Do you follow any eating style and why (low fat, low calorie, volumetrics, atkins, lchf, paleo, etc)

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Replies

  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    Possibly Mediterranean describes how I eat the best?
    Mainly because there's lots of different styles of eating all around the Med though! It wasn't a change to lose weight though - just the way I prefer to eat.

    The whole family like to experiment with different cuisines, recipes and ingredients. When I lost weight that was actually a benefit as we could try different food combinations to make tasty and satisfying dishes that were lower in calories.

    I thrive on the least rules and restrictions as possible. When I look back at previous failed diet attempts the common thread was trying to follow someone else's eating rules coupled with every day calorie restriction. That experience clearly isn't the same for everyone though.
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,033 Member
    I don't follow any 'eating style', I hate rules AND I hate following trends 😁

    I eat quite similarly to how I ate when I was overweight but in more appropriate portions and proportions, which has been pretty successful for me: 55lbs down. I've always had a pretty healthy balanced diet (I love vegetables, lots of homecooked meals, but I don't deny myself treat foods either) so why change what isn't broken. The biggest changes I've made are:
    - being mindful of my protein intake
    - I eat some processed meats (sausages etc) less frequently simply because they contain way more calories than I thought (I'd rather spend those calories on other foods)

    I love variety and freedom, and all those diets in the list would be way too restrictive to me.
  • Poobah1972
    Poobah1972 Posts: 943 Member
    edited February 2021
    Good Day!

    I have followed low card and or Keto for fairly long bouts throughout my life. I've tried regular calorie deficits with a more balanced approached they almost always quickly failed.

    Keto works for me for the following reasons.

    1. I can eat most of the foods I love most on this earth. Namely Barbequed Strip Loin, Prime Rib, Porkchops(never trimming the fat on meat), Roasted Chicken legs or Thighs with the skin on. Bacon and Eggs in the morning. Pizza (with a low carb crust of many different varieties)... So on and so forth. I very much enjoy, breakfast, lunch and supper. Heck I can still even dip my toast in my egg yokes, with some actually pretty decent low carb bread (didn't think it was possible till recently).

    2. Point 1 however doesn't mean you can eat as much as you want. In fact that's probably next greatest benefit in terms of making this particular diet so easy to stick to for extended periods of time (if not for the rest of your life). When following such a diet, Blood sugar levels normalize, general feelings of hunger greatly diminish and satisfaction from smaller amounts of food last much longer. I no longer have immense cravings for food. Food looses control over me, and I gain control over food. Balanced type diets higher in carbs tended to cause me to feel hungry much of the time. And lets face it, Salad is okay and all... But they never satisfied me, and i find them a chore to eat (I'm not a rabbit damn it).

    3. Back, Hip and Joint pain. Literally gone in just 3-5 days. Seriously... I was at the point where I could not lay in bed for more then 5 hours (sometimes much less) without experience chronic and server back pain that made sleep extremely difficult. My sides left and right as well as my lower back and tail bone just ached. Getting up helped and standing in a hot shower made it so I could get to work and function. But it was touch and go all the time, and some days were much worse then others. I suspect it typically only takes about 3-5 days to greatly reduce and in my case completely dissolve such issues due to the depletions of glycogen stores in my liver and muscles greatly reducing the inflammation in my body, on top of general anti-inflammatory effects on the body. It's truly amazing, and completely a common experience for many low carbers out there. Balanced types diet while in the long run will reduce your weight, and eventually lead to reduced pain, but it is definitely not as immediate as glycogen is still you main source of fuel. This is such a huge benefit, cause when the pain leaves, and sleep becomes easy, life in general is so much easier. You feel renewed and ready to tackle every day with new found energy. The depletion of glycogen in the body is what causes the fairly massive weight loss in the body in the first 2 weeks of a low carb diet, And sure it's mostly water weight... As the storage of glycogen requires a lot of water... But once it's gone that equates to an immediate reduction in pressure and inflammation in the very specific area's where it mattered most... So don't Poo-Poo the water weight, it's one of your greatest low carb allies to feeling better.

    4. Keto, (and some may disagree) allows a great calorie deficit particularly for those with a great deal to loose, while maintaining a feeling of well being and still rarely feeling extremely hungry (if at all most of the time). My MYP suggests that I should be eating 3440 calories a day to loose weight (and at my size I'm sure I would loose weight slowly)... And well that's is completely insane to me. Currently I'm eating between 1600 and 1800 calories a day and I feel great, sleep great, and have more energy then I have had in a long time. I have even started experimenting with fasting for the first time in my life, Not eating at all last Sunday. And I was shocked how easy it actually was. (not suggesting it's for everyone). I suspect already being in Keto, and transitioning to a fast is probably easier then fasting coming from a carb rich diet as one's metabolism does not need not to switch. So there is no painful express keto flu to deal with. Hunger was very manageable with just water, and by evening hunger disappeared and by the next morning 36 hour mark I didn't even feel hungry for breakfast. (although my fiancé and I enjoyed eating it very much.) Anywhoo, fasting is another topic I guess. (i've only did it last sunday.... Getting rady for my second go at it this Sunday.)

    Cheers!
  • sailor789
    sailor789 Posts: 33 Member
    i eat a DASH diet for past 3-4 years b/c of an illness i have
    but i'm now CICO the DASH at 1200 cals
    so far, so good

    DASH has been recognized for several years to be one of the best, healthiest methods of eating, probably with mediterranean 2nd.

    DASH doesn't restrict anything, but values veggies and beans with less emphasis on red meat

    i have to eat very low sodium, high potassium and high magnesium, so this works for me
  • ecjim
    ecjim Posts: 1,001 Member
    edited February 2021
    I'm kind of Vegetarian + meat & eggs & cheese
    I generally stay low to moderate carbs, with more carbs around training times
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    ecjim wrote: »
    I'm kind of Vegetarian + meat & eggs & cheese
    I generally stay low to moderate carbs, with more carbs around training times

    What does "vegetarian + meat" mean? Am I just missing a joke here?
  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
    Vegan ( for climate and health reasons), high volume/fiber - mostly from fresh and cooked veg, low carb, low fat
  • SouthWestLondon
    SouthWestLondon Posts: 134 Member
    Tried Keto for two days in January. Really just couldn't hack it. I was miserable and would have stayed miserable until I totally fell off the wagon and binged.

    So instead I did a managed progression to regular CICO. Have found it much easier.

    Maybe if I'd stuck Keto out for a week or ten days the cravings for sugary foods would have stopped, but I didn't have the willpower to last that long. This is week five of CICO - I'm aiming for consumption less than 1750 and burn of more than 2750. I tend to go 300-400 under 1750 Monday to Thursday, and then on Saturday and Sunday I go over by whatever calories I've 'banked'.
  • LisaGetsMoving
    LisaGetsMoving Posts: 664 Member
    I'm doing CICO, but try to keep an eye toward lower carbs and higher protein since that is where I need the most work. Also, eating (IF?) during an 8 hour window, because I do better overall when I don't eat around the clock. I'm trying not to be too restrictive because I'm going to be doing this for a long time in order to lose all the weight and I've got to be able to stick to it, so that means fitting in the foods I love and not hurting myself by taking on too much with physical workouts for which I'll need to slowly build up the strength.

    Other than that, I try and get a really good nights sleep because that is when the real fat burning and repair happens. For some odd reason I developed intermittent insomnia in 2020, but I am sleeping much better lately. I don't do well without proper sleep, my diet suffers and forget about motivation for exercise.
  • Poobah1972
    Poobah1972 Posts: 943 Member
    edited February 2021
    Tried Keto for two days in January. Really just couldn't hack it. I was miserable and would have stayed miserable until I totally fell off the wagon and binged.

    I would just say that following keto for just 2 days isn't enough time to actually know what Keto feels like (you do alude to that of course). In fact the first time you do Keto, and presumably the first time your body switches over to a Ketone Burning metabolism is pretty brutal. You can get moderate or worse headaches, fatigue, hunger, insomnia etc as your body basically screams at you to eat sugar as that's what it's been expecting your entire life. The Keto FLu is very real, but it does go away and your body will adjust.

    For me the switch over takes less then 3 days and keto symptoms are very mild, but my body has grown use to the switch over and doesn't put up much of a fight anymore. I strongly recommend if anyone is going to do Keto, you should do your best to reduce carbs as much as possible that first week to get through the tough patch as fast as possible.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,879 Member
    Not really...kind of old fashioned and just go for the lots of good nutrition, balanced diet approach. I eat lots of veg...whole grains...lentils and legumes...nuts and other healthy fats...plenty of good, lean protein (fish 2-3 days per week, chicken, lean cuts of beef and pork)...and pizza most Friday nights or carryout NM food.
  • briscogun
    briscogun Posts: 1,135 Member
    Just curious about what people find success with on this site?

    I know I am going to get "calories in, calories out" comment multiple times but I want to know more.

    Do you follow any eating style and why?
    - low fat
    - low calorie
    - vegetarian
    - flexitarian
    - volumetrics
    - weight watchers
    - atkins
    - lchf
    - paleo
    - Mediterranean
    - clean eating
    - dash diet

    Nope. Hate to be "that guy", but I just watch my calories in, calories out. Tried low carb once and HATED IT. Felt weak, headaches, couldn't sleep, no energy, trouble concentrating. Went right back to CICO.
  • ecjim
    ecjim Posts: 1,001 Member
    edited February 2021
    ecjim wrote: »
    I'm kind of Vegetarian + meat & eggs & cheese
    I generally stay low to moderate carbs, with more carbs around training times

    What does "vegetarian + meat" mean? Am I just missing a joke here?

    Jane - I was talking diet with a friend who is vegetarian for health reasons and just said that. It describes how I eat - meat, eggs, Fruit ,veggies, potatoes, some bread.. ...
  • Poobah1972
    Poobah1972 Posts: 943 Member
    edited February 2021
    That sounds horribly miserable. 🤷‍♀️

    That was more a worse case senario, but it's only temporary and it quickly (depends greatly on how strict you are early on) turns into Oh Happy Days!

  • LiLee2018
    LiLee2018 Posts: 1,389 Member
    Short Answer- I'm doing CICO right now.

    Long Answer- I started off keto. Found it easy to stick with and lost 60lbs only tracking my carbs. When I started slacking off too much, too often, I gained back about 30lbs. It's taken me almost 2? years to finally realize, going back keto and not counting calories just wasn't going to work anymore. No idea why, but my weight just didn't want to budge and it took me a while to finally realize that I MUST CICO.
    I'd consider myself low carb most of the time now. Sometimes my day will be lower carb, but now I just try to eat what I know will fill me up and keep me within my calorie goal.