Post by Velar Fricative on Aug 2, 2024 5:20:00 GMT -5
I agree with getting started with an RD.
I get not wanting to count calories, but what keeps my eating balanced (I am actively losing weight, but I am pretty sure I’ll do this forever even when I’m no longer losing) is tracking my food. There’s really no way around it for me. The LoseIt! app makes it easy and measures my exercise and movement from my Apple Watch, all I do is scan the food and all the calculations happen for me so I don’t feel like I’m truly counting anything. I don’t pay much attention to macros but because I eat mostly plant-based I do want to make sure I’m always having protein. Tracking also ensures I’m eating enough. I have to measure my food too because I’m terrible at eyeballing and my portion sizes are way higher than they should be when I don’t measure.
Also, when do you work out? Is it first thing in the morning or later in the morning? The reason I work out daily first thing in the morning now (not always hard, this includes active recovery/easy days too) is because the exercise keeps me from getting ravenous for the rest of the day. I eat three meals and snacks and it’s always enough. That wasn’t the case before cleaning up my dietary habits and exercising first thing.
I really buy into “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.” So if you really really don’t want to track food, deep down we all know the food groups to stick to for balanced eating - meat or plant proteins, fruits, vegetables, select fats, whole grains, etc. Grain bowls are a great way to incorporate all of that and I bring one for lunch nearly daily with batch-prepped ingredients. I’m never starving when I come home from work anymore.
I really buy into “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.” So if you really really don’t want to track food, deep down we all know the food groups to stick to for balanced eating - meat or plant proteins, fruits, vegetables, select fats, whole grains, etc. Grain bowls are a great way to incorporate all of that and I bring one for lunch nearly daily with batch-prepped ingredients.
I like this quote too.
For me, breakfast is heavy on whole grains and fruits. Lunch and dinners I try to always do a protein, starch/carb, and veggie. I limit processed foods, especially any added sugars, but eat tons of fruit. I never count calories or anything like that, and haven't for a really long time, and this works for me.
I also think there is something to all the recent news about highly processed foods being problematic. Any time I eat something like that, like granola bars or something that advertises "low sugar" and "high protein" and "high fiber" but the way they do it is by adding all kinds of weird ingredients, my body doesn't feel very satisfied, so I rarely eat that stuff. If I'm going to eat something snacky, I'd rather eat tortilla chips and salsa than a heavily processed granola bar, for example. The main thing for me is not eating too much added sugar or sugar substitutes. As soon as I do, my weight starts creeping up. This is why I'm not personally a fan of counting calories or other things because, for me, it's not just about the calories, it's about how my body responds to what I'm eating. I try to pay a lot more attention to how I feel after I eat something and trust that my body will tell me if something doesn't feel right.
ETA: Also, I saw you mentioned focusing on eating low calorie, and I do the opposite. I don't focus on low calorie, at all. If I do, I'm hungry! For example, I eat a lot of plant based fats with meals (olive oil, etc), some butter, some cheese, and whole milk in my coffee. I try to pay attention to when I feel full and not overeat. It's more satisfying which overall I think naturally makes me eat less rather than being starving between meals and eventually eating too much because I'm so hungry.
Post by lavenderblue on Aug 2, 2024 9:24:19 GMT -5
I really try to focus on single ingredient foods, basically shopping the perimeter of the store. My focus is protein first, I aim for 135-145g per day, then fruits/vegetables, and lastly carbs like potatoes or rice. I cook with healthy fats like butter, avocado oil, and coconut oil.
As felicity said, I too listen to my body. I don't eat a big breakfast; I piecemeal it with a bit when I get up to take my pills with food at 6/6:30am and then 2-3 hours later a fruit and some nuts. I'm SO hungry for lunch because I work my brain & body a lot in the morning. My goal this year is to eat more protein based foods for lunch so I can more easily make it to dinner instead of being starving at 4pm.
Post by gerberdaisy on Aug 2, 2024 10:05:50 GMT -5
Thanks everyone! Just find it helpful to hear what others do. I do try to stick to real foods, limit processed foods etc… I thin it biggest thing is just allowing myself to eat when I’m hungry.
One post hit it in the head. My schedule is I work out from 6-7, drink coffee, eat a small breakfast around 8 or 9, but just never get full so I end up eating (snacking) until I feel it’s an appropriate lunch time. Then I’m not hungry for a real meal. I realize writing this down that it makes no sense, but here I am.
So, I’m going to prioritize protein and just eating actual meals. This morning I started with Greek yogurt, muesli, and walnuts. Then had a nectarine just now. About to figure out lunch.
It's also okay to not just shop the perimeter of the store. Things like frozen fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and legumes are in the middle of the store and those can be really dense in nutrients, too.
Ha, the 3 grocery stores I typically shop the frozen fruits and veggies are more on the outer part of the store and not in the middle.
Obviously every grocery store layout is different! There could of course be chips, cookies, etc on the perimeter as well But I think the concept is to shop for whole foods which historically aren’t in the middle aisles but of course your layout could be different.
Ha yes totally, every store is different!
Part of the reason we don't tell patients this is because it can unintentionally discourage people from buying shelf-stable items like canned meat, canned fruits and vegetables, dried grains, whole grains, etc. We also see sometimes that encouraging intake of whole/fresh fruits and vegetables over canned or frozen can decrease produce intake overall.
gerberdaisy Since you asked for recommendations to learn more about food, like books, I am suggesting a book/audio book that’s been around while and I found interesting to read - The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals (2006) by Michael Pollan. My book club read it when it came out and I was stunned to learn about the food around me that I took for granted & interacted with every day.
You can easily get it from the library or buy the paperback for around $10 (about the same for the audio book). I remember that he became a bit of a sensation, so he might have earned some backlash, too. I’m not sure if he fell out of favor or not but the book is good and not gimmicky at all.
Post by wanderlustmom on Aug 2, 2024 12:48:43 GMT -5
I have loved reading all the good ideas in this post! I would also recommend a dietitian. I have genetic high cholesterol so I started with one a few years ago. She works with gentle nutrition, health at every size and Intuitive eating. She's taught me so much about healthy eating. I like to track my fiber and protein and I don't worry about calories. I personally tend to do better when I add things in instead of taking them away. I know other posters talked about this too. I really like eggs and egg whites for breakfast like another poster mentioned (two eggs, add egg whites) and then lots of vegetables. I don't personally need more than about 80 grams of protein a day. Sometimes I'll have more but my body craves fiber more than protein. I try to make most of my carbs whole grain but not all. I also am mostly vegetarian that's new--just finding as I age the less I like meat. And like others have said, I tend to need to eat a lot. Most days three meals and a snack. My husband will often go the whole day with just grazing and have a huge dinner. I need to eat all day long.
I do protein + Carb for breakfast. Protein can be eggs, bacon, protein bar, protein shake around 8 am. Carb- usually I do more of a midmorning snack like granola bar around 10 am.
Protein plus veggie at lunch so lots of grilled chicken salad types. Use half the dressing. Make your own or I do a lot of premade from fast casual places, grocery store etc. I also do home made sandwiches and greek yogurt as another type option. Or dinner leftovers. Around noon.
Dinner- Protein, veggie, carb. Example, fish, green beans and rice. We do spaghetti, tacos, things like that. Around 7 pm.
Snacks- maybe a place to add a fruit. I am lactose intolerant so I don't drink milk. I add cheese to things and greek yogurt for my dairy part. I usually snack around 2-4 ish.
Post by picksthemusic on Aug 2, 2024 15:52:55 GMT -5
The doctor I worked for regularly recommended the Mediterranean diet/lifestyle due to the high vegetable/lean protein/high fiber/home-cooked aspect of it, and it's generally easier to stick to than any other diet that can be restrictive of certain foods/types of food.
Things to think about (and discuss with a dietician) - what are your goals? Weight loss? Bone/muscle/skin health? Easier meal planning for you and your family?
Echoing others - shopping from the perimeter of the store - fresh veg/fruit and lean meats and proteins (dairy, etc). Get things high in fiber and whole grains - these help with feeling full and they are more nutrient dense, also less processed. If your diet/palette allows, limit red meat and stick with chicken/turkey/seafood/lean pork if you're doing animal protein. Explore plant protein sources that aren't too processed. Try and avoid highly processed things (shelf-stable) as they contain more preservatives, fillers, and higher sodium contents. Frozen vegetables are your friend. Beans and lentils are amazing - filling, full of fiber, and high in protein. Go great on salads or as a meat substitute, or to add bulk to meals. Buy them dry and cook them yourself to control sodium.
Make sure to do a pantry/fridge/freezer clean-out/purge before starting over. It's so much easier to just not buy the junk and not have it available to eat vs. trying to avoid it when it's in your house.
For food I like a lot of the recipes from @dieticiantayla on Instagram. I'm eating her cottage cheese pizza bowl for lunch right now! But she has some good high protein recipes.