What Food Plan Do You Use?

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  • dr3wman
    dr3wman Posts: 205
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    The only real "food plan" I do is switching up the time of day I have my big meals. So throughout the week my large meal will alternate between breakfast, lunch and dinner, ending up at around the same daily calorie total. I also do low-carb on Mondays
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
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    I'm not sure what you're looking for. I use the calorie count and macro food plan . . . which isn't a food plan.

    I have my macros set to 40% protein, 30% fat, and 30% carbs. I eat what I need to eat trying to maintain my caloric intake goal and stay within those macros. My lifestyle includes gluten free and conservative soy intakes because my allergist said I'm allergic. I eat whatever I want to eat as long as it gets me to my end game.

    Yes, there are some people on the nutrisystem food plan or the weight watchers food plan, but the fact is that's not why most of us are here. Neither of those food plans require calorie counting, nutrisystem has you eat from a box and suppliment with approved foods and WW uses a point system and has their own web site.
  • rachelhohenbrink
    rachelhohenbrink Posts: 179 Member
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    I find anything but tracking calories in and calories out to be useless. I think most food plans are just an expensive gimmick doing the same thing that MFP tracks for you. This cuts to the chase and you take a good look at what your really eating and burning period. Just my opinon :) Enjoy the site I have been on here for over a year and a half. Currently been through every Jillian Michaels workout program, Chalean Extreme, Insanity and now Tapout XT. I am also an avid ongoing fan of bodyrock.tv. To me working out is the easy part, but continually pushing to eat cleaner and healthier is constantly evolving for me. I eat all organic and mostly just fruit, veggies and meat with as little processed foods as possible. But I'm not perfect and I need this site to keep me in check.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    I use this:

    http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/

    as a guide quite often. I also read a lot about nutrition science because I find it really interesting. My diet doesn't have a name, but probably most closely resembles the Mediterranean Diet.

    I try to get some exercise everyday, though I usually have at least one low intensity day. I have a sedentary job so I struggle more wth getting enough exercise then with diet. I do cardio, balance and strength training.
  • RoseSweet
    RoseSweet Posts: 30
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    I'm doing the weight watchers plan converted into calories, (no counting points) on this diet you are allowed 1200 to 1400 calories a day, fruits and non starchy veggies are allowed anytime and are not counted.
  • danasings
    danasings Posts: 8,218 Member
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    Wow, no one is using a specific food plan? Oh well, I thought I'd be getting support here. Have a great day and good luck to you all.

    My specific plan is eating within my calorie and macro goals and working out.
    Good luck to you too.

    ^^This, but with fewer calories Monday-Friday and more on Saturday-Sunday. It's my life in "real time", so I will eat this way for the rest of it.
  • sandyyy712
    sandyyy712 Posts: 94
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    I make my own food plan by using a spiral and every night I sit down and write out my schedule for the next day and then I put in what food I plan to eat and when.
    For example a typical day might be like this for me-

    9am wake up
    breakfast-oatmeal mixed with PB2
    9:30-10:30 cardio at the gym
    11-5:30 home/errands/chores/etc
    morning snack-carrots and homemade hummus
    lunch- turkey&cheese sandwich with an apple and a yogurt
    afternoon snack- banana or gatorade energy chews
    6-7ish weightlifting at the gym
    postworkout snack-protein shake with fat free milk
    7:30 home-dinner, misc tasks I need to do
    dinner- 3/4 C brown rice(1/4 of my plate), frozen chicken patty(1/4 of my plate), some type of veggies (1/2 of my plate)


    As for exercise plans, I do upper body weights monday, legs tuesday, abs and back wednesday, then repeat the cycle, take sunday off then start over at upper body next monday. I run every day for atleast 40 minutes (or 2 treadmill intervals) and sometimes do 3 intervals if I have the energy or motivation. If I'm really sore though, instead of taking a day off I just do elliptical for the same time amount because it's not as stressful on my body. I also find that it's easier to do my cardio in the morning and then my lifting in the afternoon/evening to give my body and mind a chance to rest.
  • rlmadrid
    rlmadrid Posts: 694 Member
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    I'm doing the weight watchers plan converted into calories, (no counting points) on this diet you are allowed 1200 to 1400 calories a day, fruits and non starchy veggies are allowed anytime and are not counted.

    That's why I didn't really like the idea of weight watchers. Some fruit is so high in calories and sugar that you should be keeping track of it. I've already had 184 calories worth of fruit today. So if I was only supposed to eat 1400 and not count my fruit, I'd be eating 1584. That bugs me a bit, but I like to know everything that goes in.

    Veggies aren't that bad though if you don't eat a lot.
  • rlmadrid
    rlmadrid Posts: 694 Member
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    Wow, no one is using a specific food plan? Oh well, I thought I'd be getting support here. Have a great day and good luck to you all.

    My specific plan is eating within my calorie and macro goals and working out.
    Good luck to you too.

    ^^This, but with fewer calories Monday-Friday and more on Saturday-Sunday. It's my life in "real time", so I will eat this way for the rest of it.

    I kind of do that too. I'm usually under cals by 100-400 each weekday, but can be over by 100-400 on Saturdays and Sundays.
  • RoseSweet
    RoseSweet Posts: 30
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    I'm doing the weight watchers plan converted into calories, (no counting points) on this diet you are allowed 1200 to 1400 calories a day, fruits and non starchy veggies are allowed anytime and are not counted.

    That's why I didn't really like the idea of weight watchers. Some fruit is so high in calories and sugar that you should be keeping track of it. I've already had 184 calories worth of fruit today. So if I was only supposed to eat 1400 and not count my fruit, I'd be eating 1584. That bugs me a bit, but I like to know everything that goes in.

    Veggies aren't that bad though if you don't eat a lot.

    In my opinion this plan works Great for someone needing to lose more than 20 or 30 pounds.
  • cem1976
    cem1976 Posts: 5 Member
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    I try eat my carbs earlier in the day, and also, like a lot of people on this forum, I try to use common sense and moderation.
  • rlmadrid
    rlmadrid Posts: 694 Member
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    I'm doing the weight watchers plan converted into calories, (no counting points) on this diet you are allowed 1200 to 1400 calories a day, fruits and non starchy veggies are allowed anytime and are not counted.

    That's why I didn't really like the idea of weight watchers. Some fruit is so high in calories and sugar that you should be keeping track of it. I've already had 184 calories worth of fruit today. So if I was only supposed to eat 1400 and not count my fruit, I'd be eating 1584. That bugs me a bit, but I like to know everything that goes in.

    Veggies aren't that bad though if you don't eat a lot.

    In my opinion this plan works Great for someone needing to lose more than 20 or 30 pounds.

    I'm not saying it doesn't. I'm personally too addicted to logging to disregard fruit and vegetables. Some days they can account for near half my calories.
  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
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    Im using MFP as a tracking tool, but not following any specific diet plan. Ive always found that restricting myself that way just leads to frustration and eventual failure. I eat what I want....withing reason....and log what I've eaten. I'm also challenging myself to eat healthier and make better choices, but the freedom to have icecream or some other treat makes it easier to keep on being real.
  • MuscleJunkieK8
    MuscleJunkieK8 Posts: 44
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    Hi, due to medical needs I eat completely gluten-free, wheat-free, processed food free, raw dairy only, and sugar free. This means nothing with added sugar, including artificial sugars. My sugar that I use is raw honey. And sometimes agave nector. Although I found that agave makes me sick to my stomach.

    So tons of veggies, fruits that are in season, very light on the raw dairy, and tons of protein. Like good peanut butters, nuts, and grass-raised meat.

    Meat would be bison, beef, chicken, and venison.

    Like always, I try to stay all organic and completely natural. :) It helps!
  • Inked2Love
    Inked2Love Posts: 48
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    Food Plan:

    1. Find your maintenance calories.
    2. Add/Subtract 20% based on your goals.
    3. Find foods you enjoy that are nutritious and fit within your calorie goal.
    4. Repeat until desired goal is achieved.
    5. ???
    6. Profit.

    I try to use my daily maintenance and then subtract 500 to get how many calories I can eat to lose a lb a wk and then I burn another 500 on most days with exercise..giving me a 2 lb a wk projected loss. I also do a low carb..high fat and protein diet. It all depends on how your body processes things tho. What works for others may not work for u.
  • Bunnybeesweet
    Bunnybeesweet Posts: 165 Member
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    I enjoy a delicious variety of plant-based, mostly whole foods...i get most of my sugar from fruit, and I use very little oil. Right now my macros are set at 50:25:25 (c:p:f) because i've found that its enough protein for me to build muscle, and my energy is great. I also focus on making sure I meet all my nutritional goals (calcium, potassium, etc...). That has made a HUGE difference in controlling cravings...for the most part, i dont have them anymore! Yay! I'm doing a second round of p90x2 and while I've always been in decent shape, I've never looked or felt better.
  • fierceangel1982
    fierceangel1982 Posts: 55
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    I'm on my second round of the Game On Diet www.thegameondiet.com

    Basically, it's 5 meals a day, every 2-4 hours.
    Each meal has a fist-sized carb or fruit, palm sized protein, and thumb sized healthy fat, and at least 2 of the meals need to have 2 fist-sized veggies. You can eat unlimited celery and cucumbers.
    Every week I get a meal off, a day off, and 100 calories each day to eat whatever I want.
    3 liters of water a day
  • JamesBurkes
    JamesBurkes Posts: 382 Member
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    Generally? Just counting calories, and trying to keep to around 2000 a day.

    However, as I can easily eat that in one meal ;) I tend to stay lower carb (under 50g a day) and I've recently started eating according to an Intermittent Fasting timetable, as I find both ways of eating make it easier for me to not feel hungry whilst sticking to the calorie limits.

    I don't think there's anything magical about either system (low carb or IF), but they just make it easier for me to stick to the calorie limit without feeling deprived or hungry..
  • cjc166
    cjc166 Posts: 222
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    Eat to Live by Dr Fuhrman. I absolutely swear by it. No calorie counting, eat until you're satisfied, and lose tons of weight. I started 5 weeks ago and have lost 25 lbs since then. It's really incredible and I feel exceptionally great.
  • MrDangerSass
    MrDangerSass Posts: 99
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    Wow, no one is using a specific food plan? Oh well, I thought I'd be getting support here. Have a great day and good luck to you all.

    I would imagine the vast majority of people are not using a food plan because they are tracking total intake, and total intake is what really matters.

    Yep... tracking intake against burn. I log daily but I measure my net ins (food)/outs (exercise) over seven days rather than worrying from one day to the next. Calories In / Calories Out. I am paying some attention to the macros... particularly protein as I'm trying to protect my muscle mass (what little there is) as I continue eating at a deficit against my level of activity.

    My food plan at the moment... if I plan to eat food.... I plan to exercise. Probably not much help to you but getting fit should be liberating. If you are looking at "food plans"... ask yourself if it is 1) helping you develop good balanced eating habits, 2) is it product dependent (a bad thing) and 3) does it free you to live or bind you by guilt if you go outside the plan.

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