Healthy Eating/Dieting

2/10 OP

R1, actually I'm being serious. I have very poor eating habits.

Cut out those nasty Bel Vita things - processed junk food is not good for you.

This diet means you will be dead when the time comes, rest in peace someday

Good luck! Turns out weight loss is harder than rocket science!

Avocados are better than anything marked "lite" or those crackers. Quite healthy, actually. You might want to google "weight loss carbohydrates" before you continue.

I was reading that bananas are good for helping you sleep and it takes more energy to burn an olive than there are caloroies in the olive, so I'm trying to balance things out.

I've put on roughly 25 lbs the past few months after surgery so I'm trying to make a committment and true lifestyle change.

You need protein and fiber and good fats (avocado is one, so good job there), not processed food and carbs. Fruit is fine once in awhile (eat the apple skin) as a dessert. It shouldn't be the main focus of your diet because fruits are all sugary and not filling.

Add protein to your salad and use healthy greens, not iceberg lettuce or similar. Proteins of course include meat, but garbanzo beans (chickpeas), black beans, tofu, etc. are also a good source. For yogurt, choose non-fat Greek yogurt because it has less sugar and far more protein than typical sugary fruit yogurts such as Dannon, Yoplait, etc.

Protein, vegetables, good fats such as olive oil, nut butters, and avocado, Whole foods, not processed foods. Eat to satiety; don't let yourself go hungry, but eat the right things. Sweets rarely.

It's pretty simple, really. Having the discipline to stick to it is the hard part.

Exercise?

You're eating too many carbs, OP. You need way more protein.

Chicken and avocados are way better than biscuits. You need more protein and healthy fats. You also need enough calories that you won't go into starvation mode. I don't know your size or gender, but assuming you are an adult male of size, that doesn't look like it's enough.

R8-You know ZERO about nutrition. Fruit is VERY good for you. Everyone should eat fruit everyday. Whole fruit only. Not put in a juicer or blender.

An apple does fill me up and keeps me going for a couple of hours. I'm also eating almonds as snacks. Love the Blue Diamond Wasabi and Soy.

[quote]Exercise?

Yes. I go to the gym 3x a week and I work in a warehouse so I'm on my feet for 10 hrs a night.

I just started this a week ago and I'm already feeling so much better. My breathing is better. I don't get winded on the stairs. I don't feel as tired. My clothes feel not as snug.

The it sounds like you're happy with your current diet, OP. WTF did you start a thread claiming to want advice?

Looking for other ideas to improve my choice in foods.

I research online and after awhile it gets to be confusing with some stuff contradicting others.

Looks like you have a handle on your white flour (except for those stupid crackers) and sugar (except for the peanut butter). Yes, study up on what a real healthy diet looks like. There are variations but important to find one that is well-rounded and that you can follow. Good you getting exercise.

Keep it up. You'll keep feeling better every week.

Skip the Bell Vita crackers and have a bowl of oatmeal with berries. Make a big pot of soup with celery, carrots, onion and any other non starchy veg and throw in a can of fire roasted tomatoes, spice it up if you like too. Then after work each day have a big bowl of that so you're not starving by dinner. Then have 5-6 ounces of protein, one small carb (whole wheat roll or baked potato for eg) and salad and a green veg for dinner. Your lunch sounds fine. The trick is to fill up on lots if fiber and lean protein and cut down on your starchy carbs.

[quote]one small carb (whole wheat roll or baked potato for eg)

[quote]cut down on your starchy carbs

You're suggesting he increase them.

These are the ones I eat...

Would you recommend sugar-free (diabetic) peanut butter? How about almond butter?

Peanut butter made exclusively from ground peanuts (maybe with a little salt unless you have high BP) is best. If you don't have to stir it, don't eat it.

Smuckers makes peanut butter that contains nothing but peanuts and salt. It's available nationally, and is what I buy when I can't get freshly ground peanuts.

Look into keto - high fat moderate protein low carb.It trains your body to burn fat as fuel.

OP, you’re on the right track, but please, no processed foods.

Also, get in a treadmill or a stationary bike. You need to get those limbs moving. Stop sedentary all day shit. Unless you sleep standing up, you will have plenty of sedentary time, when you fall asleep.

You’re gonna have to move. Diet alone is not enough, especially as you age.

OP, lose the Bel Vita crackers for breakfast and try oatmeal instead. I slice a banana and mix it with the oatmeal. Put a little flaxseed meal in the oatmeal and/or some walnuts. Delicious and healthy!

So there it is, OP. Avoid carbs and eat oatmeal and baked potatoes. Eat fruit rarely and plentifully.

First glance, i see zero of the most important nutrients for the body to thrive: Potassium, Iron, B-vitamins, nor enough calcium to store in your bones.

looks disordered. like something a 15 y.o. girl training to be anorectic does. of course you are starving. none of that stuff is very filling.

salad? filler....breakfast? filler.....two fruits? filler.

others have said it, and it is very true: you need more protein as you age.

maybe look into your genetic and ethnic background and eat accordingly.

[quote]You need to get those limbs moving. Stop sedentary all day shit.

He said he works in a warehouse and is on his feet all night. Do you bitches read?

You need more fiber (oatmeal, whole grains, beans, vegetables), less fat (Avocado, olives, natural peanut butter and salad dressing if made with olive oil are healthy fats, but if you typically eat this much in a day that is way too much fat), probably more protein. Watch out for too much sodium, if you have high blood pressure, are over 40 or are African American you should not have more than 1500 mgs of sodium a day. It's bad for your heart health and too much will cause you to retain water and be bloated. Instead of the Belvita cookies for breakfast you'd be much better off with two eggs and a slice of toasted Ezekiel bread for fewer calories.

OP that is very healthy compared to the average American. Good for you. Cutting out the sugar/carbs are the only thing that may help lose weight.

I agree with above - skip those BelVita crackers. Oatmeal with blueberries - more filling and better for you.

You're also going to need to expand your diet - this is not sustainable. It's too strict to last long. Don't be afraid of good oils and fats.

Your diet looks like something from 20+ years ago.

[quote]Fruit is fine once in awhile (eat the apple skin) as a dessert.

And if you really wanna have fun, suck on cherry pits.

Sure, R33, if you want to live like an ancient Roman hedonist.

10 lbs down!

I said I wasn't going to weigh myself but once every month but 8 days in I wanted to see if I had lost any weight and sure enough I'm 10 lbs lighter!

I know it is probably mostly water but I feel so much better. Tonight at work, I actually sprinted up the stairs and didn't get winded at all.

Good for you, OP!

Well, if you're starving, you need to eat, and avocado and tomatoes are two of the most nutritious foods going and a lot better than a sleeve of Pringles or a Big Mac!

You should add some nuts - one of the few foods proven to both increase longevity and cognitive performance. Not just peanuts: almonds, walnuts, brazils etc.

I would also add a wider variety of fruits and vegetables, including some dark green (kale, spinach, broccolli), purple (blueberries and beetroot), orange (butternut and carrots).

You eat packaged cookies for breakfast every single morning??? I stopped reading after that.

R37, not starving at all.

I eat almonds daily as well as carrots in my salads.

I just ate one Jazz apple and a banana this morning.

Good for you OP!

Sending you positive vibes.

You need more sources of calcium. Don’t neglect your bones!

don't forget to add three "smiles" of grapefruit

R22, I just picked that peanut butter up now. I got the creamy versus the chunky but can't wait to try it on my apples.

Fat pig! One Tic Tac per day on weekdays and then treat yourself to twelve Nachos Bell Grande per day on weekends.

Avocados are good for you, OP. God, you seem like a dramatic mess. Do you have someone who can come over and slap some fucking sense into you? You can't go wrong with a plant based diet, 'kay. The Belvita and chicken are probably the worst things you put in your body.

Don’t listen to these pigs trying to shove food at you. Eating is for fatties, OP. Take control of your life!

Don't be afraid of protein. Your cells do not store protein, they store water and fat. You can eat 160 g of protein or 1200 calories and be adequately satiated. Your average animal protein is 2 grams of protein to 1 gram of fat.

listen, learn

I eat between noon and 8 pm. I always try to eat a whole or half grapefruit an hour before a meal. It fills you up and hydrates you so you are less likely to overeat at mealtime. When I was losing weight I tried to stay under 100 grams of carbs a day, and a whole grapefruit has more than 25% of the day's allotment of carbs, but it was worth it IMO. I guess if I didn't love a delicious, cold, juicy grapefruit it might have been a difficult "spend" of carbs but I lost a significant amount of weight. And I am easily maintaining it, which I credit in part to filling up on grapefruit and not overeating.

I worked for a research clinic a while back and they actually did a study on people who added a slice of avocado to their normal diets each day.

It was interesting that nobody gained weight, but it was just a slice.

Present hole and stick other half of avocado and round pit in you ass

I would cut a bitch if this was all I ate everyday.

Peanut Principal Beat Me to the Crunch is the best peanut butter I've ever had. Just peanuts, doesn't get oily or separate.

Your diet actually sounds OK to me (kind of low in calories, though).

The BelVita crackers, in the context of all the other fresh foods you're eating, sound OK. Sometimes the morning meal can be a pain, trying to squeeze it in before work, so the BelVita stuff is understandable.

The non-fat Greek yogurt sounds awful, though. I've tried the Fage non-fat and 2%. Both were terrible (chalky). I'd switch to full-fat, whole milk yogurt.

The lite raspberry vinaigrette also sounds awful (sorry). Sounds like you buy it pre-made in a bottle, I'm guessing. Make your own salad dressing with oil and vinegar. You can shake some of those premade spice mixes on it.

[quote] sliced chicken breast with a lite raspberry vinaigrette dressing

WOW Sandi! That sounds great! I’m gonna get the exact same thing for lunch..uh, whenever I actually eat that again..

R55, I thought I was the only one who remembered that line. I think of Daria whenever I see that dressing in the store!

La la la la la. La la la la la.

Almost at the end of Week 3 and I'm feeling better than ever.

I've started eating a full avocado a day and when I get home from work, I may make a 2 egg omelet and put some homemade salsa on it.

I haven't weighed myself in over a week but my clothes feel looser and I can't pinch as much on my sides or belly as I could before.

I'm actually amazed at how easy it has been to stick to this diet. No real cravings except this morning I really wanted a PB&J sandwich so I got out my Smuckers Natural, Sugar Free All-Fruit raspberry spread and then sliced an apple into thin slices and substituted that for bread and made tiny PB&J sliders. It was delicious and made me not miss the bread in the least.

Also, I 86'ed the Bel Vita and now just bring a sliced apple or pear and banana to work with me.

I don't get where people saying dieting is too expensive. I'm actually saving money now at the grocery store. My fruits and veggies rarely go over $2 each for a lot of food. The most expensive thing I buy is probably my almonds and even they are not that pricey as compared to the Fritos, cheese dip, cookies and cakes I used to buy.

I think people just say that as an excuse to not bother trying to do better.

Well done OP, sounds like you're making some great changes.

Kind of depressed.

I thought I was doing so well but I only lost a pound in the last 8 days.

Too many almonds? The avocado???

Stick with it OP. Sign up for My Fitness Pal or some other free app that will help you log food, exercise and track calories. It has a nice nutrition tracker so you can make sure you're getting a balanced diet. Losing a pound a week is sustainable.

I too have been swapping out my morning eggs on buttered toast for fruit/bran & yoghurt in the mornings. I also try to stick to salads and soups for lunch. There is always temptation to eat biscuits or chocolate with my 11am black coffee, but I try to resist and do resist most of the time.

Only problem is I’m always ravenous when I get in from work (around 5:30), and snacking on peanut butter or almonds or apple slices doesn’t abate my hunger until I get dinner ready a couple of hours later. I get so crazy I end up just picking at fridge leftovers or stale crackers or whatever is around. I also have a sweet tooth and a fondness for creamy dessert & drinks so usually end up making fruit/yoghurt salad again in the evenings (adding date syrup or honey) or drinking hot chocolate when it’s cold. I’m aware I’m eating too much sugar & dairy but nothing else seems to satisfy.

For context I’m female and an ideal BMI but I have stubborn lbs I can’t shift. I could afford to exercise more but time/energy don’t often permit, and it’s always a battle to drink enough water (my body doesn’t seem to retain it no matter how many litres). My eating is usually fairly in check as I said, but during ovulation that all goes out the window and my body just screams at me to scarf so I’m suprised I’m not fatter.

While I applaud his progress and think his is a good model for males looking to slim, I don’t think OP’s diet (or indeed fasting in general) is safe for women as compared with gentle moderate restriction. I can’t remember where I read it but there have been studies done that suggest it.

I wonder if you people can help me. I need a breakfast that’s healthy and fills me up for at least five hours. Quick and easy would be great. Any ideas?

Happy Thanksgiving, OP!!!

If I ate your diet I'd die of starvation in a week. My day consists of a big bowl of porage with milk and honey. Lunch is a big bowl of salad with beans or peanuts or a cup of soup. Supper is cheese, avocados, more nuts, green veg, rice, maybe soup, banana, yoghurt, sometimes chicken or a pork pie, and if still hungry some shortbread or more porage before bed. No bread, butter, pasta or alcohol. Very little exercise, just half an hour cycling to work every day. I'm stuffed all the time and skinny as fuck. What do you have to do to get fat?

Do your forage for your [SIC] porage R65?

Why, R66, you achin' for me bacon?

R23 Is right about Keto. If you keep eating so much carbs you're just running on glucose while mostly storing fat insteaad of burning it. Trying to lose weight while running on carbs is the most miserable way to try and lose weight.

We Scots like our Scott's 'porage' oats

R63 are you looking to lose weight or just fill up in the morning? If just to fill up, have some sort of protein and whole grains. Like a turkey sandwich on whole grain bread. To lose weight, protein and a fiber supplement.

[quote]You also need enough calories that you won't go into starvation mode.

There's no such thing, R11.

I would definitely eat more fats and cut down fruits to feel more satiated and less hungry. Have two or three eggs at breakfast with some spinach or smoked salmon. You’ll stay full for hours and eat less. I’ve never been thinner and I eat more fats.

Be careful with fats. No more than 30% of your diet should come from fats, and that is healthy fat: nuts, avocado, olive oil. I know two fat people who were diagnosed with diabetes and had to go on low carb diets. They were doing great but overloaded on fat. Dairy, especially cheese, in particular but lots of healthy fats and both needed to get their gall bladders removed because they couldn’t process all that fat. Now they both can pretty much only eat salads, steamed vegetables and lean grilled protein. Both are miserable.

Down 19 lbs

Well done, that is impressive

Awesome OP, well done!

Congratulations!

Obviously you are on the right track. Eating healthy is MUCH CHEAPER than not. It's important to keep educating yourself and learning new ways to nourish your body. It's also important to have variety so that you don't become bored. Your body itself needs variety because if you eat the same thing all the time, your body just gets used to it and doesn't work at optimum potential. Avocados are always great and healthy. But celery sticks and carrot sticks as a snack are also good for the body. Celery has many nutritional benefits that people don't even realize. Radishes too.

The one thing I never saw mentioned and I cannot stress the importance of it, is water. Drinking water when you first wake in the morning, drinking water before and with every meal and just having water with you throughout the day. Very often, we confuse our hunger pains for what are actually symptoms of dehydration. And drinking water can be done throughout the day, no matter what kind of job a person has because I have done it throughout mine, and our bodies adjust to drinking water when we start to do it regularly.

Secondly, I would add fish to your diet. I would buy several selections of packaged frozen white fish (haddock, tilapia, cod, pollock, etc...) Depending on where you live, Wal-Mart, Costco are examples with great selections, and I was NEVER a warehouse shopper until I became a believer. I would thaw my fish enough to last me 5 days. I always rinse them after being thawed and I bake them at 375' on baking paper. I store in an airtight glass container, which you can also buy a set of at same type of store mentioned above. I season fish with salt-free Mrs. Dash or what seasonings I prefer.

Planning ahead having meals prepared in advance is also the key to success. Too often when we are hungry we just grab something fast and convenient, and usually that means the wrong choice.

Well, I have many more suggestions if you are interested. I've been on this journey all my life. For me, it's never about dieting, it's always about being the best I can be, and I have a long way to go. (weight loss is not a problem for me because I know the formula and what to do and how to do it)

R63 and ANYONE ELSE OUT THERE LISTENING

I am going to give you the best recipe for the most healthy sandwich you will ever eat. If you take my advice, you will not only find it so easy to put together, but you will become a BETTER PERSON from eating it; nutritionally, physically, emotionally, psychologically and literally!

Why is it certain people can eat a mound of food on their plate and feel hungry an hour later? People that eat fast food have to Supersize everything because they are in a cyclical and sick cycle (say that fast 10 times!) of never being nourished. They gorge themselves on empty calories and fat, while their bodies continue to say, "I'm starving for something good to eat, I need real fuel."

This sandwich will not only sustain you for 5 hours but it will energize you too.

Keep in mind, I clean, cut and slice all my veggies for the week, and store them in glass airtight containers. This saves time and makes it so convenient to put together a gourmet meal in just minutes.

Here are the ingredients: Smoked Salmon . Thinly Sliced Sweet Onion . Pepper to taste Finn Crisp . Thinly Sliced Tomato Spritz of EVOO and Wine Vinegar Sliced sharp white cheddar . Thinly Sliced Cucumbers *Favorite Mustard Optional Alfalfa Sprouts . Avocado thinly sliced or mashed with fresh lime and used as spread for FinnCrisp or Bread.

***Siljan's brand FinnCrisp or Knockebrod: This is a staple to replace any and all bread, crackers or chips. Of course, if you have a great handmade bread company in your neighborhood that makes brown bread the way they do in Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark, you can always get a loaf of fresh brown bread for this recipe too.

(Nothing wrong with a slice of white cheese, and the best time to have it, is in the morning.) Swiss is also a good choice, or whatever your taste calls for. I prefer the white cheddar.

I grab a handful of sprouts and and just spread them evenly over Avocado mash and bottom of sandwich layer. I spritz the sprouts with EVOO and vinegar and add pepper next is salmon layer. For the other half of sandwich, I add Avocado Mash as well, sliced cheese, tomato, onion and cucumber last.

I put the two halves together and utsokt!!

OP

Your diet is terrible.

It lacks Omega 3,6,9 fatty acids that are essential to cell processes, weight control, and gaining lean muscle mass. Additionally, you need to consume them for both prostate and colon health to prevent things like colon cancer.

Far from being a problem, that avocado you ate is "a great source of vitamins C, E, K, and B-6, as well as riboflavin, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid, magnesium, and potassium. They also provide lutein, beta-carotene, and omega-3 fatty acids."

Those Bel Vita Crackers you ate have virtually no nutritional value.

You need to increase the amount of dark green vegetables you eat - they are low calorie, high fiber, good source of folic acid, various vitamins, calcium.