I don't know what to eat anymore

dldrucker · October 2016

Hi, I'm a 53-year-old woman and I gained 22 pounds over the last two-and-a-half years (I was about 10 pounds shy of goal weight before that). A lot of it was emotional eating, some of it was a new relationship with a guy who is a really good cook, some of it, I think, is hitting menopause. I'm trying to get back on the wagon, but I'm having a hard time figuring out what to eat. My boyfriend, who does most of the cooking, eats Paleo. I used to eat many more vegetarian meals (feel free to laugh at this). I used to do lowfat, now I read that eating fat is better. I feel like I'm eating too much meat and often too much fat. The more reading I do, the more confused I get. Help!

KristinHR01 · October 2016

The only thing that matters is burning more calories than you consume. CI < CO. Calories in must be less than CO in order to lose weight. Set up your MFP with your weight and activity level and figure out how many calories a day you need to consume to lose .5 to 1lb a week. Log all of your food accurately and eat whatever you want! It really is that simple.

Elise4270 · October 2016

Sneak out for a salad! Haha! I had a relationship like that, except we ate out all the time, I gained 25 pounds. I agree, CICO, just log it. I bet, if he's worth keeping around, he'll add some more veggies or be 100% okay with you fixing some.

Good luck!

DisruptedMatrix · October 2016

tbh you'll probably get a lot more answer in the food and nutrition section. There are certainly some foods that are supposed to give you more energy and make you feel better, but like others have said from a strictly weight loss perspective calories in and calories out are what is important. You can lose weight on a twinkie diet- its been done (google it if you don't believe me).

Sira125 · October 2016

There is a whole lot of information out there and a lot of it conflicts. It is very hard to follow the rules when they keep changing. And disheartening to have someone tell you that what you are doing just won't work or is actively harmful (even if they are wrong).

Recent trends are revising previous stances on fats (was fat is bad) to say get no more than x percent of your calories from fat and try to aim for mostly good fats. Recommendations are also to limit added sugars. There is a lot of information on myplate.gov.

All that said, it takes a calorie deficit to lose weight. Foods with higher nutrient density may help you go longer without feeling too hungry.

Also, if he plates food before serving, remind him you need a third less of food (or however much less you feel appropriate).

dldrucker · October 2016

Thanks for all the great answers. Time to start really watching the CI!

WinoGelato · October 2016

Good news! You can eat any foods you want! What matters for weight loss is that you are in a calorie deficit, that your CI < CO. How you reach that calorie deficit is up to the individual.

My recommendations:
Enter your stats in MFP

Enter a reasonable goal weight and rate of loss

MFP will calculate a calorie goal for you to strive to reach, which excludes puposeful exercise.

Eat a variety of foods to reach that calorie goal including: foods that provide nutrition (macro and micro nutrients), foods that provide satiety (keep you full) and foods that provide enjoyment (some treats that you can work in when you have calories available).

Log everything accurately and consistently, ideally using a food scale.

Exercise if you enjoy it, eating back at least a portion of the calories you burn.

Be patient.

Lounmoun · October 2016

dldrucker wrote: »

Hi, I'm a 53-year-old woman and I gained 22 pounds over the last two-and-a-half years (I was about 10 pounds shy of goal weight before that). A lot of it was emotional eating, some of it was a new relationship with a guy who is a really good cook, some of it, I think, is hitting menopause. I'm trying to get back on the wagon, but I'm having a hard time figuring out what to eat. My boyfriend, who does most of the cooking, eats Paleo. I used to eat many more vegetarian meals (feel free to laugh at this). I used to do lowfat, now I read that eating fat is better. I feel like I'm eating too much meat and often too much fat. The more reading I do, the more confused I get. Help!

Weight loss is about calories. Reduce the number of calories in or increase how many you burn and you will lose.
Other than that just eat in a way you enjoy and can sustain long term. If you like eating what your boyfriend cooks then eat that. Just eat the right portion size for you.
Log everything as accurately as you can.
Protein, fats and fiber can help people to feel full. So besides calories you might make sure you meet the amounts MFP gives you for these.

Trish1c · October 2016

What you eat isn't as important as how much of you eat. I had M&Ms yesterday but I managed to limit myself to 20. Eating the bag would have been a problem.

Learn more about portion control, then eat when you like Paleo, vegetarian, low fat, low card, whatever.

Charis50 · October 2016

Menopause can be a *kitten*. (I am also 53.)

But it's also an opportunity to get in touch with your body and to figure out what you really want to eat that falls within your calorie/macro goals. If you let go of focusing on the result (how much you weigh, what your pants size is, or how many inches your waist measures) and think about the process as an experiment, it can be kinda fun.

Good luck!

leahkathleen13 · October 2016

Vegetables are fantastic! Chicken, turkey or fish with a huge plate of broccoli zucchini, squash, tomato, cauliflower, mushrooms, etc. possibilities are endless. Enjoy!

I don't know what to eat anymore

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