Thank you for your reply!!!
You are correct. I stuck with the HELP diet for several years, but as time went by, several of my good habits started being forgotten. Now, it seems, I’m doing nothing but eating frozen pizzas and other carb and/or protein heavy foods. So, it’s time for a reboot.
The thing I really enjoyed about this healthy eating plan is once I got into the habit I realized if I wanted to have that slice of birthday cake I can. I just need to remember to compensate for cake at that meal.
HELP also showed me, it doesn’t have to be a diet. It’s more about healthy choices. Some days, I picked my foods so well, I felt nearly stuffed every time I ate!
I’m planning on starting this again next week, keep your fingers crossed I can keep on track! The hardest part of doing it is just starting it!
Thank you.
You are most welcome. You are right that starting anything new can be difficult. Just try one day at a time. If you fall off your eating plan, resume your eating plan the next day or even the next meal. You are human and no one expects perfection especially not when losing weight.
Another idea is to set a weight loss goal that you can achieve in 1 month. Aim for 5 to 10 pounds depending on how many calories you plan to eat to lose weight compared to how many calories you have been eating at a higher weight. Then at the end of the month when you have achieved your weight goal, pat yourself on the back for your success and set next month’s weight goal. Many people focus on the total weight they want to lose and that may have been what they weighed in high school. Also, that may not be a realistic weight anymore since many teenagers are still growing at age 18.
Changing food habits can be difficult without a plan and cleaning up your food environment so you are more likely to succeed. Considering your grocery shopping and cooking habits along with making healthier food choices.
One of the challenges is creating time to shop for food when you are not hungry or tired. Make sure you have a list and write your grocery list so that you walk around the store without backtracking. I use my grocery store app to create shopping lists that have the aisle in order of the particular store where i shop. Then I can swipe foods off my list as I shop.
The second challenge is cooking at home so you can control the type of fat as well as how much fat, salt, and sugar is in the food you eat. When you buy prepared foods, the food manufacturer is determining the fat, salt, and sugar in the food you eat. They want to ensure that you will buy their foods so they want to make their food tasty. One way to do that is add fat, salt and sugar.
Third challlenge is to clean out your kitchen cabinets of salty, fried, or sweet snacks. If the packages are unopened, donate them to your local food bank.
Do you write down a menu of what you are going to cook each day? That helps with writing a grocery list and knowing what you are going to cook ahead of time. It doesn’t matter if you swap days in a week’s menu when you cook. It matters that you plan what you are going to eat ahead of time rather than being hungry and whatever is handy or fast.
You make another point that some foods are more filling. Foods high in fiber will keep your stomach feeling full longer. High fiber foods like veggies, fruits, dried beans, peas, lentils, and whole grains slow your stomach from emptying into your intestines.
I am a firm believer in eating cake on your birthday even when on a weight loss plan. Not everyone’s birthday or that would be excessive.
