My top five tips for healthy eating

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becoming_a_new_me
becoming_a_new_me Posts: 1,860 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
1. Throw out your dinner plates. I am completely serious on this topic. A plate should be no more than the side of a salad plate. Need guidance here? Look at your Grandma's china she got for her wedding. The dinner plates are the size of our salad plates, the salad bowls are the size of our dinner plates, the soup bowls are the size of our finger bowls, and the platters are the size of our dinner plates. The human mind needs to fill blank space, so you will subconciously think you are not getting enough food if you carefully measure and weigh the proper portions and it doesn't fill the plate. This will either leave you hungry or you will overeat. The salad plate is filled with the proper portions of food, so you will subconsiously think you ate enough.

2. Get measuring cups, measuring spoons, and a scale. You need them, because as good as you think you are at eyeballing it, you are not that good. Believe me, I thought I was because I am an excellent cook and never measured a darn thing. When I started doing this, I learned that I was getting anywhere from 25-50% more than I thought I should.

3. Prepare healthy snack alternatives and healthy "quick" meals ahead of time. When you are in a hurry, you are tempted to grab something on the go, which can set you up for a bad day. Having something quick and handy helps to keep you on track and you won't have guilt pangs later.

4. Start replacing out the bad with good...whole wheat instead of white wheat, low carb, high protien, good fiber. Cut back or quit the soda, cut out or replace the sugars. These add un-neccessary calories, and will keep you addicted to the junk. Food is an addiction, treat it that way. This includes LOTS AND LOTS of veggies, good amount of fruit, and high quality protien,

5. Had a bad day? Get over it and move on. Don't sit there and do the "I should have" game. Move forward and get back on track without dwelling. When you dwell, you get depressed, and when you are depressed, you eat.


What are your top tips? Share

Replies

  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    Disagree on your dinner plate thing, how you choose to portion your cals per meal is a preference and doesn't really have an impact on health, if you choose to eat larger meals but fit them in your calorie goals

    disagree on your good/bad food thing, other then sodas. You can't label foods good or bad without knowing how they fit into the context of your entire diet

    Everything else is solid advice though
  • Sublog
    Sublog Posts: 1,296 Member
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    Disagree on your dinner plate thing, how you choose to portion your cals per meal is a preference and doesn't really have an impact on health, if you choose to eat larger meals but fit them in your calorie goals

    disagree on your good/bad food thing, other then sodas. You can't label foods good or bad without knowing how they fit into the context of your entire diet

    Everything else is solid advice though

    Agreed,
  • Sarah_with_a_h
    Sarah_with_a_h Posts: 2 Member
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    i like, thanks for the tips!! : )
  • becoming_a_new_me
    becoming_a_new_me Posts: 1,860 Member
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    For people who have issues with over-eating and portion control, the salad plate is solid advice. Many people who are trying to lose weight and eat healthy do have this issue.

    Another thing that I forgot to add is chew slowly and take your time eating. The brain does not register that the body is being fed for 20 minutes after food hits the stomach. Eating slow and drinking a glass of water before you eat start that communication process and you eat less.
  • ChristiRShort
    ChristiRShort Posts: 7 Member
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    I totally agree on the dinner plate issue. As someone who was always taught to clean their plate, I have a hard time stopping when I am no longer hungry. I simply use a smaller plate and only go for seconds after reflecting whether or not I am truly hungry still. This helps a lot. Also I agree with replacing the bad foods with good. I was a white bread eater for a long time, but now I only buy the good stuff and my kids and hubby don't really mind the switch. I also started to replace white sugar with Truvia and the like. I love these choices and I think the things I was buying before were, in fact, "bad" no matter what your diet looks like. Thank you for posting all this good info and advise. your an inspiration for me.
  • becoming_a_new_me
    becoming_a_new_me Posts: 1,860 Member
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    Christi - Thank you! This site has been a great morale booster for me. It got me thinking about eating right again and put me back on track. I like to share what I have learned, and it keeps me focused too.
  • still_standing3
    still_standing3 Posts: 1
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    I was "taught' to not waste food, so sometimes I subconsciously would think don't leave any food on the plate. Not to mention I had a lust for food (and it sometimes creeps up on me). I now mentally as well as physically I tell myself "no", walk away and try to redirect my attention.
  • Gabbahh
    Gabbahh Posts: 35
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    Using a food scale is REALLY key. Extremely important and sadly forgotten.
  • becoming_a_new_me
    becoming_a_new_me Posts: 1,860 Member
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    Using a food scale is REALLY key. Extremely important and sadly forgotten.

    I agree...people say they can "palm it" and know. Just tonight, I made spagetti and grabbed what I thought was 4 oz (2 people) Turned out to be 6! That would have been an extra 90 calories each.
  • spookystitches
    spookystitches Posts: 37 Member
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    It's not for everyone, but I agree on the smaller plates for myself. It really helps me stop and consider if I am truly hungry for more, or just eating because it's there already.
  • 1Timothy4v8
    1Timothy4v8 Posts: 503 Member
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    I :heart: this ~> " Had a bad day? Get over it and move on." Hahaha so true.

    Also I tottaly agree with the portion thing, I should be satisfied with food the size of my fist but I have gotten used to stretching my tum tum to the bream, I remember last time I lost all my weight eventually the small portions were really satisfying, I remember once I got a number 3 combo meal at McDonald and I couldn't even eat half of it, I was so full, then it really freaked me out cause before I would have been able to scarf all of it plus desert.

    I was very fortunate my mom always told me it's better to waist food in the trash then in the tummy.

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  • becoming_a_new_me
    becoming_a_new_me Posts: 1,860 Member
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    Thanks Jessa :smile:

    Many people do not understand that while we need to eat to live, we do not need to live to eat. Food can be good and good for you. Those of us who are "reformed overeaters" when looking back will realize that we were addicted to food. Heck, I wasn't addicted to it, I had a love affair with it! Good, bad, ugly - give it all to me! When I stepped back and started to make better choices, I couldn't believe how much better I felt, less I ate, and happy I was. Good for you food can taste good too.
  • 1Timothy4v8
    1Timothy4v8 Posts: 503 Member
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    yea it sure can lol, I know I needed to cut it out when I read a verse in the bible that said their god is their belly's, that was me I was serving my belly, there was a time when I would be planning out my lunch while eating my breakfest, and no I wasn't planning it out for health reasons I was lusting for it, Bad I know, yea deffenitly addictive! Food is what I went to after I had quit Speed weed beer and cigeretts when I was a teen, now I know I cant let addiction control my life, one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is self control and If I share the gospel with others then I need to disply self control, but I tell yea the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak lol =)
  • LemonSocks
    LemonSocks Posts: 238 Member
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    The problem (I personally find) with the plate issue is if I have a smaller plate I do think I'm undereating and then I don't feel satisfied. What I do instead is fill the plate with a side salad (just leaves for the most part and never any dressing). My plate looks fuller so I feel better about what I have and eating the salad stops me eating too quickly.

    But what works for me doesn't work for everyone.
  • sofy993
    sofy993 Posts: 17 Member
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    I loved this topic !
    This is just what i need to lose weight that i couldn't lose yet !
    And number five give alot of support that i need
    Thank you :flowerforyou:
  • becoming_a_new_me
    becoming_a_new_me Posts: 1,860 Member
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    I loved this topic !
    This is just what i need to lose weight that i couldn't lose yet !
    And number five give alot of support that i need
    Thank you :flowerforyou:

    Thanks sofy!

    Number 5 was my biggest hurdle. I'd set myself up for failure all the time because I'd do something to blow my diet and instead of going for a long walk or immediately getting back on track, I'd binge the rest of the day - and sometimes the day after that too! I'd beat myself up to the point that I'd feel even more worthless and not keep trying. Getting over the bad days or moments of weakness quickly gave me the strength to keep going. After that, those days were fewer and farther between
  • becoming_a_new_me
    becoming_a_new_me Posts: 1,860 Member
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    bump
  • ladyphoto
    ladyphoto Posts: 192 Member
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    Great advice- and I agree on the plate thing. I rarely use those large dinner plates anymore- not that I need that control assistance now, but when I first started, it really helped me. I agree- when you first start and are still trying to find your way, having that big plate just screams for it to be filled- unless you are going to fill 1/2 of it with salad or veggie, go to the small one. It's just simpler.

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