Grocery list?

lean protein - i.e. chicken and fish

And I second the protein powder. I *only* and very sparingly use it for baked goods.

Here is my weekly grocery list:

Whole wheat bread
Double fiber english muffins
produce (bananas, cucumbers, spinach, grapes if on sale, carrots, celery, sweet potatoes)
sandwich meat
yogurt
frozen veggies
soy milk
silk fruit n protein
soup if its cold
eggs
cheese (shredded, sliced and string sticks)
cracker chips
100 cal cookie packs
100 cal nut packs

I always make sure to add cat food to my list. Dolly can get angry if she is hungry.

I am not sure if it was mentioned before, but some items may sound healthy or advertised as healthy but are not. If you have an Iphone or Android phone ... check out a free App called 'Fooducate' or visit the website ... Fooducate.com You can scan the food you plan to purchase and it give you a healthy or non-healthy grade from A to D- ... it even suggest an alternative. I wish you well on your journey. I thought I was eating healthy until I getting this App and visiting their website.

I agree with the above posters - make small changes. It will really make things a lot easier for you and you won't be so tempted to just give up because you "failed" if you make one mistake! Start by just logging what you eat regularly even, this will open your eyes to what you are putting in your body then strive to add a lot of veggies and fruit to your diet then cut out the processed food. Whatever steps you want to take and whatever works for you :-)

A lot of people on here really like oatmeal. I've always hated it, but I finally found a way I like it, but that also means I don't eat it EVERYDAY (1-minute quaker oats, 1/4C pumpkin, 1-2 TBLS raisins, chopped prunes or nuts and seeds, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and a drizzle of maple syrup)! I eat a breakfast burrito some days (medium tortilla, egg beaters, 1TBLS guacamole, spinach, peppers and onions) it's one of my favorites. A multi-grain english muffin with 1 TBLS natural peanut butter and a serving of fruit. Hummus in a pita pocket with a ton of veggies.... The key is to find things you will like and will be filling! It's hard to stick to eating well if you end up raiding the vending machine because you're starving by 9:30a and unprepared without a healthy snack. lol Good luck!

I recently signed on to MFP and am still sort of new to this whole "eating better" thing. I completely agree that you need to make small changes at a time. If you overwhelm yourself by changing so much at once, it can be easy to feel like you're giving up too much and just give up. Definitely make sure you are drinking plenty of water. If you don't normally drink water, you may want to think about getting some lemon, or fresh mint, or even Mio drops to add to your water to make it more appealing until you start getting more used to it. You may want to consider trying almond milk instead of soy milk as a healthy alternative to cow milk. I personally like the sweetened vanilla almond milk for putting on oatmeal or cereal, or even for a tasty drink. Unsweetened almond milk (vanilla or original) is probably better for cooking/baking so as to not affect the flavor of your food. If you find that you use a lot of sugar in coffee or tea, you may want to consider getting Stevia as a natural no-calorie alternative to sugar and without having nasty things like aspartame in it. I won't lie to you and tell you it tastes just like sugar, I am still getting used to the change myself, but... it may be a worthwhile adjustment. I guess I would say try to get more fresh fruits and vegetables if it is in season, and frozen if it's not. If you like dill pickles, those make a great snack as they have no calories and have great crunch. You can still eat the things you enjoyed before, just be more aware of serving size. Also greek yogurt (I like the 4 oz Yoplait packs) are a great protein boost and make for a good snack or even a good breakfast if you're in a hurry. Try to remember, you didn't establish your current eating habits overnight, it took a lifetime. So, it stands to reason that making healthier changes won't be an overnight thing either. Ease your way into it.

Most important thing to remember in terms of losing weight it is not always what you eat as it is how much you eat. You can eat 3000 of healthy food and gain weight or 1500 cal of junk food and lose weight. That being said the satiation and over health of eating "healthy" food will give your diet a better chance of succeeding and being a long term change. Just remember portion size is key, measure stuff out dont just guestimate, especially at first starting out, Also digital food scale is worth its weight in gold for getting proper counts on food. Here are some items that i enjoy eating a lot on my cut.

110 cal thin bagels
35 cal wheat bread
ham and turkey
tuna with a little miracle whip and sweet relish (not mayo)
1% cottage cheese
Yogurt
Eggs
Fruit

rice- very satiating but calories can add up
Hot sauce
Yellow mustard
fish
shrimp
immitation crab
steak
chicken
broccoli
asparagus
mushrooms
carrots

Many of the things on your list are very high in calories...be sure to use your scales or measuring cups. I live on steel cut oats for breakfast. Fresh veggies allow me the huge portions I like to fill my plate. Fat Free Cottage Cheese.

I make a ton of brothy veggetable soups.

My greatest food is any type of legume. I eat at least one can of water packed tuna each day.

Best to you on your journey.

Nonfat Greek yogurt (higher in protein)
Almond milk
Eggs
Oat meal (not instant)
Steel cut oats
Almonds
Lean meat (chicken & fish)
Lots of fruits and veggies
Raw honey
Beans
Brown rice
Lots of spices to add flavor

This is for the most part my entire diet I don't eat processed foods and have never felt better. I eat oatmeal everyday for breakfast and sometimes for lunch or dinner. My favorite thing to add to oatmeal is apples which I cook with the oats and almond milk along with cinnamon and I also add a little bit of Greek yogurt after I heat it. I make a huge batch at the beginning of the week and reheat for a quick meal. I also love steel cut oats cooked in organic apple juice, diced apples, cinnamon and pure vanilla extract.