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About that ranch dressing, I just heard a good tip. Pour your dressing in a bowl. Stick your fork in the dressing first, then in your salad. Cuts way back on the amount of dressing you use.
Great Tips everyone! I have been having similar problems as the OP. I am not very good about dieting, but I was worse about exercising. Before I started to exercise, I was good at maintaining my size through portioning my food (I am about 5'5 and 140lbs, carry most of the excess waight in the butt, thighes, and hips). But I was not happy about 'maintaining'. So as a new years resolution, I started to incorporate more cardio. Now I am running 3-5 miles every other day, and jump roping and/or tennis match the other days. I had to build up to 3-5 miles. The first week I was walking/running 2 miles every other day, and now I can study run ( averaging 9-10 min/mile pace) for 3-5 miles. I have had this regiment for 2 months and I haven't lost much at all (I don't use scales, and I also don't measure..I go by how my clothes fit). My husband keeps telling me it will take time, and I am going to keep going, but I am a little disappointed 2 months in.
And now I feel like I know the solution from reading other posts! More Protein!
Here are some other questions about my diet:
1) How bad is instant oatmeal? Am I getting nothing out of it? I am really going to try to switch to eggs in the morning. But sometimes, I don't allow enough time in the morning for breakfast at home. So I will get to work and quickly make a bowl of instant oatmeal with either a banana, blueberries, or strawberries in it. I use the instant oatmeal...because it is quick and easy at work, and doesn't keep me from my job longer than the other people that make numerous trips to the coffee station and socialize.
2) Yogurt. I very much dislike yogurt. But it is a good source of calcium, and I hear the cultures are good for my female bits. So the past couple years I make myself have some during lunch (or a mid-morning snack). But, the only kind I can somewhat like is the yoplait. I tried the greek stuff and I really don't like it. So how bad is the yoplait? I also don't eat the lowfat yogurts. I don't like artificial sweetners. I would rather just put sugar in my body than artificial sweetners. Am I better off not eating yogurt at all than eating yoplait?
3) Pecans. How bad are they for me? I got a little burnt out on almonds (they were my everyday snack for over a year). And it was pecan season, and I have gallon bags of pecans...so I swapped to pecans. But I have a feeling that pecans are not good for me. Am I wrong (hopefully I am)?
4) Romaine lettece, is that a bad choice? I don't buy iceberg. So I eat a lot of romaine lettece. Every once in a while I swap it up for spinach, but my husband isn't big on just spanich salads, and frankly I prefer romain to spinach also. Spinach is missing the crispness. Sometimes I splurge and buy both spinach and romaine, but then one or some of both tend to go to waste, and I hate to waste. The other dark green leafy stuff is hard to get where I live. The only way to buy it is in the Dole mix bags, which are a lot more expensive than the romain for less lettece.
5) Saltine crackers. I have noticed since I started to exercise, I am always hungry! And I like to listen to my body, so when I am hungry I try to eat a little. I also know that I should try drinking more water when I am hungry, which I do, but sometimes water just does not cut it..I am hungry!! Especially in the afternoon. So I have started to bring a pack of saltines to work and snack on those (eat about 1/4 a sleeve, and half of those with a thin spread of peanut butter on it). Are saltines a bad choice? By this point in the day I already finished my pecan snack (use to be almonds), I already had a banana and some blue berries, and I already ate my yogurt. What is a good snack if saltines are a no-no?
I think adding a little lean protein will help you feel less hungry. Do you keep track of how many calories you're taking in total? A little bit here and a little bit there can up to a surprisingly high figure over the course of the day.
If the instant oatmeal is the plain unflavored variety, you're getting soluble fiber so that's a good option if you don't have time for regular oatmeal, although that would be preferable.
Just about all nuts are healthy because of the monounsaturated fat, but you REALLY have to watch quantity with any of them because they're so high in calories. The same with peanut butter. Fruit is healthy, but again bananas are one of the higher calorie ones. Saltines are empty calories. They aren't going to kill you, but if you're going to cut out any of your current snacks, that would be the one I'd ditch. A cracker with whole grains would be better, but again watch the calorie count. I think yoplait is OK, but if you don't like it anyway, a one ounce cube of cheese (and a probiotic pill if you think you need it) would give you the same benefit and might fill you up a little better.
Use old fashioned oatmeal, it doesn't take that long to cook. Get up an extra 5 minutes earlier. But if you must do instant then you must. You can also experiment with other breakfasts that include protein.
If you do not like yogurt do not eat it. Yoplait is a poor choice. Better if you just skip the yogurt and find something healthy that you do like.
Pecans are great. Any nuts are great. Some are better than others, but they are all good. They are great for a snack, just watch your portion size.
Romaine is fine, spinach is better. But you do not have to live on salads. You can cook veggies instead.
Ditch the crackers. They are empty calories. Try and find some protein to snack on. Peanut butter on a cut up apple is good, a small piece of cheese, nuts... anything other than simple carbs.
If money is an issue start looking for in season produce and meats that go on special. Try and ditch the frozen meals, they are loaded with sodium.
I think adding a little lean protein will help you feel less hungry. Do you keep track of how many calories you're taking in total? A little bit here and a little bit there can up to a surprisingly high figure over the course of the day.
If the instant oatmeal is the plain unflavored variety, you're getting soluble fiber so that's a good option if you don't have time for regular oatmeal, although that would be preferable.
Just about all nuts are healthy because of the monounsaturated fat, but you REALLY have to watch quantity with any of them because they're so high in calories. The same with peanut butter. Fruit is healthy, but again bananas are one of the higher calorie ones. Saltines are empty calories. They aren't going to kill you, but if you're going to cut out any of your current snacks, that would be the one I'd ditch. A cracker with whole grains would be better, but again watch the calorie count. I think yoplait is OK, but if you don't like it anyway, a one ounce cube of cheese (and a probiotic pill if you think you need it) would give you the same benefit and might fill you up a little better.
I do not keep track of my calories everyday, but the times I have, I learned that calories add up quickly!! So I keep my snacks and meals in small portions.
I only eat lean protein. I cook 98% of our dinner, and dinner alway has protein. Dinner is either ground turkey, ground venison, pheasant, chicken breast, fish (mostly salmon), and center cut pork chops every once in a while. We will have steaks once or twice month, and I buy leaner steaks like a new york strip over a ribeye. I have ground beef, like a cheeseburger, about once a month...because I LOVE CHEESEBURGERS.
THanks for the advice on the whole grain crackers! I might look into that! I love cheese..I am pretty sure I get enough cheese. So maybe I can skip out on the yogurt.
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Originally Posted by Luckyd609
Use old fashioned oatmeal, it doesn't take that long to cook. Get up an extra 5 minutes earlier. But if you must do instant then you must. You can also experiment with other breakfasts that include protein.
In a perfect world...I would get myself out of bed 5 min earlier...however, baby steps...I am just learning to fit 30-60 minutes of workout every day.
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If you do not like yogurt do not eat it. Yoplait is a poor choice. Better if you just skip the yogurt and find something healthy that you do like.
10-4, I just heard that yogurt was good for female bits (cultures prevent yeast infections and other aging effects)...so that is why I started eating it.
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Pecans are great. Any nuts are great. Some are better than others, but they are all good. They are great for a snack, just watch your portion size.
I defnitely watch the portion size...hence the fact that I am still hungry when I finish my what I brought!
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Romaine is fine, spinach is better. But you do not have to live on salads. You can cook veggies instead.
I do eat a lot of other veggies as well. I usually only have a salad for a meal about once a week. And we will have side salads about once a week. I use the lettece on other things like sandwiches, in tacos, and other things that involve shredded lettece.
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Ditch the crackers. They are empty calories. Try and find some protein to snack on. Peanut butter on a cut up apple is good, a small piece of cheese, nuts... anything other than simple carbs.
What if I already ate nuts that day? And realistically, I needed to cut back on cheese, so I did. I love cheese, so I use to eat too much of it. Maybe I can try eating a hard boiled egg? Any other ideas?
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If money is an issue start looking for in season produce and meats that go on special. Try and ditch the frozen meals, they are loaded with sodium
I don't eat any frozen meals...I cook 98% of our meals. And I do look for seasonal produce and meats. My family and I grind our own turkey meat (when turkey's go on sale around thanksgiving), and we only grind the white meat. (My dad keeps the dark meats for soups and such). Chicken breasts are my splurge, and I definitely watch for when they go on sale, buy in bulk and then freeze in portion sizes. My other meats are venison, pheasant, chicken breasts, fish (usually salmon), and some center cut pork chops every once in a while. I eat beef about 2-3 times a month. My red meat is venison (ground, steaks, roasts, etc).
Wrong. As odd as it seems, it takes calories to burn calories. If you skip meals, your body will hang onto every calorie it can in order to preserve energy.
Forget the processed cereals; 99 percent of them are full of sugar, even Cheerios. Smart Start is not smart. Just the name "Honey Bunches of Oats" should tip you off right there.
No TV dinner is healthy. Period.
That is odd indeed. I've never heard of "takes calories to burn calories". Is this true? isn't that like saying, if I stop eating, i'll stop losing weight...
The link you posted isn't supporting your statement, it only says the brain tends to want higher calorie foods if you skip breakfast. The brain wanting something doesn't make people fat, eating does.
ever since I decided to lose weight I cut out meat all togetter. Meat is getting more and more expensve so I decided to avoid it. I don't eat eggs. I do snack on peanuts, fruits, crackers, and veggies only. I do measure the serving size and eat accordingly. I don't think that I am overeating.
For breakfast usually have cheerios or smart start cereal.I want to try oatmeal and honey bunches of oats brand cereal. Most of the time breakfast is skipped. The less calories I consume the better right?
Lunch is always a salad, romaine or iceburg with ranch or vinaigrette.
Dinner is always either spaghetti, brown rice, chlli, or healthy tv dinners.
And lastly, snacks are fresh fruit, veggies like celery and carrots, or peanuts. The only cooking oil I use is extra virgin olive oil.
There is no such thing as a healthy tv dinner. You might consider getting a juicer, apples, carrots, cucumbers, cilantro, lemon juice, kale make for wonderful healthy drinks. Plus smoothies for roughage and filling you up. Cheerios are garbage, make your own granola and switch to almond milk. Walking is great exercise.
Wrong. As odd as it seems, it takes calories to burn calories. If you skip meals, your body will hang onto every calorie it can in order to preserve energy.
Forget the processed cereals; 99 percent of them are full of sugar, even Cheerios. Smart Start is not smart. Just the name "Honey Bunches of Oats" should tip you off right there.
No TV dinner is healthy. Period.
I agree with you Ohio!!
Listen you need to ditch this crappy breakfast and also get rid of pasta only for dinner. I mean your diet is all CARBS!!!!!!! ALL CARBS = SUGAR!!!! Its terrible. I am not saying do not eat carbs but your whole damn diet is CARBS!!!!!! We need to get you off the 85 percent carb diet! Now lets change those ratios around to a more protien /fat and you will lose weight.
That is odd indeed. I've never heard of "takes calories to burn calories". Is this true? isn't that like saying, if I stop eating, i'll stop losing weight...
The link you posted isn't supporting your statement, it only says the brain tends to want higher calorie foods if you skip breakfast. The brain wanting something doesn't make people fat, eating does.
Right, but if the brain wants something, you have a choice: eat, or be miserable and stressed. If the brain is telling you to eat all the time, something is wrong with the way your brain is sensing how much energy is in the body. So you need to re-wire that signalling from the ground up, not just starve yourself. Fortunately, it's not nearly as hard as it sounds. Not eating before bed and not snacking goes a long, long way. And it's infinitely easier not to snack when you eat protein and fat at meal times -- think of your body as a fire burning a big log instead of constantly being needed stoked with kindling.
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