Real food diet...is that a thing?

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  • perkymommy
    perkymommy Posts: 1,642 Member
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    TavistockToad wrote: »
    You know you only actually need to eat in a deficit to lose weight though, right?

    This. :)
  • KeepRunningFatboy
    KeepRunningFatboy Posts: 3,055 Member
    edited March 2017
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    To the OP - yes, I eat a Whole Foods plant based diet. I strive to eat as close to vegan as possible. It is possible but requires discipline and maybe even purpose.

    Most of my diet is veggies and oatmeal. I opt for less sweet fruit. Grains like cous cous or quinoa and potatoes. And don't sweat the negativity on here - just ignore it and keep positive!
  • StarBrightStarBright
    StarBrightStarBright Posts: 97 Member
    edited March 2017
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    FWIW- I found that a "real food diet" (Michael Pollan style) kept me at a sustainable and healthy weight for years without trying.

    I spent my teens and early twenties inhaling "fake" diet foods and working out all of the time to maintain a weight of 135 for years - so much work to weigh 135. I gradually learned to cook from scratch and eat whole foods and while I drifted upwards a bit (to 142 (summer)-146(winter)) I kept in that range for 10 years rather effortlessly.

    After my last baby and now in my late 30s I'm finding that I need to tweak my diet (macros and smaller portions) to keep my weight in that range - BUT - I firmly believe that eating whole foods in sensible portions will help keep you satisfied while staying in a good caloric range (you do have to eat correct portion sizes though).

    *and I agree that shakes definitely do not count as real food.
  • CrazyCatLady916
    CrazyCatLady916 Posts: 29 Member
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    VintageFeline wrote: »
    Sounds like the sadness diet to me. As above, calorie deficit. Everything else is just noise and personal preference.

    totally this ^^
  • Afura
    Afura Posts: 2,054 Member
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    Using a replacement shake because currently there is chaos chasing your kids, I get that. Makes sense, I would look at potentially using a different type if you really are getting it at $50, or making your own (if feasible).

    I'd say with your activity definitely make sure you're eating all your calories, too low and you're going to feel worn out because your body is not getting enough nutrients, no matter how much grass you take. I can't see having that much to lose and at least a moderate activity level is only putting you at 1200.

    Also just remember, as mentioned, what you eat and do should be sustainable for your lifestyle, which I would imagine is awfully hard at times with having kids. As long as you continue to eat at a good, but not really large, calorie deficit you will see weight loss.
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
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    AgidGirl wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    AgidGirl wrote: »
    !

    I eat a primarily whole foods diet, but I think 100% whole food 100% of the time is pretty unrealistic...and frankly I really enjoy our Friday night pizza nights and whatnot. Not to mention I eat quite a bit in terms of minimally processed food good like dairy, canned tomatoes, canned beans, etc. I don't eat much in the way of added sugars, but I do usually have some small something or other for desert a few days per week and I don't avoid fruit or anything like that. Also, you don't need to do meal replacement shakes...and frankly, I wouldn't consider them to be "real foods"...they are highly processed food goods.

    I also make sure I'm taking in adequate calories. In regards to your calorie targets, they are pretty aggressive and it's likely that you can eat more and still lose weight...one of the issues with aggressive deficits is fatigue and when fatigue sets in you start start to mess with the CO part of the equation...less involuntary fidgeting...less moving in general...things like that. In essence, by being so aggressive, you can actually do yourself a disservice and make weight loss harder than it need be.

    Also, you shouldn't really be aiming to be below 1200...1200 is already a substantial deficit from your maintenance level of calories.

    Thanks for your kind and thoughtful reply. Yes, I agree I will not be eating whole foods 100% all the time. But, at this step of my 'journey' I feel like I need to cutout as many as possible. I feel like if I have a cheat meal (pizza, pasta, etc) I will fall back into my old ways.

    We do benefit from controlling our environment so we don't always have easy access to foods we find particularly tempting. However, often when people deprive themselves of the things they enjoy, it can backfire because the craving builds up and when you do indulge, you have a hard time exercising self-control. Also, the weight loss phase is where we learn the portion control & moderation we will need to exercise for the rest of our lives. We can't eliminate foods to lose the weight and then expect to return to our "old ways" when we've reached our goal.

    Another vote for reconsidering the 1200 calorie goal. If you reduce your weekly weight loss goal to 1.5 lbs a week, you will likely gain several hundred calories to work with which will make the process easier in the long run and will give you room to adjust your calories downward as you lose weight and it becomes more difficult to achieve a deficit. Wish you the best! :)
  • AgidGirl
    AgidGirl Posts: 138 Member
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    [/quote]

    fruit sugar and candy sugar are the same thing, just an FYI for you.

    [/quote]

    Really? I didn't think that was the case.

    Natural sugars are found in fruit as fructose and in dairy products, such as milk and cheese, as lactose.

    Refined sugar comes from sugar cane or sugar beets, which are processed to extract the sugar. It is typically found as sucrose, which is the combination of glucose and fructose. We use white and brown sugars to sweeten cakes and cookies, coffee, cereal and even fruit. Food manufacturers add chemically produced sugar, typically high-fructose corn syrup, to foods and beverages, including crackers, flavored yogurt, tomato sauce and salad dressing. Low-fat foods are the worst offenders, as manufacturers use sugar to add flavor.

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