Weight-Loss Cutting out foods, are these bad?

Weight-Loss
MattRiddle

MattRiddle

New member
So, I made a list today of the foods I am not going to buy anymore. The list was:

  • Cookies
  • Chips
  • Microwavable Meals
  • Fatty Meats
  • Sour Cream
  • Butter
  • Ice Cream
  • Ketchup
  • Thousand Island
  • Ranch Dressing
  • Cereal
  • Cheese

Did I miss anything, and were any of the items listed above wrong choices?
 
what's wrong with any of those foods?

except perhaps microwavable meals becuase they're pretty gross tasting...

being that restrictive sets you on a course for failure long term

make your favorite things workin your day.

Life without cheese - really good cheese wouldn't be worth living for me and I have some every day and not the fat free variety either..
 
I thought all those foods are bad for me. They have a lot of salt, fats, and sugar in them. I thought fruits/vegetables/organic stuff is better for me, and that is why I made this list.

How are those items not bad for me?
 
I could be wrong but I've read in quite a few places that organic food has no proven health benefits, just FYI. Someone feel free to correct me though.

I personally hate the taste of a lot of organic fruit and veg anyway.
 
There has been various studies on organic foods. Meats, dairy and eggs have all been pretty well proven to be better (nutrition wise) when they are organic and raised naturally (cattle on grass, chickens in pastures, etc). Veggies have shown both ways in studies - no difference or better when organic. The most recent study is supposed to be the best and most conclusive and shows that veggies are better nutritionally and taste wise. I haven't read it yet as it hasn't been published. You can read more here:

Organic food - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Those foods aren't bad for you when used in moderation. I too couldn't live without cheese! Don't make your diet too restrictive or you will most likely not last long. Just cut back on things and use portion control. Yeah butter is pretty much just fat. But I need some good ol' buttered toast every once in a while to keep me sane.
 
MattRiddle said:
I thought all those foods are bad for me. They have a lot of salt, fats, and sugar in them. I thought fruits/vegetables/organic stuff is better for me, and that is why I made this list.

How are those items not bad for me?
Click to expand...

Fruits and vegetables are good for you...

Fat is not evil...

We've been over this with you before Matt - you really need to spend some time reading teh stickied threads.. and lose a diet mindset and work towards a lifestyle change...

Can you honestly say you'd be happy never having a cookie or cheese or steak for the rest of your life?

All things in moderation...

you need to learn portion sizes and portion control...
 
Sure, I wouldn't cut these items out of my completely, but I definitely am not going to surround myself with junk food.

Sure, I am going to treat myself every now and then, who doesn't, but I need to buy food that is healthy for me. So, help me by suggesting some general foods that I should look into.
 
read the stickied threads...

Plan some meals out for yourself in adcance with foods you like to eat then shop around that list.

What do you like for breakfast?
What do yu like for lunch?
What can you do for dinner?

Start with the planning - then do the shopping
 
last time you were here you seemed to be overwhelmed by the process and couldn't get yourself started...

Why not start in managable steps.. Like a healthy breakfast...

What are some things you would enjoy for breakfast that wouldn't leave you feel like you're dieting or deprived..

Oatmeal? High fiber cereal? fruit salad? eggs? chicken breast?

What is somethng that is accessible to you and you would enjoy...
 
Part of a lifestyle change is reading labels and making informed choices on what you want to put into your body - by elminating entire groups of foods, you're not making it easy on yourself long term

For instance cereals - Frosted Flakes would probably not be a great choice -but if you read the labels on cereal boxes and look for cereals that have at least 5 grams of fiber in one serving -and preferably less than 5 grams of sugar in a serving then that will be a better choice - then factor int he portion size and calories (is a portion 1 cup or is it a 1/4 of a cup_ and woudl that fill you up -
 
Why?

Ice Cream. 1/2 cup, 130 calories (for the brand I buy). Not healthy, but not going to kill you to have a scoop. If you're really concerned go low fat.

Cheese--- Actually, depending on the choises you make can be very healthy. There's some cheeses (I know of atleast one anyways) that actually are made with probiotics, which are very good for you, and apparently probiotics can actually aid weight loss.

Cookies,Chips ,Microwavable Meals --Agreed, go ahead and get rid of them.

Fatty Meats--I don't know. Cut some of the fats off.

Cereal-- There are some very high fibre cereals and tasty cereals that with a little fruit added can give you lots of good energy. Just be pickier about the kind you buy.

The rest I see nothing wrong with as long as you're using them in proper proportions. Get out the table spoon and measure.
 
I lost 70 pounds in 5 months eating everthing on that list except microwave food and ice cream, I really don't like either, especially the microwave stuff :ack2:. Eating and living healthy is learning how to eat not being afraid of food. At least it is\was for me. Be creative, read labels and look for calorie content, that doesn't mean buying low fat or trendy "diet" foods. Lots of foods are low cal, including meats, some cookies, dairy etc. and not every "guilty pleasure" food is high cal. I spend my weekends enjoying cookies, wine, steak, baked potatoes with sour cream, chili dogs, cheese etc. and I continue to lose weight long after I met my goal.
 
Maybe I'm different, but I could never see a cookie (in my house) for the rest of my life and be alright with it. I'm not a picky eater. If I am craving chocolate, I can have a candy bar (out of the house). But usually, I don't crave anything (sometimes salty meats). It's my mom that craves the sweets and brings home cakes, cookies, pies, etc. I usually don't even eat them, and they just sit there until she buys new cakes, cookies, and pies.

Today, me and my mom went to the Grocery Store and bought all kinds of good stuff. Pears, Apples, Bananas, Raisin, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Peanuts (low salt), Tomatoes, etc. I like all those foods anyways, but usually my mom buys the big microwavable meals. Had a Sweet Potato with a little marshmallow on it just a second ago. Big sweet potato, pretty full for right now. I am sure I will be hungry in a few more hours.
 
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If they don't appeal to you - then why would you put them on your l ist of items to never buy... you wouldn't buy them anyhow...

Keep in mind that regardless of whether you are eating 'good foods' or 'junk foods' it's still total calories consumed during the day that matter. Be aware of portion sizes and keep track of what you are eating....
 
I put them on the list primarily so I could show my mom what items to stop buying. She says she only buys items she thinks I will like, so I made a list of items I don't want.

I know it's total calories consumed, but at the same time, it's much better to eat 2-3 pears than to eat 2-3 pieces of pie.

Since we've gone way off topic, any suggestions on types of lean meat that I can find at the store?
 
there's a thread or two here on that - but

pork tenderloin
turkey breast
chicken breast
any beef that's a 'loin' - sirloin - etc

not a meat but fish is good for you as well - particularly salmon because of the good fats that it contains.

Tofu is a good source of protein that takeson the flavor of whatever it's cooked wtih
 
Having foods like cookies and chips in the house were hard for me, so I stopped bringing them in. This doesn't mean I don't eat them. I still eat a cookie, of course now I can control it, I don't eat chips (don't like them). I also found an alternative to the sweets I usually crave, Vegan Treats. These are baked goods made w/o sugar and dairy, and are slightly lower in calories but have a better nutritional value.

I think if you think you'll have a hard time controlling your intake of these items then keep them out of the house, at least until you know you can control your intake.

Although I would not take away Ketchup or Cereal. Buy low sodium Ketchup and use it sparingly, and by cereal that is good for you like shredded wheat or something sort of healthy.

Some people have a problem controlling the cheese intake, my daughter does, so I don't bring it in the house, but some cheese on a sandwich isn't going to make your hips spread.

Good Luck.
 
MattRiddle said:
So, I made a list today of the foods I am not going to buy anymore. The list was:

  • Cookies
  • Chips
  • Microwavable Meals
  • Fatty Meats
  • Sour Cream
  • Butter
  • Ice Cream
  • Ketchup
  • Thousand Island
  • Ranch Dressing
  • Cereal
  • Cheese

Did I miss anything, and were any of the items listed above wrong choices?
Click to expand...

  • Cookies: I haven't had a single cookie since I started eating healthy.
  • Chips: I've had multigrain nachos with scallop ceviche
  • Microwavable Meals: I regularly have Lean Cuisines, my schedule is too hectic to prepare something every meal of every day. And I'll be honest, I like certain varieties.
  • Fatty Meats: I've had lean cuts of pork, canadian bacon and sirloin steak.
  • Sour Cream: I've had low fat sour cream and fat free sour cream.
  • Butter: I used light becel the other night in a recipe that called for butter.
  • Ice Cream: I had fat free ice cream today at 220 calories for 1 cup.
  • Ketchup: I don't really care to put ketchup on anything, but I've used BBQ sauce, which contains ketchup.
  • Thousand Island: I don't like 1000 island.
  • Ranch Dressing: I've had light ranch on spinach salad, but I try to keep it to less than 70 cals of dressing.
  • Cereal: I have cereal pretty regularly. Usually only 3/4 cup with skim milk, plus some turkey bacon, canadian bacon OR egg substitute. The cereals I stick to are low cal: Multigrain Cheerios and All-Bran primarily.
  • Cheese: I have cheese frequently... almost everyday. One part-skim mozzerella cheese string stick has something like 80 cals. I'm sure you can work that into your diet.

Anyway, I'm not suggesting you do what I do, nor am I even saying it would work for you. All I'm saying is that you can lose weight eating those things you've listed, if your ultimate goal is to lose weight. You simply have to figure out how many calories you're going to stick to and monitor your portion sizes closely, as mal already told you.
 
instead of regular thousand island/ranch buy fat free or low cal ones, it might taste funny at first, but eventually you'll get use to it. for cereal, i personally like the fiber one bran cereal, and its not that high in cal if you keep it in proportion. cheese, do some low fat cheese. those are a couple on your list taht could be potentially "bad" for you, but if selected properly are perfectly fine. especially those salad dressings, salad is a great way for weight loss if you keep the dressings to less than ~75 cal per serving. instead of ice cream, you can do low-fat yogurt.
 
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