# What does everyone eat?



## outsider77 (Sep 7, 2005)

I am trying to lose weight and keep it off so that hopefully I can gain some confidence and handle SA better. I just don't know how to eat healthy besides eating fruits and vegetables. Anybody have any specific foods that are healthy that I could get used to eating? 

I've been to websites where they say what types of foods to eat, but none that have specific meals and how many calories I'm supposed to have. Anybody know any good links? thanks


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## saint liebowitz (Apr 17, 2004)

No good links, but I am a chef and know abit about nutrition.

... which has taught me that although some things are definately true, many diet regemines and "healthy foods" are very hotly contested as to wether they are actually what you should do/eat.

My recommendation is just eat balanced, I personally go for a lot of small meals in a day (when I can), and usually dinner is larger because I try not to eat a few hours before I go to bed. (just water or something light, glass of milk, alittle bit of protein if I am hungry.)

But just try and eat more nuts, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish and healthier foods that you usually do. Try and wean yourself off lots of sugar, white flour/corn based products, and hydronegated oils. Also if you drink alot of caffine maybe get off that, but that's just to be healthy, more caffine/amphetamines of any kind would probly help you lose weight and have less of an appetite but are bad for you in the long run, so research before you use any.

As far as specific foods go, I eat alot of soy. Drinking soy milk, (or almond/rice milk), is filling and delicious, and soy is supposed to be very good for you, so it's a great snack when your looking for something sweet.

As far as protien go, as much fish as you can (michigan is a good place for fishing, I grew up going there to visit my family on lake louise), and alot of turkey, better for you than chicken, beef, or pork, and helluva lot cheaper.

If you don't cook I suggest just learning alittle how to, just learn to cook fresh vegetable and simple protein dishes. Let me know if you need help with that but I would recommend going to a site like http://www.chef2chef.com and learning there, or even epicurious.com or foodtv.com, although they are less helpfull for actually learning how to cook.

Lastly, organic and local produce is definately the way to go. usually more flavorfull and satisfying, it's amazing how vegetables taste when grown from a local organic farm vs. a supermarket, I mean, they actually taste like something good, it's amazing.

Anyhow, good luck outsider. Cherries are also in season in michigan right now, so consider getting some local ones, a great healthy snack!


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## outsider77 (Sep 7, 2005)

Thanks for the tips, I will check out those sites. I wasn't much into fish growing up, but I will try to find recipies for fish. I have always read that they are good sources of protein.


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## Melusine (Jun 19, 2004)

Well, personally i'm vegetarian, since 'lean' poultry also is loaded with calories. I mainly eat fruits and veggies and rarely in the mood for anything else, especially in the summer. Otherwise, i love to eat almonds and whole grain products like bread and pasta, which is usually lunch for me. Also should suggest getting 'chickpeas' (garbanzo beans) as they are very tasty plain or in salads, or they make a great hummus. I also take a multivitamin every day and drink water throughout the day/and green tea. Good luck!


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## outsider77 (Sep 7, 2005)

I'd like to be vegetarian only for the part of eating fruits and vegetables. I don't think I could stay away from meat!

Last time I was at my doctor he told me to go on a low-carb diet and not eat pastas. I should have told him that its on the food pyramid! I also drink lots of water throughout the day. 

I haven't been a fan of tea in general because I don't like warm drinks. Does green tea have caffeine in it? 

My heart beats too fast whenever i drink caffeine which is why i stay away from coffee and soft drinks.


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## Melusine (Jun 19, 2004)

There's decaf green tea. The caffeinated does make me feel like i'm sweating more...

Anyway, the staying away from meat part shouldn't be so hard, there's plenty of soy varieties and just fill up on non-meat suggestions, high fiber is also in. I mean, being healthy requires some certain 'sacrifices' i used to love eating meat, but now i don't hardly crave it, if ever.


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## mayblue (Oct 1, 2005)

This site explains the type of diet I try to follow. It might seem a little wacky, but I like it and I don't have a problem keeping the weight off anymore.

I was a vegetarian for a couple of years, but I developed irresistible meat cravings and also my health suffered a bit.

Good luck finding what works for you!


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## Lil' Pimpin? (Jun 14, 2006)

I was a veggie for a long time, and if you can do it right, props to you. I didn't do vegetarianism right, and the second I got back onto meat, I felt healthier. Humans are omnivores and if you can't maintain a healthy vegetarian diet, meat will help you with some much needed vitamins, and they will be better absorbed than the quick multi vitamin supplements because they are from actual food, and go through the entire digestion process. The Chef above said it right, I'm a cook in a nice restaurant and eat something off of our dinner menu each night, technically, it's a lot of meat and fat, but it's a well balanced meal, and I haven't been gaining weight (for the first time in a long time.) Do yourself a favor and learn some basic cooking principles because it will help you cook well balanced, healthy, better tasting meals, rather than eating processed lean cuisine or healthy choice meals that taste like c*^p and leave you still hungry. You'll live longer too eating fresh cooked produce without all the preservatives and chemicals too. (Just look at the little 100 year old ladies who've cooked dinner from scratch with a glass of wine every night, they're still cranking along, and doing well at that.) Eat fresh and eat a bit of everything.


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## ABetterTomorrow (May 17, 2005)

Because I enjoy lifting weights I get most of my diet advice from the bodybuilding world...but I think bodybuilders display perfect control over there bodies, especially when it comes to losing weight.

I would suggest checking out the nutrition forum and articles on this site. http://www.abcbodybuilding.com


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## allalone9863 (May 25, 2006)

I'm also a vegetarian. It's important to get protein no matter what. I eat fruits/vegetables of course, I'm also a big peanut butter/nuts person. Whole grain bagels, pasta, I love smoothies... just eat a variety of foods and try to keep it healthy.

My downfall is ice cream, YUM.


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## Amelia (Nov 24, 2003)

I'm trying to lose a bit of weight too, and have had some success by taking more exercise and eating the following:
•	muesli for breakfast (rolled oats and sunflower/pumpkin seeds with dried apricots, plus skimmed milk and 0-fat yoghurt)
•	other meals combining lean meat (chicken/turkey) or fish or lentils for protein and pasta or wholegrain rice with vegetables
•	skimmed milk, 0-fat yoghurt and low-fat cheese for calcium
•	fresh nuts/fruit as snacks
•	water, fresh fruit juice and tea as beverages
•	no fatty processed meals (e.g. pizzas, burgers, etc.)
•	no soda, candy or cakes :sigh 
•	no potato chips (though I sometimes break this rule!)


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## No Limit (Dec 6, 2005)

Lately it's been like this:

Breakfast: One cooked Plaintain for breakfast

Lunch: A bowl of Kashi "Good Friends" Cereal. I think head to the gym after eating that for some cardio.

After 3pm: I have a 6in daily special that I get from Subway on wheat bread. Sometimes I might eat some chips along with the sandwich.

After 6pm: Whatever my parents cook. It could be beef stew, corn beef, whatever

After 10pm: Another 6in daily special from Subway. Again on wheat bread

After 12am: Another bowl of cereal and some fruits (a banana or two and an apple)

If I'm feeling a little hungry in between those times, I'll munch on some carrot sticks or something...

It's been working out for me so far. I've lost about 20 pounds or so since April along with regular exercise for about 1-2 hours. Not an easy thing to do when you're on meds too.


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

I'm on the Big Mac diet. Two Big Macs everyday along with fries and then another two meals usually cereal and some tv dinners.


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## heckyll (Mar 27, 2006)

I eat a ketogenic diet. Mostly eggs and fatty meat, with some nuts thrown in. And, since it's the season, I also dine on summer fruits in moderation - around here, there is a huge abundance of mulberries, strawberries, raspberries, wild cherries, serviceberries, and soon blackberries will be ripe around here. Sometimes I also like to take dandelion greens, chickweed, plantain leaves, and wild onions to throw into salads.


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## R4ph4el (Sep 20, 2005)

breakfast: oatmeal with whey proteïne powder
second meal: cereals with skimmed milk
3th: whole rice with a can of tuna
4th: oatmeal with lowfat cheese(high in proteines)
5th: can of tuna with veggies
6th: lowfat cheese with banana
7th: 2 cups of milk
I also eat nuts with some of my meals for good fats and I take multi-vitamin in the morning.
On trainingdays I eat more then off-days. I also add an extra proteïneshake after my workouts.
I start with high-carbs in the morning and lower them during the day.


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## slurpazillia (Nov 18, 2005)

:banana


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## lyssado707 (Oct 29, 2004)

I'm a dairy/eggs/soup stock only vegetarian lol. I'll eat those animal products but not red meat, chicken, or fish. I'm begining to get addicted to the frozen soy meat replacers for protein. Like morningstar and gardenburger products. I also eat a lot of frozen burittos, peanut butter, veggies sometimes, bananas, apples, jelly, ice cream , sherbet , tomatoes, flan , cereal, tortillas, tortilla chips and salsa, low fat/fat free sour cream, refried beans, cheese, gatorade, fresh spinach (sometimes), oreos , milk, orange juice, diet coke (sometimes), yogurt, pasta, and grain bread.


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## Nae (Nov 10, 2003)

I'm a health-conscious person but I have found restricting myself to certain foods or strictly regulating what and how I eat to be counter-productive to my goals of eating well & staying at a optimal weight. I've tried following strict guidelines and planning out what type of foods to eat but eventually I just derail from the process 'cause I already have enough crap to think about!  Gotta find what works for you, I suppose. 

Eating multiple smaller meals throughout the day is a tip I have found to be useful. I don't feel like such a sloth as I do after a big, heavy meal. I try to limit how much junkfood I eat. Cutting out/down drinks that contain calories is a great idea. I'll have a soda for dinner or something similar but otherwise its water, flavored water, or other drinks that do not contain calories. A happy medium such as this is what seems to work best for me in the long run.


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## Caedmon (Dec 14, 2003)

Noca said:


> I'm on the Big Mac diet. Two Big Macs everyday along with fries and then another two meals usually cereal and some tv dinners.


Oh man. Burger King has the best chocolate shakes in the world. I just had to say that.

I'm on the ice cream and pizza diet. I read about it in the New Yorker. Basically, you eat as much ice cream and pizza as you want, so long as it's delicious. You can have your choice of beverage. You can also have other foods but they also have to be delicious.

(Do you lose weight on the diet? You might, it's a free country!)


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

Caedmon said:


> Noca said:
> 
> 
> > I'm on the Big Mac diet. Two Big Macs everyday along with fries and then another two meals usually cereal and some tv dinners.
> ...


I gain about 1/2 lb a month.


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## Melusine (Jun 19, 2004)

Well, to be totally honest, it does sometimes include ice cream. I cannot lie and say that i am not, myself a sugar fiend.


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## Drella (Dec 4, 2004)

I can't stand sticking to diets. They always have food listed that I don't care for, so I just try to look at the nutritional contents of what I buy and compare it to other things that I like.

I always have a bottle of water with -or before- every meal. I think you're supposed to have 64 oz (about 3 full bottles or 8 8oz glasses) of water a day, so just drinking all of that water keeps you pretty full.

I don't eat red meat at all. I eat fish and poultry simply because I had trouble remaining healthy on a vegan diet.

There are small things you could change in your diet, like replacing ground beef with ground turkey in spaghetti or "Hamburger Helper" and they taste pretty much the same.

I don't eat in front of the television. Watching t.v. increases serotonin and eating also increases serotonin. When you're enjoying a tv show, you tend to eat faster and _more_. I eat at our dining room table when I can, away from the television, music, computer, etc. I commit to this, and it keeps me from wanting to eat when I'm not hungry, because I would have to sit in the dining room, alone, with no sound. I hate that. If there's no distraction, I stop eating when I'm full. When I eat at a restaurant, I usually eat half of my meal and then I'm full. At home, in front of the tv, I could probably eat twice that because I would be so hopped up on serotonin. :b

I eat breakfast, usually plain corn flakes with fruit slices added for flavor. No sugar; the fruit makes it sweet enough for me.

If I _really_ want a snack, it's usually yogurt with granola, nuts, or apple slices in it. MacDonalds, of all places, has a decent fruit and yogurt salad. If I want ice cream, I have sherbert instead. I prefer it, though.

It's probably best to start out small. Don't completely cut out the foods that you love, instead try to limit them. If you just cut them out completely one day, you will probably want them more. I know _all_ about that! Eat the foods that you love every now and then if they aren't healthy. If you love soda, definitely limit those. If you give up soda for a year, you lose an average of ten pounds. I'm saying this as I drink a Dr. Pepper. :hide

My advice is to give yourself choices. I hate following strict diets, because I can only eat a handful of certain foods for particular meals.

I can't tell you how many calories you should eat a day; probably around 2,000. I try to limit my intake to about 1,200, but I'm female.


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## sweetgem1978 (Jun 17, 2006)

hum nah too much healty stuff in this heatwave ive been eating icecreams like cornettos magnums , cooked little sausages crisps and been a right junky the odd night though ive had veggie dippers lol.


nah cant do healthy do junkie food instead.


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