What you used to do and what you do now. A little peek at how our thinking about food has or hasn't changed. After breakfast, lunch, and dinner feel free to share you own.

Copy and paste
Breakfast
Then:
Now:

Lunch
Then:
Now:

Dinner
Then:
Now:

Mine
Breakfast
Then: Coffee
Now: Organic oatmeal or cereal...and COFFEE.

Lunch
Then: Fast Food, whatever I was in the mood for
Now: Take a lunch, usually salad or soup

Dinner
Then: Assortment of pasta dishes and many fried items or delivery
Now: Lots of salads, still some pasta (whole wheat), vegetarian dishes like veggie pitas and couscous.

When the kids are screaming and I got little to no sleep the night before :
Then: Java Chip Starbucks Icecream
Now: I deliberate and am "tending" to walk of my frustration or take in a spoonful of peanut butter.

When I am in the car driving and I am starving!!
Then: Whopper...and fries
Now: I bring a lunch and avoid the whole "starving" scenario

When I go out to eat
Then: Usually a bowl of fettucini alfredo with chicken or a mushroom burger, the side is 90% of the time a starch like mashed potatoes or french fries
Now: Nothing fried, lately I been having vegetarian meals when I go out to eat.

When we go out to eat pizza
Then: Meat lovers, or a barbecue chicken pizza (cheese pizza for kids) plus a side of ranch dressing.
Now: No pizza, if I get the kids pizza I will take a bite or pick off the veggies. I haven't found a suitable replacement in this situation.

When my husband starts a fight with me about not changing the oil in the car.
Then: One spoon, one bowl, lots of ice cream
Now: I change the oil in the car

Right after a paycheck
Then: Think of the first place to go out to eat. Hmm, Indian Palace maybe...Shall I eat the Saag Paneer with or without an appetizer? With With!
Now: Wake up early on Saturday to go to the farmers market and pick up groceries for my planned weekly meals.

When I am thirsty
Then: Dr. Pepper or an Americano
Now: Diet Dr. Pepper or an Americano or sometimes a bottle of water. The bottle of water is not often enough I assure you.

Okay, now your turn.............

Boy, we seem to have a lot of Kansans on the board. Or is that me just noticing the Kansans? I LOVE Lawrence by the way. It was my favorite place to go when I ditched school

Okay, since, I started my journey over a year ago, and I have a terrible memory, I'll do my best.


Breakfast
Then: NOTHING, ever
Now: Bran flakes or a banana, coffee

Lunch
Then: Sandwich with cheese, hot pockets or pizza rolls (microwavable CRAP)chips or fries ~ chocolate or something sweet for dessert,
Now: Frozen meal (I'm still lazy) ~ healthy choice, lean cuisine, etc . . . dessert: apple or grapefruit/oranges

Dinner
Then: usually ALWAYS fast food: a combo of Taco Bell & Mcdonalds or Taco Bell and Wendy's (and yes, sometimes all 3) I'd get either a chicken sandwich, large fries, a double cheeseburger, a hard and soft taco ~ or chicken nuggets, JR. bacon cheeseburger, large fries and a hard and soft taco and for dessert, either 2 apple pies (from McD's) OR I'd stop off and get a jumbo chocolate chip cookie or my favorite, a jumbo chocolate chip muffin. And ice cream made it in a few times a week.
Now: vegatables, usually in stir fry form and protein, usually chicken or tuna ~ for dessert : a protein bar (usually chocolate)

When I go out to eat
Then: A chicken sandwich (fried) or a cheeseburger and fries, chinese buffet
Now: SALAD, 9 times out of 10

When I am thirsty:
Then: Vanilla Coke (LOVED it, had to have it EVERY DAY)
Now: water, Coke Zero (LOVE it, have to have it EVERY DAY), I actually didn't like diet vanilla coke. Sometimes I'd like to have a vanilla coke, but I don't even think they make it anymore.

Snacks:
Then: Chips (WHOLE bag of Taco doritos was VERY common), ice cream, 3 candy bars (yes at once), butter microwave popcorn, cookies, candy, poptarts, pudding.
Now: FRUIT, carrots, celery (w/reduced fat cream cheese), peas, yogurt, tomato in a whole wheat pita, 97% fat free microwave popcorn, weight watchers chocolate treats.

Harpo, I live about 20 miles away from you! In St. Joseph, MO. We were actually just looking at houses in Leavenworth recently.

Breakfast
Then: Nothing. Maybe the occasional latte.
Now: Slice of whole wheat toast w/peanut butter, south beach diet cereal, coffee or tea. Yogurt. Not all at once, though.

Lunch
Then: Whatever's around. Usually leftovers covered in cheese and microwaved.
Now: Maybe a salad, chicken breast, nice fresh fruits and veggies.
Dinner
Then: Spaghetti, Macaroni, Cheese burgers and baked potatoes...anything starchy and cheesy.
Now: If I have pasta, it's a very small serving with more sauce than pasta. Stir fry, grilled veggies, chicken, sometimes fish...don't much care for fish. If I have dessert, it's melon or strawberries...some kind of sweet fruit.

When I go out to eat
Then: Chinese, burgers...fatty foods.
Now: try not to. When we do, I try to keep it to veggie stuff...and chicken.

When I am thirsty:
Then: Diet Coke
Now: WATER! Iced teas (Usually peppermint or berry.)

Snacks:
Then: Buttery microwave popcorn, cheese, crackers and meat, chocolate, cookies, chips and salsa with cheese melted into it, ice cream.
Now: Granola bars, fruit, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes.

When I want to eat out of boredom:
Then: Cheese, cereal, snack cakes.
Now: A big mug of peppermint tea.

Guilty pleasure foods:
Then: Potatoes in any form.
Now: Smoothies made from fruit, juice and yogurt.

Okay, I am just going to keep adding to mine. I missed snack! What was I thinking

Snack
Then: Lays with french onion dip. Oreo's. Ice Cream with the works. Homemade choc chip cookies.
Now: Olives, a little cheese, rice crackers, trail mix bar, plain popcorn, cucumber slices with lime and chile powder.

When I go to the movie theatre
Then: Largest popcorn with butter and drink and a bag of some chocolate like snickers.
Now: I sneak in bottled water. No popcorn but I may get a bag of twizzlers.

When I am depressed
Then: This is definetly when I splurge on take out, usually Applebees.
Now: I don't know I haven't been depressed yet, I was borderline when I started this diet because my energy level sucked. Now that the energy is under control I am not feeling the depression.

PMS week, come on ladies what do we crave!!!
Then: Chocolate of course and pizza or anything greasy
Now: I still eat the chocolate just one piece at a time. I've only been on this diet for almost a month but this past time I got a burger...no fries and no pop. I had one day of cravings which beats the usual week so I think it was a success.

When I'm pregnant
Then: EGGS, my husband new I was pregnant the second time when I asked the waitress to replace the sausage with extra over medium cooked eggs. I also aquired a taste for green olives which I used to hate.
Now: There IS NOT a now nor will there be an "in the future:", I'm done! BUT, if I were I'd have my eggs boiled or poached.

This is the whole point, see where you have been and where you are now. We all have the YIKES about our past (or current) food choices.

LOL Shout Outs:
vilandra 485 "Yes, you guessed it...McDonalds burgers", and "Full calorie Iced Tea, pop, pop, pop, pop, fruit juice, and some water" I laughed very hard at yours it sounds a lot like me.

AmberKay "leftovers covered in cheese" wow!
Harpo "hot pockets or pizza rolls (microwavable CRAP)" I haven't had a hot pocket since I was in highschool! How about microwaveable pot pie, yeah that's right I like it!

Ok, lets see.

Then:

Breakfast: either nothing, or a bacon/sausage bisquit, maybe a fried egg sandwich.

Lunch: Fast food. Use your imagination.

Dinner: Either fast food again, or what ever I prepared at home for the family. 4 nights out of 7 it was fast food. I'm a working mom, somtimes its just easier. I still get fast food for them, but not nearly as often. maybe 2 times a week now. but none for me.

After Dinner, before bed: Some kind of sweet. Usually cookies and milk. a handfull of oreo's or chips ahoy chocolate chunk. or a fudgecicle.

Now:

Breakfast: Plain unsweetend oatmeal. No milk, no sugar, no fruit (i dont like sweet fruity cereals, yuk.) I add a little fake butter, some salt a pepper to taste. Sometimes, I'll have a South Beach Diet breakfast burrito.

Lunch: either a Lean Cuisine, or a fruit cup with FF Cinamon Graham crackers. If I have the fruit cup, then generally a couple of hours later, I'll have something else, like some lean turkey.

Dinner: Usually something made with lean chicken breast. I get those at walmart called "Pilgrims Pride" and they are only 110 calories for each piece. sometimes i'll make a chicken burrito with whole wheat tortillas and salsa with FF cheese. Sometimes its a chicken sandwich. Or I'll have turkey the same way. I always back it up with something like fresh asparagus, or broccoli, or mixed veggies like green peas and carrots. I've also discovered turkey burgers. they are really good to, on a whole wheat burger bun with lots of lettuce and a slice of FF cheese, and Lite Mayo.

One of my worst habits is Dr. Pepper. Before, I could down a 6-pack during the day. sometimes more. For years that's the only "liquid" i ever consumed. Once I realized how many calories i added to my diet with this much soda, I freaked. Now, I have to admit, that (to me) diet soda is the absolute foulest, most disgusting tasting thing, man has ever invented. when they say it doesnt taste like diet soda, they LIE! So I had to make a decision. Give up the soda, or switch to diet. switching to diet was just not an option. and honestly, i do NOT know how you guys drink this..this..stuff. UGH! SO! I compromised. I still drink regular Dr. Pepper, but I limit myself to only one a day, in the morning. Sometimes I'll have two on the weekend days. but they get figured into Fitday, like everything else.

Breakfast
Then: Nothing, or maybe a starbucks or a McDonald's meal.
Now: Generally Wheetabix or AllBran with 2% milk and some fruit. Sometimes I still have the McDonald's meal while I'm in a hurry.

Lunch
Then: Fast food. Chicken nuggest, pizza, soda...
Now: A deli sandwich and fat free milk.

Dinner
Then: A huge plate of spaghetti smothered in butter, with cheesy bread.
Now: A small portion of spaghetti, chicken breast, and some steamed/stir fried veggies.

Breakfast
Then: Nothing
Now:Yogurt and fruit or Veggie omelet with a piece of bacon

Lunch
Then: fast food burger and fries, supersized, diet coke
Now: last night leftovers or a casserole with lots of veggies that I premade for the week with a salad, water

Dinner
Then: chicken nuggets, hamburgers, with a boxed pasta or rice side dish, rolls, potatoes, or maybe a real veggie (but not very often), diet coke, pizza at least once a week
Now: small salad, more chicken or fish than in the past, always 2 other veggies in addition to the salad. Usually water to drink, occasionally a diet coke for a treat.

Snacks:
Then: Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice cream with choc. syrup and maybe a butterfinger crushed in it. Chips, cookies, just junk
Now: fruit, peanut butter, cheese cubes

I still eat a lot of volume. If you saw my plate at dinner last night, for example, you would have thought, what a lot of food. But 3/4 of it was filled with veggies, so I can get lots of food for not a lot of calories.

Breakfast
Then: Nothing
Now: Skim milk (I can't eat in the morning)

Lunch
Then: Usually McDonald's or some other fast food or whatever little feast I could dig up for myself around the house.
Now: It varies. I eat quite a bit of the calorie-controlled meals (Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice, Smart Ones, etc.) but some days I'll fix myself something really yummy, like baked fish or zucchini or eggplant or some other type of veggie dish.

Dinner
Then: Whatever I was in the mood for. But it was always something deep-fried, fried in oil, or covered in sauces. And HUGE portions. I'd also eat again late at night before bed. Not just a small snack, I'd make myself casseroles and sit and eat the whole thing. I still eat late at night, it's just something healthy now and within my calorie allowance for the day.
Now: Lean meats, veggies, everything is low fat and calorie-controlled. I weigh and measure everything.

Here's my changes

Breakfast
Then: coffee
Now: coffee or tea with oatmeal and fruit, or with yogurt and fruit, or with eggs and fruit, sometimes with whole wheat toast and fruit

Lunch
Then: leftovers from whatever the previous night's dinner was (see Dinner then below) or fast food
Now: yogurt and fruit (lots of fruit all mixed up then I pour the yogurt on top--sometimes I add 1/4 cup of granola, too). Sometimes a sandwich with lean meat, no cheese, fat free mayo and mustard. Sometimes leftover salad.

Dinner
Then: casserole of the day and canned green beans. The casserole was always homemade--chicken and dumplings, macaroni and cheese with ham, etc. OR Mexican or Italian (chimichungas dressed with sour cream and tomatoes, black olives and green onions, spanish rice, refried beans or pasta, or spaghetti or ravioloi with bread sticks and green beans, or meatball sandwhiches with a small side salad).
Now: 3 ounces lean meat (fish or chicken mainly) 1/2 cup brown rice (sometimes cooked with chicken broth for added flavor) steamed vegetables OR a big salad--family favorites of chicken caesar (I use only lemon juice for dressing) or a chicken santa fe salad with corn, black beans, green onions, tomatoes and lots of romaine lettuce

Snacks
Then: cookies, crackers, candy, whatever was handy
Now: nuts, fruit, sometimes a Hershey's mini dark chocolate

Drinks
Then: diet sodas throughout the day and wine in the evening
Now: water, water and more water and then wine in the evening (there are just some things I can't give up!)

I still allow myself an indulgent meal every now and then--the kids really appreciate it! We still go out to dinner once in a while, but my choices there are healthier. Weekend lunches still stray toward fast food, but on occasion I'll have my usual weekday lunch while everyone else does fast food--then I'll snag a few fries so I don't feel a craving. Everything in moderation is a good mantra.

Breakfast
Then: cranberry walnut muffin, venti caramel latte with whip (about 1000 calories)
Now: 2 pieces of whole grain toast, natural peanut butter

Lunch
Then: The cafeteria at work was pretty awesome, with lots of selections. I usually got pizza or a calzone.
Now: Turkey sandwich on whole wheat, small cup of non-cream soup; spinach salad with grilled chicken

Snack:

Then: M&Ms every day and the cafeteria downstairs had buy 1 pastry get one free after 2:00, so I'd go downstairs and get a chocolate scone and another venti caramel latte with whip. I was a boredom eater in the afternoon, had to be eating something.
Now: Cut up veggies, fruit, tall non fat sugar free latte

Dinner
Then: I didn't eat too badly before at dinner when I cooked at home. Maybe a little too much oil and cheese. It was the trips to Taco Bell and the every Friday Freschetta four cheese pizza...
Now: I cook a lot of different stuff for dinners, try to eat a lot of vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, healthy fat.

Breakfast
Then: BK bacon, egg & cheese croissant with x-tra bacon and x-tra cheese. If I was really hungry...a side of hash rounds. And a diet coke. LOL For Fridays, I would often pick up donuts for the office. Two Boston Cremes and one Dutch Apple were MINE! Hands off!
Now: Oatmeal (prepared with water) with a spoon of raisins and brown sugar, or Cocoa Wheats or a whole wheat waffel with All Fruit spread or a whole wheat bagel with egg & cheese...and 24 oz. water.

Lunch
Then: Either the local pizza buffet, or another pizza place that had the most amazing chicken cordon bleu sandwhich, or burger and fries, KFC perhaps. And always a diet soda.
Now: Ham or turkey on whole wheat with all the trimmings and/or a low sodium soup, a ham and veggie wrap from Subway, a salad with light ranch, a turkey burger on a whole wheat wrap, or a wheat wrap with light cream cheese and veggies...24 oz. water and a diet ocean spray or Propel.

Dinner
Then: What can I say? The pizza place knew us by our number on Caller ID. LOL Or find an all-you-can-eat buffet. LOVE Chinese buffets. Mexican was also a fav...with all the chips and salsa you could want. But the cheese dip was always the best. I would generally have either a diet soda or tea with Sweet-n-Low. I guess it was to offset all the calories of the foods that I always chose diet drinks.
Now: Grilled something or other (chicken, fish, sometimes a steak), with veggies (frozen bagged without added sodium), and a side of brown rice or whole wheat mac & cheese or a sweet potato, possibly a slice of whole wheat bread...24 oz. of water and half a bottle of diet soda or tea.

Snacks and General Eating Changes
Then: Ruffels and french onion dip (lots of it), caramel Twix (a whole bag), or a large bag of M&Ms with peanuts.
Now: String cheese, a spoon of peanut butter, green peppers/sugar snap peas/cherry tomatoes and light ranch dip, apples (lots of them), banana (any kind of fruits), raisins (just had some tonight).

To satisfy my sweet tooth, it's generally a very sweet fruit (red delicious apples or raisins) or Cocoa Wheats. Occasionally, I will get a candy bar and keep it within my standard calorie range. I just eat lesser high caloric foods that day to make room for it.

Before bedtime, I used to eat chips and dip, or ice cream. I could eat a whole box of Heath or Nestle Crunch ice cream bars without thinking about it. Anything at all sweet. Loved honey buns, cinamon rolls. Hubby would make a pan of cin. rolls and I'd eat 3 or 4 of them. Now I might tear off a small piece of one and get a taste of it. If I've been really good that day, I may even allow myself a whole one.

Exercise
Then: Finger pushups at the keyboard and on the remote, climbing the half flight of steps to my apt., taking a few steps to board the elevator at work to get to the 3rd floor, and arm and neck exercises maneuvering the steering wheel and craning my neck looking for a parking spot within 5 feet of the door.
Now: Parking at the farthest spot from the door, (when not with the baby in the stroller) opting for stairs over elevators, looking for reasons to walk (whether just to pace while on the phone or window shop or whatever), Curves at least 3 times per week, running/walking in the park almost daily, stair stepper, body ball, and hand weights.

Breakfast
Then: none skipped most of the time
Now: cereal with LF Milk

Lunch
Then: Fast Food, Chilis or out to lunch with co workers
Now: WW Bread LF Turkey and LF Cheese

Dinner
Then: Olive Garden, Red Lobster anything to satisfy this carboholic.
Now: Lean Meat, Veggies

Workout
Then: 1/2 hour walking on my treadmill
Now: Running 2 miles followed by a great strength workout

When I am dead tired:
Then: Venti Caramel Macchiatto extra Caramel (omg did I not know how many cals this added)
Now: Grande Nonfat Caramel Machiatto

Breakfast
Then: 2 possibly 3 HUGE bowls of cereal. I have been known to eat chocolate cake for breakfast too!
Now: measure cereal with fruit and soy milk, or an omlette

Lunch
Then: sausage and egg HUGE sandwiches or fish and chips or sausage and chips or cheese sandwich with crisps or sausage roll
Now: chicken and veggie stir-fries, salads, lean protein with vegs

Dinner
Then: Mac n cheese, pizza, oven fries, battered chicken that cooks in the oven, KFC, mac D's, bread and dinner was ALWAYS with pudding!
Now: lean meat or salmon and veggies

Workout
Then: work and 2 or 3 nights a week clubbing
Now: Training for a half-marathon, training for a kickboxing black belt (5 hours a week), heavy weightlifting

When I am dead tired:
Then: I was tired all the time! Probably sweets or chocolate bars or crisps
Now: I grab a nap or a pepsi Max. Some days this trips me up and I go face-down in the refined carbs, but I try to stop it!

I don't think it's really fair to just list my "befores" as brekky lunch and dinner - I used to eat ALL THE TIME! In the summer it would be ice cream, winter chocolate bars, biscuits, cookies, cake.

Now I still eat ALL THE TIME - but I have 6 "meals" a day with lean protein and veggies in each of them.

Look at us! We're amazing!

Breakfast

• Then: sausage/egg/cheese mcgriddle, hashbrowns, coffee ... or a 20-oz soy mocha and some kind of muffin
• Now: a cup of plain yogurt with fruit, high-fiber cereal and nuts

Lunch

• Then: all you can eat pizza/Indian/Chinese buffets ... or a bacon double cheeseburger biggie combo ... with DIET coke
• Now: 2 cups of vegetables and healthy leftovers

Dinner

• Then: restaurant food 3x a week, usually involving copious amounts of fried cholesterol and dessert
• Now: cooked-at-home food, 4 oz lean meat, some steamed vegetables with lemon juice on them, and a sweet potato or some brown rice

Snacks

• Then: chips, candy or pastries, and DIET coke
• Now: part of a bar of dark chocolate and I hand the rest over to my son

Strategies

• Then: I used to bake "for my son" and end up eating 3/4 of it myself
• Now: I give him a few bucks to get something at the store for an after-school snack, and I tell him to KEEP IT OUT OF SIGHT. He knows I'm a vulture on that stuff.