Does Anyone Follow the Food Guide Pyramid?

sjdoman

I use the food guide pyramid as a guideline for planning what I eat each day. I believe everyone can achieve and maintain a healthy weight by following its number of servings from each food group. I lost 10 pounds in the month of January and 5 pounds so far in February. Yet, when I look at other people's public food diaries for ideas I come up blank because it seems like everyone is on some high fat low carb diet or are living off of "nutrition bars" which sound very filling or just pop vitamin pills and starve themselves. I want to tell everyone, YOU CAN EAT REAL FOODS AND LOSE WEIGHT AND BE HEALTHY! You don't have to jump on the latest fad diet or shun carbs.

ct1986

I'm curious as to which version of the food pyramid you are going off of? Is it the latest one that has been put out or and older version?

I personally don't follow it strictly, partly due to health issues that make it a bit different for me, but I do try and make sure I'm getting fruit, veggies, grains, etc. in.

DonM46

I don't pay any attention to anything except my calorie intake. I eat almost like I did before starting this, except for limiting the portions.
That may be a poor approach, but it's working for me -- 8 pounds in seven weeks.

BeckyRayJohnson

I am trying. I just started here so it does not show in diary yet but I have always focused on the balanced and daily requirements. Just because you are small sized does not mean you are healthy. Raising kids makes you more aware.

ShellyMacchi

my food diary is public and i eat whole foods... rarely do i even eat 'diet' food items except for some breads, simply because i am trying to find low sodium breads... (ignore the jello on last night's supper.. that was a joke when hubby complained about having no dessert after the chinese food i made.. and every chinese restaurant here seems to have jello on the dessert bar even if there is nothing else *LOL*

sabrinafaith

I completely agree! Its a little crazy how extreme people get and how eating a well balanced diet isn't even the norm anymore. Kind of depressing. I've been loosing weight and I eat TONS... I eat grains, I eat dairy, I eat red meat, I eat eggs, I eat fish, and I eat so much produce that I have to restrict myself because of the calories. A healthy diet is the most important thing. Otherwise, what is all this work for?

Lakerlady5747

I completely agree with you! I feel that I'm making a lifestyle change, so I want to be able to eat "normally," which to me means that I'm not eating special protein shakes, protein bars, supplements, etc. I know that other people don't think this way, but I feel that in order for ME to lose weight and to maintain a healthly lifestyle in the long-term, I need to be able to eat REAL food!=)

Vicky14174

I don't diet. The word diet refers to what you eat. I'm on a lifestyle change journey. Choosing to eat healthier foods, eating the correct portions and exercising.

girliegirl1822

I eat everything i did before but i do add more fruits and veggies in my diet. I dont want to take everything i love out of my diet cause im afraid i will fail then. I try to do everything in portions and try not to over do it. :happy:

binsylad

Sabrina,

I have just read a book, that would answer (in theory) why the weight is dropping off. High volumes of protein and Water are scientifically proven to aid weight loss. You have been doing it without trying.....

Mike / Uk

Adsnwfld

The old pyramid is out, the new one reflects modern science and its views on nutrition. The old one had way to little meat
http://www.mypyramid.gov/ breaks down the new system

TropicalKitty

I don't even consider the government's food pyramid - it's loaded with lobbying from various industries. If I want nutritional info on balanced diets, I look at Harvard's pyramid that is actually based off of science and logic.

So to be frank, I think the myfoodpyramid.gov info is junk.

There are a lot of too many generalizations that get pushed forward, people function differently and have different dietary needs - which you may not be privy to. It's rather naive to think that there is only one way for people to be healthy and that the few diaries you have looked at are representative of everyone here.

Lastly, you'll see as you are here longer that there are a large number of us who advocate for natural eating.

fitterpam

Also the Canadian Food Guide is different to the US. I had a bariatric doctor (doctor of the obese) tell me that if you eat the pyramid, you look like a pyramid. LOL The problem is that the choices that people make with "real" food are not the same as those being made by the nutritionists designing the guides necessarily. They are looking at whole grains, not processed refined grains.

I really like the way the new (2007) Canadian Food Guide (no longer called a pyramid) is set up with different values for men, women and children. These different groups have different nutritional needs. Someone my age should be eating: 2 meat/meat alternatives, 2 dairy, 6 whole grains and 8 fruit and vegetables (emphasis on vegetables).

The only part of the food guide that I still think is a little high is the grains. I do try and have a grain with every meal, but being insulin resistant, my body processes the carbohydrates differently and I need to make sure they are whole grains and paired with proteins.

The part I do particularly like is that it says you should be eating one leafy green and one orange vegetable a day. The colours of your fruit and vegetables do make a difference. You're trying to get as many vitamins and minerals into your body with food and the colours are representative of different vitamins & minerals.

Personally, I make sure I have protein anytime I have sugar (carbs) since it's good at stabilizing blood sugar. I also do not use pre-packaged foods - I'm on my way to eating clean. Still stumble, but for me being healthy is way more important than being skinny so variety is the name of my game.

2Campbells

I don't follow the pyramid. I am allergic to dairy and find that completely avoiding grains, dairy, and sugar completely eliminates the symptoms of my RA (rheumatory arthritis). I try to just eat protein (mostly meats but some beans), veggies, fruit, nuts and seeds and very little else. I do have splurges from time to time but always regret it the next morning or two when the joints are painful and swollen. Besides, I used to eat oatmeal and only healthy fats only and my cholestrol was at 250 and higher. Gave up the grains and oatmeal and eat more healthly fats and protein and the last two cholestrol tests have been under 170.

The grain and dairy industries have way to much influence with the FDA for the FDA to tell me how or what to eat. I've started eating like my non-obese native american ancestors that didn't get cancer, didn't have diabetes, and lived long healthy lives.

TropicalKitty

I don't follow the pyramid. I am allergic to dairy and find that completely avoiding grains, dairy, and sugar completely eliminates the symptoms of my RA (rheumatory arthritis). I try to just eat protein (mostly meats but some beans), veggies, fruit, nuts and seeds and very little else. I do have splurges from time to time but always regret it the next morning or two when the joints are painful and swollen. Besides, I used to eat oatmeal and only healthy fats only and my cholestrol was at 250 and higher. Gave up the grains and oatmeal and eat more healthly fats and protein and the last two cholestrol tests have been under 170.

The grain and dairy industries have way to much influence with the FDA for the FDA to tell me how or what to eat. I've started eating like my non-obese native american ancestors that didn't get cancer, didn't have diabetes, and lived long healthy lives.

Thank you! This is a perfect example of the problem with the pyramid. Amen about the grains and dairy's influence!