Real food diet...is that a thing?
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JohnnyPenso wrote: »Well, here I am at the heaviest I've ever been. I haven't tried every diet out there, haven't yo-yo dieted, never taken a diet pill but, I have been REALLY LAZY about my health and fitness! What can I say, I'm a super wife, busy mom-of-three, I work full time, you know the drill. It's time for a change!
So, here's what I'm doing so far:
1. Eating only 'real foods', nothing processed.
2. Tracking what I eat here on MFP (1200 calories or less)
3. Cut out sugar
4. Replacing 1 meal a day with a protein shake
5. Drinking half my weight (or more) in water
6. Taking 1 serving of Amazing Grass each day
I've only been giving this approach a go since last Sunday. I have no problem with the food and I've been feeling pretty good, until yesterday. I think I might have hit a wall or something but...I'm exhausted! Any recommendations on things I can incorporate into my routine to help me feel more energized? Also, any tweeks or changes I should do with my 'plan'? Thanks so much for reading!
I'm a big fan of 1, hard to go wrong there, so long as you are including fish, meat, eggs etc. which are real foods. The key is in your mind. It must be a positive change that creates positive thoughts and feelings, not dread and anxiety, otherwise it's just mental torture. The rest, not so much. 1200 is an arbitrary figure. I'd rather see something based on your actual size, weight loss goals etc. I have no problem with cutting out sugar, I've done it myself, beyond the odd use of honey or maple syrup. Not a fan of drinking my calories to replace a meal, I'd rather eat. I do use protein shakes, homemade, and only after a workout for specific reasons. I can't drink 80 pounds of water. Don't believe in superfoods nor repetitively eating the same foods. Variety is king.
what are fake foods?
That plastic stuff they strew around the deli case to try to make the display look more "artistic".
Or, my grandmother's dining room centerpiece circa 1967.12 -
Oh my gosh, @BruinsGal_91my hummers stay all winter and I have to watch to make sure the nectar doesn't freeze.
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JohnnyPenso wrote: »Well, here I am at the heaviest I've ever been. I haven't tried every diet out there, haven't yo-yo dieted, never taken a diet pill but, I have been REALLY LAZY about my health and fitness! What can I say, I'm a super wife, busy mom-of-three, I work full time, you know the drill. It's time for a change!
So, here's what I'm doing so far:
1. Eating only 'real foods', nothing processed.
2. Tracking what I eat here on MFP (1200 calories or less)
3. Cut out sugar
4. Replacing 1 meal a day with a protein shake
5. Drinking half my weight (or more) in water
6. Taking 1 serving of Amazing Grass each day
I've only been giving this approach a go since last Sunday. I have no problem with the food and I've been feeling pretty good, until yesterday. I think I might have hit a wall or something but...I'm exhausted! Any recommendations on things I can incorporate into my routine to help me feel more energized? Also, any tweeks or changes I should do with my 'plan'? Thanks so much for reading!
I'm a big fan of 1, hard to go wrong there, so long as you are including fish, meat, eggs etc. which are real foods. The key is in your mind. It must be a positive change that creates positive thoughts and feelings, not dread and anxiety, otherwise it's just mental torture. The rest, not so much. 1200 is an arbitrary figure. I'd rather see something based on your actual size, weight loss goals etc. I have no problem with cutting out sugar, I've done it myself, beyond the odd use of honey or maple syrup. Not a fan of drinking my calories to replace a meal, I'd rather eat. I do use protein shakes, homemade, and only after a workout for specific reasons. I can't drink 80 pounds of water. Don't believe in superfoods nor repetitively eating the same foods. Variety is king.
what are fake foods?
I don't know. Maybe you should ask someone that used that phrase?3 -
JohnnyPenso wrote: »Well, here I am at the heaviest I've ever been. I haven't tried every diet out there, haven't yo-yo dieted, never taken a diet pill but, I have been REALLY LAZY about my health and fitness! What can I say, I'm a super wife, busy mom-of-three, I work full time, you know the drill. It's time for a change!
So, here's what I'm doing so far:
1. Eating only 'real foods', nothing processed.
2. Tracking what I eat here on MFP (1200 calories or less)
3. Cut out sugar
4. Replacing 1 meal a day with a protein shake
5. Drinking half my weight (or more) in water
6. Taking 1 serving of Amazing Grass each day
I've only been giving this approach a go since last Sunday. I have no problem with the food and I've been feeling pretty good, until yesterday. I think I might have hit a wall or something but...I'm exhausted! Any recommendations on things I can incorporate into my routine to help me feel more energized? Also, any tweeks or changes I should do with my 'plan'? Thanks so much for reading!
I'm a big fan of 1, hard to go wrong there, so long as you are including fish, meat, eggs etc. which are real foods. The key is in your mind. It must be a positive change that creates positive thoughts and feelings, not dread and anxiety, otherwise it's just mental torture. The rest, not so much. 1200 is an arbitrary figure. I'd rather see something based on your actual size, weight loss goals etc. I have no problem with cutting out sugar, I've done it myself, beyond the odd use of honey or maple syrup. Not a fan of drinking my calories to replace a meal, I'd rather eat. I do use protein shakes, homemade, and only after a workout for specific reasons. I can't drink 80 pounds of water. Don't believe in superfoods nor repetitively eating the same foods. Variety is king.
I thought maybe I was the only one that picked up on this. At a little over 8 pounds per gallon, I would have to drink about 16 gallons of water per day at which point I'd die from water toxicity. If I didn't die I'd be in the bathroom all day which would result in weight loss because I wouldn't be in the refrigerator.
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Well, here I am at the heaviest I've ever been. I haven't tried every diet out there, haven't yo-yo dieted, never taken a diet pill but, I have been REALLY LAZY about my health and fitness! What can I say, I'm a super wife, busy mom-of-three, I work full time, you know the drill. It's time for a change!
So, here's what I'm doing so far:
1. Eating only 'real foods', nothing processed.
2. Tracking what I eat here on MFP (1200 calories or less)
3. Cut out sugar
4. Replacing 1 meal a day with a protein shake
5. Drinking half my weight (or more) in water
6. Taking 1 serving of Amazing Grass each day
I've only been giving this approach a go since last Sunday. I have no problem with the food and I've been feeling pretty good, until yesterday. I think I might have hit a wall or something but...I'm exhausted! Any recommendations on things I can incorporate into my routine to help me feel more energized? Also, any tweeks or changes I should do with my 'plan'? Thanks so much for reading!Well, here I am at the heaviest I've ever been. I haven't tried every diet out there, haven't yo-yo dieted, never taken a diet pill but, I have been REALLY LAZY about my health and fitness! What can I say, I'm a super wife, busy mom-of-three, I work full time, you know the drill. It's time for a change!
So, here's what I'm doing so far:
1. Eating only 'real foods', nothing processed.
2. Tracking what I eat here on MFP (1200 calories or less)
3. Cut out sugar
4. Replacing 1 meal a day with a protein shake
5. Drinking half my weight (or more) in water
6. Taking 1 serving of Amazing Grass each day
I've only been giving this approach a go since last Sunday. I have no problem with the food and I've been feeling pretty good, until yesterday. I think I might have hit a wall or something but...I'm exhausted! Any recommendations on things I can incorporate into my routine to help me feel more energized? Also, any tweeks or changes I should do with my 'plan'? Thanks so much for reading!
I think that if you want to do an elimination diet, you should do something like a Whole 30. That will get you weaned off of the foods that gave you cravings and also help you figure out which foods you're sensitive to.[ I think that those who abide strictly to a CICO approach are a bit narrow-minded, since it doesn't work for anyone. In addition to food sensitivities, most people find it difficult to eat high-carb foods in moderation, so you're better off cutting them out entirely in the beginning.
It's not "narrow minded" it's actual fact. Food sensitivities are an individual issue and people that find it difficult to eat high carb foods in moderation just don't have the discipline others have. Doesn't negate them from having to eat less calories than the burn to lose weight.
HOW a person approaches CICO is a preference. So please don't insult those who are well versed in how weight loss actually works.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Abstainers have a different sort of discipline. It happens in the grocery store rather than the kitchen.
http://gretchenrubin.com/happiness_project/2012/10/back-by-popular-demand-are-you-an-abstainer-or-a-moderator/1 -
JohnnyPenso wrote: »JohnnyPenso wrote: »Well, here I am at the heaviest I've ever been. I haven't tried every diet out there, haven't yo-yo dieted, never taken a diet pill but, I have been REALLY LAZY about my health and fitness! What can I say, I'm a super wife, busy mom-of-three, I work full time, you know the drill. It's time for a change!
So, here's what I'm doing so far:
1. Eating only 'real foods', nothing processed.
2. Tracking what I eat here on MFP (1200 calories or less)
3. Cut out sugar
4. Replacing 1 meal a day with a protein shake
5. Drinking half my weight (or more) in water
6. Taking 1 serving of Amazing Grass each day
I've only been giving this approach a go since last Sunday. I have no problem with the food and I've been feeling pretty good, until yesterday. I think I might have hit a wall or something but...I'm exhausted! Any recommendations on things I can incorporate into my routine to help me feel more energized? Also, any tweeks or changes I should do with my 'plan'? Thanks so much for reading!
I'm a big fan of 1, hard to go wrong there, so long as you are including fish, meat, eggs etc. which are real foods. The key is in your mind. It must be a positive change that creates positive thoughts and feelings, not dread and anxiety, otherwise it's just mental torture. The rest, not so much. 1200 is an arbitrary figure. I'd rather see something based on your actual size, weight loss goals etc. I have no problem with cutting out sugar, I've done it myself, beyond the odd use of honey or maple syrup. Not a fan of drinking my calories to replace a meal, I'd rather eat. I do use protein shakes, homemade, and only after a workout for specific reasons. I can't drink 80 pounds of water. Don't believe in superfoods nor repetitively eating the same foods. Variety is king.
what are fake foods?
I don't know. Maybe you should ask someone that used that phrase?
you said "...so long as you are including fish, meat, eggs etc. which are real foods." This would clearly indicate that there are fake foods out there and I would like to know what they are.6 -
Look_Its_Kriss wrote: »She said chocolate cake but wasn't very descriptive about the cake... i thought a visual would be helpful in case people were having trouble with their imaginations
LOVE YOU!!!
Also @cmriverside had i of known you felt that way about me, could i make it up to you this way??
I mean, it's no men in black mind eraser gizmo thingie but it is a nice shade of green
BAN5 -
JohnnyPenso wrote: »Well, here I am at the heaviest I've ever been. I haven't tried every diet out there, haven't yo-yo dieted, never taken a diet pill but, I have been REALLY LAZY about my health and fitness! What can I say, I'm a super wife, busy mom-of-three, I work full time, you know the drill. It's time for a change!
So, here's what I'm doing so far:
1. Eating only 'real foods', nothing processed.
2. Tracking what I eat here on MFP (1200 calories or less)
3. Cut out sugar
4. Replacing 1 meal a day with a protein shake
5. Drinking half my weight (or more) in water
6. Taking 1 serving of Amazing Grass each day
I've only been giving this approach a go since last Sunday. I have no problem with the food and I've been feeling pretty good, until yesterday. I think I might have hit a wall or something but...I'm exhausted! Any recommendations on things I can incorporate into my routine to help me feel more energized? Also, any tweeks or changes I should do with my 'plan'? Thanks so much for reading!
I'm a big fan of 1, hard to go wrong there, so long as you are including fish, meat, eggs etc. which are real foods. The key is in your mind. It must be a positive change that creates positive thoughts and feelings, not dread and anxiety, otherwise it's just mental torture. The rest, not so much. 1200 is an arbitrary figure. I'd rather see something based on your actual size, weight loss goals etc. I have no problem with cutting out sugar, I've done it myself, beyond the odd use of honey or maple syrup. Not a fan of drinking my calories to replace a meal, I'd rather eat. I do use protein shakes, homemade, and only after a workout for specific reasons. I can't drink 80 pounds of water. Don't believe in superfoods nor repetitively eating the same foods. Variety is king.
I thought maybe I was the only one that picked up on this. At a little over 8 pounds per gallon, I would have to drink about 16 gallons of water per day at which point I'd die from water toxicity. If I didn't die I'd be in the bathroom all day which would result in weight loss because I wouldn't be in the refrigerator.
I fell for that too in an earlier thread, but it actually means "half your weight in pounds in fl oz".0 -
I see now. My intent was to engage the OP in a discussion about their views on what is "real food", nothing more. Everyone has different views on what is real, what is natural, what is processed etc.JohnnyPenso wrote: »JohnnyPenso wrote: »Well, here I am at the heaviest I've ever been. I haven't tried every diet out there, haven't yo-yo dieted, never taken a diet pill but, I have been REALLY LAZY about my health and fitness! What can I say, I'm a super wife, busy mom-of-three, I work full time, you know the drill. It's time for a change!
So, here's what I'm doing so far:
1. Eating only 'real foods', nothing processed.
2. Tracking what I eat here on MFP (1200 calories or less)
3. Cut out sugar
4. Replacing 1 meal a day with a protein shake
5. Drinking half my weight (or more) in water
6. Taking 1 serving of Amazing Grass each day
I've only been giving this approach a go since last Sunday. I have no problem with the food and I've been feeling pretty good, until yesterday. I think I might have hit a wall or something but...I'm exhausted! Any recommendations on things I can incorporate into my routine to help me feel more energized? Also, any tweeks or changes I should do with my 'plan'? Thanks so much for reading!
I'm a big fan of 1, hard to go wrong there, so long as you are including fish, meat, eggs etc. which are real foods. The key is in your mind. It must be a positive change that creates positive thoughts and feelings, not dread and anxiety, otherwise it's just mental torture. The rest, not so much. 1200 is an arbitrary figure. I'd rather see something based on your actual size, weight loss goals etc. I have no problem with cutting out sugar, I've done it myself, beyond the odd use of honey or maple syrup. Not a fan of drinking my calories to replace a meal, I'd rather eat. I do use protein shakes, homemade, and only after a workout for specific reasons. I can't drink 80 pounds of water. Don't believe in superfoods nor repetitively eating the same foods. Variety is king.
what are fake foods?
I don't know. Maybe you should ask someone that used that phrase?
you said "...so long as you are including fish, meat, eggs etc. which are real foods." This would clearly indicate that there are fake foods out there and I would like to know what they are.1 -
We have regular pizza nights too, then i found these little gems (they are tiny but so good, I actually prefer them over regular pizza!). These fit into my plan perfectly!
https://realgoodfoods.com/0 -
I don't think I've eaten 1200 calories or less since I started here on MFP 3 years ago. MFP set me at 1200 but I realized it was not enough to keep my energy levels up throughout the day. CICO is the only thing that has worked for me in over 25 years of "yo-yo dieting" and trying all the fads. I, too, work a full time job, have children and find the time to take care of myself because if I don't, how will I take care of others??1
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Look_Its_Kriss wrote: »She said chocolate cake but wasn't very descriptive about the cake... i thought a visual would be helpful in case people were having trouble with their imaginations LOVE YOU!!!
Also @cmriverside had i of known you felt that way about me, could i make it up to you this way??
I mean, it's no men in black mind eraser gizmo thingie but it is a nice shade of green
Reported...6 -
StarBrightStarBright wrote: »FWIW- I found that a "real food diet" (Michael Pollan style) kept me at a sustainable and healthy weight for years without trying.
I spent my teens and early twenties inhaling "fake" diet foods and working out all of the time to maintain a weight of 135 for years - so much work to weigh 135. I gradually learned to cook from scratch and eat whole foods and while I drifted upwards a bit (to 142 (summer)-146(winter)) I kept in that range for 10 years rather effortlessly.
After my last baby and now in my late 30s I'm finding that I need to tweak my diet (macros and smaller portions) to keep my weight in that range - BUT - I firmly believe that eating whole foods in sensible portions will help keep you satisfied while staying in a good caloric range (you do have to eat correct portion sizes though).
*and I agree that shakes definitely do not count as real food.
Isn't Michael Pollan the one who says eat like your grandparents or great grandparents? Uh, my grandparents died 6 years ago. The one who lived to be 93 loved diet root beer, peanut M&Ms, and ice cream. My great grandparents still used cake mixes, and were not the most sanitary in their cooking. My mom remembers flies floating in the olive barrel at the farm.5 -
There's definitely a way to eat primarily whole, natural foods. It's not something I just switched too though. It's something that I gradually adapted into over time. Just slowly phase out the stuff you think is garbage, and over time keep moving the needle of your overall diet a little bit further towards your goal. Way easier said than done for most. The thing that kept me on track most was running. I can actually see and feel the difference in how I feel before, during and after a run based on the ratio of junk and/or highly processed food to healthy, whole foods. That helps. If you just want to lose weight though, and are not concerned about any sort of boost (however small) to performance, then you don't have to go this route as it is, quite frankly, harder than just eating fewer calories than you take in.0
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I'm wondering about drinking 1/2 her weight of water is that a day? So if she weighs 200lbs that would be almost 1,500 floz of water a day. Is my math wrong? That seems like a lot.2
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I'm wondering about drinking 1/2 her weight of water is that a day? So if she weighs 200lbs that would be almost 1,500 floz of water a day. Is my math wrong? That seems like a lot.
I think it means to make your weight oz then half, so if she weighs 200lbs, 200 oz of water, or a goal of 100 oz per day2 -
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I'm wondering about drinking 1/2 her weight of water is that a day? So if she weighs 200lbs that would be almost 1,500 floz of water a day. Is my math wrong? That seems like a lot.
They mean fluid ounces, not weight ounces. The general population of humans don't weigh their water.0 -
That's still a crazy amount. 8 cups is 64 oz.
I have kidney stone issues and need to drink more, but only about 100 oz. (3liters). And that's for a specific health issue. I rarely manage to get all of the 3 L down everyday.
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A fluid ounce of water weighs an ounce. That's why it's called a "fluid ounce".
The "drink half your weight in water" is misguided advice - but it's also misleading because it means "take your weight in pounds; divide by two; drink that many fluid ounces of water". A whole bunch of steps that are frequently not mentioned.1
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