The boxed/canned food one is something I forgot. My mom always cooked/baked growing up so we never had things that came out of a box/can other than the occasional campbells soup when sick. Food that came out of a box or can just isn't appealing although I do stock cans of some staples like beans.
My mom "cooked from scratch". She always prided herself on it. But I don't know...preparing a boxed cake mix just does not say "from scratch" to me. I've learned so much since being on my own! Also, the only spices you will find in her pantry are salt, pepper, and cinnamon. And onion comes in flakes and garlic is evil.
I always drink water instead of juices or sugar sweetened beverages. I also always eat a decent breakfast that includes protein every day. I started avoiding artificial sweetners a few years ago too. I eat salad for lunch 6 out of 7 days as well.
My downfall was convenience foods for dinner due to being busy. Now I set the menu every Sunday and pre-chop all ingredients so I can just throw them in the pan when I get home and I don't have to think about it or say it will take too much time.
Edited to add that I drink alcohol, usually wine, less than 4 times a year.
I've always loved fruits and veggies, always cooked with whole foods, and always fed healthy food to my family. (I just ate a lot recreationally around the edges...)
I really love excercising, even though I'd forgotten that for too long, and I'm grateful that I have a lot of sports I enjoy.
I always eat breakfast.
I drink very little alcohol.
I have a decent knowledge of basic nutrition and was raised eating healthy, so I do have old habits to fall back on, even if long buried.
I've been a label reader from a very early age so things I did buy at the store, I have been able to evaluate. I guess that is what happens when you are morbidly obese from an early age and dragged to nutritionists and various doctors.
I ate vegetables growing up, and I prefer meals with vegetables
I love fresh foods
My mom always cooked food from scratch. We never (literally) went out to eat or had fast food brought into the home. Although the foods my mom made were partially unhealthy, I also didn't have to wean myself too much off of a fast food habit (except what I built up living on my own). So, it's natural to me to prepare my food at home and eat whole foods.
I eat breakfast; I can't imagine a day without it.
I am health conscious. I love my body.
I need exercise to feel like myself, which doesn't always make me do it but it gives me incentive.
I've read labels for a long time, so it's second nature to me now.
This is a mental habit: I get excited when I lose weight, and I don't enjoy a week without losing, but I also know it's going to take time and I just have to stick it out. It's not fun but I've pretty much accepted (for the most part), that it won't ALL come off overnight, there are no quick fixes, and desperation doesn't solve anything.
Last edited by beautifulone; 02-07-2010 at 11:42 AM.
1.) Was already eating a good breakfast every day that included oatmeal 5 to 7 days per week
2.) Already LOVE all kinds of fruits & vegs and other "healthy" food. Have been a vegetarian in the past, so already know different and delicious ways to prepare veg & grain dishes.
Which brings me to
3.) Not a heavy meat eater. Already eating lean meats, mostly chicken & fish, once in a while a steak.
4.) Don't like fried foods all that much and NEVER prepared them at home.
5.) I stay out of fast food joints.
6.) I am self employed and work from home so my schedule and ability to prepare foods is very flexible. I could also schedule time to exercise but have not consistently done so (well, rarely did so) in the five years I've worked at home. But I did have a swim schedule which I stuck to for a while, need to start doing this again. Another downside of my home business is that I am able to graze all day long if I allow myself to....have been allowing it, so here I am.
7.) I don't smoke and rarely drink alcohol. My occasional glass of red wine or Manhattan cocktail can be figured in to a healthy eating plan.
8.) After years of dieting and being health conscious, I know by heart the calorie counts & nutritional value of many foods and also know how my body "reacts" to certain foods. I know HOW to lose/maintain weight and be healthy - I just lost my way, badly, in the past few years.
Oh yea, forgot a big one - already in the habit of drinking 64 to 100 ounces of water every day. LOVE my water! Without it, who knows I might be 50 pounds heavier than this, and in crisis from all the sodium I was eating.
I have always loved my veggies and fruits. Have never really understood why people drink soda, water has always been my go to drink. I just have never liked sweet drinks--not even a big fan of juice. If I want sweets, I don't want to drink them I want to eat dessert! I am also a label reader and a purist when it comes to food. Just give me butter or olive oil, not some chemical concoction of low fat stuff. I'd prefer to just eat less of the real stuff! But, that's how I grew up. My dad always gardened and I know what a real tomato should taste like!
Portion control and dessert are my downfalls--well it used to be that way, alot has changed in the last 7 months!
I had broken a candy addiction as of April 2005. I had been eating up to a pound of candy per day when I finally stopped the binging. So when I decided to tackle my weight in April 2009, I wasn't also fighting the binge-monster.
- I haven't been much of a drinker in years, 1-3/year
- I can't stand dark cola drinks
- I have always adored fruits and veggies
- I have always preferred the good stuff when it comes to my carbs (with the exception that I used to want white bread for peanut butter and jelly or honey butter sandwiches).
- I've never been big on fried foods (with the exception of chicken and fish 'n' chips on occasion - still ate more baked chicken and fish than fried though, by a long shot)
- I can't stand much salt, I'd prefer to use herbs and peppers
- I've never been one to beat myself up over my weight or my bad habits
I already liked a lot of vegetables, salads without all of the crap, etc, but I just didn't eat them as much as I should have. Even now, I still don't, but it has improved.
I never liked soda or fast food much, but my hubby got me on it for awhile. It was not hard saying good bye to that!
I actually like water, and the "non-taste" never bothered me. I found it refreshing.
I've always enjoyed cooking healthy food.
Everyone I've talked to about food have always commented on the fact that it looked like I ate really well... but what they didn't know is that I was addicted to sweets and very much overate.
It's a nice change to think about the positive things I already do manage instead of everything I need to work on! Let's see...
I've always had diet pop and fat free milk. Real pop tastes gross to me, yay!
I always eat breakfast.
Pizza and vodka have both started giving me heartburn, so I'm a whole lot less inclined to eat/drink those, without any mental struggle at all.
Vodka is really the only alcohol I ever drink, so due to the above, I've basically quit drinking and don't really miss it.
I don't mind exercising.
I like this idea. I think I'm going to keep a list of my POSITIVE habits around so when I get too down on myself I can read that and remember that I can do some things right.
While I had a ton of bad habits before I started, I had a couple of things going for me:
1. I never drank soda.
2. I didn't eat a ton of fast food (fast food everyday was not one of my bad habits)
3. I never really liked cream-based sauces, really didn't like alfredo sauce.
4. When I started shopping for myself 20 years ago, I realized if I bought a package of cookies, I would immediately eat a package of cookies. So, I hardly ever had tons of snacks in the house.
5. I always loved fruits and vegetables.
6. I cooked dinner a lot.
1)
10) Hate eating before bed. I have always been the type that if I'm hungry and it is close to bed time, I'll go to bed without snacking. I also don't like having food in my bedroom.
11) Never cared for eating at the movies. I go to a movie to see a movie not to eat. Although I have done some of those dinner movie places before as a novelty but even then, not my favorite thing.
I also never eat in my bedroom (crumbs in bed, messy dishes in my room - ack!). And I was always way too cheap to eat at movie theaters. 5.00 for popcorn! No way!
I've learned so much since being on my own! Also, the only spices you will find in her pantry are salt, pepper, and cinnamon. And onion comes in flakes and garlic is evil. 
Let's see...
