Scared To Eat
 

I didn't know where to put this but I think this is the right section.

They say losing weight is about eating right and exercising.

This Sunday I began my first workout after leading a very inactive life these past few years. :carrot: However, I'm still oblivious to the eating right part. I want/need to lose 100 lbs but I know I won't get there if I'm still eating the foods that got me here in the first place.

What... how... where do I begin? I'm looking at labels and it's confusing because something would be low in calories but then the fat would be high (or at least I think it's high, I really don't know) and the sodium, etc. I just do not know what's healthy or not.

I had one hard boiled egg and a toasted bagel this morning and I feel like that toasted bagel shouldn't have been eaten. I had one hot dog and a bun for lunch and I feel like that was "junk food." :?:

my suggestion, would be to just start counting calories. Log on to one of the food journaling sites. my fitnesspal or dailyplate, there are others, and start keeping track.

Only do one serving of anything (1/2 cup, 1 cup actualy measured), 1/2 of a take out meal, add in fruit in veggies :carrot:, take out the sweets and WHITE grains.

Take it one day at a time, YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!:D

you still have to eat! Based on how tall you are and how old you are and how much you currently weigh, you still have to eat food.
Women: BMR = 655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) - ( 4.7 x age in years )

The general rule is you need to have a deficit of 500 calories a day to lose 1lb a day.

Don't worry about what you have already eaten... just focus on making better choices in your NEXT meal. Don't punish yourself.

I think, for just starting off on dieting, you should try reading as much as you can about losing weight the healthy way. Here is another link to a great resource. If it gets removed-- just google "web md and eating healthy"
http://women.webmd.com/guide/nutriti...to-eat-healthy

Thanks!

I think you meant one pound a week?

I think Akim means to lose a pound a week- not a pound a day.

Not sure what you weigh but say you weigh 200 lbs, that means you need 2000 calories to sustain yourself. To lose weight eating about 75% of that means eating 1500 calories per day.

Weight loss is all about trial and error. For me, I don't eat many carbs because I have insulin resistance. My meals consist of lean proteins and vegetables mostly, then small amounts of complex carbs and even smaller amounts of fruit.

I also try to avoid processed food as much as possible- usually full of sodium.

A few suggestions about eating healthy in order to lose weight here is a to guide you:

fresh vegetables are packed with vitamins and fibers and are low in calories, in that category avoid starchy veg such as potatoes. Frozen veg. are good also but if you buy them in cans rinse them to remove the sodium. Vegetable might be a good way to control your calorie intake.

Fresh fruits are good also but exagerate since they do contain sugar but they are packed with nutriments. Berries are not as sweet as other fruits. Frozen kind with no added sugar are good too. Avoid the canne d one because of thé added sugar.

White bread is to be avoided and should be change for whole grain. Same for rice and pasta. You still need to be eating them in limited quantities because they have lots of calories.

Dairy products, get the low fat version and take it easy with cheese even the low fat is high in calories.

Drink lots of water instead of juice or cola.

Avoid processed meat they are full of chemical and salt and if you have to go for lean turkey.

Fish is an excellent source of protein with barely any fat.

Poultry is also good if eaten without the skin or breading.

You can substitue grounds beef for lean ground turkey.

Mayonaise, ketchup pack a lot of calories.

Good luck on your journey

I forgot I wanted to say do not exagerate with fruits.

For cereal buy them with a high content of fiber and no sugar such as oatmeal.

Eggs are good protein in modération.

You're already making a good start by reading labels. Don't sweat it too much; there are a lot of excellent things to eat that will help you lose weight without losing your mind. :)

If you're counting calories, the thing to look for on the label is just that: calories. (Pay attention to serving sizes, too; companies like to call one muffin two "servings," but c'mon, that's just not honest.) Compare with other foods and you'll see some trends. Higher-calorie foods generally have more grams of fat and/or carbohydrate (including sugar) per serving. They also tend to be more heavily processed foods, so a lot of people have success keeping their calories low just by choosing less processed foods at the grocery store.

Sodium has no effect on fat. It might--key word, might--be a health concern if you have high blood pressure and are salt-sensitive. It will also make you retain fluids in your body tissues, so eating a lot of it might cause your weight to stall--but remember, that's a weight-loss stall, not a fat-loss stall. Some people avoid sodium, others keep an eye on it, and others ignore it; it's up to you and your doctor which thing you do. But one thing it won't do is add fat. Don't feel as though you MUST buy low-sodium stuff. :)

Do you like non-starchy vegetables and fruits at all? I notice that your menu so far doesn't include them. You'll have a much easier time cutting calories if you add plenty of veggies and a fair amount of fruit to your plan. Vegetables pack a very small calorie wallop for their size; you'll feel much fuller if you include at least a serving of vegetables in every meal.

For example, my breakfast today was a two-egg omelet full of spinach, onions, and salsa fresca that we made ourselves (it was really easy and the link shows the recipe). That omelet and the butter/oil combo I used to cook it plus an orange set me back about 280 calories for breakfast--and it was so filling.

Don't be afraid of food. Your body needs it and your mouth enjoys it. Just select foods that are less calorie-dense or that offer you some kind of health benefit. That egg you had this morning was a good choice, and (surprisingly, maybe?) the hot dog wasn't bad either. But the bagel and the bun added little but quickly-digested filler and calories. They aren't "bad" foods--they're just not doing you any favors. There are other choices that'll keep you fuller longer.

Tomorrow you can try replacing the empty carbs with a bowl of high-fiber cereal, oatmeal, or grits for breakfast. You might prefer to make that egg into an omelet. Or try a version of an egg McMuffin: whole-wheat English muffin, a slice of cheese, an egg, and a slice of tomato comes in at around 300 calories (less if you use low-cal cheese, but I love my real cheese). For that hot dog, try it with a whole-wheat bun with onions and peppers or relish as a topping. Or skip the dog and go with a sandwich wrap stuffed with your favorite lean meat(s) and plenty of greenery.

Don't let labels mystify you. It soon becomes second nature to check them. This stuff actually becomes fun once you do it for a while. :D

Glad I signed up. You all are very helpful!

@Nola I am not a fan of veggies but I'll learn to love em! Lol

There's a whole folder here for folks who aren't big fans of vegetables. :) Lots of great suggestions for how to cook them different ways or "hide" them in meals so that you're getting their fiber and nutrients while still eating stuff that's more familiar/palatable to you.

I'm a veggie-lover, but that folder's been a big help for me too. There's a lot more to vegetables than what I usually ate. I never make a meatball or meat loaf that doesn't include at least a few "stealth vegetables" now, so even some old favorites are now lightened up and made more nutritious.