How to eat better?

spalko

So I've been visiting this site regularly and keep seeing all these accountability posts and decided to look in to them. Now that I know what its all about, I only have one question.... How in the heck do you guys not go hungry??!! I don't know if I have tapeworms or what but I could seriously eat ALL day and I'm still hungry. My co-worker eats, a banana in the morning, weight watchers frozen dinner for lunch and dinner and thats pretty much it and she's never hungry. I don't understand how it works! I typically eat two packets of oatmeal at 8 or 9 and I'm hungry again by 10 or 11. I know you're supposed to have small snacks throughout the day to compensate but that doesn't work for me plus I have a mega-sweet tooth. So my question after this rant is what are some good things for me to buy and always have around to help me eat better. I know that I have to make the commit to change and it's a whole lifestyle change which is a slow process but I could use some help jump starting the process. Losing 15 pounds is my goal by next May and I really want to stick to it this time and not just lose the weight for the wedding but keep it off for good! Thanks for the help

AdeleDazeem

I also could have eaten a house before starting this whole health/fitness game.

I started by going to Livestrong and figuring out how many calories I should be eating in a day.  Then, I wrote down what I typically ate in a day and added up those calories.  Holy different numbers.

I then decided what were essential meals for me: breakfast, lunch. afternoon snack, and dinner.  I knew what I liked to eat for those meals so I added up calories and made different choices.

Examples:

Instead of a 250 calories bag of chips, I started eating an 80 calorie apple. 

I kept my chocolate granola bars, but added almonds to my afternoon to keep me fuller.

I really like wholegrain waffles for breakfast, but I needed to add some protein so I wouldn't be ravenous two hours later (like oatmeal would do to me).

I spread out my given calories over a whole day by opting out calorie-rich and opting in lower-calorie options and foods to keep me fuller (fiber, nuts, protein, etc).

Once I got into the habit (which took several weeks), I reach for healthier options without even thinking about it.

Exercising also helped my appetite.  I could go running with a growling stomach, but come back and not be hungry for about another hour.

One last thing - drink water.  People always say that we mistake hunger for thirst.  I always thought that was baloney, but I've noticed more and more that if I drink water, my growling stomach goes away.  Except when it doesn't...  :-)

AdeleDazeem

Hi.  I wrote a novel.

Gretta19

I would have to agree with tracking. While I didn't consciously break down what I was going to have throughout the day, watching the number I was allotted by sparkpeople dwindle was a real wakeup call. I just tracked everything I ate during the day AS I ATE IT, which forced me to make the hard choices. This probably isn't an option if you don't use one of the calorie trackers that has an app you can use on your phone or tablet or if you don't have access to a computer all day. I just learned that if I really wanted a brownie I could have it, but forced myself to also learn what else I could eat to feel full and not go over my limit.

HTH!

Milsey32

I can eat and eat and eat and eat. However, I used myfitnesspal.com to see what the appropriate amount should be for me -- and now I drink more liquids (obviously water but other things too) to keep me more filled. 

kristinanddan

First, it sounds like your coworker isn't eating enough. Her metabolism is probably all screwed up which is why she isn't hungry.
I agree with the others about determining how many calories a day you should be eating to lose weight at a healthy rate (1-2 lbs a week), then track as you eat.

novaofsweden

I started tracking the calories of what I was eating too. Made me reconsider some of the not so healthy options I was putting into my body. Just being aware has helped me a lot. Me and fiancee also started to cook and eat at home more often. Lots of fish and salads. I find that when I eat good and healthy meals I don't get hungry as quickly and my energy levels are much higher and more even throughout the day.

And ditto on drinking lots of water!

Sarah0335

I like to track everything to keep me very honest.  I write in a journal all of the food, water and exercise each day.  It always feels good to be able to flip through the pages and see that I have been living a much healthier life.

jfletcher3113

When I started living a healthier lifestyle I felt like I was eating all day long but I think it's OK because before I was wreaking havoc on my body by skipping meals and eating crap.

If you get in your protein and fiber at your meals it should help with hunger pangs. If you're eating simple carbs for breakfast, chances are, you'll be hungry in a couple hours.

Anyway, try every morning to get some protein in and see if that helps. And I also agree about the water. Chug that water!

I also have a HUGE sweet tooth here's what helps me: every night (yes EVERY night) I eat two 70 percent cacao dark Ghiradelli  squares. They're natural - just cacao, milk, sugar and salt and they do have some sort of nutritional value if you need to have a sweet. (Dark chocolate has been shown to be anti-oxidant rich)

Those little squares won't bust the calorie bank and they keep me from shoveling M&Ms and cookies into my mouth during the day. Try it!

annakb8

I agree with PP who said you will get more used to it as you go along. And tracking really helps. I've been tracking since late February and recently decided I needed to up my calories a bit and have had a hard time eating enough. I'd also like to ditto the water thing, I drink a ton of water now and it helps.

Also, I make sure to eat food I like. I don't force myself into anything just because it's healthy. I also get produce delivered. It motivates me to eat lots of fruits and veggies and to try new recipes. I don't know if that's an option for you, but I recommend looking into it.

bananafanafofashley

Eat sweets if you have a sweet tooth. Whatever you do DO NOT totally stop eating the foods you love. This makes the diet seem impossible and you probably wont stick to it if you are anything like me. If you have something that you would consider "bad for you" work a little harder int he gym that day. An extra set with weights, or another 10 mins on the treadmill. Don't make yourself miserable. You are doing this to become a healthier and happier person, that does not mean you need to suffer while doing it.

amyderrah

It's taken me about 6 months to educate myself how to eat better.  Those people who say they eat so little and arn't hungry...  either something is wrong or they're lying! haha.  Look through literature on the internet and inform yourself about what is good food that you can eat tons of and what to stay away from.  It took me a lot of work but I think I've finally gotten the hang of it.  I also started counting clas on the DailyBurn, which is a pain but if you stick with it for about 3 months, you know what to eat and what to drop.  Other than that, there are 4 things that have helped me.  No food from a box or bag (Make it yourself and you can control what goes in), only eat out once or twice a month, get yourself a super non-stick pan (I've cut so many cals just because I don't cook most things in oil or butter, I cook it "dry" or with a bit of wine, or water, or lemon juice... you get the point).  Last, only water!  I have coffee (no sugar), maybe some green tea, and water ALL day.

For the sweet tooth problem, I used to be there too!  You have to wean yourself off of most of the sugar, seriously.  Look at it like an addiction (most people are addicted to sugar), you'll get headaches and cravings for it for about 2 weeks to a month, then it'll go away and you can live without it.  I have some dark chocolate two or three times a week (counting cals, you know the days when, by some miracle, you're below the # of cals that you need and that's when I have some chocolate).  Good luck!  It's tough at first but stick with it and you'll never go back!