Question about eating the same thing....

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lwebsmfp
lwebsmfp Posts: 297 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've read that your body eventually gets used to or "catches on" to your new eating habits and that this can cause you to hit a plateau. What I want to know is long can a person eat the same food before their body catches on? I tend to have different things for lunch and dinner but for Breakfast I like to have a bowl of Cheerios every morning. Can I continue doing this for a long time? Will adding a banana to my Cheerios some days or another fruit help or should I eat something completely different than Cheerios every now and then?

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  • stroutman81
    stroutman81 Posts: 2,474 Member
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    Eating a balanced, vaired diet is good for many reasons - primarily to ensure adequate consumption of vitamins and minerals. However, eating the same things everyday, assuming you're obtaining proper amounts of nutrition, will not cause a plateau.

    Plateaus can arise for many reasons, but I wouldn't label this as one of them.

    Edit: I should say plateaus WILL arise for many reasons. They're inevitable. Fat loss is not a linear phemonenon.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    What I believe you are referring to is the caloric intake not the foods you eat. Your body may benefit from eating more one day and less then next or do cycles of a week or 2. The type of food does not matter, it is quantity that does. This differs from exercise where your body will need changes of the exercises or intensity every few weeks or months.
  • TaraMaria
    TaraMaria Posts: 1,975
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    My husband has labeled me "a creature of habit." I do get into funks were I will seriously eat the same thing for breakfast, lunch and dinner! Sometimes its hard for me to break! When I've had a lot of weight to loose, I have noticed a plateau after a while of eating the same thing...but its probably because I need to mix everything up a bit!
  • mvl1014
    mvl1014 Posts: 531
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    Actually, I've seen from Dr. Oz (and other sources I cannot remember) that it's recommended to eat the same thing for breakfast and lunch everyday. Apparently you eat less with less variety.

    Your body tends to adapt much more to your level of activity as opposed to the food you are giving it, assuming you eat balanced. (i.e. the cals in/out vs cereal over cereal with a banana).
  • TaraMaria
    TaraMaria Posts: 1,975
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    Ooo! Mvl that is encouraging to hear! Maybe it was just another reason my body was at a plateau! Maybe I will stick with my weird little habits after all! :o)
  • junipuni
    junipuni Posts: 264 Member
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    Actually, I've seen from Dr. Oz (and other sources I cannot remember) that it's recommended to eat the same thing for breakfast and lunch everyday. Apparently you eat less with less variety.

    Your body tends to adapt much more to your level of activity as opposed to the food you are giving it, assuming you eat balanced. (i.e. the cals in/out vs cereal over cereal with a banana).
    I have totally found this to be true for myself. Breakfast is always oatmeal (now) except on cheat day - then it is frosted mini wheats - funny how my "cheats" have changed. Lunch is almost always the same too. It has really helped me a lot.
  • carrieberrie
    carrieberrie Posts: 356 Member
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    Actually, I've seen from Dr. Oz (and other sources I cannot remember) that it's recommended to eat the same thing for breakfast and lunch everyday. Apparently you eat less with less variety.

    Your body tends to adapt much more to your level of activity as opposed to the food you are giving it, assuming you eat balanced. (i.e. the cals in/out vs cereal over cereal with a banana).


    I read Dr. Oz's book and I went on his diet about 3 years ago and lost 20 lbs. The reason you want to eat the same thing everyday is so that your body will only crave those things. We give ourselves so many different choices everyday and thats one of the reasons why we gain weight because there is so many options.
  • addicted2sweets
    addicted2sweets Posts: 14 Member
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    Your body only sees the food as fuel. All that matters is that you get a variety of nutrients through-out the day. It really doesn't matter where they come from.
    The dreaded plateau comes because as you loose the extra weight...the calories needed to maintain your current weight deceases as well.
    Example: A 200 lb person needs approx. 2800 calories to maintain their weight. If they decease this to 1800 a day, they will loose 2 lbs per week. A 130 lb person needs about 1800 calories to maintain their weight. So if you are on the same diet, you will no longer loose any weight. But if this person deceased the intake to 1300 calories, 1 lb a week would be lost.

    I hope this makes sense and good luck!
  • MelleyJ
    MelleyJ Posts: 198
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    I agree with that. One way to make sure you are varying it a little is to use the tools on here and look at your calorie intake on the reports tab. I can see my plateaus are also when I am eating right around the exact number of calories each day. I have varied my calories and my weight loss is steady, with a big drop occasionally. I did like the book You on a Diet by Dr. Oz. It's a great way to learn about your body and get some help on how to get through a diet the healthy way. It helped me out 2 years ago, before I moved and quit logging my calories. I loaned the book out, but wish I had it back. It's a great read.
  • courtney_love2001
    courtney_love2001 Posts: 1,468 Member
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    I don't think your body "gets used" to certain foods. Calories in=calories out. I eat a sandwich pretty much every single day for lunch, and I have lost doing this. :) Sandwiches are my fave food...Just eat what makes you happy!
  • candicelyna
    candicelyna Posts: 8
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    I don't think your body "gets used" to certain foods. Calories in=calories out. I eat a sandwich pretty much every single day for lunch, and I have lost doing this. :) Sandwiches are my fave food...Just eat what makes you happy!

    I've been doing the sandwich thing for lunch... I just use 1 piece of bread and pile all my other stuff in the middle... I also use laughing cow instead of any mayo
  • lwebsmfp
    lwebsmfp Posts: 297 Member
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    Thanks everyone for clearing that up for me. I'll have to see if I can find that Dr. Oz book too.
  • courtney_love2001
    courtney_love2001 Posts: 1,468 Member
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    I don't think your body "gets used" to certain foods. Calories in=calories out. I eat a sandwich pretty much every single day for lunch, and I have lost doing this. :) Sandwiches are my fave food...Just eat what makes you happy!

    I've been doing the sandwich thing for lunch... I just use 1 piece of bread and pile all my other stuff in the middle... I also use laughing cow instead of any mayo

    You should try heating your sandwich (I do mine on the George Foreman). It is an easy way to make a sandwich feel more decadent!

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