Eating habits

[jimnyc]

This is my downfall. I can exercise until I puke, but it doesn't show very well if you eat junk food, and just the wrong food, and your body is "fat". In my case, it's the belly line from eating all the processed crap, sugar and breads. But dieting, or just eating right, isn't easy!!

Enough about the things I eat/drink that are wrong, here are a few things that are right: lots of green tea, water, nuts, green vegetables, meats

Of course I eat more than that, but that's what I would rank as some of the highest. What do you guys consider things as "must eats" or "must drinks" to have a good diet to help with someone working out all the time?

[KarlMarx]

Well... there is a story in the Bible about Daniel... long story made short...Daniel was a captive in Babylon but he was under the care of the King who provided him with food offered to idols.... he refused to eat food offered to idols so he made a secret deal with the head chef to have nothing but vegetables instead... after a while he looked more healthy than the other guys... so the head chef kept him on a vegetable only diet...

Not that I'm an expert.. but I think the story just goes to show that vegetables and fruits are definitely in the "must eat" category. With them, it's a matter of how much you eat not whether you can eat them or not.

In the drink category... the only thing you must drink is water... everything else is optional... (except of course if you're watching a football game.. then alcohol is almost mandatory! )

Some people opt out of eating meat altogether, but I've heard of people who, when it comes to eating meat, eat nothing but fish and seafood. Bill Clinton is one example... maybe not the best example, but he's the most well known... he claims it has done wonders for his health.

[shattered]

High protein, low carb, tons of water.

[darin]

I buy Mio water flavouring. Using that, I can drink 3 litres of water a day while I sit at my desk and strategize

[DragonStryk72]

This is my downfall. I can exercise until I puke, but it doesn't show very well if you eat junk food, and just the wrong food, and your body is "fat". In my case, it's the belly line from eating all the processed crap, sugar and breads. But dieting, or just eating right, isn't easy!!

Enough about the things I eat/drink that are wrong, here are a few things that are right: lots of green tea, water, nuts, green vegetables, meats

Of course I eat more than that, but that's what I would rank as some of the highest. What do you guys consider things as "must eats" or "must drinks" to have a good diet to help with someone working out all the time?

To me, the key to eating healthy is that it has to taste good. If the food doesn't taste good, you're not going to stick with it, or you'll end up binging on the foods you do like to eat, destroying any progress you've made. Even with things like Pizza, there are better ways to do pizza. For one, get a recipe online, and make yourself a fresh pizza at home. There will be fewer preservatives and processed stuff in it, and you still get the treat you want, which you can size yourself, as opposed to ordering too much pizza, after which, consuming too much pizza follows pretty much immediately.

Also, you can have small splurges, but they need to be contained, and used as an incentive to meet certain goals.

[CSM]

Jim, I have the same problem. I have just started to change my eating habits. It's not easy because I LOVE the sugar! Pastries and bread .... mmmmmmm. BUT I have managed to cut out most of the bread and all the pastries. I substitute flat breads for regular bread (for now) and it seems to work, pretty much have cut out potatoes (definitely no french fries!) and doing ok with that. I was raised that you always had dessert after every meal (except breakfast of course) and found it hard not to do that but instead of a big slice of pie or cake, I have a piece of fruit. Still eat meat but have cut down the portion to something more reasonable. That 16 oz steak is just too big for me now. Getting to like salads with my steak. Still eat pasta but no where near as much as I used to. I was not big on breakfast and found it hard to get used to eating something first thing in the morning but am working on that (small bowl of plain shredded wheat, no sugar). I graze all day on small snacks (homemade trail mix) such as raw carrots/celery/radishes etc. I don't know how well it will work yet, but I am not gaining weight and have lost many inches especially around the waist.