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Try and include more protein/fat in your day. Nuts and nut butters are great just be careful of portion size. They will satisfy you and are very healthy. Hummus and some carrots, 1/4 an avocado, some plain greek yogurt with fruit.
I like mini cucumbers and ranch dip
Carrots, broccoli, celery and hummus
Popcorn, but not the microwave bags
P3 protein snacks found in the lunch meat aisle. They just came out with some new ones that includes a bit of dessert.
Celery with peanut butter
Apples with peanut butter
Beef Jerky (I like to look online for unusual kinds)
Raw almonds and walnuts
Thank you for the response Maggie2101! I definitely have to try ranch dip and hummus. And yes I will start using myfitnesspro definitely good to see how many calories I'm consuming, especially when I snack on the bad stuff. Thanks again!
I like mini cucumbers and ranch dip
Carrots, broccoli, celery and hummus
Popcorn, but not the microwave bags
P3 protein snacks found in the lunch meat aisle. They just came out with some new ones that includes a bit of dessert.
Celery with peanut butter
Apples with peanut butter
Beef Jerky (I like to look online for unusual kinds)
Raw almonds and walnuts[/quote]
Quote:
Originally Posted by aneye4detail
It sounds like you are eating decently. And moving decently. The consistency sounds like it's something you need to work on. And eating your roommate's food. Stop that, silly rabbit!
P.S. In my 40+ years of seeking the magic solution to weight loss, I have found that snacking/snacks/snack ideas are just not necessary to "try" to do. If I snack, it is not intentional, I might grab a spoon of peanut butter, or a piece of cheese, or some avocado, but otherwise I just try to eat 3 clean, filling meals per day.
Yep, I think my consistency is the biggest thing. I go through this phase about twice a year but I usually do it because of a huge event or vacation. I actually just want to be healthy now. Interacting with patients and seeing how many of them battle so many different illnesses, I do not want that to be me. I figure I better start now lol. Thank you for your reply!
FWIW, I've lost 25 pounds in less than 3 months by cutting out *all* snacking and snack foods. I have a real weakness for baked goods but I haven't touched anything other than plain bread rolls as part of a meal (to make a sandwich or have with a bowl of soup) during that time. No croissants, muffins, etc.... now I have oatmeal for breakfast and fruit or a cup of lite yogurt for desserts.
If you have an uncontrollable munchie attack, try a dill pickle or raw veggies, but I'd skip the ranch dressing or peanut butter with the latter that others have suggested... both are pretty high in fat and calories.
Wow, congrats on that Dr. Frog! Honestly, I don't think I actually crave snacks but because I see it in my house, it's hard for me to resist. I think I'm going to try the hummus in moderation of course and see if that helps. Thank you for your reply and good luck to the rest of your journey!
A packet of instant plain oatmeal made with water and no sugar is 100 calories. So, if you're eating 3 servings of plain oatmeal made with just water a day, that's 300 calories. Some flavored packets of oatmeal - say "dates and walnuts" can be 140-150 calories a packet, so three of those a day made with plain water is 450 or so calories. If you're adding a teaspoon or two of sugar, milk, or butter or other toppings to each serving of oatmeal, you could easily be eating 500 - 600 calories a day just in "innocent" plain oatmeal or as much 800 calories a day if you're eating higher calorie flavored oatmeals with sugar, milk and other toppings.
And that's just from oatmeal. Don't get me wrong, I love oatmeal and thought I was being very virtuous when I ate two packets of it every day for my breakfast. But, I hadn't been able to lose weight, and for health reasons, I really had to lose weight.
Then, my doctor told me to stop eating oatmeal and instead have one or two scrambled eggs or a carton of plain yogurt for breakfast instead. The doctor said to use 1 teaspoon of butter to cook the eggs, and that I could add mushrooms, spinach and some diced red peppers if I didn't feel the eggs alone were enough. Needless to say, the doctor also said that the eggs could not include toast and bacon. At first I was skeptical about this -- after all, aren't eggs and butter bad for you? But soon I realized that I wasn't getting the "crash" that I'd get a few hours after eating oatmeal and was less likely to turn to a snack as a pick up mid-morning. I also found a brand of low fat plain greek yogurt that I like, so I alternate that with the eggs several days a week.
In terms of the chicken or fish you're eating, as others have said do make sure to weigh them. I used to think that I was being "good" by eating chicken and/or fish until my doctor specified that I weigh everything and think of a portion of chicken as as 5 ounces without skin, and baked or broiled, not fried. The Doctor also noted that some types of fish are actually more high calorie than others -- for instance, salmon is less lean than shrimp. So, I can have six ounces of shrimp but only 5 ounces of Salmon. When I started weighing my protein servings, I was shocked to discover that I'd often been eating more than double that amount of fish or chicken telling myself I was "being good." Now, this is what my doctor told me based on my health, age, and weight -- you may need more protein. But, try to get into the habit of weighing your protein; it was a real eye opener for me.
Be careful of those "mixed stuff" vegetables if that means salad. I would pat myself on the back every time I had a salad, turning a blind eye to the salad dressing, croutons, and other "fixings" I'd pile on top of the greens. Now, I use low calorie dressing and measure out the portion size for it (depending on the dressing, a serving size is usually about 1-2 teaspoons).
For snacks, I've developed a fondness for raw snap peas and celery. I will also have a small handful (about 20 pieces) of walnuts or almonds if I need a little extra something to carry me through the afternoon. Once a week or so, I will have some popcorn as a snack, but I carefully measure out just one portion size. (I have to admit that every time I lose 5 pounds, I do still have a packet of plain oatmeal made with water with a little cinnamon and nutmeg for breakfast as a special reward!).
I've lost 30 pounds in the last four months just by making the above changes and stepping up my physical activity a little bit. After the first week or two, it became relatively painless to stick with these eating habits. However, you are male, much younger than me, have less weight to lose, and it sounds like you are much more active than I am even now, so just a few small changes like these - if you stick with them - should help you reach your goal easily.
Thank you for the reply RosieSD! You are correct regarding the calories oatmeal has, especially the flavored variety. I was eating oatmeal a lot because it had a high fiber content, therefore I was supposed to fill fuller longer. I will definitely try the yogurt or eggs suggestion. What is the brand of the low-fat yogurt you like? I also will have to start weighing my protein as well. I usually eat more veggies than I do chicken/fish but being that I am going to start using myfitnesspro soon it will be necessary to know how many calories of chicken/fish I'm eating. I'm also going to start a food/diet journal just so I can see the progress I make. Thank so much again for the reply and good luck with everything!
You're doing a great job, OP. My suggestion to you is that you increase the frequency that you eat to 5 times a day, and decrease the amount at each meal accordingly so you don't increase caloric intake. That speeds up your metabolism and reduces hunger. Additionally, increase your protein and have a little at each meal, maybe 4 or 6 ounces of lean. That also reduces hunger and controls that overeating urge. Allow a little bit of sweets in your life. Banning sweets entirely will send you heading straight for the candy aisle faster than you can blink, so don't deprive yourself. And also, add some good fats. A no fat diet isn't healthy either.
Everything in moderation, including dieting. Also, count calories. People tend to underestimate the amount of calories they ingest, and that is a sure path to diet failure. Log everything you're eating and your exercise. I find the Bodyminder workout journal to be very helpful. It's intricate and has a blank for everything. In this case, the old fashioned methind of taking pen to paper is a very good way of tracking your progress. And lastly, don't feel discouraged if you slip up. Progress, rather than perfection is your goal. You want to get healthy for life. Good luck!
Thank you Scooby Snacks! I used to eat 5x a day and it was definitely beneficial because I did not ever feel hungry late at night. My biggest issue now is time, especially during the day. This is something I will have to incorporate into my life though eventually, so thank you for the tip. I am going to start writing everything down, so I can see my progress like you said. Thank you for the reply and good luck to you as well!
First, I think you need to find a new place to store your roommate's food. Empty out a few cabinets that aren't near each other and designate one for each of you. Out of sight, out of mind. My old roommate used to eat a ton of sweets and the more I had to look at them, the more I wanted them. Once they were put away in a cabinet that I never opened, the problem went away completely. Now that I'm grown and have kids, the same principle applies. We put the junk food in a cabinet and not in the pantry. Not seeing it frequently definitely cuts down on how often we eat anything in there. Often I'll send my husband to work with uneaten items before they're not fresh anymore (like he'll be taking all the Christmas candy in a week or so).
I was a chronic over eater. I gained a lot of weight because of poor food choices and large portion sizes. I finally found my problem to be that I can't eat 3 meals a day. By the time I get to dinner I'm starving and eat the whole time I'm cooking, and then eat a whole meal. Followed of course by dessert. So now I snack all day, and cut out as much sugar as possible. I am never without a snack. I even take them into meetings, even if I never touch them. Because now if I get hungry, I eat. But only a little bit. And now my meal sizes are MUCH smaller. I start my day with eggs (not fried), Greek yogurt, or weight watchers oatmeal (it's super sweet so it takes some getting used to, but it has protein; also one package will take me most of the morning to finish). My morning snacks are usually a teaspoon of peanut butter, a low fat cheese stick, or a protein shake. Lunch is a few ounces of tuna fish with a pickle spear and a raw vegetable, or a small salad with egg for protein, or a healthy soup. I try to focus on protein and vegetables, and keeping the portion small. My afternoon snacks are stuff like plain almonds, carrot sticks, whole wheat crackers (2 or 3), a protein bar, or cucumber slices. For dinner I usually do a few ounces of chicken (not fried) and a bunch of steamed vegetables. After dinner I'll have sugar free jello or pudding, or maybe some pita chips with hummus or goat cheese if we're entertaining. And I'm never ever without water. I carry a refillable bottle everywhere. Sometimes I fill it with herbal tea (chilled) or crystal light, but I try to drink a lot.
Obviously everyone is different, and you need to find what works for you. I can't calorie count, because then I obsess and end up eating 300 calories a day until I can't function. But I do think about what I eat. And I portion everything out. So the almonds I buy come in a 1.2 ounce single-serve package, but when I eat them I only eat half the package at a time, and put the other half in my drawer. Then I wait at least 10 minutes. If I'm still legitimately hungry, I'll eat the other half. This rarely happens. And again with the 'out of sight, out of mind.' I put away anything that I'm not eating right now. So dinner gets put away before I eat. If I want a second helping, I'm going to have to take it out of the refrigerator (or I'll hide it in the microwave if it has to cool down before chilling). When I go to a restaurant, as soon as my food arrives I ask for a to-go box. I put at least half the meal in the box (depending on the portion size). All of my treats (jello, pudding, cheese sticks) in the refrigerator are kept in one of the drawers so that they're not staring at me when I open the door. I've lost almost 50 pounds in less than a year this way, and I honestly don't feel like I'm missing out. If I absolutely have to have chocolate, I get the sugar free fudgsicles. I use spaghetti squash instead of boxed pasta. If I really want carbs, I eat whole wheat and try to keep the sodium low. I still eat cheese (I'll never give up cheese), but now I try to get skim milk or low fat cheese.
It sounds like you're doing a great job already! Try to make one big change (not touching the roommate's food) and then a few small changes (healthy snacks, more water, less sugar) and see how it works for you. Good luck and don't give up!
Thank you MainLineMommy for your reply! It's such a weird situation lol I literally ask him if he can either keep it in the cabinet or not buy it at all. When i say he never eats it I mean he never eats the stuff. It's actually my brother but I think he does it because he knows me (crazy to say). I really don't like wasting stuff but I have to hold myself more accountable and just stop eating that nonsense. Like I mentioned above, I'm going to try and incorporate eating more than 3x a day and snacking more (healthier of course). I will take a lot of your suggestions and try them out. I really appreciate you writing all of this information. Hopefully in a few months I will be able to tell you guys my results. Thank you so much again!
Re oatmeal. I never buy the instant packets -- they are way too sweet for me anyway, even when I'm not trying to lose weight. I buy the rolled oats in the cardboard canister, or the similar multigrain cereal that comes in a plastic bag (I think the brand is Bob's Red Mill), and measure out 1/3 cup. I mix it with water, a teaspoon or so of Splenda, a splash of vanilla extract, and a sprinkle of cinnamon, and zap it in the microwave. Sometimes I add a small amount of dried fruit or some lite canned peaches or something like that. Anyway, once you have your own sweetener and flavorings on hand, it's no harder to cook than the instant packets.
I also like wheat farina (cream-of-wheat or malt-o-meal) and cook it the same way, except you need only half as much dry cereal per serving.
What is your goal? Just weight loss? Or weight loss and health and longevity?
If it is the latter, make your diet mostly unprocessed and plant-based.
Don't give up the oatmeal, but get rid of the sweeteners and high fat additions to it.
Make the majority of your diet unprocessed plant based (whole grains, legumes, fruits and veggies) and cut down on sugar and high fructose corn syrup (and foods that contain them).
If you are just interested in losing weight, but don't really care about cancer risk or cardiovascular disease risk, just cut down the number of calories and eat a high protein, low carb diet.
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Cut out alcohol.
