Vote in This Week's Poll: What's the hardest part of healthful eating?
That led to a discussion about how hard it is to stay on track these days what with traveling, eating out and just trying to decipher food labels at the grocery store. Besides knowing how to throw a boring party involving brownie-eating and dieting complaints, all of us had at least one problem area. "It's those darned Doritoes," one man said. "Once I start, it's like I go into some kind of Dorito coma."
I can relate.
What about you? What is the most difficult part of trying to follow a healthful diet? Vote in this week's poll and leave a comment about your experiences.
Poll: What's the hardest part of healthful eating?
1. Controlling my portion sizes
2. Avoiding temptations like sweets or junk food
3. Eating out too much
4. Trying to follow a healthful diet while my family doesn't
5. Figuring out the right foods to buy at the grocery store
6. Trying to buy healthy foods on a budget
7. All of the above
8. Other-please explain in comments
Comments
ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION
Ditto
fINDING THE TIME TO PREPARE HEALTHY MEALS….
Well, I do have trouble with portion sizes, but only at night, it is difficult to eat healthy when the family isn’t.BUT….the temptation to eat really BAD things at my mother in-law’s is driving me CRAZY! I have been avoiding her house for awhile now. Not conducive to friendly family relations!!!
As a diabetic it is difficult to eat a lot of litle meals and to eat healthy constantly when working. It is even more difficult when trying to do this on a budget and with limited time for food preparation after work for a housebound spouse whose dietary needs require he eats by a certain time
I eat out a lot, and it’s not that I don’t know what to get on the menu, I happen to get lots of chances to try out really fab places, and a side of steamed veggies just doesn’t sound as good as duck fat fries - if you know what I mean.
alcohol consumption is a big one too - not that I drink a bunch of drinks, but one tends to open the gateway for me wanting to eat more
I had to vote “other”. I’ve been doing it so long, eating healthy is my way of life. I feel sorry for those of you that have become the American norm and are trapped in the junk food diet. Not being able to make the healthy choices, or have the willpower, to overcome the temptations of the trash that is marketed in this country as “food”
Odd as this sounds, hurricanes! Dolly came to our town to visit. First, no power, so we ate much more than normal to keep it from going bad. Then the stress of the aftermath with all the damage repair, insurance company issues, the threat of Ike.
I am still eating mostly healthy and right at the ideal weight, but it is much harder than normal.
It’s not hard. The toughest part is balancing the food consumption and exercise. You must get your exercise every day to justify eating more! - THAT’S IT! Don’t be a whiner - get a good computer program, log what you eat and your exercise and you will be right-on! We do not have a pill for you right now - lazy ass. Just do it!
For me it’s the temptation of unhealthy food. During the week, my husband and I eat pretty well, it’s the weekends that are hard, especially during the summer since it’s so hot, I don’t want to cook. I have never been much of a snacker but since I had my daughter and have been home with her, I find myself grazing and getting disappointed when there is nothing “good” because I shop pretty healthy. Charlie, you don’t need to feel sorry for us. It seems that you think you must be better than us because you don’t cave to any kind of temptation. Why did you even do this survey if you are so perfect?
We attend a lot of pot lucks/socials and everyone expects you to take a portion of the items they brought. It’s rude to skip something that someone lovingly made from scratch, so I blow it big time at these events.
I can eat great during the day, but it’s the night that can kill all my hardwork. I start to roam the kitchen and pantry, and although a 100 calorie bar isn’t going to ruin my diet - the entire box does. It’s so frustrating~
My family takes up all the room in the fridge, etc. w/ foods I don’t eat.
Really all of the above… but I would add the time it takes to research healthy recipes, shop, cook, prepare lunches/meals… special challenge for single male; sometimes wasteful portions; sometimes ruined due to lack of skill; amazingly sometimes somewhat edible. Cooking-in requires life-style change commitments.
I’m lucky in that I don’t crave sugar and I don’t crave salt; but what’s worse is that I have high cholesterol, and I really, really crave just about anything that’s high in saturated fat. (I guess that’s how I got the high cholesterol!)
I try my best to eat healthy and exercise every day (Mon-Fri) 3 Meals a day and 2 snacks….MY main downfall is alcohol. It’s Just empty calories.
Food preparation: The time and effort to fix and serve healthly meals or snacks.
The workout regimen was a lot easier to start and maintain than changing the diet. Changing eating habits was the really hard thing to do.
2 1/2 years ago, my wife got us back on the treadmill after a 6-year hiatus of non-exercise. With the daily workouts, we migrated to a healthier diet - much less red meat, more vegetables, much more fruit, and healthier snacks mixed in with the naughty stuff.
Eventually, my appetite shrunk to match the calorie burn with my current activity level. I take the occasional guilty pleasure without the guilt - I know I’ll work off the calories with the next exercise. My metabolism seems able to handle the larger meal at those special occasions. And there are times I need and will take more nutrition than usual. The muffin and latte in the morning or pie-ala-mode with dinner now and then is fine. Nowadays, the visit to the restaurant usually means leftovers - two meals for the price of one.
The health and fitness thing is a lifelong work-in-progress. It’s a constant balance of food intake and calorie burn, and making adjustments along the way.
An adjustment in attitude, commitment to the goals we set, mutual spousal encouragement, and individual discipline - that’s what it took for us to make our lifestyle changes.
I have to say “other”.
Originally from Sweden, I think culture has a lot to say. The American food culture is far more “addictive” than back home, even though fast food etc has had it’s impact recent years.
I was pretty much not allowed to drink Coke or what ever when I was a kid (uncle was a dentist!), not introduced to fast food until late (feel sick when eating McD, the concept is much more appealing to those born in the 90’s I think) and so on.
Always been active and now training 5-6 times a week. Love food though, eat what ever comes in my way, preferably healthier food, but never that much I feel I’m gonna burst! But that’s just for food. Never have cravings for sweets etc cus that has never been on my menu.
I’m sucker for popcorn though!
But when you’r used to a life style it’s not difficult to keep it up. I cook at home 9 out of 10 days and never spend more than 30 min in the kitchen. There’s a lot of easy, fast, healthy food choices!
I am actually doing okay but I love pasta and white bread. I try to make the bread halthier by putting hummus on it. But, sometimes you just have that craving for fats like mayo or butter instead. Also, I have to make rice pudding with real sugar but I try to limit my portions.
My problem isn’t eating out too much, it’s figuring out what to eat when I get there. I got a “salad” when I went out a few days ago, and it was excellent, but huge. I was so tempted to finish it, but I resisted. It wasn’t any good the next day, so I ended up throwing away half of it.
Trying to eat enough veggies and fruits everyday.
I eat all sorts of healthy food and don’t drink nor do I like a lot of sweets,
but the biggest problem I have is waiting in cues - so I go to a “fast food” and get what I want quick … For the lack of patience I sin … forgive me, my body.