Giving Up Red Meat...

Red meat tends to be higher in fat, so swapping it for leaner meat in the same quantities will naturally lower your calorie intake. That said, 90% of my red meat consumption is venison which is extremely lean. I *personally need the additional iron that venison affords me over chicken breast (12% rda vs 5% in 100gr)

I was always told the best diet was to eat as diversified as possible and everything in moderation.
Each food has its benefits but eaten in big quantities can be a source of problems.
In order to get all the benefits and minimise the negative effects eat red meat one day then white meat then fish or eggs.
Eat different types of fruits and vegetables during the day.
As long as you are in a calorie deficit you will lose weight.
There is no need to exclude any food if you can eat it in moderation.
The only foods that need to be eliminated for some people are the foods that trigger binge eating.
Your diet needs to fit your lifestyle in the long-term. Don't punish yourself.
Lean red meat is fine.

I don't eat a lot of red meat, but I do eat it. I've lost 85lbs so far, so it hasn't affected my weight loss.
Usually we tend to see this type of question about dairy, as there is a lot of misinformation out there. The bottom line is, no individual type of food is bad for weight loss (unless there's a medical condition involved) - only the overall amount of food. If you like red meat and it fits into your calorie goals, no reason to cut it out.

If, however, you decide it is no longer for you, ground pork, chicken, black beans, or turkey are perfecty viable options for making hamburgers, tacos, etc...

Also, certain types/cuts of red meat are lower in calories than others. If I make something with hamburger, most of the time I buy sirloin, as it has the lowest fat and calorie content.

Our budget limits the amount of beef we buy, so we tend to buy wild fish, wild shrimp, US pork and New Zealand lamb. After 15 years, I am sick of monster, mutant, cardboard, naked, chicken breasts so we have switched to thighs, skin on. I had a "chicken melt down rant" at Costco looking at frozen chicken breasts a year ago.

I couldn't do it... love burgers and steak way too much. You can still lose and eat red meat.

Eating red meat, with its high fat content, is very satisfying and may keep you full longer than a low-fat sknless chicken breast. At least that's my experience. More calories, sure, but full for much longer and end up eating less.

I actually just don't eat much red meat for no apparent reason. I mean, ground beef is about it. I can't remember last time I had a steak before this most recent one, and that was just cause i got a new cookbook and it sounded good. That was a week ago and before that I can't find any in my diary so there's that.

I don't find that my natural inclination towards seafood and chicken has had any noticeable difference in whether I meet my calories or not, or on my general health. I'm generally healthy when I don't eat it, and feel no different when I do. I have yet to see any convincing scientific evidence that red meat is the devil. Which isn't to say I wouldn't be convinced if such evidence existed, I just have't seen it yet, so I'm withholding my concern until I do.

I will say that not eating a lot of red meat is MURDER on the budget. I like chicken and seafood in part because they are so cheap comparatively. I mean $21.99 for new york strip? $5.99 for 85% lean ground? You're out of your minds. I think I'll gladly stick with $3.49/lb chicken breast or $7.99/lb salmon so I can afford to eat something WITH it.

ETA: No offense people with money, if you have the cash, please feel free to eat as much new york strip as makes you happy. I don't say these things to disparage you, only because I can't possibly be the only person on here for whom money IS a concern.

CoffeeNCardio wrote: »

I actually just don't eat much red meat for no apparent reason. I mean, ground beef is about it. I can't remember last time I had a steak before this most recent one, and that was just cause i got a new cookbook and it sounded good. That was a week ago and before that I can't find any in my diary so there's that.

I don't find that my natural inclination towards seafood and chicken has had any noticeable difference in whether I meet my calories or not, or on my general health. I'm generally healthy when I don't eat it, and feel no different when I do. I have yet to see any convincing scientific evidence that red meat is the devil. Which isn't to say I wouldn't be convinced if such evidence existed, I just have't seen it yet, so I'm withholding my concern until I do.

I will say that not eating a lot of red meat is MURDER on the budget. I like chicken and seafood in part because they are so cheap comparatively. I mean $21.99 for new york strip? $5.99 for 85% lean ground? You're out of your minds. I think I'll gladly stick with $3.49/lb chicken breast or $7.99/lb salmon so I can afford to eat something WITH it.

ETA: No offense people with money, if you have the cash, please feel free to eat as much new york strip as makes you happy. I don't say these things to disparage you, only because I can't possibly be the only person on here for whom money IS a concern.

Our money tree died a long time ago. Shopping at Sams or Costco is a lot cheaper than $21.99 for NY Strip.Maybe around $9-11/lb depending on what day it is. You might want to check it out if you have not done so already. We can buy a whole ribeye for about $8.00 a pound. Trim the fat, render it and use it for cooking. Still, it used to be that fish was more money than beef, now it is the other way around. We eat a lot of seafood (love it) and I worry about Mercury, but at 60 years of age, how many years do I have left to build it up in my body?

You heard wrong, sorry.

Set reasonable calorie goals, reasonable macronutrient goals, and fill it however you wish.

I eat a lot of chicken thighs, skin on, baked, then take the skin off, ground turkey for tacos, meatloafs, chili, spaghetti (when I dare to eat pasta). I am now eating more rotissiere chicken cause it's quick and easy. I even take a whole one to work cause lunch meals from where I work is almost at the $10 level (sandwiches are like 8). Easy to pair with veggies. As to red meat. I love it but I don't eat it often because of cost. When I do buy it I will get a leaner cut, then add olive oil and seasonings on top before broiling. Makes it tender and flavorable. Olive oil is better than fat in a steak. It's a treat that I have once or twice a month. I make pot roast about once a month, Sunday dinner.

I love chicken, but it's the thighs that I love, so sort of defeats the object if I were to stick to chicken to shave a few calories off.

Looking over the past couple of weeks or so, my major protein sources have included slow cooked beef, lamb leg, lamb shoulder, cod, haddock, farmed salmon, all of the chicken, prawns, eggs, venison, pork sausages, ham, cheddar cheese....