[2salads]

Well to keep this short and sweet I am doing very well with my exercise routine (I get about 4.5 to 5 hrs of cardio per week for the past month) but I am NOT doing well with the diet. I am not gaining weight, even lost three or so pounds but I feel like I could be really on track if I could just diet properly. I know what my trigger foods are and have scaled back on those things but I can't seem to eliminate them from my diet. To make things worse I feel like my hubby is gaining weight because of my poor dieting habits. For those of you who count calories or carbs how did you start and is it difficult to devote so much time to it? Also I found that when I grocery shop I go wild on things like eggplant and squash but find that preparing them is time consuming and all this healthy food winds up going bad? I alsofeel like my gym time would be more fun and easier if I wasn't always lethargic from eating so poorly. Any advice?

[Demosthenes]

Make small changes at first and then add more slowly throughout the coming weeks and months. That may work for you.

[munchievictim]

I Also feel like my bf is gaining weight because of my bad habits.
I'm a calorie counter but not getting as much exercise as I need at all. I love calorie counting because it teaches you that you can have anything in moderation, a good lesson for maintenance. I use myfitnesspal, like a lot of people on here.
I also used to over buy produce. I had to realize that the road to waste is paved with good intentions. I want to eat a huge load of vegetables but I inevitably go for the easiest choice, which usually does not involve eggplant, and those lovely vegetables go bad by the time I want to prepare whatever recipe I bought them for. So, I opt for less. I get the produce I know I'll eat every day, like lettuce and apples or bananas, and maybe one eggplant or mango, so it's a treat. Until I eat all the lettuce, tomato and onions (my go to Vegs) that I purchase before they expire, I don't buy anything extra. Unless you have a specific recipe planned, dont buy a lot of vegetables that require time and focus to prepare. In my experience it can be expensive and wasteful. If you're just starting out with calorie counting, just focus on smaller portions of regular food. Revamping your whole diet can be very overwhelming. Don't put a lot of pressure on yourself. Small steps are key! Good luck!
Any tips on getting more exercise in for me?

[Only Me]

An easy way to deal with veggies that otherwise seem hard to prepare is to simply roast them in the oven. Squash and eggplant can be simply cut in half and stuck on a baking sheet cut side down (remove seeds from squash). They could cook while you prepared and ate that night's dinner. When they're cooked, you just scoop out the flesh and mash it up. Eggplant is great pureed with garlic and tahini as a spead or dip. Squash is yummy mashed up too or the puree can be turned into a soup.

Squash and other veggies can also be cut into chunks, tossed with olive oil, salt and spices, and roasted until softish inside and lightly browned on the outside. Good hot or cold.

[Brandis]

When I shop, I only buy a few veggies at a time. One bell pepper, one zucchini, 2 sweet potatoes, one head of broccoli. I wash, cut up and portion out everything when I get home so it's ready to cook when I want it. Sometimes I will steam or sautee a few days' worth of veggies so I can be lazy and just reheat.

[KittyKatFan]

I, too, minimize the number of fresh veggies I buy when I go to the store because I used to do the same thing: buy a lot of healthy fresh veggies and fruits, then watch them go bad.

I keep a stash of frozen veggies in my freezer in case I do eat all of my weekly fresh veggies. I like the 5-lb bags of Birds Eye Normandy blend that I can get from Wal-Mart. It features some of my favorites like yellow squash, but also has nice big florets of broccoli and cauliflower, not the tiny little chopped-up stalks. I