Eating Healthy

[TheMetetron]

So I've decided recently to stop eating all the junk that has been a regular part of my diet for the last twenty-some-odd years of my life.

Normally, I'd eat all sorts of fried crap, italian, burgers, etc at all hours of the day. Now I want to cut all of that out and eat stuff that, if not good for me, is at least less bad... but I need some help.

1) First of all, soda. I'm addicted to caffeine and I'm aware of it. I know stopping cold turkey is a really bad idea as withdrawals are possible. I hope to cut back to 2 sodas per day, one glass of juice in the morning, and bottled water the rest of the day. I know juice isn't that good for you either, but natural juice can't be as bas as soda and I need something besides water with my breakfast. Which brings us to..

2) Breakfast. Eggs/bacon/hash browns are bad. I get it. Special K with some fresh cut strawberries and non-fat milk? That's my plan but I can imagine that getting boring. I hope it's healthier (seems like it has to be), but I need some alternatives to give some variety to my life.

3) Lunch. Sandwiches on whole grain bread with low fat turkey/chicken and one slice of low fat pepperjack cheese (5g fat). Top it with tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, mustard, and a drop of low-fat miracle whip. Piece of fruit and a bottle of water on the side. Good? Again, any other ideas to spice things up that are good for you?

3) Snacks. Stock up on apples, oranges, pears, bananas (I know these aren't that good for you, but no more than one banana a day has to be better than what I eat now), carrots, etc. This is going to be my only snack food. No more chips and other crap.

4) Dinner. Here is where I am [censored]. I have a very, very, very basic cooking ability. Grilled chicken with a side of steamed peas/carrots/broccoli seems like an OK idea, but I really have no clue what to start making here. Eating out isn't going to do it, I've been doing that for too long and this has to be healthier/cheaper. Any good (and EASY) things I can make for dinner? Is a side of rice or baked potato that bad if I don't pile crap on it?

The idea is to start eating healthier... it is not necessarily a diet. I'm not going to limit my eating, but I'm also going to try and not eat too much (has never been much of a problem for me). I'm not overweight (5'10" 175lbs) but I could stand to lease 5-10 lbs of stomach fat... which I would probably gain back after starting to work out after losing it.

I also want to work out 30 minutes a day doing some form of cardio and then adding in weight training after I lose a few pounds. Basically, I just want to stop these bad habits before I get too old and I can't change. I also want the feeling of feeling better during the day that I assume comes with eating right and working out.

Thanks for any help/suggestions/encouragement.

[SoCalRugger]

There's nothing wrong with eggs, although egg whites are healthier. Some people say egg whites taste like crap, but egg whites + mushrooms + feta cheese is pretty good. You can get pretty creative and come up with a ton of different omelettes that aren't bad for you. Just use egg whites and go light on the cheese. Oatmeal is another breakfast option if you want a break from cereal.

Unsalted peanuts are good for a snack.

[Tupacia]

Good for you man, glad to see the sudden urge here to get healthy. Your plan seems great and very well thought out. Some tips/pointers:

1. Caffeine-free diet sodas: Fresca, Diet Sierra Mist, etc. If you want to cut out the caffeine but still love the taste of soda, give these a shot. Natural juice isn't that great but it's not that awful, so 1 glass a day should be fine.

2. WATER: You are not drinking enough water. I can say this with confidence because none of us really do. The key to successful weight loss and general fitness is tons and tons of water. If your urine is not clear, you are not drinking enough.

3. Breakfast: I love Kashi cereals - high in protein, low in fat, and great tasting. I'd give them a try, and also try either Egg Beaters or All Whites. Turkey sausage is fine too as long as it's not daily.

4. Snacks: Nuts, protein bars, pita and hummus, and low-fat cottage cheese are all good healthy snacks. Bananas are good for you, people who think they aren't are stupid/wrong.

5. Dinner: Baked potatoes and rice are great for you, just skip the butter and sour cream and maybe use a little barbecue sauce. Grilled chicken, grilled fish, turkey burgers, etc. are great main dishes for dinner. Just go online and look for different marinades and sauces for your meat and you'll be surprised that you won't get tired/bored.

6. Dessert: To satisfy a sweet tooth, sugar free Popsicles are delicious and only have 10-30 calories a piece, so you could even eat 2 of them and still be fine.

Best of luck to you. You might want to head on over to bodybuilding.com for more recipe/nutrition ideas. Also, as OOT's self-proclaimed fitness expert, feel free to PM me with any questions. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[GoblinMason (Craig)]

Hey Met,

Seems like you're on the right track.

Breakfast suggestion: Oatmeal
Dinner suggestion: Frozen fish that can be microwaved. (Sure, it's not as good as fresh, but it's close and way easier)

Just eat good food and don't eat the crap.

Also, for your soda problem, try iced tea. It still has caffiene but it way better for you.

-Craig

[CallMeIshmael]

Breakfast rec: scrambled egg whites and chicken bacon.


Both are low in fat, and taste enough like what they are mocking to leave me more than happy

[chicken10der]

Grilled chicken is about the only healthy dinner thing I know how to make, too. You just have to come up with things to do with it.

Get some multi-grain flatbreads (super-healthy). Put brown rice (Minute Rice in the microwave while George Foreman does the chicken), little bit of shredded cheese, hot sauce, and chicken on it, and wrap it up. It's fantastic, and it can be made in about 10 minutes.

Flatbreads can be used for sandwiches, too. I put turkey and cheese on one, microwave it, and I'm good to go in like 2 minutes.

I'm still working on getting off pop (I can't call it soda in these parts). I've mostly moved to bottles of fruit punch Gatorade. Sugar-free Kool-Aid/Crystal Light is the next step. It tastes alright, just not ready for it to be full-time yet. I can't stand drinking plain water, especially with food.

[TheMetetron]

Thanks for the advice so far guys, but I especially wanted to thank you.

Caffeine free diet soda seems like a good place to progress after I'm down to 1 coke a day. Then, I can hopefully get rid of it completely.

I also knew I was forgetting a really easy snack that is so obvious (unsalted nuts). I really like nuts so this is a good idea.

[Chissmoose]

Tupacia gave some good advice. I'd also say to maybe pick up a decent multivitamin and/or a B-complex. It should help to give you a bit of a lift, and generally help you feel better.

Definitely go nuts (no pun intended) with the vegetables. They're probably the single best thing you can eat for you, and NO ONE eats enough of them (myself included). Raw is generally better than steamed, but steaming works. Try not to microwave as that tends to suck out some of the nutrients.

If you feel like you over-eat, up your fiber intake. It has the effect of making you feel full as well as lowering your cholesterol, and stabilizing blood sugar (I believe). Again, no one actually gets enough fiber.

Also eat 5-6 smaller meals evenly divided throughout the day instead of the usual 3 squares. This is a bitch- I know. Generally speaking, you also want your higher calorie/ carb heavy meals earlier in the day, as opposed to dinner. I'm surprised our resident fitness expert didn't mention this, though it's impossible to cover it all with one post.

Hmm hmm... I had more, seem to have forgotten. It'll come back, but all of this should get you well on your way. Good luck.

[TheMetetron]

[ QUOTE ]
Breakfast rec: scrambled egg whites and chicken bacon.


Both are low in fat, and taste enough like what they are mocking to leave me more than happy

[/ QUOTE ]

Possible stupid question: Can I buy just the egg whites or do I just need to leave the yolk in the shell when I pour it?

Also, what about egg-beaters and other substitutes?

[IronDragon1]

Eat more (lean) protein
Eat more vegetables/fruit