Question on loosing weight, eating healthy and bulk natural foods order

[ssexton]

ETA--arg! Sorry I posted on wrong board. Going to repost on General. Sorry!

 

And, of course I meant losing weight in the title. Not doing well with this post, am I? :)

 

Ok, I'm going to make a confession here. I'm needing to loose some serious weight--about 50 lbs. I'm also needing to learn to eat healthier. I've made some progress. I've cut back dramatically on sodas. I've gone from a 2L a day of diet coke to two small glasses a day while drinking more water. We've planted a garden, and we are learning how to eat more fresh veggies. My children, especially my youngest, love the garden and seem more open to trying new things if we've grown them ourselves. We are also going berry picking this weekend, and plan to visit the farmer's market regularly this summer. We tried sugar snap peas from the garden last night, and they went over reasonably well. :)

 

But. I still need lots of help. I grew up in one of those pbj sandwich, chips and cookies homes, and I've let mine become one. It's so easy to fall back into those old ways, you know? So, I'm trying to change. I'm the only one in my family with a weight problem. My dh and children have wonderful metabolism and are slim. DH likes to snack a lot, and wants chips and cookies around the house.

 

So, how to approach this? Do I put the emphasis on learning to cook more naturally or on watching calories? I guess I can do both, but focusing on both seems overwhelming. I also have a budget to watch.

 

I'm working on an order for our local natural food coop. Foods I'm considering ordering:

 

Coconut oil

flax seed

raw almonds

organic rolled oats

popcorn

dried fruit (apricots, bananas, papayas? Sweetened or nonsweetened?)

wheat germ (what do I do with this?)

quinoa (again, what to do with this?)

Anything else I should look for? They have a very long list, so I'd love all suggestions! Any other ideas or encouragement would be appreciated. Thanks!

Edited May 26, 2011 by ssexton

[Carol in Cal.]

There is nothing wrong with PBGJ if the bread is whole grain.

 

You can buy baked potato chips that are very good--Kettle Crisps are like that, and they are pretty healthy except for the salt. If you don't have a family history of bad BP problems, I would start by switching to those.

 

I have no useful advice about the cookies. :)

 

For healthier eating and losing weight, what has been working a bit for me is substituting a really big salad for one meal per day. This works only if it is really really big and if I drink a great deal of water along with it and whenever I'm hungry otherwise. Can you sit at the table and eat 4 servings of a big green salad and let the other stuff go? Also, instead of PBGJ I eat one piece of whole wheat bread with a scant tablespoon of peanut butter on it. Again, along with veggies and/or fruit, and water first, and some milk with this meal. That does fill me up.

 

For me, the other big thing has been what WW says "Are you watching your hunger signals?" I ask myself that question, and even if something is left on my plate, I stop when I'm full, if it occurs to me to think about it. I probably should have that question tatooed on my hand, LOL, and it does not work at all in the presence of chocolate (Cadbury eggs are almost done, though), but it is really helpful generally.

 

I signed us up for a CSA, and although we don't consume all the produce, the sheer abundance of it coming at me every week has made me eat a lot more of it, and these other practices have made me eat a lot less of other things that are less healthy, so it has been worthwhile.

[ssexton]

Carol, thank you for the ideas! I changed our bread over a couple of months ago to whole wheat with no hfcs. I find it at Sam's cheaper than the grocery store. I'll look into the kettle chips, too. We've been buying whole grain tortilla chips that are really good, but I suspect I need to give them up until I meet my weight goal. They are better for the kids, though.

 

Please tell me more about your salads. What types of greens do you use? Dressing? See, I've learned to eat salads, but preferably with creamy dressing, croutons, boiled eggs or cheese. Or Caesar salads. :) See, I have a lot of work to do.

 

My typical breakfast now is two pieces of toast with peanut butter and a glass of water. I love your ideas, and think I might switch to one piece with a small amount of pg and some fruit.

 

Thanks so much for your help!