Real food diet...is that a thing?
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Replies
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WOW, so many great replies, thank you! My takeaways so far:
1. Eat more calories
**I can do that!
2. Skip the shakes
**OK OK, I guess that is a gimmicky idea anyways
Someone asked if I could eat this way in 50 years...I have no idea how to answer that. Right now my life is WAY busier than it probably will be in even 10 years let alone 50. I'm eating good 'wholesome' foods, I'm not sure how anyone can really knock me for that. Will I never eat a bowl of spaghetti again...heck yes I will! I'm eating fish, quinoa, ground turkey, LOTS of fruits and veggies, chicken, homemade soups...food I really enjoy but all HOMEMADE and not from ingredients I pour out of a can. I'm not perfect and I'm confident that I will from time-to-time made something that includes an ingredient or two that are processed.
As far as cutting sugar is concerned, I'm still eating 'natural' sugars found in fruit and veggies but, I have cut out candy, soda, sugary drinks, breads (other than sprouted grain bread), etc. Again, I'm sure I will occasionally have a bagel or a sandwich on sourdough.
Thanks for the advice, keep it coming!
fruit sugar and candy sugar are the same thing, just an FYI for you.
And not sure what is un-wholesome about spaghetti. Gorgeous Italian woman seem to eat it without ill effects.13 -
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.
But your body doesn't know that...9 -
WOW, so many great replies, thank you! My takeaways so far:
1. Eat more calories
**I can do that!
2. Skip the shakes
**OK OK, I guess that is a gimmicky idea anyways
Someone asked if I could eat this way in 50 years...I have no idea how to answer that. Right now my life is WAY busier than it probably will be in even 10 years let alone 50. I'm eating good 'wholesome' foods, I'm not sure how anyone can really knock me for that. Will I never eat a bowl of spaghetti again...heck yes I will! I'm eating fish, quinoa, ground turkey, LOTS of fruits and veggies, chicken, homemade soups...food I really enjoy but all HOMEMADE and not from ingredients I pour out of a can. I'm not perfect and I'm confident that I will from time-to-time made something that includes an ingredient or two that are processed.
As far as cutting sugar is concerned, I'm still eating 'natural' sugars found in fruit and veggies but, I have cut out candy, soda, sugary drinks, breads (other than sprouted grain bread), etc. Again, I'm sure I will occasionally have a bagel or a sandwich on sourdough.
Thanks for the advice, keep it coming!
fruit sugar and candy sugar are the same thing, just an FYI for you.
And not sure what is un-wholesome about spaghetti. Gorgeous Italian woman seem to eat it without ill effects.
as an Italian, I endorse this statement11 -
WOW, so many great replies, thank you! My takeaways so far:
1. Eat more calories
**I can do that!
2. Skip the shakes
**OK OK, I guess that is a gimmicky idea anyways
Someone asked if I could eat this way in 50 years...I have no idea how to answer that. Right now my life is WAY busier than it probably will be in even 10 years let alone 50. I'm eating good 'wholesome' foods, I'm not sure how anyone can really knock me for that. Will I never eat a bowl of spaghetti again...heck yes I will! I'm eating fish, quinoa, ground turkey, LOTS of fruits and veggies, chicken, homemade soups...food I really enjoy but all HOMEMADE and not from ingredients I pour out of a can. I'm not perfect and I'm confident that I will from time-to-time made something that includes an ingredient or two that are processed.
As far as cutting sugar is concerned, I'm still eating 'natural' sugars found in fruit and veggies but, I have cut out candy, soda, sugary drinks, breads (other than sprouted grain bread), etc. Again, I'm sure I will occasionally have a bagel or a sandwich on sourdough.
Thanks for the advice, keep it coming!
fruit sugar and candy sugar are the same thing, just an FYI for you.
And not sure what is un-wholesome about spaghetti. Gorgeous Italian woman seem to eat it without ill effects.
as an Italian, I endorse this statement
I'm not gorgeous or Italian, but I have lost 94 lbs and eaten spaghetti many time!10 -
TavistockToad wrote: »
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.
But your body doesn't know that...
If you have an intolerance to fructose or lactose, it certainly does0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »
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.
But your body doesn't know that...
Good point!0 -
spilledmilk wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »
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.
But your body doesn't know that...
If you have an intolerance to fructose or lactose, it certainly does
But medical conditions aside...?5 -
OP - a lot of people have already commented with the same initial reaction as me, and I'm going to try to not beat a dead horse because I think you are starting to understand where people are coming from. Let me tell you a little of my experience here, because it may be helpful to you, if not, feel free to disregard.
First - I too am a busy working mother - two young boys and a full time job and a husband that travels about 50% of the time for work so a lot of times I feel like a single mom.
Second - I had not really tried "dieting" before stumbling on MFP. I had been small most of my life (petite, college cheerleader), but steadily gained weight over time which I chalked up to: slowing metabolism due to age, just what happens when you get older, nothing I can really do about it other than some super restrictive diet and I don't really want to do that so I'm just going to accept that this weight gain is part of life.
About four years ago, after my mom had just passed away and I was at the highest non-pregnancy weight of my life, I happened to stumble onto MFP when looking up how many calories were in a restaurant meal I had eaten the night before, to settle a bet with my husband (whether cheese fries really do have 2000 calories in an entire plate).
I decided to sign up here on MFP, entered my stats and goal (lose 25 lbs) and got a target of 1200 calories (like many petite women who select sedentary as their activity level and a rate of loss of 1-2 lbs/week). I started tracking calories for the first time in my life, cutting out a lot of foods to stay within goal, and losing at a decent clip. I was starting to exercise again, logging and eating back some of those calories, and still losing. But I was hungry, and tired, and not sure if it was worth it.
I started reading these forums and finding out from seasoned, successful veterans that dieting doesn't have to be miserable. That it is possible to eat more calories than the recommended minimum and still lose weight. That you don't have to cut out certain foods in order to be successful. That you don't have to "eat clean" in order to lose, that a calorie deficit is what matters. Now I also gleaned that while a calorie deficit is all that is required, obviously health and nutrition is important too - so I made up my mind that instead of cutting things out, I was going to start adding things to my diet. More protein, more whole grains, more vegetables, more exercise, more sleep. I changed my goal to 1400 NET, continued exercising and eating back those calories, continued enjoying things like a glass of wine after my kids went to bed, or a small serving of ice cream - if I had calories left for them. I found that by adding the things I wanted to add to my diet, it naturally filled up my day with those items, leaving just enough room for a little treat if I wanted it. Or if I wanted something more, I saved up my calories for a few days and had a bigger splurge on the weekend.
After about 6 months and losing about 15 lbs, I got a FitBit. I was averaging 10K steps/day at that point, and realized (through good advice on these forums) that I actually wasn't sedentary. I raised my activity level, which raised my calories, and I kept losing, a little slower, which was good - I had less to lose at that point and 0.5 lb/week was appropriate.
Finally after about a year, I had lost the weight I set out to lose and then some, settling into maintenance after losing about 33 lbs in just over a year. I never found the process very difficult, I enjoyed becoming more active, eating new foods, learning new healthy habits, and becoming involved in these boards, which is partly why I'm still here even though I've lost the weight and kept it off for a couple of years now.
Bottom line - most of the things you described in your original post aren't required for weight loss. Plenty of processed foods are "real" in that they still provide nutrition and benefits to your body, and as a busy working mom, there's something to be said for convenience. Cutting out sugar isn't necessary, and is virtually impossible to cut out ALL sugars and have an overall balanced, healthy diet, since they are also in fruits and many vegetables. Cutting to 1200 also isn't required, and going below 1200 isn't recommended, especially for someone as busy as you are. That's a quick path to giving up altogether when you are fatigued and lose motivation to continue.
For further reading, I recommend the stickied Most Helpful Forum Posts at the top of each Forum Section, in particular this one in the Getting Started section I think would be good for you to read, as well as the links embedded within it.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1235566/so-youre-new-here/p1
Good luck!28 -
WOW, so many great replies, thank you! My takeaways so far:
1. Eat more calories
**I can do that!
2. Skip the shakes
**OK OK, I guess that is a gimmicky idea anyways
Someone asked if I could eat this way in 50 years...I have no idea how to answer that. Right now my life is WAY busier than it probably will be in even 10 years let alone 50. I'm eating good 'wholesome' foods, I'm not sure how anyone can really knock me for that. Will I never eat a bowl of spaghetti again...heck yes I will! I'm eating fish, quinoa, ground turkey, LOTS of fruits and veggies, chicken, homemade soups...food I really enjoy but all HOMEMADE and not from ingredients I pour out of a can. I'm not perfect and I'm confident that I will from time-to-time made something that includes an ingredient or two that are processed.
As far as cutting sugar is concerned, I'm still eating 'natural' sugars found in fruit and veggies but, I have cut out candy, soda, sugary drinks, breads (other than sprouted grain bread), etc. Again, I'm sure I will occasionally have a bagel or a sandwich on sourdough.
Thanks for the advice, keep it coming!
fruit sugar and candy sugar are the same thing, just an FYI for you.
And not sure what is un-wholesome about spaghetti. Gorgeous Italian woman seem to eat it without ill effects.
as an Italian, I endorse this statement
I'm not gorgeous or Italian, but I have lost 94 lbs and eaten spaghetti many time!
I had 96g of spaghetti for tea this evening... yummy!3 -
spilledmilk wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »
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.
But your body doesn't know that...
If you have an intolerance to fructose or lactose, it certainly does
OP never mentioned a medical condition, so that is not really relevant in this thread..
if you have a medical condition that makes you sensitive to sugar, then yes you should avoid and/or limit it.
If you do not, then there is no reason to avoid it, unless your sugar consumption is making you go over on calories or is crowding out other nutrients...6 -
WOW, so many great replies, thank you! My takeaways so far:
1. Eat more calories
**I can do that!
2. Skip the shakes
**OK OK, I guess that is a gimmicky idea anyways
Someone asked if I could eat this way in 50 years...I have no idea how to answer that. Right now my life is WAY busier than it probably will be in even 10 years let alone 50. I'm eating good 'wholesome' foods, I'm not sure how anyone can really knock me for that. Will I never eat a bowl of spaghetti again...heck yes I will! I'm eating fish, quinoa, ground turkey, LOTS of fruits and veggies, chicken, homemade soups...food I really enjoy but all HOMEMADE and not from ingredients I pour out of a can. I'm not perfect and I'm confident that I will from time-to-time made something that includes an ingredient or two that are processed.
As far as cutting sugar is concerned, I'm still eating 'natural' sugars found in fruit and veggies but, I have cut out candy, soda, sugary drinks, breads (other than sprouted grain bread), etc. Again, I'm sure I will occasionally have a bagel or a sandwich on sourdough.
Thanks for the advice, keep it coming!
Develop a thick skin. You need one on MFP.
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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.[/quote]
It's customary to provide the link from which you copied text from when citing something on these forums...
http://www.cancercenter.com/discussions/blog/natural-vs-refined-sugars-whats-the-difference/
As others have stated, and as the text you copied even references: the sucrose molecule is made up of fructose and glucose. When your body processes sucrose, it breaks it down into those simpler molecules, which is why people are telling you that your body doesn't know the difference between sugar in candy and sugar in fruit. That's not to say that candy = fruit or that there aren't other nutritional benefits to fruit, there certainly are. However, to blame sugar as the culprit for weight gain and suggest that there are differences in the sugar itself, is inaccurate.10 -
I tried the minimum (1200 calories) before, never lasted more than a few days before I was too hungry and ate everything! Learn from my mistakes and put in a less aggressive weight loss goal into MFP and eat more. I'm eating at least 1600 calories a day while exercising about 40 minutes a day with a desk job and I'm losing. I only have maybe 10 pounds to lose. I'm 5'6". You need to eat more or you won't be able to keep going for long. Just my experience. Everyone is different though.1
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OP, a few years ago, I was eating a "clean" vegetarian bordering vegan diet. This lasted around 4 years. I was 275lbs and not losing any weight. To top it off, despite eating ALL the fruits and veg and being diligent with protein plus supplementation, I developed numerous deficiencies.
Fast forward to now. I am 100lbs down, no longer vegetarian and eat everything in moderation. My test markers are all good.KeepRunningFatboy wrote: »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!
Absolutely NO ONE is being negative here. If disagreeing and informing is negativity, I want off this Earth because it's going to be a very torturous ride.8 -
StarBrightStarBright wrote: »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.
I eat all sorts of foods, including ones I'm sure you'd consider 'fake' diet ones, and I have absolutely no problem maintaining my weight, (maintenance range is 125lbs-130lbs), and that's without any exercise factored in (I'm also almost 40yrs old and a mom of 3 kids, go me lol). It's not work at all because I enjoy what I eat. I keep my calorie intake lined up with my weight management goals and that keeps my weight on target. Has nothing to do though, with what I'm eating/not eating and has has everything to do with calorie/portion sizes. As you said-you actually gained weight while eating a whole foods diet. It's not the food choices-it's all about the calories.
And satiety really varies between people. I do better on a higher carb macro ratio, others do well on a lower carb one etc. You may do better with a whole foods woe, while others like myself do great when incorporating things like the BK Whopper combo I had for supper last night
4 -
I myself also work full time and have 2 kids that keep me pretty busy. for myself I thought for years the only way to lose weight was to drink one of my meals, only eat certain types of food, etc...
I joined MFP in 2012 and barely scratched the surface had no idea what the hell I was doing or why calories matter. so I continued to stay overweight and have another child until I redownloaded the app Nov 1, 2016 I did a bunch of research on tdee and bmr and just how calories in vs calories out is really all I need to lose weight
I was amazed literally amazed when I started to lose weight by eating whatever I wanted I remember thinking omg I ate candy yesterday and lost weight or we went out for ice cream last night and I lost weight (I weigh myself daily)
I just feel like if you don't see yourself eating this way until the day you die then it's so easy to regain the weight since my highest weight of 212lbs i've lost 52lbs with 34lbs to go and I know for myself I am probably and life long calorie counter because I love my sweets
that's just my two cents and Good Luck on your Journey!6 -
real food and moderating sugar, plant protein.... this sounds like a ketogenic way of eating.
Where on earth does that come from? Plant protein does not = ketogenic at all, avoiding processed foods is not keto (many on keto eat lots of processed stuff, many who eat mostly whole foods and minimally processed stuff -- pretty much like cwolfman said -- aren't low carb at all). Yeah, if she was really cutting out all sugar, including dairy, fruit, starchy veg, that might be low carb, but most who talk about cutting out sugar mean added sugar.
Anyway, OP, I basically co-sign cwolfman's post. One thing that I think can help is understanding how you are overeating, and tracking for a while to understand what the issues are can be helpful. Improving nutrition and eating more satiating foods are great steps. Eating more homemade foods (if that's something you don't do much), is a good step, if it appeals to you. If sugary things are triggers or difficult to moderate, cutting way back on them for a while is a reasonable step.
One thing I think helps is to focus what you DO want to eat more than what you don't. Be clear about what you think of as a balanced, nutrient-dense diet and figure out how to eat that way.
I also agree that you don't need to cut calories so low or cut out a meal. Eating should still be enjoyable.
(A shake IS processed, highly processed, which doesn't make it bad -- I sometimes use protein powder, although not on its own as I don't find just a shake a balanced meal or satisfying. The reason you are getting that reaction, in part, is the contrast between "no processed foods!" and the shake. Being processed doesn't make something evil; lots of nutrient dense foods are processed -- I'm quite fond of plain greek yogurt, smoked salmon, dried pasta made with a homemade sauce including lots of vegetables, some lean meat, and even a bit of cheese, etc.)
Anyway, good luck. I found logging extremely educational and losing weight can actually be fun. (I'm 5'3 and lost about 90 lbs, so similar situation when starting.)4 -
1. Two of your points in your plan include the most processed kinds of food. Focusing on whole foods is a good thing, but needlessly restricting yourself to it may or may not be for you.
2. Likely a very bad idea. Unless you are very short, old and completely sedentary this isn't enough calories.
3. Could be a good idea or not, depends, but in many cases not necessary.
4. Protein shakes are generally not a good meal replacement.
5. Might help with hunger, but not necessary.
6. Waste of money.
You are starting on the wrong foot. Here is an alternative list:
1. Whole foods are good for nutrition but don't turn it into an obsession. Flexibility is a good thing.
2. Set weight loss to 1 pound a week and see if it gives you more than 1200 calories, if it doesn't, set it to 1/2 pound a week. Log accurately and faithfully. Eat back at least some of your activity calories.
3. Identify problem foods and experiment with strategies to deal with them. Identify foods that help you feel full and keep them around. Identify foods that make you feel happy and eat them once in awhile.
4. Try to get protein from food, if it feels hard, have a protein shake. If convenience is the reason for wanting to do this and it doesn't leave you hungry, add other items to your protein shake to bump up the calories and broaden the nutritional profile, or have just the shake and compensate by eating more for another meal.
5. Drink when thirsty. If you don't have good thirst signals, drink whatever arbitrary number you wish to drink but don't force yourself to drink until you gag or stress over making/not making this goal. In most cases this has little to offer for weight loss other than a very short term hunger mitigation, if any.
6. Be very skeptical about fantastical claims and snake oil potions. If you're curious about wheatgrass, grow it yourself. We sprout and grow various seeds for easter including wheat. It's 100x cheaper.
You are overcomplicating a simple process. It's a recipe for burnout, and in some cases undesirable health consequences. Stop spreading your energy thin on arbitrary rules and focus on what matters, and please eat more. You want to lose weight, and the best way to do that is to minimize your chances of throwing in the towel by following a sustainable diet.4 -
Well, here I am at the heaviest I've ever been. I haven't tried every diet out there, haven't yo-yo dieted, never taken a diet pill but, I have been REALLY LAZY about my health and fitness! What can I say, I'm a super wife, busy mom-of-three, I work full time, you know the drill. It's time for a change!
So, here's what I'm doing so far:
1. Eating only 'real foods', nothing processed.
2. Tracking what I eat here on MFP (1200 calories or less)
3. Cut out sugar
4. Replacing 1 meal a day with a protein shake
5. Drinking half my weight (or more) in water
6. Taking 1 serving of Amazing Grass each day
I've only been giving this approach a go since last Sunday. I have no problem with the food and I've been feeling pretty good, until yesterday. I think I might have hit a wall or something but...I'm exhausted! Any recommendations on things I can incorporate into my routine to help me feel more energized? Also, any tweeks or changes I should do with my 'plan'? Thanks so much for reading!
Welcome!
You're doing an awful lot of work when not all that is necessary. I crossed out the ones that are absolutely not necessary.
There is no magic in things like Protein Drinks and Amazing Grass. Just eat whatever you like, eat less of it, stay in a calorie deficit, and you will lose weight.6
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