Do you eat the same things everyday to stay on track?

mlcharb

Do you eat the same things everday while trying to lose weight or do you change it up? I think part of my 'not being able to stay on plan' is because there are SO many food choices and I get overwhelmed. I know it's not ideal for long term (boredom) but I think I might try making a week or two meal plan and just have the same things everyday. Might allow me to stick to my calorie goal better without impluse choices ...

StaceyJ2008

I usually eat the same breakfast and snacks everyday. I do however have the same menu for lunch and dinner every week. It does help me stay on track. Might be a good option for you.

Chief_Rocka

Try something like having 75% of your calories planned, and 25% whatever you decide to have that day. Or use whatever ratio you need to keep you both sane and on track.

AllonsYtotheTardis

I tend to eat the same things for breakfast and lunch most days. I'm a creature of habit... I give variety to my lunch by swapping out the protein with leftovers from supper (so, instead of hummus, I might have leftover fish, for example).

Makes it simpler for me. I leave the 'thinking' for supper time, hahaha!

ETA: If I can't decide on supper, I'll go through my recipes that I've already entered in MFP, and pick one from that list.

Miiimii

No, that would make me so bored. I like to eat different things and things I love. So I do.

Pnknlvr96

Yes I try to eat the same things every day as well. Making a week or two meal plan is a great idea!

lappyd425

It seems to work well for me if I eat the same stuff all the time...I need to not have to " think " about what I'm eating. Just put it in front of me and it's done lol...

ahviendha

I have most of my food planned during the week. Breakfast and lunches. I go on auto-pilot in the morning making my eggs and bacon, or protein shake and grapefruit. Lunch/snacks are salad, yogurt with berries and almonds or ground flaxseed. Apple with AB. Done and done!

I also like to be consistent because it's easier to "copy from date" than inputting it all in. I haz a lazy.

julimonster

I do stick to some basics when it's just me, it's easier when my partner's out of town - I can make several meals ahead & just heat them up later, as well as keeping the tempting stuff out of sight!

KatLifter

Do you eat the same things everday while trying to lose weight or do you change it up? I think part of my 'not being able to stay on plan' is because there are SO many food choices and I get overwhelmed. I know it's not ideal for long term (boredom) but I think I might try making a week or two meal plan and just have the same things everyday. Might allow me to stick to my calorie goal better without impluse choices ...

I usually eat the same breakfast during the work week, then have fun on weekends. Also, to save time and effort, I'll make a big recipe of something healthy that I can eat at work for lunch all week. Let's me experiment each week, but stay on track.

lkplibra

During the work week, I eat almost the same thing every morning for breakfast. I have about three items I rotate between because they are fast, easy, and nutitionaly sound. If I start the day of right it helps me make better choices for the rest of the day.

techie30

I tend to stick to pretty much the same foods every day just so I don't have to think about it. I do oatmeal or Jimmy Dean delight sandwich for 1st meal, Ezekiel bread and peanut butter for 2nd meal, soup or such for 3rd meal, then a lean protein and veggie for 4th meal. Same snacks every day. I mix it up a little, but I don't have the time or energy to put that much thought into what I eat every day. I know almost exactly what's going in my body, so it takes the guesswork out (hmmm, can I eat this and still come in under my calories???).

It's not for everyone, I've been told that people would get bored doing it like that. I don't usually, but when I do I go ahead and mix it up. Not the end of the world

eskimite

I use Mon-Fri menus, for sake of time and also b/c it relieves me of having to figure out what to eat for lunch/dinner during the week (both for myself and for family). So, I generally eat the same thing for lunch during the week and it's something I prepare and then freeze on Sunday. Dinner is diff every night, but the menu is planned out on Sunday. My snacks generally don't vary too much during the week. Sat/Sun, since I am not as pressed for time, are more flexible and I don't plan ahead (unless I have brunch/dinner plans).

schondell

Instead of planning to eat the same thing everyday (boring) just pre plan a week or two of meals and make a few of them in advance and either refrigerate (and label) or freeze.

jofjltncb6

I eat the same things every day for weeks at a time, not to keep me on track, but because it's what I do. I always considered it some kind of OCD/mental quirk.

jamie1888

Do whatever works best for you. Yes, it's great to get a variety of foods to get a mix of nutrients. However, if consistency makes it easier to stick to your goals, do that! Many fitness professionals eat the same old chicken breast and steamed broccoli for multiple meals in a day just to make it easier to plan and food prep!

chelle_fri

Sometimes my foods are the same, but that's just due to buying bulk at the store. I don't make it a point to eat the same thing every day. I think I would go mad if I lost the element of surprise with my food

beccala18

I eat the same things for breakfast. Either oatmeal or a half a bagel with PB. Weekends I sometimes mix it up.

Dinner is where I am creative, usually based on the ingredients that were on sale at the store that week. I have a really easy standby dinner in case I can't think of anything else - protein (usually chicken) + veggie (lots of frozen veggies in my house, or whatever was on sale that week at the grocery store) + starch (quinoa, rice, pasta, more veggies - depends on what else I ate that day). Lunch is usually leftovers of dinner the night before.

It might not be a bad idea to create yourself 3-5 standby meals that are easy, and can be adjusted for what you have on hand. Having go-to meals might make it easier.

Also the 2 week meal plan is helpful in the grocery store! It might also get you on track to take a few weeks to settle into a routine with food, then you can always create a new 2 week meal plan when you get bored with what you have.

piggydog

I tend to eat lots of left overs from supper but I've always done that
I eat exactly the same as I did before but I have cut pizza out

BelindaDuvessa

I plan on my dinners on a bi-weekly basis, but not anything else. Breakfast is usually pretty similar from day to day. And lunch I try to keep as left overs or sandwiches.

wholelottarosa

I usually eat bread for breakfast and lunch and just vary with spreads.

For dinner I eat something different every day, depending on my mood or how many calories I have left.
If I'm low on calories, I'll probably make soup. If I have more I'll make rice (or pasta or quinoa or cous cous or bulghur) with whatever veggies come to mind.

Yaya1976

I also eat the same things during the week. I tend to change it up on weekends. I think it's just easier to stay on track that way, at least for me it is

Countryboy_

I eat pizza, 24/7. Some days I change it up, and add sausage, or take off the sausage and add avocado....sometimes just plain 4 cheese thin crust. But its pizza for me. I find if I eat 8 small meals of pizza, rather than the traditional 3 meals a day, It keeps me from going into starvation mode, and the weight is falling like rain!

PIZZA-PIZZA!!

belladonna786

More or less, with slight variations

iampanda

I've heard it both ways- some people swear that sticking to the same stuff makes it easier. Others say that variety is better because they don't get bored. I really think it depends on your personality. From time to time, it helps me to kind of stick to the same stuff. I have a few favorites that I just cycle between. Breakfast is often either an egg white and wheat bread sandwich, oatmeal, or a smoothie. Lunch is often stir fry, whole wheat pasta and broccoli with or without mozzarella cheese, or soup. Dinner varies a bit more, because that is when my husband is home, and he doesn't want to eat my "granola food" as he calls it. But we like chicken, so we have that a lot. Tonight though, we are mixing it up a bit and having nachos! :happy: I say give the "same ol' same ol'" thing a try for a while and see how it suits you. It doesn't mean you have to have the same thing every single day- just cycle through a few favorites. When those get old, introduce something new. Best of luck!

JustJennie1

For the most part breakfasts are pretty much the same. On workout days I make a fruit smoothie with protein powder. On non workout days I make either scrambled eggs or oatmeal.

The other meals vary. Dinner is usually fish, chicken, pork with a veggie or salad.

emmeylou

I don't eat exactly the same everyday... but I only grocery shop every 2 weeks, which means that I eat the same rotation of food. If I only buy chicken, pork chops and ground turkey... then that is all I eat. My "variety" comes in the way I prepare my food. The only exception to this is my greek yogurt. I have that every day unless I run out. I flavour it myself, so I change that up as well! I find that this does help me because if its not in the house, I can't eat it!

iampanda

I eat pizza, 24/7. Some days I change it up, and add sausage, or take off the sausage and add avocado....sometimes just plain 4 cheese thin crust. But its pizza for me. I find if I eat 8 small meals of pizza, rather than the traditional 3 meals a day, It keeps me from going into starvation mode, and the weight is falling like rain!

PIZZA-PIZZA!!

Ok, are you serious? Because... that's awesome. I am pregnant right now, and the word "pizza" is music to my ears... and stomach! :laugh:

ktully93

For me, having 3 weekly meal plans works well. It makes shopping for groceries and tracking easier. I have the meal plans saved in my database so it cuts down a ton of time. I also designed it so that one of the weeks is a lower carb week, just to change it up a bit.

emtjmac

I eat more or less the same 3-4 dishes for dinner every day. Breakfast and lunch rarely change. I generally avoid things that are not easily quanitifiable.

love22step

No, that would make me so bored. I like to eat different things and things I love. So I do.

Ditto