Healthy eating and exercise tips

[Sun_Worshiper]

What do you do to stay healthy? What tips can you share with the rest of us?

I'll kick things off:
(1) Frozen fruits and veggies are just as good as fresh ones. I buy a big bag of frozen blueberries every week, toss it in the fridge to let it defrost, and put a handful of them in the oatmeal or yogurt that I eat for breakfast. Frozen veggies are great for stir frying too.
(2) Edamame is an unbeatable snack. It is low in calories and high in protein and fiber. Trader Joe's has packets of plain, de-shelled edamame that you can just toss in your bag and take to work. Especially good as a protein source if you don't eat meat - or are trying to keep it to a minimum.
(3) It is easy to drink a lot of calories. Carbonated water helped me kick the soda habit.

[nebo113]

Those with GERD might want to check with their doc about carbonated water.

I tend to eat several smaller meals rather than the "three squares a day."

[Morden]

Make a big batch of something in a slow cooker, and then freeze in individual portion sizes that can be quickly heated up in the microwave for when I'm too tired/stressed to cook.

[clean]

There is a lot to do with diet and eating.  Soup can be healthy and inexpensive. However, as it doesnt involve a lot of chewing, I tend to eat too much, removing some of the health benefits. 
For a short time ( a few days) you can chew gum and that will satisfy the chewing need.  (After a few days, gum doesnt cut it anymore)

[Sun_Worshiper]

Get steps in where you can: Take the stairs; park on the far end of the lot; go to the bathroom on the other end of the building; walk around the house while talking on the phone or sifting through morning emails. Taking 10,000+ steps every day has helped lose a few extra pounds and really doesn't take much in the way of extra time/effort.

[RatGuy]

Taking 10,000+ steps every day has helped lose a few extra pounds and really doesn't take much in the way of extra time/effort.

I noticed a difference when I was no longer assigned classrooms on the other side of campus.

Also, I've moved to a mostly liquid diet. Overnight oats, yogurt, blended greens.

[apl68]

Plain old tap water (Assuming you don't live in a place where the tap water is potentially hazardous--and honestly, very few places in the U.S. don't have safe tap water).  It's what your body's thirsty for!

[Sun_Worshiper]

Taking 10,000+ steps every day has helped lose a few extra pounds and really doesn't take much in the way of extra time/effort.

I noticed a difference when I was no longer assigned classrooms on the other side of campus.

I know this isn't for everyone, but having a dog to walk has helps me get to 10,000 consistently.

Plain old tap water (Assuming you don't live in a place where the tap water is potentially hazardous--and honestly, very few places in the U.S. don't have safe tap water).  It's what your body's thirsty for!

True. Water is really all anyone should be drinking - maybe some coffee or tea as well. But tbh such a strict diet is not going to be sustainable for many/most people. You have to think: "What diet can I stick to for the rest of my life?" For me, that diet is five days a week of healthy eating, and two cheat meals at restaurants (usually one dinner and one lunch). Those indulgences help me to eat right on all the other days of the week.

[little bongo]

While I am absolutely the wrong person to contribute tips to this thread, I might be the right person to benefit from it.

[Kron3007]

Taking 10,000+ steps every day has helped lose a few extra pounds and really doesn't take much in the way of extra time/effort.

I noticed a difference when I was no longer assigned classrooms on the other side of campus.

I know this isn't for everyone, but having a dog to walk has helps me get to 10,000 consistently.

Plain old tap water (Assuming you don't live in a place where the tap water is potentially hazardous--and honestly, very few places in the U.S. don't have safe tap water).  It's what your body's thirsty for!

True. Water is really all anyone should be drinking - maybe some coffee or tea as well. But tbh such a strict diet is not going to be sustainable for many/most people. You have to think: "What diet can I stick to for the rest of my life?" For me, that diet is five days a week of healthy eating, and two cheat meals at restaurants (usually one dinner and one lunch). Those indulgences help me to eat right on all the other days of the week.

Yes, the dog definitely helps get the steps in.  I dont actually like having a dog, but that is the silver lining.

I also dont have a parking pass at work, which makes me park off campus and walk in.  They charge us an unseemly amount to park at work, so this is a financial choice as much as anything. 

Regardless, with my parking choice and the dog, I am probably close to an hour of walking per day without any real choice. 

I plan on joining the gym soon, but I have been saying this for the better part of the year, so...

[marshwiggle]

I also dont have a parking pass at work, which makes me park off campus and walk in.  They charge us an unseemly amount to park at work, so this is a financial choice as much as anything. 

Regardless, with my parking choice and the dog, I am probably close to an hour of walking per day without any real choice. 

I take transit to work, so I have about a 10 minute walk from my condo to the station, and then from the station at work to my office, so doing that both ways makes me do about 40 minutes of walking automatically every day.

That helps a lot. And now having a 15 walk to get somewhere is nothing, whereas when I drove to work that would have seemed arduous.

[dismalist]

I also dont have a parking pass at work, which makes me park off campus and walk in.  They charge us an unseemly amount to park at work, so this is a financial choice as much as anything. 

Regardless, with my parking choice and the dog, I am probably close to an hour of walking per day without any real choice. 

I take transit to work, so I have about a 10 minute walk from my condo to the station, and then from the station at work to my office, so doing that both ways makes me do about 40 minutes of walking automatically every day.

That helps a lot. And now having a 15 walk to get somewhere is nothing, whereas when I drove to work that would have seemed arduous.

Me too, when I was still working - 10 minutes from home to station and 20 minutes from station to work. One hour per day, round trip. What's further healthy is avoiding the elevator. All this gets pretty automatic. Having always lived in cities with good public transport I have never known any other way to live.

[Sun_Worshiper]

Taking 10,000+ steps every day has helped lose a few extra pounds and really doesn't take much in the way of extra time/effort.

I noticed a difference when I was no longer assigned classrooms on the other side of campus.

I know this isn't for everyone, but having a dog to walk has helps me get to 10,000 consistently.

Plain old tap water (Assuming you don't live in a place where the tap water is potentially hazardous--and honestly, very few places in the U.S. don't have safe tap water).  It's what your body's thirsty for!

True. Water is really all anyone should be drinking - maybe some coffee or tea as well. But tbh such a strict diet is not going to be sustainable for many/most people. You have to think: "What diet can I stick to for the rest of my life?" For me, that diet is five days a week of healthy eating, and two cheat meals at restaurants (usually one dinner and one lunch). Those indulgences help me to eat right on all the other days of the week.

Yes, the dog definitely helps get the steps in.  I dont actually like having a dog, but that is the silver lining.

I also dont have a parking pass at work, which makes me park off campus and walk in.  They charge us an unseemly amount to park at work, so this is a financial choice as much as anything. 

Regardless, with my parking choice and the dog, I am probably close to an hour of walking per day without any real choice. 

I plan on joining the gym soon, but I have been saying this for the better part of the year, so...

More power to you if you like going to the gym, but if you (like me) can't quite motivate yourself to do so, or are deterred by the costs and the hassle, there are a lot of things you can do at home with little equipment. For example, buy a couple of dumbbells and find a workout on youtube to do a couple of times a week. I haven't had a gym membership since before the pandemic, but I have an at-home routine with dumbbells and a medicine ball that work well enough for me.

[Parasaurolophus]

I plan on joining the gym soon, but I have been saying this for the better part of the year, so...

Kinda like in the monthly research threads, the key is consistency, and getting it done relatively early in the day. It also helps to have a good idea of what you're trying to do, of course; not every routine is going to be geared to your goals.

I've gone five days a week for the last 21 years. I do one major muscle group a day, plus I row three kilometres or so every day (we have a rowing machine at home, which I use on non-gym days). But I'm bodybuilding, not aiming for other stuff. I used to walk 5-10km a day, but having a hatchling has put paid to that for the time being. In another year or two I should be able to start up again.

[Kron3007]

I plan on joining the gym soon, but I have been saying this for the better part of the year, so...

Kinda like in the monthly research threads, the key is consistency, and getting it done relatively early in the day. It also helps to have a good idea of what you're trying to do, of course; not every routine is going to be geared to your goals.

I've gone five days a week for the last 21 years. I do one major muscle group a day, plus I row three kilometres or so every day (we have a rowing machine at home, which I use on non-gym days). But I'm bodybuilding, not aiming for other stuff. I used to walk 5-10km a day, but having a hatchling has put paid to that for the time being. In another year or two I should be able to start up again.

You are my new inspiration.  21 years is a lot.

I have done well for periods, but I measure in years not decades!