Hello everyone,


I've just discovered this forum and after browsing through it seems I have finally found just what I need. (I saw John's link to this forum in his HTF sig. Thanks John.)

Well, I have a ton of questions so you'll probably see me start a lot of threads in the future, but I wanted to first begin with changing my diet.

I don't know how I can change my diet. I've always been a very picky eater. I don't like a lot of things. Age really hasn't helped me like anything better for the most part. (You know how when you're little and you won't eat the brocolli, but now that you're older you can eat it just fine.) For instance, I still can't stand green beans, they make me gag.

Let's get to what I do eat. WARNING: I'M NOT SURE THAT ANY OF IT IS GOOD FOR ME. :o :eek: READ ON WITH CAUTION.

First, my main choice of drink is Pepsi. And I drink a lot of it. I just really like the taste. I hardly drink any water, except in the summertime when it's obviously hotter outside. Orange Juice and Milk upset my stomache badly so I can't drink those anymore. I've tried to stop drinking Pepsi many times, but I really like that sweet taste water doesn't provide. Plus, it goes great with the foods I eat. And I like the feel of the carbonation mixed with the food when I swallow it down. I hope these details don't sound too strange. I'm telling you this so you can see why I'm reluctant to change.

Next, I love breads. Buttered toast, rolls at dinner, the crust is my favorite part of pizza, and I really love Marco's Pizza Cheesy Bread. Sometimes I skip the pizza and only eat the Cheesy Bread for dinner.

I eat a lot of fast food too. Double cheesburger combo from Wendy's, I usually order 4 Arby melts with an order of mozzeralla sticks from Arby's. I don't eat much McD's, but I do like their fries. Lately I've been eating a lot of Hot buttered cheesesteaks from Mr. Hero. Again, I usually get the large combos too.

Throughout the week, I go to a little restauant around the corner for dinner and I mostly eat breakfast food when I go there. Usually, two eggs, with white toast and fries. Lots of Pepsi there.

On the weekend I stop at the Waffle House and get the All-Star Special. This includes a waffle (really?:rolleyes: ) , hashbrowns (I absolutely love their hashbrowns), toast (white for me), and 3 slices of bacon. I drink at least two glasses of Pepsi, sometimes three to wash it down.

When I have to pack a lunch (I'm an electrician, and I like to go out at lunch, but sometimes there isn't any where to go close enough to the jobsite.) I go to Subway and get a Cold Cut Trio with lettuce and Mayo. I don't get tomatos even though I can eat them on a sandwich just fine. But, as soon as I see them, I get grossed out. I don't know why.

Every now and then, at cookouts, I'll eat steak, or hot dogs, or the like.

I also sometimes eat either Veal or Chicken Parmigsan (no clue how to spell that one.)

All of this may not be a lot of variety, but that about sums up everything I eat. And I like it all a lot. Whenever I eat any of these meals, it is completely satisfying to my taste buds and appetite.

Having said all of that, I have no illusions as to why I am overweight. I'm 5'9" and currently weigh around 207 pounds. I just really like how all of that tastes and find those selections to be very enjoyable to eat. How the heck do I motivate myself to eat entirely better? I doubt that any of that is actually good for me and I am disgusted with the way I look right now. And I know that my health will probably improve greatly by chaning my diet. However, you can see how that change will be a MAJOR one, and it's hard for me to want to change, regardless of the benefits. In other words, I know that changing my diet is something that I NEED to do, but it's extremely hard to WANT to do it.

Also, I don't know what else to eat. As I said previously, I don't like a lot of things. I like Iceburg Lettuce, but I don't like the dark green stuff. (Oh, and my favorite dressing is Blue Cheese.) I like apples, carrots, green peppers, cucumbers, , corn, peas, and maybe strawberries. There are a lot of fruits and vegetables I haven't tried though, but am afraid to try. Basically, I'm afraid of the green bean gagging reaction I have.

I know that changing my diet will be a life change where I can't go back to what I currently eat on a regular basis if I want to continue to have the healthy body I plan on having once I get over the hump and actually do this.

And I know that eating better is only one part of becoming healthier and trimming down. I also need to work on cardio and start lifing weights again. I wanted to concentrate on this topic first because it's the one thing I haven't worked on pretty much my entire life. Well, at least since I've been on my own. (I'm 32 now and left home at 17). I have plenty of time to ask for lifiting advice and as for cardio, I'm going to try out the www.coolrunnings.com link I saw in another thread, to get me started in that field. To me, my diet is the most important change I need to make. If I'm going to die young, I don't want it to be because my diet. Hopefully it's not too late on that one.

I'll appreciate any advice you guys can give me.

Thank you,
Geo

It's not going to be hard for you at 32 (harder if compared to a teenager), but start now... if you wait later, it's goign to be tougher to lose weight.

I used to like all of those foods on your list, but now, the thought of most of them makes me gag, like the thought of tomatoes or green beans makes you gag. I think of my food choices as fuel now, and my body won't run very well on substandard fuel. Every meal is an opportunity to provide myself with nutrients and energy, and I like to take maximum advantage of those opportunities.

To start, you need some basic nutrition information, to learn which foods are healthy and which foods are not so healthy. For years, I used to think that fettuccine alfredo was a good choice.:doh:

Check out the link in my signature for the World's Healthiest Foods, and buy (or check out from the library) some basic cookbooks and nutrition books.

Then, you can gradually start replacing some of your poorest quality energy sources with some of the healthy foods that you enjoy. Later on, you can start to plan out your meals so that you're eating healthy foods most of the time. The longer you make good nutrition choices, the easier it will be to keep those habits long term.

Start by curtailing portions. 4 Arby's melts? Holy cow man. I can only eat like two of those before the velveeta grosses me out. And I'm the eater of the two-lb cheeseburger. Believe me, I sympathize with your love of junk food and bread. So start by cutting portions, then get in the gym and start lifting. Then work on cleaning up your diet and adding some cardio. The more you achieve and the better you look, the more you'll want to make good food choices so that you're not undoing all your gym work at the table.

Oh, and stop drinking soft drinks. They bloat you like pufferfish, mmkay?

Oh, and stop drinking soft drinks. They bloat you like pufferfish, mmkay?


I concur... on the portions part too... but the soda HAS to go.. switch over to diet soda if you REALLY need soda... but start getting used to water... water is VERY necessary and you will develop a taste and a thirst for it if you start drinking it, just give it time... really you need to drink at least a gallon of water EVERY DAY... but don't worry about hitting that number overnight, work up to it… but drop those sodas they are pure sugar and they are packing the weight onto you :nod:

my best friend used to be practically addicted to Mountain Dew, she could (and did) finish off a 24 case in two days :nod: when she stopped drinking soda (she stopped cold turkey) she lost 5 lbs in a week and another 5 in the next two weeks... and that's ALL she did was stop drinking soda... so start by dropping that out, then slowly start adding healthy foods into your diet and start dropping the fast food crap.

yesterday was the first day in 6 months that I had fried food at lunch... I had a Monte-Cristo and fries and I can tell you that while they did taste good, I felt like crap the rest of the day, I was bloated, felt depressed and looked horrible... what I can't believe is that I used to stuff my face with food like that all the time and loved it... you WILL get used to healthy food, you just have to give it a chance and give it time... but I can tell you, if you don't WANT to make the change, you won't do it and you won't stick to it... I'm not trying to discourage you, but you need to be determined and have a strong resolve about your diet... take a picture of yourself in shorts (no shirt) and post it on your fridge, or in your car (since you eat out most of the time) to remind you why you are eating healthy foods... but you have to want to do it or it won't stick

write a couple of lists out… it really helps to see things on paper

1) the first list should be all of the problems or issues your current weight and eating habits have caused

for example… my list (at the beginning of my initial transformation 6 years ago) included: having acne, gastritis, low energy, not wanting to wear a bikini (or any swim suit in public), low self esteem, etc.

2) the second list should be all of the things you would like to achieve

For example… my list included: have more energy, wear a bikini at the beach, wear belly shirts, not have to worry about gastritis anymore, etc.

3) the last list should be the actions you are going to take to achieve the goals in your second list

For example… my list included: drop soda and junk food from my diet, stick to a workout program including lifting weights and doing cardio, don’t give in to social/peer pressure when at parties and stick to my diet, drink more water, etc.

Any time you start to waver and go back to your old ways, sit down and read those lists and look at that picture to remind you why you are doing all of this ;)

:gl:

Well if you dont' like the way you look then you don't like the foods you eat.

The body is an adaptive organism. Here is the truth: You do not actually like the food you're eating. I don't mean that in some sort of physchological pysche out way. I mean that in a very literal sense that your body does not like the food but it has adapted to liking it because that's all it's being fed. It's exactly like lifting weights. You drink a pepsi and it's sweet and your body adapts to it. Then you drink one the next day and it's just a little less sweet. Then pretty soon you're knocking back five or six a day like they're water. Pepsi has become your normal and water has become too unsweet. Your body has adapted to the crap you're shoving down your throat.

Fortunately your body adapts to new ways of eating very quickly. It's a bit tough the first two weeks but if you keep your calorie levels at the correct levels and eat when you should then it won't be that tough.

The big problem that I had was forgetting to eat and then beginning to crave carbs because I needed energy. Your body now, and my body then associated energy and carbs with fatty crappy foods like fries and white bread. I wouldn't have meals prepared and would wait to long to eat. Pretty soon I was CRAVING french fries and a big chicken sandwich. The reason was simple: my body was used to getting fuel from french fries. It takes a bit longer to reprogram this than it does to readapt your body to normal foods but it doesn't take too long and if you never allow yourself to really get hungry then you have to deal with cravings less and less. Once you adapt and you miss a meal you begin to crave say rice instead of fries. It's odd how it works but it makes perfect sense.

But to be honest your attitude seems a little defeatist at the moment and you need to work on that as well. Right now you're saying "I can't eat anything other than fast food crap and Pepsi." First off before anything else you need to kick yourself in the ass and realize that you can do something different it's just a matter of figuring out how. If you sit down at a plate of chicken and brocolli and say "This is going to make me gag." you will fail. Myself I enjoy food about 1000 times better than I did when I ate shit. You just shovel so much crap back to stimulate your taste buds that you don't enjoy it. Now if I drink something sweet it's explosively good. Also at work I eat so much better than my coworkers. Everyone else goes out and gets the same old crap that they have day after day. They don't enjoy it and it's unhealthy. I pig out on some baked chicken that smells delicious two times a day.

I am disgusted with the way I look right now.

That should be enough motivation for you. Also what goes into your mouth is entirely in your hands, it's not like you 'cannot' stop yourself from eating certain things. You can and must do so (especially pepsi, the crap in that will stop you losing any weight).

It's a tradeoff, either accept being fat and prone to some pretty severe diseases later on in life (which is the way much of western society is headed right now) or take a stand. Of course it's not easy but anything worth while never is.

To put it bluntly most of the foods you mention in your post has poor nutritional value, and being on a diet like that for a prolonged period will likely lead you down the path of diabetes and other complications linked to obesity.

If you cannot eat certain greens that is fine, look for alternative vegetables (maybe ones which you have never tried). Monitoring your diet is also like an education for your palate, once you stop eating refined and processed foods you begin to realise what real food tastes like.

You don't even need to worry about exercise right now, sort your diet out and you will lose weight, throw in some exercise later down the line (you don't over load yourself).

Here what I read that got me to stop eating junk.

http://www.intense-workout.com/cravings.html

Will power and, simply, acting like an adult. My two year old daughter would be happy eating chocolate and bananas, but I ensure that she eats little chocolate (and not only bananas). I do the same for myself. I don't enjoy healthy food as much as chocolate and coca cola but those compromise my goals.

It's really very simple: you resist eating what you "want" if, like most people, what you "want" is not inline with reaching your fitness/health goals.I just really like how all of that tastes and find those selections to be very enjoyable to eat. How the heck do I motivate myself to eat entirely better?Either you want it or you don't. I'd like to eat like you do, but I'd rather be fit and look good and enjoy good health. To me it's worth more than eating horrendously.

If you are willing to restrict yourself, because yes that's what it takes regardless of what people say (for instance, after 10+ years, I still enjoy candy just as much as ever; I've never lost my love for it and I still binge on occasion, though I do it consciously without feeling guilt over it), then it may be a good idea to become somewhat intimate with the nutrition labels on foods. Most people have no clue how much s**t is in what they eat and these labels spell it out for you.

Do not think for a minute that the muscular and thin people you see on infomercials and in magazines have found a trick to cheat their taste buds out of eating garbage. I know lean and fit people who naturally do not like junk food as much as I do, but I know others who like it just as much. Part of this is upbringing and part is probably genetic. I am only thin and fit because I work at it and it's a constant effort. Most people are not willing to put in the effort and don't consider it worth the constant selection of less-than-super-tasty foods. For me, no trickery exists. No inventive cooking or timing meals or anything makes me any less likely to love to tuck into a bunch of pizza and a half lb of chocolate. There's no pill or meditation. I simply choose not to eat the stuff.

The article mentioned above is hardcore. I was almost in that state of mind as a teenager, desperate to look good and spent 2-3 years successfully ignoring junk food but now in my late 20's I am a bit stronger and a bit thinner and a bit fitter, even though I do eat junk from time to time. I just look at it on a grand basis. Although one day of eating it is bad, I can make up for it with a couple good. Cheat days do hinder progress but for me I'd go nuts if I went years on end without eating any crap.

I would add that when it comes to cleaning up your diet, don't let the perfect get in the way of the good. By that I mean while some have done a complete 180 in terms of diet, myself (and many others I'm sure) gradually got our act together. Like others have already said, start with small choices. Hold the mayo on the sub, get the smaller order of fries, etc. If you had told me two years earlier I would be chowing down on veggies and chicken (sans BBQ sauce) everyday, I would have laughed at you.

Its a myth that you can't eat healthy and TASTY meals.

Look for a good book and make some positive changes in your diet every week.

Its a myth that you can't eat healthy and TASTY meals.Tasty, sure, but not "Holy crap, this is good. I am in absolute heaven and thank God and bless him for whoever invented chocolate, pizzas, and non-diet sodas." I've eaten plenty of healthy foods and regardless of the source, none have ever quite hit a hungry stomach like a big mac meal and a thousand calories of chocolate covered almonds for dessert. Nothing! Yum!

Thanks for the replies so far everyone. I was just going to browse through them now because I have to run to the bank and then read more thoroughly later, but all of the posts are so informative I kept reading. Now I have to hurry before they close! But, thank you for the replies so far. I'm probably going to print some of them out.

I'll be able to comment later tonight, but like I said, I wanted to thank you for the replies so far.

For motivation, I agree with what's been said previously. Look in the mirror and decide what's important. Do it several times a day if you can, and completely naked if that's possible. Sounds silly, but it works. And don't just glance, really look. Ask yourse;f, "Is this what I want? Is a trek over to Micky Ds worth it?"

Changing your diet takes commitment, just like quitting smoking. I quit smoking almost 10 years ago (wow, has it been that long?!). I truly thought it would be rough, but I was committed. I told myself that if I cheated, it would be that much easier to cheat the next time. I also told myself over and over that it smelled awful and was disgusting. I didn't believe it at the time, but just using that mantra helped. It's the same with diet. Figure out what is acceptable and make the commitment to stay away from what isn't. Personally I'd suggest staying away from sodas completely, as they're horrible for you (even diet), but you make your own call. You might want to try mixing a little fruit juice with carbonated water if you have to have something.

Simple, you take control and start making your own meals. If you control the ingredients you start to make a bigger change.
Small changes go a long way. Start small, otherwise you won't change.

examples:
Mayo, switch to low-fat
Then switch to mustard, dropping the mayo entirely.

Switch to low-sugar or sugar free alternatives of the things you like.
SF Pepsi/Coke etc...

Drink more water in the day.

Enjoy lemonade?....look into unsweetened kool-aid and add a product called stevia liquid as a sweetener.
Or buy Crystal light.

Enjoy 2 burgers? Change to 1 burger and enjoy a side salad.
Enjoy creamy dressings?, try a vinegrette that you like and stick with it.

Put dressings on the side, dip your fork in the dressing and then into the salad. You'll be surprised how much dressing will be left in the cup.

Enjoy a daily muffin? back off to Wednesday and Friday....then eventually just Fridays...something you really look forward to and eventually, you can replace it with something even better or jsut keep it as your Friday treat.

Have a little (like small) dessert every night. A lot of times we're in it for the taste....so instead of having a mound of icecream....enjoy half a cup (measure it out). Eat it slow and be comforted in the fact that you get to enjoy the same treat tomorrow night. Eventually switch to low fat frozen yogourt ice-cream. Eventually, it will become a once in a while thing.

Small steps to get control.

Great tips in this thread!

As for the Pepsi comments, I hear you man, I LOVE pepsi. Before I started cutting I was drinking atleast 2 litre's of Pepsi a day. Drinking that much no wonder I was tipping the scales at alomst 220 lbs.

I made the choice to cut the Pepsi out, it was very tough. I admit for the first week I cheated a few times, but it was hard and I did it. Now I drink lots of water everyday.

From time to time I do still have a can, but only as a treat. Maybe once every two weeks.

BTW: it did not take long for me to lose 10-15lbs after I stopped drinking the Pepsi.

Tasty, sure, but not "Holy crap, this is good. I am in absolute heaven and thank God and bless him for whoever invented chocolate, pizzas, and non-diet sodas." I've eaten plenty of healthy foods and regardless of the source, none have ever quite hit a hungry stomach like a big mac meal and a thousand calories of chocolate covered almonds for dessert. Nothing! Yum!

See I'm completely opposite. I used to have a mood once every two months or so where I wanted McDonald's but I got fat and grew up eating FOOD. BBQ chicken, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese good solid food. Now if you gave me a choice between Wendy's and my chicken and broccoli I would choose the chicken and broccoli everytime diet or no diet. Now if it was between a nice slab of ribs, some baked beans and some texas toast that's a different story entirely but McDonald's and Coke have never taken away hunger like a well cooked meal can for me. When I cheat it's not even worth it unless I'm sitting down and I've got some kind of damn good food coming to me. I cooked hamburgers over memorial day. These were 1 1/4 inch thick monsters fresh cooked on the grill. If I go out to dinner I want it served in courses. No need wasting a free pass on crap like french fries. I enjoy food so much more while cutting than I did on the slow creep up whether it be everyday meals or a cheat to kick in the thyroid. :eat:

Well you should consider switching to Pepsi One. Possibly Coke Zero.

I didn't change my diet yet, and lost about 50 pounds with just exercise, and occasionally a little portion control. So it can be done. But you better enjoy hard exercise if you want to do it this way. And you have to watch out not to increase your calorie intake as much as you increase the calorie output.

Thanks for the continued advice. I have just started at a new job (well, same company, just a different jobsite) and we worked 11 hours today. I need to get cleaned up and spend some time with my lady. I like the paychecks, but working overtime stinks. I like my freetime. But, at least doing ditchwork is some kind of exercise. Anyway, that's why my comments have been brief since I've started this thread.

I will say that I'll be buying myself a new lunch box this weekend and start packing a lunch for work ahead of time. This way I can plan ahead instead of making my choices while I'm starving, eating off of the snack truck, and going fast food. It's a start. I do like lemonade, are there certain kinds that are ok to drink? Countrytime (bottled) is as bad as pop isn't it? Is Gatorade ok?

One more thing before I go. Chameleon, great suggestion of taking a picture. I'll definitely do that and put one in the car. And probably my new lunchbox so I'm not tempted to skip what I packed and head out.

Thanks again, everyone.
George

Kool Aid Lemonade.

I used to love regular soft drinks..about 70 pounds ago. To get used to drinking them I would put a slice of lemon in my diet pepsi..takes the nutrasweet flavor away. Also, Crystal light makes a lemonade that is very good and has very few calories..like 5 I think. They make small individual packets now also that you just pour right into your water bottle.

Pepsi RULES!
Or, at least i used to think so before i hit 210lbs last year. I'm a painting contractor myself, and if you read my very.. long.. life story my journal you'll see, that i too used to eat lunch at fast food places a LOT during the week. Pepsi was by far the hardest thing for me to break away from. I'm not one for "weaning" myself off of things. You may not be like me, but if you are you need to prepare yourself mentally and just stop it. Diet Pepsi sucks. Diet Coke sucks. Coke Zero isnt *that* bad but as a rule, i hate diet brown pops. Sprite zero and diet Ruby Red Squirt arent that bad if you need a soda fix, imo.

The hardest thing for my to do when i stopped eating all the fast food was actually getting into a routine of packing my lunches. i'd forget my lunch and think "ahh crap, oh well time to go to wendys". Cant do that bro. make a ritual every night of packing your lunch and getting your meal plans in order for the next day. Lemonade Crystal Light is a good alternative to soda, i was addicted to that for a while after quitting Pepsi.

Its much much healthier if you prepare your lemonade from real lemons. Maybe add some sweetner in there, maypel syrup goes great with that IMHO. All those soft drinks are so unhealthy I'd rather have a natural lemonade with a bit of brown sugar, and have the extra calories rather than all that diethetic crap.

Water is the best! :tu:

Countrytime (bottled) is as bad as pop isn't it?

Yes. Sugar laden....no different than pepsi. They put the numbers on the can for you these days.

Is Gatorade ok?
No, unless you just run a marathon or played a couple hours of intense soccer... if you get my drift.
Again, flavoured sugar water with salt.

Yes. Sugar laden....no different than pepsi. They put the numbers on the can for you these days.


No, unless you just run a marathon or played a couple hours of intense soccer... if you get my drift.
Again, flavoured sugar water with salt.In truth, gatorade is hardly any better than flat coke, even for endurance athletes, and many people doing Ironmans do drink flat soda during a race. Gatorade has a bit more salt, but otherwise it's mostly just all simple carbs and that's that. I have to laugh when I see people drinking it down during a 30 min cardio session, as if they're so glycogen depleted that they need its energy. It's really only of use for people doing activity for long periods, like you mentioned.

I have to laugh when I see people drinking it down during a 30 min cardio session, as if they're so glycogen depleted that they need its energy.

Some guys need to do that if they want to keep activity high and they are trying to add a lot of mass. My old trainer Andre had trouble adding mass and he liked to train all the time. He was very cut, and extremely strong.

Otherwise, it's just silly.

It's a truism that the things that taste best are the worst for us- a big chocolate eclair tastes better than a green salad, most would agree.

It doesn't mean, though, that food that's good for you has to taste bad. There are lots of natural, healthy foods that can be prepared relatively easily. In less time than it takes for you to hop in your car to go to Taco Bell, you can grill a chicken breast and make a side of veggies.

Only you know if you can tolerate a major change to your lifestyle. If not, then try small steps- limit your intake of soda to a can a day. After you get used to that, get rid of it entirely. Have a healthy breakfast and try to moderate what you get for lunch and dinner. Or start making dinner from scratch, rather than from a box.

Eventually, your body will stop craving the sweets and fats so much.

I was in the same boat, only liked certain foods. I ate only 1 or 2 meals a day, along with some unhealthy snacks. Most meals were either fast food or frozen pizza or burgers/brats/hot dogs on the grill. I started buying chicken breasts, and eating chicken with brown rice and a side of some veggies. I don't like cooked veggies at all, still don't eat 'em, but I can eat a few veggies raw... like cucumbers, califlower, and carrots. I started eating eggs for breakfast, then eventually switched to egg whites. Oatmeal with cinnamon and a dash of splenda is very good. Make some chili using lean ground turkey instead of beef, less fat and with the chili spices I can't even tell the difference in taste. I have turkey in a wheat pita for lunch and use pickles to add flavor, rather than butter or mayo, and then add in some lowfat cottage cheese on the side. When it comes to eating out or grilling, choose the chicken breast sandwich instead of the burger, and get a baked potato instead of the fries.

These are just a few of the things I've done, and along with cardio and weight training, I'm down almost 50 lbs (and actually gained a few lbs of lean mass) in about 6 months.

Ok, everybody, here's an update. I've decided that the best way for me to stick to changing my diet is to do it in tiny steps.

The first step is eliminating Pepsi from my diet. I've been drinking nothing but water for the past 5 days now. Today was the first day I didn't have a headache. This is what I've been feeling like everytime I see someone drinking a soda when we're out to eat ---->:drool: . But, I've been good since I've started with the water. Also, I haven't changed what I've been eating yet, but I did what some of you have suggested and have cut down the portions.

For instance, instead of the usual double cheeseburger with a large fry, it's now a small cheeseburger, and a small fry. I know it's still not ideal, but if I changed everything at once, I doubt I'd stick with it.

Once I last two full weeks without pop in my diet, I'm going to start to change what I eat.

Thanks for the help so far!
George

Good job! I'm happy for you. Keep the positive progress moving forward my friend.
Before I stopped drinking Pepsi, I drank about 8-10 12oz cans a day. It was the only thing i'd drink and it was one of the hardest things for me to break. I dont like coffee, diet sodas (at the time), tap water, or much anything else. As far back as I can remember I was drinking pops. I remember my wife's sister mentioning a few years back "Dont you go anywhere without a Pepsi in your hand?". It was sad :(. All is better now! I stopped drinking sugared cola by simply cutting it out of my diet. First I stopped buying it at the grocers and bought bottled water. If there is nothing else in the house, you gotta drink something. Water! Then I started ordering juices, teas, or diet sodas when I went out to eat. Then I went taste testing and found I really liked Crystal Light Lemonade. I drank that stuff religiously for a long time. Slowly switched that to water and now about 85% of my daily fluid intake is from purified tap water. Brita ftw!

two weeks of no soda and only water will wash all the sugar off your tongue, you really wont want it anymore..

two weeks of no soda and only water will wash all the sugar off your tongue, you really wont want it anymore..

Treat Pepsi like crack, cause it is! Once you've broken your addiction, flee! run from it! dont be tempted...

Treat Pepsi like crack, cause it is! Once you've broken your addiction, flee! run from it! dont be tempted...

Agreed, soft drink makers are evil. I think they would still put cocaine in them if they still could:lol:

There are SOOOO many good drinks with low calories in them, there aren't any excuses. Crystal lite, diet soda, flavored water, coffee. Try putting some crystal lite lemonade in some diet ginger ale. This is like basically a really tasty party punch.

The portion control you are trying is an amazing thing. When I first started cutting my calories, a Happy meal from McDonald's with a diet coke was 500 calories, as opposed to the 1200-1300 calories I used to get from the 2 double cheeseburgers and medium frys.

I had a Monte-Cristo and fries and I can tell you that while they did taste good, I felt like crap the rest of the day, I was bloated, felt depressed and looked horrible... what I can't believe is that I used to stuff my face with food like that all the time and loved it

The monty cristo is a TASTY sandwich(the new Cuban monti cristo at Bennigans is :drool: ), but it has to be the sleepiest food ever invented. Even when I was used to that stuff, I felt bloated all day.

Here is some better news. Once you really starting eating clean, you get to eat a LOT more. You will be suprised how much you can eat in clean food. Split these foods up every 2-3 hours(job depending) and you can be far less hungry than ever.

I don't know how I can change my diet. I've always been a very picky eater. I don't like a lot of things. Age really hasn't helped me like anything better for the most part.
And I know that eating better is only one part of becoming healthier and trimming down. I also need to work on cardio and start lifting weights again. I'll appreciate any advice you guys can give me.


You don't have to change, nobody will make you eat what you should eat or exercise. You say you need to change but you don't want to. Then don't. There are millions like you, you will have company.

When you want to change, you will. It may not be too late when you choose to. Life is a matter of choices, we face them each day, there are extremely few things we are made to do. We don't have to pay taxes, we might go to jail for not doing it, but we don't have to. If you pay taxes it is because you want to. You choose to. Same with diet and exercise, you will do them because you choose to, and want to.

If you choose to, start reading the stickies and past posts, learn to use search. There is a lot of information here to help you in your choices.:cool:

Ok, everybody, here's an update. I've decided that the best way for me to stick to changing my diet is to do it in tiny steps.

The first step is eliminating Pepsi from my diet. I've been drinking nothing but water for the past 5 days now. Today was the first day I didn't have a headache. This is what I've been feeling like everytime I see someone drinking a soda when we're out to eat ----> . But, I've been good since I've started with the water. Also, I haven't changed what I've been eating yet, but I did what some of you have suggested and have cut down the portions.

For instance, instead of the usual double cheeseburger with a large fry, it's now a small cheeseburger, and a small fry. I know it's still not ideal, but if I changed everything at once, I doubt I'd stick with it.

Once I last two full weeks without pop in my diet, I'm going to start to change what I eat.

Thanks for the help so far!
George

I feel your pain all to much man. I was hooked on Pepsi/Mountain Dew like you wouldn't believe. Like you said easliy drank a 2 liter day, often more. Tiny Steps is exactly what I did and it helped a ton.

Someone mentioned Crystal Light packets. That's exactly what I did. A box of 10 packets cost something like 2 bucks. What I would do, Chug my bottle of water before my meal, or while it's cooking, then refill it and add a crystal light packet for my meal. It added the taste I was looking for, and I was easily drinking 100oz+ of water along side that. (I recommend Raspberry Lemonade Packets :tu: ) After about 2 weeks of that, I just started weening off the packets. Instead of a packet every day (5x a day) I had one for lunch and dinner, then just dinner, and now nothing.

As for the small changes with what you eat, I recommend two places: Wendy's and Subway. You can still get your fast food fix, but in a tad more healthier way. Wendy's, go with chicken. They have a decent Honey Mustard on it, just be careful with anything else, they load mayo on it. Also they give you more options then just French Fries. Grab a side salad, or baked potatoe instead. They aren't great for you, but they are definatly better then French Fries. Subway is fantastic to. Grab anything off thier 6 grams of fat or less menu on slap it on Wheat bread. Toss in a bag of Baked Lays BBQ chips and you'll be a happy camper. If you have a quizno's out there, I'd compare them to Subway, but a little more variation to what they eat.

Small steps is definatly key though man, 6 weeks ago I was in the same shoes as you, and now I feel loads better, not only because my eating is a ton cleaner, but because I got over those mental roadblocks about how I couldn't live without that stuff!

I used to drink a lot of Dr. Pepper. I used to drink sodas at my two major meals, lunch and dinner. I found it pretty easy to stop when I didn't surround myself with it. When I moved out of my mom's I chose not to buy soda, it can get expensive and the money is used better in other ways (like video games...I mean healthier food). Since I didn't have the stuff around I didn't drink it. The only time I drank soda was when I went to Mom's for dinner or at a restaurant. Now I even stopped that. I switched to tea, with some sweet and low, and water at mom's. Now I even drink water at restaurants, everybody looks at me weird, and at first it bothered me but now I feel proud that I can be surrounded by the stuff and not give into it. The few time I do have soda, it is diet and it is because I forgot my water in my classroom, and we only have 30 minutes for lunch so I usually don't want to go all the way back. Now I surround myself with water, I buy water bottles for my classroom, since I can't just leave to drink it somewhere else, and since I don't let my kids drink soda in class, obviously, I don't do it either, what kind of example would I be setting. The choice is easy, its the only think available, but after a while you start needing it and craving it. Now, I find water the most satisfying drink, except for the Olive Garden's Bellini iced tea...damn them :mad: . I usually have about 3-4 bottles laying around the classroom, I"m a bit forgetful.

Like Tome Venuto said, it is about making the best choice possible at the time. Don't give in, try to carry water arround, if you forget make the best choice possible. If a vending machine has Pepsi, diet pespsi, and water...choose water. I know sometime they have those tiny 8 oz bottle for the same price, rip off, then choose the diet pepsi. You can do it.:gl: