Getting a better diet?

[Lovedrama03]

(For one I am a girl even though it says I'm a guy for some reason xD) I am 5'3 and a 117 lbs. I want to get healthier, or get a better diet going.

I never drank water before, I like things that taste good and well, water has no taste. But I bought a case and have been drinking it for the past 2 days as a part of this better diet thing. For snacks I have granola bars, grapes, gold fish, mini muffins, crackers, stuff like that. For meals.. well I live with my father who is disabled so he doesn't/ can't cook.We eat microwaveable dinners and stuff. I don't know how to cook. I want to try to teach myself but where to start? And I'm afraid of how bad I will do :p So basically, any tips or ideas for a better diet and cooking? Thanks :)

[cisco08]

get rid of the goldfish muffins and crackers. Half of every meal you eat is supposed to be veggies and/or fruits. yogurt it good along with fiber bars because it helps to keep everything moving. you can buy yogurt and mix frozen fruit with it and granola if you like. also, count your calories of everything you eat and don't waste calories on drinks like juice and pop. try to stay under 1200 calories a day. Eat breakfast it gets your metabolism going first thing in the morning eat a healthy snack in between breakfast and lunch, eat a healthy lunch such as a salad and some fruit, a healthy snack in between lunch and dinner, and a well proportioned dinner. eating this many times a day but in small quantities helps keep your metabolism going all day long which will help you burn calories. also if it helps to curb your cravings of something sweet you can either eat a small sugary thing once a day such as a hershey kiss or it is also ideal to give yourself one day off each week and eat more of what you want. doing this will keep you from giving into the cravings after a couple weeks and just completely going off of your diet. they do sell some healthy frozen dinners you just have to look around the most important thing is to not overeat

[Anonymous]

Yowza. Your body NEEDS water. Try squirting some lemon and lime into it. Granola bars, goldfish, cracker, mini muffins aren't too healthy, either, because of all the sugar. Don't fear, though! You can learn a lot! See if you can buy/borrow those "Eat This, Not That" books. They explain nutrition in really simple ways. Try to focus on eating: lots of fruits and especially veggies, and moderate portions of beans/nuts, lean meats and light dairy. Some of my favorite healthy foods are sweet potatos, asparagus, broccoli and chicken breasts. It will be tough at first to switch to healthy food, because your body has become accustomed to junk foods. BUT, if you stick with it a month, you will really start to crave healthy foods.

Don't be afraid to look up "How to microwave a sweet potato" or "How to cook chicken in the oven." Everyone has to start somewhere :)

[Anonymous]

yea, dump all that prepared granola, high carb,salty goldfish,muffins and crackers and the grapes too..grapes are full of natural sugar..switch to apples for snacking and take in lots of green veggies and lean meats, chicken breast, without the skin, or ground turkey in place of the burger, and fish, especially salmon and other seafood, shrimp, scallops. easy on the peanuts, pnut butter, cheese, pasta, rice and white potatoes..you can have some in small portions once a week if you must. Knock off all the alcohol ( loaded with empty calories) if ya need a beer or 2 , go for a very brisk walk for 30 minutes before enjoying one..and drink water, tea, a little coffee if you like, no creamer or sugar, you can have splenda or sweet-n-low and stay away from soda and fruit juices. log on to allrecipes.com and you'll find loads of info about cooking and some great recipes..and don't go overboard. It's the quickest way to burn out on diet, stick with a sensible approach cutting out the worst fats and sugars and the weight will come of slowly but surely.

[Xx_DRE_xX]

Best to watchthe Food Tv Network or YouTube for instuctions.

[madmisskelly]

Cut out gold fish, muffins and processed crap. Whole wheat or pita crackers are fine, but very small amounts of them. A 1oz serving is an appropriate snack size.

You could have 3 decent sized meals with small (no more than 200 calories) snacks in between breakfast and lunch, and lunch and dinner.

Concentrate of your fiber intake which is going to help you feel fuller, as well as taking out things with added sugar.

[upood]

Can you try buying chicken that's already been cooked (at stores), or vegetables since most don't even need preparation, you can cut them up and make a nice salad. Some foods are easier to make than others. Buy egg whites at the store and all you have to do is pour them in and wait til they're cooked lol. Or fish, (they have fish that's already marinated/prepared, you just pop in oven).

[MeridiansAAngel]

Hmm, learn how to cook, go to the library and get some cookbooks. another thing I suggest is adopting a puppy or dog, and walking him everyday for30+ minutes. I'm 5'5 and I weighed 120 so I was trying to lose some weight myself girl! so I understand. I do all the stuff you do, cutting out soda and all. cutting out soda is the best way to lose weight, beelieve me !

-A

[Anonymous]

Wait you have never drank water?

[Lovedrama03]

I have but not often at all. But now I am drinking nothing but it during the day, besides some milk or orange juice in the morning!

[Opinion Owner]

Thats great water is the best thing you can drink. My habit is diet soda and I also know how bad it is for me.

[Anonymous]

first drop the gold fish and mini muffins