Need help with meal strategies...
 

I'm just starting my diet and I want to do it right this time. Everytime I've started in the past I've gone "cold turkey" on my normal meals and gone strictly "healthy". The problem is my body can't handle that, within days I'm starving and find myself eating everything in the house. I'm thinking this time I'll start slower, maybe take one meal and make it healthier, then two, then all three. What do you think? Also, if I do this, which meal should I change over first?

I think that approach makes sense, I'm a huge believer in doing what works for you, and any plan that leaves you hungry and miserable is not sustainable.

I'd tackle the meal that poses the biggest problem for you, for me it's dinner.

I've found so much value in calorie counting, becuase I don't feel guilty about anything. My wife will make a "normal" meal, I'll do a quick calorie count, and work to adjust my portion sizes appropriately to stay within my budget. While she has definately made some meals healthier and we are doing more substitions we still have many of our old favorites.

And sometimes if she is making a favorite for dinner that is a little more calorie heavy, I'll adjust my calories earlier in the day just to save up and have a little bigger dinner portion. I've found that to be very livable for both my wife and I.

I think that sounds reasonable and healthy as long as you plan it out. I would suggest picking a day and writing out your new weekly goals so they get done. So maybe today you have a healthy dinner and next Friday you add a healthy lunch.

I would suggest thinking outside the box a little too as to what your changes might be. Possibilities:

Change from three meals to six mini meals of equal calorie amounts.

Cut out pop

Cut out chocolate

Add exercise

Add journaling (maybe even before any other changes)

Switch from simple carbs to complex carbs (sweet potatoes instead of white, whole grain instead of white)

I do what random does, and it's worked for me. I know myself well enough now that if I had to give up things like pop and pizza for the rest of my life, I would never stay on the 'diet' for very long. So I've just found ways to work in those things as long as I don't go over my calorie budget (and I dont eat them often because they take up a lot of calories).

You'd be surprised how much you can eat, too. I'm doing 1,500 calories a day, which sounds small, but I am satisfied at every meal.

When I first started, I went from White bread to wheat and joined a gym. I could only do 10 mins. on an elliptical.

Then when the wheat bread became second nature, I moved on to switching one snack during the day for a piece of fruit. then when taht was easy, I moved on to the next and the next.

It makes changes easier when you break it down into little bits at a time.

Sounds like the reason you might be starving is you are eating way too little. Did you ever calorie count during those times?

I started calorie counting and realized on an average day I was consuming around 2200 to 2500 calories a day- no wonder I got to 235! I then started eating 75% of my recommend daily calories to stay at 235, and that worked. I was eating 1600-1800 calories a day. Eventually I switched to counting carbs though because of my medical condition, for me counting carbs works better than calories.

Slow changes are permanent IMO. First I stopped eating chips, then stopped eating out as much, then started working out a bit more and cooking more, and so on. Now I mostly eat food from home, don't touch as much processed foods, I only drink water, and exercise at least 3-5 times a week :)

My loss has been slow, but I've found that the weight that has come off has STAYED off this time :) And now that I've found a routine that works I'm definitely sticking to it and know I'll see more consistent results :D

Just adding onto what Beerab said, I think it also makes a big difference what types of food you're eating. I can eat 2500 calories and still be starving if it's all high calorie junk, but on the flip side I can easily be good and full on 1200 per day if I make it a point to eat foods low in calories and high in nutrition.

I agree with what everyone else has said here. The first thing I cut out was soda. Then cut out any and all fast food. Once I stopped missing those, I started eating whole grains and added a little exercise, and built on that. It is SO much more sustainable doing it this way, and every little effort can make a HUGE difference.

I've always had the same problem. I'm finally learned that any eating plan that tells me I can't eat certain things and I have to eat certain other things just doesn't work for me. It always makes me want to binge.

I found Weight Watchers worked really well for me in that sense, because it didn't make anything off limits for me. However, after a while, I naturally leaned towards healthier foods because it cost fewer points, and I was able to have more of it.

I'm sure there are other programs that work the same way if WW isn't up your alley (maybe even just good ol' fashioned calorie counting). But hopefully you find something that works for you.

Thanks guys, that is all great advice! I figured even though I'm anxious to lose the weight, slow is the way to go because it's more of a lifestyle change that way. I have cut out pop, eat sweet potatoes and whole grain, and have joined a gym. Starting next week I'll be taking 2 cardio classes, a yoga class and do one day of swimming at the gym. I have workout videos at home for the days I don't go to the gym, but I'm having a hard time getting motivated to do them. I'm thinking journaling and calorie counting may be the way to go. Problem is, I don't know how many calories I should be eating to lose weight and I don't really know of a good website to help me with things that don't have nutrition labels on them. Anyone know a good one I can use?

I would also reccommend making one significant change at a time. For example, I started by not buying soda. Then, stopped buying potato chips, and looked for alternatives like veggie straws and yogurts and string cheese to pack for my lunches. Next, was getting light wheat bread to replace white bread. Next, I traded my morning coffee with sugar and flavored creamer with a yogurt and fruit smoothie with skim milk. Serious, routine exercise is next on my checklist. Making one new habit at a time makes it all stick better!

freedieting [dot] com has a few good calculators. :)

as far as how many, I would start by just counting for awhile and see where you are at. The very act of counting tends to eliminate mindless eating.

The calculators are all well and good but can be off by a significant margin as no two people are the same.

fitday, calorieking, dietfacts, sparkpeople all have counters and info on unlabeled products. (Truthfully unlabeled products tend to be less processed and therefore better than labeled!)

All great ideas!

As far as calories, I can lose consistently on 1200-1400/day plus 1500 flex calories/week, (it's a WW thing). No food or drink is off limits, you just have to account for it.

I do have a very active, physically demanding job, that helps out a lot!

No matter what you decide to do, you have to do what is going to work for you, or you'll never be able to sustain it.

Just for fun, my 92 year old grandmother says, you should eat like a king at breakfast, a princess at lunch and a pauper at supper. She's never been fat, so it must work, lol.

I do have better luck with a big breakfast, and a good high protein, late afternoon snack. But that's just me.

Thank you all so much. I truly feel like this is the right strategy for me. I definitely need to do something though. I was at a friend's child's birthday party over the weekend and another girl there thought I was pregnant. I mean, when will people learn not to ask unless they're absolutely sure you're pregnant! I started to tear up so I had to hurry up and get my husband and kids so we could leave. Ugh!