30 Day Challenge - Change my bad food habits

[RobbieInspired]

I am a really bad eater. I eat lots and lots of bad foods. I eat out a lot. I eat quickly, often without thinking. I eat lots of fast foods. I don't eat fruit or veges. It's absolutely disgusting!

My average week is:
Eat KFC, Pizza or McDs at least 3x a week
1-2 fruit per week
Minimal veges
Eat a king size bar of chocolate every 3 days
Eat lots of potato chips (1 big bag a day)
Lots of fried food and lots of meat

My waist size is currently: 89cm (35 inches)

For this 30 days, starting tomorrow Monday June 15 2009, I will:

1. Stop eating out of habit or out of boredom. i.e. think before I eat
2. Eat slowly, chewing my food a lot. Put fork down between bites.
3. Fruit for dessert every day.
4. Read for 15 minutes a day on new ways of thinking about food and healthy eating
5. No McDs, Pizza Hut or KFC (or other similar unhealthy options)
6. Limit myself to 3 bags of potato chips per week (instead of 7) and 1 bar of chocolate per week

[RobbieInspired]

Ok, its Day 1. I'm very excited.

Today I need to:
1. Go food shopping today. Buy lots of fruit and veges.
2. Gonna buy the 3 bags of chips and 1 bar of chocolate now, and see if i can ration it till the end of the week.
3. Weigh myself at the gym
4. Remind myself to eat slowly!
5. Think about why I'm eating

[ginkgo]

Do not eat fruit for dessert. It is a waste of money. Fruit does not need to be digested so eating after other foods, makes it sit there for hours. Fruit is so healthy that some people eat only fruit and nothing else (fruitarians). So eat the fruit first. The junk food is eaten last since it is the worst thing.

By eating fruit first it can pass through the stomach in 15 minutes before putting in foods that will take over 2 hours to digest. Also fruit makes you thin. So fill up on fruit first and you will have less room for other foods. For more on this see Losing Weight. Eating fruit first will make your body better able to burn off excess fat. Both pineapple and grapefruit have an enzyme that can help you get rid of excess weight.

You buy food and you throw away trash like eating junk food last. Changing it so that you buy trash and throw away food does not work. Throwing away goes together with trash. Eating the worst foods and eating last go together.

[RobbieInspired]

Day 1
-Tried to slow down eating, kept forgetting
-Had sensible breakfast and sandwich for lunch, then a small snack at around 3pm. But then at 5.30 felt really really hungry and started eating rubbish.
-Then at 8.30 had a full dinner
-Wanted to cut down on potato chips today, but ate a lot
-Ate a bit of chocolate after dinner

Weighed myself at gym = 71.5 kg (158 pounds )

The day's not over, but I don't feel like I have done particularly well today!

[RobbieInspired]

Just one other thing:

I've decided that instead of 15 minutes reading per day on healthy eating, I am going to change the requirement to be, that I need to find one new distinction about food each day, that I can apply the next day.

Today:
I noticed today, that I still feel hungry during the meal, and keep eating until the hunger has gone. But then afterwards I feel a bit sick, because I have eaten too much.

Tomorrow, I think if I slow down eating, and stop eating while I still feel a bit hungry, I should stop feeling ill after eating.

[labm]

I would suggest skipping the chocolate and definately the potatoe chips entirely. There is nothing good in even a single potatoe chip and sometimes going cold turkey is easier than cutting back.

[vilbara]

I second the suggestion to eat fruit before your meal. Or... you may keep fruit for dessert and eat dessert before your meal :-)

Despite reading about this somewhere, I ignored it. Later I've discovered this to myself nearly accidentally at work. Makes big difference how I feel.

[emeadow]

Couple of thoughts:
-I don't know what kind of chocolate you are eating, but if it is just milk chocolate, you might try darker chocolates. They are usually lower in sugars, better for you (as far as chocolate goes), and for me, I tend to savor and enjoy it more slowly. Explore new flavors, and try to be more mindful of the chocolate versus just satisfying a sweet tooth.

-When you mention slowing down your eating, that is a definite plus. I have read it takes quite awhile for your stomach to register it is full and relay the message of fullness in a physical response. Try counting your chews of your food, and try to extend it to 10 or 15 chews per bite.....this creates better digestion on top of helping you read when you are truly full before you over do it.

Try to explore the flavors of the food you are eating while you are consuming it. Taste the spices and the components, consider the ingredients and try to mentally find the taste of each one. This might seem crazy, but the more mindful you become of what you eat, the more likely you will make healthier choices. Its a habit, just practice it as often as you remember, and over time you will start to do it second nature.

Awareness is a huge step.....best of luck on your challenge!!

[RobbieInspired]

Hi,

Day 2 Update:

I ate cereal for breakfast, tried to eat it slowly, but i hate it when it goes soggy.

Went out for lunch, and ordered a salad! (that almost never happens)

Went out last night, and on the way home, my friend went in to McDs, and I resisted! It was great!

Actually didnt have any dinner last night, which wasnt very good. And no fruit.

On the positive side, didnt have any potato chips or chocolate either.

[RobbieInspired]

@emeadow

you might try darker chocolates

That is a great suggestion. I am switching to dark chocolate! Its much harder to eat lots of dark chocolate than milk chocolate.

Try to explore the flavors of the food you are eating while you are consuming it.

I will try that. It could be quite good.

By the way, one problem I have with eating slowly is that the food ends up going cold, which is never as tasty as when it was hot!
Any suggestions?

[RobbieInspired]

@vilbara and gingko

Ok, I will move the fruit to before dinner!

Maybe as snacks then?

[Timothy Smith]

Actually, I usually have fruit during 8pm. I don't know why, but could be a little later or earlier.

Skip on the dessert, since my family and I don't have dessert. Fruit is good for you, so you might as well have some.

You might have a little Pizza Hut, just don't order the meat & chicken pizzas. Instead, create your own pizza and add a few veggies. You can also order a veggie's lover personal pizza or maybe a Caesar salad.

You might as well skip some Taco Bell & Burger King too. Excellent challenge, maybe this is the perfect time to... go vegetarian!

I've always wanted to go vegetarian, but I keep craving the chicken they serve at KFC's. So I've never been able to do it.

[RobbieInspired]

Hi

Day 3 Update:
Ate cereal slowly, but forgot to eat lunch slowly.
Pretty much had no dinner, cos got too busy. Then had a snack at midnight. Bad!

Ate 1 pack of chips.
Ate 6 squares of chocolate.

And NO fruit! Bad!

@Timothy Smith
Did you know that 1 slice of pizza has more fat than a piece of KFC? Its because of all the cheese

[RINETTE]

Try eating more nuts and fruit for sure get one or two you like and build it from there i never ate fruit or veggies until i realised that my scale is at its max now i am trying and taking it slowly if i feel i have to have a chocolate in stead of a slab as i normally do i now only take three blocks and try and get it to melt in my mouth small bites at a time, so far it is helping but still new days i really hope i can keep it up this time

[RobbieInspired]

Day 4 Update:

I'm remembering to eat slowly a bit more.

At the current rate, in the 7 days, I'll probably eat
Chips: 4 bags ( i was aiming for 3. I normally eat 7)
Chocolate: 1 pack ( i was aiming for 1. I normally eat 2)

I've been feeling really sleepy these last few days. Wonder why? Maybe less chocolate keeping me awake???

Oh, and I still keep forgetting to eat fruit! :-0

So far, I feel like, just being conscious of my eating, I have eaten less than I normally would have in this last five days.

[RobbieInspired]

Day 5

Wolfed down a 1/2 packet of chips
Ate less chocolate than usual.
Trying to eat slower.
No fruit!

Day 6
Had a kebab and chips! In many ways, worse than McDs!
But am eating slower, i think
Had 6 squares of chocolate.

A lot of the problem is that I havent done proper grocery shopping, so when i get hungry, I either have to eat chips and chocolate, or get greasy takeaways!

Hmmm...this is harder than I thought.

Ok, in the next 2 days, I need to make a list of healthy foods to buy at the supermarket and stock my pantry up with them.

[lovelyn]

Doing some grocery shopping will definitely help. You should plan your meals for the week. That way you won't end up being hungry and getting a takeaway because it's easy. Try to pack lunches as much as possible. You don't know what's in the food you order out. Slowing down your eating and being conscious of what your eating and how it makes you feel will help a lot too.

Changing your eating habits can be difficult at first but it's definitely worth it. Once you get used to eating healthy food, you don't feel tempted to go back to eating junk. If you do eat junk again it will make you feel sick.

[Deergirl]

Maybe you could make a list of things you'll eat during the week (diners, lunch,...) on Saturday or Sunday. You can look around in healthy cookbooks or on the internet. Than on Monday, you can go to the grocery store, get your ingredients and you won't have to go each day to the store. You can maybe go twice a week. That's how I plan my meals in advance. It gives me more time during the week to do fun things, because I don't have to go to the store every day.

[RobbieInspired]

Day 7
Ate two big meals at relative's houses. Tried to reduce my serving size, which I usually wouldnt do.

Had a little bit of chocolate at their house too. But when I got home at night, i didnt eat anything more, which is unusual!

[RobbieInspired]

Week 1 Summary

I ate 3 packets of chips
2/3 of a packet of chocolate

Im really happy because thats much less than I would usually eat.

Im also starting to remember more, to eat slowly and be conscious of what I eat, which is great.

On the improvement side:
I need to go grocery shopping.
I need to eat more fruit!

This week, I'm going to aim to stick to 3 packets of chips,and 1 packet of chocolate.

@deergirl and lovelyn
You are so right, I need to plan my meals more. I am going to go grocery shopping tonight, so I will write a plan before I go.

[James81]

Originally Posted by RobbieInspired

By the way, one problem I have with eating slowly is that the food ends up going cold, which is never as tasty as when it was hot!
Any suggestions?

Know your limits BEFORE you eat a meal and only put that much on your plate/cook that much/whatever.

The idea behind eating slower is that eating fast you'll tend to overeat because you won't FEEL full for a while after you are actually full.

You don't HAVE to eat slowly. Just pay attention to how much food it takes to actually make you full, and portion that much (or a little less) out. Then wolf it down however fast you'd like.

[RobbieInspired]

Day 8
Not the best day:
Didnt have breakfast cos had no food in the house
Cos I hadnt had breakfast, was extra hungry for lunch and ordered a chicken cheeseburger (not at McDs!) and wolfed it down, even though it wasnt very good!

No other food until dinner.
At dinner, went out to a lebanese restaturant. had pitta bread and dips only, but had 3 beers!

Didnt get time to go grocery shopping.

Chips: None
Chocolate: 4 squares

Ok, today, I need to focus a bit better. Am definitely going to go grocery shopping today!!!!

[RobbieInspired]

Day 9

Breakfast: Chocolate muffin, tried to eat slowly but didnt
Lunch: sandwich. Ate fast and too much. Also ate LOTS of chips
Dinner: Italian meal at a restaurant. it was really nice food, and I ate too fast.

Ate 2 squares of chocolate.

Am I making any progress here? It doesnt look like I am from the list of junk food I've just written down, but I think I'm at least remembering that I SHOULD be eating slower. I'm eating much less between meals. And also eating less chocolate and chips.

Oh yeah, I did some grocery shopping today, and bought some fruit!!! havent eaten it yet though...but it's there...

[RobbieInspired]

Day 10 Summary:
Ate banana for breakfast! (applause)
Had sandwich for lunch.
Had pasta for dinner (resisted fast food on the walk home, and cooked at home)

Unfortunately was still hungry after dinner and started snacking on chips and chocolate. It might be time to stop stocking it at home? If I need it, I need to leave the house to get it? Extreme measures.

On the other hand, I have only eaten one packet of potato chips so far, and its Thursday. My aim should be to only have one more packet for the rest of the week.

I have been trying to eat slower, but its hard. Yesterday the pasta was so nice and hot, that I ate it quite fast. May need to follow James81's advice and put less in my plate, then re-heat as necessary!

[Aleksander Krstic]

I always find it so inspiring to see people on this forums start 30 day trials. Good luck with your challenge!

[RobbieInspired]

Day 11

@Aleksander - Thanks!

Day 11 was not a proud day in my 30 day challenge...

Breakfast - banana
Lunch - sandwich and potato chips
Dinner - got hungry at 6pm, ate pasta
After dinner - still hungry - ate rest of chips and 4 squares of chocolate.

I have finished 2 bags of chips so far this week, so not meant to have any till next Monday. This means 3 days without chips! That's going to be a challenge! But then, maybe its exactly what I need. I realise though, that often I have been snacking on chips because there is nothing else in the house. Bad!

By the way, last night I ate slowly, and was still starving after dinner. Hmmmm....

Also, I think I'm not eating enough between meals, like healthy snacks

[RobbieInspired]

Day 12 Update

Didnt eat any chips today! Amazing!

Had cereal, normal lunch, bread in the afternoon and then a large meal at a restaurant.

Had chocolate after lunch.

[RobbieInspired]

Day 13 Update

No chips today!

Had some chocolate. Still got 1/2 the packet left.

Trying to remember to eat slower.

Last night had 4 beers, but resisted getting fast food on the way home!

Today:
I wont have chips
I will eat really slow

[RobbieInspired]

Day 14 Update and Week 2 Summary

yesterday I ate no chips, but had some chocolate. had two largish meals.

Anyway heres the summary for week 2:
Ate 2 packets of chips (but had no chips for last 3 days)
Ate 2/3 king size bar of chocolate
Ate fruit every day for last 4 days
remembering to eat slowly more.
Havent eaten at McDs KFC for 2 weeks now

Overall, I think I am making good progress.

This week, my aim is to try and:

1. Not eat chips at all.
2. Limit myself to 2/3 chocolate bar
3. Continue to eat fruit every day.
4. Be better at eating slower, and not eating till I feel sick!

[kissie]

Hi everyone, I'm 24, doomed and new here as well.

I have a eating/depressing disorder. When I get depressed, stressed, bored, lonely I eat ....not just anything but junk food.
I eat bad food and I just don't stop. I feel like nibbling all the time. So I buy a big packet of chips everyday. In the office I eat, at home I eat, Driving I eat.
Burgers, Pizzas, Choc cakes, biltong and fudge, all that kind of food.

It gets worse after eating all that junk I feel bad and then I get more depressed and guess what?...... I get some chocolate or ice cream or sweets to make myself feel better. I used to exercise to balance it out so I don't get fat but I think I'm gaining and getting lazy and lazier. I can't run for a long time now, honestly I don't run anymore, I walk a very short distance and call it a day.

I've tried all sort of diet and when I fail to keep up, I eat more. When I go shopping, I go to bakery, sweets and biscuit section and thats my shopping right there. I've ran out of food to spoil myself cuz I do it daily. I love my body very much and I don't want to spoil it and I want to be health as well.How do I do it without shooting myself in the foot.