Eating for body type and blood type

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poolchicko5
poolchicko5 Posts: 21 Member
in Food and Nutrition
There are so many diets out there that are easy to get caught up in. We are not designed to all eat the same way and what works you may not work for someone else.

I'm 29 and have had hypothyroidism since I was 11. Fortunately I've always been somewhat careful and not gaining a ton of weight. I used to eat fast food and a lot of processed foods. When I did that..I was drinking a lot and ate like once a day. Some people may have thought I looked healthy but I wasn't on the inside!

I've ranged from 135 to 149 for the past 12 years. Now I'm a cook and I know what to eat and what not to eat based on everything I read and watch. However, it's hard to know what you really should eat.

I'd like to stay in shape. I'll get in these furious workout modes and get down to 135 and feel good, look good, and get distracted. I notice I generally do things in 3 month phases with anything I'm interested in. I'd like to tone up my arms, legs, stomach,etc. maybe get down to 130 and stay there! I go hiking often 3-7 miles each time a few times a week and I work on my feet all day. I've got tendinitis flare-ups in my right foot, hip, and shoulder. I'd like to get good at trail running.

My body type is a mesomorph and I'm supposed to have 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat.

I have hypothyroidism so I'm supposed to consume iodine and selinium rich foods and limit gluten. It is also said to not overindulge in cruciferous vegetables and soy.

My blood type O says I need a high protein diet on lean meat, fish, poultry and vegetables. Again I'm supposed to be light and/or avoid grains, dairy, and gluten. This also says I shouldn't eat beans, melons, avocado, and certain cruciferous vegetables.

There isn't a lot a about sugar but I know that when I've gone without extra sugar (other than what's found naturally in foods) I feel better.

So knowing all of this...my partner is an ectomorph and blood type B. There are several large differences other than the fact that we can both eat lean meats (except chicken), some seafood, certain grains and vegetables.

We are very different personalities and I lean more towards trying to stay healthy while he isn't as interested because he looks healthy. I wonder how to change our diets to accommodate one another without making it too drastic or having him miss out on cheese and sweets,etc.?

How does anyone else lead a normal lifestyle as a food loving person while staying in shape and cooking for their spouse without complications?

Suggestions and or stories welcome! I'll take whatever help I can get.
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Replies

  • roamingtiger
    roamingtiger Posts: 747 Member
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    I agree with @fishshark
    I didn't know there were different diets for different body types and blood types...
  • Golbat
    Golbat Posts: 276 Member
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    I have hypothyroidism and I eat tons of cruciferous vegetables and soy, and my thyroid levels are remaining stable and I'm losing weight. And you can have gluten unless you have celiac disease or an allergy.

    I would just eat what you like, try to mainly have foods that give you good nutrition for the calories, and have a calorie deficit, and not worry beyond that.
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
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    Diets like the blood type or body type (and dozens more!) only exist to sell the books for the authors, even if there's absolutely no scientific proof backing them up. The more outrageous the idea/plan, the more books they sell because people would much rather blame something beyond their control - like their body type or their blood type or their eye colour or whatever - for their obesity, instead of taking responsibility for the fact that the reason they're overweight is simply because they've been eating too damn much! :)

    If everyone actually realized that in order to lose weight all you need to do is eat less than you burn, every overweight person would also have to recognize and take personal responsibility for the reverse that got them to this point in the first place. And that's not trendy, that doesn't sell books or diet pills, or snake oil supplements.

    But that *is* science. ;)

  • smotheredincheese
    smotheredincheese Posts: 559 Member
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    Having to eat according to your body shape and blood group and stick to all those arbitrary rules sounds exhausting. It's so unnecessary!
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,641 Member
    edited October 2016
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    poolchicko5 wrote: »
    There are so many diets out there that are easy to get caught up in. We are not designed to all eat the same way and what works you may not work for someone else.

    While it's true that different ways of eating work better or worse for different people, it has zero to do with body type or blood type, so feel free to toss all that in the trash and start with a clean slate.

    What foods make you feel bloated? Draggy? Don't appeal to your taste? Don't fit your medical dietary restrictions? Ditch those.

    What foods suit your taste? Keep you satisfied for a long period of time? Help you meet your nutritional goals? Are easy to fit into your lifestyle (prep time, portability, etc)? Fill in most of your diet with those.

    What are some snacks and treats that you like that you can moderate which will satisfy your cravings? Sprinkle in some of those within your calorie goal.

  • Wheelhouse15
    Wheelhouse15 Posts: 5,575 Member
    edited October 2016
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    Alatariel75 wrote: »
    Blood type diets have been thoroughly debunked, I'm sorry to say.

    I recall a story from this forum about a woman who started the bloody type diet and felt amazing. Lost weight, skin was clear, hair was shiny, had lots of energy... Then she finds out her blood type wasn't what she thought it was, and her actual blood type would have had her eating almost the opposite.

    Much like many of the overcomplicated diets invented to sell books, she was feeling great because she was making positive changes in her food intake and exercise. It had nothing to do with blood type.

    A simple Barnum Effect. We have a lot of antigens and the only reason why we worry about A,B and O are they are the only ones that were found to affect the success of transfusions. The fact that this diet strategy, if you can call it that with out laughing, only deals with a fraction of our antigens shows how ridiculous it really is.

    As for body types, their are no body types since we can change them by exercise and diet anyway. I have been everything from an ectomorph to an endomorph so what does that say about a "body type" if I can change it?

  • VioletRojo
    VioletRojo Posts: 596 Member
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    ahoy_m8 wrote: »
    poolchicko5 wrote: »
    How does anyone else lead a normal lifestyle as a food loving person while staying in shape and cooking for their spouse without complications?

    By counting calories, eating what you (and your family) love to eat, doing exercise you enjoy doing, and ignoring hooey.

    This exactly! We eat the foods we enjoy in the amounts that work with our activity level. I aim to meet my macros and I make sure that I get all my micros. That's all there is to it.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    Forget about body type and blood type diets.

    Weight loss is about calories.
    A healthy diet is about meeting your body's nutritional needs.
    You may feel more satisfied eating more protein or more vegetables or more carbs but that isn't because of your blood type or shape. Just eat food you both like in appropriate amounts.
    My family members like different foods and have different needs based on age, size and goals but we can eat the same stuff mostly.
    I eat appropriate portion sizes for me. I might have more vegetables on my plate. I try to stick to my calorie goal, hit my protein goal and the rest kind of takes care of itself.

  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
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    My favourite diet is called "Eat in a calorie deficit". Its pretty simple and works 100% of the time.

    *Results may vary but you will lose weight.
  • GameOfPounds
    GameOfPounds Posts: 128 Member
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    The blood type diet has been proven to be a fad.

    And about the body type thing: it's weird! I can't put myself to only one of these three categories and I think the same about people I know. All of us display characteristics of all three or at least two body types..

    Just try to eat healthfully and be active and I think you'll be rewarded :)
  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
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    Woo to the power 2.

    Woo^2
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
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    ahoy_m8 wrote: »
    poolchicko5 wrote: »
    How does anyone else lead a normal lifestyle as a food loving person while staying in shape and cooking for their spouse without complications?

    By counting calories, eating what you (and your family) love to eat, doing exercise you enjoy doing, and ignoring hooey.

    Yes, yes and yes!

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