Need to start eating better... your best tips!

[Mermaid02]

I've just been feeling tired and crappy and decided I need to start eating better. I don't want to "overwhelm" myself and set myself up for failure- what are some of your tips? Little changes add up to big changes over time!

 

[LuvOrlando]

Don't let yourself get too hungry for lunch and pull out the little bit leftover in the bag of Doritos thinking you will just have one, it's never just one

 

[Acklander]

I try to match the amount of food I'm eating with a fruit for vegetable. Example: half my dinner plate has the food and the other half has vegetables. A cup of cereal and a cup of strawberries. Vegetable soup is a great starter, because of all the veggies and it fills you up so you aren't as hungry. For water, I try to drink a bottle of water between meals. So, once I've eaten breakfast, I'll finish off a bottle (sports size, with the pop up top) before I eat lunch, and finish another one between lunch and dinner, and another bottle between dinner and night time snack.

 

[Mrs. Darcy]

Eat fresh vegetables instead of canned or frozen. They retain more vitamins which = more health benefits. If you don't feel like cooking them because of the hassle, try them raw. You may find you like it or develop a liking to them that way.That's even healthier!

Use fresh uncooked spinach in place of lettuce.

 

[Mermaid02]

Eat fresh vegetables instead of canned or frozen. They retain more vitamins which = more health benefits. If you don't feel like cooking them because of the hassle, try them raw. You may find you like it or develop a liking to them that way.That's even healthier!

I was sure you were going to say "Get your calcium from RediWhip- a can a day should do it!"

 

[Christine]

Here is my "tip" that has been working for me. I have lost almost 6 lbs since 1 January.

Don't do anything with your eating today.

Login to www.sparkpeople.com or www.fitday.com or any other nutrition tracker that's online. Something that will devide your eating into meals and snacks and will count your calories/carbs/protein/fat for the day (I use sparkpeople.).

Spend a few days logging everything in. Be very good about estimating how much food you are eating. At the end of the day look at your calories. It will immediately jump out at you where you are going wrong and the easiest places to make adjustments.

Like you I was so overwhelmed when I started I didn't know how to start. so I started with myself.

I found I was eating around 2200 calories a day. Just by "tweaking" and being MUCH more mindful, I'm down to a consistant 1600-1700 per day (some days less).

 

[Mrs. Darcy]

I was sure you were going to say "Get your calcium from RediWhip- a can a day should do it!"

Bad bad girl!


Ok, here's my next tip: stay away from Redi-Whip!

 

[Mrs. Darcy]

Here's a tip my dad swears by (and he's an MD), eat a banana every day.

 

[tink20]

Don't know if you drink soda, but I would replace soda with water. Eat 5 times a day

Breakfast
Healthy snack
Lunch
Healthy snack
Dinner

Eat more whole grains. I have been making fruit smoothies, (with fatfree yogart and frozen fruit, skim milk, a little honey) they are very tasty!

 

[focusondisney]

I needed to make changes last year for my health. I really did find that reading the labels helped me. I paid special attention to fat grams & fiber content. Then I'd pick the product with the lowest fat & most fiber.

I also found that once I got started, one little change led to another. And once I started to lose weight, feel better & see results, I got motivated to keep it up.

Good luck!

 

[minniebeth]

I stopped buying the extra snack food and empty calorie foods for my kids, because even though I'm not a huge snacker, I'd find myself grabbing a few chips, cookies, etc. throughout the day when I had the urge to snack.

So instead, for snacks and lunch box things, we are doing cheese sticks, nuts (that I have to hide from my allergic DD so she doesn't freak out that we have them), small yogurts, more fresh fruit, veggies, hummus, homemade baked goods like healthier muffins and quickbreads.

It's better for me and for my kids and even the grocery bill!

That's one small change that we have made that has made a huge difference.

Also, make sure you to drink a lot of water or crystal lite, etc. throughout the day.

 

[minniebeth]

Bad bad girl!


Ok, here's my next tip: stay away from Redi-Whip!

lol

 

[Mermaid02]

I am fortunate that I like water- plain old water. And I used to drink a ton of it, but got out of the habit several years ago- not sure why.

Thanks for the tips- keep them coming!

 

[disneychic2]

Try to eliminate or greatly reduce processed foods. Many of them are hardly food at all and have very high sodium content which affects the way your body processes what you eat. Also, think fresh and green when buying food. And, lastly, stay hydrated. Many times we reach for something to snack on when what is really going on is that we are thirsty. Don't wait to feel thirsty, just drink water regularly. Good luck to you!

 

[njmom47]

I too am trying very hard to eat healthier this year, loosely following WW. So far it seems to be working. I am much more concious of what I eat now. I mix a bit of fruit juice into my water for flavor if water gets too boring. I am eating a LOT more fresh fruits and veggies and less snacks (although I still have a sweet tooth, I have invested in WW cakes...the tiny ones are only 1 point and are just big enough to satisfy my sweet tooth.)
We have also discovered a gluten-free cheese snack which satisfies my craving for salty snacks as well.

 

[mjkacmom]

Eat fresh vegetables instead of canned or frozen. They retain more vitamins which = more health benefits. If you don't feel like cooking them because of the hassle, try them raw. You may find you like it or develop a liking to them that way.That's even healthier!

Use fresh uncooked spinach in place of lettuce.

Don't discount frozen vegetables - I think people make the mistake of not eating frozen, thinking they aren't as healthy, and yet not being able to afford fresh: http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition...ozen_vegetables_are_we_giving_up_nutrition_fo

Eat food that can be found in nature. For example, potatoes are good, doritos are bad. The less processed it is, the better it is for you. If it was around 30 years ago, it's probably pretty good for you.

 

[Mrs. Darcy]

Don't discount frozen vegetables - I think people make the mistake of not eating frozen, thinking they aren't as healthy, and yet not being able to afford fresh: http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition...ozen_vegetables_are_we_giving_up_nutrition_fo

Eat food that can be found in nature. For example, potatoes are good, doritos are bad. The less processed it is, the better it is for you. If it was around 30 years ago, it's probably pretty good for you.

Oh, I don't discount frozen, really. I just want to get every vitamin i can and I thought fresh would be better for that. But I agree if budget is an issue, frozen is fine. Thanks for that link, by the way!

 

[focusondisney]

I too am trying very hard to eat healthier this year, loosely following WW. So far it seems to be working. I am much more concious of what I eat now. I mix a bit of fruit juice into my water for flavor if water gets too boring. I am eating a LOT more fresh fruits and veggies and less snacks (although I still have a sweet tooth, I have invested in WW cakes...the tiny ones are only 1 point and are just big enough to satisfy my sweet tooth.)
We have also discovered a gluten-free cheese snack which satisfies my craving for salty snacks as well.

The WW chocolate cakes are great aren't they?! That's one of the things I found by reading labels: only 3.5 gms of fat, but it has 4 gms of fiber. And they are sooo gooood! Enough to satisfy & a better choice than other processed baked goods.

 

[OceanAnnie]

Try to eliminate or greatly reduce processed foods. Many of them are hardly food at all and have very high sodium content which affects the way your body processes what you eat. Also, think fresh and green when buying food. And, lastly, stay hydrated. Many times we reach for something to snack on when what is really going on is that we are thirsty. Don't wait to feel thirsty, just drink water regularly. Good luck to you!

I was going to say that too. I try to watch: sodium, sugars, and fat content. My goal is to take some weight off. I can do it, but it's making the habits stick that's hard for me.

I think the biggest challenge for me is portion control (and maintaining an increase in exercise). When I'm hungry it's hard to do portion control. My stomach is in control then!

I drink lots of water too.

 

[FireDancer]

Come over to the WISH board, that is exactly what it is for.

First and foremost journal what you eat. Most people drastically underestimate the number of calories they eat. In many cases this is because they don't know what a single serving of the food they are consuming actually is. The best example of this is cereal. The average bowl of cereal will be 3 or 4 servings along with 2 or 3 servings of milk. By keeping a food journal not only do you have to look at the label of everything you eat (or look up the values of foods you prepare) but you also have to look at the serving size. If you are having a cup of granola and 1/2 cup of milk but the single serving of granola is only 1/2 cup you'll know you are actually consuming double what that label says.

Some other easy tips that aren't too overwhelming to start (some have been mentioned):

Eat multiple small meals throughout the day (6 or 7) as opposed to 2 or 3 big meals.

Always drink a full glass of water just before eating every meal.

Do not drink soda, diet or not.

Add fiber to as many meals as possible. This could be adding brown rice to a dish that normally had white rice or adding a hand full of almonds to your mid-afternoon snack.

More fruits and vegetables of course but just as important, at least with the vegetables, is how you are preparing them. Often times a person is eating healthy foods but preparing them in ways that negate the healthiness of them. Adding a cup of ranch dressing to a salad or boiling the broccoli until all the nutrients are sitting in the water instead of the broccoli (and then covering them in butter) are examples. I try to eat as many of my vegetables raw as I can and if I do cook them cook them the absolute minimum. I like my broccoli steamed but just enough to make them warm. I like to saute heirloom tomatoes and fennel in some olive oil but just long enough to soften the fennel and warm the tomatoes.