I just want to find a way to develop healthy eating habits without going on some extreme diet....I want a LIFE change, not temporary....
any tips? please help me i am desperate to get rid of this weight!!

Hey Tanisha

I found the best way to cultivate healthier eating habits is to do a lot more cooking at home. I try to cook with plenty of fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, low fat dairy and healthy fats.

When I plan meals, I imagine my plate is divided into 4 parts. 2/4 parts are vegetables, 1/4 is lean protein and 1/4 is a whole grain (or starchy vegetable like carrots, potatoes or corn).

I'm a busy working person and I can't make everything from scratch, but I try to avoid as much processed foods as possible. I carefully read labels, I try to avoid as much artificial flavoring, colorings, unhealthy fats as I can. I try to buy organic whenever I can.

I changed my life in July 2004, I quit eating fast food, drinking sugar soda and cut way back on processed foods and candy. You can read my story (linked in my signature) but I lost 70+ lbs and in February, I will have kept it off for 3 years. I spent 20 years doing various extreme diets, but I was only successful long term when I made permanent changes.

The very best advice I can give - learn to love to cook! The internet has literally thousands of healthy recipes at your fingertips.

I guess I would start out by trying to pin point what I'm doing wrong. Is it mainly my eating? What's my exercise like? Try keeping a food journal for a week or so, see what you're eating on a regular basis that you shouldn't be eating on a regular basis. And record your activity. Are you getting in 60 mins about 6 days a week? Is it more like 5 mins every other week? What are your habits now?

Then work on making small changes to your habits. Like adding in a walk for 30mins every day. Having that piece of fruit instead of a candy bar. Small things like that, stuff that is doable will set you on the right track for a lifelong change.

Hey Tanisha - I just checked out your blog - and it seems to me that as much as you hate the "Fat Smash Diet"...it might not be the one for you. I personally use multiple plans to make my diet work - Calorie Counting & Slim Fast along with a good exercise plan (2 hr/day X 5 days/week). I think that if you are feeling deprived or hungry, then the plan you are on is not the plan for you. With my diet, I have never felt deprived or hungry and if I feel like I need to eat, I do so. Yes...I have set limits and sometimes I break them....but it is a rarity.

Read around 3fc and see if you can find another diet that might not make you want to bite your arm off....not every diet is for everyone.

Good Luck!

Tanisha - CALM. We are here for you girl, and you are not alone. Think of it like this: diet is in the head, lifestyle is in the soul. We all have in some way felt the same feelings you are, and yes girl we all wish it would happen overnight. While you could do extreme dieting, you would also put yourself at risk for a very early death, or at best leave yourself permanently dabilitated in some way. It's just not worth it, so put that out of your head right now. I know that you want to lose the weight, and that your whole heart and soul is in this; you want this more than anything. That's good! Now I want you to take that willpower, that stubborn mindset, and jump in head first into your new life. Cause those are GREAT qualities to have when you're losing weight! Your new life is gonna be one where you take care of you, for a change. Where you are in control, where you call the shots. And where you reach your goal. But you have to ready to make some changes, and you need to do something that is livable and sustainable. Realize this is the first day of the rest of your life. Think of this as a fresh start, a clean slate. You will answer to you, and no one else, because you're not doing it for them - you're doing this for you, to feel better about yourself, more attractive, for confidence, the list could be endless.

What I want you to do right now is make three lists. The first, should have ten things that you love about yourself. No negatives! Things you love. This will help you get a better mindset. And the second, should be ten reasons you want to lose weight - and they can have nothing to do with anyone else benefiting from it but you. The last list, needs to be ten things that you can do (healthy, not destructive) and will do, to make this happen. Post those lists where you can see them and read them anytime you need to. Or you can put them in your weight loss journal, or in a diet blog.

If you need help putting a plan together, I and of course anyone here at 3FC would be more than happy to help you; just let us know what you're doing so far, what your goals are specifically, etc. and we will certainly be thrilled to lend a hand. Some quick tips: drink lots of water, eat lots of fresh veggies and fruits, lean meats like chicken breast, whole grains like brown rice and whole wheat, and never skip any meal especially breakfast.

Tanisha, you can do this. You CAN do this. And we will be right here with you all the way. Keep your chin up girl, and hang out here often, and post often - we are all in this together!

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!!!
i shall tryyy to shop around, and i will make my list!

Hey Tanisha, hope you don't mind another post I just looked over your diet blog, and girl you're not eating enough. That's why you're hungry! and your meals don't have enough protein or fiber in them, both of which help to satisfy that hunger. I have been losing consistently this past week, without starving, or cheating... now I'm doing the lean cuisine thing, but remember what works for me may not work for you.
-breakfast is usually lean turkey and weight watchers cheese toasted on bread sprayed with a little olive oil, some fresh fruit, and 8 oz skim milk.
-mid morning snack is usually yogurt sprinkled with granola
-lunch is usually lean cuisine meal, steamed veggies, and cottage cheese with fruit. (say: major protein:
-when I get home from work (about 5:45pm), protein shake using soy protein, skim milk, almond milk, flaxseed and 2 tbsp sugar free fat free pudding mix (no faces - it is yummy)
-dinner is usually a lean cuisine meal, steamed veggies or a salad, with a weight watchers popsicle or frozen yogurt
-I do not eat after dinner; I sip on green tea (okay I chug it LOL), or blueberry tea...flavored teas are wonderful.
This averages around 1400-1500 cals a day. I hope this helps give you an idea of what a day can look like for someone who is losing weight. Exercise wise, I do Leslie Sansone videos, or hip hop aerobic, or salsa dance dvds, which are such a blast; there are so many choices out there, take a look and I bet you find something you'll enjoy.

we were posting at the same time LOLOLOL! You are quite welcome! I'm here for you, as well as everybody here! World look out, here Tanisha comes!

THANKS AGAIN!
I've decided what I'm going to do.
I'm no longer going to STARVE myself as I have been lol.
I'm going to find better balances of food for my body...Setting a calorie limit, and burning a certain amount of calories each day to balance that....I realize exercise, which i hate, I have to do! or I won't see results. I figure eating healthy less sugary cereals for breakfast, snacking on granola bars, eating what I like in HEAVY Moderation. I will allow myself things like french fries only 1 every 2 weeks? at least for now...i hope to slowly wean myself off of junk and fast food.
I'm really excited, and I feel really motivated! THANK YOU GUYS!!

Tanisha - my favorite granolar bar is sooooo yummy and packed with 9 grams of fiber (25-30 for a full days serving...so a ton of it) - they are Fiber One Oats and Chocolate (they have Peanut Butter and Caramel as well now...but I need the chocolate) they are ooey gooey and so yummy and good for you - I eat one every day around 11:30 (about 2 hours before my lunchtime) you should check them out.

I hear you on the french fry thing - I'm an addict myself, but honestly haven't had one in probably 2 months. Oh...and if I am going to dinner with someone who orders them - I just make them give me a couple to give me my fix...they are definitely my biggest addiction - but I beat them...it took me a few weeks into my diet to ditch them though - way too much sodium and fat...and calories..and all that.

Tanisha.....my french fry fix is this:
1st Method:
peel fresh sweet potatoes, and slice them into "fries". get some olive oil spray (Pam makes it, and generic brands too) and lightly spray a baking sheet and the fries. put the fries on the baking sheet, and sprinkle with tony cachere's salt free seasoning, chili powder, garlic powder and onion powder. bake at 400 til browned - about 30 mins or so. YUM

2nd method:
peel and slice up sweet potatoes like before. dip each "fry" into egg beaters or beaten egg whites. then roll each "fry" in whole wheat bread crumbs. a light coat, please. place them on a baking sheet sprayed with olive oil spray. sprinkle with seasonings as above, and bake as above. YUM!

Dipping sauce: get some fat free ranch dressing, fresh cilantro, a couple cloves of garlic, a couple of roasted red peppers, and blend all together. this is good stuff, and goes with everything

*you can also use this breading method for "fry" zucchini, except for the spices use italian seasoning and fresh grated parmesan cheese mixed with the bread crumbs, oh it is so good served with marinara My 13 yr old son even loves them and he normally hates zucchini Or you could use it with fresh sliced onions for healthy onion rings!

Tanisha, welcome to your new journey! You are going to discover a whole palate of foods you probably never thought of, and find that you like these a whole lot more! Oh and an alternative to your hamburger....get some extra lean ground turkey, toss in some egg whites, worchestire sauce, a package of beefy onion lipton soup mix, and form into patties; bake at around 375 or so til done. Serve em up on whole wheat buns with dijon mustard, all the fixins, even some fat free sharp cheddar cheese. I PROMISE they are way better than fast food, and you can freeze extra patties for a quick meal too.

Enjoy!

The post I left on your bloggy-blog:

Hey sweetie. I'm a college student, and I KNOW how hard it can be to say no to all that junk. It's EVERYWHERE. All the cafeterias we eat from, and all of our friends (skinny of course...) but eating all the junk that they want!
I don't think diets are "for" anyone. No one enjoys having to cut out all the foods they love. But I've gotta tell you, those cravings DO fade if you can avoid the junk! I spent all of my first year of uni eating crap, and I could NEVER say no or make the healthier choice, I LOVE that junk.
But right now, I see you talking about all the stuff I used to crave like mad, and I'm realizing.. I ate lentil soup half an hour ago and am chugging a bottle of water, and I spent an hour at the gym today... and I wouldn't trade any of that in for a cheeseburger and fries. Because I feel GOOD, and I'm no longer craving those things!

A few people I know are convinced that the salty, fatty, deep-fried and carb-loaded foods are the ones that create cravings. If I were you I'd do my best to try to avoid them until the cravings start to fade.

As for apples... dude, if you hate them, don't eat them! Find some other kind of fruit that you like. I adore bosc pears, but I don't really eat apples or oranges. Bananas are pretty great too, and I tend to chow down on cantaloupe just about every time I feel snack-y. Try to find foods that are healthy, that you LIKE... if you keep choking down stuff that you hate, you'll NEVER stick to this permanently!

But it DOES sound like you're really committed to changing, even with the cravings, so I wish you the best of luck, and keep checkin' in with us 3FC chicks. <3

txangelgirl:

Uhhh... come cook for me, woman!?

THANKS SOO MUCH!!!
this really is the best weight loss support online...
i had pizza today

but i didn't have fries!!

Ohh dear, the evil pizza. Well, that's too bad, but not the end of the world. Everyone slips up! Just do your best to eat really well in the days following to make up for it, you know?

That is a great start! Ya know Lean Cuisine makes pretty awesome pizzas....deluxe pizza, roasted garlic chicken pizza, bbq chicken pizza, margherita pizza.... all so delish with some fresh veggies and a salad