https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 29 Apr 2026 11:26:36 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clueless-about-how-to-start-eating-healthier/page/2#post-887684 Thu, 27 Jun 2013 07:35:10 +0000 kjpugs 887684@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Weight watchers is a great option if you can afford it! It's great to have a meeting leader (I prefer doing WW in person with meetings than online, especially if you're starting new) because they can talk to you about your concerns, look at what you're eating, and make suggestions. WW "requires" you to earn activity points and having them be able to review what you can/can't do due to your heart condition can help personalize it for you.</p> <p>If you can't afford or aren't able to do the weekly meetings, I'd say skip WW online and do My Fitness Pal. It's very similar to WW (WW uses points they calculate for each food, whereas MFP uses calories but also tracks Fat, Carbs, etc) MFP is free, and it's online and a phone app. You track what you eat and it calculates your calories. You set a calorie goal (that can be changed anytime) and try to meet that. It's also an online community of sorts which is GREAT for motivation and support. That's what I'm going back to post baby! I used both combined (my work provided a WW meeting 1/2 price each week but when I moved I switched to MFP) to lose just over 48 pounds. Yep, I ALMOST made it to 50 before getting knocked up, haha.</p> <p>I have lots of stuff about both on my blog (link in my profile) under the label "losing it." Happy to talk to you about either anytime!</p> <p>And for me, eating healthier meant finding veggies I liked (zucchini and brussels sprouts, and even spaghetti squash) and making them the MAIN focus of my meals instead of carbs. I was a carb addict (still am!) and always was basing meals on at least 50% carbs. So spaghetti squash with meatballs, or zucchini enchiladas, replaced bad meals. And filling meals like sauteed brussies became weekly staples. I think you have to find replacements for "bad" meals you love and then really stick with a schedule to make them! When you're tracking points or calories, it is much easier to have "set" meals to make because you easily know "that's 8 points / 400 calories" and have to think less :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clueless-about-how-to-start-eating-healthier/page/2#post-887683 Thu, 27 Jun 2013 07:34:33 +0000 looch 887683@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I love weight watchers because it is regular food, nothing prepackaged that's not sustainable once you lose the weight.</p> <p>I admit, I have had to learn to cook several times in my life, because the food I ate growing up, while delicious, wasn't conducive to me staying at a healthy weight. I've recently had to learn how to cook more complicated grains, which was a big step for me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clueless-about-how-to-start-eating-healthier/page/2#post-887636 Thu, 27 Jun 2013 07:05:54 +0000 LittleFox 887636@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Check out the Mayo Clinic Diet (the real one from the actual Mayo Clinic, not the fad diets with the same name). It's focus is supposed to be healthy eating habits to promote weight loss. I haven't read the book yet, but I plan to check my library because it looks pretty interesting. </p> <p><a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mayo-clinic-diet/my01646" rel="nofollow">http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mayo-clinic-diet/my01646</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clueless-about-how-to-start-eating-healthier#post-887500 Thu, 27 Jun 2013 01:15:06 +0000 daniellemybelle 887500@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yet another vote for Weight Watchers. It is really a sensible way to eat healthy without being restrictive, and by following the points system it will become intuitive what is healthy &amp; what's not. Also, for me it is less about healthy food (although I eat plenty of unhealthy food) and more about portion control, and WW is awesome for managing that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clueless-about-how-to-start-eating-healthier#post-887490 Thu, 27 Jun 2013 01:01:02 +0000 sunny 887490@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@zippylef: I wasn't a breakfast eater until I got pregnant. Now with my LO I eat when she is eating her breakfast. I figure it's a good way to "walk the talk". </p> <p>Could you start with something easy in the morning like a piece of fruit or toast or a bowl of oatmeal/cereal? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clueless-about-how-to-start-eating-healthier#post-887462 Thu, 27 Jun 2013 00:00:22 +0000 lamariniere 887462@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@yoursilverlining: Totally agree, clean/whole food eating is the way to go. Know what is in your food, buy minimally processed foods, watch out for salt content and things whose names you can't pronounce. Going to the grocery store and reading every label is daunting and long at first, but once you get into the habit, it will be easy. I would never tell you to cut out a particular food (other than soda), just eat in moderation on things you know you shouldn't overdo. </p> <p>What about eating 6 small meals a day? I do this and feel satisfied most of the day. </p> <p>You mentioned you cook a lot, that's a good step in the right direction. Maybe instead of pasta try whole grains like quinoa, farro, barley, brown rice, etc. </p> <p>I am lucky to be at a healthy weight and have a good body image (and have been practically all of my life) and I attribute that to knowing what I put in my mouth. </p> <p>As for exercise, what about walking? Is your community walking friendly? Or can you walk to/from places? I used to exercise all the time but since LO was born, I don't. However, I walk everywhere (we don't have a car) and feel like I get a reasonable amount of exercise in that way. Clearly it's not the same as going to the gym, but it does count for something. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clueless-about-how-to-start-eating-healthier#post-886932 Wed, 26 Jun 2013 17:18:21 +0000 MrsTal 886932@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm going to go against the grain and say WW isn't the best, at least for me. I tried it three times and I did lose weight that way but then I gained it all back plus some. I read The Women's Health Diet Book last year and using those guidelines and tracking on my fitness pal I lost almost 20 lbs. I'm back up a little because I've been bad about sweets but I'm re-reading it and tracking again and it's melting off again. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clueless-about-how-to-start-eating-healthier#post-886931 Wed, 26 Jun 2013 17:16:18 +0000 tysonja 886931@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrsmate: that's an awesome tip!! :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clueless-about-how-to-start-eating-healthier#post-886909 Wed, 26 Jun 2013 17:03:12 +0000 Cole 886909@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>One mental trick that is helping me as I am trying to get myself back on track is the idea of adding not subtracting. I seem to rebel when I have to cut things out. Instead I make a goal for the week to drink 3 green smoothies, 2 salads as meals, one extra serving of fruit a day or 3 bottles of water a day. I can't really meet those goals and eat or drink everything I would have otherwise so it is a good mental exercise for me. </p> <p>Good luck, I know it not an easy journey. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clueless-about-how-to-start-eating-healthier#post-886883 Wed, 26 Jun 2013 16:42:52 +0000 googly-eyes 886883@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@zippylef: I don't really have advice because I'm going through the same thing. One thing I found has helped me is to limit my consumption of diet coke/sodas, which is my guilty pleasure. But good luck with everything! I gained some weight with ppd. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clueless-about-how-to-start-eating-healthier#post-886863 Wed, 26 Jun 2013 16:33:23 +0000 mrsmate 886863@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Something that's helped me eat healthier is not just more fruits &amp; vegs, but eating them raw. For example, Instead of worrying, oh what's a good recipe for carrots, I just eat them (peeled). I do this with celery, cauliflower, bell pepper, cucumber, broccoli, tomato. If something does require cooking, I do it as simply as possible, mainly steaming (my favorite is corn, no need for salt or butter). I think a lot of food nature gives us has delicious flavor all on its own.</p> <p>I'd also take advantage of the summer and become a watermelon fiend. It is gods gift to dieters. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clueless-about-how-to-start-eating-healthier#post-886777 Wed, 26 Jun 2013 16:00:50 +0000 lioneyes 886777@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>weight watchers- teaches you portion control, which is huge. on ww, all veggies (except starchy ones) and fruit (within reason) are "free" and you have to be accountable for all other foods. so you end up filling up on leafy greens and making deliberate choices about eating starches/fats/meats. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clueless-about-how-to-start-eating-healthier#post-886776 Wed, 26 Jun 2013 16:00:47 +0000 mamimami 886776@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>BTW I love this thread because sometimes I feel like I'm the only non-paleoite on here! NON-PALEO PEEPS UNITE! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clueless-about-how-to-start-eating-healthier#post-886726 Wed, 26 Jun 2013 15:45:42 +0000 Boheme 886726@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@cmomma17: I LOVE the Abs Diet! It's such a misnomer that its called a 'diet' when it's really a lifestyle change and not a fad thing. </p> <p>It's published by the same folks as Women's Health and Men's Health magazines, and I don't find it to be restrictive or difficult. It's moderate and the recipes are easy to follow. My husband LOVES the food I make out of their cookbooks and was shocked to find out that its actually really healthy! You can pair it with Weight Watchers too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clueless-about-how-to-start-eating-healthier#post-886720 Wed, 26 Jun 2013 15:42:43 +0000 TemperanceBrennan 886720@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@zippylef: I was in the same boat as you and still am to a certain extent but we have been making really great progress. </p> <p>We found an online subscription meal planning service that uses whole, good for you, natural foods with a "clean eating" mentality. All the meals we have tried have been awesome and it tries to limit the number of things you have to buy each week to keep costs down. The cost is really, really, reasonable and it is worth it for us with all the time we save. I get overwhelmed reading packages, measuring portions, finding recipes, planning for the week, and grocery shopping. </p> <p>If you enjoy cooking and aren't extremely picky (I'm not at all, but DH is picky and I modify recipes if needed) it might be a good solution for you. I'd be happy to share an example week and answer any questions if you are interested. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clueless-about-how-to-start-eating-healthier#post-886575 Wed, 26 Jun 2013 14:48:02 +0000 Kemma 886575@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I lost 10kg a couple of years ago doing the following:</p> <p>Tracking my calories (I aimed for 1600-1800 per day)</p> <p>Only drinking soda / juice with meals</p> <p>Not eating snacks / potato chips straight from the pack - I measured out 100-150 calorie portions</p> <p>Reading the labels on packets</p> <p>Eating roughly the same breakfast and lunch each day (I'm a creature of habit!)</p> <p>Eating healthy for the meals I could control (breakfast at home etc) so that I could enjoy a meal out without totally blowing my diet / calories out the window</p> <p>Trying to eat more fruit and veg</p> <p>Lifting light hand weights and doing pressups, squats and some ab work each day.</p> <p>Take it one meal at a time so I wasn't too overwhelmed with what I was doing!</p> <p>My weight loss was really gradual (1-2kg per month) but I had managed to keep it off for eighteen months before I got pregnant!) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clueless-about-how-to-start-eating-healthier#post-886103 Wed, 26 Jun 2013 12:39:26 +0000 TheReelDeal 886103@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I just want to say that "paleo" is really a fad term and probably does more disservice than anything. It really is about eating foods that don't cause you digestive issues. For instance, some people who follow a paleo lifestyle don't eat any dairy, I do, because full fat dairy doesn't bother me. When I cut out all processed foods and went to cooking all of my meals, that's when I saw dramatic weightloss and I felt better. I also didn't think eating grains was a problem until I stopped and realized I got bloated after eating them. I'll get off my soapbox now :wink: </p> <p>If you want easy grab and go breakfast items I would look into muffins and I'm not sure if you like eggs but they are really quick to make in the morning and keep you full. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clueless-about-how-to-start-eating-healthier#post-886099 Wed, 26 Jun 2013 12:37:59 +0000 dookie32 886099@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree with WW. I really like the fact that it focuses on moderation and not depriving you of anything. When I was on it, it was sort of eye-opening to see how many calories I was actually eating- especially carbs. I consider myself a fairly healthy eater but sometimes it's really about the portions more than if what you are eating is good or bad. When you start keeping track of what you are eating too you realize that something small here or there adds up over the course of the day. </p> <p>If you do cook I would start doing some searches on Pinterest for recipes with whatever foods you usually like. I get almost all of my recipes on there now and there are so many boards that focus on healthy eating. Meal planning is helpful too because then you don't resort to something pre-packaged because of time. Eating breakfast sounds like a really big change you could make. I make a lot of on-the-go breakfasts like egg sandwiches and bran muffins that can be frozen &amp; heated up quickly in the mornings. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clueless-about-how-to-start-eating-healthier#post-886053 Wed, 26 Jun 2013 12:25:26 +0000 MaisyMay 886053@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@zippylef: Have you tried Greek Yogurt Pancakes? I made a batch last night because, like you, I don't do breakfast. This morning I grabbed one and just ate it cold. It has a ton of protein and the ingredients are greek yogurt, an egg, flour, and a bit of baking soda. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clueless-about-how-to-start-eating-healthier#post-885969 Wed, 26 Jun 2013 12:12:57 +0000 cmomma17 885969@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@zippylef: You might enjoy flipping through a copy of the Abs Diet book. There is one specifically for Women. You can skip all the workout info and just look at the food sections. I like it because it's not extreme (like no-carb, no-meat, all-protein, etc. diets) and instead focuses on "power" foods that are super healthy for you. You're just encouraged to eat power foods as often as you can. Ever since I read the book my go-to breakfast has been oatmeal with berries (and a protein on the side, yogurt or string cheese). It's super healthy. Some power food examples are almonds and other nuts (a great healthy snack), spinach and other greens, beans and other legumes, raspberries and other berries, and non or reduced fat dairy.<br /> The books include some fairly simple recipes. Abs diet also encourages smoothies which is good for people who don't like to cook a lot, or don't have time to sit down for a full meal. My DH was big into the smoothies for a while, it was the only way he'd actually eat breakfast. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clueless-about-how-to-start-eating-healthier#post-885964 Wed, 26 Jun 2013 12:12:10 +0000 babynumber1 885964@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I use myfitnesspal to track calories. It is free, which is helpful on a budget. I also find that shopping the outside parameter of the grocery store is where the healthy stuff is. </p> <p>My trick to balancing my diet is to have a small breakfast. A 90/100 calorie breakfast seems to keep me on track every day. I eat a Fiber One 90 calorie bar. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clueless-about-how-to-start-eating-healthier#post-885911 Wed, 26 Jun 2013 11:58:19 +0000 IRunForFun 885911@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>What if you start out by making substitutions to things you already eat? </p> <p>Some examples are swapping out soda for seltzer, whole wheat pasta or brown rice instead of white flour pasta or white rice, whole wheat bread instead of white bread, a piece of fruit for a snack rather than whatever you usually eat - chips, cookies, etc. </p> <p>Once you've got that down, you could start looking at finding healthier ways to prepare meals you already love. I second the <a href="http://www.skinnytaste.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.skinnytaste.com</a> recommendation - great website with great recipes! </p> <p>I know you said you can't exercise too aggressively, but can you walk? You could maybe get a pedometer and start counting steps to make sure you're at least getting a little activity in. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clueless-about-how-to-start-eating-healthier#post-885874 Wed, 26 Jun 2013 11:50:13 +0000 loveisstrange 885874@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My regular eating habits aren't that bad, I dont think. I do have a sweet tooth and I tend to boredom snack. I need to kick my junk food addiction. I had quit drinking soda before I got pregnant, and then I craved it and it started back up. I need to take the plunge and do it again. Other than that, I generally mostly drink water with some milk. </p> <p>I think a major issue for me is that I dont eat breakfast. Im not generally hungry in the morning. I know that I need to start doing it. Im not totally sure I even eat enough calories in a day most days. </p> <p>As for dinners, I generally do cook. We eat a lot of pasta, fresh and frozen veg, and chicken. I buy 93% lean ground beef and we do have steak every once in a while. I generally cook with olive oil (sometimes with butter, mostly OO though). I use lots of spices but salt, pepper and garlic generally. </p> <p>Overwhelmed is a good word. I'll look into WW. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clueless-about-how-to-start-eating-healthier#post-885832 Wed, 26 Jun 2013 11:38:52 +0000 hilsy85 885832@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree with WW. I really like skinnytaste.com--she has a ton of great recipes that are all pretty healthy. </p> <p>As for basic lifestyle changes:<br /> Try to eat whole foods vs processed foods--so fresh veggies lightly sauteed in olive oil, rather than a veggie side dish from a restaurant/frozen meal. Cooking will help with this--it's much easier to control what you eat if you're making it yourself. </p> <p>I don't know if you drink soda, juice, etc. but I would try to cut out that stuff and stick to water/seltzer. </p> <p>I don't believe in excluding carbs, but I do know that I lose weight when I limit carbs. So no crackers, bagels, rolls, sandwiches, etc. I do wraps or pita bread if I need something. </p> <p>Also portion control--eat your meals on smaller plates. It sounds crazy but it makes your brain think that you're eating more and you'll be more satisfied. Also, this is a small thing, but when you eat meals, portion out your serving onto your plate, and leave the rest of the food in the kitchen or put it in the fridge. If you bring the rest to the table, you're more likely to have 2nds and 3rds, etc. </p> <p>Good luck! It really is about changing your lifestyle, as others have said, and I think thinking about it that way, rather than as a temporary thing, makes it easier. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clueless-about-how-to-start-eating-healthier#post-885773 Wed, 26 Jun 2013 11:20:11 +0000 Maysprout 885773@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Cooking more of your own food from basic ingredients might help, there's so much filler crap in packaged food that it's hard to keep it straight and eat right. </p> <p>Don't drink your calories</p> <p>Cut out fried foods</p> <p>Limit meat/animal fats</p> <p>Read labels - I don't count calories but I can tell by a label pretty quickly if the food just has a bunch of junk in it or is super high in fat/calories. Avoid stuff that has hfcs - I'm not sure how bad it is on it's own but the problem is they put it in everything and it's just unneeded calories. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clueless-about-how-to-start-eating-healthier#post-885770 Wed, 26 Jun 2013 11:19:25 +0000 blackbird 885770@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Weight watchers is how I learned about healthy eating! The points system was so helpful and simple! It's definitely a great starting point. </p> <p>I also have a Williams Sonoma Fresh and Light cookbook, which has lots of great recipes. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clueless-about-how-to-start-eating-healthier#post-885765 Wed, 26 Jun 2013 11:17:40 +0000 Bao 885765@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We've changed our eating habits over the past 3 months to be a good example for LO and some changes we made (and helped) were:<br /> More water, less other drinks like pop<br /> Whole wheat/whole grain pastas and bread instead of white<br /> We love pizza but instead of frozen we made homemade on whole wheat crust<br /> We loved our sweets and we still have them but we added in healthier snack options and honestly the junk doesn't even sound appealing anymore most of the time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clueless-about-how-to-start-eating-healthier#post-885757 Wed, 26 Jun 2013 11:15:25 +0000 sarac 885757@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When I started dieting, I just picked one meal - lunch. Instead of the junk I had been eating, I just started eating a salad. I did a lot of tweaking to figure out what I liked, and how much protein and such I needed. I cleaned up that one meal. That felt much easier than doing this huge lifestyle change and cooking all new foods and everything. </p> <p>After I had that figured out, I looked at my breakfast, and that was already pretty balanced and healthy. Then I looked at dinner, and came up with a few easy homemade options. At that point I started calorie counting, and exercising. My exercise at that point was walking a few miles a day - it was really gentle, but it burned calories and helped me to build muscle. </p> <p>I lost 35 pounds that way. The first 20 I really lost just by changing my diet and exercising more than none. The next 15 came off with calorie counting at a very modest level of restriction. I used livestrong.com - it's really easy to use. Now, post partum, I'm holding on to weight while still breastfeeding. But I cook all our foods, I'm really active, and I feel amazing. Even if you're not progressing in one thing, you can still progress in other things and improve your health tons. </p> <p>Dieting is often viewed as this HUGE lifestyle change, and people quickly get overwhelmed by it and just sick of it. Picking one small thing to focus on at a time really helped me to make it a permanent change. It's been slow - I started this 5 years ago, and post partum, I'm still 25 pounds from my ideal weight. But I've made a change that will last forever, and I'm down 35 pounds. Even if I never made any more progress, my life and health is hugely better now. I'd recommend that approach to you and anyone. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clueless-about-how-to-start-eating-healthier#post-885755 Wed, 26 Jun 2013 11:15:02 +0000 tysonja 885755@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>one small change that i've found helps is to carry a nice waterbottle around (i was gifted a camelbak and am loving it!) and drink as often as you can! or perhaps trying downing a glass of water before every meal/snack. hydration is super helpful, and it really does help me snack/eat a bit less :)</p> <p>otherwise, another thing that helps me is simply to bring as little processed food/snacks into the house as possible. it's one thing to splurge when eating out, but i think most helpful if i don't buy them at the grocery store on my weekly run:) </p> <p>you are awesome! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clueless-about-how-to-start-eating-healthier#post-885744 Wed, 26 Jun 2013 11:11:42 +0000 yoursilverlining 885744@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Paleo isn't for me either; I think some people are a little silly about it to be honest. But that's besides the point.</p> <p>I think eating a healthy diet is one that's balanced. I don't believe in cutting out anything entirely, and I think almost everything can be enjoyed in moderation. More of the stuff that's good for you, less of the stuff that isn't; but it's ok to indulge once in a while, too!</p> <p>One of the easiest ways is to eat whole foods, or to eat "cleanly". Look at the labels of what you are eating and aim to not eat food that contains items that you can't pronounce. Season with spices, garlic, etc. instead of sauces. Use olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, etc. as salad dressing instead of processed dressings, which are calorie and sodium bombs. Substitute olive oil (or some other oil) in place of butter. Greek yogurt in place of sour cream. Be willing to try things you've never tried, and to try things in different ways.</p> <p>What veggies do you like most? I would start with those and research recipes. Try using those veggies in different ways, in different dishes. </p> <p>What boxed meals do you like the most? You can recreate those in healthier ways using whole ingredients.</p> <p>Summer is a great time to start eating a healthier diet - check out farmers markets and see what's in-season. Fresh, in-season produce tends to taste a lot better, so I try to eat those as much as I can, to maximize flavor without the need to doctor things up.</p> <p>There are some good articles and recipes (with calorie info) on SkinnyMs. </p> <p>good luck! </p>