"Dieting" with normal food

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  • Im_NotPerfect
    Im_NotPerfect Posts: 2,181 Member
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    I kind of feel like Will Smith in I Am Legend and I'm hoping there are others out there.

    I'm tired of seeing all of the recipes and people suggesting fat free and sugar free this and that (and by sugar free I mean they add the fake sugars). I was watching the Biggest Loser a couple of weeks ago and they had a cooking challenge and the guy got in trouble for using a tablespoon of real mayo. Seriously???

    When did eating get so complicated? I read somewhere (I can't remember where and have no source) that when they take fat out of something like mayo or ranch dressing they add SUGAR to make it taste better (add it still tastes awful in my opinion). And I don't even want to know how they take the fat out, because oil is a main ingredient in both of those... Over processed much?

    Eating fat does not make you fat. Actually, it makes you feel full and can help you eat less in moderation. I'm not suggesting you eat a stick of butter for lunch here. I'm also not suggesting things like fried foods or McDonalds. I'm talking about ingredients that go into home cooked meals.

    I'm not going to go into the fake sugar. It's like talking about politics or religion every time I bring it up around someone who won't let go of their Diet Coke. So I'll just say I don't use it.

    I don't eat anything that is supposed to have fat in it and has fat free on the label. That's right. I eat actual butter. Fully loaded sour cream. I drink whole milk. I use oil and eat cheese. I just don't eat a ton of it. A tablespoon of sour cream has 30 calories (yes! The kind that actually tastes good)

    Your body needs fat to operate properly. There are fat soluble vitamins that need fat to dissolve. So let go of all of the marketed diet bs and eat actual food. It is totally possible to stay within your calorie goals. Your taste buds will thank you and you won't feel deprived like I always do when I try fat free sour cream (ICK!)

    *braces for attacks on all fronts*

    I'm SO with you on everything you said here. My husband does all the cooking and refuses to use "diet" type ingredients (other than skim milk...it's all we have in the house). I also do not drink protein shakes, take supplements, and eat ice cream! I posted something similar to this a few weeks ago. I am determined to lose this weight naturally and healthily. I don't want to reach my goal and then have to relearn how to eat regular food and worry about putting the weight back on!

    I'm right there with ya sista! :drinker:
  • dinosnopro
    dinosnopro Posts: 2,179 Member
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    I also meant to mention the fact that Taco Bell uses light sour cream. Really???


    the Doritos taco is a huge disappointment :sad:
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
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    Ohh....thank you for posting this! I would rather be in the red for fats than have a bunch of "fake" stuff!! (I make an exception for my coffee creamer....which I am addicted too.....but I am trying to find a delicious alternative!).

    It's all about moderation :) But everyone has a right to do this their own way, of course.

    If you are looking for a "real" creamer, the simply natural kind that coffeemate just came out with is good! And it's real dairy, no hydrongenated oils...

    Thanks for the recommendation - I've seen it, but haven't tried it yet. I've read some other posts where people recommend vanilla almond milk or vanilla syrup with heavy cream. I'm going to do some experimenting after I use up the creamer I have (Bailey's Creme Brulee.....ahhh.....so good! LOL!).
  • kaetra
    kaetra Posts: 442 Member
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    My Personal Rule #1 - If it's not delicious, I'm not eating it.

    I like real food that tastes good. Real sugar, real butter, real salt, real meat, real veggies, real fruit, real grains, real potatoes.

    Fake sugar tastes absolutely vile to me and I like a bit of fat with my food. (I wish Chobani would sell more flavors in 2%, strictly for convenience. I am suspicious of anything dairy that says 0% fat.)

    I'm not above some convenience items like Fiber One brownies, Skinny Cow ice creams, the occasional SmartBalance margine if I'm running short on available calories - all of which have fake-ness in them, but to me those taste good so I eat them.
  • AReasor
    AReasor Posts: 355 Member
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    Love this! My house is the same way. I was diabetic while pregnant and I think the dietician had her hands full with me. They wanted me to use artificial sweeteners and fake butter like country crock. I just said no, ate more natural, but watched my intake and levels constantly. It boggled my mind that they wanted me to eat those chemicals, with them going straight to my baby. :huh:
  • melusinagr
    melusinagr Posts: 205 Member
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    Agree 100%! I've lost all my weight eating normal food and haven't had any problems with maintenance (in fact I've lost 3 more kilos since I've been in maintenance since December!). I eat real butter, whole milk, eggs, real cheese, mayo, etc.

    The main thing is moderation and a well-balanced diet and a bit of exercise. Then you can eat pretty much anything.
  • paigemarie93
    paigemarie93 Posts: 778 Member
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    I haven't cut anything out, I eat the exact same foods I used to eat, pizza pasta burgers whatever I want, just not huge portions.
  • whatluckycat
    whatluckycat Posts: 52 Member
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    Totally agree with the OP. Low-fat foods usually have higher carb content than the regular option.
  • twinmom01
    twinmom01 Posts: 854 Member
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    Right on - I saw that same Biggest Loser and was increduloius over the fact they were wigging out about the full fat mayo...all fat does is add calories and I think he had the right idea....if full fat makes it taste better and the difference is a handful of calories...

    I could care less about the fat content in foods...and to a lesser extent calories...if it fits with in my daily range.

    The only thing Lite I use from time to time is Coconut milk from a can (for my coffee sometimes as it stays liquid in the fridge vs full fat - and in a recipe here and there to cut the overall calories so I can enjoy more protien and veggies in the meal)

    Things like Mayo - I don't use it that often - I try and plan meals that may use mayo close together so I can whip up a batch of homemade mayo (have to use it within a week)
  • VeganPanda
    VeganPanda Posts: 582 Member
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    Agreed!
  • castadiva
    castadiva Posts: 2,016 Member
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    Love this! My house is the same way. I was diabetic while pregnant and I think the dietician had her hands full with me. They wanted me to use artificial sweeteners and fake butter like country crock. I just said no, ate more natural, but watched my intake and levels constantly. It boggled my mind that they wanted me to eat those chemicals, with them going straight to my baby. :huh:

    That truly is bizarre (and alarming), but all too believable.
  • mrsmangomum
    mrsmangomum Posts: 62
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    I also meant to mention the fact that Taco Bell uses light sour cream. Really???


    the Doritos taco is a huge disappointment :sad:

    Haha I haven't tried it. I just saw a commercial the other day for taco bell and they were listing off all these ingredients and one was light sour cream. Seemed really silly to me, considering the entire menu. :tongue:
  • batalina
    batalina Posts: 209 Member
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    after reading a lot of threads like this one, i'm really confused about what i should do. i pretty consistently consume about half, or less than half, of my allowance for fat. for example, what i have preemptively logged in my tracker for today comes to 15g of fat with the ability to eat 29g more. none of the foods on my tracker for today are "diet" foods. i've got oatmeal, lots of fruits and veggies, this spanish rice-thing i make for dinner, and i'm actually going to taco bell for lunch. i'm a vegan, so my diet doesn't/won't contain any cholesterol.
    sometimes i feel like i should eat more fat, because of all the people like OMG UR DOIN IT RONG EAT MORE FAT. but the days when i do eat more fat, it's because i got into the potato chips when i was visiting my mom, or went out to eat with friends and had french fries, or ate a lot of soy ice cream. in other words, i'm lost about how to get my fat into my diet without eating JUNK. :(
  • susanswan
    susanswan Posts: 1,194 Member
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    I diet with normal food, too! My morning smoothie contains spinach, berries, banana, soy milk, chia seeds, flax seeds, cocoa powder and stevia. (Stevia is plant).

    Lunch yesterday was pinto beans with scallions and cilantro. I had an orange, made myself a latte, and had a few "forbidden" snacks at Costco.

    Dinner was a huge salad with lots of fresh veggies thrown in. I made my own dressing with olive oil, grey poupon mustard, no salt seasoning, honey, and red wine vinegar. I needed to eat more calories so I grabbed my homemade peanut butter and dove in!

    I was still under calorie and even got to lose a bit of weight this morning! Love eating whole foods!! = D
  • susanswan
    susanswan Posts: 1,194 Member
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    after reading a lot of threads like this one, i'm really confused about what i should do. i pretty consistently consume about half, or less than half, of my allowance for fat. for example, what i have preemptively logged in my tracker for today comes to 15g of fat with the ability to eat 29g more. none of the foods on my tracker for today are "diet" foods. i've got oatmeal, lots of fruits and veggies, this spanish rice-thing i make for dinner, and i'm actually going to taco bell for lunch. i'm a vegan, so my diet doesn't/won't contain any cholesterol.
    sometimes i feel like i should eat more fat, because of all the people like OMG UR DOIN IT RONG EAT MORE FAT. but the days when i do eat more fat, it's because i got into the potato chips when i was visiting my mom, or went out to eat with friends and had french fries, or ate a lot of soy ice cream. in other words, i'm lost about how to get my fat into my diet without eating JUNK. :(

    Nuts and avocados are GREAT sources of HEALTHY fats! I am aiming for 80-90% Vegan, too!
  • mrsmangomum
    mrsmangomum Posts: 62
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    Love this! My house is the same way. I was diabetic while pregnant and I think the dietician had her hands full with me. They wanted me to use artificial sweeteners and fake butter like country crock. I just said no, ate more natural, but watched my intake and levels constantly. It boggled my mind that they wanted me to eat those chemicals, with them going straight to my baby. :huh:

    That truly is bizarre (and alarming), but all too believable.

    Agreed! Good for you for watching out for your little one!
  • Scarlett_S
    Scarlett_S Posts: 467 Member
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    I am probably somewhere in the middle on this. There are things that I think taste good and I do use them to save on fat and calories - like some of the low fat cheeses and definitely the light and fat free salad dressings. But I also use real butter, and sour cream and definitely real ingredients to make guacamole, and then I just eat them sparingly. I also use skim milk but I always have, even when I was overweight. I feel like I can actually 'taste' the fat in whole milk and I don't like that.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
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    You are doing it right. :)
  • TexanThom
    TexanThom Posts: 778
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    To me, going a "Diet" is a short term thing. I am changing the way I eat, and the things and amounts that I eat. I will not do the fake sugar because I seem to crave more food after I eat it. I am in this for the long haul, not a quick fix.
  • SimplyShanRunning
    SimplyShanRunning Posts: 885 Member
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    :drinker:

    I love your post!

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