sweets 4 days in a row, i swell up immediately and it show son my face.
  • ejohndrow
    ejohndrow Posts: 1,399 Member
    I' ll have a soda once every few months or so, but overall I gave it up years ago and drink mainly tea and water. For me when I starting focusing on losing and keeping the weight off I decided to do things the way they were before fast food, prepackaged meals etc. Now when I go to the store my main products I buy consist of produce and meat, with soymilk, cottage cheese and sometimes yogurt on the list as well. I used to eat healthy choice meals, until I really looked and figured if I ate real food, it was a much healthier choice.
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