Eating healthier.. Where to start?

[phen0m]

So having to sit through my ladies gentle prodding to eat better for the past few year, has finally worn on me..  I figure i'll at least consider the prospects of eating better.. but where to go, what to nosh?  I can't eat what she does, because its tooo far on the healthy side(kale salads, organic this.. natural that.. i cant do it).
  
    Is there a happy medium?  I generally down whatever I feel like.. pizzas, sodas, burgers, the occasional chicken salad etc.  I'm 6'5 210ish, so I dont exactly want to lose weight or anthing.. Just want some ideas on whats tasty, yet "healthy" that we both can eat.

So.. What are you all eating?

 

[ljlukelj]

Well for starters, you have to cook. Plain and simple.

The easiest way for me is to take a protein (fish and chicken mostly) and go from there. Anyone can be a gourmet chef if you can follow instructions. I cook great healthy meals a couple times a week now.

Check out eatingwell.com- I use it just about everyday

 

[theconditioner]

Start here:

http://www.hsph.harvard.e...tritionsource/index.html

 

[6 Rings G.O.A.T.]

Stop eating fast food..

 

[kingjay718]

Eat more fruit and veggies. 

 

[lightweight champion]

How I started was dropping all drink except water. Try that.

 

[Ace Ready]

KingJay718 wrote:

---

Eat more fruit and veggies. 


Basically...

No need for a full on diet change imo, just incorporate more healthy foods in your diet. Ex: wheat in instead of regular bread, and definitely more fruits and veggies. 

 

[ill steelo]

low fat high protien foods for every meal. eggs/oatmeal for breakfast, lean steak/chicken breast/salmon/talapia for lunch & dinner. if you lift, and you combine that diet with great sleep, you'll make solid gains. if you don't lift, you're still following a healthy diet

 

[bjamez20]

Get a juicer, helps a lot

 

[i am that dude]

Been where you are. As you acknowledged, key is small changes at a time. You're not going to go from fast food to whole foods and vegan spots cold turkey (pun intended). Replace candy bars with granola bars, sodas with juices though your eventual goal is to eliminate liquid calories, from burgers to the chicken sandwich (grilled) and wraps minus dressings and sauces, etc. Just those small changes will start you losing but eventually once you get used to that, join a site like fitday.com which you can use to track your exercise and caloric intake, and start learning to cook and eat more fresh foods.

They're bland and %!%@, but you can get boneless skinless chicken breast that are trimmed 100% lean so all the calories are protein, get some fish like tilapia or even canned tuna (mercury though), wheat bread, fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts (I prefer the prepackaged 100 calorie pack ones), and yogurts. I used to cook on 2 days a week, like Sunday and Wednesday. I'd back some potatoes and wrap them in foil and put them in the fridge and vacuum pack some lean meats I had cooked,. That way even on the go I could just grab something and take it with me.

Once you learn what's right and wrong for you though, you can even make good choices in fast food spots so you don't have to be the outcast when you have like birthday parties and social functions

 

[al audi]

posting for later, gotta sleep.

 

[based mod]

Originally Posted by bjamez20

Get a juicer, helps a lot

ehhh....whole fruits and veggies are generally preferred.

 

[uptownsdotnetstacky]

Think before you eat...

 

[i am that dude]

My juicer helps me get more vegetables in though, especially ones that don't particularly taste good. But the problem with juicing fruit is you still get all the calories, minus the fiber ones, and same for vegetables but you still get the wholesomeness from them. And they are a %@+!% to clean. I always put like 6 whole carrots, a huge chunk of red cabbage, few celery stalks + some fruit (usually a pink lady apple, a pear, 8 strawberries). Get some stevia too so if it's to vegetable-y you can sweeten it without adding any calorias and unlike aspartame, it's not poison.

 

[bjm5295]

saturated and trans fats, no mas. you'll instantly be healthier. then go from there..

 

[calikev34]

Easy.
Drink water. Milk too, but mainly water

Get familiar with grilling your own chicken, cooking your own steak/ground beef/pasta etc.

Some meals can have cottage cheese, yogurt, granola, oatmeal

You gotta eat your vegetables, my son. Try this. Eat em first. While you're hungry. Then dig into the chicken or whatever. That's what I do. 

When I want snacks, I eat almonds, blueberries, peanut butter/apples, greek yogurt, cheese, hard boiled eggs, and other fruits.

I just started taking fitness seriously. I now have what I consider a really good diet. Yet, I like going out with people and having a good time.

You gotta remember to treat yourself, especially with the goals you mentioned. Enjoy yourself man. Some people call these "cheat meals" and will indulge once a week. That's an option.

Oh, and I eat Subway all the +*$$@!% time. Too much. But it's my best option when I'm hungry as hell and need food fast. 

Also, personally, when I go and eat stuff that's not good for me, it motivates me to work harder in the gym that day.

Point is, with embedding good habits like drinking tons of water, and making MOST of your meals, you can become healthier. 

It's all about moderation, my man. With the content, and also the amount. 

Oh, yeah brah. You may not want to "lose weight" but if you start eating right/exercising, it's part of the territory. At the beginning, at least.

 

[Remy LeBeau]

Get a george foreman grill and buy bags of chicken breast, burger patties and fish. If you do eat at burger king, mcdonalds,etc... dont order fries and get orange juice or water instead of soda. Try and cut down on soda all together and like someone said earlier eat more fruits and veggies.

 

[fresh2deff]

Ground turkey is your new best friend. Very good stuff.

 

[theequickness]

The most simple way to start eating healthier is to recognize what you are eating, and change it (obviously).

You cannot just stop eating junk food cold turkey and eat healthy, so just take it one step at a time.

The basics to start would just be:

1.) Cut out soft drinks from diet.
2.) Eat more fruits and veggies.
3.) Don't eat fast food!
4.) Eat clean foods (non-processed, non pre-packaged foods)


Easier said than done though.

 

[dmbrhs]

It's a slow process. As I said in another thread (and was mentioned earlier in this one), you can't go from cheeseburgers to rabbit food over night. You'll go crazy.

Start by cutting out soda. That's the easiest way. It's also the toughest because it just seems such a habit to reach for that Coke at the 7-11 or grocery store. After about a week of drinking just water, you'll already feel a difference. Next is drop the really bad foods, like pizza, cheeseburgers, or anything greasy like that. Limit your "junk" intake to maybe a small bag of chips. It'll satiate you as you start dropping those greasy foods. Learn to snack on appetite suppressants (I like unsalted peanuts). Couple small handfuls when I'm hungry and I don't even feel it anymore. I also have a strict "no food after 9 pm" policy. That does major harm because people don't eat healthy at night (because they're drunk, dessert, etc.). You don't have to cook every day, but start out by cooking chicken every other night and eating some fruit or veggies with it. Eventually you'll get the hang of it and you won't even have to think twice about what you're doing in the kitchen.

Alcohol is the hardest part to cut out, really, and my only vice at this point in my current pattern. I haven't had a beer in a few weeks, and I limit myself to a few vodka sodas if I'm out and about. Those aren't too terrible. Champagne is another option. It may seem girly, but there's a reason models drink champagne. Mimosas have orange juice anyway, so you're getting something healthy in that regard.

 

[2lipslegit]

Originally Posted by ljlukelj

Well for starters, you have to cook. Plain and simple.

The easiest way for me is to take a protein (fish and chicken mostly) and go from there. Anyone can be a gourmet chef if you can follow instructions. I cook great healthy meals a couple times a week now.

Check out eatingwell.com- I use it just about everyday

Good looks bro, will be trying this in the next few days:
http://www.eatingwell.com...s/easy_salmon_cakes.html

 

[ljlukelj]

Originally Posted by 2LipsLegit

Originally Posted by ljlukelj

Well for starters, you have to cook. Plain and simple.

The easiest way for me is to take a protein (fish and chicken mostly) and go from there. Anyone can be a gourmet chef if you can follow instructions. I cook great healthy meals a couple times a week now.

Check out eatingwell.com- I use it just about everyday

Good looks bro, will be trying this in the next few days:
http://www.eatingwell.com...s/easy_salmon_cakes.html

Sounds great. But don't get canned salmon if you can get fresh. I was a commercial fisherman, I know what goes in those cans.

 

[topherr]

Protein, leafy green veggies, water, fruit, water, protein, and water.
grill/cook your own food. It can relieve stress, save you money, and its healthy! can also come in handy with the ladies...

There are two parts to being healthy: diet and exercise.
exercise does not have to be hardcore, 2 hour, weight lifting. Just be active say for a good 30-60 mins a day.
- a light jog, bike ride, walk in the park, swim... all of these are good.

Oh ya, don't over do it on veggies that are high in starches (i.e. potatoes, corn... so forth)
and remember, uncooked veggies are better for you than cooked.


again:
-lean proteins (chicken, turkey, fish, lean beef and pork)
-veggies (green leafy ones preferably: spinach, greens....etc)
-water
-fruits (not canned, BUT if you must stay away from syrup)
-water
-exercise

 

[cj003]

I have a question (dont mean to thread jack) but for you single guys living alone how do you buy non-canned/non-frozen fruits and veggies? everytime i do they spoil. Are frozen/canned fruits and veggies ok?

 

[topherr]

Originally Posted by CJ003

I have a question (dont mean to thread jack) but for you single guys living alone how do you buy non-canned/non-frozen fruits and veggies? everytime i do they spoil. Are frozen/canned fruits and veggies ok?

frozen veggies/fruit is OK, but i prefer fresh. 
Just buy what you would eat in a week, if you don't want to take a chance of them spoiling.

usually have frozen veggies for smoothies and what not, and frozen veggies when i'm too lazy for fresh or cant make it to a farmers market or the selection at the store is not great.

also its good if you are short on time.