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MyFitnessPal Community

Are you a creature of habit or do you need the variety?

inertiastrength

I have zero problem eating the same rotation of a few things day in and day out which I think makes cutting super easy for me. Just curious as to others' eating habits. I occasionally work in food I don't typically eat if we're going out or if I want a specific thing, but more often than not you could set a clock by what I eat.

Replies

Gallowmere1984

I have about 20-30 things that I combine in various measures to come up with odd creations, but 95% of my diet is based around those things. Makes shopping much easier.

VintageFeline

Variety. It's kind of annoying because it leads to food paralysis, just can never decide what I want sometimes.

That said, my breakfasts remain pretty constant, just one or two things I switch between most of the time.

kshama2001

I happily eat the same few breakfasts and lunches and express creativity at dinner.

It was easier for me to lose weight when I was single and felt no need to cook or share in the higher calorie meals my partner prefers. I ate baked or grilled chicken the majority of the time and just added in some red meat once a month when I wanted more iron.

Morgaen73

We have a weekly meal plan that hardly ever changes ... unless my wife demands that it change lol

Just it makes it easier to log and to plan

Geocitiesuser

I do best in life with a rigid schedule and preplanning. I've always been that way. Mentally, emotionally, I need to follow a routine. Obviously I prefer to be in control of my own routine, but I still need one. I know exactly what I'm doing (including what I'll be eating) all day long most days of the week.

cwolfman13

During the week my breakfasts and lunch are pretty much the same things...usually oats and a couple eggs for breakfast and either tuna or salmon with quinoa for lunch...veg side of some kind or a salad. Once or twice during the week I'll mix it up if we have leftovers and about once per week I have a breakfast burrito for breakfast.

Evening meal and weekends is where I typically get the most variety.

BlueberryJoghurt

Habit all the way.

Once I find something that fits my calories and that "kinda" like Ill go with it.
Same breakfast + lunch everyday this time around!
Last time around I had the same breakfast, dinner and lunch everyday. hehe

Tbh to me its easier because I dont need to plan or really go actively shopping which is great with my job and I dont mind eating the same thing everyday. Altough if I had more time/money to properly plan and prepare my meals, Id probably go with some more variety!

Need2Exerc1se

Variety. Lots of variety. Even when we have the same dish it's usually a little different than the last time. Neither I nor my husband cook from recipes and tend to alter/create dishes based on what we have or want.

I think this is why I could never work logging into my daily routine.

stealthq

I do a bit of both.

I'll batch cook (or bulk purchase) a handful of meals that I swap out for a couple of weeks, then I'll do new meals, rinse and repeat. I do have sets of meals that I keep coming back to because they are super good and both macro and cal friendly.

inertiastrength

stealthq wrote: »

I do a bit of both.

I'll batch cook (or bulk purchase) a handful of meals that I swap out for a couple of weeks, then I'll do new meals, rinse and repeat. I do have sets of meals that I keep coming back to because they are super good and both macro and cal friendly.

That's exactly my routine too.

endlessfall16

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

Variety. Lots of variety. Even when we have the same dish it's usually a little different than the last time. Neither I nor my husband cook from recipes and tend to alter/create dishes based on what we have or want.

I think this is why I could never work logging into my daily routine.

How exactly do you create a (new) dish? Take pizza for example, one day you just decide not to use cheese? Or come up with a totally new topping?

I and everyone I know have rotation of the same things over and over. Probably the only difference is the size of this rotation. The only person I think who has a new food once a month is my brother who constantly seeks out a new restaurant to try. Even then, those restaurant foods are kinda similar!

RoxieDawn

Habit all the way.. I like certain things and eating those same things does not bother me (breakfast, lunches and snacks).. My dinners are a variety of about 15 different recipes and are swapped around so my family does not get bored eating the same things..

Coming off my bulk yesterday, and this works much smoother this way for me.

Need2Exerc1se

endlessfall16 wrote: »

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

Variety. Lots of variety. Even when we have the same dish it's usually a little different than the last time. Neither I nor my husband cook from recipes and tend to alter/create dishes based on what we have or want.

I think this is why I could never work logging into my daily routine.

How exactly do you create a (new) dish? Take pizza for example, one day you just decide not to use cheese? Or come up with a totally new topping?

I and everyone I know have rotation of the same things over and over. Probably the only difference is the size of this rotation. The only person I think who has a new food once a month is my brother who constantly seeks out a new restaurant to try. Even then, those restaurant foods are kinda similar!

With pizza, it would be all about the toppings as we use a pretty generic crust recipe every time. Is the base pesto or tomato sauce or cheese sauce or something else? I doubt we'd ever skip cheese altogether but there is as wide a variety of cheeses to choose from as there are vegetable and meat toppings.

We don't necessarily have a new "food" every month or week. We just prepare dishes differently each time we make them by mixing up ingredients.

YalithKBK

I eat the exact same breakfast every day (chai, 2 eggs, 2 pieces of turkey bacon). Lunch is always a Luna bar, apple, yogurt, and snack-size chips. I vary the flavors on everything but the apple. Dinner is different from week to week. I usually cook for the week on Sunday and then eat leftovers Monday through Friday. So, I do have some similarity in my day to day eating, but I could NOT eat the exact same thing every single day.

MimiOfTheFraserValley

I'm generally a creature of habit & have my favourite standbys that I rarely get tired of, especially for breakfast & lunch. Sometimes, though, I get truly exhausted by having the same ol' same ol', at least for supper. I do try to switch the last meal of the day up a bit, although sometimes I just don't have the variety in my pantry due to lack of funds to play around. Sometimes, though, I'll just switch up the seasonings &/or the things with which I pair stuff. Sometimes just making simple switches like that helps a lot. I'm not super adventurous when it comes to food & don't always like to try new things, but occasionally I am willing, & then I have new stuff to add to my repertoire if I like the new-to-me food.

Tacklewasher

Weekdays, breakfast is the same, lunch is the same but I swap chili and soup between days (made a batch of both on the weekend). Dinner is what my wife makes.

Weekends are different depending on what I am up to.

fitmom4lifemfp

fascha wrote: »

I have zero problem eating the same rotation of a few things day in and day out which I think makes cutting super easy for me. Just curious as to others' eating habits. I occasionally work in food I don't typically eat if we're going out or if I want a specific thing, but more often than not you could set a clock by what I eat.

I eat the same 2 or 3 things for lunch, always. Doesn't bother me at all. Same goes for breakfast. I don't really do dinner unless it's on the weekend and I am with the BF.

yayamom3

I am a creature of habit who also thrives on routine. I eat the exact same thing almost every single day for 5-6 months at a time. When I find something that fits my macros and tastes good, I just can't get enough it. But then after several months, I get sick of it and choose the next thing that will last for months. I've just accepted that this is who I am.

ETA: I get so tired of coworkers commenting on how I always eat the same thing. Umm, excuse me, why is what I eat any of your concern?

JaydedMiss

I eat the same few things. Constantly. I went through the phase to learn what kept me happy and was cheap/nutritious. i stick with what works at home and if i want something else i go out for it. Yummy cheap healthy meals =more snack money

Francl27

I need variety. Something I really like I can eat for a couple days until the leftovers are gone but that doesn't happen much.

kommodevaran

Both. I rotate and alternate meals, (weekly dinner theme rotation, but different meals each week; for other meals, I eat up and then buy something else), because that's fast and easy, but I also like to try new things now and then because that's exciting. Sometimes what's "new" is very different, sometimes it's just a little different. After a while, the "new" aspect becomes "habit", and realizing you have learnt a new skill that lets you master a whole row of tasks, is amazing.

SisterSueGetsFit

I too am a creature of habit. In order to be "on point," it's really the only thing that works for me. Same foods almost every day, but it doesn't bother me because I like them.

Lizzy622

Both. I eat seasonally so the foods I eat in the Winter tend to be different than the Spring or Summer or Fall. But I do tend to eat the same things over and over again when they are in season. WooHoo berry season is starting.

Lounmoun

A bit of both. I eat a limited number of things regularly for breakfasts, lunches and snacks but something different for dinner most days of the month.

__TMac__

I'm a creature of habit, but everyone else in my family likes variety. So, I eat the same few meals for breakfast and lunch every day (when I'm only feeding myself), but try not to repeat dinners more than every two weeks (when we all eat together). Unless it's something everyone loves (taco night!), then they'd happily have it every week.

dawnna76

creature of habit for breakfast and lunch, dinner is something different every night of the month.

fbchick51

I'm a bit of both. My breakfasts are more static, generally eating the same thing with a couple alternatives when I get tired of it. My dinners tho.. I have a planned out 6 week menu, for 6 weeks no two meals are the same. But it does repeat every 6 weeks. My lunches are smaller versions of my dinners with a salad mixed in.

JeepHair77

I'm so a creature of habit, in food and in most things. I get pretty testy when my routine gets messed up.

lucyee

Definitely variety. I have quite a lot of cookbooks, and genuinely enjoy flicking through them for new things to try. The only time I usually eat the same thing is if I have leftovers - otherwise I rarely cook the same thing twice, excepting a few favourite meals that are cooked maybe 3-4 times per year. Breakfast is a bit different - I have about twenty different options on rotation. This may also explain why I stopped logging...

AnnPT77

Breakfasts are habit - I'm virtually comatose first thing in the morning, so I don't enjoy any challenges. Just breathing and walking is hard enough.

Dinners are all variety, all the time. I don't normally follow recipes, but I do looking at them sometimes to get ideas for new general types of dishes or flavor combinations to try. I have some basic themes, and a lot of dinners are variations on those: Tostadas, soy spaghetti with sauce (peanut sauce, miso, whatever) and different veggies, scrambled eggs or omelet, enchiladas, doctored up refried beans, soups or stews, roasted veggies of all types, etc. (If you haven't guessed, I'm vegetarian.)

I like finding new veggies or fruits (etc.) I've never had, then figuring out how to use them. Recent ones have been prickly pear fruit, jackfruit in BBQ/savory sauces, and microwaved pasta para duros (with chili powder & salt) as a snack.

Lunches fall somewhere in between, variety-wise, depending on how I'm feeling.