Human Nutrition

Your medical insurance - if you have medical insurance - may cover appointments with a registered dietician/nutriitonist. It is worth checking out.

Paula

Start out with a food diary of everything you are eating and drinking.......even the small snacks, don't forget sodas if you drink that or even sugar you add to coffee or tea.

I don't know how often you eat out, but eating out, unless you eat sensibly can really hurt ones diet.

Going on a diet is actually not the best thing, you should try to modify your eating habit for the rest of your life, otherwise the weight will be right back and then some.

If you have insurance and can meet with a nutritionist, I'd highly recommend it.  If you can't, you can still make the changes, it just takes a little more work.  I agree that a "diet" isn't going to help longterm though.  A change in your diet will though, and it doesn't have to be as awful as it sounds.  Because I was overweight when I was young, I'm pretty neurotic now.  I indulge, but not on a daily basis.  If I do indulge, say by going out to dinner, I make modifications the next day.   Here's a typical day for me (and it doesn't vary much except on weekends).  I bring light yogurt for breakfast.  I also keep unsalted nuts at my desk, but that's only for a little snack and I don't eat more than 8-10 (they're big nuts []).  For lunch, I eat either a Healthy Choice or Lean Cuisine dinner (not the small ones, cause they aren't enough).  Every now and then I go out and get a spinach salad or something, or go out with a friend, but having my lunch already here, saves me from temptation.  In the afternoon, I'll have an apple or pretzels.  For dinner, I usually eat the most.  I cooked a pot roast yesterday with potatoes, carrots, and also cooked some asparagus to have with it.  That's what we'll have tonight.  I make fajitas too, but I use chicken and lots of bell peppers and onions.  I also use the 98% fat free tortillas and light sour cream.  If you have a big salad with it, you'll eat less of the fajitas too.  Sometimes I take the fajita fixings and put them over lettuce and skip the tortillas.  Anyway, there's a lot of ways to modify what you already eat, so that it's healthier but still yummy.  Salsa is one of my favorite things, and you can get pretty creative with it.  If you're into cooking and magazines, Cooking Light is wonderful and has lots of great recipes.

I subscribed to MenuMailer at savingdinner.com. It's a service that sends you a menu, recipes and even a shopping list for a week's worth of dinners. All are healthy and balanced and created by a nutritionist. They have several versions, including a Low Carb , Vegetarian, Heart Healthy, Budget, etc. VERY handy for me and works great for my schedule. Especially since she has a crock pot recipe every week that I can throw in the pot on my long work day. And I LOVE that the shopping list is already made! She even chooses the week's recipes according to season so you can take advantage of seasonal fruits & veggies. There's free trial menus on their site if you want to check it out.

I think I'm going to renew my subscription, I've gotten lazy with preplanning meals again. I saved a few months of recipes and reused them and I have the Saving Dinner cookbook, so I haven't subscribed since last year. I miss that feeling of relief you get when you know what to fix for dinner every night.

Zebby- A lot of the key to not just weight loss but to a healthy diet is moderation, balance and variety. One easy thing that it seems like your diet may be lacking a lot of fruits and veggies. This is important for your overall health and not just for losing weight.  
 
[]I have a lot of suggestions here and I hope you don#%92t mind… take em or leave em… but some of them worked to change my stepdaughters eating habits.   
 
Throughout my life I have not always been the best at adding in fruits and veggies but once you get use to it, you will find that you crave them. Find veggies that you like and figure out HOW you like them prepared.  For example I don#%92t like raw broccoli or cauliflower, but if I cook them a specific way I LOVE them. For me the only way I like broccoli is lightly steamed with a little bit of lemon squeezed on top. Cauliflower can ONLY be roasted in the oven with fresh herbs, a little olive oil and lemon juice. I hate them all other ways so I really thought for a lot of my life that I just didn#%92t like that those particular veggies.  Some thing with artichokes.. I HATED them until I once had them grilled on the BBQ and now those are pretty close to my favorite vegetable. Asparagus is great roasted in the oven and I prefer this to steamed….    
 
SO experiment with different veggies (even ones that you don#%92t particularly like) and see if you enjoy them if they are cooked different than you expect.  For DH and I .. some of our favorite meals at home are just a couple different types of vegetables OR some tilapia or other mild white fish cooked very simply or broiled with a plate full of veggies. Once you start eating healthier you will actually CRAVE veggies, fish and other healthier foods rather than the richer and fattier ones.
 
I totally agree with snownose about the “food journal”, it can help you take a look at where you can cut things or make better food choices.
 
For snacks one of the best things you can do is have healthier alternatives prepared and ready to eat at any time. When I was trying to teach my stepdaughter to eat healthier after she came to live with us, every Sunday afternoon I would cut up a bunch of veggie and store them in a big Tupperware container and those would last as easy and healthy snacks for the rest of the week. We also always had cooked edamame in the fridge for snacks and this is great to take to work too.  
 
Also, take a look at specific things in your diet that you can make changes too.. like what fat percentage is the milk you drink and can you reduce the amount of fat?  Do you drink regular soda#%92s? If so can you go to diet sodas and more importantly can you wean yourself off of them? We make a fresh pot of ice tea every other day so there is always fresh tea in our fridge. Also, to get my step dtr to drink more water we use to keep pitchers in the fridge of water with fresh orange slices in them.. she DRASTICALLY increased her water drinking just through the addition of a little bit of orange, lemon or lime. Also, believe it or not but a slice of cucumber in your glass of water is VERY refreshing! Also, if you don#%92t use olive oil very often, switch now.. while it still has fat,  it is FAR better for your body than vegetable oil.
 
Another couple tricks for you… use fresh foods whenever available and make your healthier foods visually pleasing… What I mean by that is get a neat looking basket and display your fruits and veggies in it. I kid you not… you are more likely to eat visually pleasing food so do what you can when you store and prepare food to make it look “attractive”.  
 
I have found Xebby that if I focus on weight loss and I deprive myself of too much in order to lose weight that it ALWAYS backfires.. as do fad diets because realistically you aren#%92t going to stay on that diet for the rest of your life so the weight just comes back on.
 
I am certainly no nutritionist or expert, but I firmly believe the key to weight loss is gradually making changes to your lifestyle that are things that you can sustain throughout your life (such as overall better eating habits and moderate daily activity). If you do this you will slowly lose the weight, but slow is the key to actually keeping it off.  I never diet, I just try to make healthier choices. I find too that the more healthy choices I make over the long run, the easier it gets, the less deprived I feel AND the less I actually eat.  Just having the dogs for the past 10 months and walking them for 30 minutes in the morning and 45 minutes to an hour at night has helped me to go down 2 jean sizes.  You will be surprised at how your body changes without starving yourself, killing yourself with exercise and feeling deprived and miserable.[]
 
 
I admire you for taking the initiative and looking into how to eat healthier now while you are young than 10 years from now when it will most likely be even harder to change those habits. SO many of us are not raised in households with health conscience parents.. some of us have to learn it after we get out on our own.[]
 
Good luck Xebby!   

Xebby,
 
So far there's been some great advice on this thread.  I also feel that if you look at a diet as a "lifestyle change" it's easier to do.  The most important thing about a diet is your attitude. 
 
That being said sensible changes are the easiest to make: instead of eating whole eggs, don't eat the yolk- or better still get the "egg beaters" or other sensible egg products from the grocery.  Instead of butter on your toast, use jam or jelly or fresh fruit (yum.)  And the biggest impact on your diet:  Drink lots of water! 
 
The littlest changes will make the most impact-but don't seek to lose too much too fast.  2-5lbs a week is a great start, and it's healthier to lose a little at a time rather than trying to lose alot all at once.  It's also easier to maintain a gradual slow loss than it is to maintain a large loss.  Usually those that lose drastic amounts of weight in short periods of time will balloon back and forth. 
 
Now the most important thing:  Reward yourself!  When you stick to your diet for a week, give yourself some sort of a reward.  My Sunday reward when I went on a weight loss was a glazed donut with my coffee.  But if I strayed from my diet, no reward that week.  It gave me incentive to be strict for myself.
 
I think it was more fun for me to lose weight than for most people because I challenged myself and rewarded myself.  I never went hungry either.  I just eliminated alot of unnecessary fat from my diet. 
 
Check with your doctor before you go on a diet, just to see if there are any health related concerns you might have.  At your university, if there is a dietetics program, you could ask one of the grad students to help you design a program that you could live with.

You may very well be able to see a nutritionist through your insurance if you have insurance. It may require a referral from a doctor, so you'll probably have to see your primary care first.

As others have already said, the keys to good nutrition are moderation and variety, and WHOLE FOODS (I can not stress that enough). A lot of people refer to "shopping on the outside of the supermarket". You know how the produce, meats, fish, and dairy on the outside walls of most supermarkets? And how all the pre-processed, canned and frozen foods, and all the pastas/breads/starches are on the interior? It's not a hard and fast rule but usually sticking more to the outside of the supermarket and less on the inside is a good rule of thumb. More produce, more healthy lean meats and fish, dairy in moderation or low-fat dairy (I prefer higher fat dairy just taste-wise, so I just stick with moderation in that department--I'd rather have no milk at all than skim milk!). Avoid processed foods like the plague. Most contain very high sodium and sugar (even in things that you wouldn't think of as having or needing sugar) and a lot of empty calories.

The others have given you good advice. In addition, check with your university's health department. They may have nutritional information.
 
Another thought would be Weight Watchers. It can either be done in person or online. They have a lot of good information to help you make healthy choices.
 
Good Luck! I'm sure you'll be very successful.

Thanks, all of you for all that wonderful advice!
I will certainly look into my insurance and see if I can go that route. Also keeping a journal sounds like that would be a good idea just to see what I'm really eating and the amount. When I say I need to go on a diet I really do mean I need to make a lifestyle change to my diet. I love shopping at whole food places and outside of the usual supermarket. I can't wait till the farmers market re-opens this summer. I buy most my meats from the butcher already and most fruits and veggies from the fruit market and grow many myself so I would think thats a start I just need to figure out how to put everything all together. Everyone here has so many great suggestions!

subscribed to MenuMailer at savingdinner.com. It's a service that sends you a menu, recipes and[] even a shopping list for a week's worth of dinners. All are healthy and balanced and created by a nutritionist. They have several versions, including a Low Carb , Vegetarian, Heart Healthy, Budget, etc. VERY handy for me and works great for my schedule. Especially since she has a crock pot recipe every week that I can throw in the pot on my long work day. And I LOVE that the shopping list is already made! She even chooses the week's recipes according to season so you can take advantage of seasonal fruits & veggies. There's free trial menus on their site if you want to check it out.

Sounds like a great idea! I'll have to try it!!! I really like the idea of the shopping list, my list is just go to the store and get what looks good at the time so a real list would be great for me.

Amanda - forgive me, this will be long. [] I will bold all of my advice/suggestions in case you don't want to read it all.
 
You're eating habits sound EXACTLY like mine. I have made some changes, but it wasn't easy. I have been rooted in this eating pattern for a long time. I USED to be active so it was never a problem, however, I stopped exercising a few years ago and the weight piled on. I decided to lose it this year so I signed up to run a marathon later this year. When I began, I weighed 163 lbs at 5'1. I'm 25 years old.
 
Signing up for the marathon allowed me to meet with a nutritionist. She didn't reveal any new info or give me any insight. She basically just told me what I already knew - burn more calories than you take in. She was very nice and created a plan for me after asking me all about my eating and exercise habits. She gave me a daily caloric intake range, advised me to log my eating and activity in a journal, and suggested I begin taking a multi-vitamin as well as a calcium supplement. She instructed me to eat no less than 5 times a day. What I liked about her was that she didn't tell me I couldn't eat things. She really just told me to eat in moderation, stop when I'm full not stuffed, eat protein in every meal and snack, and stop eating 2 hours before I go to sleep. She didn't lecture me on how I currently eat. She gave me a helpful grocery shopping list and some recipes. She said if I just made a few small changes, I would see a difference. And I did.
 
I stopped drinking regular soda, which if you knew me, was a BIG deal. I LOVE Pepsi and I cringe at the thought of diet soda, but I got used to it and can't imagine having real soda now. I found snacks that I liked and that weren't bad. I loaded my desk and fridge/freezer at work with oatmeal, yogurt, and Lean Cuisines so that I never had an excuse to go to McDonalds. Plus, it has seriously saved me money.
 
I began eating breakfast, even if I wasn't hungry. I had never really ate breakfast before so this is still a struggle. In fact, I don't think I ate this morning. [8|] I don't buy junk food at the store. What I have realized though, is that it really was something other than hunger that made me eat the way I did before because even as I was eating the way she instructed me too and being satisfied and content, I found I could still eat more. I still wanted the bad stuff. Even I was super full off of a good, healthy lunch, if someone sat down a burger and fries in front of me, I would have been able to eat it. I was/am an emotional eater. I ws eating for reasons other than hunger and I know what those reasons are. After I realized this, and I just RECENTLY realized it, it was like a light went off.
 
Before my realization, I was semi-committed to the training. I would go through my phases. A few weeks, I'd be really into it and I would attend every practice and be working out every day, eating good. Then I would hit a wall and stop going to practice and eat like a pig. I was sabotaging my own efforts. However, once I realized that I what I was doing and why, I stopped doing it.
 
I'm training again and I've also joined Weight Watchers. In addition, my work has this Biggest Loser contest going on to see who can lose the most BMI in 3 months and I joined that contest. It helps me to stay on track at work. I keep a food and activity log (this is my favorite - [linkhttp://www.amazon.com/BodyMinder-Workout-Exercise-Journal-Fitness/dp/0963796844/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-4560513-4116848?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177352443&sr=8-1]http://www.amazon.com/BodyMinder-Workout-Exercise-Journal-Fitness/dp/0963796844/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-4560513-4116848?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177352443&sr=8-1[/link]) and it really helps. I get to see my progress. When I feel like not working out, I look at that damn journal and it makes me feel like not working out isn't a possibility. And I always feel SO much better when I do it and I'm done.
 
I have a gym membership and an apartment gym. I have a dog that loves to be outside and running or playing. I'm not handicapped. I'm not diabled. I'm not too old. [] There is really no excuse. I don't cook and that used to be my excuse for eating bad. Plus, I'm dating this guy who always cooks for me and takes me out so it wasn't helping. What I've done to curb that is I allow myself to eat whatever the hell I want too, all day, one day a week. That's usually Saturday.
 
I have also invested a lot of money in things that have aided me in my weight loss. I bought a fancy scale, a body fat analyzer that I think it cooler and more helpful than the scale ([linkhttp://www.amazon.com/Omron-HBF-306C-Fat-Loss-Monitor/dp/B000FYZMYK/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-4560513-4116848?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1177352392&sr=8-1]http://www.amazon.com/Omron-HBF-306C-Fat-Loss-Monitor/dp/B000FYZMYK/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-4560513-4116848?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1177352392&sr=8-1[/link]) , a heart rate monitor, a pedometer/stopwatch, good shoes, books & magazine subscriptions, etc. I consider it all money well spent.
 
I don't want to just lose weight. I want to be healthy. I don't want to end up like my parents, who are both overweight and deeply rooted in their habits and lifestyles. I wish they would make an effort to become healthy, but I can't make them. I can only take care of myself which is what I'm trying to do. I currently weigh 147. I had gotten down to 147 a few months ago and then went back up to 157. Then I had my light bulb moment and am back down to 147. I don't intend for it to go back up again. My light bulb moment was about 2 weeks ago so I've lost 10 lbs in two weeks. Not bad. Very good actually. [] 
 
So now, aside from my story, here are my suggestions, in addition to the suggestions listed above that my nutritionist gave me: [] (in no particular order)
 
1. Keep a food AND activity log.
2. If you like wheat bread, then eat it. This doesn't mean JUST bread, but tortillas, english muffins, bagels, etc. All of that stuff for me is wheat.
3. If you drink a lot of soda, stop drinking it or switch to diet.
4. I hate most veggies, but there are some that I like. I will add them to every dinner or lunch that I have. I suggest you do the same.
5. I eat AT LEAST one whole piece of fruit a day.
6. Eat about 5 times a day, even when you are NOT hungry.
7. Keep track of your stats (weight, bmi, measurements) so you can see where and what you're losing.
8. If you can, stop eating fast food. I have done this  in the past and am doing it now (unless I want it on my one day to eat anything) and I cannot tell you how much of a difference it has made. Just drive past them. Don't look. Wave to it as you pass by.
9. Do some kind of cardio activity for a minimum of 30 minutes every single day. If you can, do more. Weight lifting is important too, but if nothing else, get the cardio in.
10. Have a support system. I have many. I have my marathon team, weight watchers and you guys. []
11. Subscribe to at least one fitness/health/light eating type of magazine. Sounds silly, but it helps me when I go to my mail box and have a motivating magazine waiting for me in the middle of all my bills. I subscribed to more than one though. I have Self, Shape and Weight Watchers. I love magazines! I stopped my subscriptions to Elle, Vogue, and US Weekly because they are filled with nothing but super skinny girls that have done nothing but aid me in my twisted self-image and self-loathing. [:'(]
 
Good luck on your weight loss!  I wish you all the best and if you ever need to talk, vent or whatever with, you can always pm me. Or if you find any good recipes or snacks, let me know! Spread the wealth! [] I have a list of snacks that I love that are fast, easy and convenient that I will write down and send to you. Good luck!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

I need to lose more weight too.  I think it varies per individual.  My problems is, there are more foods I don't like vs what I do like.  I hate veggies...hate em hate em.  I can eat celery, carrots raw and cucumbers, that is pretty much it.
I hate sauces...yuck! [:'(]  No mayo, mustard, catsup, alfredo type sauces nothing!
No crust on my bread and please...dont let food touch!
I basically have the eating habits of a 5yr old.  The only thing I found to work well for me is to eat more fruit and  yogurt and everything else in moderation.
I never give up my cream/sugar for coffee but I did give up soda.  I will have a soda maybe once every couple months.  I still eat what but less of it.  I still eat chips but I will only have 14 chips or whatever a serving size is.
Now this has resulted in snail speed weight loss but it has come off.  Im talking a few pounds a month slow.  I also give myself cheat days.  Those are for partying, drinking, events and such.  This tends to happen about once a week so I could be better about it.  I wanted to be about 5 - 8lbs lighter than I am right now for my wedding in 2 weeks but I am happy with how I feel and did go down one size.

Lots of great info! Wow!

I'd just add: baby steps!!! You didn't acheive your current health habits overnight, you won't change them overnight, either! Embrace, enjoy and celebrate each little change, and don't worry about "everything."

I made a huge number of lifestyle changes over the past 6 years, radically changing major components of my thinking and behaviors. What helped me, was changing only a couple of things at a time, until they're a habit, then change a couple more things. For example, for the next two weeks, stock your fridge with lots of fresh fruits and veggies, and keep your food journal religiously, but don't change or harrass yourself about anything else. Once you're completely used to that, maybe change out sodas for water and try getting in more daily walking. Do that for a couple of of weeks, then add or remove a couple more things. Slow change will help you take the time to notice what actually DOES work for you, and how the changes make you FEEL DIFFERENTLY!

Oh, this book helped me make a new relationship with food, it's a workbook, of sorts: http://www.amazon.com/Self-Healing-Cookbook-Whole-Foods-Balance/dp/0945668155

You've got a lot of exciting changes coming up, try not to burn yourself out!
Love yourself up as you go, and you''l do great! []

I'd just add: baby steps!!! You didn't acheive your current health habits overnight, you won't change them overnight, either! Embrace, enjoy and celebrate each little change, and don't worry about "everything."

I made a huge number of lifestyle changes over the past 6 years, radically changing major components of my thinking and behaviors. What helped me, was changing only a couple of things at a time, until they're a habit, then change a couple more things.

Ixas_Girl - have you heard of Flylady? She does a phenominal e-mail list that is EXACTLY what you talked about. I have kind of fallen off the Flylady wagon, but many of the habits & routines I picked up when I joined have still stuck with me. This is a link if anyone is interested: [linkhttp://www.flylady.net]FlyLady[/link]

Oh this past year has been crazy with all the changes going on in my life! I'll be getting my very own place this summer (no landlord! Woo Whoo!), BF is graduating college, I now have a full time job in addition to going to school full time, and just gathering up my life right now has been more than difficult and my schedule is so wacky that I have lost track of where everything is going. Things should slow down a bit this summer once the semester is over so I'll have more time for other important things. It's just my health should come first above everything but I've come very close to completely ignoring my health.

I think once I get my eating going in the right direction things might be a little easier for me and it will really help bring my stress level down once I actually feel healthier.