What Should I Eat?
So I’ve been exercising a lot, but not eating really well, and I’d like to start figuring that out. I’m not eating a lot of sugar or junk or anything, but I’ve been doing a lot of grazing and feeling unable to make good choices and basically eating a lot of nothing (because I’m afraid of eating the “wrong” thing). I feel absolutely incapable of listening to my body.
This comes to mind because I was reading about the Kate Harding Diet Plan earlier this week, and she talks about this issue:
Teppy points out that the marketing schtick for so many diet programs boils down to, “You can eat what you want! You won’t feel deprived!” Of course that’s a complete load of crap — either you can “eat whatever you want” except for certain foods (Atkins, South Beach), or you can “eat whatever you want” in gerbil-sized, pre-packaged portions (Jenny Craig), or you can “eat whatever you want” and then spend an extra hour at the gym and not eat anything else for the rest of the day in order to stay on your plan (Weight Watchers). But regardless, “We will give you permission — in some limited way — to eat ‘bad’ foods!” is a tremendously effective marketing strategy.
And that’s because so many of us really believe somebody needs to give us permission; simply choosing to eat fatty, sugary food because you feel like it is absolutely not an option. And then somebody also needs to put a limit on that permission, so we won’t go and devour the world. In this culture, most of us never learn to trust our bodies when it comes to eating, and we certainly never learn to trust our desires. Choosing what to eat is a daily battle between good and evil.
I thought more about Kate’s diet plan while walking around the grocery store yesterday. (The idea being, first you have to just allow yourself to eat the world, and then come out the other side realizing you don’t want or need to do that.) But then I realized I wanted to eat cookies, Entenmanns donuts, chocolate pudding, and cheese for dinner, and maybe three weeks before my wedding is not a great time to start this diet plan. (Maybe I will begin at my wedding, with the red velvet white chocolate mousse wedding cake–will the guests mind if I eat all of it myself?) But in the meantime, if I’m not eating the world, and I want to be healthy, what do I eat?
The only nutritionist that springs to mind is kind of crazy. So tell me, healthy and well-adjusted people with normal relationships with food. Do you count calories? Do you mark things off on a food pyramid? Do you just eat what your closest co-workers eat? How do you decide what to eat? If you answer quickly, you might help me decide what to have for lunch.
Posted by mo pie
Filed under: Feel Good Friday, Question
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(Maybe I will begin at my wedding, with the red velvet white chocolate mousse wedding cake–will the guests mind if I eat all of it myself?)
You could always order a second one just for you. (And then maybe a third you could mail to me.)
The only thing I’d say beyond the post in question is that in 3 weeks, you probably couldn’t gain enough to make your dress fit any differently, so screw it. There’s always Spanx. :)
Dude, I bet you already know how to eat and what to eat.
Ask yourself what makes my body feel good when I eat it? What tastes good to me? Will I feel good if I eat an entire cake?
I think it is healthy to eat a variety of foods. It makes sense to balance your nutrients, some protein, some carbs, some fat and nothing that isn’t delicious. Just remember that cake is not the only delicious thing in the world. And as much as it is delicious, you don’t want to spend your wedding with a stomach ache because you ate it all :)
Also, Kate is right if you only eat when you are hungry and stop when you are satisfied I doubt you will gain weight even if all you eat is cake.
It took me a while to be at a point where I can practice what I preach but it feels great to make my own decisions and not follow external rules.
There are some very helpful books/ web sites on this concept. Email me if you want suggestions.
I lost a lot of weight by counting calories and learning to “be present” when I eat. Which, although sounding dopey, basically means that I weigh every meal before I eat it and what it means to me in terms of nutrition, weight and yumminess. It turns out that sometimes I eat very poorly and sometimes I eat very healthfully but rarely do I mindlessly stuff my face (anymore).
It sounds simple – but calories are basic math. If you weight this much and brun this much and can decide what is the best place for you day by day and meal by meal. Besides being a gazillion times healthier, shopping being a lot more fun, I really learned that saying no sometimes made me feel a little stronger about who I am.
calorieking.com was the best help for me!
I love Kate’s description of diet promotional blurb. So true!
Most of the time, my eating looks like this:
1. I eat 3 solid meals a day. Sometimes I have an afternoon snack, and I’ll eat something if I’m dancing for more than an hour, but I try not to snack outside of that.
2. If it’s a fruit or vegetable, it is my friend. Period. I don’t get in a big fuss about how they’re prepared or if they include dressing or whatnot. I just eat plenty of produce.
3. I try to get some protein in every time I eat. It’s not always a ton, a glass of milk or a few nuts will do it. But I don’t eat meals or snacks that are completely devoid of protein… so danishes for breakfast are out… as are meals consisting solely of french fries.
4. I choose whole grain products over refined grain products when I can and try to keep sweets to no more than one a day.
Sometimes I do count calories if I’m steadilly gaining weight or really worn out (i.e. I might not be eating enough), but most of the time I don’t.
Hey, did you ever read Barbara Rolls’s Volumetrics book? Because I think it really addresses this question nicely of how to eat in a way that is healthy and fulfilling. But I think overall the key is to figure out some healthy things, especially fruits and vegetables, that you genuinely like and make sure you get enough of them in to satisfy yourself. A diet based on monotony or eating “diet” foods that don’t really taste good is setting yourself up to feel deprived and is thus not really viable as a long-term eating strategy.
I don’t know if I have the ideal “normal” relationship with food, but my diet now is more healthy and stable than it has ever been before in my life. I lost 175 pounds, and while I gained about 50-60 pounds back (my low weight was NOT maintainable) I’ve maintained a weight loss of more than 100 pounds through really very little conscious effort.
I’m vegetarian, so I do have to scrutinize labels and look at ingredients. I ate Birds Eye Tuscan Vegetables in Herbed Tomato Sauce for three weeks before I finally looked at the label out of boredom and saw it contained chicken fat and broth. Who’d would have thunk it?
Because I’m vegetarian, I probably get well more than the recommended 5 servings a day of vegetables. While I don’t expect to convert you to becoming a full-fledged veggie, I would recommend going meatless at least once a week, even more if you can manage it. There are so many good dishes to make without meat or by using some of the faux meat products out there. And, the faux meat products usually are very high in protein and low in calories and carbohydrates.
I don’t count calories, but as recovering eating disordered, I am always conscious of them. My family used to joke and quiz me on items to see how close I was to the actual calorie content. I’m rarely far-off. But if I want something, I have it because I know if I deprive myself, the desire to have it will only build and build until eventually, not only do I have it, but more of it.
I also drink a lot of water each day. Sometimes people think they’re hungry, but they’re really just thirsty.
Best of luck on your wedding day. I have red velvet cake, but that white chocolate mousse sounds awfully tempting.
Hate red velvet cake, I meant to type. Clumsy fingers!
I eat every 3-4 hours. I make sure to eat 5-10 fruits and vegetables. I try to get some lean protein and whole grains in. It’s all fairly nebulous, really. I often discover that I really only need a small amount of food at a time when I eat frequently.
Sample menu for a day:
8am – peach
10:30am – 100gr yogurt, 1/2c all-bran stirred in
1pm – 2sl wholewheat sourdough bread, 2oz turkey, sprouts, avocado
3:45pm – 1c grape tomatoes
6:30pm – 4oz chicken breast, 1c grilled veggies
9:30pm – sugarfree chocolate pudding, 100cal pb cookie packet (I dip the cookies in the pudding)
If I’m hungrier, I eat more. I generally am not, though.
Ladies, save your well-intended dietary advice because I doubt that Mo Pie really wants to hear it.
Darling, you just go ahead and eat all the red velvet cake, donuts, cookies, chocolate pudding and cheese you want. Because food is about making you feel good, you know?
And just to add to Kate’s suggestion, if there’s only three weeks until your wedding, you won’t be able to lose enough to make your dress fit much differently either. So go ahead and buy the Spanx.
Melanie, I wholeheartedly agree that food is about making you feel good. But red velvet cake, donuts, et al. are unlikely to make you feel good beyond the instant of eating them. And I’m not just talking about calories or pounds or guilt here. The food you eat is one of the greatest determinants of your overall health. The vitamins we get in food help our bodies defend themselves not only against things like common colds, but also diseases like cancer. Your body is your most precious possession. Isn’t it worthwhile to take the time to feed it things that not only taste good, but also help you maintain your health?
Oh yeah, I really do need to get a copy of Volumetrics ; thanks for reminding me to put it in my Amazon cart!
I also like the protein suggestion; it kind of relates to what Rachel was saying, because I really don’t eat much meat at all, and sometimes it’s a challenge to get my protein. (I love fish and I do eat chicken and turkey and tofu.)
Here’s another thing I meant to ask: I’m kind of scared of nuts because they’re so calorie-rich and dense. I love almonds, for instance, but I’m kind of gun-shy of eating them since the Weight Watchers days where it was like, six points per almond. (Not really, obviously) I wonder if I should try portioning out a small amount per day (which is what Ian does with walnuts).
I’m just going to ignore our little pet troll, Melanie. I can’t really read her post, anyway, because there’s frosting on my computer screen from all my donut eating.
Oops, sorry, I didn’t realize what Melanie was implying. Feel free to delete my comment above, Pie!
Heh, that’s okay, Wade. Your post might not apply to Melanie, who scorns logic and is just here to get her hate on, but it’s still a good post!
(Lisa, I’m sorry I deleted your post, but Melanie is so not worth fighting with, even though I appreciate your support. Hopefully she can just do her drive-by and move on. She probably just wants attention, but if so, she’ll have to be slightly less ridiculous. Or more entertaining.)
With regards to nuts, can you add them to something else to get more punch? Like have some yogurt and stir in a tablespoon of slivered almonds and fresh peach? Throw them on top of a salad, that seems pretty common. That way you won’t eat handful after handful but you’re also not eating 5 and feeling deprived.
Do you live anywhere near a Trader Joe’s? They have these roasted, unsalted almonds in bags of single-serving packs and they’re labeled “Just a Handful”. I’ve turned so many people onto these. You can keep them in your desk at work, they’re pre-portioned, and almonds pack a real nutritional punch. I’d also agree with the suggestion to eat a little protein with every meal or snack, helps keep you from getting ravenous.
Oh man, I love Trader Joe’s. I’ve found so many excellent things there. They also have these great prepackaged, low-calorie Indian food meals (I love the eggplant one). Every time I go there I find some new, awesome, healthy thing. But I’ve never seen the almonds, and I’ll look for them! Thanks!
I’ve also been into granola lately and am looking for a good yogurt-granola combo that I can make at home. So I bet TJ’s is a good place for that, too.
My doctor recommended nuts as a snack due to the fact that they’re so protein rich and provide a good energy boost when you’re between meals. This surprised me because like you Moe, I was nut shy myself. They’re okay as long as they’re unsalted.
Mo, you already know what I did to lose 56 pounds (46 in 1991, 10 in 2005). It’s all on my website, anyway. I only counted calories before I started dieting and kept track during the first 21 days. I didn’t exercise, and I haven’t regained an ounce. You will eat whateaver you are in the habit of eating, as we all do. May it go well for you. But for Pete’s sake, don’t even think about dieting until after the wedding.
Omg, I LOVE the pre-packaged Indian meals at Trader Joe’s! I adore Indian food but the husband abhores it so we rarely get it anymore. Not only is the Trader Joe’s stuff great-tasting, it’s half the price of buying it in the restaurant.
I’m particularly fond of pistachios and almonds as snacks. I know one nut brand has started making the 100-calorie pre-packaged bags of nuts like all the other diet junk food out there. Almonds and especially pistachios aren’t all that high in calories, either. Nuts that are high in calories are peanuts, cashews and brazilian nuts all of which have a high fat content also.
Oh, and if I’m in the mood to mindlessly snack… I eat raw green beans. They’re crunchy, taste good and are good for you. Another favorite: sugar-free jelly on rice cakes.
La Wade – thanks for the laugh!
Mo Pie – Volumetrics is a great idea! You should ask Anne about her experience with it. No, wait – I think that’s the last diet she tried before she gave up completely and had WLS. Oh well…
Just to clarify, my goal isn’t to “go on a diet”–I mean “diet” in a neutral way, in the sense that we all have a diet. Nor is it to lose weight. The “eating donuts for dinner” thing was a joke; my body has a really bad reaction to sugar and I can’t eat much of it. But since I’ve been exercising regularly for like six weeks, I’m just trying to develop the next healthy habit, and am curious to know how other people eat, what their philosophies are.
It’s interesting that “healthy eating” is equated with “weight loss”; you can lose weight without eating healthily, and I just want to have good eating habits at whatever weight I am. I know most of you didn’t jump to the “oh, Mo is dieting for her wedding!” conclusion, but I felt I should clarify anyway.
(And Rachel, I love green beans. Totally my favorite vegetable, raw or cooked.)
My eating habits are a lot like thatgirljj’s- Get lots of veggies and fruits, choose wholegrains, and get protein with every meal.
When it comes to sweets, I feel best if I don’t eat much and I balance them with protein and fat. And I don’t eat anything sugary in the morning, or I feel ravenous and bitchy by 11:00.
I also snack on protein between meals if I feel I need it, and that actually helps me make good food choices at mealtime. One or two cheese sticks or some nuts can help me stick with my plan of cooking veggies, tofu, and brown rice, instead of caving and ordering Thai food.
Mo, if you’re trying to break into the nut habit, you could try making your own granola! I like it because I can tailor the quantities of sweetener (I use honey), nuts, and grains, and make it slightly less dense with plain puffed cereal- the kind that comes in plastic bags and has nothing in it besides grain. A lot of store-bought granola has huge quantities of sugar, and tiny little chunks of nuts, and yet it’s often really expensive!
Melanie, I’d love to know, what is your point? “You’re fat, and don’t try to eat healthily because it’s hopeless and you’ll just end up having weight-loss surgery!” I’m not sure if you hate all fat people or just me personally, but we seem unable to win with you, no matter what we do. I know trying to understand your “logic” might be a losing proposition, but I figured I’d give it a shot!
Also (and this is to the non-Melanies who might be confused) Volumetrics isn’t a “diet” but rather a very sensible approach to permanent healthy eating. At least from what I’ve read about it!
I second Swellanor on the making your own granola! I use sasha’s recipe, but I sub molasses for some of the honey because I think it gives it a bit of a heartier flavor.
I can imagine that going very badly, and yet, I want to try it!
It’s really easy. The only things that can go wrong are that a. you burn it, or b. you spill it all over the floor trying to get it off the baking sheet. Both of which I have done, of course.
Mo, since you asked, my point is – Why ask a bunch fat chicks who hang around a fat acceptance blog for dietary advice? As Melissa has already pointed out, “Dude, I bet you already know how to eat and what to eat.”
If you’re really serious about adopting a sensible, long-term approach to healthy eating, I would suggest the South Beach Diet. It has helped many people to improve their bloodwork, get off various medications, feel better and have more energy. In fact, if your body has a bad reaction to too much sugar, you’re already half-way there.
But then, you’ve already (implicitly) dissed the South Beach Diet in your original post, so somehow I think you’ll reject my suggestion.
Okay, well this feels like it might be an actual conversation, so I’m going to go with it.
I’ve done South Beach, and I’m very glad, because it was the reason I learned what an effect sugar has on my body. If I have too much, I can absolutely feel the effects right away. It’s also the way Pasta Queen lost a tremendous amount of weight, and I have a lot of respect for her. I’m definitely not dissing South Beach; if you’ll notice, I was quoting Kate at that point, and she’s the one who mentioned it.
Also, the women who are answering here are not a monolithic “bunch of fat chicks.” I will just use La Wade as an obvious example, since she’s one of my best friends and I see her all the time. She is thin, she’s a runner, she’s an obesity researcher, and she’s been an active participant in this thread. I could name half a dozen more regular readers off the top of my head who are thin, and more posters who may not be “thin” but who eat way more sensibly than I do, who I could learn from. So your assumption is flawed.
OK, I didn’t know all that about La Wade. And I forgot to add that Pasta Queen has had great success with the South Beach Diet. Also, I know you were quoting Kate on South Beach – that’s why I said you were (implicitly) bagging it.
You say you’ve “done” South Beach, but why did you go off it? IMO, it’s one of the best commercial diet plans around, as it’s based on sound dietary principles – whole grains, lots of vegetables, lean protein, legumes, a little fruit, low-fat dairy, a few nuts and natural nut butter, and even wine if you want. What’s not to like?
Yeah, Pasta Queen was one of the other people I was thinking of, as she reads and posts here too.
Well as far as South Beach goes, when I wasn’t paying really close attention, I ended up eating way too much calorie-dense stuff like South Beach ice cream and cheese and whole milk. Basically I was doing it wrong and developing bad habits instead of good ones.
I eat according to my blood type. Hasn’t failed me yet. For instance, because of my particular type I can eat beef with no problem. Chicken, on the other hand, has a very detrimental effect on me. There are foods that are avoids for me and I stay away from them. I truly believe that there are bad foods out there (and ones that you’d never expect to be bad) and my body has responded in very positive ways since cutting out those bad foods.
I don’t eat too many grain products, but when I do it’s never wheat or whole wheat. For me, rice, millet and even oatmeal is a much better choice.
Potatoes are OK for me too, however, if I eat two bags of chips in one day, I’ll be in trouble. So even following this plan, you still can’t go crazy with portions. However, when certain foods are eliminated, insatiable cravings also get eliminated making your diet (by that I mean the way you choose to eat, I hate the word “diet”) that much easier to stick to.
I’ve been eating this way for 4 years now and it is liberating not to beat myself up for not losing weight, especially since I felt I had been starving myself.
Well as far as South Beach goes, when I wasn’t paying really close attention, I ended up eating way too much calorie-dense stuff like South Beach ice cream and cheese and whole milk. Basically I was doing it wrong and developing bad habits instead of good ones.
Heh. That’s why I said “a few” nuts. ;-)
But there’s no reason why, armed with your knowledge about what went wrong before, you can’t go on the Beach again. Just stay away from the processed South Beach foods.
Eating for health and eating for weight loss are two different animals, really. There are plenty of foods that you can eat that are not necessarily conducive to losing weight (avocados, nuts), but are definitely beneficial for your health.
That being said, I am thirding (fourthing?) that you should not be afraid of nuts! They are very good for you, but you want to be sure you have them dry roasted and unsalted (regular roasted nuts are roasted in oil, which adds calories).
I am so not the person to ask how to eat. Today alone I had a donut, a popsicle, an almond croissant, and a piece of chocolate cake. I feel gross and sad and also like I need a whole lot more sugar hits. I know, theoretically, what the “right” way to eat is, and I know that I do feel great when I eat right, but I struggle constantly with these cravings for fat and sugar and junk in general, and then guilt that drives me to eat more…
Anyway, whenever I’ve eaten in a way that makes me feel good, it’s always been getting rid of most processed foods and buying mainly organic. I’ll have yogurt and fruit and cereal for breakfast, a salad with chicken for lunch, and whole-grain pasta with sauce for dinner; snack on fruit during the day. I feel great when I eat like that, but I can’t stick to it, which I think is the absolute hardest part of learning to eat right. I feel like I’m depriving myself, even though I ‘m enjoying everything I eat, and then I get “treats” and start eating a ton of junk and it all goes to pot. Ugh. So now that I’ve totally turned this comment into my own post…
No diet works for everyone- using ‘diet’ in the neutral sense Mo defined earlier.
Why would you keep trying to use the South Beach schtick if that particular schtick didn’t work for you?
I’ve tried a version of South Beach and, like Mo, I learned a lot about how sugar affects me, and what foods make me feel tip top.
But I am not going to pay money on a website, buy lots of recipe books, and eat goddamn quiche cups every day just to stay “on plan”.
It seems like what a lot of people who’ve commented here have offered is a set of simple rules for helping to make good choices that make you feel good, without fucking obsessing about it.
And when I say “feel good” I mean that in the whole body way, like LaWade was saying earlier.
Sheesh.
PS- the “Sheesh” is aimed at Melanie, not superblondgirl!
PPS- I use my Grandma’s granola recipe, which involves wheat germ and peanut butter as well as oats and any seeds/nuts.
One more nugget of granola advice- start with raw rather than toasted nuts- they are less likely to burn!
I simply LOVE the “Just a Handful” almonds from Trader Joe’s! The little prepackages keep me from eating a whole bag or jar at a time (which I could easily do if I’m not paying attention!)
I don’t know if I have a normal, healthy relationship with food yet, but I’m trying my damndest to get there. My dietary philosophy is this: eat as many fruits, veggies and whole grains as I can stand. Ditto with drinking water. Try to eat more fish and soy products. Try to eat less red meat, highly processed and empty-calorie foods. Keep an eye on fat and calories, but don’t let them rule my world. Don’t eat anything I don’t truly enjoy, even if it’s “good for me.” And lastly, on those occasions when I don’t eat healthy, make sure I eat GOOD. If I’m going to indulge myself with pizza, you can bet it’s going to be from the best gourmet pizza shop in town, not Ci Ci’s. And no Twinkies, thank you – I’m having Creme Brulee’. My detours from healthy eating are memorable in their excellence. ;)
Well, I’m pretty fond of pistachios, which like all nuts are high in calories, but are also nutrient rich. I always buy them in the shell. Much harder to eat (not so great for your mani, either).
Almonds in the shell are even worse, that would slow you down some.
This summer, I’ve gotten hooked on fresh cherries which make a good hand to mouth food. I figure if you make a “good” choice 75% percent of the time, you’re way ahead on those bad donut days.
I was going to offer advice, and then I noticed the, ‘normal relationships with food’ bit. How the heck do I know if I have a normal relationship with food? Do I get a certificate? Who has a normal relationship with food these days?!
Tangent question, because I am honestly curious: Can you have a normal relationship with food while counting and limiting the calories you eat? Because, to me, that doesn’t say, ‘I am eating when my body tells me to’, that says, ‘I am eating according to some rules that someone else made up as to how I should eat’.
Anyway…. Er. I’m totally clueless about nutrition, so I just take the easy way out and try to eat as many fruits and vegetables as humanly possible rather than worry about the specifics. Scientific, I know.
I also try to ask myself, ‘if I eat this, how will I feel in the short term? And how will I feel in the long term?’ If the long-term benefit outweighs the short-term one, then I consider it ‘good’ food. If I eat a load of stodgy crap, I’ll suffer for it the next day, wheras eating fruit and veg tends to give me a noticeable increase in energy levels.
It’s funny, since I gave up dieting, I’ve reverted to the way my Mom taught me to eat. I eat in threes: one protein item, one starch, and one veggie. (A nice veggie lasagna does all three at once!) And whatever I want for dessert (usually chocolate).
Hubby and I keep a small selection of each food type around, then just eat whatever we feel like eating/cooking that day.
I grew up on processed foods and candy bars. I lived with a family on a low-fat diet for a year. I spent a year on my own eating Jif and jelly on a bagel and a yogurt for breakfast, one item from Taco Bell for lunch (because I worked there), and macaroni and cheese with broccoli or spaghetti with Ragu for dinner. I lost 50 lbs that year because I didn’t have a car and public transit sucked.
I gained it all back when I moved to a smaller town and wasn’t walking 3-6 hours every day. A few years ago, I tried to lose it all again and started walking 3-4 hours everyday and doing water aerobics on the days I only walked 3 hours. I ate nothing that wasn’t “healthy”. As much as I loved eating a huge variety of whole grains, vegetables, and lean meats and low fat dairy, it drove me nuts to justify every little indulgence, even if it was just one M&M from a bowl in someone’s office while waiting for a meeting.
I don’t really think about what I eat anymore. I gravitate towards foods that make my body feel good because I’ve spent enough years eating that I know I enjoy certain foods for flavor and for the way they make me feel emotionally as well as physically. Mostly I like whole grains and organic vegetables. However, I also LOVE red meat because I’m anemic and it’s the most pleasant way for me to get iron. I also love spinach and raisins for the flavor and the iron.
I don’t deny myself french bread when I want a smoked turkey and swiss sandwich on french bread just because multigrain bread would be better for me. Food nourishes the spirit as well as the body.
When I was only eating healthy foods I made sure that my desserts were mind blowing because they had to be worth it, but one day I realized that I didn’t want a mindblowing dessert. I just wanted a Twinkie because I like Twinkies. So, I had a Twinkie instead of a mindblowinng dessert. I didn’t blow up like a balloon and I didn’t feel like I’d eaten something that “wasn’t worth it”.
To sum this all up, the main thing I know about having a healthy relationship with food is that I know what I like and I know what nourishes my body. For the most part, those things are the same things. When they aren’t, that’s ok because I eat enough variety that the “bad” foods don’t magically cancel out the “good” foods.
Seriously, you can just listen to your body when you eat. Sometimes, you will want to eat your weight in cake or Twinkies, but most of the time, your body is going to want nourishment.
I’m a big fan of water because I actively dislike other drinks, but as long as you are getting plenty of fluids, your hunger is just hunger and it really is ok.
I’m also a big fan of almonds and I never gained weight by eating a few handfuls each day if I fancied them. I don’t tend to eat that many in a day anymore, but it doesn’t make me blow up like a balloon when I do :)
But I am not going to pay money on a website, buy lots of recipe books, and eat goddamn quiche cups every day just to stay “on plan”.
Swellanor, I never suggested that Mo (or anyone else for that matter) pay money on a website, buy lots of recipe books, and eat goddamn quiche cups every day. Anyone can follow the South Beach principles without doing any of those things. There are plenty of websites where you can get the information for free.
Sheesh!
I have to say that I also love Trader Joe’s. I discovered them about a year ago. I love indian food and found that their indian dishes taste as good (if not better) than the ones in my local restaurants.
I love their steel cut oatmeal. Their low fat granola. Their many varieties of nuts (including brazil nuts and hazelnuts).
I LOVE TRADER JOES!
the trick for not eating “bad” foods is not having them at home. if you go too the grocery and buy lots of fruits and vegetables, pasta, rice, and one chocolate. then your set. your going too eat the food that you have at hand. the second is too figure out how the make the food you like to eat more healty. lets say if you like lasagna then you could always make it more healty. I found that if you tweek the recipe you can almost always reduce the amount of calories, this is true for sweet food as well. By making your own sweets you can make them more healty.
And if you build up your muscles you burn more calories while doing absolutly nothing.
Also, Bulk Barn*. I can go in and buy 2 caramels and 2 tootsie rolls and be satisfied. If I had to buy a whole package, I’d eat the whole package eventually. This way it satisfies my want and then it’s gone.
*Or whatever your bulk food stores are called in the states these days. =)
I completely don’t have a normal relationship with food, so I can’t offer any advice about that. But I do want to say that I agree with the posters who have said that, if you’re deciding what to eat based on a plan or what works for someone else’s body, then you’re not really acknowledging your body and its unique needs.
Learning to eat what you want is really hard and I fail regularly, but ultimately, it really is true that the thing that makes you want the donuts and the cookies and the pudding is the deprivation, not the foods themselves. Yes, they’re awesome, but after a day or two of eating only those things? Serious nausea is probably going to set in and you’re going to crave nectarines or a nice hard-boiled egg or some other non-processed kind of food.
I know we’ve been taught not to trust our appetites or our bodies, but the truth is our bodies are not out to destroy us.
I have felt better than ever in my life over the last 6 months. I have also lost about 8 pounds per month, which was not my goal and was a surprise. I don’t count calories. I don’t count carbs. I eat. Quite a lot.
My secret to successful healthy eating is that I “cheat”, but I don’t call it cheating, so I don’t feel bad about it and I don’t have to “go back” to “being good”. I look at my “rules” for healthy eating as “choices” so, while they look severe, I can always say to myself, “It’s my choice. Do I want to make this healthy choice or do I want to choose an unhealthy but highly yummy option?” Sometimes I do the later but, the more I feel like it’s a choice, the more ofter I do the former…
My choices:
*Eat close to the same amount of food at each meal
* Eat 4 times per day plus 1 or 2 snacks (1 before bed — contrary to common wisdom)
* Divide the plate into a half plate portion and 2 quarter plate portions. The half is veggies/fruit. One quarter is protein. The second quarter is complex carbs.
* Eat within an hour of getting up. I usually eat oatmeal with breakfast because it lowers cholesterol and fills me up. But not just oatmeal!
* Eat a meal every 4-5 hours WITHOUT FAIL. Don’t go past the 5 hour mark without eating a MEAL.
* Eat a high fiber snack within an hour of going to bed (like sprouted grain toast with a smear of peanut butter)
* Fresh fruits and veggies (usually organic), followed by frozen, and, if desperate, canned.
* Leaner cuts of meat in about half my past portion size (now about 3-5 oz per meal)
* No white carbs — no baker potatoes (yes to small portions of baby reds, yellows, sweet, yams, etc), no flour, no white rice — and no fake “good for you” carbs (“wheat bread” is a fake “good for you” carb…flour is wheat, even white flour, and “wheat bread” isn’t really any better than white bread… I try to eat sprouted grain breads and other breads made without any flour at all)
* No added sugar and NO HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, which is a chemical your brain doesn’t even recognize as food, so your brain doesn’t create the hormone to tell your body you’re not hungry anymore.
* AT LEAST 64 oz of pure, clean, filtered water (chemical free, including chlorine) consumed throughout the day (I add a bit of lemon or lime juice because I don’t like water…I also add 100% disolvable fiber — 2 or 3T per day)
I have more energy, I sleep better, I think better, and I feel better.
:-) Sorry about writing a novel. I’m nothing if not verbose :-)
Melanie, nobody cares what you think. Apparently, you do have a thick head.