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Getting in Shape
dragonavicious
member
Help with my Diet.
I am not unhealthy but I could be healthier. I want to lose about 10 to 15 pounds before my wedding but I am having difficulty with my diet. Mostly because I generally eat healthy but I don't know exactly what kind of foods are good and what aren't aside from the obvious of no processed foods.
Does anyone know any website or anything where you can download free food plans? My fiance has a really hard time with food quality. He grew up in a family that cooked terribly fatty foods. He is a lot better now but he also has a lot of work to do.
So is anyone else struggling with this or have any tips for me? Any tips on how to overhaul your diet? I don't want to go on any kind of crash diet, just generally change my life style to be better.
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Re: Help with my Diet.
I second weight watchers. I lost 20-25 pounds for my wedding on it. I was able to cancel my subscription after about 5 months (and 15 pounds) because by then I had the hang of it and continued eating the same. It was infinitely easier than any other diet or exercise plan I had tried. I wish I had discovered this about 10 years ago.
It helps you figure out both what to eat (which was probably 25% of my problem) AND how much to eat (the rest of my problem). Good stuff is worth fewer points so you can eat more of it. But you can still eat pizza if you are somehow ok with eating one piece and nothing else for the day. Obviously, no one is ok with that, so it steers you towards more of the good stuff or else you end the day starving.
Here are some suggestions that I hope will help:
-Oatmeal for breakfast. I make the original Quaker oats on the stovetop with milk. Most people use water but I like the taste of milk better. Once it's finished I add golden raisins, walnuts, depending on what I have at home. Also applesauce that I keep in the fridge. The cold applesauce allows me to eat the warm oatmeal right away. Banana slices are great too. The ready-made flavored packs are okay too, but sugary. Steel cut oats are even better, but take slightly longer to make.
-Avoid butter, mayo, sauces, dressings. If you're eating salad, go light on the dressing and try Italian, vinaigrette, avoid Caesar dressing, blue cheese, Thousand Island.
-Go easy on the potatoes, avoid mashed. I think the small red bliss potatoes are healthier than others, does anyone else know the facts on this?
-Every time you out to eat and your meal comes with fries, chips or something like that on the side, substitute for vegetable instead. If you're out for breakfast substitute home fries with fruit.
-Avoid creamy soups. Any broth-based soup will be healthier than a creamy soup.
-Drink lots of water. All the time. Try to cut out soda and any sweet alcoholic drinks.
"Eat food, not too much, mostly plants"
This is common sense, and is a sustainable way to eat without having to obsess over calorie counting. It's good for your body and good for the environment too. Basically it means -
1. Eat food: Don't eat processed food. Cook/prepare your own food, so you know what goes into it. At all costs avoid artificial flavors, colors, sweeteners, preservatives, anything wrapped in plastic and then sold in a box, anything labelled "sugar free", "low-fat", "low-carb", or "diet". 95% of food sold in your average grocery store (even Whole Foods!) is heavily processed. These days when I go to the store I bypass every single aisle except the produce section, meat and seafood counter, and dairy section.
2. Not too much: portion control is important. I switched from eating dinner off of dinner plates to salad plates. Pasta dishes went from pasta bowls to cereal bowls. For desserts, try little ramekins.
3. Mostly plants: Vegetables, fruits, nuts, and whole grains are your best friends. But especially vegetables. 3/4 of your plate should be filled with vegetables at every meal except maybe breakfast. If you're still hungry at the end of a meal then eat more vegetables (salad, carrot sticks, etc.) The more colorful your food the more nutrients it contains - think dark leafy greens, orange root vegetables (rather than potatoes and cauliflower). Visit your local farmstand (I joined a CSA and it's awesome!). Try new things. Find a good vegetarian cookbook.
Want more ideas? I like what's listed here: http://www.eatingwell.com/food_news_origins/food_news/10_food_rules_you_should_follow
Except the part about sardines. I hate sardines, and that's okay. You don't need to love all of these foods, just enough of them to replace what you're currently eating.
It's also helpful to plan out a week's worth of meals at a time, so you have all the ingredients ready-to-go. On Sunday mornings my fiancee and I brainstorm what we want to cook/eat and what our schedule is for the next week and write the week's menu (3 meals/day) on a chalkboard in the kitchen. Based on that we make a grocery shopping list and go out and stock up for the week. It's kind of fun! But that way, if I know I have to work late on Monday then I plan to make a big pot of chili on Sunday night and we'll eat leftovers Monday.
Hahaha - I do the same thing with my fiancee (try to give him small portions). And yes, he always goes back for seconds. Poor guy has gained like 40 lb since knowing me, but he was very thin to start with so he's okay.