did you change the kinds of foods you eat?

Hi. 

So I had cereal and milk 400 cals, eggs and toast 300 cals and orange juice 250 cals for breakfast, and then 2 hot pockets with cheese for lunch, glass of milk and some cookies and have wiped my recommended calories for the day. 

and it is only lunch time.  how do you change the kind of food you eat.  was it hard?  I sure can't seem too & it seems like everything I look up is a lot higher than I thought and I either need to eat like 1/4 or 1/2 of what I was eating or change the foods I eat.  How in the world will I not be hungry if I cut back to such a small amount?  How long does it take for the appetite to change?  I never seem to get mine changed.  When I was doing Atkins the meat and cheese and eggs and stuff kept me full.  But these kinds of foods are really high calories. 

and does anyone know how to vigure out how many calories are stuff you put together like casserole and like yesterdays lunch where I had some french bread from the store but the package did not have the number of calories, a left over porkchop sliced up and a squirt of bbq sauce. 

Ok.  Thank you.  I know these are a lot of questions.  I can't believe I am the only one who has been eating these ways...  I want to lose weight but I don't want to starve myself either.

Thanks.

you could slowly reduce the portions of the foods you eat. LIke, instead of 1 cup of cereal, you could go for 3/4, and instead of 2 eggs you could eat one.

You are going to feel hungry because you've always been used to what you've been eating before, but after a while, your  body adjusts to hte new food intake. But just be sure to not eat so little that you're starving yourself!

I'm having similar problems. I'm trying to reduce the portion sizes of my food. It's a slow process... but I think I'm slowly getting there. Good luck!

Thanks Singletear.  I don't really know how much I have been eating but I think I am shocked.  It seems to be a lot more than I thought :(

Definetly find foods with more fiber in them - green veggies, whole wheat stuff - they really keep you full longer.

As far as recipes go, there's a new recipe feature on here i haven't gotten to try yet.

Well its up to you how you change to get down to the recommended calories.  Your appitite will change when you eat less foods, it just takes a couple of days, maybe a week.

For your Breakfast I would say, are you eating that with whole fat milk or skim milk?  Maybe skip the toast and eggs and add a fresh fruit.  And drink about half the orange juice.  This would about cut the calories in half.  You will feel hungry for a couple of days, but it will change.  Also snack during the day.  Air popped popcorn is low cal and filling.

Those are just my tips.  But do whatever will make you stay with the plan, it feels so good to feel healty.

PS I read your profile.  I too love to cook but hate doing dishes and no one will help me.  What do you do about this?  sometimes i want to just stop cooking but i cant do that!

need2lose, you will find that adding a lot of vegetables and fruits will help to fill you up without adding too many calories.  also using only lowfat dairy products and lean meats, such as chicken and turkey breast, tuna, and salmon, will give you a lot more protein and less fat.    the calories in a gram of fat are more than twice the calories in a gram of carb or protein.    fat = 9 cals per gram  protein and carbs = 4 cals per gram.   so you will probably find yourself reading a lot of nutrition labels, to find the best proteins and carbs, that is, with the lowest fat content.   if you stay with smaller portions, more frequent meals, you will eventually find that you're not so hungry after all!

I haven't changed the foods I eat at all.  I have actually started eating more.  Just try to break your calories down.  If you know that breakfast is you favorite meal of the day then allow your self more calories at that meal.  Like my calorie allowance is 1600 but i keep it 1200-1400.  Try taking your total allowance and subtract 300 calories that gives you 3 100 calorie snacks for the day.  Then divide up th rest of the calories for the day.  Like 400 for breakfast and maybe only 250 for lunch and the rest for dinner depending on what you allowance is.  I have found that those michelina meal are any where from 180-300 calories and they work great for lunch.  Also try dividing the stuff you eat on a daily basis up in to 100 calorie snack bags.  I hardly ever find myself hungary becasue I am eating ever two hours 8,10,12,2,5,7 and if I do find my self hungary I only have a little while to wait. Hope this helps.

I've not changed what I eat, I change how much of it. Today for breakfast I had some cereal, nonfat milk and an apple, all for about 200 calories. then for lunch I had an omelet using one tomato and  three eggwhites (scrambled, using one teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil) . I know it sounds gross, But I really like it, also good with broccoli, or spinach. Oh, and one corn tortilla. So far I've consumed 399 calories, and I've eaten a couple of meals. The trick is to eat lots of veggies and fruit, as you get more food for your calorie. And Lots and lots of water (no soda or starbucks!). I really detest Atkins, that's one thing I would never do.

Ever heard of the three hour diet? You eat a bunch of small meals (snacks?) every three hours, so you won't feel hungry. That is more or less what I'm doing, having several small meals throughout the day :)

I had the same problem when I started.  I didn't want to change everything at once so I started by trimming my portions down.  I drank A LOT of water.  A glass before dinner, a full one half way through and then some afterwards if I could stomach it.  You would be surprised at how full it makes you feel.  I also agree about the veggies and whole wheat, it helps you feel full.  I also find that instead of a second helping, I eat slower and wait a while before eating more.  It used to be that by the time the full feeling hit me, I had way over done it. 

Keep in mind this is a lifestyle change, so take it slowly.  It'll be easier to stick with.  I found 100 calorie packs helped me a lot at first.  I didn't feel like I was dieting with all the treats.

eating a salad before a meal is also very helpful. Last time I dieted, I ate a cup or two of spinach with a glass of water before every meal. Spinach is Very low in calories, and quite filling :)

http://www.thecaloriecounter.com/Foods/1100/1 1457/1/Food.aspx

we didn't really change the foods we ate, just the portions.  but now that i am not working, we eat a lot fewer highly processed foods (like, almost none).  i make sure we do not bring foods into the house with high fructose corn syrup, we use healthy oils, we buy organic when possible, and i've started making our bread once a week so that i can control our chemical ingestion!  also, we eat smaller portions of meat (actually, now we eat "normal-sized" portions!) and fill out the plate with lots of veggies - dinner is usually 1/3 meat, chicken, or fish, and 2/3 vegetables or whole grains like brown rice pilafs or quinoa or whole wheat pasta. we do splurge almost nightly on some kind of dessert (usually something frozen or something fruity), and that give us a feeling of eating "like we used to", even tho we're really eating better.  we still eat steak, but now instead of eating a 10 or 12 ounce filet, we eat a normal sized 3 - 5 ounce filet with sauteed mushrooms and roasted veggies.  you can do it!

I have changed alot of what I eat. Out, cream/cheese sauces, bacon (mostly used in cream/cheese sauces), pork, beef, chipolte cream cheese dip, meatballs, granola and sauted chicken.

There but different; pasta bearly there and without bacon/cream/cheese sauces, hambugers are turkey burgers, quesadillas less cheese more chicken and sasla, pizza lots less cheese and no homemade sausage.

Portions on everything were cut and salads are an almost nightly affair.

need2lose, I've done a lot of what other folks have--changed foods (dropped some, added others).  But I also had to eat (and plan to eat) fewer calories at a meal and have two snacks (so 300-400 per meal x3 and 100-200 per snack x2) to spread out my eating so I wouldn't feel really hungry. 

I definitely had to cut way down on how much I was eating of certain things like cheese, meat, butter/oils, dessert-type things.  But I do still eat some of these things.  I still eat some cheese, but not 4oz at a time.  I still eat some meat, but not 12oz at a time.  I still use a TBL of canola or olive oil to stirfry, but not a 1/4 cup like before.  And, I still eat some desserts (not all) but in smaller quantities (say 1/2 cup of fat free frozen yogurt instead of half or a whole pint of Ben and Jerry's) or different things like fruit (pretty much as much as I want). 

The good news is there are some foods that really fill you up that you can eat a bunch of if you need to while making transitions.  Like J_wystup said, high fiber foods are good for keeping you full.  Oatmeal is great, popcorn is good, and I also like baked potatos with fat free sour cream and chives.  Fruit and veggies (without tons of salad dressing or butter) are also wondeful for filling me up.

It won't happen over night.  A LOT of us were shocked by how much we'd been eating before we started--trust me.  You'll soon get familiar with approximately how many calories/how much fat, etc. favorite foods have.  It just takes time.  I think it's awesome that you're making such an effort and are willing to try to eat healthier!  Don't give up on yourself, OK?

:D

I sometimes have almost exactly the breakfast you had, but here are the quantities:

Oatmeal, 1 cup cooked, with 1/3 cup skim milk: 144 cal

1 softboiled egg with 1 slice of multigrain toast: 137 cal

4 ounces orange juice : 51 cal

Total: 332 calories.

Looks like you eat a big breakfast! The lunch has more fat and sugar than I would choose. What's your calorie goal?

EDIT: about your original question. I started by cutting out a lot of high-fat culprits - hot dogs, liverwurst, my sandwich meat is now all relatively lean stuff. I've found that cheese, which I really love, has a shocking amount of fat, and I'm eating it seldom, a really small piece at a time. Bacon I've cut out. Cookies and most sweets I've cut out - but I'm diabetic anyway and can't have more than one or two cookies. I do eat chocolate, but I try to make a 100 gram bar last for 2 weeks - it's too high-fat. My biggest change in habits is not having sandwiches for every meal - half the time now my only sandwich is at lunch. I'm having soup almost every day (thick filling kinds) and things like cottage cheese that have tons of protein but hardly any fat.

I hope that helps, that's just one guy's approach.

need2lose-- Portion reduction is the biggest thing I think. I eat cereal with soy milk, a slice of whole wheat toast with a 1tbsp of low fat butter and 1/2 cup of homemade fruit salad for breakfast most days and that gives me like 450 cals and I'm set til lunch.

What kinds of cereals are you eating? Also, eat only one serving size (typically 3/4c of cereal... it's more than you think once you eat it)

Serve things in smaller bowls.  Studies have shown that you eat more when it's in a bigger container, even though you think you are eating the same amount. 

When I started watching what I was eating, I was suprised that I wasn't hungry.  It really is about portion control.  More veggies helped, but mostly, I'm just all around eating less.  I did switch to lowfat cheese and whole grain bread, but I still eat ice cream (occasionally) and chocolate (also occasionally, although it was every day for a while).

One thing I noticed was that I ate out of habit, so it took a while for me to start realizing when I was actually hungry and when I just thought I should be eating.  Having other things to do helped.  Good luck!

Yes, I changed what I eat and yes it was hard to do. 

I plan my entire day in the morning so I know just what I'm having.

I switched to a high fiber, high protein cereal - Kashi Golean, which is just 180 calories for one cup.  I have that with 1 cup of non fat milk at 86 calories and some berries or other fruit at about 60 calories.  If I don't want cereal, I have an egg white omelet and a whole wheat English muffin and fruit. (formerly I'd have a pastry and several cups of coffee with cream, or fried eggs, bacon and toast, or a sugary cereal)

Mid morning I have a piece of fruit and something with protein, such as a small piece of cheese or some peanut butter.  If I'm away from home I have a 100 calorie Balance Bar, which has an "A" nutrition grade and really is balanced.  (formerly I'd have chips or cookies)

Lunch is a serving of lean protein and a large salad dressed with non fat dressing of some kind, or, if I have room in my plan, a little olive oil and vinegar.  If I want some carbs I have whole grain, low salt crackers or a whole wheat mini pita.  Sometimes I incorporate the protein and carbs in a soup.  (formerly I'd have a couple of sandwiches with lunch meat and lots of mayo)

Afternoon snack is more fruit  (formerly I'd have chips or cookies)

Dinner is a moderate serving of protein and two large servings of vegetables.  If I have enough calories I might have 1/2 cup of brown or wild rice with it or half a baked potato, or a small serving of pasta.  (formerly I'd have something like a huge plate of pasta with sauce or several servings of a rich casserole)

Evening snack is fruit again, or peanut butter on a rice cake, or, if I didn't have cereal for breakfast, a half a bowl of creal and fruit. (formerly I'd finish the day with a sweet treat like pie or cake)

I used to cook with liberal amounts of olive oil, butter and cream.  Now I use non stick pans and cooking spray and carefully measure all oils and fats.

I pretty much eat all day long and I never feel hungry.  My optimal level of calories is around 1700, I've found, but everyone is different so everyone has to find their own level.

Thank you.  I think my head hurts from all the ideas and a lot of you are eating radically different than we always have.  I can really relate to what flamel said.  Meat sandwiches slathered with mayonaise.  I think slathered is a good way to describe our use of mayonaise, and that is on both pieces of bread. No Ha Ha about it, but I feel kind of like laughing.  Maybe nervous laughter because really I feel like crying.  I love cheese.  And lots of salt sprinkled on everything and I think probably that is why the scales popped up last night.

I am not sure how much we are eating.  I think I will try to log a couple of typical days meals and see what it adds up to. 

I think a new coock book is a good idea because I really am not sure about what to do for potatos and noodles unless they are like drowned in sauces and I bet the calories really bang up from the sauces.  But, I can tell you my nose wrinkles at the thought of those things without the sauces. 

I think this will be very differnet.  I also like veggies but after stirring in a tablespoon or two of butter or under my favorite cheese sauce.  This is why Atkins was so easy for me.  Cheese Sacue, Mayonaise and meat are things I understand.

I appreciate your comments.  I think I need to go find a coockbook.  

Is it me or are cereal & milk the biggest waste of calories? I'll eat a bowl & 20 min later, I'm still famished!

I like pancakes lately. I'm not big on syrup, so plain is fine for me. Plus, they are really filling.

I complitely changed how I eat. Before, I would eat anything and as much as I want. Now, I do not eat any white pasta, white rice, white sugar or white bread, if I am craving sugar, I will eat cool whip free with sugar free jello or weight watchers snack, I started eating huge salads before each meal and beans at least 4 times per week. I drink only water and coffee which I make with fat free half and half and splenda, I eat only low fat or fat free dairy, I get only chicken breast and never dark meat, I eat fish 3 times per week, I eat a hand full of almonds almost daily, I get either south beach or weight watchers cereal with lots of fiber, I eat weight control oatmeal almost everyday with egg whites or egg subst., no fried food and no processed food (which is basically prepaired food from a supermarket which is hight in cal, fat, and sodium. So basically, because I love to eat, I make sure to eat food low in calories so that I have a big variety through the day. I also have less sodium in my diet.  

I'm not sure that changing what you eat completely will be the answer either...  whatever changes you make need to last forever....  Weight loss or gain is the difference between what you take in vs. what you expend..  for me, the key has been upping the activity...  the wonderful thing about upping activity is that the more you do,, the more you want to do..  and you get smaller...  and want to do more...   I can eat 2000 calories a day, and with 1 hour on the exercise bike 6 days per week and Taikwando for 1 hour 4 times per week I will lose weight...

Thats my theory tho...  just started...  we'll see how it goes :-)