The best healthy changes you've made since starting your weight loss journey?
Now, I eat breakfast every morning (something I never did), keep a piece of fruit and a Fiber 1 bar in my bag whenever I leave the house so I don't go to the McDonald's drive-thru, hold the mayo on my sandwiches, and I actually get into a weird mood when I've gone three days or more without working out. I have much more energy and I feel like my skin and hair look better just from my improved nutrition. I try to eat a fruit or vegetable with every meal and have learned tons of healthy ways to re-vamp my favorite recipes and foods so I can incorporate them into my healthy lifestyle changes and not feel deprived. I'm still 12 lbs away from goal, and I have had plateaus, binges, and everything else, but I know I have come a long way from where I started.
Also, I am taking all my clothes from before I started eating better to the resale shop tomorrow and using the money to buy some new clothes in my current size...I'm pretty excited about it!
Reason: released as a *sticky* thread after a few days :)
And the thing about eating healthy and being in it for the long run is that you get used to it and it becomes instinct. Now I don't find the things I used to eat, good anymore. I kinda like having fruit and granola bars.
Shooting for 5 fruits and veggies a day and eating lots and lots of fiber! Yay feeling healthier (not to mention being more regular!)
I'm back to the gym about 5-6 days a week too! I broke my wrist learning how to snowboard in January, and slacked a lot on working out because I had to recover...and it took so much motivation to get back there...but now that I'm back, I feel better than ever...and I'm thinner too!
Drink lots of water! Drink water instead of fruit juice and milk
Cut back on bread and only eat 100% whole wheat (I used to want to eat bread with every meal. I limit myself to two pieces a day or less)
Eat fruits and vegetables daily. At least 3-8 serving.
Avoid soda, even diet.
Measure portion sizes. you'd be surprised how much overeating you can do!
Choosing a side salad instead of fries when you eat out.
In general, just get a grip and eat like a normal, healthy person should eat.
Original Post by gwen25:
My biggest change has been to recognize just what a serving size is!! I'm horrified by what I used to think was a portion...yikes! Now that I am measuring out my food, I still get full, but eat much less!
ooooh i totally hear you on that one gwen. a 'serving' of pasta is sooo small!
A third for watching portion sizes! I was amazed at how much I ate in one sitting, that turned out to be unecessary. I discovered I get plenty full on just a normal portion of food (and don't count on the restaurant industry to determine that for you).
Also, eating more vegetables. In fact, because of all the great tips and recipes I've read on CC, eating veggies is the most delicious part my meals nowadays.
And exercise, regardless of form. Even if it's just a short walk, I make sure to get up and do something (almost) everyday.
I have not "forbidden" myself from eating anything (except aspartame and other excitotoxic artificial sweeteners, which I will not touch, along with that Olestra crap which I never even tried - YUK!), but I have drastically reduced my intake of the following:
cheese
sausage/franks
cookies, other trans-fat/refined carb blends
fast food, and if I do go, I skip the fries altogether and get a small burger or sandwich with a salad
cold cuts, I now bake and thin-slice my own chicken or turkey and keep it in the fridge for sandwiches - much less salt, fat and chemicals, and much cheaper!
I eat a lot of raw vegetables, which I DO NOT count on my calorie count, so I can eat them in unlimited amounts, while other, less nutrient-dense, higher calorie foods must be tracked strictly - carrots are a great way to stay full...
Oh, and here is a BIG one: my food intake is determined by my dietary needs, rather than by "what we have in the fridge that we need to use before it goes bad" or "food that the kids didn't finish" or "I'm bored, so I'll eat". If some food has to go in the trash, so be it. Food that is only going to turn into fat is even more of a waste than food in the trash!
I wanted to share a tip with you that has helped me loose 32 pounds and it’s still coming off. Earlier this summer I found out that I had high cholesterol, high blood sugar and high blood pressure. I met with a dietitian and found out that it wasn’t necessarily what I ate, but how much I ate. Also, I didn’t exercise much at all. I figured I’m a dad with three kids, I probably get enough exercise as it is. Wrong!
I started taking a real close look at my portions. I couldn’t believe that when I sat down to a simple bowl of cereal, I was actually eating 3 or 4 servings. I still love a bowl of cereal, but I eat oatmeal (1 serving) three days a week. I have eggs only 1 day a week and instead of bacon and eggs I make an egg sandwich on whole grain bread. Lunch is either a turkey or ham sandwich (again on whole grain bread) and fruit. I drink lots and lots of water too. Here is the real trick though. My wife discovered Dream Dinners. I wanted to mention it, because it’s nationwide. It’s a store where you go once a month and make meals for your family and put them in your freezer. We usually put 3 of them right in the refrigerator and have them on hand ready to cook. On the nights she is working, I can cook a great meal for the kids and myself without running for fast food. The food is great and it’s portion controlled. It’s easy too. My wife does all the assembling of the meal in the store, so all I have to do is cook it.When we sit down to dinner now, it’s to a plate of food that has been portioned out for each of us. She used to put all the food on the table in bowls and we would help ourselves. I usually ate till it was all gone. Not a good idea! There is still extra food if the kids want to walk to the kitchen to get it, but I choose to stay at the table until the conversation is over, not till the food is gone. Throw in riding my bike for 30 minutes each night, and there you have it. I’m down 32 pounds now and looking forward to another 15 or so. I feel great and all my blood work has come back looking great too!
Many of the suggestions above, plus eating more frequent, smaller, balanced meals.
The idea of logging the calories of a pudding snack make me reach for the carrot sticks instead.
I just can't stand the idea of logging something that is high in calories to the point where I will avoid it.
This has led me to: - eat so much more fruit/veggies then I would normally - reduced my cheese intake (they are just more calories that I don't really need to make the meal tasty). - encouraged me to hit the treadmill more often to increase my calories burned each day.
I NEVER deny myself (like I used to) - I just substitue crap food with healthy food when I'm hungry.
The best healthy changes you've made since starting your weight loss journey?
1. LOGGING EVERYTHING I EAT. The mere act of logging EVERYTHING has required that I start (1) reading labels; and (2) measuring out serving sizes and portions. And (3), it helps hold me accountable for in-between meal snacking and for eating without really thinking about what I am eating. It's one thing to look at a label, see what a portion is, and then go ahead and eat however much I want ... it's another thing altogether to have to actually account for what I eat. And, like so many others, I've been astonished to see what I THOUGHT was a portion, and what REALLY IS a portion. And reading labels .... what an eye-opener. "It has HOW many grams of fat?" This also helps me avoid ingredients that I am seeking to avoid ... trans fats, hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, etc.
2. WINNING THE BATTLE AT THE GROCERY STORE. I've discovered that I simply have no reason to eat unhealthy food at my home .... I am in control of what food is purchased at the store and is permitted into my home. For me, this first required a detailed inventory of what food I had in my pantry, fridge and freezer. Then I went through and pulled out food items that are "dangerous" to my diet and desire to eat more healthily ... and out they went. (Some my DH took to work, some we just tossed, and the rest was donated to friends or Freecycled.) I have stopped purchasing some food that was previously "problematic" for me (binge foods, high temptation foods), and I am now buying healthier alternatives.
To the extent possible, I've switched to low fat or non-fat options of many items that live in my fridge ... fat free cheese, fat free milk, fat free proteins, Eggbeaters, light versions of condiments, low fat and even zero-calorie salad dressings. Instead of high-fat salami and pepperoni, we now buy low fat salami and turkey pepperoni. Instead of high fat bologna (100 calories a slice), I now buy 25-calorie-a-slice fat free bologna. (It's my favorite food, give me a break!) Instead of fat free milk (which my DH still drinks), I've switched to unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze which has 1/2 the calories, fewer carbs, and contains healthy Omega 3s. And we are really focusing on lean proteins ... turkey, chicken, lean ham, lean sirloin, salmon, fresh tuna, egg whites, shrimp, fat free cheeses.
I now buy whole grain, high fiber cereals, whole grain, high fiber breads, and whole grain, high fiber crackers. I've been especially happy with finding an organic, sprouted flax seed bread that is only 50 calories a slice ... and I love Thomas' light multigrain English Muffins (100 calories) as well as All Bran Garlic Herb Crackers (18 for 120 calories!) And I usually have at least 2 Kashi-brand cereals plus one Trader Joe's high fiber cereal to choose from, plus several healthy oatmeal options.
We no longer make white rice in our home, for my husband I make brown rice, and for me (and him, on occasion), I've made the switch to wheat bulgur. One cup of long grain brown rice is 216 calories, where one cup of wheat bulgur is just 150 calories ... plus fewer carbs! In Meditteranean countries, they use bulgur instead of rice, and have some of the healthiest hearts in the world!
Before, if we had a few tomatoes and a cucumber in the house, we felt "well-stocked" on vegetables. Now, I have so many fresh veggies in my refrigerator that we have to keep a LIST on the front of the fridge so we don't lose track of what's in there. Currently, we have cabbage, spinach, green beans, brussell sprouts, mushrooms, onions, cherry tomatoes, potatoes, cucumbers, radishes and fresh garlic in there ... the other tomatoes and the acorn squash are on the counter!
3. CREATING A DAILY FOOD "BUDGET". The act of creating a daily food budget has taught me a lot about menus, meal planning, nutrition, lifestyle analysis, and cooking! Each day, I have 1750 calories to "spend", and my goal is to "spend them wisely" and end up with a food ratio close to 20% fats, 30% proteins, and 50% carbs. My daily "budget" looks something like this, and cheerfully embraces my lifestyle choice of snacking after dinner! (I plan for that!)
Breakfast ... 300 calories
Lunch ... 400 calories
Snack ... 150 calories
Dinner ... 600 calories
Snacks ... 300 calories
In effect, it divides up my calories throughout my day in a way that works for me. In addition, my goal is to eat 7-9 serving of veggies every day, which means that my lunch and my dinner always have multiple vegetable options, and usually multiple servings of each veggie. The nice thing about this is that I ALWAYS seem to get in at least 30 grams of fiber, and I tend to get a generous quantity of food because most vegetables are low-calorie. (Mushrooms ... I love them! And just 15 calories a cup! Radishes ... just 19 calories a cup! Cherry tomatoes ... 27 calories a cup!) And I now know the calorie count of an astonishing number of veggies!
4. MAKING FOOD FUN AND ENJOYABLE. When I started my diet 7 weeks ago, I was determined not to end up quitting because I was "bored" or "tired" or sick of eating dull, "diet food." I stocked up with an impressive array of spices and seasonings and condiments and sauces and dressings ... all heart-healthy and diet-friendly, and I've beenhaving a blast experimenting with things to put on salads, steamed veggies, sandwiches, lean proteins, and in soups. One day I'll have Thai-style garlic-lime-chili brussell sprouts, and the next time I might have Parmesan-onion brussell sprouts. Pasta sauce, peanut sauce, lemon juice, lime juice, balsamic vinegar, ponzu sauce, worcestershire saucve, low-sodium chicken bouillon, melted fat free cheese .... you never know what I will be adding to my veggies these days! And I seem to add garlic and onion to almost everything!
To keep organized, and to ensure variety and the ability to mix-n-match, I keep three lists posted on my refrigerator. List #1 is all the fresh veggies I've purchased and need to eat. (I don't really buy canned or frozen veggies very much.) List #2 is all the lean proteins I have available .... in the fridge, freezer and in the pantry.... it could be canned tuna, frozen shrimp, Boca vegetarian burgers, eggs, peanut butter, sirloin steak, chicken, turkey pepperoni, etc. This lets me look at the list and be inspired .... and decide to make mini pepperoni pizzas on light multigrain english muffins using my fat free cheese and my low fat turkey pepperoni. Finally, List #3 is a wonderful, add-as-I-go list of snack options, including their calorie count. Microwave popcorn, Yoplait light yogurt, snack bars, sugar free popsicles, fresh raspberries, sugar free hot chocolate, sunflower seeds, hardboiled egg whites .... you name it, all my favorites are on the list .... in calorie order, no less. This also lets me add "extras" to my meals if I have a few leftover calories.
I've also decided that I need to be willing to cook .... at least a little .... unless I want to spend the rest of my life eating Healthy Choice Dinners or Lean Cuisines (which I do not want to do!) To that end, I've committed to being willing to use (1) the microwave; (2) a rice cooker; (3) an electric frying pan; and (4) a crockpot/slow cooker. I've learned how to make every single vegetable that I like to eat ... in the microwave. I am great at making bulgur and brown rice in that rice cooker. I can make great soups and stews and pot roast in the crock pot. And I can grill up all sorts of yummy things in my electric frying pan. With the exception of the crock pot, all of these things are fast and simple .... and ANYONE can do it, trust me! (And the crock pot is simple ... just not fast!)
5. DECIDING WHAT I WANT TO INTENTIONALLY AVOID, AND INTENTIONALLY INGEST. My diabetes dictates that many high-carb foods are pretty much off-limits for me, and I'm fine with that. But I've also decided that I wanted to avoid really high-calorie, high-fat foods that have been binge items or big temptations for me in the past. What does that mean for me? No salami or pepperoni or really high fat cheese are purchased and brought into my home. No more vinegar-flavored potato chips. My DH still gets chips, but has graciously agreed to buy them in those single-serving bags. No more fried chicken, no more fried anything .... at least not during the first 3-4 months of my new diet. And I am reading labels and seeking to minimize (or avoid) enriched flours, high fructose corn syrup, and hydrogenated oils.
In addition to setting daily fiber/vegetable goals, I am also seeking to lower my cholesterol. To that end, I add ground flax seed to my cereal/oatmeal, I strive to eat tuna or salmon 3 times per week, and I now take (1) a multivitamin for diabetics; (2) garlic; (3) cinnamon; (4) fish oil; and (5) probiotics with fiber. I think I will be adding a calcium supplement, too.
6. MOVING. Since I last exercised during the Reagan administration (that was the 80s, peeps), the word "exercise" causes me the heeby-jeebies, much like math word problems. So I like to use the word "Move." When the weather was warmer, my first step was to "move" in the pool ... mostly treading water. Then, my wonderful DH bought me a new bike (a trike, actually), and I started leisurely riding it around the block .... then twice around the block ... then three times around the block .... and now around the neighborhood. And, as of tonight, we are the proud owner to be of a nifty new treadmill. (It gets delivered in a week). I finally accepted the reality that I needed to MOVE my body to burn calories, build muscle, improve circulation, and improve my overall health. So .... I'm moving.
These are MY healthy changes!!!
=^..^= MOLLY
wow! i think molly just said it all.. and then some!
i agree with the people who said they have cut out cheese... its just SO high in calories.. i just didnt realise *quite* how bad it was! I've also stopped eating butter/margarine, although i will still occasionally add a teaspoon of butter to mixed steamed vegetables.
oh and funnily enough, ive started eating MORE carbs. i always thought they were bad for you and try not to eat bread and feel guilty when i do. now i eat bread and DONT feel guilty because im logging it. its great!!!
Logging all my food and drink has really helped me, and now I find that even when I eat out somewhere and can´t exactly keep track of all the calories, I stop eating before I get full and that just seems right. I feel as if I´ve retrained myself!
- cutting back on sodium (now for first time, find things too salty)
- eating 2-3 C veggies every day
- measuring taught me my portions were too big
- accepting binges, cheat days are part of my life
- dealing with plateaus
- exercising
- bought a bike after reading about all the cyclist here
- learning how to eat in a restaurant
- many hints on healthy lo-cal snacks and foods
- slow loss is good and more permanent, avoid fads
- fiber and protein importance and grams to eat
- water, drinking half your weight
- today is always a new day with a fresh beginning
- there are so many ppl just like me, always trying
