dietary change

kariev

Cathlete
what is one(or multiple) things you changed in your diet that you felt gave you the results you were looking for? was it multiple meals, cutting cals, changing fat/carb/pro ratio, cutting out certain foods, etc.
 
Step one: adding a daily green smoothie to my diet.

Step two: going raw (this is the only thing that FINALLY helped me get rid of the 10 pounds I gained in my first two years at my current job. No previous diet and/or exercise combo ever got me back to where I am now. I lost the 10, and a few more, and have been stable at that weight for two months now.
 
- cutting added sodium and sugar, not out but way back
- cutting back on products made with industrial soy (soy protein isolate etc)
- cutting back on "healthy" snacks that had decent ingredients but are still processed, such as organic granola bars and whole wheat organic crackers. Instead I try to make my own or just really limit these type of products to what we really use.

HTH!
 
What works for me is less variety in my food selections. I've been a foodie before and for me it's a one way road to weight gain. I do much better if I limit my meals to stuff I already know the calorie & nutrition content for, particularly at breakfast & lunch.

Breakfast is a cappucino and either oatmeal or peanut butter & cinnamon on a whole wheat english muffin. Maybe once a week, I'll make scrambled eggs and have that w/ the ww eng. muffin & a little butter.

Lunch is deli turkey (Boar's Head low sodium), avocado & greens on a Joseph's flax pita bread or the pb english muffin if I didn't have it for breakfast. I'll also add some fruit to the meal. For an afternoon snack, I'll have one of the BB Shakeology shakes. I'll mix things up for dinners, making sure there's ample veggies. DH and DD like to cook so they sometimes want to unleash their creativity on the weekend. There's always some fresh fruit and veggies on hand that don't require any prep.

Basically, for 2 meals & 1 snack a day, I'm don't have to think about how many calories are in this or that ingredient or how much fiber/protein/fat I'm getting. Much simpler and less to worry about! Looking over healthy recipes in magazines and cook books, thinking about what food I'm going to prepare for such and such meal, just makes me hungry! Same thing w/ the "eat every 2-3 hours" mantras. I don't want my life to revolve around food and fear of being a little hungry.

IMO, there are many people who weigh more than they like because they eat too much healthy food thinking it's okay because it's healthy. Also, the "eat every 2-3 hours" concept makes it easy to eat too many calories over the course of a day. I think it also makes you focus more on the clock than on whether your body is actually hungry.

In addition, I find I spend less at the grocery store and there's less wasted food that no one got around to cooking or eating before it went bad. Fewer dishes to clean too! :p
 
* Logging calories keeps my weight in check and helps me shed extra pounds when necessary.

* Giving up dairy reduced the small amount of cellulite I was starting to see on my legs.
 
Stuff that works for me

Green tea; complex carbs (and lots of them!); lots of fiber; eat 6X a day; use a food scale; have a cheat day (it's possible to eat "good" junk with little or no sugar & refined flour); be accountable - keep a food journal & weigh yourself once a week. Exercise just 5 days a week, but make it intense & do cross training.

A good place to start is the Weight Watchers plan - I got the At Home program & it's a fabulous guide for a life style change you can live with to lose weight & keep it off.
 
Three squares a day, no more mini-meals. I want to sit down to FOOD.

A light breakfast, like PB on toast and coffee, or sometimes even skip it altogether (gasp!), regular ol' lunch, and a nice hearty dinner with wine. And chocolate very day, even if it's one Dove Promise.

I eat whatever I want now, and am down 10 pounds. I just don't gobble it like it's going to vanish from the earth, I know it's there and can have what I want, therefore I don't have the need to scarf it out of guilt.
 
Portion control! Once I paid attention to the food I put in my mouth, I began to realize how much of it was going in there!! I lost 35+ lbs. 3 yrs. ago and have kept it off. I've also had fun finding and experimenting with healthy recipes. I try to find high fiber/protein snacks but watch the calories and sugar. One "healthy" protein bar can have 300 calories! My taste buds have changed over the last couple years so I don't need to have the full fat version of desserts. I can usually copy that version to make it healthier without feeling deprived.
 
Eating less, logging what I eat, eating real food, cutting way back on desserts and alcohol. Works every time, even now that I'm 48.
 
Three squares a day, no more mini-meals. I want to sit down to FOOD.

A light breakfast, like PB on toast and coffee, or sometimes even skip it altogether (gasp!), regular ol' lunch, and a nice hearty dinner with wine. And chocolate very day, even if it's one Dove Promise.

I eat whatever I want now, and am down 10 pounds. I just don't gobble it like it's going to vanish from the earth, I know it's there and can have what I want, therefore I don't have the need to scarf it out of guilt.

i agree with this 100%. I feel i eat less when i eat 3 meals a day plus i'm more satisfied.
 
For me it is making sure that I have ALOT of vegs with lunch and dinner and portion control. Hard for me to do at breakfast since I mainly eat oatmeal for breakfast.

Therese
 
I thought of another one: caffeine. I used to begin the day with a cup of coffee with raw milk and agave. Seemed perfectly healthy but when I began shredding I cut it out and switched to black decaf with cinnamon. The changes in my mood, fatigue and hunger have been remarkable. And, the last 3 days DH and I have had full caf coffee (I need to get to the store, this was leftover) and I am tired, edgy and STARVING all day.
 
I cut all white grains from my diet. They tend to cause bloating and just make me feel sluggish. Since i've cut it i feel more energetic. I've also added more fruits and veggies to fill me up with less empty calories.
 
I increased my fat intake and have seen positive results from it.

Me too. I add olive oil to fruit smoothies and to my scrambled eggs. I add it to soups. I add coconut oil (non-hydrogenated organic) to soup. I even use butter occasionally. I found that a higher fat diet was more effective than a higher protein diet. I don't fight satiation issues anymore. I sometimes want something sweet and will make a home made version but I don't fight "THe HUNGRIES" anymore. Its great.
 

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