Hellobee Boards

Do you have an iPhone? Tracking your calories is basically the first step. I really like the app "Myfitnesspal". It lets you add in how much you want to lose, tracks activities/exercise and of course what you eat. It's better than a lot of the apps since it's got an almost endless supply of food from the prepared stuff at Trader Joes to meals on menu's at restaurants.

Once you do that adding in healthier options on food and extra activity is a little easier.

The biggest easiest way is to cut out fatty high calorie foods and add in healthy low cal fruits and veggies. Frozen veggies go OB sale here for $1 per bag. Throw the bag in the microwave and three minutes later you have fresh steamed side dish. Substitue broccoli, cauliflower, beans, etc for a side of fries an you'll see the difference quickly.

I buy lots of frozen veggies, because I read something about cans and bpa. Plus, if I can cook it quick, I'm more likely to eat it. I also buy giant bags of frozen chicken breasts.

I only buy skim milk, no soda, orange juice or cranberry juice (dh loves it), and we have a PUR filter on the faucet.

I also only buy whole grain bread, pasta, rice, etc. I bought a box of white pasta the other day (it was super cheap) and DH and I were so grossed out! lol you get used to the whole grain pretty quick.

Keep healthy things around that are easy and quick - pretzels, carrot sticks, crackers. I tried to buy a package of chips ahoy, but DH eats it in one sitting, so I just don't buy junk food anymore. It was tough at first but I've gotten used to it!

I think the key is portions - for DH, I'll give him one chicken breast and a side of either whole grain pasta or potatoes, sometimes rice or stuffing, and a huge helping of vegetables. If he's still hungry he can go back for more from there, lol.

Try the app "fooducate" (I think that's the name) its pretty neat!

I would suggest starting with some straightforward healthy eating cookbooks. The first that pops into my mind is America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook. I love this line of books, as all their recipes have been tested over and over again to ensure that they work without fail every time. You might also enjoy the "Clean Eating" cookbooks by Tosca Reno.

I think that starting with a cookbook is a good idea, as it gives you some inspiration as to what kind of meals you can expect to make and what foods/flavours combine well to make a meal.

I agree with what others have said re: tracking calories. You don't have to track forever, but even doing it for a week or two will give you some idea as to what portions you should be eating and the nutritional/caloric contents of the foods you commonly consume.

Finally, I think cooking and eating at home is very, very important to a healthy lifestyle. It's fine to eat out once in awhile, but you never really know what you're getting. When you cook for yourself you can ensure you're eating healthy whole foods without additives and can make sure that you stay away from processed and pre-packaged convenience foods.

If you're looking for a really good "big picture" read about how to eat healthy, I highly recommend Michael Pollan's "In Defense of Food."

I try to do a substantial vegetarian salad at least a couple nights a week for dinner. I do things like quinoa w/ red pepper, edamame, feta cheese, and dried cherries... or lentils with butternut squash, curry powder, cumin, goat cheese, and arugula. Top that all with a vinagarette dressing (keep it light on the olive oil), and you have a good substantial and healthy meal. If you're normally a meat and potatoes kind of person, this kind of dish might take some getting used to, but I find that my husband really likes my salads and has stopped asking "where's the meat" like he used to.

One suggestion that hasn't yet been made -- try making soups for low cal meals that can be really filling and satisfying (and cheap). Look for ones that are veggie-based or use lean meat, beans, etc. Add a side salad, whole grain bread and even your husband should be satisfied. (I usually have a huge appetite, so I speak from experience.)

As far as exercising at home in the winter, try some exercise DVDs. Anything by Jillian Michaels ROCKS. I've been doing her workouts 30 min - 1 hr a day 5/6 days a week and it has made a huge difference. I used to hate working out, but her workouts are so effective it really keeps me motivated. You might not even need to change your diet to see a big difference.

I have to jump on the no processed foods bandwagon. They usually contain a lot of sodium, which makes you retain water. Also, you'd be surprised how much of them have high fructose corn syrup in them. I know there's some controversy about HFCS and obesity, but what I don't like is that they're changing our palates to expect foods to be sweeter than they should be. For example, boxed stuffing. Why does stuffing need HFCS? I don't get it.

@lovelife: If you wanna cut down on the quantity of food you consume you should try chia seeds. They're packed with lots of nutrients. I take a tablespoon before breakfast (i throw them in my mouth and swallow them like they're medicine) and dinner and it really curbs my appetite! I've lost 4 pounds already!

Looks like a good plan! I try not to eat after 6pm too. It really helps with weight loss.
Good luck!

Sweet potatoes, squashes (steamed or baked) are really good for you too. And they fill you up!

You can try Paleo recipes. Paleo is meats and veggies, nuts and seeds, some fruit, low starch, no sugar. The best thing (for your husband) is that there is a good portion of meat available. That helps with a fuller meal. Also, nuts and seeds make fantastic snacks that you can take anywhere. Just google paleo recipes and see what they have.

This might sound unconventional but become foodies to an extent. Once my husband and I started cooking together more and reading about food we started eating so much healthier. When I first met him he was eating some version of sausage for probably half of his lunches. It's not that he never eats sausage anymore but it's not even once a month anymore. I really like Michael Pollan's advice and information about food.
http://michaelpollan.com/