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Anyone struggling with nutrition?

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I've been thinking about starting a 21 day clean eating challenge group To keep myself and other accountable that struggle with nutrition like myself. I can't seem to get it together no matter how hard I try. The first week or so I do great and then I just fall back into bad habits. I've heard about this program I would like to try maybe if I can get a group together it will be easier to stick with. I totally need the support.

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hi! iam Cinder, would appreciate some tips on healthier eating habits!


@CoachCarol wrote:
I've been thinking about starting a 21 day clean eating challenge group To keep myself and other accountable that struggle with nutrition like myself. I can't seem to get it together no matter how hard I try. The first week or so I do great and then I just fall back into bad habits. I've heard about this program I would like to try maybe if I can get a group together it will be easier to stick with. I totally need the support.

Who's in?

Cinder1402

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That is an excellent idea @CoachCarol! I think that we can all use some encouragement to be healthier every day Smiley Very Happy

 

Count me in! 

Fitbit Community ModeratorHelena A. | Community Moderator, Fitbit

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I am in - any help I can give/get will be great 🙂

Eileen

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I'm like you, I can usually do about a week(maybe) and I'm back to old ways.  I have come up with a system that works well for me.  I make sure that Monday-Thursday I eat balanced, healthy meals and nothing else.  I don't allow myself to go crazy on the weekends but I do allow myself to enjoy some of my favorite foods.  I still make sure that I'm getting veggies and try to eat one to two healthier meals a day but if I want pizza or beer and wings for dinner, I'm not going to deprive myself it.  This way keeps me on track because I can just remind myself through the week when I'm craving something that I only have to wait a couple more days.  Makes it easier to last, and I'm finding the longer I do this, the less I crave the bad foods and have even started making healthier decisions while I go out on the weekends.

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Count me in

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How is it going to go? 

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Not sure about clean eating, but I've found that logging my food whether in Fitbit app or some other one helps me to keep an eye on where I am from a day to day basis.

 

I've also had pretty good success with is reserving 1 cheat day and eating low carb other 6 days. That way, at least once a week, you have whatever you want, while keeping the other 6 for healthy eating. Hopefully that helps hold off the cravings for another week. 4 Hour Body among other health and fitness books and "articles" describes how it works.

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I've been using the MFP app and I'm seeing a pattern with what I eat... so much so that I keep pushing away the cookies and running away from the donuts....  I do give myself a treat once in a while though 🙂

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Logging food is good too.  I plan my meals throughout the week so I log my food the night before.  I think that is easier than logging it as you go or remembering what you had all day.  You can always edit it if you switch it up.  I also like this because I kind of compete against myself a little bit.  I know how many calories I am going to consume that day so I try to burn that many before I leave work, might mean that I have to jog up and down the stairs a few times before I leave but I typically am able to do it.  That way whatever I burn after is excess.  🙂

 

Logging my food might be the best thing that has kept me on track.  For instance, the other day I had Mexican food for dinner, I had what I thought was going to be a healthier option and I ended up adding an extra 1000 calories to my day.  Makes you think twice about what you are eating because I don't want to do that very often. 

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Use the food plan as a guidance and try listening to your amazing body when feeling satisfied (not stuffed), getting / feeling hungry. Don't eat 'cause the plan tells you to, or that there's a deficit of x hundred calories since midnight but not really feeling hungry at all.

 

Our bodies automatically take care of us when listening to and revert to the weight range it's most happy at, when allowing ourself to have any food in the moment when feeling hungry, basing portions on how hungry we actually are, and honoring our bodies to not eat more when feeling satisfied / not hungry at all. Don't eat out of boredom or loneliness, but to nourish our body with which food looks most appealing in the moment when being hungry, giving the nutritients its asking for.

 

This can be done without needing to count any calories at all, since when feeling satisfied we have eaten enough, our bodies give signals what it needs, how much it needs, when it needs, not asking for more.. the calories and nutritients are taken care about automatically.

 

Even when getting a craving, it can be out of habit, but when feeling a bit hungry it can also be our body needs to have something extra (a bit more calories / or nutritients).

 

When eating in balance (nutritient rich food most of the time) since being the most healthy for our bodies (provide plenty of nutritients, low in calories, easier for our body to progress, not filled with chemicals or ingredients our bodies don't need).. and having anything else in moderation, our amazing bodies take care about us by regulating our optimal weight range automatically.

 

Notice how babies cry when feeling hungry, and when having enough they stop crying? We have a internal complex system which gives us signals when being hungry, and what our body needs in the moment..

 

Notice at a restaurant, your choosing for a specific menu (no need to eat everything, only what you fancy and until feeling satisfied)? or when a family member fancy some pizza, but you rather have a salad instead, maybe some french fries, something else instead, or not feeling hungry at all and not actually have the need to eat more in the moment..

 

Or when that one potato left on the plate doesn't look more appealing to eat anymore, and instead automatically wanting more vegetables?

 

Our bodies have a internal nutritient / calorie / weight management system build in, it wants to be at a healthy weight range, by listening to it.


When eating, ask your body 'how many vegetables do you want', and how many of those potatoes, a half slice of meat instead of a full slice?).

 

It can be scary at first, however try regaining trust with your amazing body. It knows where it wants to be, regardless how much we're fighting to be at a specific number, our bodies are clever and always reverting back to the weight range they are most happy at (by lower or increasing metabolism, by taken more nutritients from eaten food, by sending hunger signals, sending cravings..).

 

Work with your body, not against, everything else will follow like reaching your optimal weight range automatically by tuning into your amazing body and getting rid of old habits (like eating when not being hungry).

 

Allow yourself to have any food regardless good or bad food. Anything you'd fancy. Don't restrict a certain food, it leads eventually to crave so much for to at a certain point going to eat it anyway but eating much more from it.


Eat everything but in moderation. It's about changing food habits, one thing at a time so the body can adjust and easier to change habits over time.

 

When wanting something to eat out the planned meal now, allow yourself to have it at the next opportunity when going to eat something (plan it in the plan).

 

Eat what you desire, when eating something else first but actually *really* wanting to have that certain food, it leads to eating that certain food eventually and eating more calories in the long run.

 

When desired, try aiming to eat nutritient rich food (don't change your food habits to dramatically, but making smaller changes over time):

 

Fruits such as banana's, apples..

Whole Grains (bread)

Protein (yoghurt, eggs, cheese, lean meat (chicken/fish..)


These foods contain plenty of nutritients which the body needs while being low in calories, keep feeling satisfied for longer. These foods are easier for the body to process, improve digestion, boost immunity..

 

Aim to have 50% raw (cooked) vegetables at dinner.

 

Try eating those foods first before eating other food which lack in nutritients (pizza, prepackaged food which contains ingredients not being able to read).

 

Eating nutritient lacking food first which are higher in calories, the body still craves to have more cause of asking to eat more food to ensure it gets the nutritients it requires, automatically cutting back on 'extra unneeded' calories when eating the nutritient rich food first.

 

It's ok to have some pizza, piece of chocolate, prepackaged foods, a piece of cake, your favourite food. Eat everything in moderation.

 

Never skip breakfast or the body can stop sending hunger / appetite signals.

 

Protein is used to repair muscles, don't go for a to large deficit, rather have a lower calorie deficit otherwise the body starts using muscle as energy for survival instead of wanting to use body fat.

 

It can take longer for weight loss, but it ensures that most weight loss would come from body fat, and allows the body to adjust to changing food habits and the weight loss. It also limits the possibility that the body is going to fight back by when being at a natural weight range, and regardless how much food is eaten, it can go back to a higher weight, adding in a few pounds more since there's been a shortage of food and does want to survive.

 

When being at a healthier weight and body fat range, it's possible that the body can be at it's happy weight range, this weight can be higher than your desired goal but being in a healthy weight range.

 

No matter if overeating a bit, or undereating when being at the natural weight range. When only eating to nourish the body, and only when hungry (eat anything you'd like but stop eating more when satisfied) the body will stay at it's natural weight range. It defends this range regardless of having eaten a bit under or more, it always reverts back to the weight where its the most happy at (without counting calories and not restricting or forbidding any food). It does this by sending appetite / hunger signals, lowering or increasing metabolism, sending out a craving for a certain food,..

 

The weight range is determined by genetics, activity, food choices.

 

Try honoring your body, when feeling satisfied but not stuffed and not being hungry, try not to eat more. Regardless if allowed to eat x hundred calories more.

Calories to eat are a guidance, when your body has all nutritients it needs, it can be perfectly happy with less.

 

Try listening to your wonderful body what it needs (can be tricky at first) rather than the mind.. your mind would like a pizza, but would it nourish the body now or would the body be more satisfied with a salad, piece of fruit or something else instead?

 

Looking at a certain food you'd like first, but then actually getting a feeling to 'not really want to eat that now' since the other food looks more appealing at the moment and the body actually wanting to have that other food instead.

 

When some food taste bad, don't eat more of it (even if it would be a healthier food option), it's a sign that your body doesn't like that certain food. While for others it may taste great, the body doesn't like it and gives a signal to not wanting any of that food instead have something else.

 

When possible and desired eat smaller portions throughout the day instead of having 3 larger meals, when being truly hungry and having 3 larger meals, it can lead to overeating cause of being so hungry and making less 'healthy' food choices.

 

When eating smaller portions throughout the day, the body keeps feeling satisfied and not to hungry at for example dinner, choosing to take less food overall at dinner 'cause of not feeling so hungry, leading to eating less calories overall. :smileywink:

 

Make peace with yourself, your body and food.

 

Try eating with your non dominant hand, to automaticly eat slower and enjoy the food while sitting down at the table. Notice the taste, notice what you are eating (try not to eat to quickly). Recognize the love that got into the food before being available to yourself (don't need to do always) but think about that banana for example has been available by nature, growed by a farmer in another country, it got taken aboard on a ship to get to here, taken from aboard, delivered by a truck driver to a store nearby, the people from the store put on the shelves.. and you or a beloved one got the food from the store to your home so you can enjoy that piece of fruit now to nourish your body.

 

Thanks to everyone involved including nature, that piece of fruit got to you. It's amazing how much :heart: got into it. :smileyhappy:

 

Make smaller steps at a day, keep believing, don't give up when hitting a plateau (weight remains the same for a while..) (can be due a increase in muscles when exercising for example, but body fat can have been lower) so keep a eye that body fat decreases rather than weight itself. It means getting leaner and that's a great sign.

 

Enjoy!

 

Baby Goal

 

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Stefan - Such a great post

 

Everyone, if you can get past the first few days, you will start to develop a taste for the good food vs. the bad...

 

For me, it is more of a habit vs. the taste.  I like fresh veggies/salads; it is taking the time to make a salad or ording the right food vs. just ordering pizza....(I have more of a pizza tooth vs. a sweet tooth)

 

I eat a lot of spinach salads these days (and love them)  I add in some sunflower seeds for crunch, tomatos, cukes, chick peas, carrots, peppers - I watch the dressing because it is calorie dense (The Neuman's Own dressings are decent - No MSG, limited sugar)  These salads are nutrient rich and will fill you up quickly making you less likely to overeat.  I eat salad first...

 

Best of luck!

 

- Jon

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im in 🙂 when do we get started?? Should we all check in with each other?

 

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I could sure use some encouragement.

 

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Hi Cinder,

My name is Kathy.  I understand your struggle.  Today was a celebration as I have been donut free for 4 days!!  Sounds silly, but giving up processed foods/sugary treats is an every day struggle for me too.  I'm like you, I can do really well for a week and then something comes up and I am back to old habits.  I cleaned out my cupboards and until I can trust myself to go to the store and not find a reason to buy donuts, candy etc... I am making my husband do the shopping.  Maybe we can help each other stay on track!

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I would love to do this and have a support group to help keep the motivation going!!

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Seems like many people are having the same issue. I have started a support and accountability group over on facebook. Some of you have already joined. I'm not to how to create one on here so I felt that was easier. send me a friend request on here or on fb so I can add you to it. FB name is Carol Marie or www.facebook.com/carol.brown.7505
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Here is the link to the group  https://www.facebook.com/groups/636647456466514/

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I am in

 

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that's it! Now I see what I'm actuyally eating, it makes me stop and think when I have to write it in, or the fitbit does it anyway! I look for better choices and somehow it works.

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