Healthy Calorie Watching Tips
Hi healthy people!
So a little about me: I used to be overwieght in highschool, and have lost 30 pounds slowly since then. I am at a healthy weight for me now, but have wanted to loose the last 10 pounds for a while. I lead a pretty healthy lifestyle already, I am pretty active, and enjoy making healthy food, and I was watching my calories for about a month and was feeling and looking great (I don't weigh myself, just go by how I feel/look)
However, the last two weeks I feel like I've put everything back, due to birthday-induced junk food eating and drinking, as well as being back at my parents house for about 5 days. SO, I'm just trying to find motivation and support to get back into the swing of things to get back to where I was two weeks ago. In my journal, I listed all the things that had helped me initially loose the weight, and wanted to share them with you, and ask you what works for you when trying to cut calories and maintain healthy eating and feeling satisfied?
These tips are just what works for me, not saying this is for everyone, but would love you hear your feedback and what works for you!
Here they are!
Make your dishes look pretty! Add colour, arrange items on your plate, make it so damn pretty you could take a picture (which I often do!) It makes you excited to dive in, makes you feel all special inside, and I think it helps you feel more satisfied.
Don't deprive yourself... if you are reallllly craving a chocolate chip cookie or other unhealthy item- you have a few choices: you can either not eat it, and keep thinking about it until you go nuts and have 4, or you can recreate a healthier version (see my post here about apple pie oatmeal) using low-cal and healthier ingredients, you can eat the damn thing, and just make up for it later with a lower-cal meal, or you can just have a little taste. I often find just having a little taste of something is enough to satisfy my craving- ask my boyfriend, he knows about this concept far too well, and often finds little bites out of his food!
Pump up the volume! Trying to loose weight is often about finding ways to make you feel more full on less calories, and I don't know about you- but I love to eat, and favour having a HUGE salad that takes about half an hour eat, verses a sandwich with a high-cal spread and cheese which you can wolf down in 5 minutes. Try adding low-cal things to your meals to make you feel like you are eating a lot and not feeling deprived- lucky for me I love vegetables, and adding veggies to any meal is a great way to eat more, without adding too many calories.
Plan your meals If you don't have a healthy lunch packed with you, it's way too easy to find something cheap, fast, and unhealthy to eat. Since I'm away from home for most of the day, I often need to pack a couple meals with me in the morning to last me the day, but planning ahead is way worth it. I often make batch of whole grains, baked tofu and cut up veggies on Sunday nights to store in the fridge which makes packing salads and wraps really easy for the week. In the winter I usually make a batch of soup on weekends too to bring for lunches.
Fat is not the enemy! For me, I need to add healthy fats to my meals in order to stay full, especially if my meal is low-carb, like a salad. If I just have a huge salad of raw veggies and low fat dressing, I will be full for about 8 minutes. I find I need to add either avacado, goat cheese, or grilled veggies (with olive oil) in order to stay full. A little goes a long way!)
Carbs are Not the enemy! You've heard it all before, complex carbs=good, simple carbs=bad. I've tried limiting carbs, even for a day- impossible! I don't eat to many carbs, I hardly eat bread or pasta, but without quinoa, barley, or rice I'd be a gonner (and broke!)
Have healthy snacks easily accessible, hide any junk food- if any! I don't keep junk food in the house, it I have it, I WILL eat it. I find if I find myself browsing around the cupboard or fridge for something to eat, I'll usually grab whatever is easiest, so having snacks like cut and washed fruit and veggies right there in plain view works for me. Try frozen grapes! They taste like a treat!
Eat out of small bowls and plates WOAH, is that a HUGE overflowing helping of cereal? Nope, just one serving size in a tiny bowl. I swear this mind trick fools my brain AND my stomach.
Read lables and igredients You don't have to read through everything on the package, but sometimes just a quick glance can really teach you a lot about what you're putting into your body. For instance, when watching my caloric intake, I found out just how high-cal raisins are! I usually dumped a huge helping into my oatmeal every morning, but realized I was adding about 300 calories for how much I used. Now, I use about a teaspoon (and that's still almost 100 calories). I don't cut them out, but I'm just more concious about how I use them.
Don't feel discouraged If you have bad/unhealthy day eating wise, don't sweat it! Tomorrow is a new day, DO NOT feel down on yourself and throw in the towel and go on a binge fest because at the end of the day, you are just trying to eat healthier to feel healthier so be pround of yourself!
Hope these help anyone trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle or diet...all in all, it's about balance, not depriving yourself, and being conscious of what you're putting into your body. It aint rocket science!
Any feedback would be great, and I'd love new lj friends! Feel free to add me. Also check out my new blog The Frugal Foodie. I don't talk as much about wieght loss there, it's mainly for positng recipes I'm excited about!
So a little about me: I used to be overwieght in highschool, and have lost 30 pounds slowly since then. I am at a healthy weight for me now, but have wanted to loose the last 10 pounds for a while. I lead a pretty healthy lifestyle already, I am pretty active, and enjoy making healthy food, and I was watching my calories for about a month and was feeling and looking great (I don't weigh myself, just go by how I feel/look)
However, the last two weeks I feel like I've put everything back, due to birthday-induced junk food eating and drinking, as well as being back at my parents house for about 5 days. SO, I'm just trying to find motivation and support to get back into the swing of things to get back to where I was two weeks ago. In my journal, I listed all the things that had helped me initially loose the weight, and wanted to share them with you, and ask you what works for you when trying to cut calories and maintain healthy eating and feeling satisfied?
These tips are just what works for me, not saying this is for everyone, but would love you hear your feedback and what works for you!
Here they are!
Make your dishes look pretty! Add colour, arrange items on your plate, make it so damn pretty you could take a picture (which I often do!) It makes you excited to dive in, makes you feel all special inside, and I think it helps you feel more satisfied.
Don't deprive yourself... if you are reallllly craving a chocolate chip cookie or other unhealthy item- you have a few choices: you can either not eat it, and keep thinking about it until you go nuts and have 4, or you can recreate a healthier version (see my post here about apple pie oatmeal) using low-cal and healthier ingredients, you can eat the damn thing, and just make up for it later with a lower-cal meal, or you can just have a little taste. I often find just having a little taste of something is enough to satisfy my craving- ask my boyfriend, he knows about this concept far too well, and often finds little bites out of his food!
Pump up the volume! Trying to loose weight is often about finding ways to make you feel more full on less calories, and I don't know about you- but I love to eat, and favour having a HUGE salad that takes about half an hour eat, verses a sandwich with a high-cal spread and cheese which you can wolf down in 5 minutes. Try adding low-cal things to your meals to make you feel like you are eating a lot and not feeling deprived- lucky for me I love vegetables, and adding veggies to any meal is a great way to eat more, without adding too many calories.
Plan your meals If you don't have a healthy lunch packed with you, it's way too easy to find something cheap, fast, and unhealthy to eat. Since I'm away from home for most of the day, I often need to pack a couple meals with me in the morning to last me the day, but planning ahead is way worth it. I often make batch of whole grains, baked tofu and cut up veggies on Sunday nights to store in the fridge which makes packing salads and wraps really easy for the week. In the winter I usually make a batch of soup on weekends too to bring for lunches.
Fat is not the enemy! For me, I need to add healthy fats to my meals in order to stay full, especially if my meal is low-carb, like a salad. If I just have a huge salad of raw veggies and low fat dressing, I will be full for about 8 minutes. I find I need to add either avacado, goat cheese, or grilled veggies (with olive oil) in order to stay full. A little goes a long way!)
Carbs are Not the enemy! You've heard it all before, complex carbs=good, simple carbs=bad. I've tried limiting carbs, even for a day- impossible! I don't eat to many carbs, I hardly eat bread or pasta, but without quinoa, barley, or rice I'd be a gonner (and broke!)
Have healthy snacks easily accessible, hide any junk food- if any! I don't keep junk food in the house, it I have it, I WILL eat it. I find if I find myself browsing around the cupboard or fridge for something to eat, I'll usually grab whatever is easiest, so having snacks like cut and washed fruit and veggies right there in plain view works for me. Try frozen grapes! They taste like a treat!
Eat out of small bowls and plates WOAH, is that a HUGE overflowing helping of cereal? Nope, just one serving size in a tiny bowl. I swear this mind trick fools my brain AND my stomach.
Read lables and igredients You don't have to read through everything on the package, but sometimes just a quick glance can really teach you a lot about what you're putting into your body. For instance, when watching my caloric intake, I found out just how high-cal raisins are! I usually dumped a huge helping into my oatmeal every morning, but realized I was adding about 300 calories for how much I used. Now, I use about a teaspoon (and that's still almost 100 calories). I don't cut them out, but I'm just more concious about how I use them.
Don't feel discouraged If you have bad/unhealthy day eating wise, don't sweat it! Tomorrow is a new day, DO NOT feel down on yourself and throw in the towel and go on a binge fest because at the end of the day, you are just trying to eat healthier to feel healthier so be pround of yourself!
Hope these help anyone trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle or diet...all in all, it's about balance, not depriving yourself, and being conscious of what you're putting into your body. It aint rocket science!
Any feedback would be great, and I'd love new lj friends! Feel free to add me. Also check out my new blog The Frugal Foodie. I don't talk as much about wieght loss there, it's mainly for positng recipes I'm excited about!