So it has been established that why I am not really losing is because, although I have a fitness program, I don't really have a food program. I have changed my foods up to where I subsititute certain foods with healthier foods, but other than that I have nothing.
Any ideas?
Check out the different plans here - for me counting calories with fitday has worked. It looks like you have a Fitday account already...I like counting calories because I'm kind of a do it yourselfer...but if you want more structure - check out the different plans.
Well, as a newbie to "eating healthier" myself, I can tell you that a fixed 'program' never worked for me. I had to think about what it was that was ruining my health, and causing me to gain weight, and then change that!
For me - it was a combination of fast food, and processed stuff. So -I cut out fast food cold turkey altogether, and I have just worked on substituting better choices, like you're doing. I make smoothies for breakfast, or have an oatmeal cereal bar. I make sure and PLAN ahead, too, and take healthy sandwiches or salads for lunch, and good-carb/protein snacks for inbetween meals. For dinner, it's usually chicken breast fixed some way, or ground white turkey in a pasta or mexican dish. I use whole grain pasta/rice if I do eat those things. I drink 6-8 glasses of water a day, and I TRY to walk at least a mile every day.
All of these things are just good ideas that most every "program" includes somewhere in it. The weight doesn't pour off - but it is steady, and I'm not hungry. Good luck with your search!!
On the other hand, it is entirely possible to gain weight/be fat eating healthy foods. Healthy foods have calories too!
But there are a million plans out there and you'll need to find the one that works best for you. Personally, I like calorie counting. It's incredibly flexible, doesn't 'ban' foods and makes transitioning to maintenance easy and painless. But there are plenty of other options. Shop around the fora here and see what you can learn.
For me, the only thing that "works" is the combination of eating healthy foods plus calorie counting. I need the accountability and portion control that counting my calories gives me and the eating of the healthy foods to keep me satisfied. I get an enormous amount of volume with my calorie allotment through eating the healthy foods.
I'll echo what the others said: find a plan that works for you. I am another calorie counter. Love the flexibility! Along the way I started actively making healthier choices (whole grains, more fruits and veg...), but you don't have to make all the changes at once...
Sometimes, to start, it helps to just keep track of what you are currently eating for a while. That will give you a sense of the calories you typically eat. Then once it's laid out, it gets easier to see how to cut back...
You've got to find what you can stick to. If you're already trying to eat healthier foods (substituting healthier options for unhealthy ones), adding on calorie counting might work well for you...you'd be eating the same healthier options, but keeping an eye on how MUCH you eat as well. That's basically what I did, and it did work...for me and some of the other big losers here.
Ideas for a food program?
