Simple vs variety

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sharkmeat00
sharkmeat00 Posts: 8 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Do you use a lot of variety in your diet? Or do you find it easier to stick with the same foods while on a diet? Simple or variety?

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  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
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    I have both..... I make a meal plan to stick to during the week, so every day is the same. I eat completely different things for each meal of the day though - no way could I eat the same thing multiple times a day!

    It may change week to week if there's something I get sick of, otherwise I can eat similar foods for weeks tweaked slightly to fit my macros if they change.

    Weekends are more flexible.
  • sharkmeat00
    sharkmeat00 Posts: 8 Member
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    We might be related, because I cudnt have said it any better myself. I will say the only complicated part sometimes is trying to track macros while out to eat.
  • Aemely
    Aemely Posts: 694 Member
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    I use simple foods that I know "work" in terms of the balance of calories, protein, and fat to keep me satiated. I mix in variety around those basic staples. I also tend to eat the same things for breakfast/lunch and often snacks, but add variety to dinner. Find what works for you! Good luck! :D
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
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    sharkmeat00 wrote: »
    We might be related, because I cudnt have said it any better myself. I will say the only complicated part sometimes is trying to track macros while out to eat.

    Unless I can pre plan (by going to a restaurant with nutrition info available) i guesstimate when out to eat, or just eat low fat and carb during the day so I can splurge on dinner and dessert. If I'm prepping for comp, I don't normally go out just because I don't want to guesstimate.
  • sharkmeat00
    sharkmeat00 Posts: 8 Member
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    @Aemely great advice
  • smae1980
    smae1980 Posts: 794 Member
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    Variety. I get bored easily
  • sharkmeat00
    sharkmeat00 Posts: 8 Member
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    @livingleanlivingclean only makes since....thanks
  • sharkmeat00
    sharkmeat00 Posts: 8 Member
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    @smae1980 I understand you can burn out on some foods......be like "chicken again" lol
  • llUndecidedll
    llUndecidedll Posts: 724 Member
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    Both. I can stick to the same foods for a good week or two before I have to switch it up, but I do have some staples like grilled chicken breasts, eggs, salads, Atkins bars [yummy].

    Bananas too but I'm too impatient when it comes to waiting for them to get ripe. I generally just like to throw things together like a salad or soup and see how it comes out. This works for me.
  • smae1980
    smae1980 Posts: 794 Member
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    I guess I could be more specific-I eat a lot of the same "ingredients" but I put them together differently so I'm not eating the same thing all the time. One night we'll have grilled veggies and tofu, the next day I'll put the leftover grilled veggies on a salad with some feta. I'm constantly looking up recipes online and in magazines and cookbooks, I love trying new foods. My Pinterest recipe boards are packed
  • smae1980
    smae1980 Posts: 794 Member
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    I generally just like to throw things together like a salad or soup and see how it comes out. This works for me.[/quote]

    ^^^^ Yes, this too!
  • rockmama72
    rockmama72 Posts: 815 Member
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    There are some things I keep on hand because I love them and they're easy--yogurt, eggs, hummus, high fiber cereal. But I love to try cooking new recipes!
  • beachhouse758
    beachhouse758 Posts: 371 Member
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    smae1980 wrote: »
    I guess I could be more specific-I eat a lot of the same "ingredients" but I put them together differently so I'm not eating the same thing all the time. One night we'll have grilled veggies and tofu, the next day I'll put the leftover grilled veggies on a salad with some feta. I'm constantly looking up recipes online and in magazines and cookbooks, I love trying new foods. My Pinterest recipe boards are packed

    This is me exactly. For dinners I usually do salad bowls with protein (grilled chicken, fish, grilled steak) but I try new veggies each week.
    Different types of yogurts (I'm trying Icelandic yogurt and lassi this week) and the protein will be venison and flounder.
    So it's pretty varied. I also need different textures and colors.
    It's not easy for me to control my eating and I feel like the variety keeps me from being bored and quitting.
  • getalife9353
    getalife9353 Posts: 100 Member
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    80% of the time I do "simple". My work week breakfast is usually the same. My weekend breakfast is different then my work week breakfast, but usually the same from one weekend to another. Dinner is usually 4-6 oz of meat (chicken, salmon, or pork roast), 2 vegetables, and usually rice or potatoes (sometimes leave out the rice/potatoes). My weekday lunch's are usually the same for the given day of the week. Usually some fruit for dessert/snack (banana, kiwi, strawberries, melon). This works for me, and I like the foods that I eat. I don't really get bored or excited about food. It just is. Most deviations from this are due to social / special activities.
  • flippy1234
    flippy1234 Posts: 686 Member
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    In the past, I have varied and I did not lose weight. Now, I am staying pretty much the same every day. I have lost weight fairly easily.
    Also, eating the same things makes it easier to pre- plan my calories on my food log.
  • Vune
    Vune Posts: 672 Member
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    I eat a large variety of foods, but I prepare them simply. Fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, some meats and non meat proteins, grains. Always sauteed or grilled with oils, vinegar, and different herbs and spices. I just buy whatever looks good and is on sale.

    Before my diet overhaul, I didn't eat much variety during the week. I even got the same flavor of ice cream every time. I could eat the same foods forever, but this is a better way to make sure I don't let myself get into a food coma because I had a rough day and want to treat it with food.
  • AlabasterVerve
    AlabasterVerve Posts: 3,171 Member
    edited April 2015
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    I think I have enough variety in my diet to be healthy (a nutritionist might disagree!) but there's a handful of meals that just really work for me -- they're delicious, satisfying, nutritious, easy to prepare, fit with my goals, etc. so they've become staples in my diet. I never get tired of them and I go back to them again and again.
  • amy8400
    amy8400 Posts: 478 Member
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    I must be boring :D I also have several go-to meals (especially lunch) that are simple to prep and I just rotate them every few days. So twice a week I might have 3 oz of lean turkey, 1.5 oz of light cheese, 2-3 ounces of raw veggies, 2-3 ounces of fresh fruit and a light yogurt for midday snack. Then other days, I'll have a higher protein, broth-based soup and high fiber bread...or a veggie/tuna/cheese wrap and 1/2 ounce of chips or multi-grain crackers. Simple ingredients and preparation keeps it easy and manageable for me.

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