How do you decide WHAT to eat?!?

Trinity1982

I've found that if i eat raw/natural foods that i enjoy eating, then that works for me. i do like my meat and dairy however i try to only have very small amounts of it on a daily basis. preferably my diet consists of salads (oh i LOVE a good salad) and in winter i'll seek out healthy soups of in season produce. it's about finding what works for you and what you enjoy eating that isn't processed.

i'm not a vegan however i'm researching how i can incorporate a more vegan diet into my daily plans. sometimes meat can be far too expensive and sometimes it's just nice to try something new. although i'm having trouble cutting out gluten and sugar plus cutting down on my sodium, i haven't totally gotten rid of it but over time i will.

LuckyLeprechaun

He also says if a food makes a health claim, avoid it.

My steel cut oatmeal has a banner proclaiming it as a heart-healthy food, and that it can reduce cholesterol. Shall I avoid it? :huh:

MrsCon40

IIFYM

If it fits in your macros, eat whatever makes you happy ♥

Protein is a hard one for me to hit as a vegan. I put a big dent in that first, then fat. I make sure I've had some fruit and veg. Then I use whatever calories I have left for whatever my little heart desires. Usually that's Oreos. Or gin. Or both. But not together.

IronmanPanda

IIFYM

If it fits in your macros, eat whatever makes you happy ♥

Protein is a hard one for me to hit as a vegan. I put a big dent in that first, then fat. I make sure I've had some fruit and veg. Then I use whatever calories I have left for whatever my little heart desires. Usually that's Oreos. Or gin. Or both. But not together.

Meh.

I usually fill my cookie macro first and then I'll focus on the rest. A guy has to have his priorities.

Rae6503

I eat ALL the food.

Duckz1

Great answers everyone! Thanks for the insight. I should say, I've also read In Defense of Food and The Omnivore's Dilemma. I understand on an intellectual level that whole foods are good, processed unrecognizable food-like products are not so good. But I guess I get really frustrated hearing "GRAIN will kill you! No, MEAT will kill you! No, EGGS will kill you!" And all that just makes me want to eat an entire box of super processed mac n cheese paired with half a bottle of wine. Sigh.

MrsCon40

...And all that just makes me want to eat an entire box of super processed mac n cheese paired with half a bottle of wine. Sigh.

aaaaaaaand GO! :drinker:

Duckz1

I eat ALL the food.

OMG. You win the internets.

Duckz1

...And all that just makes me want to eat an entire box of super processed mac n cheese paired with half a bottle of wine. Sigh.

aaaaaaaand GO! :drinker:

Gah! Eeeevillll! :noway:

TexNut

BEFORE, I'd ask myself what sounded good to me, or what I could 'treat' myself to that day ("Oh, Chinese sounds good for lunch!" or "I haven't had Mexican food in several days!"). That way of thinking is what led to excess weight in the first place!

DURING my transformation process, I would set a goal to include a fresh, raw food at each meal, as well as for snacks (which I didn't eat before).

NOW, I can hear what my body needs, and fuel it accordingly. One day, during the DURING phase, I couldn't figure out why I was craving hard-boiled eggs and almonds...until I realized that I had been eating mostly fresh, raw veggies and some fruits and hadn't had much fat or protein for the past couple of days - LIGHTBULB!

rsouthland

I also eat low carb, higher protein / fat. It works well for me. Basically I decide what I'm going to eat based on what calories, carbs I have left for the day. I know what my target is and I eat to the target.

pdworkman

Different foods and diets work for different people. For general health, I agree with eating as unprocessed as possible, not adding extracted oils, eating a wide variety of plant foods, and watching portion sizes. Those words will mean different things to different people.

That said, if I eat meat I will throw up for three days. No meat for me. Ditto dairy. Never really liked either one anyway. I am also celiac and react to all grains, including rice and corn. Then a few true allergies. And some other foods that I can only eat in moderation or risk triggering my ulcer or hypoglycemia.

So the best diet for me may be wildly different than the best diet for you. It is safe for most of my family and friends, and keeps the tummies of my immediate family members happy (as long as they avoid the additional things that might bother them - hot spices, oranges, seaweed, some beans). But one of my friends with extremely severe multiple allergies is allergic to a lot of the foods that are safe for me - eggs, apples, cinnamon, beans, lentils, black pepper, peppers, quinoa, different nuts than me - so it is a bit harder to cook stuff that is safe for her and me both. Now she is quite overweight and eats a lot more processed and high-calorie foods than I do, and has the accompanying health problems, so she would also do well to make some adjustments for her health. But she needs to find those things herself and find what works for her.

rileysowner

The human body is extremely flexible in handling food of all types. As someone before me said, if someone says eat ONLY this, I simply ignore them. I seek to say within my calories, and get close to my macros more or less. Other than that, pretty much everything I like is up for eating.

wilberfamily

I actually just finished my bachelors in nutrition science last year so I basically apply that knowledge. My take is to eat foods in moderation. I try to buy most of my groceries from the outer perimeter of the grocery store. We do eat some prepared/processed foods but I try not to go crazy with them. I found in the past when I tried to really restrict certain foods or food groups it lead to more binge eating. I do try to eat low fat and really limit saturated fats but I don't avoid any particular foods.

honeydoozy

I believe in Low Glycemic living. Wholegrains, protein, healthy fats. And pairing any fruits with a protein to slow its absorption.
This way of living only eliminates crappy foods, so rather than being a temporary 'diet' it is a very healthy way of life.

^^^ THIS ^^^

Well, that... and avoiding chemicals wherever possible. Meat doesn't scare me. Eggs don't scare me. Dairy doesn't scare me.

BHT/BHA, Aspartame, MSG, and artificial colorings... those scare the crap out of me. :noway:

killagb

I believe in Low Glycemic living. Wholegrains, protein, healthy fats. And pairing any fruits with a protein to slow its absorption.
This way of living only eliminates crappy foods, so rather than being a temporary 'diet' it is a very healthy way of life.

^^^ THIS ^^^

Well, that... and avoiding chemicals wherever possible. Meat doesn't scare me. Eggs don't scare me. Dairy doesn't scare me.

BHT/BHA, Aspartame, MSG, and artificial colorings... those scare the crap out of me. :noway:

Well that's handy on days you're low on fiber. :drinker:

gp79

I do some math as kilagb so eloquently pointed out, to first determine my macros. 230g protein 100g carbs and 78g of fat. Then, here's the tricky part. I dream up all sorts of deliciousness and then I go buy ingredients, make it and eat it till my macros are satisfied. Working quite well actually, it's the consistency where people flail, and fail.

issyfit

I believe in Low Glycemic living. Wholegrains, protein, healthy fats. And pairing any fruits with a protein to slow its absorption.
This way of living only eliminates crappy foods, so rather than being a temporary 'diet' it is a very healthy way of life.

This with lots of veggies. I try to follow South Beach Living guidelines.