Real FOODies!

leavinglasvegas
leavinglasvegas Posts: 1,495
edited September 21 in Food and Nutrition
I didn't come here just to go on a diet. I came here to track my food. In the process I made some super awesome friends, learned a bunch of stuff, and lost a bunch of weight.

I'm posting this thread for people who are NOT ON A DIET!

Meaning, food is good. You like food. REAL food. Not diet, sugar-free, flavor enhanced, low-fat, low-cal, lab-made, chemical-filled, unpronouncable, everlasting, pseudo food!

How about the flavor of a raw carrot to cure a sweet tooth?

Cooking food from scratch, not a box.

Veggies from the ground, not just the freezer section.

I understand the need for convenience in todays world. Even I need a quick fix sometimes, I'm not perfect. But my body is more important to me than the rat race. What good is the stupid race if you can't finish what you started?

I love the saying: "I eat to live, I don't live to eat."

There is so much more to life than counting calories, measuring waistlines, weighing food to get it just right. What if you just eat real food for the purpose of survival and enjoy it because its perfectly natural to do so? Why does dinnertime have to be a science experiment instead of time to share with family and friends? Why do recipes require an algebra equation rather than a fork? I hate algebra.

My mom likes to tell people about our friends mother. She was an working accountant till the day she died at 94. She was a southern tornado who insisted on claiming her wiskey on her taxes as medicine. She ate fried chicken everyday. The week before she died, she was playing in the sprinklers with us kids and walking the dog. What was her secret? In her words, "cooking good food and whiskey hunny!"

I think we have overcomplicated everything these days. But, thats just my opinion.

:drinker: :drinker: :drinker: Heres to God given food. Not FDA/USDA approved products.:drinker: :drinker: :drinker:

I'm just sayin'......
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Replies

  • Behavior_Modification
    Behavior_Modification Posts: 24,482 Member
    I'm NOT ON A DIET! :smile: I've finally gotten it through my thick skull that diets DO NOT work! In order for me to lose weight and successfully keep it off for life, I now know that I cannot do it with a so called diet, but rather learn how I'm supposed to eat for life and practice it every day.
  • Shelley99
    Shelley99 Posts: 5
    nicely said :flowerforyou:
  • questionablemethods
    questionablemethods Posts: 2,174 Member
    Woohoo! Yup, "Eat FOOD, not too much, mostly plants." Famously simple advice to live (and eat) by.
  • Holton
    Holton Posts: 1,018
    Wow! Just read "where you have come from" and I am so impressed and proud of your accomplishments. You have overcome some very difficult struggles and are moving forward in such a positive way. Thanks for sharing!
  • leavinglasvegas
    leavinglasvegas Posts: 1,495
    I love that quote too!
  • leavinglasvegas
    leavinglasvegas Posts: 1,495
    Wow! Just read "where you have come from" and I am so impressed and proud of your accomplishments. You have overcome some very difficult struggles and are moving forward in such a positive way. Thanks for sharing!

    Thank you :)
  • anu_6986
    anu_6986 Posts: 702 Member
    Yup! Its a nice way to put it. People keep telling me, maybe what I am doing is not correct, I look a little pale... etc. But what I am doing is just eat food, and keep away from oil, fried and sweet stuff. Yes I do have it at times, but occasionally and in limited quatities.... How could that be so bad!

    As everyone here says, its not diet, its a lifestyle change.
  • Ten10
    Ten10 Posts: 223 Member
    I like, I live it, I love it! This was an awesome post.
  • TropicalKitty
    TropicalKitty Posts: 2,298 Member
    I think you hit on something very important: that we mess with food thinking that we can outsmart nature into making something better. The things that we keep being told are healthy (think "Best Life" stamped products) are full of modified compounds.

    I really think that if we just ate what we earth gave us, we'd be so much better off and wouldn't be having the issues of "food addiction" from all the added high fructose corn syrup. I love the taste of real food and am so much more satisfied when I eat what naturally occurs than the created products.

    I'm not on a diet. I'm eating mindfully and getting back to eating what my body needs, not what I'm told that I'm supposed to have. My biggest favorite is my homemade all natural nachos that I've finally mastered. No restaurant can touch 'em! Yes the cheese has fat and the corn tortilla chips have carbs, but my body knows what those things are. And the guac is good for me. :)

    Oh, one other thing I forgot...something someone had said to me the other day regarding health and the cost of natural food: "You pay for it on one end or the other." I'd rather pay the extra bit on the natural local good food, than a life time of healthcare costs and medications. :)
  • kayemme
    kayemme Posts: 1,782 Member
    100% foodie here.

    I almost never buy any "products"; my motto has always been "if it's got a barcode on it, i don't need it."

    my garbage is less than 1/4can per week and my compost is extremely fertile! hahah.

    i am absolutely not on a diet (because the occasional barcode is often chips. i love them, but i try to buy them with the least amount of ingredients possible).

    i feel that food is one of the most intimate acts we perform on a (hopefully) daily basis. i wouldn't have sex with a junkie, so why would i put junk in my body?

    i've lost about 60lbs since my own food revolution. i use mfp as a tool to help me stay focused (because i make a pretty damned good pie, and if i'm mindless, i'll eat the whole thing!).

    i was using a home made spreadsheet to track my calories before i found mfp through my brother in law. i do like the mfp interface and it's good to connect with other like-minded people.

    one more thing: i found that by removing the television from my house really helped me not crave certain greasy foods. just a thought.
  • Barneystinson
    Barneystinson Posts: 1,357 Member
    ...

    Oh, one other thing I forgot...something someone had said to me the other day regarding health and the cost of natural food: "You pay for it on one end or the other." I'd rather pay the extra bit on the natural local good food, than a life time of healthcare costs and medications. :)

    Amen.

    Food is something I DO like to devote my financial resource to. There's certainly ways to save, but there's no way it's something that should be some game of "gee, how little can I spend on my monthly food bill" - that's more like saying "gee, how much processed crap can I buy for as little as possible with coupons?"
  • kayemme
    kayemme Posts: 1,782 Member
    Food is something I DO like to devote my financial resource to. There's certainly ways to save, but there's no way it's something that should be some game of "gee, how little can I spend on my monthly food bill" - that's more like saying "gee, how much processed crap can I buy for as little as possible with coupons?"

    believe me, there's a way to accomplish both spending very little and getting the very best. but not on each individual item. (for instance my eggs are $7/doz; milk $6/gal, but everything else is inexpensive (no meat) and, more-often-than-not, organic. if a person wants it bad enough, they'll find a way. we spend about $40-$50/wk on food, whole food, not processed for 2 adults. we really do eat like kings! real kings!
  • Michellerw1
    Michellerw1 Posts: 367
    100% agree! Wonderfully written, thanks for sharing!
  • leavinglasvegas
    leavinglasvegas Posts: 1,495
    There is not a coupon in the world that could save me what I can save myself! My health has no price. It is the one thing that I am fully responsible for. It is the only thing that really matters. Without my health, what good is life?

    If I need to save money, I'll grow it myself. (You're right kayemme, there is a way!)

    You guys are all awesome!
  • sabrinafaith
    sabrinafaith Posts: 607 Member
    Ok- Firstly, I completely agree with all this. The only time I use sweeteners, is in my coffee. I like the taste of splenda better than sugar.

    Secondly, I eat very well. All organic, natural foods, and some meat (sorry, I'm a carnivore). But we spend about $140 a week on food for 2 adults and one child. Maybe its because we live in New York City???? How on earth can you eat like kings on $50 a week???? My organic pears are 2.59 a lb!!!!
  • kayemme
    kayemme Posts: 1,782 Member
    because i don't waste ANYTHING and i have two gardens and i joined a csa ($!2/wk) which provides almost my entire week's worth of food every week.

    i make everything from scratch. my diary is viewable, but be warned that not everything that says it's a brand name is a brand name. sometimes i dont' have time to make the recipe up, but still want to log it.
  • recipe4success
    recipe4success Posts: 469 Member
    I am certainly not on a diet. I am changing my life, and being aware of what i eat and striving to make better choices is part of that. I am losing weight, and want to lose weight, but i am not taking shortcuts to do so. I am pretty sure i eat more calories/day then 85% of people on this site, and i am losing consistently. You don't need to starve to get healthier.
  • kayemme
    kayemme Posts: 1,782 Member
    Ok- Firstly, I completely agree with all this. The only time I use sweeteners, is in my coffee. I like the taste of splenda better than sugar.

    Secondly, I eat very well. All organic, natural foods, and some meat (sorry, I'm a carnivore). But we spend about $140 a week on food for 2 adults and one child. Maybe its because we live in New York City???? How on earth can you eat like kings on $50 a week???? My organic pears are 2.59 a lb!!!!

    and $140/wk for 2 adults and one child (with meat) isn't bad at all. imagine if you cut out the meat and the child (just for examples) your bill would probably be about half what it is. and that's about where we are, more or less.

    we eat seasonally not just locally, so for instance we won't have any pears til late august. at that time they'll be less expensive than $2.59lb, if we even buy them at all. There are pear trees not far from the house that I like to snag a few here and there. I'm not above foraging. :)

    found two more apple trees (totallying 4) on my commute to work today (which I do by bike). It's going to be a nice Fall.
  • questionablemethods
    questionablemethods Posts: 2,174 Member
    Ok- Firstly, I completely agree with all this. The only time I use sweeteners, is in my coffee. I like the taste of splenda better than sugar.

    Secondly, I eat very well. All organic, natural foods, and some meat (sorry, I'm a carnivore). But we spend about $140 a week on food for 2 adults and one child. Maybe its because we live in New York City???? How on earth can you eat like kings on $50 a week???? My organic pears are 2.59 a lb!!!!

    I'm going to guess that $140 to feed three in NYC is actually pretty reasonable! Especially if it is being spent on high quality produce. I'm sure that I could eat for less if I gardened. But, I live in a condo building with no yard. Maybe some day the condo association will get behind rooftop gardening, but then there is the fact that I am pretty terrible at growing things.... Until then, I try to stay local and in season, if at all possible. Maybe pears aren't the most economical option for the current season in your location (I don't know for sure). Strawberries or blueberries might be better deals this month. I have a CSA and also try to buy from farmer's markets.

    I buy dried beans and grains in bulk. Cook them up in large batches and freeze them for later use in dishes. I don't have a compost pile (see the bit about a condo with no yard), but I save vegetable scraps in a plastic bag in the freezer. When the bag gets full, I make a big pot of veggie stock, so there is no need to buy that.

    I recently stopped eating meat because (among other reasons) I couldn't handle the thought of cheap meat and even the cost of the expensive, free-range/grass-fed meat wasn't worth the price to me. I would rather a larger portion of my food budget go to buying vegetables (which I do love) than to buying meat (which I am apathetic about).
  • questionablemethods
    questionablemethods Posts: 2,174 Member
    Ok- Firstly, I completely agree with all this. The only time I use sweeteners, is in my coffee. I like the taste of splenda better than sugar.

    Secondly, I eat very well. All organic, natural foods, and some meat (sorry, I'm a carnivore). But we spend about $140 a week on food for 2 adults and one child. Maybe its because we live in New York City???? How on earth can you eat like kings on $50 a week???? My organic pears are 2.59 a lb!!!!

    and $140/wk for 2 adults and one child (with meat) isn't bad at all. imagine if you cut out the meat and the child (just for examples) your bill would probably be about half what it is. and that's about where we are, more or less.

    we eat seasonally not just locally, so for instance we won't have any pears til late august. at that time they'll be less expensive than $2.59lb, if we even buy them at all. There are pear trees not far from the house that I like to snag a few here and there. I'm not above foraging. :)

    found two more apple trees (totallying 4) on my commute to work today (which I do by bike). It's going to be a nice Fall.

    You were typing basically what I was typing! It's a Vulcan Mind Meld here. :laugh:
  • sabrinafaith
    sabrinafaith Posts: 607 Member
    Actually, the $140 isn't including meat. Probably more like $200 with chicken and fish.
  • leavinglasvegas
    leavinglasvegas Posts: 1,495
    Ok- Firstly, I completely agree with all this. The only time I use sweeteners, is in my coffee. I like the taste of splenda better than sugar.

    Secondly, I eat very well. All organic, natural foods, and some meat (sorry, I'm a carnivore). But we spend about $140 a week on food for 2 adults and one child. Maybe its because we live in New York City???? How on earth can you eat like kings on $50 a week???? My organic pears are 2.59 a lb!!!!

    Considering you eat meat, thats not too bad at all.

    I'm new to the farmers market, but that is the greatest thing EVER!

    I got fruits and veggies for the week for under 20 bucks! Not to mention my daughter and I have made it a Saturday morning routine. So we bond and have a fun, educational time. We chat with the farmers, even buy flowers. She chose a mint plant to decorate her room. Hey, it was 2 bucks, she like to eat the leaves, it smells nice....

    Also, I noticed that the organic farmer did not have higher prices than the other farmers. I thought that was awesome! I didn't compare all of the prices, but for the most part, they were all the same.

    I've gotten into the habit of cooking big batches of rice and quinoa for the week. I chop up veggies, fruits if needed and put em in the fridge so we just grab and go. If I need a quick meal, I've got a base already, just gotta toss it together and grab a fork.

    Of course, being Vegan is super cheap. Rice, beans, veggies. Nutritious, cheap, and easy. The challenge is in creating a million different varieties and it is so possible and fun!

    Try one or two meatless meals per week and not only is it budget friendly, but healthy, eco-friendly, and even fun just to try new things. Its not always about rice and beans either. (I just LOVE rice and beans)
  • leavinglasvegas
    leavinglasvegas Posts: 1,495
    Actually, the $140 isn't including meat. Probably more like $200 with chicken and fish.

    Check this site out.

    http://www.localharvest.org/

    You can find a market near you. The prices are lower, food is better, and local.
  • rmccully
    rmccully Posts: 319
    Food is something I DO like to devote my financial resource to. There's certainly ways to save, but there's no way it's something that should be some game of "gee, how little can I spend on my monthly food bill" - that's more like saying "gee, how much processed crap can I buy for as little as possible with coupons?"

    believe me, there's a way to accomplish both spending very little and getting the very best. but not on each individual item. (for instance my eggs are $7/doz; milk $6/gal, but everything else is inexpensive (no meat) and, more-often-than-not, organic. if a person wants it bad enough, they'll find a way. we spend about $40-$50/wk on food, whole food, not processed for 2 adults. we really do eat like kings! real kings!

    would love to see your weekly list
  • Barneystinson
    Barneystinson Posts: 1,357 Member
    Meat in the MidAtlantic region isn't too horrible, price-wise, but you're going to be better off buying it in bulk (i.e. 1/4 to whole animal) vs. the packaged or case varieties at whole foods...

    From local farms, cost of ground beef, chuck:
    Grass fed, grain finished, Eastern PA, local - $1.85/lb
    100% grass fed, Eastern PA , local - $2.80-$4.30/lb


    Buying from the local meat market:
    Grass fed, grain finished - $2.99/lb

    I pay $4 per whole chicken, locally. Pay around $6-7 per pound for lamb. If I had the resource, I'd probably raise and slaughter my own livestock. Not kidding.

    I did the vegetarian thing for a while based on "cost" but that didn't work out so well for me... So now my grocery bill is about double what it was. C'est la vie.
  • kayemme
    kayemme Posts: 1,782 Member
    You were typing basically what I was typing! It's a Vulcan Mind Meld here. :laugh:

    we might be soul sisters.

    i buy all dry beans (so much more economical!) and i also make veg. stock out of whatever can be salvaged. what can't goes right into the bin. fortunately, my apartment has a backyard where i grow tomatoes, lettuce (in spring & fall) and a variety of perennial herbs.

    in nyc strawberries should be out of season now - blueberries are coming in to full swing! blackberries soon to follow. i'm going picking on friday for the blueberries. at the farm i use they're about $1.10/lb pyo. i usually get about 10-15lbs for the year. it's pretty remarkable, really, how much one saves by putting a little extra effort into it.

    having said that, not everybody enjoys doing it this way and even those who do, don't always have the time. sometimes it's hard for me to find the time as well (i work a number of part time jobs... i'm guessing, but i think it's at 7 now), but since i stopped watching tv (years ago) i found myself with an abundance of time to make yogurt, breads, cheese and cook amazing healthy food. my body reaps all the benefits!
  • kayemme
    kayemme Posts: 1,782 Member
    would love to see your weekly list

    i haven't updated in about 3 weeks, but you can see examples at http://scratch.kerimarion.com
  • leavinglasvegas
    leavinglasvegas Posts: 1,495
    would love to see your weekly list

    i haven't updated in about 3 weeks, but you can see examples at http://scratch.kerimarion.com

    I would just like to point out that I am very glad to have come across you on this site!

    I enjoy reading your blogs and posts. And you are a living breating example of what is possible when it comes to food. You have become a very valuable source of info.

    I love your truth. It just is what it is and I respect that so much. I consider you a teacher.
  • kayemme
    kayemme Posts: 1,782 Member
    From local farms, cost of ground beef, chuck:
    Grass fed, grain finished, Eastern PA, local - $1.85/lb
    100% grass fed, Eastern PA , local - $2.80-$4.30/lb
    Buying from the local meat market:
    Grass fed, grain finished - $2.99/lb

    I pay $4 per whole chicken, locally. Pay around $6-7 per pound for lamb. If I had the resource, I'd probably raise and slaughter my own livestock. Not kidding.

    i'm not morally opposed to eating meat, but my boyfriend is a vegetarian and has been for well over 20 years. so that pretty much makes me a vegetarian, too, except sometimes i opt for meat when we go out which is almost nonexistent, but does happen occasionally.

    your meat costs don't sound exorbitant. here in providence we have a "fresh" meat market. i went in once, and it was all very clean and humane except i didn't like that the fowl were in cages. i don't have a reasonable answer on how to avoid or change it, i just didn't like it. so it turned me off on eating meat for a while.
  • leavinglasvegas
    leavinglasvegas Posts: 1,495
    Meat in the MidAtlantic region isn't too horrible, price-wise, but you're going to be better off buying it in bulk (i.e. 1/4 to whole animal) vs. the packaged or case varieties at whole foods...

    From local farms, cost of ground beef, chuck:
    Grass fed, grain finished, Eastern PA, local - $1.85/lb
    100% grass fed, Eastern PA , local - $2.80-$4.30/lb


    Buying from the local meat market:
    Grass fed, grain finished - $2.99/lb

    I pay $4 per whole chicken, locally. Pay around $6-7 per pound for lamb. If I had the resource, I'd probably raise and slaughter my own livestock. Not kidding.

    I did the vegetarian thing for a while based on "cost" but that didn't work out so well for me... So now my grocery bill is about double what it was. C'est la vie.

    Although I choose not to eat animals, I honestly respect those who take the approach of buying from local farmers or even raising their own.

    In my opinion, if your going to eat something, you should be able to hunt/gather it yourself. I'm not all insane over animal rights, as I get the human history and the need for eating animals. Of course, theres no need to torture animals or shoot them up with hormones and antibiotics. I stand in on the animal rights in that aspect. It just makes more sense to me that if its meant to be, you can do it on your own. Like if your lost in the woods, your going to starve if all you know is big macs and nuggets. You have to be aware of where you food comes from and willing, if neccessary, to get it on your own. I know, that just came out of nowhere.....
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