your diet wisdom.. let's share

It pays to try new foods. I like some and can grow accustomed to tolerating some. More variety is a good thing.

If I eat pasta, white rice or white bread, I will want more very soon.

Fruit hits the spot when craving sugary treats.

I do crazy things that will not help me lose weight...but maybe it's part of the mindset that helps me lose so, whatever. Can't hurt.

Water is best.

Exercise is as good for the soul as it is for the body.

Go to your local library and check out some respected diet books and read them. Notice a lot of the same info is in all of them. And a lot of what you read online isn't in any of them. Believe the authorities.

This brings up an interesting point in that there's ALSO a lot of diet books that are written by so called "authorities" that are also full of bad information.

Go to your local library and check out some respected diet books and read them. Notice a lot of the same info is in all of them. And a lot of what you read online isn't in any of them. Believe the authorities.

This brings up an interesting point in that there's ALSO a lot of diet books that are written by so called "authorities" that are also full of bad information.

True. That's why I think the overlap is the incontrovertible stuff. And why I said 'respected' ones. I would exclude Tim Ferriss, for example.

I'm thinking about the OP but I'm having a hard time being concise

Everybody isn't the same, but I feel better and do better on a low-carb, high-fat, moderate-protein diet than I did on low calorie-low fat. 2/3 of my fat grams are vegetable, so I'm not chowing down on piles of cheese and meat. I eat a lot of nuts and olive oil or tahini salad dressings. Meat/chicken/fish is dwarfed on my dinner plate by veggies; for example, 5 oz grilled steak with 2 cups mashed cauliflower and 1 cup garlic-sauteed spinach; 5 oz chicken or salmon teryaki with 3 cups stir fried bok choy, pea pods, and mushrooms; 5 oz chicken piccata with lots of mushrooms & parsley over 1/2 cup quinoa with 2 cups broccoli; minestre--Italian peasant stew of cabbage, sausage, white beans, onion, garlic, and fennel bulb--all cooked in chicken broth; clam sauce and romano cheese over zoodles--aka zucchguini with clam sauce ;-)

I'm eating more veggies on this diet than when I was almost vegan! Because vegetables have replaced carbs, which used to constitute most of my diet. (This week is odd because we're traveling, and I left our bag of veggie stix & cheese in the first hotel--not used to checking the fridge before we check out!) Lunch or supper, whichever is the lighter meal, is usually salad or soup. I love bean soup, but instead of my former servings of 2-3 cups(!), I am content with 1 cup. And yes, I measure and weigh.

Some days would be vegan save for my usual dessert of 4 oz plain kefir, 1 tbsp chia seeds, a few raspberries and a smidgeon of stevia. I've only lost a few pounds so far, but I can already fit into 1 size smaller clothes.

PS--I had no idea I was eating much too little salt until I started tracking in MFP. My dizziness, which doctors couldn't figure out, has gone away since adding salt, a little more calories, and more fat to my diet.

Eat (real) food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

Along the way I've made my own realizations about losing weight. Here are mine.. I wonder what yours are. Maybe we can learn from each others insights.


1. How I lose the weight is how I will have to maintain my weight.

2. I live like I'm already on maintenance…because after doing the math…this is about how much i'll need to eat and exercise to maintain my goal weight. It has made losing so much easier to look at it that way.

3. I FINALLY understand that under eating and over exercising is counter productive to fat loss. All it does is eat muscle and slow my metabolism further, making regaining a promise.

YESSS to the bolded. Sure, eating very little and lots of exercising may make the scale move down very fast. However, there's a VERY good chance (yep, we've seen and read it here very often from members) that someone will NOT like what they see in the mirror when weight goal is reached.

Move a little more and eat a little less than you previously did, that is the "magic pill" for getting fit, looking better, and feeling good.

Oh, and finding a means of strength training that you like and can fit into your lifestyle is vital, IMO, and start it NOW (there's no day like today, right). Your muscles don't really care if it's barbells and dumbbells, exercise machines, or kettle bells, or some resistance bands or your own body weight (calisthenics, push ups, etc.). Pick one (or try out some, if you're not sure) and work it!

I am in total agreement with both bolded statements. It's seems ridiculously easy to lose weight once you figure both of these things out. People who don't eat enough and cry and complain because they can't lose weight, break my heart. EAT dammit and get off your *kitten* and move. And if you really want success and be happy with your body, lift something up and set it back down a few times. Repeat. The End.

Slumps are all but guaranteed. Just keep recognizing any problems you run into and solving them and you will reach your goal

MFP app rocks! Is there anything it can't do - nope. It even made me a ham sandwich once

Just about any question you could ever think to ask about diet and exercise has been asked and answered on MFP. Searching is your friend. I say this not to complain about repeat posts, but you could easily read five or six topics on your one question and really come out feeling informed. I use google rather than the MFP search. Like, "how often do you exercise site:MyFitnessPal.com" (without quotes).

Eat (real) food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

This gets a huge THUMBS up from me .. except I add dairy and meat .. Shopping the edges of the grocery store. I cut out sugar, dropped alcohol to a few times a week and I don't eat bread or cereal and crackers. I will add things back in when I reach my goal weight. I keep Carbs low and protein and fat higher

Up until last May, I was yoyoing around (AGAIN) but concentrating on WHAT I was eating helped a lot. I have lost almost 40 lbs in the last 5 months and cleaning up what I am eating, eating less of it, walking faithfully

Basically, there's no placebo .. eat less, eat well, move your body

I add meat and dairy too. I try to eat MOSTLY plants.
But yes, I definitely try to shop the perimeter and eat real, whole foods as much as possible. I don't keep carbs low, because of all the plants, but I do keep an eye on starches.

Rome wasn't built in a day!.

go to thrift stores so you don't spend on a lot of $$ on a whole new wardrobe while still in progress.

Just to add to that, don't throw away all your fat clothes either till you've been your new size for a few months. You might need them again :grumble:

Oh, and don't compare yourself to others! Particularly not others who are much taller than yourself.

Don't take yourself too seriously. It will all happen in due time as long as you put in the effort. If you mess up, keep it moving. One mistake won't destroy all of your efforts.

Eat (real) food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

Paraphrased from my favorite book about diet/food ever:

http://michaelpollan.com/books/in-defense-of-food/

It's surprising how many people get most of their calories from liquids, easily taking them into excess calories without a thought. My mom and I were both shocked when we realized how much we were getting from sodas and juices and milk. My mom has had a lot of success just cutting back on sodas and juices. She still enjoys them sometimes, but drinks water or tea more often. I would say that's a good place to start.