Starting off is never as easy as claimed. Advertisements will try to sell you on 'quick fixes' and 'No-this diets' that work for some people but not everyone. I admit I too have tried the fad diets and quick fixes with obviously nothing to show as results from it. So what really does work?
Anytime I've experienced some success has been from eating the healthier things I love. Fruits are awesome to curve sweet cravings and are great for on the run, however to obtain my goal a high amount of vegetables are required. It's not that I don't like vegetables It's more I've grown accustomed to not eating them. To change a bad habit takes a little creative thinking. Often the best solution is to take the bad food you love and make them good by replacing ingredients with vegetable alternatives or even just adding in veggies.
I'm testing this out by making my lasagna with eggplant as well as leaner ground beef I got on sale. I plan to stick to one serving and pair it with chicken and strawberry vinaigrette salad. Also by hand shredding the chicken, instead of simply cutting it up with a knife, I've noticed I don't use as much and it looks a lot more filling. :)
Going for lower fat dairy is one way to reduce calories as well but the taste also tends to become weaker. However using stronger flavor products like Gorgonzola actually adds that cheese flavor, you're craving yet because it's such a strong flavor you won't add in much, this works very well when making pizza too.
Switching out white flour products for wheat is also an awesome healthy choice. Even though standard grocery stores sell wheat products at a more expensive cost you can save LOTS of money by going to smaller chain stores like Fresh and Easy or Trader Joe's who pride themselves on healthy eating at affordable costs. Between the two I prefer Fresh and Easy for their selection and prices. They are the only place I can buy frozen fruit for under $3 and their meat prices are fantastic (referring to the price of chicken and ground beef especially when they go on sale)
Point being, there's always a little sacrifice to get to your goal but those BAD foods can be made good with a little trying. Just watch the portion sizes and try something new :)
I think you'd get a lot out of taking the white flour thing further by going gluten free. It's not that hard, really! They have awesome breads at Whole Foods and Sprouts, pasta options, and of course simply having more rice and grains instead. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd do moderate your fruit intake! I have severe candiasis right now because of my diet... After going vegan I ate tons of fruit and sweet things, even though from the health food store, as a quick fix to keep my mood and energy up. Big mistake. Also combining fruits with nuts, which is worse, contributes to it too. It's really common to experience candiasis without knowing on the standard american diet. So please save yourself! It's miserable! Go for veggies!! If you need to sweeten something, switch to stevia!
I'm using fruit to counter my cravings I usually only have about 3-4 servings max a day but for sure having too much can upset your digestive system rather than help it. Going gluten-free may be further up the road as cost-wise it is quite a bit more out of pocket.
DeleteI've only tried stevia a little so next time i'm at the store i may pick some up.
Thanks for the advice and tips ^-^