Do you eat the same things over and over?

harborgirl

I've been thinking about how much easier my shopping and meal planning would be if I got into more of a routine. Apparently Dr. Oz goes so far as to recommend that people eat the same thing for breakfast and lunch every day and then just get variety at dinner. I'm trying to simplify this whole weight loss process as much as possible, so that it doesn't become tedious and time-consuming. Just curious what other people do, whether you eat different things every day or repeat meals a lot.

Especially interested in hearing from people who've lost a fair amount of weight.

iRun4wine

Wow- I didn't know that that's what Dr. Oz recommends, but that's exactly what I do- same thing for breakfast and lunch and mix it up a little bit for dinner. :flowerforyou:

Crunchytxmama

I do. My food diary is pretty boring, lol. I rotate just a few breakfasts. I'll get on a kick where I"ll eat the same breakfast for six weeks or so, and then move onto something else. I usually eat leftovers from dinner for lunch, or I'll make a pot of soup at the beginning of the week and eat it all week. We do vary up our dinners, but most of the food we have is from scratch and uses simple ingredients, and I always serve a veggie with dinner.

rosalie_g

I do. I am very boring lol I like routine and can go for weeks eating the same breakfast and lunch and even dinner haha. There are a few old trusty dishes that I like to make frequently because they are filling and low cal. What can I say, I'm a creature of habit

FitChickBritt

I never eat the same things. Maybe I'll try this. I think it would make you crave things less if you already knew what you were eating.

sheri3762

i really don't eat the same thing each day for my meals, but I do have a list of foods I eat on a weekly basis. I just mix them up a bit. My biggest problem is getting all my calories in, so I rely on certan foods to do this. (like almonds, I swear, I don't know how I'd get the extra cals in without them!) Seems like my dinners always involve chicken, fish or turkey. Once in a while pork or steak, but I try really hard to be creative to mix it up a bit. We have to eat all wheat products now (hubby just started diabetic meds) so that was a huge issue. No more potatoes and I love potatoes!!! thats difficult.
I'm a huge fan of Dr. Oz!! I didn't know he recommended eating the same things. does anyone know why?

mswing7674

I eat the same thing every day for breakfast... I eat leftovers from dinner the night before for lunch and dinner always consists of chicken or ground turkey for the meat... and the side dish and vegetable varies between potato's or rice and carrots, broccoli and fresh green beans

harborgirl

Thanks for all the responses. Seems like it might be cheaper, too, because you wouldn't have food going unused as much.

kas1021

i eat the same breakfast every single day. fruit, yogurt, and half of a whole wheat english muffin. i like that i know what im going to eat in the morning. it makes my mornings run smoothly. the only down side is I kind of freak out if i run out of something and it throws off my whole day. lol

BrendaLee

I eat the same things most days. When I have new and exciting things in the fridge, I have a harder time resisting.

mlove1307

I've had oatmeal for breakfast for months now.. I think its been 7 months now. I don't get bored because I always switch up the fruit I eat with it.. lol. :]

Tofuheart

I eat the same few things for breakfast too. I believe Dr Oz recommends eating the same thing for breakfast because it regulates your blood sugar and your body also gets used to processing that food item. I think also it's probably good to help get into a consistant eating habit.

My breakfasts are these:

Quaker instant oatmeal (with a few raw almonds and dried cranberries)
1 scrambled egg on a toasted english muffin with a small sprinkle of grated cheese
Power smoothie (170 calories approx)

I alternate those weekly but I tend to be a creature of habit so I don't mind eating the same few foods for breakfast long term.

aippolito1

I can't do that. I get tired of things too easily. I buy a couple things and plan a couple things for each meal and rotate. Like... one day I'll have scrambled eggs for breakfast with fruit. Another day I'll have cereal with fruit. For lunch, I alternate between hot meals and cold...sandwiches, microwaved (frozen) chicken patties with veggies, etc. and dinner is usually just chicken or ground beef with a veggie or something.

HealthyChanges2010

bump

barbiecat

:flowerforyou: I've been using the Isagenix cleansing and fat burning system since March----two shakes a day and a midday meal that's 4-6 oz of lean protein, a fresh or frozen veggie, and salad, along with cereal or a shake at bedtime. Eating almost the same stuff every day has been a fabulous experience. Now that I'm maintaining my goal weight, I've added peanut butter, fruit, and Isalean bars to my day........I gave up recreational eating and now entertain myself with activities that don't involve food.

questionablemethods

I have a few different breakfasts that I rotate (oatmeal, eggs w/veggies, protein shake). My dinners are pretty standard lean protein, veggies and maybe a sweet potato or brown rice. Then lunch is typically leftovers. So, I often do eat very similar things, though not exactly the same every time. It does make things easier in my mind to not have to plan all the time. I can be more on autopilot at the grocery store because I know there are just certain things that I will always need.

MacMadame

Another reason to add to my "Dr. Oz is a moron" list.

Sarah219

yes i do too I eat exactly the same thing every day for breakfast and lunch then have a bit of variety for my dinner !!!

My breakfast is always oat so simple made in the microwave with skimmed milk , and i chop a small banana into it !!

My lunch is a sandwich of usually chicken slice and salad , and a low cal packet of crisps , i dont do this intentionally , its just how it happened !!!

lordfrog

Hi.. I eat the same breakfast and lunch for the week but change the items as and when I get bored. Dinner menus vary from week to week and from season to season.
I try, always, to cook fresh every day. Thats not to say I don't use frozen food but for example. I buy wet fish and it goes in the freezer for when I need to use it. Then it comes out and I will make a fish pie or a kedgery/paella style main course.
I get bored with the same menu all the time and its hard sometimes finding inspiration to invent new dishes but (and I know htere is so much rubbish) some of the cookery programs and or cook books are a great way to start. Follow them to the letter or do as I do and tweek them to your own pallets desires.
The most important thing, I think, is to remember that this is not a punishment its a change in attiude so don't give up on the foods/snacks/treats but moderate the amount and frequency, substitute thin bread for the thick or a banana instead of the daily crisps (but have a packet every third day), be creative and try to change gradually.
I have lost about 9-10 pounds in a month purely by cutting down on portion size, lowering the amount of bread I eat and substituting fruit and veg for snacks and rather than watch telly or sit for hours in front of the computer I go for a fourty minute bike ride and a thirty minute walk/run.

harborgirl

Really great advice, thanks. I'm just starting but I agree that we shouldn't feel the need to completely eliminate any food, just monitor the amount.

Want to try cooking some new things but also to keep it simple! Seems like that is working for a lot of you. I've procrastinated on losing weight for far too long just by thinking I needed to figure out a whole diet meal plan or something. I see now how unnecessary that is... although, I do want to include more fruits, vegetables and fish. Fortunately this is a good time of year for that.

karenjoy

I am fairly fussy, not through choice, as it's the bain of my life. But I have a textural issue with lots of food and I grew up eating a very limited diet of mainly Heinz beans on toast or tomato soup! I tend to have a slim-fast shake for breakfast and lunch during the week as it really fills me up, gives me everything I need as it's got all the vitamins and minerals etc, and then I snack on fresh fruit and in the evening have a meal that usually is focused around chicken (I mainly eat chicken or turkey as I don't like red meat as a rule) and I also eat a lot more veggie food and mediterranean based food, lots of pasta meals with roasted veg and different sauces, soups too. Now the weather is nicer, I will start to have more salads and things like that.