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Healthy habits (or healthy eaters): Tips to share

Kari

Veteran

Since we are a couple weeks in to the Healthy Habits challenge, I thought it might be helpful to have a thread collecting some of the tips that are helping you meet your goals. Here's a few thing I am doing that have really helped me stay on track in the past few weeks.

* Get a workout buddy. I haven't had one for a long time since my boyfriend & I stopped being members of our old gym - I re-joined one closer to where I work & live. Fortunately our gym was running a promotion that discounted the enrollment fee, and after a trial my boyfriend decided to join. We have been working out together 2-3 days per week (and working out on our own besides that.)

* Keep a water bottle handy while going out. This is something I've been pretty good at for the past year - my sister is a graphic designer for a company that sells cute water bottles, so I've ended up with a lot of gifted water bottles that I want to make use of. I find I'm most prone to drink water or tea, rather than calorie-laden drinks, if I carry an acrylic tumbler with a straw in it so I don't have to unscrew or unsnap something to drink.
I only drink water, unsweetened tea, or an occasional glass of red wine with dinner.

* Keep healthy snacks prepared and ready to go. I have a "snack tooth", not a "sweet tooth", so snack foods have always been my downfall. I'm trying to use my snacks instead as an excuse to get in more veggie servings, so I keep sliced English cucumbers, bell peppers, mushrooms, grape tomatoes, or sugar snap peas handy. I sometimes like to dip veggies in hummus or Ina Garten's chunky guacamole - I make a 1/4 recipe and add more tomatoes than the recipe calls for, so that I don't have too much at a time, and get in more servings of tomato rather than the more fattening avocado. I also cut the salt in half, since the garlic, lemon juice, and Tabasco add plenty of flavor.

What are you doing that's working well?

General

27 replies

Latest reply was from April

qfbrenda

Veteran

Use a smaller plate. It forces you to take smaller portions.

Cut portions of whatever you usually eat. For instance, instead of a whole sandwich, now I have a half sandwich and add a piece of fruit or a salad.

Use low-cal salad dressing.

Don't drink your calories. Stick with water and other low- or no-calorie options.

Keep a record of what you eat either on paper or on a website like Sparkpeople. There is a huge reality check that happens when you see it all in print.

Dawn

(website)

I'm not in the Healthy Habits group but I have been getting healthier and fitter in the last few months.

*Add more movement to your daily schedule- stairs instead of the elevator, park further away in the car park, walk or cycle for shorter journeys

*Allow yourself some treats but know when to close the bag of crisps or box of sweets.

*Eat a high-fibre breakfast as it helps cut out the morning craving for something sweet.

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

* eating some protein every few hours

* gourmet cooking- so much flavor and presented in a way that feeds all the senses. I notice that when I present a dish in gourmet fashion, we eat less because we savor it more

*homemade salad dressings and sauces- again we use less because there is more flavor, and there's no sugars in them

Kim

Veteran

I'm trying to add more water to my diet. I'm notorious for drinking coffee, tea, or diet soda....Maybe I need some cute water bottles too...LOL

I track my calories every day. I eat as much as a person who is the weight I *want* to be, not as much as a person who *is* my weight. I figure I'm going to have to learn to live on that amount of calories anyway, and it's not a huge jump for me (like 50 less a day than what I can eat now) so *eventually* I'll get to my goal weight. Make sense? It's going to take a while as it's only 10 pounds but hey, I've got lots of time! LOL

They say a person who tracks their food intake (calories, or Points or however you do it) will be most likely to get it off and *keep* it off. I think the reason is we can't lie to ourselves about why we are gaining...It's right there in black and white...LOL

I've made exercise a priority now in my life, and the world stops while I do my run. I am learning to love it, and it's OK to give myself that time. The results are sooooo worth it, and not just in weight loss. All the good things exercise does for you are worth the work (gaining bone density, strength, flexibility, mental health, and more). As we get older it becomes even *more* important. Might as well get into the habit now ladies!

NK

I've done this for a couple of years now, but I have a goal of 50 miles a month for my running, but that could easily be walking, or biking. Just keeping track of steps or miles reminds me to stay active each month.

elpgal

Veteran

I am not participating in Healthy Habits but have become fitter in the past year or so.

Eat at home as far as possible and do not skimp on spices and seasonings while grocery shopping.

I found that it was more effective to make gradual lifestyle changes with respect to food and exercise rather than track and monitor on a daily basis. That said, monitoring was very helpful in the initial stages to get habits to 'stick'.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

That's lovely, Kari. So proud of you. And more lovely tips shared from all the gals!

I guess this is what I want to share: As far as possible, I like to make everything in my life about quality. That goes for food too. So if you are going to eat it - make it count. Rather have less of something that is superb, then more of something which is mediocre. That way you'll have enriched your life and made those calories count.

Mellllls

Veteran

I'm on a big soup kick--I am making a point to have homemade soup in our fridge for the rest of the winter, so it's available as a snack, or a quick lunch or even dinner. Soup is very filling and generally pretty lo-cal. currently, we have broccoli chowder in our fridge (about 3 more servings). im leaning toward a butternut squash/sweet potato bisque next

Audrey

The methods that have worked for me:
Being stuffed is not a good feeling. I used to routinely overeat in high school and early college and as soon as I thought of this as an undesirable feeling, I ate smaller portions and felt so much better. These days, I overeat only 1-2 times a year, if that, and it has to be really good.
I eat small, frequent snacks throughout the day. My breakfast, lunch, and dinner are actually fairly small because I'm not that hungry.
Lots of water.
Learn to love exercise. After 10 years, I've reached a place where I don't dread it anymore. I have three days off a week and know that I will run 30 mins on these days. I also lift weights two times a week faithfully with a trainer for 30 mins(worth every cent!, will do this as long as I can afford this!)
I try to eat whole, non-processed foods as much as possible. (I try to shop mostly the perimeter of the grocery store: veggies, fruit, meat, dairy.)

Melissa

Great ideas! Like Kari, I have been enjoying having a gym buddy. It makes it so much easier to get to the gym when I'm not on my own.

I love Khris and Angie's suggestion of eating gourmet/quality food. I am really at a place where it matters to me what the quality of my food is like, and I agree that eating really tasty food makes me stop to savor it.

I am also feeling very good about having taken the time to cook up some big batches of yummy, healthy food for the week to come. Otherwise, when I get home late after a gym night, I'll eat whatever I can get my hands on.

Despite doing well with food and exercise, I am sadly feeling like there just aren't enough hours in the day. ;( When I manage to do those things right, there isn't time for much else, and all sorts of other things go out the window. Things like (gasp) fashion! I have no idea how people manage to do it all.

kimlee

Veteran

One of my goals for 2011 was to drink more water. I keep an 8 ounce glass next to my toothbrush. After I finishing brushing my teeth in the morning, I go into the kitchen, fill up the glass, and sip on it while I am getting ready. It's an easy way to get in some water.

I have also fallen in love with "green smoothies". I blend 6 ounces of greek yogurt, half of a ripe bananna, a cup of spinach, and another cup of the fruit of my choosing (strawberries, peaches, pinapple or mango). The color is a bright green which is shocking at first. But these smoothies give me at least a serving of veggies and 2 servings of fruit....plus protein. I have found that they are great to have as an after snack when my sweet cravings normally hit.

Maya

Veteran

I don't care if I sound dumb: Can someone explain to me what "gourmet" means?

Kari

Veteran

I'm curious about "gourmet style" food too, though I'm picturing exquisitely plated food a la Top Chef.

Needless to say nothing I cook would remotely qualify as gourmet. I have a hard enough time being motivated to cook at all, since it's usually just me eating and I hate having leftovers that go wasted. It's easier to just keep fruits and veggies chopped up and ready to grab, and save my cooking motivation for when other people are going to be eating with me.

Great tips - thanks!
Angie - this is why I like bite-sized desserts - a small slice of pie, or a bite-sized cupcake. Sometimes that's all it takes to satisfy a craving for something really delicious.
One of my downfalls has been not eating breakfast. I start work at 7 AM and really have a hard time eating before then. However, as long as I start the day with a pot of tea, by 6:30 I can usually manage a bowl of plain oatmeal. This only works if I'm driving to work, though - I don't have enough time if I am catching the bus.
Kim, your green smoothies sound delicious!
Khris, would you care to share any of your homemade salad dressing recipes? Most of the time I am using a tiny bit of low-fat viniagrette or else just olive oil/salad oil.

I have been tracking what I eat & how much I exercise through Weight Watchers online, and the accountability is helpful. I'm trying to think about what I'm eating based on the fact that I'm going to have to write it down at the end of the day!
I'd imagine that going out to a restaurant where you haven't seen the menu online in advance would make it tough to estimate your "points usage" for the day. (There is an iPhone app to help make this easier, but I don't own one.)

Aida

Veteran

Kari you can make a basic vinaigrette dressing by combining a little vinegar with olive oil (3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar) and a dollop of mustard or honey. To that you can add any seasonings, herbs, fruit to your liking (fancy oils and vinegars are also tasty!). Mix in a blender for best results (they don't really emulsify, so you generally have to shake to mix before using). Easy to make in small batches if you have hand blender or electric whisk

qfbrenda

Veteran

Another thing I thought of.... for me it works to enjoy dessert when I'm out of the house. At a church dinner, or at a restaurant is nice and means I don't have the rest of the XYZ thing in my house. This plan works for me because we eat at home 95% of the time. My weakness is having dessert in my house. Then I have no will power.

So a major thing is knowing your weaknesses and framing your life to help yourself work around them as much as possible.

Deb

Without fail, I start my day with a cup of no-fat Greek yoghurt, to which I add a squiggle of Agave nectar, blueberries, and strawberries. I have a handful of dry, high-fibre breakfast cereal in a separate bowl and, as I'm eating, I keep adding and mixing the cereal to the yoghurt and fruit - it keeps it crunchy. It's very filling, and satisfies the sweet tooth and need to chew.

Lots of water - I keep a large bottle close at hand at all times and force myself to drink it.

I brew a large concentrate of green tea, which I keep handy in the fridge. I'll then pour out a portion and add cold water to the right strength, and drink over ice. It's a great anti-oxidant.

I'm the original Frito Bandito and love-love-love salty snacks... so the best way to avoid evening munchies is to keep my hands busy. I'll embroider, sketch, or play Solitaire on my laptop while watching TV with the hubster. These activities make it more difficult to stop, munch, dust off my fingers, etc and are therefore excellent deterrents!

However, I think the most important thing is to not deny myself something if I'm really craving it. If there is something I simply need to eat - or perish - then eat it I will! However, I will only eat a very small amount - and eat it slowly. It's so important to be able to push a plate away, or get up from the table, without consuming the entire portion just because "it's there."

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

When I am tired, stressed, and running on empty, I eat quite a bit more to keep myself going. It's as if I use food to make up for lack of sleep. And it does help to a certain extent (as well as lots of caffeinated beverages). However, I always gain weight in these times so now I allow myself A LOT of sleep. I am in a better mood, too!

Another thing I look out for is WHEN I eat. By nature, I tend to wait until I am really hungry and then I eat breads and pastries. I'm not perfect but now I try to make myself eat even if I am not hungry. I always feel better when I do. When I eat when I'm not starving, I make choices with my head (protein, vegetables, and some carbs), rather than making unhealthy comfort food choices (sweets, fried foods).

Kari

Veteran

Aida, thanks for the homemade salad dressing recommendations. Sounds like I need to purchase a blender!

Brenda, desserts aren't usually my downfall because I grew up only having dessert on special occasions - big family get-togethers or holidays or someone's birthday. I just need to avoid the sweets/cookies that people bring in at work. I'm more of a salty-sweet snacker like Deb.

Good point, Coco. It helps a lot to figure out those patterns. I know I go from mildly hungry to REALLY cranky and light-headed quite quickly, so I've learned to read the "early hungry warning signs" carefully.

I always tend to gain weight around this time of year. I suffer a lot from the lack of daylight, and usually spend most of the winter wanting to stay curled up in bed. (I could totally hibernate.) I tend to make poor food choices during the winter, too. However, since I do have to go out into the real world during the darker 8 months of the year, I'm trying to kick-start myself into being more active and making healthier eating choices at what is typically my least active part of the year. And it's working - I have dropped 8 pounds since the beginning of January. Yay!
I still very much would like to run a 10K in the spring or summer, and suddenly that landmark is looking much more achievable.

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

Gourmet cooking (to me, anyway) is just high quality, fresh ingredients- as close to nature as possible (fresh herbs rather than dried, fresh produce, etc) I do plate even my more simple meals 'restaurant style' now- complete with garnishes when I have them. It just makes everything seem nicer.
I don't really use recipes for salad dressings. Salad dressing is just an emulsion of an acid and a fat (thanks to Chef Curtis Stone for pointing that out on Take Home Chef). For vinaigrette's I use equal parts vinegar of some type and grapeseed or olive oil, and for a creamy dressing you can use eggs for the fat. Add any spices or flavorings that you like and you are good to go.

Polly (thunalata)

Veteran

My tips are just what I'm doing for my healthy habits - they each have a knock on effect.
- Plenty of water at crucial times of the day - first thing, lunchtime and early evening. It helps stop you eating when you are actually thirsty.
- 5 portions of fruit and veg a day - often means I'll have a piece of fruit as a snack rather than diving straight for the cookie tin, and then the cookies don't always follow on. It also means I fill up more with vegetables at lunch/dinner.
- eating every 3-4 hours. Stops you getting so hungry that once you start eating you can't stop.
My plan is not to deny myself anything but to incorporate more of the healthy things I'd like to eat. Gradually this squeezes out some of the less healthy options.

Anonymous

Back in 2008 I gained about 20 pounds, right after I quit smoking. Since then, I've lost the weight (and more) very gradually ( maybe 10 pounds a year or so). I am now at my ideal weight for my height and frame.

Before this weight gain, I was never one to watch what I ate or tracked calories, fat content etc. Quitting smoking did great things for my health overall, yet changed my metabolism dramatically.

I know myself, I cannot go on a diet. My goal was never to lose the weight right away, but to slowly shed the extra pounds.These are the things that worked for me.

1. Liquid calories: I no longer drink any juice, sodas, smoothies etc... I limit myself to coffee ( no sugar), a variety of teas, water and seltzer water (on occasion). I also use a little bit of juice to flavor my water, if I'm craving some taste.

2. Portion control: I eat much smaller portions and my meals are mostly vegetable based.

3. Calorie counting: For the first months, I kept a detailed journal, thru an app I have on my phone. It made me aware of how much I was consuming.

4. I diverted my attention to other things: I found myself obsessing about food as I was putting the weight on. I was spending a lot of time wishing I could have that burger, that bag of potato chips etc. I was going insane. That's why I cannot go on a diet. I then changed my focus to other things: I took a couple photography lessons, violin classes etc.

5. I wish I could tell you I exercised my butt off but I didn't. I abhor the gym. I am a heavy walker and super active overall. I'm always moving around.

6. I weighted myself regularly: Although some people might disagree, I think you should be always aware of your weight so you can spot weight gain right away and correct it.

7. Snacking: I've never been a heavy snacker but I found myself always munching on something right after I quit smoking. I know it sounds extreme but I seldom snack. I find that when I crave a snack, I'm usually just thirsty, so I go ahead and drink water.

Carole

Veteran

I found a great app for those of you with iphones or itouch. It's iWatchr! It's just a couple dollars and you track all your points with easy to use log and can store favorite foods for a quick talley. It has a WW calculater as well. Perfect for food journaling!

Elly

Veteran

There are some great tips here.

The eating high quality/enjoying the calories that you are consuming (esp. in cases like eating out and desert) really resonates with me. I definitely have had a problem with that lately, especially over Christmas. I don't enjoy most of the things I bake for the season, but I bake them for someone else but end up eating some anyway. They are not bad, but I only have a couple of baked goods I actually love, and I rarely make them because they aren't on the radar of the men in my life! Same goes for things like candy or ice cream and store-bought sweets-- I just don't care for most of them, but I still end up eating the calories when I get a craving. I am also particularly bad about stopping after a workout or a long day and eating --- gasp-- not so great fast food! I deal with a lot of nausea, and this is generally the only time I am genuinely hungry without feeling sick. I also crave salt.

I have a couple of questions for you ladies. For those that drink lots of water (which I do), do you drink tap? Our water here is really bad and even through a brita filter I can't drink it, although most people do. For those that cut up veggies ahead of time, how do you keep them fresh? Mine always lose their crispness/change texture if I store them cut in my fridge.

Lynne

Veteran

Kari, if you have any type of camera phone you can snap your meal when you're eating out, it makes recording easy peasy when you get home.

The only effective change I've made recently is to swap out my cappucinos and lattes for espresso or tea when I'm meeting friends...not for everyone, I know, but it works for me.

And drinking water is a definite - with 3 children I am always carrying it as it pains me to pay for bottled water

Auburn

Veteran

I think most of my "tricks" have been covered here, but a few that haven't include:
-Switching from a daily nonfat latte to black coffee with a splash of low fat milk (cheaper and fewer calories)
-Swapping out sandwiches for salads. Sandwiches are an easy lunch option at the office, but as long as I can make a hearty salad (which requires a protein or two and some fats), then it will keep me full and I can avoid the extra carbs in sandwich bread.
-Eating light at night. Whether I'm going out or eating at home, I try to really curb my portions at dinner time because there's nothing worse than going to bed feeling stuffed. I also really try to give my digestive system 12 hours between dinner and my morning meal.
-FISH! Though I try to watch my mercury content, fish (esp cold water fish like cod and salmon) is my friend, whether in sushi, fish tacos or just baked in the oven on a bed of spinach!
-Fiber: keeps you feeling full and keeps things moving!

Some ideas that others mentioned that I full endorse as well:
-Regular weigh ins: I know some people need to go by how their clothes fit, but I am tall so I can put on 5-7 lbs and still have things "fit." But I wouldn't want to gain 5 lbs without knowing it--and 5 lbs are much easier to take off than 10 or 12! A couple of pound swing either way doesn't bother me, but maintaining a steady weight is important to me.
-Green smoothies! I do 1 Cup of rice or almond milk, THREE cups of raw spinach, some frozen blueberries and a couple of pitted dates for sweetness. You do not taste the spinach and yet you will feel so virtuous for getting so much veg in! I do this with avocado as well for a more indulgent smoothie.
-Make your own dressings. My favorite combination: red wine vinegar, garlic, Dijon or stone ground mustard, Tobasco, juice of 1 lemon, salt, pepper and 2 TB of fat free greek yogurt (to make it creamy). Then blend while drizzling in some extra virgin olive oil. Total crowd pleaser!

LeahJanes

Most of mine have been covered but here goes

1. You don't need as much food as you think you do. Skipping a meal isn't the end of the world, your metabolism won't die, and "low blood sugar" is often just your psychology kicking in.
2. Learn to love black coffee. No sugar, no dairy, no milk. It's actually an amazingly delicious beverage in and of itself. Make sure it's the good stuff though!
3. Exercise until you sweat every. single. day. If I do it every day then it becomes part of my life, if I do it 3 times a week I have an internal debate about whether today is the day or tomorrow and then just end up putting it off.
4. Replace anything white on your plate with something green.
5. Lift heavy things. Not dinky little 2 pound weights - heavy things. You'll become so strong and you'll stave off a laundry list of diseases and disorders that are likely to plague you later in life. You won't bulk up, it's just not physically possible, but you will get yourself some Michelle Obama arms and that is not a bad thing.
6. Cook! If you cant, then learn. Odds are that the mac and cheese you make at home is going to be a whole lot better for you than the mac and cheese you buy out. Same goes for chinese food, burgers, pasta, etc etc.

April

Veteran

I second the point many of you have made about cooking for yourself as much as possible. Your ability to control the ingredients and their quality makes an enormous difference in how well you're eating.