Dieting Club: 50 - 100 Lbs Community

Hi Diets stink try to make changes to your eating habits one at a time first drink water in place of calorie loaded drinks then replace proccessed foods with healthy fruits and vegies lean meats 4 oz is a serving size for meats invest in a food scale so you can weight your fruits meats and nuts to assure proper serveings..
if you work make your lunch at home and brown bag it to work
Fitday .com is a great site to logg food and exercise I like it because it breaks everything down into nutrition carbs protein fats etc
the one on web md I am not familiar with but other here use it so it is probably just as good .
keeping track of your food intake is more than half the battle
exercise is the other part I walk in my neighborhood nearly every day usually 6 days a week and I do it for about an hour a day lately 2 half hour walks ...
welcome aboard the reason I say diets stink is you go on a diet and lose a few pounds and then go back to old eating habits regain more than you lost it is a vicious circle . so makeing changes that you can live with 80-90% of the time is the answer besides when you do have a family you will want to be a good healthy example for your children to follow.
Hugs Judy:)

Hi Kittrellkandice, Welcome! Logging your food, like Judy says, is absolutely the best advice. If you are like me when I first started tracking my food, I was totally shocked - not by the calories, but how out of whack my nutrition was. Make small changes as you go. It does get a bit easier. Breakfast is the perfect place to start - what do you usually have for breakfast? If it's processed sweetened cereal, an easy swap is to make old-fashioned oatmeal (not the instant!) and add diced apples, walnuts, or whatever fruit and nut you like with some fat free milk. Of course, there are lots of other options out there for breakfast, just get in some whole grains, lean protein and fruit and you'll be off to a good start on the day. Start planning those meals ahead so you will make good choices AND not be tempted to eat fast food or something processed. Good luck!

Thank you for the advice. I think my problem is 1. I don't usually eat breakfast. I am usually in a hurry to get off to work or I am just not hungry. 2. I don't like very much meat. I could get away with being a vegatiarian but my husband won't let me. He has to have his meat. 3. portion control. I have never been able to use it. I have always ate when I was hungry and didn't stop til i felt full. My biggest problem is pasta and cheese. I could live off of it but I know it isn't good.

Welcome aboard! I am not a big meat eater either. I usually cook a lot of veggies and meat for the rest of the family. Sometimes I eat separate for my other 3 family members. You just have to find your niche.

I had the same struggle with breakfast. One thing that has helped me immensely is having something available that I can grab as I go out the door. I can eat it in the car or when I get to work. I don't have time to cook oatmeal or eggs or anything in the morning. Usually I will grab a couple of clementine oranges and a banana. One thing I have done in the past is make a large fruit smoothie (some good recipes are on the recipe thread)- like BIG. Then I portion it out into tupperwares and freeze them all. I could just grab a smoothie tupperware on my way out the door and it would be ready to eat by the time I got to work. Another option that I am going to try to get to when I have the time is to make ahead breakfasts and freeze them - like make your own breakfast burritos. You can control what goes in them and there isn't excess salt, preservatives, etc.

Meat. Hm. I have never had a problem with not liking meat. What about fish? Do you like seafood?

As for portion control, I still struggle with that sometimes. One thing that helps me is drinking water before the meal. I drink a glass of water and it helps me to feel fuller so I don't eat as much. It takes a while for your body to register that you are full, so it's good not to eat while doing other things, if possible. TV watching is one of the worst for me. It's best to be able to put down your fork after each bite - take longer so your body can let you know when you are full. Using a smaller plate can also make it look like you have more food. Trick your mind.

Hi again Kitt
well we have to make our plans that fit us I can tell you when I was obese I never ate breakfast either . That was because I munched in the evening to nightime hours therfor not hungry for breakfast, when I made a cut off time to curb the nighttime snacking when mornings came I was hungry for breakfast .
so what is it you want to eat in place of meat fish maybe ?
there is no problem with cooking meat for your hubby and you eating extra vegies limit any thing you add to the vegies like butter or sauces
the best healthy advice I have is to eat a rainbow of colorful fruits and vegies every day Hugs Judy:)

I do like fish, I don't mind some meat but like red meat I don't care for so much. I love seafood, shrimp and crab. I can deal with chicken but don't like beef and pork.

so then the protein source for you could be the meats you like or the fish you like just be aware of portion sizes

when I was obese I used to fill my plate and go back for seconds now I leave some empty space on my plate this make a difference. Fish is supposed to be healthier than meats anyway I wish I liked more fish I take a fish oil cap every day to get what fish provides I eat a lot of chicken not in quantity but in frequentcy
the real goal is to eat more vegies a green vegie every dinner ...and a side salad can get you some rainbow colors
baked sweetpotatos are awsome/I get the smallest ones I can find if I cannot find small enough I buy the larger ones and cut them in half
Hugs Judy:)

Hi kittrell, Welcome!
Protein can come in many forms, not just meats.
Although a bit higher in fats and sugars, so you have to watch the portions here, peanut butter is a good source of protein that can make for some decent pick up and go morning meals.
Try a small whole wheat soft tortilla with 2 tblsp of peanut butter and a whole small banana wrapped inside. Put it together and out the door in less than 2 min.
Eggs, fat free cottage cheese, fat free shredded cheddar....and very lean proteins like water packed canned tuna, fresh or frozen fish or shellfish, and skinless chicken breast are the best ways to get your protein and like it too.
If you like your pasta, try to find spaghetti squash in the supermarket or make zucchini ribbons with a grater or hand peeler, cook till just tender and put a bit of sauce over it. It's not a bad tasting alternative and is WAY healthier.
If you like melted cheese on your stuff, use one of those skinny cow cheese triangles.... most run about 35 calories per wedge and can be melted onto veggies, a bit of pasta or even spread and melted in heart healthy pitas for a "grilled cheese" pita.
Heres the link to our 50-100 recipe blog that has some recipe ideas from our own bloggers here...

http://forums.webmd.com/3/dieting-club-50-100-lbs-exchange/forum/2523

keep blogging , keep sharing your journey and keep your head up, you can make it

kim

Peanut butter is also healthier and sometimes cheaper when freshly ground at a co-op or natural foods store. Then you can add a touch of salt to your own taste and cut out all extra sugar. If you have a food processor, you can make your own nut butters too. Almonds are awesome, they have some fiber, are lower in fat, and help a little with protein too.

If I had to give you one word of advice or hint, I would say to try cutting out as much refined sugar and white flour as you can and see how things go. Less refined sugar will really help reduce your hunger, Let yourself have more vegetables and fruits. Try to make them easier and more convenient to reach for those than the junk. Put a big bowl of apples where they are convenient.

The only other thing I would like to tell you is to focus on what you are gaining, not what you are losing. Think about how you feel better, how good healthy food tastes, celebrate each victory.

The main thing is, don't do it all at once. Everyone will tell you to make small sustainable changes you can live with. Good luck with everything!

Hi Roh! Glad to see you chime in with your always good advice. Hope all is well.

Hi Debbie! Things aren't bad, I'm just trying to wean myself off potatoes. I started eating too many of them during the holidays. And my microwave died so that makes certain things more difficult to deal with.

Roh, potatoes are difficult for me too. I recently saw a recipe on a Vegan site where they put navy (white) beans in a food processor and then added to smashed (skins on) potatoes. They ate this as a whole meal. Served w/salsa.

Barb

I hear you, Roh. I LOVE potatoes (the white ones). I limit myself to about one a month. I sometimes bake one or make oven fries with a little bit of olive oil. Haven't had mashed potatoes since June 2011. Miss them sometimes, but I get my fix from the other ones. Sorry about the microwave. I use mine a lot. Hope you can replace it soon.