Our kids are not overweight, but they have very different eating habits. My younger one wants to eat all the time, the older one not so much.

Both kids love to be active and doing things outdoors, so that really limits their desire to snack. We do feed them more junk than we should be they also eat plenty of healthy snacks. Their favorites are yogurt, pretzels, cheese and any kind of fruit. Berries are their favorite.

We all love carbs and dairy, so I don’t know if I could do some of the diets above. I’m not the calorie counter type either. I find that if I just try to include veggies in every meal, we end up eating better overall. My kids would love to eat chicken fingers, pizza, and hot dogs at every meal but that’s a sign of a bad week if they’ve had more than one of these things on their menu.

We drink a lot of water too.

There is no forbidden food in our house, but the more junk food that is lying around, the more that ends up getting eaten.

I married someone who’s been very thin all his life.

I eat tofu, green smoothies, salads, grilled lowfat meats, I grind my own flour and bake all our own whole wheat/oat/flaxseed baked goods. I make healthy veggie-ful soups and stews, I cook beans, we eat tofu, miso, etc. That’s all I eat. I work out daily 30-60 minutes, including weight training. I eat off baby-size plates 3-5 times a day. I drink 8 glasses of water daily with lemon. I drink green tea.

I don’t lose weight. In fact, I gain it. I’ve tried Atkins, South Beach, Body-For-Life, YOU on a Diet, etc. and each time I do not even lose weight before it goes back on–I gain it.

Multiple doctors assure me I’m very very healthy and not to worry about my weight so long as I’m exercising and eating well.

My husband, OTOH, is naturally cut and at 37 still wears the same clothes from when he was a jock in high school.

He either misses a day of meals, and then makes up for it the next day with massive overeating, or he subsists all day on hard candy, chocolate, donuts and bread, has dinner and then a big bowl of ice cream for dessert. It would make a nutritionist cry. I’ve almost cried once or twice, watching him.

And yet when his weight fluctuates it only drops. He has to work to maintain his low weight, to prevent it from becoming lower. His whole family is like this. They are thin and gorgeous into their 50’s and they eat hot dogs, chips, sugary pop, etc.

I’ve tried all the tricks, lifestyle changes, diets, exercise programs. I feel fitter but my size and weight only increase, regardless of my willpower–and I spent years starving myself as a teen, so I KNOW my willpower is not lacking.

My husband exercises twice a year and his muscles are still like steel. But he feels his health isn’t good, even though he looks fine (better than fine IMHO)

My opinion is that it’s all genetic.

Focus on getting healthy. Being thin doesn’t always mean healthy, it just means thin. Good luck, HTH.

First of all, i never eat junk food, because i don’t like it, nor diary products because i don’t like it too.
I’ve never liked soft drinks either since a kid.

I eat three regular meals everyday.

i have things like lentils, chickpeas or split peas, with rice, and vegetables.
I pour a lot of nutritional yeast on my plate.
I don’t really think about the size.
I just put a part of lentils, a part of rice, a part of vegetables, some oil, herbs, sesame seeds or some peanuts and that’s it.
Sometimes i want a dessert so i have one or two square of chocolate, or a piece of bread (homemade) with chocolate paste or peanut butter or margarine, or muesli (carman’s really healthy)
As for my” gouter” at 4 pm, it’s a fruit, or bread with chocolate, or some peanuts with a fruit, and sometimes a carrot cut into pieces because it’s very refreshing.

i stop eating when i feel full, and we always did it when i was a kid, so i guess it’s also part of my education.

In fact what i like is usually what is healthy.

Otherwise, i walk a lot and exercise 3 to 4 times a week,and walk because we have no car.

i eat out 1 or 2 times a month in a nice restaurant and have a good piece of meat, and a very good dessert.
And once in a while i have fries (in a restaurant) and i really enjoy it.
Otherwise i always cook my meals out of fresh vegetables .

Eat about 6 times a day but have small portions.
This speeds up your metabolism.
So about every 2 hours minimum. 8:00, 10:15, 12:30, 3:00, 6:00 and 8:00 as a rough guide.

Keep the meals through the day to the size of 1 regular sandwich or about the size of your fist. No larger.
The only exceptions are: You can have half as much more for lunch and two times as much for tea.
You don’t need much saturated fat or sugar in your diet at all.
Just cut the fat away, even though its nice.
Make 80% of your daily drinks water.
For Tea:
If eating red meat, it doesn’t need to be any larger than your hand, and no thicker.
And 1 cup of veggies or pasta(before it is cooked)is plenty on the side.
For Desert:
Keep those fatty and sugary deserts to 3 times a week maximum if you really think you need them, and substitute the other days with a handfull of something a bit more plain.

***Food is there to replace the energy we burn, if were not burning it, then we are storing it.***

It may seem hard to eat like “normal” people, but really there are millions of different ways we can eat our food, so it can still be fun to eat.
The hardest thing to do is to change your eating habbits.

Just don’t snack, or its keeping the habits going.
Dont buy food you dont need or might need.
If its not there to eat, you cant eat it.

Try to prepare and make your meals, at least you really know whats going into you body.

Once our stomachs shrink and are not stretched inside, we do not feel as hungry because its fuller after we eat.

And we all know that we need to exercise, sometime just eating less is not enough.
We dont have to go to a Gym, or run a marathon.
Hobbies and basic recreation is all we need, walking is one of the best exercises we can do.
Drive less, walk or ride a bike, its fun and you see new things all of the time.

So, once we start eating regular and smaller amounts, we end up with more energy, think more positively and have more fun because of it.

Now you have a choice: Can you eat like this today? Yes or No.

If yes, you have prepared yourself to do so.
If no, you probably cant or don’t want to.

But remember, everyone is different, what works well for some, does not work for others.
You may need to eat a bit more or less.

Over time you’ll understand what you body really needs or not. Ive done this for 2 years now and didn’t think I would make it through the first week.
Now eating like this is normal.

Happy eating!

I think limiting “floury” foods (breads, pastas, cookies, cakes) to twice a week is probably best if one is trying to control bloat and avoid weight gain. Eat when you’re hungry, stop when you’re satisfied (not full), and if you’re hungry between meals, choose protein or fruits and vegetables. Limit sweets to once or twice a week, or just have a taste of what it is you want. Often we want to eat something sweet and decadent when we are not even hungry, so a spoonful of ice cream or a cookie or two is usually just enough to satisfy a craving. You get to satisfy your “taste hunger” without going overboard.

Exercise, of course, is important. 30 minutes a day is usually recommended. I like to do hand weights, and alternate between the upper and lower parts of my body every other day. I find that the more dedicated I am to exercising, the more in tune with my body I am..and the more in tune I am, the more likely I am to make better food choices, or at least, not overdo it.

The only drawback to all this is being sabotaged by your own thoughts. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had good intentions, and then have made every excuse as to why I must “pig out” (bad day at work, fight with a friend, etc)..so, for me, the biggest enemy is my thinking. All the common-sense planning and desires to eat healthier, “normal”, or balanced meals mean nothing if emotional eating gets in the way.

Anyway, good luck to you and your family! It’s hard to try and eat in a way that’s balanced and satisfying to everyone, but I think the more you do it and find your niche, the easier it becomes.

Bill

I dont remember my mother ever using a cookbook to conjur up 20 different delictable ways to bake asparagus (for example) I simply remember simple meals and the concept to eat until your full not “until your plate is clean!”

In my mid-30s I had a health problem and a few other issues in my personal life that led me to self-medicate with food. I became overweight for the first time in my life.

About four years ago, some of my girlfriends decided to go on a diet – South Beach, I think it was. None of them were more than a little overweight, and they exercised regularly (I didn’t yet). I had heard some negative things about the diet, so I did a little research and came across a book called Eat to Live. I decided to make the lifestyle changes recommended in the book rather than starting South Beach or any other diet. I had already recently stopped eating eggs (just because I stopped liking them), and decided to give up dairy, which was a big deal for me. I also eliminated all forms of processed sugars and grains (e.g., white sugar, high fructose corn syrup, white flour, white rice) and substituted them with whole foods (brown rice, whole grain flours, maple syrup, etc.). I ate lots of salads and other green vegetables. For breakfast, only fresh fruit, often blended in a blender (but with nothing added other than a bit of water). Snacks consisted of nuts, popcorn (popped in stove in olive oil), fruit, veggies, or the occasional homemade baked goods (made with whole wheat/whole grain flours, no eggs or dairy, and sweetened with maple syrup, agave nectar, or stevia). I starting losing about 1kg a week for a month or so and then plateaued.

In the last year or two, I’ve made more significant changes. I have continued the healthy diet: plant-based, whole foods, about 95% home-cooked, and I drink almost exclusively water with the occasional decaf coffee, soy or almond milk, tea, or beer. Now, however, I have added regular exercise. I get at least 50 minutes of moderate+ exercise 5-6 days/week, and I walk a LOT. Not only have I gotten back down to a very healthy weight, but I have also developed more lean muscle mass so I’m stronger and feel better and I have VERY healthy cholesterol levels. It’s very interesting to note that the dietary changes that I made 4 years ago had a great impact on my total cholesterol and triglycerides and a bit of an effect on my LDL, but the last year of exercise has further lowered the LDL (“bad” cholesterol) and raised my HDL (the “good” one) by 20 points!

I am now a true believer in the powerful combination of a healthy diet (at least mostly plant-based, with little to no processed foodstuffs) and regular exercise. IT REALLY DOES WORK and is WORTH THE EFFORT. After time, it is no longer an effort. I don’t even think of things like cheesecake (a former favorite) as a treat any more because I’ve lost my taste for that kind of thing.

i have been eating mostly vegetarian (some fish) for many years. fish maybe like twice a month. i avoid soy/tofu, wheat (unless its sprouted) and meat/dairy. occassionally i crave dairy and i only eat raw goat dairy, or eggs if they are local.

my diet consists of raw/living foods mostly. i usually eat smoothies with raw superfoods in them for breakfast, salads for lunch, and steamed veggies and grains for dinner.

some points to note:
-if you think you’re hungry, make sure your not just dehydrated
-snacks are usually just a handful of raw nuts or a piece or 2 of fruit
-NEVER eat after dark, its the body’s time to detox
-no fried foods
-no processed/packaged foods (hardly ever does my food come from a box or wrapper)
-you need a lot less food than you think
-you need a lot less protein than you think
-if you feel hunger shakiness, you are just detoxing