Consistency!

I_AM_ISRAEL

What do y’all do to stay consistent with your meal plans? (I hate the word diet because it usually implies a negative connotation. I believe a lot of times these “diets” are the way we should be eating to begin with)

COGypsy

My vote is “None of the above”.
1. If I could only eat one thing for a meal for the rest of eternity, I’d frankly just quit eating. Not going to do anything to lose weight that I won’t do to maintain it later.
2. I keep an eye on my protein, but just kind of let the rest do their thing.
3. I work what I want to eat into my calories, so I don’t need “cheat meals” and certainly not an entire “cheat day”! Besides, who am I even cheating?

cmriverside

Yeah. What COGypsy said.

None of the above.

I eat a rotating menu of multiple fruits and vegetables per week. Multiple sources of protein. Grains. Nuts. Mostly healthy fats, with a little cheese and butter thrown in there. Eggnog this month. Some days I'm way over my calories. Occasionally I'm under. Meh, it all works out. I step on the body weight scale several times a week and adjust according to long-term trends.

I do track my foods and I do glance at macros, but I tend to eat intuitively enough of everything. Like COGypsy, protein is the only one I need to keep an eye on.

snowflake954

None of above.

For the same reasons the others have stated. Consistency in calorie goals and exercise are what interests me--I make habits. "Cheat days" are just a packaged way to say "over eating".

SuzySunshine99

None of the above.
I eat what I like within a calorie goal.

Lietchi

Eat the same meals daily? Just shoot me now, that ain't happening. I can eat the same breakfast for months at a time and I do have have some meals and snacks that I have on a regular basis, but overall variety is important for me.

Count macros: I count calories and keep an eye on my protein intake.

Have scheduled cheat days: cheat days can mean many things - higher calorie intake, eating foods that are usually 'off limits', not tracking,... I don't use the word cheat - I have higher calorie days and lower calorie days, some days eating mostly whole foods, some days more processed foods. I aim for balance overall. All without a 'meal plan' - to be honest just that word makes me want to run away (although I recognise that some people need and like to plan their meals).

cwolfman13

Another none of the above. I put a premium on quality nutrition...lots of whole foods and home cooking, healthy fats, lean protein, veg, fruit, whole grains and legumes, etc as well as regular exercise and active recreation. I don't count calories and don't really care about macros...I just look at overall quality nutrition.

I also schedule in things like pizza and movie night with the family...Wednesdays are my go out or get take out for lunch days...Sundays are also usually a go out for brunch or lunch day...I make special desert dishes a couple times per month, etc. In regards to the whole of my diet (noun) and nutrition, these things are pretty immaterial. IMO, quality nutrition and keeping healthy are pretty common sense and don't need to be particularly difficult to achieve.

corinasue1143

All of the above 💪🏼

Eat the same meals daily? No. But my favorites stay the same, and I eat them over and over.
Count macros? Try to keep protein up today so I won’t be too hungry tomorrow. Try to keep fat as low as possible. Still too high for my health. It also helps me keep total calories down when I keep fat calories down.
Cheat days? There are days—like Thanksgiving—that I just don’t want to try to analyze my food. Is this made with skim milk or full fat milk? How much butter do you think they added to this? I allow myself a meal now and then when I just ENJOY the food.

AnnPT77

Um, why do I need to be consistent with my meal plan? For me, "meal plan" isn't even a thing, honestly. I grocery shop, get things I like, make foods for meals quite spontaneously.

So, none of the above.

Like others, if I had to eat the same meals daily, I'd have given up in despair literal years ago. I do roughly count calories (most of the time now that I'm in maintenance, but not always), and I think overall nutrition is important (macros are part of that) . . . but all of that is fine to be "close enough, on average, over reasonably short periods of time". It absolutely doesn't need to be consistent every day, and that would drive me nuts. If it works for you, great. For you.

I have good eating habits, have been at a healthy weight for 7+ years now (after previous decades of obesity), my Garmin fitness tracker (even though I think this is laughable on a literal level) thinks my "fitness age" is half my chronological age (so I think I can conclude I'm doing OK-ish), my blood tests and other medical metrics are good, I get overall good nutrition on average eating things that make me happy (they vary lots from one day to the next).

Consistency? Not much, really.

"Cheat days"? Please. That's like believing in Santa Claus as an adult. It's a charming myth. Who or what would I be cheating?

Sometimes I eat lots of calories - way over maintenance, even; sometimes I eat fewer. Most of the time I eat nutrient-dense foods (that I enjoy, BTW - life is to short to eat non-tasty things, especially at my age!); other times I eat things with more calories than nutritional value. It's just food, and as a grown-up, I can make reasonable decisions about it.

Your mileage apparently varies, and that's fine, too.

BarbaraHelen2013

Yep, none of the above.

I don’t meal plan (sometimes wish I were the sort of person who does), I’m way too fickle to stick to any sort of plan!

I buy as many different vegetables as the supermarket has to offer and always have multiple different whole grains, pulses and dried beans in the store cupboard. Along with tinned plum tomatoes and a huge selection of herbs, spices and various culinaries (miso, ponzu, hoisin, harissa, gochujang etc etc…

Then I just ‘make stuff’ - I pretty much instinctively hit my macros and adjust quantities as I go along to keep the calories where I want them. I can have a vague idea of what I’m about to cook and log before I cook using fictional weights for each item then adjust each ingredient weight when I’m actually cooking and come out pretty much spot on to the 500 cals I allow for dinner.

Rockmama1111

I have a bunch of lower calorie go-to meals and recipes in rotation that balance out my week so I don’t have to think about it too much. It’s all stuff I really like. I don’t log much anymore as long as my favorite jeans fit. (And, yes, here I am, they feel a little snug!)

I’ve also been competing in StepBet challenges back-to-back for a couple of years so I ALWAYS get my steps in. (I’m too cheap to lose my money.)

I_AM_ISRAEL

All of the above 💪🏼

Sorry if I wasn’t clear! I myself will eat the same meals everyday, but will typically rotate food groups (mainly fats and carbs) every week or two.
Whilst, staying within my caloric and macro means. 😃

glassyo

Ok, I don't really do meals (I eat weird) but I'm a creature of habit so pretty much eat the same things every day.

Even when I'd go out to lunch every day at work, I'd go to the same fast food places (each had their own day) and order the same thing. It got to so the regular workers at some places started my order when they saw me walking in the door.

I pay attention to calories and keep an eye on protein (which I fail at miserably). I've also been failing at paying attention to calories lately...been mindlessly eating.

But, basically, my consistency is eating what I want within my calorie goal, exercising, and trying not to gain.

nossmf

In reading the responses to this thread, the surface impression vibe I'm seeing is, "dude, plans don't matter, be spontaneous and you will KNOW when you've had enough, stupid question." Honestly, many of the responses come across rather condescending.

While I don't ascribe to the options in the poll (the only macro I monitor is protein), I am certainly a person for whom planning is a mandatory way of life, both from my personality as well as experience showing me that I'm rather lousy at figuring out this whole food thing if left without a plan. So, @I_AM_ISRAEL, here is how I personally maintain consistency in my food preparation:

• 1. Keep a spreadsheet of dinners prepared, broken down into categories (chicken meals, hamburger meals, pork meals, fish meals, meatless meals, dining out, and a generic "other" section). Every time I eat a meal, I note the date it was served. My records go back over the last year, deleting the oldest month as each new month is added. Each week before I go grocery shopping, I compile a menu for the week, selecting a meal, from each category, which I haven't served for at least two weeks, preferably a month or more. This ensures variety of meals, variety of nutrition.
  
• 2. Pre-log meals as much as possible. First thing in the morning, I log in advance what my meals are likely to look like. Last thing before bed, I go back and note any adjustments needed... extra serving here, skipped the potatoes there, swapped fries to chips, etc.
  
• 3. During the work week my lunches are typically leftovers. Here's where combining the first two steps works its magic: if my scheduled dinner is calorie-heavy or protein-light, I select which leftover meal to eat to compensate to make the overall day balance. For example, if I'm having pizza for dinner (high calorie, low-to-moderate protein), I'll have leftover baked chicken for lunch and save the leftover spaghetti for the day I'm having pan-seared pork chops.
  
• 4. Save some space in your pre-plan for a touch of spontaneity. My daily calorie "budget" is just under 2,000 calories. I'll plan in advance about 1700-1800, leaving the extra space for a midday snack or (most often) dessert, which doesn't have to be planned in advance but does need to be kept to reasonable portions once selected.

Bottom line, I try to ensure variety of foods/treats while still using planning tools to eliminate as much guesswork as possible. "But what about holidays/birthdays/date night?" I enjoy it immensely, log it, and the next day just keep doing what I did before, making NO changes to "fix" what happened.

ghrmj

I eat mostly the same things daily for breakfast and lunch. By that I mean I have 2-3 options that I alternate through and they are all counted out for protein, veggies, calories and fibre, so I know they fit within my plan and goals. Dinner changes up depending on the day. Because the rest of the day is pretty set I can be a little more flexible with my dinner.

I_AM_ISRAEL

All of the above 💪🏼

@Nossmf I like your approach. And yes, i noticed a lot of condescending vibes as well; however, I’m not gonna add fuel to the fire because at the end of the day, results will ALWAYS speak louder than words 💪🏼

Lietchi

I'm sorry you feel condescending vibes, i don't think it's meant like that. But consistency means something different for everyone. For me it's about averages, not single days.
For others (but a minority on this thread, it would seem) it's about eating the same thing regularly.

Sustainability is the key. I would give up if I had to follow a meal plan, others are unsettled by irregular or unplanned meals and that pushes them 'off the wagon' so they prefer plans. We should all aim to do what works for us, not what works for others.

Being very restrictive (in quantity or type of foods) and then 'cheating' is often a strategy that leads to failure, because of precisely that sustainability factor. The regulars here have seen enough people come and go, so the word 'cheat' is a bit of a trigger word/red flag, even though it isn't always used in the same meaning.

PS results speaking louder than words - several successful people have replied. I've lost 75lbs myself. But as I said, whatever works for each individual, I hope you find your own long-term success with whatever strategy works for you.

glassyo

I didn't really see the condescension. Mostly just the OP didn't leave room for "None of the Above".

AnnPT77

The condescension was probably me, or I was one, anyway. I'll own that, and apologize. TBH, the OP seemed prescriptive and assumptions-based, to me. I probably over-reacted.

I honestly think one need not necessarily do any of those things in order to manage weight. They're tactics that work for some people . . . and I very sincerely think that's great, for those people.

They may be great tactics for other people - 3rd parties - or they may not.

We do see people here thinking that they need to white-knuckle their way into regimented every-day consistency in order to lose weight, or maintain weight, and who are struggling with that. Consistency is one route, but it's not the only route. A strict-ish consistency helps some people, but it would genuinely make me crazy. If routine consistency were required, I would've failed, period, end of sentence. Posts that leave no room for anyone to succeed via anything other than what I'd see as rigidity . . . well, they kind of get my back up, I admit.

I do have some preferred meals I eat often, especially breakfasts (since I'm nearly comatose until I've been awake for a few hours - autopilot is a good thing in the AM, for me). I've tweaked my routine eating habits via logging and reviewing logs to the point where calories and nutrition fall into place pretty automagically, the majority of days.

I really don't meal plan, I don't pre-log, and nearly never have, either during weight loss or maintenance. (During loss, I'd sometimes pre-log my final meal of the day to stay within calorie goal.) The results have been fine, at least according to my standards of "fine". To me "fine" = healthy weight (BMI 21-point-something), same jeans still fit great, health markers excellent, good exercise performance for my demographic.

OP, if I made you feel bad, I do apologize, very sincerely. While I want to push back on "one valid universal route" kind of thinking, I truly don't want to make anyone feel bad for coming in that way . . . and that may not have been your intention anyway.

snowflake954

I really don't see why truthful=condescension. The OP put out a poll. His key word is "Consistency!!!". People didn't fit into the categories and truthfully said why. I consider myself to be consistent, but not in his categories.

I also hope the OP (and everyone else) is successful and hits their goals. Sorry I was truthful.

neanderthin

snowflake954 wrote: »

I really don't see why truthful=condescension. The OP put out a poll. His key word is "Consistency!!!". People didn't fit into the categories and truthfully said why. I consider myself to be consistent, but not in his categories.

I also hope the OP (and everyone else) is successful and hits their goals. Sorry I was truthful.

Key words are fun to play with. cheers.

JBanx256

Another one here for, "none of the above," at least the vast majority of the time. When I have prepped, I have absolutely counted macros, +/- 10g P & C, +/- 5g F.

But right now, just maintaining, I make sure to get my protein in and stay within my overall calorie goal.

I usually eat the exact same meal 2 or 3x in a week, because I'll do some of my meal prepping in batches & just divvy the portions into separate containers. Normally on the day I prep, I'll go ahead and log the meals into whatever day I'm planning on having them, and ditto any "routine" items (eg, protein shakes, my normal mid-morning work snacks, etc). I do the vast majority of grocery shopping & meal planning for my family, so if I am planning to cook XYZ tomorrow night, I'll go ahead and log it in advance as well. Then I just fill in the blanks as I go along.

That said, I've never had an actual "meal plan." Just not my way & entirely unnecessary, at least for me (I know some people find them very useful, but I'm not one of them).

About once every-other week or so, or for any sort of special occasion (most recent being husband's birthday), I'll go out and eat as much as I want of whatever I want, but I do track it. I don't consider it a "cheat" meal or whatever because...I mean...how would it be cheating, and who would it be cheating? If I have to put a label on it, I'd call it a "Planned Hedonic Deviation." And of course, when I've prepped for anything, the hedonic deviations are nixed, unless it's VERY carefully planned.

Wynterbourne

None of the Above

This is not meant in any condescending way, it's just flat out honesty. The only 'Consistency' I adhear to is not stepping outside of what works for me, As some others have said, if I had to eat the same meals daily I would go insane and fail immediately. I realize it's necessary for some others' success, but I'm not them. I also acknowledge my way would lead to others' failure. That's why we all need to find what works for us individually. I also don't really do much macro watching, I'm a CICO girl. And when it comes to CICO, I prefer to average it weekly so if I get a serious craving for something that might not fall into a "normal" day's calorie allotment, I can just bank a little and then go and settle my craving knowing my numbers still average where they need to be. Some people may twist this as cheating based on what their notions of what a diet should be, but I don't. Rule number one. Find what works for you, it will never be what works for everyone else.

kshama2001

ghrmj wrote: »

I eat mostly the same things daily for breakfast and lunch. By that I mean I have 2-3 options that I alternate through and they are all counted out for protein, veggies, calories and fibre, so I know they fit within my plan and goals. Dinner changes up depending on the day. Because the rest of the day is pretty set I can be a little more flexible with my dinner.

Same - I'm pretty consistent with breakfast and lunch, and express creativity and get variety with dinner.

I_AM_ISRAEL

All of the above 💪🏼

Some of y’all need to practice more self control if you automatically give up in your minds with the, “I would lose my mind and go insane if I had to eat the same thing everyday!” Mentality.
Seriously, how do you know? Have you tried it? There are billions of people who are impoverished in this world “eating the same meals everyday” and they’re probably more joyful than a vast majority of us.
Come on, stop with this I quit before even trying mentality!
Try something uncomfortable for once in your lives, that’s challenging, that way you can at least have some anecdotal opinions about it.
“Oh ya, I tried that and it did not work!” Is a lot better than “nah I’ll lose my mind, without even trying it for a week”.

COGypsy

I_AM_ISRAEL wrote: »

Some of y’all need to practice more self control if you automatically give up in your minds with the, “I would lose my mind and go insane if I had to eat the same thing everyday!” Mentality.
Seriously, how do you know? Have you tried it? There are billions of people who are impoverished in this world “eating the same meals everyday” and they’re probably more joyful than a vast majority of us.
Come on, stop with this I quit before even trying mentality!
Try something uncomfortable for once in your lives, that’s challenging, that way you can at least have some anecdotal opinions about it.
“Oh ya, I tried that and it did not work!” Is a lot better than “nah I’ll lose my mind, without even trying it for a week”.

If consistency and results aren’t an issue, what’s the benefit of a mono diet? How exactly is it quitting, if there isn’t a problem to start solving in the first place?

Wynterbourne

I_AM_ISRAEL wrote: »

Some of y’all need to practice more self control if you automatically give up in your minds with the, “I would lose my mind and go insane if I had to eat the same thing everyday!” Mentality.
Seriously, how do you know? Have you tried it? There are billions of people who are impoverished in this world “eating the same meals everyday” and they’re probably more joyful than a vast majority of us.
Come on, stop with this I quit before even trying mentality!
Try something uncomfortable for once in your lives, that’s challenging, that way you can at least have some anecdotal opinions about it.
“Oh ya, I tried that and it did not work!” Is a lot better than “nah I’ll lose my mind, without even trying it for a week”.

Wow. Just wow, There is so much I'd like to say in response to this, but I'm going to refrain so I won't come off as condescending as you are now coming off. But I will say this: if eating a variety of foods works for me and my current diet is successful and healthy, why in the world would I try something more restrictive when I crave a variety of different foods? And how is sticking with a variety of foods that are resulting in a successful loss of weight a "quit before I even try mentality"??? My current non-monotonous diet is working for me. I'm not struggling, I'm not miserable. I'm happy with it. End of story.

AnnPT77

I_AM_ISRAEL wrote: »

Some of y’all need to practice more self control if you automatically give up in your minds with the, “I would lose my mind and go insane if I had to eat the same thing everyday!” Mentality.
Seriously, how do you know? Have you tried it? There are billions of people who are impoverished in this world “eating the same meals everyday” and they’re probably more joyful than a vast majority of us.
Come on, stop with this I quit before even trying mentality!
Try something uncomfortable for once in your lives, that’s challenging, that way you can at least have some anecdotal opinions about it.
“Oh ya, I tried that and it did not work!” Is a lot better than “nah I’ll lose my mind, without even trying it for a week”.

Why should we try it, when something that feels better to us has worked just fine for our weight loss, health and fitness goals? Since many of those who've posted have been successful, how is that a "quit before even trying mentality"?

Are you saying that it would somehow be better for us to reach our goals in a way that's harder for us? For myself, if I want to do hard things, there are plenty of worthwhile goals I can set that are necessarily and inherently difficult. I don't see a need to make this more difficult for myself.

Also, if you're thinking everyone who prefers more varied eating has never done anything difficult or uncomfortable in their lives . . . you're wrong.

I have all kinds of sympathy and respect for people who have no choice but to do difficult things, and do them, including eating in a limited way. I feel grateful that I have flexibility and can chose to do that, or chose not do that.

Like I said before, if being more structured in your eating patterns works well for you, that's great. I haven't said "that's crazy for everyone", or that you're somehow wrong in your personal choices . . . just that I wouldn't do that, wouldn't like to do that, and I don't see why it should be presented as a thing everyone by implication ought to do. It's a choice, but it's not the only valid choice.

If you're getting the results you want, and staying healthy doing it - as appears to be the case - that's excellent. If others reach that same outcome doing it in a different way, also excellent . . . IMO.

Lietchi

I_AM_ISRAEL wrote: »

Some of y’all need to practice more self control if you automatically give up in your minds with the, “I would lose my mind and go insane if I had to eat the same thing everyday!” Mentality.
Seriously, how do you know? Have you tried it? There are billions of people who are impoverished in this world “eating the same meals everyday” and they’re probably more joyful than a vast majority of us.
Come on, stop with this I quit before even trying mentality!
Try something uncomfortable for once in your lives, that’s challenging, that way you can at least have some anecdotal opinions about it.
“Oh ya, I tried that and it did not work!” Is a lot better than “nah I’ll lose my mind, without even trying it for a week”.

And perhaps having tried it is precisely why some of us 'irregular/diverse eaters' know it isn't for us.

Aside from that, like others who have responded, I am successful using my strategy, I see no need to make myself more miserable for no good reason.
I'd rather focus my mental energy on other 'uncomfortable' situations I have less possibility to avoid or find more worthwhile to pursue.

snowflake954

I live in Italy and cook for 4 men everyday. Everyday I make pasta or risotto for lunch and a protein and vegetables for supper. My men go to the gym and are in great shape. The idea of eating the same thing everyday just makes me shudder. It's not for me or my Italian family. Italians (and other folks) like to eat good food. You do you--and leave the rest of us alone.

I_AM_ISRAEL wrote: »

Some of y’all need to practice more self control if you automatically give up in your minds with the, “I would lose my mind and go insane if I had to eat the same thing everyday!” Mentality.
Seriously, how do you know? Have you tried it? There are billions of people who are impoverished in this world “eating the same meals everyday” and they’re probably more joyful than a vast majority of us.
Come on, stop with this I quit before even trying mentality!
Try something uncomfortable for once in your lives, that’s challenging, that way you can at least have some anecdotal opinions about it.
“Oh ya, I tried that and it did not work!” Is a lot better than “nah I’ll lose my mind, without even trying it for a week”.

jyoti_0

Eat the same meals daily

I'm a Virgo, so consistency is the buzz-word for me, literally. If I put a pen on a particular spot, it has to be on that spot every day, otherwise a buzzing will start in my mind
So, my major meals are similar everyday. If I order online, I order same dishes from same food joints. Only my snacks keep changing. It is a mix of consistency and routine.
Also, I interchange the menu of breakfast, lunch and dinner as per my hunger pangs.
All of us are different, so, it is natural that all of us eat in different ways, eat different food, and do things differently