Newbie struggling with food changes

[Kay_Nein]

I just need to vent and looking for encouragement and suggestions. 

I got my fitbit a week ago.  I'm hooked!  I've been tracking my food, entered weight loss goals, etc.  I really enjoy it keeping track of how many more calories I can have to stay on track and how that adjusts to my level of activity.  It's making me rethink my food choices.  

I work from home and tend to graze all day, so this has been eye opening.  The last few days I've been almost out of calories by dinner time.  And I'm finding that I'm hungry during the day.  I know if I eat the right stuff and snack on schedule I won't be hungry, but I'm still trying to figure it all out.  Luckily, tracking my food has caused me to shut my fridge door many times without taking anything out.   I also have hypoglycemia, so I'm struggling to keep my sugar up and my calories down.  

I was hungry an hour ago and got a stick of string cheese (the lesser of all evils I had to choose from) and was like, "Geez, this is 90 calories. There goes my numbers!". 

What food changes had the most impact when you started your weight loss journey?  

What tips can you give me for keeping blood sugar up and calories down?

What are the best things to keep on hand to quickly bring up your blood sugar?

Thank you!!! 

[dredilla59]

I do 2 eggs how every you want and  vggies and then 1 orange or a 1/2 grapefruit in the morning to help with the sugar spikes and snack in the afternoon 2 tab yogurt non fat greek 1 cup strawberries sith stevia

[WendyB]

Lots of fruits and veggies.

Have Protein with all meals. Make sure to get some healthly fats in as well. THese are what keep you full

I eat 3 meals and have 2 snacks a day.

[AndiCox78]

I find that my calories are either gone, or close to it by the time dinner comes along sometimes also!!! I eat some baby carrots as a quick snack for bringing up my blood sugar...if I have a few more calories to spare, I add a tablespoon of lite Ranch dressing(Ken's); add a big bottle of water to the mix, and I'm not hungry for a long while! Also, cracker chips and almonds...i split the serving size, so that I can have some more later on when I'm having hunger pangs unexpectedly. 

Good luck with this, I am so excited to be on this journey!!! 🙂 40-50lbs to go! 🙂

[Kay_Nein]

Thanks! I put my goal at losing 40 pounds with moderate intensity. Didn't
want to set my sights too high and not be able to keep it up. Everyone has
offered great ideas. I usually have carrots in the house and I know they
are high in sugar so that's a great recommendation when I need a sugar
boost.

I need to take the time to cook an egg breakfast in the morning. I've been
lazy, but of course it's only been a few days. Learning curve. I do enjoy
ham, peppers and swiss omelets. But the carbs aren't there so I crash not
long afterwards.

[LerxstOhio]

Something that seems like it helps me is to drink water during the day.  I'm a water-holic anyway, LOL...  I have a Brita bottle I keep at work and I drink like 2 or 3 of those a day.  But, it seems like when I feel like I might be getting hungry, I can drink some water and it tends to help me.

Also, you can get almonds or other types of nuts or seeds for a quick snack.  And veggies are good, too.  I love carrots, myself.  🙂 

[susiebee44]

There's a lot more you will learn as you develop your food plan and there's a lot of help in the Fitbit Community.  I started many weight-loss journeys over the years and have worked my way back to a normal weight (50 lb loss, maintained for over a year so far) finally by:  Eating less and moving more.  Revolutionary, right?  Not what anyone wants to hear, including me!

Seriously, the most impact a food choice had on my latest venture was cutting out bread.  I found that if I had it available to me, I would overeat it and blow my diet.  Since I was basically on a 1200 daily cal food plan (older female, pretty sedentary at that time), I realized that bread was way too high in calories for my low calorie allotment  per day, and ultimately it did not have the satiety of other foods.  Once I cut bread and eased into a consistent exercise program, I found I could lose one lb/week regularly during my weight loss journey.  I also discovered that bread has a surprisingly high sodium content.  I am basically on maintenance now but am not eating much differently than when I was on a weight-loss plan.  I eat little meat or processed food, no desserts (or "health" bars), and eat a lot of vegetables and fruit.  I find that this kind of diet is satiating and does not lead me to binging/overeating.  I feel and look years younger, feel great every day, and don't miss any of the food that made me obese and unhappy for years.

Good luck to you.  I'm sure you will find what works for you.  Keep at it, day at a time.

[Paradise555]

I feel the same way. I transitioned from eating poor quality food to mainly fruit and veggies as a snack. Yes I do allow myself to cheat once a day to have a break from the fruit and veggies. What I trained myself to think is if I am going to snack, might as well be something healthy like a bear paw (my hands a pretty big) of carrots or berries or what have you. Add color to what your having. I hope this helps.

[wagsalot]

Hi - I feel your pain.  I only started logging a few days ago. It's a real eye-opener. One thing that has helped me with combating the hunger is to allow a "treat" each day. My favorite - a fiber one caramel-chocolate protein bar. 140 calories and worth every bite. It someone makes me feel like I am not depriving myself of everything good (and fattening). And as a bread/pretzel/carboholic, I switched to sprouted wheat bread - which is very, very dense and really seems to fill me up as toast in the  morming, or with the occasional turkey sandwich. 

I even had a glass of wine one night.  I think - at least for me - the key is to not say anyting is off limits. I just need to be mindful of how much of it I need to eat (i.e. satisfy me) and I defniitely have to track it. 

[Trooper]

I try to do 1200 a day. Most days I am successful, but other days I go over. Some days I have no Appetite and on other days I am very hungry. There are several things you can do to help your snacking. It might not work for you but it works for me. Keep Low Calorie Snacks and Fruits and Veggies handy with you at all times. Add them in to your food menu for the day. On work days I pre plan my breakfast and lunch menus. That way I know that by the time I get home for dinner, how many calories I can spend in my checking account, because I don't want an overdraft.  Another thing that might work is to move the time that you eat one of your big mieals. What has worked for me in the past, is to move the times that I am eating. Instead of Lunch at 11:30 I move it to 1:00 p.m. and dinnner from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.

[dbend]

Apricots are in season now.  Enjoy.

[HelenaFitbit]

It's a rough thing to know you have to keep eating but being limited on options. 

How about making a weekly meal plan? You can include nuts, fruits, veggies and plenty of protein to balance out the cravings. You can even add the times when you'll be eating them, for extra support. 

I would also recommend consulting with your doctor or a registered dietitian, so they can give you an "approved food combinations" list, I remember getting one a couple years ago. 

Here's to more tracking and stepping! 

[Kay_Nein]

---

@susiebee44 wrote:

There's a lot more you will learn as you develop your food plan and there's a lot of help in the Fitbit Community.  I started many weight-loss journeys over the years and have worked my way back to a normal weight (50 lb loss, maintained for over a year so far) finally by:  Eating less and moving more.  Revolutionary, right?  Not what anyone wants to hear, including me!

Seriously, the most impact a food choice had on my latest venture was cutting out bread.  I found that if I had it available to me, I would overeat it and blow my diet.  Since I was basically on a 1200 daily cal food plan (older female, pretty sedentary at that time), I realized that bread was way too high in calories for my low calorie allotment  per day, and ultimately it did not have the satiety of other foods.  Once I cut bread and eased into a consistent exercise program, I found I could lose one lb/week regularly during my weight loss journey.  I also discovered that bread has a surprisingly high sodium content.  I am basically on maintenance now but am not eating much differently than when I was on a weight-loss plan.  I eat little meat or processed food, no desserts (or "health" bars), and eat a lot of vegetables and fruit.  I find that this kind of diet is satiating and does not lead me to binging/overeating.  I feel and look years younger, feel great every day, and don't miss any of the food that made me obese and unhappy for years.

Good luck to you.  I'm sure you will find what works for you.  Keep at it, day at a time.

---

I know bread is something that I need to get away from.  I really am a carb-a-holic and bread is something I really enjoy.  Some other comments have recommended some filling whole grain options that I need to look into.  I love to bake bread and my go-to lunch has always been a sandwich.  These are just adjustments that I'll have to get used to.  One little tweak at a time should keep me focused without feeling overwhelmed.  

[Kay_Nein]

---

@Paradise555 wrote:

I feel the same way. I transitioned from eating poor quality food to mainly fruit and veggies as a snack. Yes I do allow myself to cheat once a day to have a break from the fruit and veggies. What I trained myself to think is if I am going to snack, might as well be something healthy like a bear paw (my hands a pretty big) of carrots or berries or what have you. Add color to what your having. I hope this helps.

---

Yesterday I was really hungy (missed lunch) and I new it would be awhile before I would get to eat a meal because I was going on the lake with some friends (lunch is always a big ceremony on the lake!).  So, I grabbed a handful of cherries and carrot sticks.  It was perfect!  I would never have done that before.  I'm trying to get used to the idea of fruits & veggies as snacks.  I ate a raw mini sweet pepper yesterday - I was surprised that it was actually yummy.  lol   Many, many years of bad habits that need to be reversed in this brain! 

[Kay_Nein]

---

@wagsalot wrote:

Hi - I feel your pain.  I only started logging a few days ago. It's a real eye-opener. One thing that has helped me with combating the hunger is to allow a "treat" each day. My favorite - a fiber one caramel-chocolate protein bar. 140 calories and worth every bite. It someone makes me feel like I am not depriving myself of everything good (and fattening). And as a bread/pretzel/carboholic, I switched to sprouted wheat bread - which is very, very dense and really seems to fill me up as toast in the  morming, or with the occasional turkey sandwich. 

I even had a glass of wine one night.  I think - at least for me - the key is to not say anyting is off limits. I just need to be mindful of how much of it I need to eat (i.e. satisfy me) and I defniitely have to track it. 

---

Thank you for the bread suggestion.  I really don't want to have to give up bread, so I appreciate having another option.  I think alot of my previous problem was not eating things that were filling and would last me awhile.  That would cause me to go grazing and eating way too many calories of the wrong kind.

[Kay_Nein]

---

@Trooper wrote:

I try to do 1200 a day. Most days I am successful, but other days I go over. Some days I have no Appetite and on other days I am very hungry. There are several things you can do to help your snacking. It might not work for you but it works for me. Keep Low Calorie Snacks and Fruits and Veggies handy with you at all times. Add them in to your food menu for the day. On work days I pre plan my breakfast and lunch menus. That way I know that by the time I get home for dinner, how many calories I can spend in my checking account, because I don't want an overdraft.  Another thing that might work is to move the time that you eat one of your big mieals. What has worked for me in the past, is to move the times that I am eating. Instead of Lunch at 11:30 I move it to 1:00 p.m. and dinnner from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.

---

Yes, planning the meals in advance would be a big help!  Especially if I knew I would be eating out or at a friend's house.  One other thing that I've been trying to do is not jump up the moment I feel a hunger twinge.  Instead, I'll look at the clock and tell myself that I'll get up in 30 or 45 minutes and go get something.  I think this is helping extend my calories through the day because sometimes the hunger will go away and I'll look up from my work and it's been an hour and I don't even feel like going downstairs to find a snack.  

[wagsalot]

in some stores, you have to get the sprouted wheat bread in the freezer. Check with your local market. I shop at Giant in PA - and they sell if fresh and frozen. They recommend you keep it in the frig because there are no preservatives in it. Which for me actually helps - it's not just sitting there waiting for me to eat it. You have to let it sit out a while, or heat it up in the toaster oven.

I like to have a slice or two at breakfast with fruit-only spread. So I get my carb and sweet cravings taken care of. Sometimes I have one slice with an egg. Either way, I'm good until lunch or a fruit snack late morning.

[Kay_Nein]

---

@helenarriaza wrote:

It's a rough thing to know you have to keep eating but being limited on options. 

How about making a weekly meal plan? You can include nuts, fruits, veggies and plenty of protein to balance out the cravings. You can even add the times when you'll be eating them, for extra support. 

I would also recommend consulting with your doctor or a registered dietitian, so they can give you an "approved food combinations" list, I remember getting one a couple years ago. 

Here's to more tracking and stepping! 

---

I definitely want to get with a dietician.  But, I think with everyone's help and suggestions here I'm on the right track to make some good changes.  I'm a strange cookie and a if it seems too much like work I won't keep it up.  For now, just having some healthy options in the house makes me feel like I'm improving.  If I had a list I had to consult full of things that I probably won't eat then it would become overwhelming and I would get frustrated.  I think once I get a few new habits under my belt (haha), I'll be in a better position mentally to make that next step because I'll already have some success to boost my confidence.  

[Kay_Nein]

---

@wagsalot wrote:

in some stores, you have to get the sprouted wheat bread in the freezer. Check with your local market. I shop at Giant in PA - and they sell if fresh and frozen. They recommend you keep it in the frig because there are no preservatives in it. Which for me actually helps - it's not just sitting there waiting for me to eat it. You have to let it sit out a while, or heat it up in the toaster oven.

I like to have a slice or two at breakfast with fruit-only spread. So I get my carb and sweet cravings taken care of. Sometimes I have one slice with an egg. Either way, I'm good until lunch or a fruit snack late morning.

---

Someone else mentioned sprouted bread also.  What brand do you like?  I really enjoy peanut butter on toast, but I was shocked to see how many calories were in peanut butter =(  I might just have to find a way to make it part of a breakfast plan anyways because I know it have alot of protein and is filling.

[Kay_Nein]

---

@dredilla59 wrote:

I do 2 eggs how every you want and  vggies and then 1 orange or a 1/2 grapefruit in the morning to help with the sugar spikes and snack in the afternoon 2 tab yogurt non fat greek 1 cup strawberries sith stevia

---

I've always enjoyed veggie omelets for breakfast, but once I added up everything from my omelet this morning I was pretty disappointed.  My swiss cheese was way too calorie-high.  I'll need to find another option.  I love cheese!  lol  But, I know that if I want to be successful I'll have to give up some things I love (like peanut butter and jelly on ritz crackers *sigh*  my pre-fitbit favorite mid-afternoon sweet treat).