Where to start??? What to eat?

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6/18/12 11:36 A

You have received some wonderful advice here which is helpful to me too. Setting small goals at a time is helpful to me. Once I master one, I set another, etc. Right now I am working on eating more slowly and portion control. I think one helps the other here. Keep walking the way you are, eventually you will see the need to add more fitness. Just concentrate on the eating right now. That would be my suggestion.

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6/18/12 11:23 A

I started by ignoring fitness entirely and focusing just on nutrition. I felt kind of overwhelmed to think about changing everything about my life all at once. After a couple weeks of dealing with nutrition, I then started integrating fitness.

As for the food -- I also added sodium and fiber to my tracker, since those two are sort of the canaries in the coal mine with regard to processed food vs. whole foods. To get enough fiber, you can't really eat junk or processed stuff; and to keep your sodium down, you can't really eat junk or processed stuff. I found that without regard to those two, I could eat within my ranges every day but still be eating a lot of junk and fried stuff; but when I had to pay attention to those as well, it forced me to make healthier choices -- choose the carrots instead of the chips, for example.

It took a month or two for me to be able to get my fiber and sodium in range, but the benefits now are enormous -- I never seem to have a problem keeping my day in the right ranges without even thinking about it. Good luck!

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6/18/12 11:19 A

I was a complete non-cook before I started this - in fact, most of my extra weight came from constantly eating out or buying something packaged and easy from the store. I'd tried healthy eating a few times and felt completely overwhelmed after the first couple days. We're talking actual panic attacks in the kitchen because I was worried that my veggies wouldn't be done at the same time as my chicken.

Small steps were the way to go for me, even though I was tempted to jump right in. If you plant the seeds of a healthy lifestyle, they'll grow; The key is to keep building on those foundation habits. The same thing works for fitness. You don't start off wanting to run a marathon, you build up to it.

For me, the first step was to track. Not to eat perfectly (I'd been bad about only tracking my 'ideal' meals before), but to be aware of what I was eating. Once you start seeing the numbers in front of you and getting a handle on what they really mean, it gets a little easier to make decisions.

The next step was portion control. Once I knew just how many calories were in a large fries at McDonald's, it made it easier to order the small size and bring it down to a reasonable amount. A plate of pasta at home was scary, but if I measured out a cup of it, it fit into my day. I really think that portion control is what gets people more than the actual food itself. Most of us know what healthy food looks like, but healthy portions are another deal. So, if you're having trouble making outright changes right now, work on your portions. Buy a food scale (best purchase ever) and get used to what a proper portion of meat or starchy sides looks like.

After that, I started making substitutions. I weaned myself off of needing dips and sauces for veggies and started appreciating the taste on its own. My husband and I worked more whole grains into our menu and cut back on desserts and treats. I started figuring out how to make my own version of the packaged foods I liked and then playing around with the recipes to make them healthier.

The important thing is that it's still a work in progress and always will be.

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6/18/12 10:45 A

I started by looking for simple substitutes. Like leaving mayo off of a sandwich and having mustard instead. Or using 1% milk instead of 2%, using reduced fat cheese instead of regular, using olive oil for cooking instead of other kinds of oil/grease. (Olive oil has fat but its a healthier fat.) Another area is cutting out (or cutting back) on sweetened/calorie heavy drinks.

I have not cut out meat. Leaner options & portion control are key here though. I weigh my portions - and 3-4 oz of meat is a portion. Eating a smaller portion of meat and more veggies to still feel full.

I have always liked salads, but I have worked to include a greater variety of veggies in my salads and cut back on calories by using lighter dressings, lighter (and less) cheese.

Walking with your son is a good activity to include in your day, but doesn't sound like cardio. A few times a week you should try to do something a bit more. Perhaps walking on your own where you can walk a bit faster. I don't know how old your son is, but he may not be able to go at a cardio-pace. You don't want to be totally winded, should still be able to carry on a conversation but you should feel like you're pushing yourself a bit more than a casual stroll.

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6/18/12 9:59 A

Thanks everyone! Great idea. Putting these ideas into practice this week.

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6/17/12 11:36 P

To be honest, I feel like a lot of it is a guess, test, & revise method. I'd pick one or two habits that you can make changes to, like eating more veggies & fruit, not drinking regular soda, or exercising more, etc. Start with small changes.

In terms of recipes, I know what foods I do like and will try to find healthier recipes using those foods. I try to make a new recipe 2 or 3 times a month and if my husband likes it, I add it to my repertoire. You know what kind of food your family likes and you don't have to stop making it, but look at if there's a healthier way to cook it or substitutions that can be made. Say you make burgers a lot...try turkey burgers on high fiber/low carb buns. Same with salads; look for recipes that utilize some of the foods you know your family likes. If the recipe has an ingredient you've never tried, don't exclude it because then everyone gets to try something new.

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6/17/12 11:29 P

I set a small attainable food goal and a separate fitness goal for myself for the week. Like, the very first thing I did was give up all soda and switch to water. I did water aerobics twice a week at my gym and did a moderate pace walking 5 days/week. At the end of that first week, I rewarded myself with a good book that I had been wanting to read. I also bought "The Spark" on my Kindle and read a chapter a day.

I wrote a positive affirmation and stuck one up every day on my fridge, along with a current picture of myself to remind myself what new healthy lifestyle change I was making. The next week I kept my first weeks' goals and added 2 more, then so on and so forth. I kept a daily food journal and exercise one too. After walking and doing the water stuff for a month, I added Zumba twice a week. Each week when I had accomplished that week's goals plus kept all the previous weeks' goals, I would reward myself with a non-food item.

It has worked great for me. As for cooking for my family, I gradually weaned us off of red meat, fried foods, etc and began to offer more fruits and veggie dishes. I also stopped going to and taking my kids to fast food places. Another goal. I think it is less overwhelming when you start off small and be sure to reward yourself.

Blessings, Michelle

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6/17/12 11:17 P

I do best with small steps. One thing that is often recommended here is to start with drinking and tracking those 8 glasses of water (at least) a day. If you already do that or find that easy to start doing, then start tracking fruits and veggies.

One thing that I've found particularly helpful for myself with a busy family is to have a routine for breakfast and lunch but with some variations. I have a green smoothie every morning at breakfast but vary the fruit that I use in it for different tastes. I also have a light bread and egg for protein. For lunch I always have a salad with protein. What vegetables I put in my salad and what protein I use varies with my mood and with what I have on hand in the refrigerator!

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6/17/12 10:55 P

Hey all. I guess my question is when you all first started changing your diets where did you begin? How did you know salads would taste good,what meals your family would like, or did you eliminate meat? One other thing I'mnot sure about is that I go for walks with my son, but nothing intense just a stroll (about 1.6 miles) should I addsomething more intense or just get used to a new way of eating and then add more physical activity. Really the whole eating thing is overwhelming and hard to figure out. I'm from a place where EVERYTHING is fried and really have no clue on what to do. Any ideas? Thanks in advance

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