However, the important thing to remember is that just because I CAN have something, doesn't mean I MUST have that thing. For instance, I CAN have an entire package of oreos. However, because I am choosing to live and eat in a healthy manner, I choose NOT have to have those things. If I crave them badly enough, I will eat them. But NOT on a regular basis.
Things that I DO choose to eat on a regular basis are whole grains and mostly unprocessed foods. I choose wheat breads over white (if you haven't had wheat bread since you were a child, it's time to give it a try again, it's really not terribly different). I choose wheat flour over white, too. The differences are minimal, and in the few cases when white is more important, I still substitute 1/2 of each. I eat oatmeal for breakfast instead of processed boxed cereals.
I also eat more fruits and vegetables than I used to. Now that I realise how important vegetables are, I try to make sure to have one or two fresh vegetables with each meal (I'm not so good at it, but at least I make the effort). I'm not picky about cooked or uncooked, but I do try to avoid canned vegetables. It's a personal preference. I usually eat fruits as a in-between snack rather than with a meal.
I have NEVER been a fan of meal replacement ANYTHING. Having tried to go the slimfast route on days when I'm too lazy to cook, I find myself hungry again within an hour, my energy level dropping at an alarming rate. However, I have been known to drink them anyway, making sure to eat again no more than an hour and a half later. I've also discovered Kashi bars. One of their main ingredients is their blend of seven whole grains. We know I like whole grains. Their bars are a little too sweet for my liking, but only a little. And they're a great sort of meal if you're trying to eat every 2 -3 hours.
I usually eat when I'm hungry with a vague eye toward the clock, rather than having set meal times. Dinner IS at 5 or 5:30 most nights, but my other meals vary since my sleeping schedule varies. I try to eat no more often than ever 2 hours and usually prefer to go 4. But, how often I eat during a day tends to be a direct reflection of the amount and quality of the foods I ate for my previous meal.
Hey, that's your business. Still, since you're wondering....
It is my firm belief that if you want to weigh 150 pounds, you need to eat like you're 150 pounds. What does that mean, though? Well, let me tell you the first and most important rule, as far as I'm concerned.
The second rule to weightloss is to remember:
It's very important, in my opinion, that people change their way of thinking about food in this respect. Food should not conjure up feelings of guilt or piety. It's a fuel for your body. It brings pleasure (as do most natural bodily functions) but does not impart some kind of righteous or demonizing qualities upon the person eating. To find guilt in eating is similar to finding guilt in pooping; it's completely pointless and definately distructive toward self esteem and the whole idea of changing one's lifestyle toward being healthy. The mind and body are closely related and if your mind has the wrong idea about food, your body's physical reactions toward it follow. A healthy attitude helps lead to being healthy!
Moving on, I think the easiest way to lose weight is to eat more whole foods and avoid processed ones as well as substituting wheat flour for white when available. It seems like a monumental task at first, but I've discovered it gets easier and more natural in time. To NOT make a meal which includes some kind of a vegetable and/or whole grain seems weird, now. And, using whole foods not only leads to feeling healthier but they also tend to be more filling on fewer calories than a lot of the processed foods you can buy these days. Which leads to eating less. Which leads to... yes... losing weight.
For people just starting to lose weight, I strongly suggest figuring out your recommended calorie intake to maintain your weight, then cutting that by 250 or 500 calories per day. Keeping track of your actual calorie intake each day for a couple of weeks can help you decide what a normal serving looks like and about how much you can eat in a day while still losing weight. You'll likely be surprised at how much you can (and should) eat.
Basically, you have to teach yourself what normal eating is, and get into the habit of exercising on a regular basis. Once you start doing those two things the weight will come off with greater ease and comfort than any "diet" could ever give you. And it will stay off, because you'll NEVER have to deal with "maintenance" since you'll be used to eating like a normal person instead of starving yourself or eating in other non-long term ways.
Another option that works for a lot of people is weight watchers. If you pay attention their ideas of weightloss and "dieting" are quite the same as my own. I just don't feel the need to count calories (or points, as they've converted them) anymore. None the less, their philosophy involves eating their way for the rest of your life rather than dieting.
So, like I said, it's really up to you how you want to eat. It's your business more than and it's up to you to decide what's right for you. But, I hope I'm able to give you some new ideas to consider.
