So with the other thread about running going strong, I wanted to hear the Clutch brothers and sisters' thoughts on dieting. I've been working out a bit more consistently and have been trying to watch what I eat some. My problem is I'm used to enjoying what I eat and don't want to change that. What are some good foods or recipes that I should give a shot? I'm looking for some ideas that I could make at home for the most part. I figure the hardest part is getting into a habit of eating healthy. I imagine once I find some things I like, I will eat them more often and that should help keep me in shape. I did see a little booklet from Men's Health about what to eat and what to avoid. It looked decent. Any of yous guys use it. Also what is normal for calorie intake and things of that nature. Thanks in advance.
Don't go on a diet. Change your lifestyle habits on eating. It's hard but possible. Learn about whole grain foods, complex carbs, lean proteins, healthy flavoring and seasonings, etc. Anything that is deep-fried can usually be baked and save you several hundred calories.
yup, what Lil Pun said. Its all about lifestyle change. I never thought I could possibly eat healthy, but now I cant stop. And its worth it too
Amen to the two posters above me. I would also like to add this: Count Calories! It is a simple equation. As you're learning about what is healthy for you and what is not, count calories. If your body has less calories going into it than you are burning on a daily basis, you will lose weight. There is no other way around it. The other aspect to counting calories, is that it makes you pretty conscious of things you are eating that you may not need. For instance, you could buy a Honey Bun at a gas station on whim because you think you are hungry. That Honey Bun can have, say, 500 calories in it. Instead of that bad snack that you probably don't even need, you could find something else, like a Fiber One bar or a bowl of oatmeal, or something like that that has fewer calories, yet more fiber, filling you up faster... I lost about 30 pounds in about 6 months, barely working out, just from changing my eating habits. The other thing to do, is to stop drinking sodas. They're packed with tons of extra calories you don't need. If you drink 3 cans of coke a day, that's about 500-600 calories extra that you did not need. If you substitute those with water, or some other 0 calorie drink, you have just taken 500 calories out of your daily intake. 500 calories is something that a very rigorous hour-long workout would barely take away.
don't eat breakfast if you can get through the morning. and drink water when you think you're hungry. More likely you're thirsty rather than hungry.
Good advice above...It's not a diet it's a life style change...You can still enjoy the things you like, to a degree, just watch what you eat, eat smaller portions and ...I would also encourage eating 5 meals a day, 3 normal and two snacks... I don't drink cokes, or fast food, although I have to have it every couple of months... I bought cookies for the first time in like 5 years, which is ok, I will just watch my portions and work out harder...
They say that breakfast gets your metabolism off to a kick start. I would always eat a breakfast, if given the option. Even something like a quick Nutrigrain bar.... I usually try and eat a small bowl of oatmeal and some milk for breakfast. I find that oatmeal, with it's fiber, keeps me feeling full for longer than man other sweets and things that are typical breakfast foods. Not only that, but it's supposed to be good for cholesterol... Now, I eat my oatmeal plain with a fair amount of brown sugar in it. When I say milk, I usually have a pint of chocolate milk mixed with a pint of skim milk. So, my breakfast equates out to, I don't know....I would guesstimate around 350-400 calories.
F the DIET crap. Just eat LESS of the stuff you regularly eat, whether it's McDonald's or Healthy Foods. If before the diet you ordered a LARGE coke, order a small one now. If before you ate an entire BOWL of cereal, eat a cup now. So on, so forth. Don't starve yourself, just eat LESS, but enough for you NOT to be hungry. People are recommending adding stuff (fiber, etc.) and removing stuff (fried foods, etc.), but that would be changing the foods you already eat. I'd recommend just eating the same stuff, but in smaller portions. It's worked for me.
That is exactly what I do. I lost 20 pounds, I just worked out and ate what I normally ate but less of it. Only ate sweets on the weekends. If I did diet though I probably would have lost more than 20 pounds though because I'm not consistent with the eating thing.
What Lil Pun said is the most important. Life style changes include calorie intake. You don't need a 1500 calorie diet, much less 2000. Also, certain foods do not digest as well with others. Learn the difference between food withdrawals (hunger pains, headaches) and food deprivation (headaches, shakes, ect...).
Normal weekday of the Davidoff diet.. Meal 1: o Oats o Protein shake Meal 2: o Whole Orange Meal 3: o Peanut Butter Sandwich o Mixed Berries or seasonal fruit Meal 4: o Small Low Fat Yogurt o Grapenuts or Low sugar Granola Meal 5: o Whole Grain Bread o Turkey or Chicken Breast o Carrots or Whole Grain Side Meal 6: o Protein Bar Meal 7: o Hi Protein Shake Meal 8: o Dinner (The items change too much daily) I also crave something sweet after dinner, I'll have a small piece of chocolate or couple spoons full of ice cream My Friday and Saturdays are less controlled because those are my cheat days.. I don't totally pig out on the weekends, but I will differently have that burger and fries, pizza or anything that's considered bad.. I limit my intake to two soft drinks and two alcoholic drinks a week.. I try to keep my water intake up, but sometimes I'll have a strong juice and cut it with water.. I've learned that I hate traveling too far from home because it's so difficult being off my eating schedule and then trying to jump back on it.. if I'm gone for more than a week at a time it gets very difficult to find the things I usually eat and on top of that I don't lift or do cardio while away from home either.. Staying on a schedule and boring old repetition is key for me..
My suggestion is 1. to walk 2 miles a day; this burns about 200 calories and gives you 90% of the health benefits of any exercise regime 2. to eat more nutrient rich food (fruits and vegetables) and less calorie rich foods (like most meats and other fatty foods); as an example each meal should only contain a small portion of meat (like a restaurant salad with grilled chicken strips) 3. to avoid at all costs bad carbs (google glycemic load), like food loaded with processed sugar; bad carbs will spike your blood sugar; when your blood sugar bottoms out after the spike your body's reaction is to want to bring the blood sugar back to normal by eating 4. to reduce portions when you cheat; small bowl of ice cream, half a candy bar, etc. Most successful diets do not starve you. You need to eat foods that fill you up and that won't mess with your blood sugar. Most diets also have an initial induction phase, where the first week is grueling (1250 calories a day) but the following weeks are not.
Everything what they said above... Diets do not work. It's all about lifestyle changes. Drink mostly water...you can drink orange juice on the weekends and etc. Don't deprive yourself from your favorite foods but have them in moderation. I don't keep any junk food at home so I don't eat them...I've been eating baked stuff instead of fried foods. It's so much healthier! You can find good books on recipes such as Biggest Loser recipes.
Eat less, move more. I’m tired of the diet rollercoaster I’ve been on for the last decade or so. Recently, I just decided to stop constantly thinking about it so much and just EAT LESS. I can eat whatever I want, just less of it. Only difference is that I try to mix in as many healthy choices as I can, but I don’t beat myself up if I splurge every once in a while. I’ve also been walking a couple of miles after work at least twice a week. And I take the stairs (5 floors) to my office instead of the elevator. I haven’t been on a scale lately (that would mean I’m thinking about it too much) but I can tell that my clothes are fitting better.
Drinking water instead of sodas: 1) it will save you money at restaurants 2) a general rule is that you do not want to drink your calories (100-200 a can) Always try to eat something within an hour from waking up. This supposedly gets your metabolism up, but gets me full til lunch time. I have a box of Kroger brand Active Lifestyle oatmeal that has raisins, apples and nuts with it and is surprisingly good. See if you can count your calories, its just a habit that for everytime I eat a cheeseburger its 400 calories and the average daily is 2000, so that is about 20% of my intake of the day. If 400 calories doesn't sound a lot to you, I suggest going to the gym on the machines and see how long it takes for you to burn 400 calories. It may not be accurate but it still is hard work! These are all the small changes I made, but the beer drinking is not helping!
