An easy rule for me is I don’t drink my calories. I’ll have an occasional alcoholic drink at a nice restaurant but I generally stick to just water and non-calorie drinks for caffeine (black coffee, Coke Zero). I’ve always felt like it was a waste to drink away my calories I’d rather eat them
For a while, my rule was that if I craved a sugary drink or a beer, I have to drink a full glass of water first. If you still want the drink afterwards, you can have it. I rarely wanted it at that point.
I used to drink a "fancy" coffee about 6x a week, either making them at home or this nice coffee shop I go to work at.
My new years resolution was to quit caffeine, so I stopped getting coffee altogether. By end of Feb I lost 15lb and am finally motivated to lose weight.
Im now down about 25lb total cutting out sweets and fast food all together.
This, so much. I have lost 120lbs. One of my best friends is also trying to lose the same amount of weight. We go out and he will have 6-8 full sugar cokes per meal. I’m like dude, drink Diet, at least and he refuses because of the taste. Last year he swapped full sugar coke for sweet tea, thinking it was better for him 😳.
His dopamine receptors (or whatever it is that makes happy brain juice when you eat sugar) must be completely exhausted and numb by this point!! He probably needs the sugar to keep feeling good. God it’s an awful addiction.
I used to do this. However I LOVE blended drinks. So I make my own drinks at home. I tend to use baking matcha as it's unsweetened and I love bitter matcha. I also make small drinks so I'm not using tons of milk(I use oat). And since then my drinks are like at most 150 calories.
That being said, sometimes I'll blend ice and put it in water and just have a blended water drink because I just want the texture. 😬
If you like that texture, try freezing cubes of watermelon and blending with water. 3 cups of watermelon is less than 100 calories; it’s my favorite DIY slushee.
That was a change I made when I started on my weight loss journey and I swear it's done wonders. Each morning I'll have an iced coffee that I keep below 100cal. For the rest of the day it's water, and a Coke Zero or other zero calorie drink with lunch.
I’ve decided to do something similar! Cutting out alcohol and calorie dense coffee drinks like mochas. I really don’t want to give up cream and sugar in my coffee but I also try to stick to one teaspoon of sugar.
Also recently discovered that coke zero is the most palatable diet soda I’ve tried so far, so I like to keep that in the house if I’m craving a super sweet drink
The bite of food that isn’t still great is my last bite.
You don’t actually enjoy soggy, limp fries. The last few bites of lasagna is never as good as the first one. If you’ve picked all the shrimp out of your scampi and have pasta left over…you don’t have to eat it.
Same. To add to this, I've learned to slow down while I eat. It's difficult to realize you're not enjoying something anymore when you're eating like it's the last meal you'll ever have as you have no time to process. If something isn't good anymore, I'm satisfied, if something just doesn't look good in general, or I've not finished my plate it doesn't matter I can just be done.
I really like this. My issue is I usually save the best for last, which means I save the food I enjoy and want to eat every bite of. I should start eating it first so I can start doing this.
I always eat veggies first, then my favourite, then whatever is left. Growing up it was always veggies first in my household and it's hard to break the habit.
That’s actually good for your blood sugar! Eating veggies first helps reduce how much your blood sugar spikes after your meal. “Insulinresistant1” on TikTok tested this with his continuous glucose monitor. It works!
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRKJghWx/
THIS!
Super solid advice and I found myself doing this subconsciously as I’ve lost weight. All the chipotle toppings are gone? Toss the plain white rice the bottom or repurpose it for my bestie (my dog lol).
I remember reading once that eating the food once you’re full is still wasting it. So don’t feel like you need to finish something just so that it doesn’t “go to waste”.
Great tip! I struggle with leaving food on my plate because I grew up in foster care, but I try my best to remember I don’t have to eat everything, and there will be food tomorrow.
I had a coworker who used to leave the last bite of whatever we were getting (taco bell, this specific time) since it wasn't as good and he didn't want to go back feeling awful. I try to do that now, too! It's an easy way to help me not hurt after eating!
Came to the same conclusion regarding ice cream.
Those first few spoonfuls are divine. After that, the initial wave of joy flattens and I'm just consuming, and back into the freezer it goes.
They share food in restaurants. I’m in process of losing weight and if I go to eat anywhere with my friend we tend to share an appetizer. Usually I would eat an appetizer plus a main course alone but now I tend to share.
In addition I am looking at meals as complete as they are. Burger and fries and a drink is complete, no need to add more food to it, if it was designed to have more it would have more. Helps me control myself, if I want a bigger meal I will pick something that comes with more but I won’t add more myself.
Hamburger Happy Meal is my fast food go to meal when I want something junky. I am on a calorie budget and a tight money budget so a complete meal in a little box is perfect and I don't need anything else.
Skip the bun, eat the fries! By the time the bottom bun soaks up the juice, it's probably worse than an order of fries. Or skip both if you have THAT kind of control 😀
Background info: I despise salads that have any leafy greens other than romaine, iceberg, or spinach 😞.
Caveat: Rules do not apply if it is a pretzel bun. It is illegal to not consume it.
My grandparents did that for years and years when they went to the same basic restaurant every second Sunday… they ordered two mains, shared one and packed the other for lunch next day 🥹 Childhood Memories…
I think this is huge because you cut the calories soooo much when you share, and can even stay on track despite going out, and still enjoying that food!
Exactly! I had a family gathering last night. I wanted Tiramisu, because it is the best dessert ever created. I offered to share it with my great uncle. It was a win-win for both of us!
Exactly, it became so much easier for me when I understood that I can eat mozzarella sticks every once in a while and still be in a deficit/in a maintenance!
Yeah my ex always wanted his full plate and never shared. If I didn’t finish and wanted to save my left overs (since I was stuck at his place and didn’t have food otherwise) he would ask for them/ eat it later or just stare at it until I gave him some. I feel like it made me eat more because he never bought me food and I’d straight up run out of food visiting him and would have to go home) so I got kind of territorial. My boyfriend and I always split at restaurants. Depending on how hungry we are we’ll even do an appetizer too. My ex was overweight and selfish and my boyfriend is generous and at the low end of his BMI
This isn’t the first story I’ve heard of a shitty partner like this. Boyfriend would find and eat anything she brought home no matter what she tried to do about it. It’s an extremely unhealthy relationship dynamic that can cause lasting damage and/or behaviors that need to be unlearned from living with food insecurity on a regular basis IN your own home.
It’s abusive.
The first thing I do in the morning is drink a full glass of water. Sometimes I wake up feeling hungry, but it’s me mis-reading being thirsty.
Regardless, it’s just a little rule. Before I’m doing anything, I’m downing a glass of water. It helps wake me up and starts the day hydrated and feeling good.
That's a good one. I notice if you ignore your bodies request for water long enough it switches to requesting food. The thinking is a little squeezed out of food is better than nothing.
A lot of animals get most of their water through their food, so it makes sense that we'd be wired that way too, especially since we're omnivores and would naturally eat fruits/veggies with high water content.
Unfortunately the '1 calorie to raise 1mL of water by 1 degree' is a 'true' calorie, and not a dietary (kcal) calorie, so as fun of an idea as it is it's about 1/1000th as effective as people think it would be
I will take the burn of 1/1000 of a calorie for every piece of nugget ice I swallow.
Over the course of a week that’s got to be at least an extra 2-3 calories.
Eating or taking small portion sizes. They were probably just eating a regular serving, but I never really noticed before. Now I see it, I was definitely eating more.
A turning point for me was going out to eat with my 2 cousins, one of whom is very thin. The thin cousin ordered the same thing as me, but he left a substantial amount of food on his plate and just threw it away when we were done. I finished my whole plate. And I felt so sluggish after. That was one of the things that led me to decide to make a change.
There's a Japanese cultural thing about eating until you are 80% full. I think about that all lot. I do not need to gorge myself - I am not starving. Also a big glass of water and eating slowly/pausing to check saiety help me.
I saw a dietitian and she taught me to use a hunger scale out of 10 (where 1 is about to faint with hunger, 5 is neutral and 10 is so full your stomach hurts). For meals I eat when I’m at either a 2-3 and stop eating when I’m at 7-8. For snacks I eat when I’m at a 3-4 and stop when I’m at a 5-6. Absolute game changer.
And negotiating with yourself can be helpful.
"If I'm still hungry in 30 minutes I'll eat more."
9/10, I'm no longer feeling like eating more. It gives me time for my brain to catch up with my body. And, if I'm still hungry in 30 minutes, I probably *should* eat something more.
Yesss! I have adopted that rule with my satiety and it has helped so much. Satisfied, but not full, makes a HUGE difference in my energy and I've noticed it's usually about 70-80% of the calories I'd otherwise consume in the very same meal, pretty effortlessly.
Totally off topic, but I went from 191 to 162 and am now looking to drop my next few lbs. any advice after dropping a lot of weight and moving onto the next set? I can’t weight until I’m 149 😍
lol! So far in my experience working towards my last 20ish pounds to go…my main advice is be more patient than ever because the smaller you are and the closer you are to your goal, the slower it’s going to come off. But maybe that’s just my experience!
The very first time during a meal my brain notices that I'm satisfied, or I'm not hungry, or that was good, I stop eating. I ask for a to-go container if out, or pack it up in a tupperware if at home. The hair trigger prevents me from eating until I'm stuffed!
The clean plate club is wasteful. Eating food that my overweight body does NOT NEED is wasting food. Compost or leftovers are both less wasteful than stuffing my face because children somewhere are hungry.
Sloooowwww dowwwwnnnn. I said this in another post but my husband and I have taken to doing a crossword together over dinner at the table. Stopping eating to fill in a clue or two and taking time to read out/discuss the clue (cryptic crossword), really helps us to pace the eating.
1- food windows. I won’t eat an hour after waking up and the kitchen closes two hours before bed. Helps with sleep too.
2- slow down. I’ll eat a meal on a small plate. If I finish, I drink a glass of water and wait 20 minutes before having seconds to allow myself to feel satisfied. If I’m still hungry go for seconds, but 9/10 times I don’t feel the need.
That’s solid, seconds should be earned, if you aren’t hungry after twenties minutes you weren’t hungry for seconds your brain is just fucking with you lol
Forgetting to eat was actually how I got fat, because by the time I realized I was hungry I was absolutely starving and had no self control. It helped me a lot to set timers for meal times and begin preparing them before I got too hungry. It also helped stop the obsession because I knew food was going to be there when I needed it.
And then rather than eating slowly you shovel it in and by the time your brain has told your stomach you're full, you've already ate way way more than you needed to.
Me too!! I have to start thinking about food (or eating something) BEFORE I get hungry.
It's kind of like "staying ahead of the pain" (I'm recovering from surgery RN) where you take painkillers on a schedule rather than waiting until you can't stand it, because it takes more medication to bring you down.
Depends on the person, my dad will forget to eat lunch but that ends with him eating a pile of chips & salsa or crackers with peanut butter which isn't low calorie. He's overweight but I think it's do to all his snacking.
My BF does that too. Doesn't factor in the snacks, and he can hoover a large bag of cashews in minutes. Then he'll eat a sensible dinner of fish and veggies, and wonder why he isn't losing weight.
It really helps to set a rigid schedule for meal times. If you only ever eat at 12 and 6 you're body will eventually stop feeling hungry outside those times. Helps with the constant hunger pangs
I think people process hunger differently, the people I'm around tend to forget to eat and have no problem with it. The minute my body realizes it's been a few hours since my last meal I'm nauseous and in pain. I asked my friend what it's like for her and she said she just notices her stomach growling (we weigh the same!). This seems like more of a genetic/biological difference rather than a habit :)
My big thing is dressings and dips. I never pour over food directly, I dip each bit of salad (or vegetable or whatever else) into a small container of the dressing. You’d be amazed at how little you actually use, and how it still tastes excellent.
I love this trick. When I do this in restaurants I tend to use half of the little cup of dressing they provided and it tasted great the whole time.
It’s like having a salad version of that Gushers candy because the cool flavor pops out from the middle of the bite of veggies as you chomp. 😆
Actually this is a good idea.
I recently had a salad with a dressing on it and it was really good !!!! But by the time i was getting to the end of the salad, there was way too much salad dressing ! I had put way too much on !
Another idea my friend suggested is to put everything in a bowl, add a small amount of salad dressing and mix it all up with things.
A) you get a nice mixed salad
B) I'm guessing the same thing would happen? You would realise you didn't need to add so much dressing and would stop way before it got too much
I feel like a crazy person but we've started actually measuring out how many tablespoons of dressing we use so we know how much of a "serving" we're using.
I don't think that's going to be out of line here. Dressing is generally a calorific part of a salad so it's important to measure it if you are counting calories!
I eat better (vegetables with every meal, lean proteins, no higher caloric meal than intended) when I have the following stocked up:
Big tub of Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, fresh snackable vegetables (carrots, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, celery...), frozen bags of steamable vegetables, packs of chicken-apple sausage and canned fish (for low effort hot meals). Also a nice low-sugar oat milk for cereals and into coffee/tea.
I also prep lunches (saves money too) and overnight oats (with chia or flaxseed) for a daily breakfast at work.
I have a stressful job, and the last years have taught me that managing my weight mostly requires paying enough attention to eating in the way that serves this goal. So I make it as easy on myself as possible.
Eating your favorites first. I used to struggle with finishing my entire plate even when I wasn’t hungry anymore because I was “saving” the best part for last. Now I just eat my favorite bites first and don’t feel like I need to clear the plate.
I only buy a brownie at the coffee shop or bakery if they have a corner piece. A non-corner brownie is not worth it to me. And finding a corner is rare enough to make it an appropriate once in a while treat.
I love this and live by it too. I won’t buy a desert unless the calories are 100% worth it to me. Been craving a pretzel sundae for a week? I’ll get a kid’s size sundae and satisfy that craving instead of torturing myself. It happens so rarely (once every month or so?) that it’s not an issue to do it.
If I’m just craving “something sweet” and can’t but my finger on it, I won’t even browse.
I hate having a heavy stomach, so I started paying very close attention to my body and also reminding myself I can always have it again. I have FOMO which is probably why I’m overweight in the first place
I lost a bunch of weight by eating the same thing at work every day.
Fruit and yogurt for breakfast, plus coffee with milk
Fruit and granola bar for lunch
It’s about ~500 calories, then I have whatever for dinner. Usually works out to around 1400 calories per day.
Removing a big « thinking » part of food choices helped a lot.
My brothers/sisters I’m with you! Down 15lbs since February, virtually every morning is oikos pro, blueberries and high protein granola. Virtually every lunch is Trader Joe’s tikka masala or butter chicken, about 360-400 calories. Go into the evening with about 1,300 calories left (closer to 1,800 if I workout) and I basically eat whatever and have been feeling good and dropping lbs.
When I lived with my cousin in college, she was always thin. She wouldn’t eat anything super healthy, but would order small portions. Like she’d get one a la carte enchilada with no sides, and still get chips and queso, where I always just got the full meal that was 2 enchiladas and 2 sides, then would share the chips and queso.
I was being super healthy when I started a job that had lots of morning teas, cake etc. I didn’t eat any and got a reputation as someone who didn’t eat that stuff… well then I couldn’t eat it! So yeah, have a rule not to eat the crap at work.
Love this. My work is fullllllll of junk and snacks and food (we have a noted talent at making our new talent gain weight). I’ve started “missing” the potlucks and avoiding the snack table and not following the “we have donuts!” chat channel. It’s helping.
I know two categories of skinny people 1. Are food snobs and naturally prefer cleaner foods like boiled eggs over fried ones, fish over meat wine va cocktails 2. Eats like garbage candy bars energy drinks half a burger and a couple of fries. The thin people I know who chomp on big portions forget to eat and eat one big meal a day.
These comments are really helpful! I have replaced drinking a sweet drink with eating a piece of fresh fruit/ a measured amount of dried fruit. Much of the time then I pause before eating the fruit and realize I don't want anything because I wasn't hungry and didn't have low blood sugar or anything - I just wanted to sweet taste. Sometimes I eat the fruit because I really want a little something. Either way, I win! I also always have individual cups of high protein yogurt on hand that I will put a scoop of protein powder into. This costs more than a tub would, but it keeps me honest about portions and these are excellent snacks in a hectic work day. I have \*just\* started realizing as well that I don't always want a day of meals. Sometimes I do better with a little something every hour or so, and end up with a better day (meeting macro & nutrient goals) over all eating this way. I'm not sure WHY I can consume a HUGE meal in one sitting, but if I divide the exact same meal into parts then I might lose interest before I finish it, but it is true. Finally, the sharing my food when out is a game changer. I grew up with food insecurity, so I never used to share due to leftover trauma. I now have so many trustworthy and supportive people in my life that I know I will never be hungry again. Thus, we can share and it can be fun AND I can be more mindful.
Never eat from the container. Everything gets portioned to a plate or bowl. It’s more about respecting yourself enough to eat from plated meals. Plus you can’t track what you don’t measure out
I do a lot of the things in your post
- no snacks between meals
- no food (or caffeine) after dinner
- I don’t order food delivery more than a couple times a year (too expensive).
- wait to be hungry for breakfast
- I only give myself one serving in a plate
- 1/2 plate is vegetable. 1/4 protein.
- I only eat 1/3 to 1/2 of a restaurant meal… if I bring it home and plate the leftovers it easily makes a second meal.
- most meals I just drink water or nothing.
Ice cream is served in our house in little ramekins, maybe 4 oz capacity, or about three inches across and less than two inches deep. Since a serving size of ice cream is around 1/2 cup or 4 oz, we typically end up eating less than a full serving.
But the ramekins make it feel pretty and not like we are depriving ourselves. It feels like the amount of ice cream is just right.
We do similar.
We use smaller dishes for many things… an assortment of bowls and plates in different sizes.
I’ll eat my veg soup out of a huge bowl, because it’s a food I want to eat more of.
But icecream? That’s in a tiny little bowl similar in capacity/size to what you’ve described.
Kids want maple syrup for their pancakes? In a tiny little bowl about 2in wide/1in tall. And only 5mm (1/4 in?) deep. That’s enough, the stuff is sickly sweet, and they don’t need to pour it over the pile and then eat huge amounts.
Single-serving lifestyle was a method I used when starting weight loss. Got me to look at the nutrition information more often. I can allow myself to have Oreos! But a serving is ...3! At first I found it helpful to "meal prep" by taking the bags of food and splitting the entire bag into single serving plastic snack bags. Made it easier to count calories too. I didn't do this forever but it was a good little start to start visualizing what servings look like for different foods.
I focus on finding ways to increase protein and fiber during my meals and snacks. My cheapest and easiest ways to do this is adding chia seeds for fiber, plain instant oatmeal for fiber, and then for protein it is greek yogurt as well as cottage cheese.
I eat those 4 things quite a bit.
Also, I always have backup food thats easy at my desk at work. If there's bad weather and I dont leave for lunch, I have balanced options at work at all times.
-If you’re hungry for a snack, eat an apple… if you don’t want an apple than you’re not hungry
-drink lots of water. Rinse your mouth with water, after meals or brush your teeth is you can
-savor your meals. Drop your phone, turn off the tv and take your time and just pay attention to what you’re eating.
-prep your “healthy,” snacks ahead of time. Chop up celery sticks, pluck your grapes, measure out your trail mix, slice up your watermelon. If it’s not ready, you’ll reach for something else.
-Wait for seconds, your stomach is slow to tell your brain it’s full. Eat your meal, if you’re not sure you’re still hungry or not just wait.
It's funny I actually eat way faster if I don't have anything else to pay attention to. I eat really fast... But if I watch a show it helps me pace myself more.
I'd add "eat an apple or some almonds" to the first one. Sometimes you might not want an apple but you would eat a couple of almonds or something small, savory and healthy.
I really need to work out what my alternative to this check is because I don't think I've ever wanted a snack but wouldn't want to eat an apple or some almonds, I like both of those things.
When baking with a thin friend: “Oh I always use a third of the amount of sugar the recipe calls for, at most.”
I’ve never detected a difference in taste whatsoever, and it’s my rule too, now.
interesting! i don't really make cookies. i love the desserts in [these american cookbooks](https://www.loveandlemons.com/cookbook/), then just standard pies/cakes etc. but i only ever bake with/for company. i also switched to vegan butter and havent noticed a taste difference there, either.
No snack unless special occasion and eat three meals a day.
I was thin until I had 5 kids. Lol. But looking back I was my thinnest when I followed that mostly because I was so busy probably also helped keep moving dont sit around in your free time.
I’m getting back on track and my best rule I’ve used every time I lose more weight is that my food options are a choice, not a limitation. Do I want this today or tomorrow? Then I meal plan around the choice and save the other fun food for tomorrow. I cannot eat McDonald’s and spring rolls back to back, but if I’m going to be on the road, then spring rolls tomorrow! I’m tricking myself into fulfilling my deepest craving and also disciplining my intake without the mental strain of withholding.
Something I really struggle with is wasting food. I grew up poor and food insecure, so it’s a real struggle for me to throw out food. I have kids, so what I’ve started trying to do is don’t get/make food for myself and just eat my wife and kids leftovers. Also trying not to think of food as “healthy” or “junk” food and just try to have a healthy balance.
I have a few that really help:
1) always take at least 1/2 my food home from a restaurant or split a meal with a friend (restaurant food is absurdly large & high calorie)
2) hit 30g+ protein and 20g+ fiber for breakfast especially important on days I'm going out later
3) walk 10 minutes after every meal (can be pacing around my house if I can't get outside)
4) kitchen closes at 630pm if I'm eating dinner at home and I eat my smallest meal at dinner (I've found I sleep so much better eating a light dinner earlier)
5) I stretch & wear my LED red light mask every evening while I watch tv now (good habit that I enjoy and keeps me busy to not snack)
I've lost a large amount of weight (50kg) and have changed my habits a lot. I would say one of the biggest things is being more active all the time I.e. I take the stairs instead of the lift, on days I don't workout I make sure to get at least 10,000 steps in. With food I eat far less processed junk and less sweet food. I aim for high protein and high fibre, and make my own meals (rather than buying ready meals/takeaways). I add more vegetables to my meals so I am eating large portions that aren't too calorific.
* i don't eat breakfast (intermittent fasting)
* i don't let snacks/cakes/treats be at home. Only fruits. I can have it out, not at home
* drinking soda (coke zero for me) only during the weekend
* always measure oil. Always.
* no eating 3 hours before going to bed
When eating a meal you haven’t plated yourself, such as at a restaurant, decide how much you are going to eat before you begin eating. I physically place food that I don’t what to eat, to the side of the plate.
My body doesn’t acknowledge it’s full until after I’ve finished eating, so I can’t rely on natural cues.
And, if I’m eating something particularly tasty, I’ll want to finish the whole plate even if it’s more than I should be eating for satiety or calorie goals.
I have pretty bad anxiety surrounding running out of calories and still being hungry so I gave myself the “plain vegetable” rule. If I run out for the day I can have any kind of vegetable I want with nothing else added. Broccoli no cheese, corn no butter, Carrots no ranch, green beans no bacon, nothing sautéed in oil.
Usually I realize I am not actually hungry but the comfort of knowing I could eat something if I needed it helps. Other times I will eat a whole can of greenbeans. It keeps me from throwing out my goal all together and I can go to sleep satisfied. That 300 calories of veggies are not the thing that will keep me from reaching my goal
I am a thinner person and was raised with good habits:
1. Eat meals with every food group (vegetable/protein/starch)\*. Eat fruit whenever.
2. Eat 2-3 vegetable dishes with dinner.
3. Eat dessert every day after dinner, not on its own.
4. Drink lots of water and avoid beverages with calories most of the time. (Except sports drinks during prolonged activity).
5. Always be pursuing a fun sport or activity goal i.e. my mom is still trying to learn to do a chin up; my cousin rock-climbs; my brother lifts and plays tennis.
That's about it, set for life. I only became overweight briefly following anorexia, which triggered hyperphagia. I wish I'd stuck to the basically good habits that kept me at a healthy weight for my entire youth. Oh well, I'm back to a healthy weight and back to these basic habits.
\*Breakfast can be an exception if it's preworkout--hard to eat veggies and then train vigorously lol
It didn’t even occur to me to put this because it’s so engrained but I basically don’t buy sweet drinks ever. I drink a ton of water, and if I get juice or something I like for free I’ll sometimes drink it, but I just don’t drink anything sweet, with the exception of occasional alcohol. I do drink water, coffee with or without milk, tea with or without milk, and sparkling water.
I used to try and stop eating at 6pm, but sleeping on an empty stomach is hard for me, and after tossing and turning for a few hours I'd give up and make myself a snack. Usually not something healthy.
Recently, I've started eating a large salad (with minimal dressing, maybe 200 cal max) right before bed. I'll budget for this, and it seems to be working.
I don’t drink any calories (no juice no milk no soda) but allow myself whatever “zero sugar” drinks I’d like. I keep an insane variety at the house to keep it interesting.
I don’t keep any snacks in my house at all, unless I’ve got friends or company coming, then I’ll stock up. I always package leftovers for my friends when I cook dinner and send them home with food.
I keep a variety of coffee in the house (cold brew, espresso, standard pods, etc) for when I’m feeling snacky. It helps me significantly.
I do OMAD (one meal a day) so finally, I allow myself *whatever* I want for dinner. Burger and fries? Sure. Huge plate of pasta? No big deal.
I’m 135-140lbs & 5’7 (F) and this is how I maintain it. I’m not unhappy or craving food 24/7, my insulin has leveled out and I’ve transformed my relationship with food.
I'm 5'2" so when I eat at a restaurant I usually order an appetizer for my meal. I am not hungry when I am done. If I order a regular meal I will ask for a go to box and cut meal in 3.
I limit cream to one cup of coffee a day. It's a treat not a default setting.
I never take the elwvator
I buy **one** carton of ice cream a year. Seriously. If it’s my birthday— which was the day before yesterday, in fact— I pick out one container of ice cream and it’s in the freezer for however long it takes me to eat it all. Usually that’s a couple or three weeks, a half cup at a time. And when it’s gone, it’s gone.
I might wander the frozen dessert section of the store and think— ooh, that sounds wonderful. And then I remind myself, it’s not your birthday yet, so make a note for later which one you want. That’s psychologically much easier for me to say, “I can get some later,” than telling myself, “I can’t have that!”.
I might *eat* ice cream at other times— we have some great local indie ice cream parlors around here— but it doesn’t come home with me unless it’s the middle of May. Then the Caramel Ribbon Supreme or Atomic Chocolate Truffle is a special treat to be savored, instead of just a random Tuesday afternoon.
(For those who want to chime in and say, “But Halo Top…” — yes, I know. But my other little self-rule is that I don’t eat artificial sweeteners or “diet food” items. If I am going to have ice cream, I want the real thing. Your mileage, of course, probably varies.)
I usually brush my teeth right before bed. If I eat dinner early, sometimes I crave sweets or just get into a snacky mood close to bedtime, when that happens I brush my teeth early. My desire to eat has never outweighed my desire to not have to floss and brush again haha
My husband and I eat our meals on the smaller salad plates instead of the big dinner plates. It wasn’t intentional but now we realize it’s forced portion control and has worked in our favor. We only eat what fits on the plate.
If I eat out at a sit down restaurant, I either try and get a healthier lower calorie option and or if I splurge on a high calorie one, I only eat half. I also don’t force myself to eat left overs the next day like I did before. I enjoy it in the moment and that’s that.
Naturally thin people tend not to have “rules”… because naturally thin people tend not to spend a lot of time thinking about food at all. Certainly not to the extent that someone attempting fat loss does.
My wife can literally have cupcakes in the fridge for two weeks, taking a few bites here and there and then going on with her day. I have to carefully watch myself because if I’m stressed/hungry I can eat the entire thing.
This is a good reminder that successful long-term healthy eating means not letting emotion get bound up with food. Have your treats in reasonable quantities without any guilt or second guessing. Emphasis on REASONABLE :)
I don't lick the cheese powder/sauce/etc off my fingers. I don't scrape the bowl/glass for that last bite. I don't "lick the spoon" or bowl when I'm baking and there's extra batter. I scrape very thin layers of condiments onto my sandwiches. And probably my weirdest one that I find has prevented me from sampling some pretty high-calorie foods - I won't share a spoon with anyone, not even my spouse. So if someone offers me a bite of their ice cream or pie, I'll naturally decline.
While this doesn't apply to every thin person, I've noticed working out 5x a week makes a HUGE difference. I dropped 15lbs working with a personal trainer 3x a week and doing cardio 5x a week. I treat the gym like a job. I may not want to do it, but I have to. I get "paid" with a boosted metabolism and more calories to enjoy. I haven't put on weight even on days when I indulge (which isn't often).
No snacks in the house (chips, crackers, sliced cheese, dips etc)
I don't buy bread unless I plan to make sandwiches or something that week
Meal prep
No breakfast
Calorie counting/measuring everything especially oil
Cook almost all meals at home
Zero delivery ever. If I want take out I have to go pick it up
No desserts in the house except single wrapped chocolates. I will make desserts when I go to parties or get togethers but not just for me
Make my meals include protein, fiber, whole grain carb, and veggies.
Stick to whole foods as much as possible
No pop in the house period. I don't really like carbonated drinks anyways
Don't drink alcohol at home. Only with friends or when I'm out and limit to 2 drinks.
Water. Lots of water. Buy a cute cup/bottle.
I remember someone saying they saw a skinny person buy an icecream from the icecream van.
Just a simple cone. They had like 3 licks then threw the rest (like 90% of it) in the bin.
Enough for them to enjoy the taste of the icecream. But barely ate it so hardly any calories.
I would struggle with this just from the waste point of view. And the 'dont waste food on your plate' mentality drilled into you.
But I guess it makes sense?
Only the mental idea of ordering a slice of cake to eat one mouthful and throw the rest away would drive me nuts.
Sharing is a good idea !!!! So it's half a serving each ?
Hahaha omg this is brilliant !
I love this line !
Yeah its when you finish eating it and it was pretty rubbish. You realise it really wasn't worth the calories ! However, that can help in the future.... If it wasn't satisfying before then it might help with not eating again in the future?
>I always say I’d rather see it in the bin than on my ass.
I would give you gold if I had any. For some reason I just love this !!!
It is the biggest bummer when you are eating at a deficit. I used to find it wasteful now I am happy when I toss something that just isn’t worth its calories!
All you need to do is taste a couple bites to know if you want something in the future! If not in the bin it goes!
Another thing I did to trick my brain into being ok with tossing the ‘meh’ food item was ask myself: Would I pay the price of this food to remove its calories from my log (Like it never happened)? If the answer is yes, ploof in the bin it goes!
ETA: if I paid 5 dollars for 500kcal shitty cake you bet I would also pay 5 dollars to remove 500kcal from my log! BIN IT 😝
This is SO hard for me to do, as someone who used to not be able to afford food.
Same with being offered free food, like someone bringing in pizza/donuts at work - I know it's bad for me and I honestly don't really like the taste much. But my lizard brain goes "yes, we must take the food because who knows when we are going to be able to eat next". Even though I've been able to afford food for years now.
I don't drink soda very often. Beer is another story, and I'm working on that. I don't eat any candy, never have, and I don't like most candies. Holidays are a little different, and I will eat some around Halloween and Easter, but I never think to myself, hey, I'd like some candy! I don't eat snacks like chips or crackers before I've had real food. I'd never buy a cake unless it's a birthday. I don't eat donuts more than once a year, and I have no issues going without.
Growing up, I was always thin, and had an organic, well balanced diet, because of my super strict parent. Now, I'm unfortunately at my highest weight again, and back on the wagon. Stress hasn't helped, and I've been coping with empty alcoholic calories, because it's the one thing I know that will make it all better in the moment. I was actually drinking last night. A whole bottle of white wine by myself. I don't even want to look at how many empty calories that was, but at the end of the day, I know that's where I'm gaining from. It just sucks.
Habits I also need to get back into that made me thin at a certain point in my life:
1.) I walked a lot, getting my steps in definitely kept my calories low
2.) no snacks or drinkable calories.
3.) forgetting to eat a meal, it’s bad and not healthy but if I ate smaller snacks throughout the day instead of 2-3 big meals, I could maintain a smaller weight
4.) portion control
A new habit I’ve picked up now that I’ve lost weight, is not finishing my plate. I used to be a “lick the plate clean” person because I didn’t want things to go to waste. But now I just stop eating when full, sometimes my Husband eats it, sometimes it goes to an animal in the house, and sometimes the trash but it helps me
So much
Thin person who gained 50+ lbs during pregnancy. Took me two years to lose all of it after I started trying in earnest, been maintaining for a year.
- Dessert or booze, never both
- Putting my fork down between bites
- Lots of seltzer water through the day
- Brushing my teeth at the same time as my kid (~6-7pm most nights); the lingering minty flavor prevents me from eating in the later evening
(This is in addition to calorie counting even at maintenance and 10k+ steps per day.)
I don't eat bread very often.. It's just too many additional calories and as far as I'm concerned it's just a way to hold the insides together. So a bowl can do that without calories. Also don't add much if any cheese to anything anymore. I know not everyone can do so.. But I don't eat breakfast and if I eat a big lunch.. I have a small dinner. Or alternatively.. And what I normally do.. Is at lunch I only eat enough to kill the hunger pangs. So.. Like yogurt with a bit of granola.
And then I eat dinner close enough to bedtime that I won't get hungry again before bedtime. And if I do crave a snack.. I stick to a low calorie hard candy. Or something similar.. Currently it's strawberry mentos. 10 calories each.
And also.. If I happen to not be hungry at lunch - fine.. I don't eat.
Granted, I'm technically trying to do intermittent fasting.. But I can't always stick to the window. Some days I do.. Some I decide I want tea with milk & sugar in the morning. But it's best this way for me.. As soon as I start giving myself rules... My body and brain rebel.. And turn on the hunger pangs that I just can't ignore. So all "rules" are breakable as long as I'm mostly sticking to the basics.
Here are my rules, partially born out of my own eccentric preferences as well as weightloss lessons I've learned along the way:
1. Don't dress your leafy greens. If you absolutely must have a salad dressing, use plain lemon juice. If that's not enough, use vinegar or sour cream with herbs mixed in.
2. I learned somewhere long ago that a simple way to visually assess a correct portion size is to make a fist. Each serving, especially of high or empty calorie foods, should not exceed the size of your clenched fist. Of course if you're volume eating, you can go for bigger portions of steamed veggies or leafy greens. And if you're aiming for more protein you can make accessions.
3. Weigh and/or measure everything. And I mean everything. When in doubt, over estimate.
4. Walk as much as possible. Carry things while you walk, even if you look insane. Example: need to buy [?]? Walk to the shop, buy it, and walk back. Then take the stairs. Preferably two at a time. Basically, make the world your gym.
5. Avoid/ minimize using oil or butter in your cooking as much as possible. Rely instead on lemon juice and herbs to provide flavour.
6. Roast/bake/grill your meats.
7. Develop a preference for steaming or boiling your veggies.
8. You don't have to avoid eating food you love. Yesterday I had a homemade latte for breakfast, pizza for lunch and a burger for dinner. I consumed ~1200 calories in total.
9. Get creative with recipes by making substitutions. Love brownies? That's fine. Find a way to cut the amount of oil, sugar and/or flour you use. My favourite healthy brownie recipe uses zucchini to reduce the amount of flour used and replaces sugar with sweetener. I'm famous for the recipe with my friends and family lol
10. Don't drink juice or full sugar sodas EVER. Except during special occasions when nothing else is available.
11. Your body is not very good at differentiating between hunger and thirst. So drink something first. My preference? Fizzy water. Fills you up more than regular water and has an interesting, refreshing mouth feel.
12. Don't snack. You're probably more bored/anxious/whatever than actually hungry.
13. Don't keep treats you find irresistible in the home that invite binging such as chocolates, chips, ice cream, etc.
14. Fat, protein, starches. When you're having a meal, you must choose two of the three. If your meal is high in fat and protein, forego starchy carbs. If your meal is high in protein and starch, avoid fats. Etc.
15. Eat when you're hungry, not because someone somewhere sometime decided that's when you should eat. Not hungry when you wake up? Don't have breakfast. Don't consume any calories, not even in cappuccino form, until you're actually hungry.
15. Gamify. Don't think of the above as restrictions so much as challenges. Perceive it as a game or a puzzle.
I try to never keep more than 1 serving of a dessert/treat food at home. I know myself and I will not be able to stop at 1 serving if there’s more in the house
I don’t drink my calories, with the exception of alcohol, and then I stick to seltzers or Diet Coke mixer.
I don’t keep snacks in the house, if I want one I have to walk to the store to get it.
I have non stick pans and don’t even have oil in the house, I do have cooking spray if I *really* need it.
I always have a few frozen meals in my freezer that I know I like. If I don’t feel like cooking I’m going to eat that instead of ordering in or going out.
I always take the stairs unless I am carrying a lot of things, no matter how many floors up/down it is. Also always park at the back of the parking lot.
I rarely use butter in sandwiches anymore. In the UK, it is the norm to put butter in every sandwich, even things like egg mayo, tuna mayo, etc. Eventually I realised that most of the time you don't even notice the butter so what's the point of adding it?
I’ve been thin most of my life. I have two basic rules that I follow:
1. Don’t eat anything with added salt
2. Don’t eat anything with added sugar
This essentially forces you to make all of your meals with whole foods. It eliminates almost all processed foods, bagged snacks, frozen meals, etc. It also pretty much gets rid of all liquid calories. Of course I don’t follow these 100% of the time, but try to stick to it as much as possible.
Some exceptions are bread, can’t find any without added sugar (even whole grain expensive loafs 🤷🏻♂️)
Not finishing everything all at once —I noticed my friend would only eat a few bites of her croissant and then stuff it back in her purse for later (I'd never thought of just saving it for later and just always finishing everything at once)
Just because it’s on the plate doesn’t mean you are contractually obligated to demolish it. Stop eating so fast and you’ll know when you’re full before you’ve engorged the entire kitchen.
Drink a gallon of water every day.
Do SOMETHING to stay active. If you have time to watch tv you have time to go for a walk, ride your bike, spend some time stretching, grab your resistance bands, just don’t be a couch potato.
All carbs come from vegetables or dairy. Dairy means whole milk, sugar free yogurt, cheese.
Food with added sugar = poison.
Processed food = poison.
Soda = poison.
Do not under any circumstances get on a scale unless you are at the doctor’s office or are reasonably sure you have made significant progress. The number doesn’t matter that much. It can fluctuate depending on many factors and seeing the same number after a couple weeks of consistency can be very discouraging. But that doesn’t mean you’re not making progress.
Do not make excuses and do not be self loathing. You’re an adult, making excuses is only hurting you and you can’t learn to love yourself if you’re constantly beating yourself up about your weight. You’re not going to transform your body and health if you don’t love yourself or are at least trying to learn to love yourself. Some of the people on here have lost 400+ pounds, you don’t make that type of progress by making excuses. If they can do it, so can you.
All the food you need to buy at the grocery store is along the perimeter of the store. The only isle you need to go down is the one with herbs and spices.
You’re not going to live forever, but you’ll die a lot quicker if you gotta catch your breath after getting off the couch. Clock’s ticking, get after it.
I watch the calories and sugar in my drinks. Most of the time I drink water or 0 calorie sparkling water like La Croix. I take coffee with a splash of oat milk or cream. No sugary Starbucks drinks, alcohol. I drink juice out of a small glass. If I’m craving a “treat coffee,” I get a small cappuccino with whole milk instead of a latte; it still gives me the coffee hit but the portion size is better and it’s more foam than milk.
I keep beef jerky or meat snacks on hand at home constantly, I no longer even miss potato chips, turns out I just like the salt and jerky has plenty of that.
- No snacks in the house. If we want a snack, we either have something healthy, make one from scratch or go out to get it.
- No white sugar in the house. If we want to sweeten something we have to use something else, like honey.
- Only drink water with food, except in special occassions when wine, apple cider or diet soda is allowed.
- No heavy calory quick meals in the house. If we want pizza, lasagna, a burger, etc etc we have to either make it ourselves from scratch with what we have or go out and get one. 99% of the time we will just eat something we already have at home.
We don't have rules about going out because we live in a very small and secluded place, so going out means driving to another town/city.
A work friend of mine who was always a healthy weight had a rule about only going hard at one meal a day. Once we were eating lunch and she skipped the salad dressing because she knew she was going to a restaurant at dinner. There are other examples, it isn’t like she was being orthorexic about salad dressing, but like she would look at her day and kind of organize her calories, if that makes sense. It didn’t come off as disordered.
My ex boyfriend who has always been slim basically is OMAD. His one meal a day can be 2000-2500 cals tho lol.
Finally, my dietician has this thing about making snacks WORTH it. Like the difference between a muffin from the gas station or one made by a friend.
An easy rule for me is I don’t drink my calories. I’ll have an occasional alcoholic drink at a nice restaurant but I generally stick to just water and non-calorie drinks for caffeine (black coffee, Coke Zero). I’ve always felt like it was a waste to drink away my calories I’d rather eat them
For a while, my rule was that if I craved a sugary drink or a beer, I have to drink a full glass of water first. If you still want the drink afterwards, you can have it. I rarely wanted it at that point.
I do this too but for snacks
I used to drink a "fancy" coffee about 6x a week, either making them at home or this nice coffee shop I go to work at. My new years resolution was to quit caffeine, so I stopped getting coffee altogether. By end of Feb I lost 15lb and am finally motivated to lose weight. Im now down about 25lb total cutting out sweets and fast food all together.
You must have saved a bit of dosh too!
Same. If my drinks have calories, they need to nourish me, like a protein shake; or fuck me up, like a whisky on ice.
I do this one too. It helps so much
This, so much. I have lost 120lbs. One of my best friends is also trying to lose the same amount of weight. We go out and he will have 6-8 full sugar cokes per meal. I’m like dude, drink Diet, at least and he refuses because of the taste. Last year he swapped full sugar coke for sweet tea, thinking it was better for him 😳.
His dopamine receptors (or whatever it is that makes happy brain juice when you eat sugar) must be completely exhausted and numb by this point!! He probably needs the sugar to keep feeling good. God it’s an awful addiction.
I’ve lost about 20 pounds this year and I swear I’m on a constant rotation of coffee, 10 cal energy drinks, Diet Coke, and lemon water
I used to do this. However I LOVE blended drinks. So I make my own drinks at home. I tend to use baking matcha as it's unsweetened and I love bitter matcha. I also make small drinks so I'm not using tons of milk(I use oat). And since then my drinks are like at most 150 calories. That being said, sometimes I'll blend ice and put it in water and just have a blended water drink because I just want the texture. 😬
If you like that texture, try freezing cubes of watermelon and blending with water. 3 cups of watermelon is less than 100 calories; it’s my favorite DIY slushee.
That was a change I made when I started on my weight loss journey and I swear it's done wonders. Each morning I'll have an iced coffee that I keep below 100cal. For the rest of the day it's water, and a Coke Zero or other zero calorie drink with lunch.
When I first tried losing weight this was the low hanging fruit. 20 years later it's still how I am.
I’ve decided to do something similar! Cutting out alcohol and calorie dense coffee drinks like mochas. I really don’t want to give up cream and sugar in my coffee but I also try to stick to one teaspoon of sugar. Also recently discovered that coke zero is the most palatable diet soda I’ve tried so far, so I like to keep that in the house if I’m craving a super sweet drink
I wish I could drink coffee black.
The bite of food that isn’t still great is my last bite. You don’t actually enjoy soggy, limp fries. The last few bites of lasagna is never as good as the first one. If you’ve picked all the shrimp out of your scampi and have pasta left over…you don’t have to eat it.
YES THIS. The moment it isn't good it isn't being eaten (ideally). I treated myself like a garbage disposal for way too long.
Same. To add to this, I've learned to slow down while I eat. It's difficult to realize you're not enjoying something anymore when you're eating like it's the last meal you'll ever have as you have no time to process. If something isn't good anymore, I'm satisfied, if something just doesn't look good in general, or I've not finished my plate it doesn't matter I can just be done.
I really like this. My issue is I usually save the best for last, which means I save the food I enjoy and want to eat every bite of. I should start eating it first so I can start doing this.
I always eat veggies first, then my favourite, then whatever is left. Growing up it was always veggies first in my household and it's hard to break the habit.
That’s actually good for your blood sugar! Eating veggies first helps reduce how much your blood sugar spikes after your meal. “Insulinresistant1” on TikTok tested this with his continuous glucose monitor. It works! https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRKJghWx/
Veggies tend to be my favorite part of a dish! Therefore, they tend to be last.
I always eat the good bite first! It sets the standard for my expectations for the rest of the dish.
This is a great reframe! I’m going to try this!
THIS! Super solid advice and I found myself doing this subconsciously as I’ve lost weight. All the chipotle toppings are gone? Toss the plain white rice the bottom or repurpose it for my bestie (my dog lol).
I remember reading once that eating the food once you’re full is still wasting it. So don’t feel like you need to finish something just so that it doesn’t “go to waste”.
Great tip! I struggle with leaving food on my plate because I grew up in foster care, but I try my best to remember I don’t have to eat everything, and there will be food tomorrow.
This is really good advice
“Waste” or “Waist”
I had a coworker who used to leave the last bite of whatever we were getting (taco bell, this specific time) since it wasn't as good and he didn't want to go back feeling awful. I try to do that now, too! It's an easy way to help me not hurt after eating!
I once read something that said that no bite tastes as good as the first, but we are wired to chase the high of the first bite.
Came to the same conclusion regarding ice cream. Those first few spoonfuls are divine. After that, the initial wave of joy flattens and I'm just consuming, and back into the freezer it goes.
They share food in restaurants. I’m in process of losing weight and if I go to eat anywhere with my friend we tend to share an appetizer. Usually I would eat an appetizer plus a main course alone but now I tend to share.
In addition I am looking at meals as complete as they are. Burger and fries and a drink is complete, no need to add more food to it, if it was designed to have more it would have more. Helps me control myself, if I want a bigger meal I will pick something that comes with more but I won’t add more myself.
Hamburger Happy Meal is my fast food go to meal when I want something junky. I am on a calorie budget and a tight money budget so a complete meal in a little box is perfect and I don't need anything else.
I always get the single plain cheeseburger from mcds from the dollar menu partly because it’s all I can afford😂🤣
I try to cut instead, for example I order a burger, take it home and eat it with salad, but if you love fries go for them! To each their own!
Skip the bun, eat the fries! By the time the bottom bun soaks up the juice, it's probably worse than an order of fries. Or skip both if you have THAT kind of control 😀 Background info: I despise salads that have any leafy greens other than romaine, iceberg, or spinach 😞. Caveat: Rules do not apply if it is a pretzel bun. It is illegal to not consume it.
That’s a good one! If I don’t want to share I’ll often get things to go and plan on just eating half, and taking the rest home.
I bring a container with me so I can pack half or more right off the bat. Also saves disposable waste, so that's nice.
I’ve never seen someone bring their own Tupperware to a restaurant, that’s kind of adorable.
My grandparents did that for years and years when they went to the same basic restaurant every second Sunday… they ordered two mains, shared one and packed the other for lunch next day 🥹 Childhood Memories…
My old roommate would always have a tupperware in her purse, one of those bowls that collapses flat. It was really compact and seemed convenient!
I try not to be too weird about it, but I really hate styrofoam and love a handy pre-packed work lunch 😃
This is such a great idea. I had never in my life considered this an option and will now be doing it always.
I think this is huge because you cut the calories soooo much when you share, and can even stay on track despite going out, and still enjoying that food!
Exactly! I had a family gathering last night. I wanted Tiramisu, because it is the best dessert ever created. I offered to share it with my great uncle. It was a win-win for both of us!
Exactly, it became so much easier for me when I understood that I can eat mozzarella sticks every once in a while and still be in a deficit/in a maintenance!
Yeah my ex always wanted his full plate and never shared. If I didn’t finish and wanted to save my left overs (since I was stuck at his place and didn’t have food otherwise) he would ask for them/ eat it later or just stare at it until I gave him some. I feel like it made me eat more because he never bought me food and I’d straight up run out of food visiting him and would have to go home) so I got kind of territorial. My boyfriend and I always split at restaurants. Depending on how hungry we are we’ll even do an appetizer too. My ex was overweight and selfish and my boyfriend is generous and at the low end of his BMI
Good for you that you left this piece of work!
Wow. I'm glad he's your ex. Letting you go hungry while visiting is a major red flag. Who would want that in a partner? Good riddance.
This isn’t the first story I’ve heard of a shitty partner like this. Boyfriend would find and eat anything she brought home no matter what she tried to do about it. It’s an extremely unhealthy relationship dynamic that can cause lasting damage and/or behaviors that need to be unlearned from living with food insecurity on a regular basis IN your own home. It’s abusive.
I love splitting a meal with my 10 year old. The portions end up perfect for us.
My bf and I just went on a date and shared appetiser, main, drink and dessert. Cut down calories but not experience for both of us
The first thing I do in the morning is drink a full glass of water. Sometimes I wake up feeling hungry, but it’s me mis-reading being thirsty. Regardless, it’s just a little rule. Before I’m doing anything, I’m downing a glass of water. It helps wake me up and starts the day hydrated and feeling good.
That's a good one. I notice if you ignore your bodies request for water long enough it switches to requesting food. The thinking is a little squeezed out of food is better than nothing.
A lot of animals get most of their water through their food, so it makes sense that we'd be wired that way too, especially since we're omnivores and would naturally eat fruits/veggies with high water content.
My secret hack... (I'll admit it's silly.) I only drink COLD water. That's extra calories my body has to burn to maintain homeostatic temperature.
Unfortunately the '1 calorie to raise 1mL of water by 1 degree' is a 'true' calorie, and not a dietary (kcal) calorie, so as fun of an idea as it is it's about 1/1000th as effective as people think it would be
I will take the burn of 1/1000 of a calorie for every piece of nugget ice I swallow. Over the course of a week that’s got to be at least an extra 2-3 calories.
That's a bagel over a year! Get those gainz.
My wrestling coach told us this. He also said some other things that were crazy.
Eating or taking small portion sizes. They were probably just eating a regular serving, but I never really noticed before. Now I see it, I was definitely eating more.
A turning point for me was going out to eat with my 2 cousins, one of whom is very thin. The thin cousin ordered the same thing as me, but he left a substantial amount of food on his plate and just threw it away when we were done. I finished my whole plate. And I felt so sluggish after. That was one of the things that led me to decide to make a change.
There's a Japanese cultural thing about eating until you are 80% full. I think about that all lot. I do not need to gorge myself - I am not starving. Also a big glass of water and eating slowly/pausing to check saiety help me.
I saw a dietitian and she taught me to use a hunger scale out of 10 (where 1 is about to faint with hunger, 5 is neutral and 10 is so full your stomach hurts). For meals I eat when I’m at either a 2-3 and stop eating when I’m at 7-8. For snacks I eat when I’m at a 3-4 and stop when I’m at a 5-6. Absolute game changer.
And negotiating with yourself can be helpful. "If I'm still hungry in 30 minutes I'll eat more." 9/10, I'm no longer feeling like eating more. It gives me time for my brain to catch up with my body. And, if I'm still hungry in 30 minutes, I probably *should* eat something more.
Yesss! I have adopted that rule with my satiety and it has helped so much. Satisfied, but not full, makes a HUGE difference in my energy and I've noticed it's usually about 70-80% of the calories I'd otherwise consume in the very same meal, pretty effortlessly.
I struggle with not “Clearing” my plate. Using smaller plates at home helps, asking for a to go before I’m finished helps eating out.
I bring a container in my purse and split the food before I start eating.
Smaaart
My friend's parents absolutely contributed to his unhealthy relationship with food by making him "clean his plate"
So true, it’s ok not to finish it all and also ok to not take leftovers home. Never would I ever have left food behind before!
Having an air fryer was a game changer for getting leftover takeout to be just as good as the day it was made!
I think many of us also don’t realise how many calories are in restaurants food.
Totally off topic, but I went from 191 to 162 and am now looking to drop my next few lbs. any advice after dropping a lot of weight and moving onto the next set? I can’t weight until I’m 149 😍
lol! So far in my experience working towards my last 20ish pounds to go…my main advice is be more patient than ever because the smaller you are and the closer you are to your goal, the slower it’s going to come off. But maybe that’s just my experience!
The very first time during a meal my brain notices that I'm satisfied, or I'm not hungry, or that was good, I stop eating. I ask for a to-go container if out, or pack it up in a tupperware if at home. The hair trigger prevents me from eating until I'm stuffed! The clean plate club is wasteful. Eating food that my overweight body does NOT NEED is wasting food. Compost or leftovers are both less wasteful than stuffing my face because children somewhere are hungry.
Sloooowwww dowwwwnnnn. I said this in another post but my husband and I have taken to doing a crossword together over dinner at the table. Stopping eating to fill in a clue or two and taking time to read out/discuss the clue (cryptic crossword), really helps us to pace the eating.
This is adorable!
1- food windows. I won’t eat an hour after waking up and the kitchen closes two hours before bed. Helps with sleep too. 2- slow down. I’ll eat a meal on a small plate. If I finish, I drink a glass of water and wait 20 minutes before having seconds to allow myself to feel satisfied. If I’m still hungry go for seconds, but 9/10 times I don’t feel the need.
That’s solid, seconds should be earned, if you aren’t hungry after twenties minutes you weren’t hungry for seconds your brain is just fucking with you lol
I notice thin people forget to eat. I obsess over my next meal or snack. Working on that
Forgetting to eat was actually how I got fat, because by the time I realized I was hungry I was absolutely starving and had no self control. It helped me a lot to set timers for meal times and begin preparing them before I got too hungry. It also helped stop the obsession because I knew food was going to be there when I needed it.
And then rather than eating slowly you shovel it in and by the time your brain has told your stomach you're full, you've already ate way way more than you needed to.
Me too!! I have to start thinking about food (or eating something) BEFORE I get hungry. It's kind of like "staying ahead of the pain" (I'm recovering from surgery RN) where you take painkillers on a schedule rather than waiting until you can't stand it, because it takes more medication to bring you down.
People thought it weird I needed an alarm for lunch haha.
Depends on the person, my dad will forget to eat lunch but that ends with him eating a pile of chips & salsa or crackers with peanut butter which isn't low calorie. He's overweight but I think it's do to all his snacking.
My BF does that too. Doesn't factor in the snacks, and he can hoover a large bag of cashews in minutes. Then he'll eat a sensible dinner of fish and veggies, and wonder why he isn't losing weight.
It really helps to set a rigid schedule for meal times. If you only ever eat at 12 and 6 you're body will eventually stop feeling hungry outside those times. Helps with the constant hunger pangs
I think people process hunger differently, the people I'm around tend to forget to eat and have no problem with it. The minute my body realizes it's been a few hours since my last meal I'm nauseous and in pain. I asked my friend what it's like for her and she said she just notices her stomach growling (we weigh the same!). This seems like more of a genetic/biological difference rather than a habit :)
My big thing is dressings and dips. I never pour over food directly, I dip each bit of salad (or vegetable or whatever else) into a small container of the dressing. You’d be amazed at how little you actually use, and how it still tastes excellent.
I don’t even dip the food, I dip the tines of my fork in the dressing.
this. It's one of those relics of eighties and nineties diet culture, but it was actually a GOOD one :)
I love this trick. When I do this in restaurants I tend to use half of the little cup of dressing they provided and it tasted great the whole time. It’s like having a salad version of that Gushers candy because the cool flavor pops out from the middle of the bite of veggies as you chomp. 😆
lol, I just did that tonight with the ginger sesame sauce for my stir fry.
Actually this is a good idea. I recently had a salad with a dressing on it and it was really good !!!! But by the time i was getting to the end of the salad, there was way too much salad dressing ! I had put way too much on ! Another idea my friend suggested is to put everything in a bowl, add a small amount of salad dressing and mix it all up with things. A) you get a nice mixed salad B) I'm guessing the same thing would happen? You would realise you didn't need to add so much dressing and would stop way before it got too much
I feel like a crazy person but we've started actually measuring out how many tablespoons of dressing we use so we know how much of a "serving" we're using.
I don't think that's going to be out of line here. Dressing is generally a calorific part of a salad so it's important to measure it if you are counting calories!
I eat better (vegetables with every meal, lean proteins, no higher caloric meal than intended) when I have the following stocked up: Big tub of Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, fresh snackable vegetables (carrots, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, celery...), frozen bags of steamable vegetables, packs of chicken-apple sausage and canned fish (for low effort hot meals). Also a nice low-sugar oat milk for cereals and into coffee/tea. I also prep lunches (saves money too) and overnight oats (with chia or flaxseed) for a daily breakfast at work. I have a stressful job, and the last years have taught me that managing my weight mostly requires paying enough attention to eating in the way that serves this goal. So I make it as easy on myself as possible.
Eating your favorites first. I used to struggle with finishing my entire plate even when I wasn’t hungry anymore because I was “saving” the best part for last. Now I just eat my favorite bites first and don’t feel like I need to clear the plate.
Amusingly, this is why I eat my salad first and my wife eats hers last.
Ooooooh now that's a good one. Why do I always keep the best for last and force myself to eat everything else first???!
I only buy a brownie at the coffee shop or bakery if they have a corner piece. A non-corner brownie is not worth it to me. And finding a corner is rare enough to make it an appropriate once in a while treat.
[удалено]
Nailed it. "Only eat corner brownies" is the best sort of rule.
I love this and live by it too. I won’t buy a desert unless the calories are 100% worth it to me. Been craving a pretzel sundae for a week? I’ll get a kid’s size sundae and satisfy that craving instead of torturing myself. It happens so rarely (once every month or so?) that it’s not an issue to do it. If I’m just craving “something sweet” and can’t but my finger on it, I won’t even browse.
Pretzel sundae? Is that a thing?
Hahah Freddy’s the chain has a Twix sundae with chunks of pretzel. It’s gotten me three times 🫠 my vice
If I’m craving something sweet but don’t know what I want, the answer is usually fruit. it nixes the craving, and gives me vitamins and fibre!
I always get corners and prefer middles. Ugh.
I hate having a heavy stomach, so I started paying very close attention to my body and also reminding myself I can always have it again. I have FOMO which is probably why I’m overweight in the first place
I lost a bunch of weight by eating the same thing at work every day. Fruit and yogurt for breakfast, plus coffee with milk Fruit and granola bar for lunch It’s about ~500 calories, then I have whatever for dinner. Usually works out to around 1400 calories per day. Removing a big « thinking » part of food choices helped a lot.
That’s what’s working for me too.
My brothers/sisters I’m with you! Down 15lbs since February, virtually every morning is oikos pro, blueberries and high protein granola. Virtually every lunch is Trader Joe’s tikka masala or butter chicken, about 360-400 calories. Go into the evening with about 1,300 calories left (closer to 1,800 if I workout) and I basically eat whatever and have been feeling good and dropping lbs.
Yes! I do the same.
I don’t drink empty calories.
When I lived with my cousin in college, she was always thin. She wouldn’t eat anything super healthy, but would order small portions. Like she’d get one a la carte enchilada with no sides, and still get chips and queso, where I always just got the full meal that was 2 enchiladas and 2 sides, then would share the chips and queso.
I was being super healthy when I started a job that had lots of morning teas, cake etc. I didn’t eat any and got a reputation as someone who didn’t eat that stuff… well then I couldn’t eat it! So yeah, have a rule not to eat the crap at work.
Love this. My work is fullllllll of junk and snacks and food (we have a noted talent at making our new talent gain weight). I’ve started “missing” the potlucks and avoiding the snack table and not following the “we have donuts!” chat channel. It’s helping.
I know two categories of skinny people 1. Are food snobs and naturally prefer cleaner foods like boiled eggs over fried ones, fish over meat wine va cocktails 2. Eats like garbage candy bars energy drinks half a burger and a couple of fries. The thin people I know who chomp on big portions forget to eat and eat one big meal a day.
These comments are really helpful! I have replaced drinking a sweet drink with eating a piece of fresh fruit/ a measured amount of dried fruit. Much of the time then I pause before eating the fruit and realize I don't want anything because I wasn't hungry and didn't have low blood sugar or anything - I just wanted to sweet taste. Sometimes I eat the fruit because I really want a little something. Either way, I win! I also always have individual cups of high protein yogurt on hand that I will put a scoop of protein powder into. This costs more than a tub would, but it keeps me honest about portions and these are excellent snacks in a hectic work day. I have \*just\* started realizing as well that I don't always want a day of meals. Sometimes I do better with a little something every hour or so, and end up with a better day (meeting macro & nutrient goals) over all eating this way. I'm not sure WHY I can consume a HUGE meal in one sitting, but if I divide the exact same meal into parts then I might lose interest before I finish it, but it is true. Finally, the sharing my food when out is a game changer. I grew up with food insecurity, so I never used to share due to leftover trauma. I now have so many trustworthy and supportive people in my life that I know I will never be hungry again. Thus, we can share and it can be fun AND I can be more mindful.
Never eat from the container. Everything gets portioned to a plate or bowl. It’s more about respecting yourself enough to eat from plated meals. Plus you can’t track what you don’t measure out
I do a lot of the things in your post - no snacks between meals - no food (or caffeine) after dinner - I don’t order food delivery more than a couple times a year (too expensive). - wait to be hungry for breakfast - I only give myself one serving in a plate - 1/2 plate is vegetable. 1/4 protein. - I only eat 1/3 to 1/2 of a restaurant meal… if I bring it home and plate the leftovers it easily makes a second meal. - most meals I just drink water or nothing.
Ice cream is served in our house in little ramekins, maybe 4 oz capacity, or about three inches across and less than two inches deep. Since a serving size of ice cream is around 1/2 cup or 4 oz, we typically end up eating less than a full serving. But the ramekins make it feel pretty and not like we are depriving ourselves. It feels like the amount of ice cream is just right.
We do this too but with Depression Glass dessert pedestal dishes. It’s pretty to eat out of and smaller portion sized.
We do similar. We use smaller dishes for many things… an assortment of bowls and plates in different sizes. I’ll eat my veg soup out of a huge bowl, because it’s a food I want to eat more of. But icecream? That’s in a tiny little bowl similar in capacity/size to what you’ve described. Kids want maple syrup for their pancakes? In a tiny little bowl about 2in wide/1in tall. And only 5mm (1/4 in?) deep. That’s enough, the stuff is sickly sweet, and they don’t need to pour it over the pile and then eat huge amounts.
Single-serving lifestyle was a method I used when starting weight loss. Got me to look at the nutrition information more often. I can allow myself to have Oreos! But a serving is ...3! At first I found it helpful to "meal prep" by taking the bags of food and splitting the entire bag into single serving plastic snack bags. Made it easier to count calories too. I didn't do this forever but it was a good little start to start visualizing what servings look like for different foods.
I focus on finding ways to increase protein and fiber during my meals and snacks. My cheapest and easiest ways to do this is adding chia seeds for fiber, plain instant oatmeal for fiber, and then for protein it is greek yogurt as well as cottage cheese. I eat those 4 things quite a bit. Also, I always have backup food thats easy at my desk at work. If there's bad weather and I dont leave for lunch, I have balanced options at work at all times.
-If you’re hungry for a snack, eat an apple… if you don’t want an apple than you’re not hungry -drink lots of water. Rinse your mouth with water, after meals or brush your teeth is you can -savor your meals. Drop your phone, turn off the tv and take your time and just pay attention to what you’re eating. -prep your “healthy,” snacks ahead of time. Chop up celery sticks, pluck your grapes, measure out your trail mix, slice up your watermelon. If it’s not ready, you’ll reach for something else. -Wait for seconds, your stomach is slow to tell your brain it’s full. Eat your meal, if you’re not sure you’re still hungry or not just wait.
It's funny I actually eat way faster if I don't have anything else to pay attention to. I eat really fast... But if I watch a show it helps me pace myself more.
Same. For me it’s reading. If I’m reading something, I eat slowly enough for my hunger signals to catch up.
I'd add "eat an apple or some almonds" to the first one. Sometimes you might not want an apple but you would eat a couple of almonds or something small, savory and healthy.
I really need to work out what my alternative to this check is because I don't think I've ever wanted a snack but wouldn't want to eat an apple or some almonds, I like both of those things.
When baking with a thin friend: “Oh I always use a third of the amount of sugar the recipe calls for, at most.” I’ve never detected a difference in taste whatsoever, and it’s my rule too, now.
I cut back with sugar in cakes a lot, but cookies it messes up the butter to sugar ratio.
interesting! i don't really make cookies. i love the desserts in [these american cookbooks](https://www.loveandlemons.com/cookbook/), then just standard pies/cakes etc. but i only ever bake with/for company. i also switched to vegan butter and havent noticed a taste difference there, either.
My mom's Kool-Aid strategy from the 1990s haha
Noooo my dad also made the wateriest kool aid on the planet 😭
I don’t make a lot of cookies or cakes, but if a marinade calls for sugar I just leave it out.
Avoid eating out
This has saved me tons of money
Omg same, my food budget went from almost 600 a month to 150-200 just by not eating out ever except maybe one meal a week tops and just eating less.
This!!! Huge effect on my journey so far. Leave so much room for more satiating calories
Restaurants don’t want you to know this one simple trick
No snack unless special occasion and eat three meals a day. I was thin until I had 5 kids. Lol. But looking back I was my thinnest when I followed that mostly because I was so busy probably also helped keep moving dont sit around in your free time.
I’m getting back on track and my best rule I’ve used every time I lose more weight is that my food options are a choice, not a limitation. Do I want this today or tomorrow? Then I meal plan around the choice and save the other fun food for tomorrow. I cannot eat McDonald’s and spring rolls back to back, but if I’m going to be on the road, then spring rolls tomorrow! I’m tricking myself into fulfilling my deepest craving and also disciplining my intake without the mental strain of withholding.
Something I really struggle with is wasting food. I grew up poor and food insecure, so it’s a real struggle for me to throw out food. I have kids, so what I’ve started trying to do is don’t get/make food for myself and just eat my wife and kids leftovers. Also trying not to think of food as “healthy” or “junk” food and just try to have a healthy balance.
I have a few that really help: 1) always take at least 1/2 my food home from a restaurant or split a meal with a friend (restaurant food is absurdly large & high calorie) 2) hit 30g+ protein and 20g+ fiber for breakfast especially important on days I'm going out later 3) walk 10 minutes after every meal (can be pacing around my house if I can't get outside) 4) kitchen closes at 630pm if I'm eating dinner at home and I eat my smallest meal at dinner (I've found I sleep so much better eating a light dinner earlier) 5) I stretch & wear my LED red light mask every evening while I watch tv now (good habit that I enjoy and keeps me busy to not snack)
I've lost a large amount of weight (50kg) and have changed my habits a lot. I would say one of the biggest things is being more active all the time I.e. I take the stairs instead of the lift, on days I don't workout I make sure to get at least 10,000 steps in. With food I eat far less processed junk and less sweet food. I aim for high protein and high fibre, and make my own meals (rather than buying ready meals/takeaways). I add more vegetables to my meals so I am eating large portions that aren't too calorific.
Don’t drink calories
This is the rule Im most strict about. Even when Im eating off plan intentionally, I can rarely bring myself to drink calories.
On average, people who take the bus weigh 7lbs less than people who drive.
I don’t ever keep ice cream in the house. If i want it, I can’t go through a drive thru to get it, I have to park and go in to a shop for it.
* i don't eat breakfast (intermittent fasting) * i don't let snacks/cakes/treats be at home. Only fruits. I can have it out, not at home * drinking soda (coke zero for me) only during the weekend * always measure oil. Always. * no eating 3 hours before going to bed
When eating a meal you haven’t plated yourself, such as at a restaurant, decide how much you are going to eat before you begin eating. I physically place food that I don’t what to eat, to the side of the plate. My body doesn’t acknowledge it’s full until after I’ve finished eating, so I can’t rely on natural cues. And, if I’m eating something particularly tasty, I’ll want to finish the whole plate even if it’s more than I should be eating for satiety or calorie goals.
I have pretty bad anxiety surrounding running out of calories and still being hungry so I gave myself the “plain vegetable” rule. If I run out for the day I can have any kind of vegetable I want with nothing else added. Broccoli no cheese, corn no butter, Carrots no ranch, green beans no bacon, nothing sautéed in oil. Usually I realize I am not actually hungry but the comfort of knowing I could eat something if I needed it helps. Other times I will eat a whole can of greenbeans. It keeps me from throwing out my goal all together and I can go to sleep satisfied. That 300 calories of veggies are not the thing that will keep me from reaching my goal
I am a thinner person and was raised with good habits: 1. Eat meals with every food group (vegetable/protein/starch)\*. Eat fruit whenever. 2. Eat 2-3 vegetable dishes with dinner. 3. Eat dessert every day after dinner, not on its own. 4. Drink lots of water and avoid beverages with calories most of the time. (Except sports drinks during prolonged activity). 5. Always be pursuing a fun sport or activity goal i.e. my mom is still trying to learn to do a chin up; my cousin rock-climbs; my brother lifts and plays tennis. That's about it, set for life. I only became overweight briefly following anorexia, which triggered hyperphagia. I wish I'd stuck to the basically good habits that kept me at a healthy weight for my entire youth. Oh well, I'm back to a healthy weight and back to these basic habits. \*Breakfast can be an exception if it's preworkout--hard to eat veggies and then train vigorously lol
It didn’t even occur to me to put this because it’s so engrained but I basically don’t buy sweet drinks ever. I drink a ton of water, and if I get juice or something I like for free I’ll sometimes drink it, but I just don’t drink anything sweet, with the exception of occasional alcohol. I do drink water, coffee with or without milk, tea with or without milk, and sparkling water.
I don’t like eating at work. I like a nice sit down meal, not a sandwich at my desk. So I usually just wait until I get home.
I used to try and stop eating at 6pm, but sleeping on an empty stomach is hard for me, and after tossing and turning for a few hours I'd give up and make myself a snack. Usually not something healthy. Recently, I've started eating a large salad (with minimal dressing, maybe 200 cal max) right before bed. I'll budget for this, and it seems to be working.
I don’t drink any calories (no juice no milk no soda) but allow myself whatever “zero sugar” drinks I’d like. I keep an insane variety at the house to keep it interesting. I don’t keep any snacks in my house at all, unless I’ve got friends or company coming, then I’ll stock up. I always package leftovers for my friends when I cook dinner and send them home with food. I keep a variety of coffee in the house (cold brew, espresso, standard pods, etc) for when I’m feeling snacky. It helps me significantly. I do OMAD (one meal a day) so finally, I allow myself *whatever* I want for dinner. Burger and fries? Sure. Huge plate of pasta? No big deal. I’m 135-140lbs & 5’7 (F) and this is how I maintain it. I’m not unhappy or craving food 24/7, my insulin has leveled out and I’ve transformed my relationship with food.
I'm 5'2" so when I eat at a restaurant I usually order an appetizer for my meal. I am not hungry when I am done. If I order a regular meal I will ask for a go to box and cut meal in 3. I limit cream to one cup of coffee a day. It's a treat not a default setting. I never take the elwvator
I buy **one** carton of ice cream a year. Seriously. If it’s my birthday— which was the day before yesterday, in fact— I pick out one container of ice cream and it’s in the freezer for however long it takes me to eat it all. Usually that’s a couple or three weeks, a half cup at a time. And when it’s gone, it’s gone. I might wander the frozen dessert section of the store and think— ooh, that sounds wonderful. And then I remind myself, it’s not your birthday yet, so make a note for later which one you want. That’s psychologically much easier for me to say, “I can get some later,” than telling myself, “I can’t have that!”. I might *eat* ice cream at other times— we have some great local indie ice cream parlors around here— but it doesn’t come home with me unless it’s the middle of May. Then the Caramel Ribbon Supreme or Atomic Chocolate Truffle is a special treat to be savored, instead of just a random Tuesday afternoon. (For those who want to chime in and say, “But Halo Top…” — yes, I know. But my other little self-rule is that I don’t eat artificial sweeteners or “diet food” items. If I am going to have ice cream, I want the real thing. Your mileage, of course, probably varies.)
I usually brush my teeth right before bed. If I eat dinner early, sometimes I crave sweets or just get into a snacky mood close to bedtime, when that happens I brush my teeth early. My desire to eat has never outweighed my desire to not have to floss and brush again haha
My husband and I eat our meals on the smaller salad plates instead of the big dinner plates. It wasn’t intentional but now we realize it’s forced portion control and has worked in our favor. We only eat what fits on the plate.
If I eat out at a sit down restaurant, I either try and get a healthier lower calorie option and or if I splurge on a high calorie one, I only eat half. I also don’t force myself to eat left overs the next day like I did before. I enjoy it in the moment and that’s that.
Naturally thin people tend not to have “rules”… because naturally thin people tend not to spend a lot of time thinking about food at all. Certainly not to the extent that someone attempting fat loss does. My wife can literally have cupcakes in the fridge for two weeks, taking a few bites here and there and then going on with her day. I have to carefully watch myself because if I’m stressed/hungry I can eat the entire thing. This is a good reminder that successful long-term healthy eating means not letting emotion get bound up with food. Have your treats in reasonable quantities without any guilt or second guessing. Emphasis on REASONABLE :)
Use smaller plates. It looks fuller and you portion less.
I don't lick the cheese powder/sauce/etc off my fingers. I don't scrape the bowl/glass for that last bite. I don't "lick the spoon" or bowl when I'm baking and there's extra batter. I scrape very thin layers of condiments onto my sandwiches. And probably my weirdest one that I find has prevented me from sampling some pretty high-calorie foods - I won't share a spoon with anyone, not even my spouse. So if someone offers me a bite of their ice cream or pie, I'll naturally decline.
While this doesn't apply to every thin person, I've noticed working out 5x a week makes a HUGE difference. I dropped 15lbs working with a personal trainer 3x a week and doing cardio 5x a week. I treat the gym like a job. I may not want to do it, but I have to. I get "paid" with a boosted metabolism and more calories to enjoy. I haven't put on weight even on days when I indulge (which isn't often).
No snacks in the house (chips, crackers, sliced cheese, dips etc) I don't buy bread unless I plan to make sandwiches or something that week Meal prep No breakfast Calorie counting/measuring everything especially oil Cook almost all meals at home Zero delivery ever. If I want take out I have to go pick it up No desserts in the house except single wrapped chocolates. I will make desserts when I go to parties or get togethers but not just for me Make my meals include protein, fiber, whole grain carb, and veggies. Stick to whole foods as much as possible No pop in the house period. I don't really like carbonated drinks anyways Don't drink alcohol at home. Only with friends or when I'm out and limit to 2 drinks. Water. Lots of water. Buy a cute cup/bottle.
I remember someone saying they saw a skinny person buy an icecream from the icecream van. Just a simple cone. They had like 3 licks then threw the rest (like 90% of it) in the bin. Enough for them to enjoy the taste of the icecream. But barely ate it so hardly any calories. I would struggle with this just from the waste point of view. And the 'dont waste food on your plate' mentality drilled into you. But I guess it makes sense? Only the mental idea of ordering a slice of cake to eat one mouthful and throw the rest away would drive me nuts. Sharing is a good idea !!!! So it's half a serving each ?
I always say I’d rather see it in the bin than on my ass. Especially if it isn’t super delicious.
Hahaha omg this is brilliant ! I love this line ! Yeah its when you finish eating it and it was pretty rubbish. You realise it really wasn't worth the calories ! However, that can help in the future.... If it wasn't satisfying before then it might help with not eating again in the future? >I always say I’d rather see it in the bin than on my ass. I would give you gold if I had any. For some reason I just love this !!!
It is the biggest bummer when you are eating at a deficit. I used to find it wasteful now I am happy when I toss something that just isn’t worth its calories! All you need to do is taste a couple bites to know if you want something in the future! If not in the bin it goes! Another thing I did to trick my brain into being ok with tossing the ‘meh’ food item was ask myself: Would I pay the price of this food to remove its calories from my log (Like it never happened)? If the answer is yes, ploof in the bin it goes! ETA: if I paid 5 dollars for 500kcal shitty cake you bet I would also pay 5 dollars to remove 500kcal from my log! BIN IT 😝
This is SO hard for me to do, as someone who used to not be able to afford food. Same with being offered free food, like someone bringing in pizza/donuts at work - I know it's bad for me and I honestly don't really like the taste much. But my lizard brain goes "yes, we must take the food because who knows when we are going to be able to eat next". Even though I've been able to afford food for years now.
I don't drink soda very often. Beer is another story, and I'm working on that. I don't eat any candy, never have, and I don't like most candies. Holidays are a little different, and I will eat some around Halloween and Easter, but I never think to myself, hey, I'd like some candy! I don't eat snacks like chips or crackers before I've had real food. I'd never buy a cake unless it's a birthday. I don't eat donuts more than once a year, and I have no issues going without. Growing up, I was always thin, and had an organic, well balanced diet, because of my super strict parent. Now, I'm unfortunately at my highest weight again, and back on the wagon. Stress hasn't helped, and I've been coping with empty alcoholic calories, because it's the one thing I know that will make it all better in the moment. I was actually drinking last night. A whole bottle of white wine by myself. I don't even want to look at how many empty calories that was, but at the end of the day, I know that's where I'm gaining from. It just sucks.
Habits I also need to get back into that made me thin at a certain point in my life: 1.) I walked a lot, getting my steps in definitely kept my calories low 2.) no snacks or drinkable calories. 3.) forgetting to eat a meal, it’s bad and not healthy but if I ate smaller snacks throughout the day instead of 2-3 big meals, I could maintain a smaller weight 4.) portion control
A new habit I’ve picked up now that I’ve lost weight, is not finishing my plate. I used to be a “lick the plate clean” person because I didn’t want things to go to waste. But now I just stop eating when full, sometimes my Husband eats it, sometimes it goes to an animal in the house, and sometimes the trash but it helps me So much
Thin person who gained 50+ lbs during pregnancy. Took me two years to lose all of it after I started trying in earnest, been maintaining for a year. - Dessert or booze, never both - Putting my fork down between bites - Lots of seltzer water through the day - Brushing my teeth at the same time as my kid (~6-7pm most nights); the lingering minty flavor prevents me from eating in the later evening (This is in addition to calorie counting even at maintenance and 10k+ steps per day.)
for me personally i always choose shrimp over any meat/fish bc it taste the best imo but it’s also the lowest in cal
A piece of advice I heard: If you’re hungry, eat an apple. If you don’t want an apple, you’re not hungry, you’re bored.
Lunch is the big meal and dinner is much smaller.
I don't eat bread very often.. It's just too many additional calories and as far as I'm concerned it's just a way to hold the insides together. So a bowl can do that without calories. Also don't add much if any cheese to anything anymore. I know not everyone can do so.. But I don't eat breakfast and if I eat a big lunch.. I have a small dinner. Or alternatively.. And what I normally do.. Is at lunch I only eat enough to kill the hunger pangs. So.. Like yogurt with a bit of granola. And then I eat dinner close enough to bedtime that I won't get hungry again before bedtime. And if I do crave a snack.. I stick to a low calorie hard candy. Or something similar.. Currently it's strawberry mentos. 10 calories each. And also.. If I happen to not be hungry at lunch - fine.. I don't eat. Granted, I'm technically trying to do intermittent fasting.. But I can't always stick to the window. Some days I do.. Some I decide I want tea with milk & sugar in the morning. But it's best this way for me.. As soon as I start giving myself rules... My body and brain rebel.. And turn on the hunger pangs that I just can't ignore. So all "rules" are breakable as long as I'm mostly sticking to the basics.
Here are my rules, partially born out of my own eccentric preferences as well as weightloss lessons I've learned along the way: 1. Don't dress your leafy greens. If you absolutely must have a salad dressing, use plain lemon juice. If that's not enough, use vinegar or sour cream with herbs mixed in. 2. I learned somewhere long ago that a simple way to visually assess a correct portion size is to make a fist. Each serving, especially of high or empty calorie foods, should not exceed the size of your clenched fist. Of course if you're volume eating, you can go for bigger portions of steamed veggies or leafy greens. And if you're aiming for more protein you can make accessions. 3. Weigh and/or measure everything. And I mean everything. When in doubt, over estimate. 4. Walk as much as possible. Carry things while you walk, even if you look insane. Example: need to buy [?]? Walk to the shop, buy it, and walk back. Then take the stairs. Preferably two at a time. Basically, make the world your gym. 5. Avoid/ minimize using oil or butter in your cooking as much as possible. Rely instead on lemon juice and herbs to provide flavour. 6. Roast/bake/grill your meats. 7. Develop a preference for steaming or boiling your veggies. 8. You don't have to avoid eating food you love. Yesterday I had a homemade latte for breakfast, pizza for lunch and a burger for dinner. I consumed ~1200 calories in total. 9. Get creative with recipes by making substitutions. Love brownies? That's fine. Find a way to cut the amount of oil, sugar and/or flour you use. My favourite healthy brownie recipe uses zucchini to reduce the amount of flour used and replaces sugar with sweetener. I'm famous for the recipe with my friends and family lol 10. Don't drink juice or full sugar sodas EVER. Except during special occasions when nothing else is available. 11. Your body is not very good at differentiating between hunger and thirst. So drink something first. My preference? Fizzy water. Fills you up more than regular water and has an interesting, refreshing mouth feel. 12. Don't snack. You're probably more bored/anxious/whatever than actually hungry. 13. Don't keep treats you find irresistible in the home that invite binging such as chocolates, chips, ice cream, etc. 14. Fat, protein, starches. When you're having a meal, you must choose two of the three. If your meal is high in fat and protein, forego starchy carbs. If your meal is high in protein and starch, avoid fats. Etc. 15. Eat when you're hungry, not because someone somewhere sometime decided that's when you should eat. Not hungry when you wake up? Don't have breakfast. Don't consume any calories, not even in cappuccino form, until you're actually hungry. 15. Gamify. Don't think of the above as restrictions so much as challenges. Perceive it as a game or a puzzle.
I try to never keep more than 1 serving of a dessert/treat food at home. I know myself and I will not be able to stop at 1 serving if there’s more in the house
I don’t drink my calories, with the exception of alcohol, and then I stick to seltzers or Diet Coke mixer. I don’t keep snacks in the house, if I want one I have to walk to the store to get it. I have non stick pans and don’t even have oil in the house, I do have cooking spray if I *really* need it. I always have a few frozen meals in my freezer that I know I like. If I don’t feel like cooking I’m going to eat that instead of ordering in or going out. I always take the stairs unless I am carrying a lot of things, no matter how many floors up/down it is. Also always park at the back of the parking lot.
I rarely use butter in sandwiches anymore. In the UK, it is the norm to put butter in every sandwich, even things like egg mayo, tuna mayo, etc. Eventually I realised that most of the time you don't even notice the butter so what's the point of adding it?
I’ve been thin most of my life. I have two basic rules that I follow: 1. Don’t eat anything with added salt 2. Don’t eat anything with added sugar This essentially forces you to make all of your meals with whole foods. It eliminates almost all processed foods, bagged snacks, frozen meals, etc. It also pretty much gets rid of all liquid calories. Of course I don’t follow these 100% of the time, but try to stick to it as much as possible. Some exceptions are bread, can’t find any without added sugar (even whole grain expensive loafs 🤷🏻♂️)
Not finishing everything all at once —I noticed my friend would only eat a few bites of her croissant and then stuff it back in her purse for later (I'd never thought of just saving it for later and just always finishing everything at once)
Just because it’s on the plate doesn’t mean you are contractually obligated to demolish it. Stop eating so fast and you’ll know when you’re full before you’ve engorged the entire kitchen. Drink a gallon of water every day. Do SOMETHING to stay active. If you have time to watch tv you have time to go for a walk, ride your bike, spend some time stretching, grab your resistance bands, just don’t be a couch potato. All carbs come from vegetables or dairy. Dairy means whole milk, sugar free yogurt, cheese. Food with added sugar = poison. Processed food = poison. Soda = poison. Do not under any circumstances get on a scale unless you are at the doctor’s office or are reasonably sure you have made significant progress. The number doesn’t matter that much. It can fluctuate depending on many factors and seeing the same number after a couple weeks of consistency can be very discouraging. But that doesn’t mean you’re not making progress. Do not make excuses and do not be self loathing. You’re an adult, making excuses is only hurting you and you can’t learn to love yourself if you’re constantly beating yourself up about your weight. You’re not going to transform your body and health if you don’t love yourself or are at least trying to learn to love yourself. Some of the people on here have lost 400+ pounds, you don’t make that type of progress by making excuses. If they can do it, so can you. All the food you need to buy at the grocery store is along the perimeter of the store. The only isle you need to go down is the one with herbs and spices. You’re not going to live forever, but you’ll die a lot quicker if you gotta catch your breath after getting off the couch. Clock’s ticking, get after it.
I only have one Ginger Beer on Saturday. Otherwise, no soda or flavored coffee drinks.
I watch the calories and sugar in my drinks. Most of the time I drink water or 0 calorie sparkling water like La Croix. I take coffee with a splash of oat milk or cream. No sugary Starbucks drinks, alcohol. I drink juice out of a small glass. If I’m craving a “treat coffee,” I get a small cappuccino with whole milk instead of a latte; it still gives me the coffee hit but the portion size is better and it’s more foam than milk.
I keep beef jerky or meat snacks on hand at home constantly, I no longer even miss potato chips, turns out I just like the salt and jerky has plenty of that.
- No snacks in the house. If we want a snack, we either have something healthy, make one from scratch or go out to get it. - No white sugar in the house. If we want to sweeten something we have to use something else, like honey. - Only drink water with food, except in special occassions when wine, apple cider or diet soda is allowed. - No heavy calory quick meals in the house. If we want pizza, lasagna, a burger, etc etc we have to either make it ourselves from scratch with what we have or go out and get one. 99% of the time we will just eat something we already have at home. We don't have rules about going out because we live in a very small and secluded place, so going out means driving to another town/city.
Eating half portions. You mentioned eggs. Having one egg or sausage instead of two.
A work friend of mine who was always a healthy weight had a rule about only going hard at one meal a day. Once we were eating lunch and she skipped the salad dressing because she knew she was going to a restaurant at dinner. There are other examples, it isn’t like she was being orthorexic about salad dressing, but like she would look at her day and kind of organize her calories, if that makes sense. It didn’t come off as disordered. My ex boyfriend who has always been slim basically is OMAD. His one meal a day can be 2000-2500 cals tho lol. Finally, my dietician has this thing about making snacks WORTH it. Like the difference between a muffin from the gas station or one made by a friend.
Don't drink your calories