What do you eat?

CandySugar500
CandySugar500 Posts: 19 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been wondering with those of you successful in losing weight, did you eat whatever just watched calories and portions or did you eat diet foods and only fruits and veggies? I want to know because I'm struggling to figure out how and what I should eat.

Replies

  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    I watch my calories, I work to get enough protein in, I eat plenty of fruits and veggies, and I fit treats in when possible.
  • sheedy17
    sheedy17 Posts: 128
    I try to eat healthy according to my macro's. I take 2 shakes a day to help with protein and I try to keep my salt and sugar low. I try not to eat any "junk" food that got me this way, but I do enjoy the occasional pizza slice or such once and awhile

    Its just about portion control and eating the proper macro's
  • CandySugar500
    CandySugar500 Posts: 19 Member
    I watch my calories, I work to get enough protein in, I eat plenty of fruits and veggies, and I fit treats in when possible.

    Do you eat pasta, rice or bread? I try to stay away from these.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    I've worked to incorporate more fruits & veggies. Otherwise I'd have days where I didn't eat any. (Shameful, I know!) I also try to get a decent amount of protein, and drink water. These are areas where I'd be missing nutrients if I didn't make the effort.

    Otherwise, I eat what I want and just watch portions to make sure it fits in my day overall.

    I do eat rice, pasta, bread. Same as with everything else: I weigh, log it. Had spaghetti for dinner last night. PB&J sandwich for lunch a few times a week. Tonight having rice w/ baked chicken & a salad.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    I watch my calories, I work to get enough protein in, I eat plenty of fruits and veggies, and I fit treats in when possible.

    Do you eat pasta, rice or bread? I try to stay away from these.

    I don't actively avoid them, but pasta and rice don't end up in my diet as often as they used to. Mostly though that's just personal preference.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    I pretty much eat whatever within my calories. I also tweaked a lot of my recipes to be lower in cals by using less pasta/rice, more veg and less or leaner meats and dairy. That way I can still have a good sized portion but it won't be as many calories. For instance, when I make spaghetti sauce, I bulk it up with 2 bell peppers, 8 oz of baby bella mushrooms, onion, diced tomatoes and sometimes spinach or carrots or zucchini. Before i added all the veg, it was barely enough for the two of us. Now it's enough to last us two dinners and way more nutritious.

    I switched out a lot of snacks for healthier things too. Instead of chips with my sandwich, I have pickles or fruit or cucumbers. Instead of cookies or crackers for snack, I have yogurt and fruit and protein bars. I plan out my meals as much as I can and pack things to have on hand at work so there's no temptations.

    Good luck!
  • 6ftamazon
    6ftamazon Posts: 340 Member
    My diary is open so feel free to check it out :). I don't really do "diet foods" specifically.... I just focus on getting a healthy diet and if I'm craving something, I'll usually make it fit
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    I watch my calories, I work to get enough protein in, I eat plenty of fruits and veggies, and I fit treats in when possible.

    Do you eat pasta, rice or bread? I try to stay away from these.

    I don't actively avoid them, but pasta and rice don't end up in my diet as often as they used to. Mostly though that's just personal preference.

    This is me as well...

    however I would always fit my chocolate in...even now at maitenance.

    I would ensure my protien was where it needed to be and after that...whatever I wanted.

    ETA: my diary is open as well...I am at maitenance so eating a lot but if you take 2/3 of what I eat you could easily eat it and lose weight...my food hasn't changed much from deficit to maitenance...

    Less greek yogurt atm...more protien powder for my smoothie.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    I watch calories mostly. I'm trying to get better at watching my macros (protein and fat in particular). The only foods I avoid are the ones I dislike. Anything else is fair game, as long as it fits into my calories and well eventually with some practice, as long as it fits within my macros (going to take a lot of practice).
  • HappyHope0123
    HappyHope0123 Posts: 101 Member
    I've lost 22 pounds through changing my eating habits and getting active. I count calories and exercise a couple times a week. I've been low on the exercise these past few weeks due to being busy with life and vacations. I cut out bread and pasta for the first month or two, and cut way back on baked goods. Now I have bread a few times a week, but rarely do I have more than a slice. I did have a full English muffin the other morning. Now though, my sandwiches have more filling than bread.

    I eat omelets...2 egg whites, 1 egg, with 1/4 c cheese and all the salsa I want. I eat lots of veggies (Thank God for a good garden this year!) and fruits. I aim for the right amount of protein, but I watch my calories more than anything.

    Exercise is 30-40 minutes 3-4 times a week is what I shoot for.
  • serindipte
    serindipte Posts: 1,557 Member
    I've added in more fruits and veggies (though probably not as much as I should). Generally speaking, though, I still eat the same things, I just adjusted the portions.. more lean protein, less carbs, more veg, less Ranch dressing. I haven't eliminated anything at all. I don't eat fast food as frequently but, when I want it, I have it and just keep within my calorie allotment.
  • accelerashawn
    accelerashawn Posts: 470 Member
    Sweet potatoes, oatmeal, beans, vegetables...I eat a lot of this
    chicken breast, turkey breast, salmon, lean ground beef....i eat a lot of this
    olive oil, grapeseed oil, peanuts, dark chocolate almonds (Mmmm), cheese, whole eggs...i eat a lot of this

    I try to stick to lean meats, complex carbs, and healthy fats around 80+% of the time but I won't stop myself from having something "bad for you" every once in a while.

    I lose weight consistently and I still have 2000 calorie lunches from time to time (triple baconator+fries+frosty), I eat my tortilla chips with gratuitous salsa, I'll have candy bars, energy drinks, and whatever else I feel like. BUT because these types of foods have so many calories per small bite, I typically don't seek them out cuz I end up going over my calorie goal and feeling like I didn't eat much.


    In my opinion, the foods mentioned at the beginning of this post help me out the most by giving me calorie sparse (not really the fats) sources of food so i can feel fuller and eat more. I think eating good stuff like that at least 80% of the time will be the easiest way to stick to the weightloss.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    I eat pretty much anything and watch calories, but I also make an effort to get adequate protein (about 105 g/day, so that usually means a good protein source at each meal), and eat lots of vegetables, ideally at every meal, ideally at least a couple of servings at a time. I also have been eating quite a bit of fruit during the summer (my desire for fruit tends to vary based on whether my favorites are in season--I love local summer fruits), and eat lots of dairy. I eat starches/legumes, although less frequently and in smaller portions than I used to, just based on my personal analysis of calorie cost vs. pleasure (I eat potatoes/sweet potatoes much more than rice just based on personal preference, for example). I avoid anything labeled diet, although that doesn't come up much in the context of my diet and the types of foods I eat. I do eat low fat and no fat dairy, depending. Quite like Fage 0% as a standby protein source and tasty treat mixed or used as a dip for lots of things.

    I also go out to dinner at least once a week (local restaurants, no calorie count), and have a small dessert (lately, ice cream) quite often after dinners at home.

    On the whole this is how I like to eat and how I'd eaten in the past. During the period I was gaining weight I'd gotten really bad about deciding I was too exhausted to cook and just getting take out and using food as an emotional crutch (and then exercising no portion control or moderation in terms of how often and in what quantities it made sense to have certain foods), but once I got back to what I think of as normal eating it felt natural and I realized it really doesn't take long if you have a routine and plan/shop in advance.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    First and foremost, calories...that's numero uno for weight loss. You can eat very healthfully and still over consume energy (calories) and guess what? You won't lose weight.

    Cutting calories was the easy part...learning actual nutrition and giving my body optimal nutrition was the hard part. I've been on this little safari now for nearly two years...I've lost 40 Lbs and maintained for over a year now without logging. This is largely possible because of my efforts to move away from the SAD and get much better nutrition.

    That's not to say that I don't eat any "junk"...I do...it's just not a substantial part of my diet anymore. Most of my diet (noun) consists of nutritious whole foods and my meals are largely prepared from scratch, whole ingredients. I eat tons of veggies...a few servings of fruit...plenty of lean proteins and healthy fats. I eat modest servings of grains and rices and pastas and I'm a big fan of legumes (particularly black beans) and I eat those frequently. I also eat some kind of "junk" pretty much daily...it doesn't negate the rest of my nutrition.
  • mrastaffordML
    mrastaffordML Posts: 39
    I not only watch my calories but I watch my Macros. I watch my fat in take, my protein in take and my carb/sugar intake. I try to stick to a 50/30/30 % break down, PROTEIN/FAT/CARBS.

    My meals consisnt of white carb alternatives such as whote wheat wraps, brown rice, quinoa, whole grain pasta and breads and sweet potatoes.

    I love my protein! I get it mostly from white lean meat such as pork tenderloin, 93/7 ground turkey, and chicken breast. I've mostly cutt out red meat. I will eat it once in a while but I prefer lean white meat. I also get protein from quest bars and protein shakes.

    I love my veggies, kale, spinach and broccoli.

    My dinner plate usually looks like 4-5 oz chicken, 1/2 cup brown rice and 2 cups of veggies.
  • CandySugar500
    CandySugar500 Posts: 19 Member
    I eat pretty much anything and watch calories, but I also make an effort to get adequate protein (about 105 g/day, so that usually means a good protein source at each meal), and eat lots of vegetables, ideally at every meal, ideally at least a couple of servings at a time. I also have been eating quite a bit of fruit during the summer (my desire for fruit tends to vary based on whether my favorites are in season--I love local summer fruits), and eat lots of dairy. I eat starches/legumes, although less frequently and in smaller portions than I used to, just based on my personal analysis of calorie cost vs. pleasure (I eat potatoes/sweet potatoes much more than rice just based on personal preference, for example). I avoid anything labeled diet, although that doesn't come up much in the context of my diet and the types of foods I eat. I do eat low fat and no fat dairy, depending. Quite like Fage 0% as a standby protein source and tasty treat mixed or used as a dip for lots of things.

    I also go out to dinner at least once a week (local restaurants, no calorie count), and have a small dessert (lately, ice cream) quite often after dinners at home.

    On the whole this is how I like to eat and how I'd eaten in the past. During the period I was gaining weight I'd gotten really bad about deciding I was too exhausted to cook and just getting take out and using food as an emotional crutch (and then exercising no portion control or moderation in terms of how often and in what quantities it made sense to have certain foods), but once I got back to what I think of as normal eating it felt natural and I realized it really doesn't take long if you have a routine and plan/shop in advance.

    Is protein that important? I usually try not to eat so much protein, not even chicken, turkey, beans or nut.
  • Whiskey2206
    Whiskey2206 Posts: 189 Member
    I watch my calories and sodium and make sure I get protein at every meal including snacks. I still eat pasta and rice but usually limit it to lunches and I just have a smaller portion and load up on veggies and a little meat. If I don't have pasta or rice I sometimes replace it with quinoa and spaghetti squash. I drink lots of water. I had a baby who will be 1 tomorrow and before joining MFP I lost 20lbs of the baby fat in less than 5 weeks.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    I eat pretty much anything and watch calories, but I also make an effort to get adequate protein (about 105 g/day, so that usually means a good protein source at each meal), and eat lots of vegetables, ideally at every meal, ideally at least a couple of servings at a time. I also have been eating quite a bit of fruit during the summer (my desire for fruit tends to vary based on whether my favorites are in season--I love local summer fruits), and eat lots of dairy. I eat starches/legumes, although less frequently and in smaller portions than I used to, just based on my personal analysis of calorie cost vs. pleasure (I eat potatoes/sweet potatoes much more than rice just based on personal preference, for example). I avoid anything labeled diet, although that doesn't come up much in the context of my diet and the types of foods I eat. I do eat low fat and no fat dairy, depending. Quite like Fage 0% as a standby protein source and tasty treat mixed or used as a dip for lots of things.

    I also go out to dinner at least once a week (local restaurants, no calorie count), and have a small dessert (lately, ice cream) quite often after dinners at home.

    On the whole this is how I like to eat and how I'd eaten in the past. During the period I was gaining weight I'd gotten really bad about deciding I was too exhausted to cook and just getting take out and using food as an emotional crutch (and then exercising no portion control or moderation in terms of how often and in what quantities it made sense to have certain foods), but once I got back to what I think of as normal eating it felt natural and I realized it really doesn't take long if you have a routine and plan/shop in advance.

    Is protein that important? I usually try not to eat so much protein, not even chicken, turkey, beans or nut.

    It kind of depends on your goals. Protein, along with fat and fiber, is one of the things that helps you stay full longer. It also helps to repair and retain your lean muscle mass while you're losing. So if you don't mind losing a lot of muscle along with the fat then I suppose it isn't that important.
  • michikade
    michikade Posts: 313 Member
    I haven't lost a ton yet but I've been pretty consistent the past couple months.

    I don't eat "diet food" (which sounds like lean cuisines, slim fast and snack wells but maybe you meant something else), I eat fruits, veggies, lean meats, nuts, whole grains. Sometimes I indulge and have pizza or something, maybe I'll have some curly fries, but if I do I make sure to compensate for that splurge. I happen to be lucky, though - I crave savory foods rather than sweets unless I have a lot of sweets so I'm happy snacking on veggies or a couple slices of turkey rather than candies, cookies and cake.
  • Tora32
    Tora32 Posts: 33 Member
    Yep, so far I'm mostly watching portion sizes/counting calories while trying to work on hitting my macros. I've adjusted a few things as I went based on medical needs (cutting back on sugar, adding more healthy fats, etc), but I definitely still allow myself to splurge. Right now my big goal is incorporating more veggies into my diet which has involved experimenting with a lot of new recipes so far. For the most part though, I haven't really had to cut much of what I'd already been eating (other than the ridiculous amount of sugar), and if anything feel I have a more varied diet these days which really helps.

    I haven't really done "diet food" either. Depending on what you mean, packaged meals tend to be hard to find with food allergies to consider, protein drinks aren't particularly filling for me, and low-fat products tend to replace it with carbs and sugar which I'm supposed to be limiting at the moment (again medical reasons since otherwise I'd probably be eating fruit all day :P). I have to have my regular ice cream though, and nowadays usually get frozen yogurt instead since it's easier to fit into my calorie budget while still tasting just as good. :)

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