Trying to be a better eater, any tips?

[Anonymous]

im a junk food fanatic. I eat out almost every night with my boyfriend. were vacationing in April at the beach so we want to lose weight. I've stopped eating candy/baked goods and drinking pop. for breakfast I've been having cereal, lunch generally tuna and crackers no added mayo or cottage cheese and crackers if I'm out ill go to subway. for dinner I mix lettuce with cottage cheese and some diced veggies. or salmon/talopia with half an avocado.. I eat various fruits during the day when I'm needing something to snack on. any suggetions to my diet?

[meowcow]

It's good that you're improving your diet to improve your quality of life.

If there are any weight issues that you have as well, keep in mind that diet is the #1 factor in reducing weight. NOT EXERCISE. You will be able to consume enough calories in one meal to run a marathon, but nobody's going to run a marathon daily to burn it off. So reducing caloric intake is important.

I would suggest you explore some recipes and make recipe cards of meals you like and stick them to your fridge. Try different sauces and dressings as well.

You could try adding some vinegarettes to your salad to enhance flavor and make you more likely to stick to your diet change. Some of my favorites are soy or raspberry vinegarette.

You might also try some different types of root vegetables. I have started to buy bags of mini-zucchinis from Costco and slice them long and cook them on a pan with butter and salt. Otherwise, I won't eat vegetables much. My girlfriend also likes to purchase all those weird shaped squashes and bake them in the oven. Then she'll empty the contents in a blender, add some cream and spices and make a butternut squash soup.

Kale chips are also popular these days (just flick some oil on the leaves, bake and salt).

I have found that flavored greek yogurt with some puffed cereal and some cut up fruits are great for breakfast.

Also, don't completely avoid meat. The body needs the cholesterol for hormone production. Plants do not contain cholesterol so you'll need a dietary source. Just stick to low-fat meats like chicken or turkey. If your grocery store sells oven cooked whole chickens, tear the meat off and add it to your salads.

[Asker]

I have had kale.chips before.they are good! thanks!

[kheserthorpe]

Replace the cereal with eggs and a slice each of ham and tomato, or similar.

Avoid tons of bread unless you're doing seriously intense energy. Look for lean meat + vegetables over starch at lunch.

[Asker]

thank you! I have a hard time.eating eggs because I never feel full.

[kheserthorpe]

Are you saying that eggs don't make you feel full? How many are you eating? Generally protein and fiber are the most filling things.

[Asker]

2

[kheserthorpe]

I'm maybe bigger then you, but I'd eat three eggs, a half tomato, a slice of ham and a cup of coffee as a breakfast at one point, it was reasonably filling.

[Asker]

okay :) thanks

[Paris13]

I have to commend you both on your dieting. And a great incentive is this great vacation you have planned for three months. I have been watching my weight for many years, eating sensibly, but of course, I do enjoy "cheating" like anyone else. However, only once in awhile, not every day. I eat fat free cottage cheese, fat free pudding cups, salads when I do eat out, (sometimes I enjoy a buffet, but choose carefully what I put on my plate)and I watch my dessert intake, because I tend to "crave" them like crazy. I am not a big fan of red meat, chicken, turkey and fish is mostly what I enjoy if I do have to eat meat. Also, I use "no-salt", not regular salt on foods when I do need to use it. I drink lots of water, some diet tea, some diet soda(not a lot)and not much coffee or hot tea. It sounds as though when you go out, you are eating sensibly, but sometimes I find going out to eat while on a diet, can tempt me into "cheating" because I am surrounded by food galore, and just to look at the desserts I gain five pounds. While I was dieting, I never went out to eat every day, just once a week. It was safer for me to go shopping and eat to home. And exercising, even walking every day 15-30 minutes, is a great way to add to losing weight. That is how I also keep my weight to 116 pounds.

[Asker]

thanks for all the tips! I'm 160 right now.and would live to be 130 by vacation time!

[Paris13]

Congrats, sweetie! You don't have far to go...maybe some days, you can just eat salads and some cereal with skim milk, exercise and that will speed things up a bit too...Good luck!

[love2sing4eva]

Cut out sugar, salt, and carbs. Hard to do all at once, but you'll see results FAST.

First off, cereal is bad- nothing but sugar and carbs. Try an egg, grapefruit, or smoothie instead (with no added sugars). The paleo diet is a good rule of thumb, fruits, veggies, and meats only- anything that isn't natural or a caveman wouldn't eat, neither should you.

Check out the app/website Foodgawker. They tend to have a lot of yummy, healthy recipes on there. Just always think: meals= veggies and protein. Snacks= whole grain, fruit, veggies.

I find a 3-day juice cleanse a good way to kick off new healthy eating. It cleanses your body, you drop 5 lbs fast, it makes you more conscious of your body, and it helps you realize how different foods affect your body. Also, food will taste so good after and you won't want to ruin your progress! Check out Hungry for Change too, it's a doc that changed my perspective on eating! Best of luck!

[Asker]

even special k and cheerios? thanks! very helpful!

[love2sing4eva]

If you were to do any cereal, unsweetened is the way to go- but still not the best for you. You can always sprinkle Stevia on, which is a natural sweetener with no calories. Check the ingredients to see what everything is made of!

[MadThinker]

If you really want to eat better, I'd suggest making small, permanent lifestyle changes. If you're just looking to drop a few pounds for the beach, then you're on the right track. The only thing I would suggest to add is some exercise. If you used to eat a lot of junk, just cutting back on calories won't have the bikini-ready body you're hoping for. Exercise is key! When I'm short on time, I do PsycheTruth videos on YouTube.

But if you want to legitimately change your eating styles, I would recommend eating lots of vegetables, broth based soups with lots of vegetables, tea, and possibly going vegetarian. That's what I'm doing, and it works for me. I don't know if it'll translate for you, but I think the main thing is less liquid calories, lots of vegetable, and whole foods.

[Asker]

thanks! I forgot.to add we do have gym memeberships and I try to run every chance I get out doors.

[Moonrisekitten]

Sounds like you are already on the right track. Now just try ratting less in addition to eating better. It helps if you brush your teeth a lot, it makes you not want to eat. Also, it's hard to drink too much water

[eringirlCA]

Almonds, Yogurt, Granola, Mint anything helps with cravings, oh and look up detoxes/cleanses on the internet, I use the honey/cinnamon one and it works great :) And good luck!

[Asker]

how does the honey cinnamon work?

[eringirlCA]

1.Use one part cinnamon to 2 parts raw honey - 1/2 tsp cinnamon to one tsp honey is recommended but can use more or less as long as in the ratio of one to 2;

2.Boil one cup of water; Pour water over cinnamon and cover and let it steep for 30 minutes;

4.Add honey now that it has cooled. Never add honey when it is hot as the heat will destroy the enzymes and other nutrients in the raw honey;

5.Drink 1/2 of this tea directly before going to bed. The other 1/2 should be covered and refrigerated.

[Asker]

what is it supposed to do?

[eringirlCA]

it works as a detox cleanse that cleanses your body of all the bad stuff food leaves behind and it helps you from gaining any body fat, you won't see results instantly but you have to do it everyday, on an empty stomach in the morning, and right before you go to bed, the explanation is too long for here but look up cinnamon honey tea/cleanse to find out more. There are other cleanses but they taste horrible and have bad side effects that literally are not worth it.

[Asker]

okay, thanks!

[yaddayaddayadda02]

Incorporate some nuts in your diet as well.

[Asker]

I try to eat nuts every so often because I know they are good.for.you! but I hate them so much!

[yaddayaddayadda02]

What about deez nuts?

[Asker]

is that a brand or a joke!?

[yaddayaddayadda02]

a joke :|

[Asker]

classy.

[yaddayaddayadda02]

That's how I roll.

[Anonymous]

Green tea, protein bars. Awesome way to lose weight if you want, haha.

[Anonymous]

Almonds, yogurt, water, nuts, cheese, and eggs. Just replace your current snacks with those.