Is there a shopping list of foods, to help adhere to smart healthy eating?

I hear you;walk and walk and walk. get a dog and walk eveyday and you will not belive how healthy you get in one week.You have to start early 7;00am and walk 15 min, the first day then go to 20 min and so on.I live to walk because it is helping me to lose weight and then it keeps me from over eating because of what I see, a healther body a healthy me.I am so happy that I put walking first and tv last in my daily life,if I watch TV I only watch the ( news)DRINK WATER thats 0 calories and good for you.Trust me it works!!!!!

Hello. I was diagnosed with Hashimotos Thyroiditus back in 1999, put on a generic thyroid which almost destroyed my health and sanity after a while, and ballooned my weight to a point that no matter what I did I could not lose the weight.
I pushed and pushed my doctor until he referred me to a specialist...an Endocrinologist who switched me to real cow-thyroid...what a difference...but I still could not take any weight off my over 200 lb large frame. I am only 4' 11" tall! Not good. Not healthy.
Over the years I've tried many diets and have done the research! Finally, my foster mom, who is diabetic, decided to ask me to get together with her and formulate an eating plan and support group over the phone.
Back in March, I weighed 206lbs. In June, today, I am down to 187lbs, feeling well, looking better, and lovin every day!
Here's how I did it (working on writing and publishing a pamphlet on this). 6 meals, increased protein, decreased carbs, cut wayyyyyy down on any sugars (you won't crave it if you stop eating it, I promise), eat what I want but low-sugar or no-sugar varieties, move around on purpose, smile a LOT, think "1/2" or "only 2" of any snack that is high in carbs, I eat fat and don't worry about it cause I'm counting carbs not fat! I did it, am doing it, it works...oh and yeah, drink water as often as you possibly can...put a little instant ice tea flavor in it if you like, but don't use a full serving!

When eating at a buffet, take the smaller plate. If you are going to go for seconds, first drink a full glass of water and then wait ten minutes. The water fills you up and takes the "taste for more" out of your mouth. The wait gives your brain enough time to realize that you have eaten. You might just decide to skip that second trip.

I drink an 8 oz. glass of water with 2 tbsp. of unsweetened cranberry juice and 2 tbsp of hi-Pro Flax seed in the morning, as soon as I get up. Then drink 1 cup of hot water with fresh lemon or Real Lemon. Wait 20 minutes while you do other things, then eat a 1/2 cup of Fiber One (57% fiber) mixed with 1/2 cup of any other cereal ( I prefer Special K, Cheerios, Kashi Lean Protein) with 1 cup soy milk. I might also have a boiled egg and a piece of toast with cinnamon on it. That is a very healthy start to the day. I have been the same weight for 20 yrs.

I have learned to serve my salad dressing on the side and just dip my fork into it before picking up the salad. My lips get a "taste" of dressing with each bite but I am not consuming all those calories as if the dressing were poured onto the salad.

If you are doing everything right... consult your doctor. My entire life I've weighed in at about 115 lbs. Recently the weight and inches really started to increase. I changed my diet. I ate 6 small meals a day and included some protien in each. I increased my excercise from 3 to 5 days a week and... gained another 15 pounds in the 3 months following these changes.

Upon consulting with my doctor, I discovered that I had a thyroid disorder and that no amount of calorie counting or excercise would have allowed for the weight reduction that I was looking for.

Gail, your diet sounds wholesome but we lose some digestive capability with age. Maybe try some digestive enzymes when you eat veggies and some probiotics (Shaklee makes some that are time-released to get past the stomach acids) to build up the good gut bacteria.

It is helpful to reach for your toothbrush when a snack attack hits you...the taste of your toothpaste can be enough to curb that impulse to eat "wrong" stuff.

Im 49 I have a belly like my dads short semi big chest am i stuck with this build or can i lose my belly i have been exersizing and just started lifting weights.I hope i can keep going and not fade away like usual.3 and 4 miles on the tread meal should start paying off but i want it now any tips

Half your salad dressing with water. It coats your salad more thoroughly and you end up eating half as much dressing. Better yet, use an oil-free salsa instead.

i eat lean cuts of beef and poultry. you can reduce the fat content further by cooking the meats/lunch meat and then pouring hot water over the meat in a bowl and lightly pressing down on the meat with a fork before draining the water off. it raelly can remove a lot of the fat but does not make a major change in the taste of the meat-works great with hamburger.

I am eating healthy foods 98% if the time now, but I drink about 3 glasses of red wine in the evening. I work out over 30 minutes per day, am not overweight 6' 0", and weight about 188. I would like to get down to 180 pounds.

I eat a light breakfast of nuts, a diet bar and or fruit. I do not eat hardly any red meat, and eat lots of vegatables.
Thanks

good read and great information will bookmark thanks!

good read and great information will bookmark thanks!

Several months ago, at age 56, I started trying to lose weight in earnest. I have managed to lose over 30 pounds (so far) by doing something very simple, if somewhat tedious---I keep an HONEST food journal. Everything I eat, even if it's only a couple of chocolate chips, gets written down. It's a LOT easier to see where the problems are if you have a record, and having to write it down makes you think twice about sticking it in your mouth. I try to keep track of calories as well as possible by using internet sources. (Allrecipes.com is great for trying to decipher the number of calories in a bit of dessert tried at a friend's house or a potluck. It helps figure out recipes by knowing some of the ingredients and gives calories/serving for most recipes.) The other thing I do is not try to eliminate completely the foods I really enjoy, but have just a small amount so I'm not tempted to chuck the whole "diet" and binge. Just a few bites is usually enough to do the trick. And, yes, I, too, have one small piece of dark chocolate a day.
Now, I just need to add an exercise program to keep losing. (I've been losing about 2 1/2 pounds a month so far without exercise.)

Just eat more balanced meals, watch portion sizes and exercise 3 days a week and you will lose 10 pounds in 2 months or less.

Great article for someone getting started in losing weight. These are easy tips!

I use a dessert plate to watch my portion control intake. It has made a difference for me. I use this plate at dinner time so I don't go over board.

I have a terrible time with the artificial sweetners, splenda, etc and especially, the sorbitol and the malitol. Oh my gosh, it makes me run to the bathroom about 1 hour after. I can't touch that stuff but I've found it in so many of our food products. I now make it a point to read all the labels when I shop.

cool :)

i cut down my sugar and caloric beverages everyday and lost quite a lot of weight without even realising it. i drank 20 minutes after each meal (that's 20 mins after 1/2 - 1 hour sitting at the canteen eating and enjoying whatever show on tv) and drinking 20 mins after meal means i only have plain water available in my room and no sugary drinks or sodas in front of me (i lived in a hostel). it helped me a lot. and i drink water (1 - 2 cups) when i feel like snacking. i learned to eat 1 - 2 pcs of cookies instead of finishing a whole pack (less than 1 serving size stated on the label) and i eat choc everyday (and people thought i lied when i said i eat choc everyday and lose weight). dark choc is extremely good but sometimes i love having milk choc or choc cookies. eat a piece a day, two or three for special occasion or extreme craving (rarely happen coz i eat it everyday) avoiding them totally only makes me eat a lot of them the next time i can get my hands on them. and i estimate my calorie intake the moment i scoop rice on my plate. round them up if i have doubts. a few months back i lost a few kg (was a little on the overweight side and went to normal weight) and people were wondering if i got sick or anything coz i became a lot thinner than what they remembered and i had to buy a new pair of jeans and ditch my 5 month old one. oh, another one i learned: stock "good" food in the room. if i want to munch on something i have crackers and bread and some 3-in-1 cereal drink and some instant coffee and soup on occasions. no chips in the locker. if i want some i can buy those small packs (or even the big one) from the shop and know i just burned some calories trying to get them before munching them down (same with soda, and no soda + chips combo) a few calories burned from the walk is better than grabbing the chips from the locker, sit down and munch the whole pack alone. eat some, save the rest for tomorrow

Great info. Recently, I have been making a salad using kale and shredded red cabbage. Other salad stuff, of course, can be added. I also put a couple of spoonfuls of pepitas on top. On the side I make a dressing of red wine vinegar, grapeseed oil, a seasoning called Foxpoint from Penzy's. This is very filling and also delicious.

I found that if I just can't stop snacking or eatting I found a good way to stop. I brush my teeth and then rinse with listerine. You bet anything you think of eatting, say chocolate is not going to taste as good......

I bought a watter cooler and always have plenty of refreshing cool water on hand. I refill the jug from the faucet and it tastes better than the same water from the tap. I don't drink sodas anymore.

What a fantastic, informative post. Who would have thought cutting out 100 calories could be so easy! It's the simple things and the obvious things that we miss sometimes! I lost 90 pounds in six months and have been able to keep it off for the last ten years by exercise (even a simple thing like walking or taking the stairs instead of the escalator counts as exercise and helps) and taking out refined sugar and refined carbohydrates and replacing them with complex carbohydrates, lean protein, lots of water. At first I weighed and measured everything but then, as this became a lifestyle change, I began eating this way because I love it and got used to knowing what a 4 oz piece of protein looked like. Anyway, I loved your post and ideas.

For better portion control, just use a smaller plate. Instead of using one of the large dinner plates, use the smaller dishes (ours are about 6" diameter). Put the larger dinner plates somewhere less convenient -- ours are in the basement. This way you can fill your smaller plate and trick yourself into thinking you're eating a lot because you don't see as much empty space on the plate as you would on the larger dinner plate. Also, for eating out, either split a meal with someone or just order an appetizer for your meal (not the sampler platter!!! unless you are splitting this as your meal). Drink water with your meals. If you find yourself sitting for a large portion of the day, sit on an excercise ball instead of a chair whenever possible. You are less likely to slouch and you will be working your core muscles without even realizing it.

I eat loads of salads (dark green leafy, not ice Berg)slivers of carrot,broccoli,radiccicho, dark red kidney beans (rinsed well) 1 tbsp Olive Oil--that's it--that makes a big bowl and is normally my supper and believe me it fills me up. Sometimes I have Lipton Noodle Soup with a few oyster crackers--no red meat, sometimes chicken or lean pork

Everyone is posting that they use lowfat yogurt, and lowfat, and skim milk. Recently the newspapers and health experts have expressed concern over these products. They have been shown to cause prostate and breast cancer, and other type cancers. Also the added ingredients in yogurt to make it lowfat and low sugar is usually some sort of chemical, such as aspartame, or splenda, which has been proven to be very bad for you. Instead go for organic milk and yogurt. Go for the milk that is only pasturized not homogenized.

proper food combining makes your body work like it's supposed to: fruit alone, dense proteins (including avocados, nuts & seeds) with green veggies, dense starches (includes corn) with green veggies; don't combine acid fruits with sweet fruits (ie - citrus with banana), melons alone, water 15 minutes before a meal, most fluids by themselves. it might take a while to get used to, but it works without having to cut out a lot of stuff you like. your alkaline body will love you for it.

I've lost 40 lbs. in 5 months by working out (running 30 minutes) and toning (30 minutes of machine weights). My diet now includes smaller portions, no soda, 12 oz. glass of mixed home-made vegetable juice daily. The juicing is the key to keeping the weight off, lowering cholestrol, lowering blood pressure and sugar levels. Oh, when possible, use organic vegetables.

Ah for the days of just doing more to lose weight. Up till the time I was 50 or so it was easy. I'd work and exercise a little harder and that would curb my appetite. Now I'm 66, been thru mentalpause and stamina, back problems and stocky build have put me in a place I don't like. My stomach gets in the way where in the past it was the thinnest part of my body. And with IBS I can't just eat veggies and fruits as it causes very severe trauma to my daily bathroom visits. I love all the suggestions, I try to eat healthy, have a garden that supplies lots of fresh veggies in the summer, have never been a soda drinker and might visit Mickey D's once a month, my alcohol consumption is probably in the same catagory. I wish it were as easy as all these comments suggest and as it was in the past, but I have now given up the fight and just hope it doesn't get any worse. I accept who I am and do the best I can with what I've got.

I lost over 35 pounds in a year, because I ate half of what I used to eat, about 1200 calories a day for one year. I did measure and weigh until I could tell by looking, and so this is an old story. Cut down your calories and you will lose weight.

I used to come home from work and drink one or two glasses of white wine before and during dinner. Now I have found that a glass of tonic water with crushed ice and a twist of lemon or lime satisfies my ritual, and has far less calories.

I don't know how many calories I've cut out, but I've lost 20 pounds in six months by not watching t.v.
T.V. and snacking just go together. Instead, my husband and I might have a bonfire or go for a walk or play Scrabble or practice our guitar and banjo or visit with family and friends or read. Bonus, our minds aren't filled with that stuff that passes for entertainment and no commercials!

I don't know how many calories I've cut out, but I've lost 20 pounds in six months by not watching t.v.
T.V. and snacking just go together. Instead, my husband and I might have a bonfire or go for a walk or play Scrabble or practice our guitar and banjo or visit with family and friends or read. Bonus, our minds aren't filled with that stuff that passes for entertainment and no commercials!

I always have porridge made with water with fruit for breakfast and I find that stops me snacking before lunch. Some days I don't even feel hungry at lunch-time, so again only have some fruit. To control my weight I have also cut out all spreads (even low fat!) and cheese and only use semi-skimmed milk. If you mainly eat high carb food it fills you up and you can then resist all the puds etc. This may sound a very strict regime, but it isn't and your body soon gets used to not having sweet things. Fruit is a tasty replacement.

Stop eating fast food from McD, Wendy's and the like. That will significantly reduce your fat and calorie content without really trying very hard. Believe it or not 7-11 has great fresh alternatives like salads and fresh sandwiches at the right portion size. If you have to eat something sweet then find a place that has small cookies, not ones the size of your face. Only eat one! This will satisfy your sweet tooth. and make it

My husband and I started doing this as a way to watch our food budget but it works great to save time and watch your portions. We bought a large roast, pork loin and family size packages of chicken and grilled it all in 2 days. Then we divided it up into ziplock bags and put them in the freezer. Now we grab one bag of meat for dinner and make a vegetable and sometimes a grain. No big cleanup, short prep time and not as much food in front of us at one time. We are both food fans and the more we see the more we eat;). So far it has helped.

I have found that the closer your food is to its natural state the more nutrition it has and the better it tastes. The more your food is prossessed, the less nutrition and more empty calories it has not to mention added salt and chemical preservatives.
Most of the boxed and bagged foods, you can't even tell ehat it is supposed to taste like, all you taste is fat,salt, and preservatives.

Rose - I think you got it right. this is the thing that has worked for me. I am happy, I don't feel deprived, I have lost 37 pounds and still going. Thanks for your post. ...I've lost 190 lbs over 5 years...it took longer than that to put it on. The first thing I did was to leave something on my plate. I drank more water and continued to eat whatever I wanted, just in smaller portions. One less piece of fried chicken, don't eat the whole whopper (make sure you order it with less mayo) don't be afraid to leave those french fries till last, they get cold and it's easier to leave them on the plate. I did watch my fat intake and walk further each time. I parked a few spaces away from the store each time I shopped, took the last space in the lot by the time I was in my 2nd year. After a while you will find yourself not ordering the fat meal, and automatically eating smaller portions or substituting salads and baked potatoes instead of fries each time. Realistically, it's a lot easier to lose a few pounds so make that your goal instead of trying to lose 40 or 50 lbs. Go for the 5 and then another 10 maybe. Just remember the sooner you start the sooner you'll lose and if you fall off it doesn't matter because you aren't dieting you're learning to eat smarter, you're not working out you're just adding a few steps. Most of all keep in mind you're not doing it for anyone else, you're doing it for yourself.
Posted by: Rose | January 15, 2008 at 04:30 PM

This is too easy....When we dine out we get one meal and split it. So they look at us funny so what they are the ones carrying the extra weight not us.
We also never I mean never get dessert or appetizers. We also walk twice a day and do a mile each time.

This is too easy....When we dine out we get one meal and split it. So they look at us funny so what they are the ones carrying the extra weight not us.
We also never I mean never get dessert or appetizers. We also walk twice a day and do a mile each time.

Maybe this not exactly what I should write regarding the "Cut Out About 100 Calories a Day", but instead of using any of the tips above, I just work out a little bit longer in order to have the food I want without feeling guilty. It has been working for me.

There are more nutrition and diet philosophies around then there are grains of sand in the Sahara desert. Good sense (I won’t use the term common sense because it is far from common) dictates that if you want to loose inches (more important then weight) you need to reduce intake and/ or increase out go; in other words eat fewer and burn more calories.
One tip almost everyone has heard is drink one less sugary soda or juice each day; what no one has ever suggested is to replace that drink with twice as much water; you’ll hydrate yourself and fill your stomach at the same time. With any luck, after at least one trip to the bathroom, you may decide that you don’t want that soda or juice after all. And of course; all of these tips are easier said than done.

I hate this advice and all other similar advice on how to "cut calories"; it is totally useless as far as I'm concerned. I mean, if I cut out 100 calories using one of these methods, how would I know that I'm not making up for those 100 calories (and then some) somewhere else? Cutting calories is not helpful unless you are counting calories. It doesn't matter how many calories you eat in a single serving of something, only how many you eat over the course of a day; by this ridiculous "calorie cutting" logic it's better to spread your toast with a tablespoon of Nutella than two tablespoons of peanut butter. Many of the calorie-cutting suggestions here would probably backfire because they suggest cutting out foods that actually keep your appetite under control. Appetite control is more helpful than a half-effort at calorie-counting, which is why I try to eat lots of protein for breakfast on days when I can't count calories.

Drink water and eat dry cereal instead of adding milk.

Clo

Great tips all, try these,lettuce leaves for burger bun,sm tsp low fat cottage cheese for salad dressing and frozen grapes(this ones really good for those sugar cravings)
good luck

If you are doing all the right stuff and the tire aroung the middle is growing, it may be time to seek help. The CDID has a list of doctors in the USA that do functional medicine. They will test your hormones, etc and come up with a personalized holistic treatment method. I have seen people's lives change drastically with this added help,the increase in health (yes, weight loss) is dramatic. Very helpful with menopausal symptoms.

Ya know, I eat nutritiously, half portions, immensely physically active, etc., yet I'm 5'4", 51 years and my weight keeps creeping up. I am currently 138 lbs. I know that mentalpause is wreaking havoc on my body, but I'm really tired of this rapidly developing tire around my girth. What gives?

Why not try to eat the way the French do? More than half of Americans are overweight and obesity is rare in France -and so is snacking. In France snacking is uncommon and frowned upon. Proper eating habits, exercise and drinking plenty of water is a safer and healthier way to go.

You're not supposed to wait until you're hungry to eat. If your stomach gets to the point where it's growling, your body feels starved and your metabolism will slow down to accomodate the lack of food. Eating small amounts every few hours will keep your metabolism moving at a more rapid pace.