Besides CICO, what eating plan have you chosen

HoneyBadger302
HoneyBadger302 Posts: 2,085 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
What the title says - every "diet" boils down to CICO when it comes to our weight and body composition, but curious what other way(s) of eating you follow.
Along with that, if you care to share, where are you at in terms of your goals and experience (ie: trying to lose weight, gain, maintain, support activities; newbie, restarter, experienced, athlete, etc)?
If you care to share, why have you settled where you have, and how long have you been eating this way?

Besides CICO, what eating plan have you chosen 71 votes

CICO only for me!
46%
ninerbuffWynterbournetmlmomjst1986csplattcwolfman13COGypsyPsychgrrlMaggieGirl135happysquidmuffinLiveOnceBeHappycrys_toddCampingMama91jeffreyeliotdsg2000briscogunchocorange35Deviette15822spiriteagle99 33 votes
Macros
19%
tyediriMouse_PotatoHoneyBadger302rolltidedeepfriedRumManDankdnusmsaunders97JBanx256MelodiousMermaidclaireychn074kenziestabesDFW_Tomjarelinemaxiel3brandiwelch98 14 votes
Vegetarian
7%
nat8199jasmineruthBarbaraHelen2013Greytdazetaylortheyogi 5 votes
Pesca-Lacto-Ovo-etc-arian
1%
nooshi713 1 vote
Vegan
5%
bethann51774lulalacroixLenGraySnotfaceMcGee 4 votes
Paleo
0%
Keto (tracking ketosis)
0%
Low Carb/"keto" not tracking ketosis
7%
neanderthinjambodesignJustaNoobcosmiccurvesjacksonamber006 5 votes
WW/Noom/Fodmap/other "purchase" plan
0%
Other - please specify
12%
psuLemonmmickk67AnnPT77VegjoyPmissysippy930age_is_just_a_numbergpanda103coryhart43899bhtn65nzj 9 votes
«1

Replies

  • gpanda103
    gpanda103 Posts: 189 Member
    Other - please specify
    The only animal products I eat are dairy, and I also fast. But no meat isn't really something I consciously chose, it is just annoying for me to meal prep a bunch of meat when it is infinitely easier to cook something like beans in bulk
  • HoneyBadger302
    HoneyBadger302 Posts: 2,085 Member
    Macros
    I'll kick it off - and for me it's macros. I've tried a few others over time, but that is where I have had the most success. A "lower" carb (but no where near keto) diet and staying in my macros has yielded the best results - I've been tracking kcal on and off for years, but always fighting hunger until I started watching macros closer.

    History has me solidly in the yo-yo category - I know what to do, and I know what works best, and I've had times of some success, but have given in to "life" stuff far too often. Decided a few weeks ago I can't keep that up - I'm getting to the age (mid-40's) where it's "make it or break it" time, and I don't want to end up where my mother is in 20 years.

    Figured out my macros for my goals right now, and already have enough personal data to know I'm in the mark for what works for me...guess the good thing from years of trying things is I do know what does and doesn't work for me.

    Exercise is huge for me too - like, HUGE - since my hunger has just refused to reset to a lower calorie level. Enough exercise and my allotted range is pretty easy to stay within (guessing my entire life well into my 30's has a lot to do with that - I was very active, "naturally" strong and thin, and didn't have to worry much about my intake until I got the dreaded desk job).

    Thankfully have settled into a line of work that allows me the ability/freedom to get in the activity I need without having to compromise on my cooking/food choices. I know what to do, I know how to stick with it, and have implemented habits the past 9 months that will ensure my success.

    To note, I've never been "obese." At 5'7" the heaviest I ever saw on a scale was 163ish in 2014. I have, however, fluctuated between 145-155 for years, and ideally I should probably be closer to the 135-140 range, maybe even a bit below (hard to say until I get there as I know I'm carrying more muscle mass than I used to before I put on the weight).
  • HoneyBadger302
    HoneyBadger302 Posts: 2,085 Member
    edited September 2022
    Macros
    gpanda103 wrote: »
    The only animal products I eat are dairy, and I also fast. But no meat isn't really something I consciously chose, it is just annoying for me to meal prep a bunch of meat when it is infinitely easier to cook something like beans in bulk

    Ya, I guess I missed intermittent and intuitive eating...can't edit polls and only allowed 10 options :/
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,881 Member
    CICO only for me!
    I'd say 'just CICO' for me.

    I am mindful of my protein intake (minimum to preserve/build muscle mass) but otherwise don't bother with tracking my macros.
    I also aim for quite a bit of vegetables (but that's not specific to weight loss, I just love vegetables).
    Any changes to my diet were due to being more conscious of which foods are calorie dense and which fill me up, and aiming to increase my protein intake which was too low at the start.

    I've lost 75lbs this way, currently sort of recomping/losing the last few lbs.
    The biggest change from when I started is the CO part of the equation, since I've gone from full-on couch potato to very active, which in turn gives me a higher calorie goal (I still love eating! But I'm also fueling my exercise).
  • Paindeme
    Paindeme Posts: 11 Member
    CICO only for me!
    Most days I do a form of intermittent fasting as I only eat 2 large meals a day but it's really just CICO because I find two large meals +coffee/small snack is easier to stick to my budget

    I use to do low carb but I don't think it really made a difference over just sticking to calories.
  • happysquidmuffin
    happysquidmuffin Posts: 651 Member
    CICO only for me!
    My “plan” can be summed up as “Eat real food, not too much, mostly plants. And MOVE!” But every single day I also eat some sort of sugary junk food. It is my lifelong sustainable plan that works for me. I just have 15 more lb to lose and am at the very upper end of a healthy BMI. 5’3” F and my current goal is 1830 calories per day. I am moderately active and frequently have a 10K+ step count. Current weight 139-140, shooting for 136 by October.
  • Retroguy2000
    Retroguy2000 Posts: 1,869 Member
    CICO only for me!
    Calorie tracking and getting a good amount of protein, that's all I care about and I'm down over 50 pounds and keeping it off.
  • claireychn074
    claireychn074 Posts: 1,655 Member
    Macros
    Macros for me: I would be a carb freak and not eat enough protein if I didn’t monitor my food, and I need quite high protein for my sport (weightlifting) and my age. I’ve maintained my weight for c4 years after I lost a stone, although I have sloooowly put on a kg or so of muscle.
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,748 Member
    CICO only for me!
    I lost weight by eating low carb since I have a problem with sweets and it was easier to eat fewer calories if I just cut out most simple carbs. I have maintained the weight loss for about 8 years by a combination of calorie counting and lots of regular exercise. I eat pretty much what I want, but try to keep a CICO balance. It helps that I burn at least 500 extra calories a day, which gives me a lot of leeway.
  • BarbaraHelen2013
    BarbaraHelen2013 Posts: 1,941 Member
    Vegetarian
    From your poll I picked Vegetarian but that’s really not got any bearing on the whole weight loss thing. I choose to be Vegetarian, basically because I’ve never enjoyed meat, but also for environmental reasons. I lean towards fully plant based but am not ready to give up all dairy just yet! Skyr and cheese are too good to give up!

    I’m theoretically in maintenance, having lost two and a half stone over a very long time period. Very short, older and female…the worst of all the weight loss scenarios! 😂

    In reality, nothing has changed from the losing phase since my deficit was painfully small anyway. Carrying on with the same calorie goal is keeping me fairly stable.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    CICO only for me!
    I don't eat breakfast but on some rare occasions, and I try to eat a much whole foods as I can. That way I have whatever I want within reason.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,600 Member
    Other - please specify
    It's not really "other", it's multiple, I guess.

    In terms of what the OP asked, I'd describe myself as a:

    * formerly obese (BMI 30-32) woman in maintenance (year 6+); wanting to support health (get regular blood tests and such, used to have high blood pressure and cholesterol/triglycerides when I was obese, but they're solidly normal now; plus I'm a survivor of stage III (pretty advanced) breast cancer);
    * recreational athlete (stopped competing - I think! - but still working to improve technically), so wanting to support that activity level and benefit from it in strength and health.

    I'm at around BMI 21-point-something most of the time now, with ups and downs of a few pounds. (5'5", 130 pounds this morning - up a bit from preferred 125-ish.)

    In terms of what the OP didn't ask, I'm also fairly far along in life (66), so there's a sharper point to some of those goals/pursuits now, vs. when I was younger. I'm watching friends who are age-mates decline in health and daily-life capabilities through sub-par eating and activity choices, but see others making different choices that seem to yield much better results.

    TL;DR up front this time: Vegetarian (but that's irrelevant), pursuing good overall nutrition (not just macros); prefer natural-selection-tested foods as the core of my eating because tasty and satisfying to me.

    TL full text version if you want to bother:

    I've been ovo-lacto vegetarian for 48+ years now, thin to overweight to obese and back again; and unhealthy to healthy; and inactive/super unfit to pretty fit. I think vegetarianism per se is a tangent to weight loss, health and fitness. I actually think it takes a tiny bit more attention and knowledge to be healthy (or support fitness) when vegetarian vs. omnivorous.

    I'm vegetarian for reasons having to do with resource management, in a world of scarcity (yes, really - it's just that I live in the part with surplus). When I became vegetarian, famine was a major world issue. I do think about whether I might be healthier if I ate some meat/fish. (I get quite a lot of protein, and high quality protein.)

    I'm also attentive not just to macro balance, but also to overall nutrition. I have protein and fats minimums, but don't care about carb intake one way or the other from a nutrition standpoint. I also try to:

    * hit/exceed recommended levels of important micronutrients on average over a few days;
    * get plenty of fiber;
    * eat at least 5 and ideally 10+ 80-gram servings of varied, colorful veggies and fruits daily;
    * consume MUFA/PUFA fat sources routinely and not go crazy with sat fats;
    * get some Omega-3s so there's reasonable balance with Omega-6s;
    * eat mostly natural-selection-tested foods that humans have been eating for millennia and thriving;
    * include some food-sourced probiotics daily, ideally more than one type.

    I use supplements when suggested by my doctors, and will try others if my reading suggests they're safe and may be beneficial. I try to get as much covered with food as I can, though.

    No, I don't think that's orthorexia: I'm not obsessed, don't think horrors will happen if I eat some highly processed foods or high-added-sugar foods sometimes, etc. It's just food, y'know - not an epic battle between good and evil. Humans are adaptive omnivores.

    A lot of what I wrote above was true even when I was obese, by the way: I haven't changed the range/types of food I eat much at all. I've put some calorie-dense, nutrient-sparse things on a lower frequency, but I can't think of anything I totally stopped eating. I'm more structured and specific about nutrition goals than I was before I started calorie counting, because it's easy to do while logging, but my general attitude about nutrition hasn't changed that much.

    When I mostly eat the way I described, I feel better, enjoy how I eat, don't typically have cravings, can stay within my calorie goal well enough to manage my weight, etc. It may not work for others, but it works for me.

    I'm a calorie-counting devotee, too, for myself. Counting may not be perfect for everyone, but it's excellent for me. But the OP seems to assume that's true for most of us here, as a backdrop.
  • VegjoyP
    VegjoyP Posts: 2,773 Member
    Other - please specify
    Other- as much of a WFPB vegan as possible. I watch my balances and macros. Some days if I do n higher fat, I cut starches and carbs. Then some days I do higher carbohydrates from vegetables, legumes, sweet potatoes, yams or oatmeal. I also have days with a bit of extra protein. I feel like I have some intuitiveness since I have been tracking on and off since I was 12. I am 50 now.
  • JBanx256
    JBanx256 Posts: 1,479 Member
    Macros
    Macros -

    Currently I'm in maintenance, so I "zoom out" a good bit and really only pay attention to overall calories & protein; I let carbs & fat fall wherever they may (albeit with a "floor" for fats, which at this level of intake is really a non-issue).

    However, when I am cutting hard and get serious with it, I dial in the macros pretty tightly.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    To lose weight:
    5:2 eating pattern (5 days a week at maintenance cals, 2 days large deficit) plus calorie counting and watching my protein intake. (That probably ticks three boxes.)

    To maintain long term at goal weight:
    Mindful eating (both calories and protein). Mostly skipping breakfast, keeping track of my exercise burns and daily weighing to give context to my varied intake needs.

    Probably unusually my calorie allowance is far higher now despite being older and lighter than when I was overweight due to far higher exercise volume and a higher general activity level as I'm not tied to a desk anymore.
  • missysippy930
    missysippy930 Posts: 2,577 Member
    Other - please specify
    Other
    Eating less, moving more
    10-1/2 years lost 1/2 my body weight
  • SuzanneC1l9zz
    SuzanneC1l9zz Posts: 460 Member
    Macros in that I have gram minimums in my head for protein & fats that I shoot for every day. And Mediterranean-ish. As much as one can be with allergies to legumes, nightshades & citrus. When people ask what I'm allergic to I tend to just say "food." 😭😭
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,262 Member
    edited September 2022
    Low Carb/"keto" not tracking ketosis
    Yeah, calorie wise I consume mostly animal products and cruciferous vegetables, no fruit but some berries and very infrequently, a starch.
  • SuzanneC1l9zz
    SuzanneC1l9zz Posts: 460 Member
    SuzanneC1l9zz wrote: »
    Macros in that I have gram minimums in my head for protein & fats that I shoot for every day. And Mediterranean-ish. As much as one can be with allergies to legumes, nightshades & citrus. When people ask what I'm allergic to I tend to just say "food." 😭😭

    Protein & CARBS. Still half asleep when I typed this! 🤦‍♀️ If I don't eat enough carbs my energy tanks.
  • nooshi713
    nooshi713 Posts: 4,877 Member
    Pesca-Lacto-Ovo-etc-arian
    I’m Pescetarian for ethical reasons, but eat mostly vegetarian. I follow the principles of the Mediterranean diet for health. I’m counting calories in an effort to lose weight.
  • SnotfaceMcGee
    SnotfaceMcGee Posts: 4 Member
    edited September 2022
    Vegan
    I eat primarily vegan and try to make sure I get enough protein and fibre and stay away from ultraprocessed foods for the most part. I don't think a vegan diet is necessary for optimal individual health, but eating lots of whole foods makes it easier to stick to a calorie deficit while feeling mostly full. There can be a lot of tofu involved though, and sometimes I do not love the tofu :p

    Oh and my goal is to lose weight and then keep eating this way.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    CICO only for me!
    I've never prescribed to any particular diet and I can't be bothered to do a whole lot of hand wringing over macros. I figure humans have thrived forever without knowing anything about their macros. That said, I've always tended towards a balanced way of eating and I know from experience that I get plenty of protein just eating the way I do naturally.

    I basically put a premium on good nutrition in regards to my fruits and veg, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats but I also don't get overly obsessed with it and have zero issue having pizza night or grabbing some Popeye's for lunch here and there or hitting up one of my favorite NM restaurants or a pub for some fish 'n chips. I just try to keep everything balanced and in moderation.
  • 15822
    15822 Posts: 269 Member
    CICO only for me!
    CICO only for the simplicity and not feeling constrained (if I can't have chips, what's even the point). I plan to pay attention to macros once my 30 day average is below obese range, but fall back to CICO if I feel that I need to scale back.
    Last month I decided to do "keto" for exactly 5 days in hopes of dropping some water quickly to fit into a dress for a special occasion and instead the change derailed my whole routine for 3 weeks.
  • age_is_just_a_number
    age_is_just_a_number Posts: 631 Member
    Other - please specify
    I put other but perhaps should have put CICO.
    I focus on making healthy choices of food 80-90% of the time.
    I have a standard breakfast I eat that has no added sugar and is one third each carbs, protein and fat.
    I have a typical lunch if salad with hummus and pumpkin seeds.
    I often have an afternoon snack that varies from a piece of fruit to protein shake to a slice of bread with peanut butter & honey.
    Then for dinner I eat what my husband makes for dinner. That typically includes half a plate of vegetables, a quarter plate of carb, a quarter plate of protein, plus we have salad.
    My nemesis: the after dinner/before bed snack. I do my best to skip it. I am unsuccessful most days at skipping it. Most days I am successful at keeping it small. — a small serving of salad, a small handful of peanuts or a piece of fruit.

  • taylortheyogi
    taylortheyogi Posts: 1 Member
    Vegetarian
    I've been a vegetarian for about 2 years for spiritual/moral purposes. I am unsure what it does for me health-wise (although some studies show the fewer the animal products the better), but it does push me to watch my protein and vitamin intake. Although, I've never had a problem with it or had to try hard to maintain the two. Other than that, CICO has been my tried and true!
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    HoneyBadger302 wrote: »
    What the title says - every "diet" boils down to CICO when it comes to our weight and body composition, but curious what other way(s) of eating you follow.
    Along with that, if you care to share, where are you at in terms of your goals and experience (ie: trying to lose weight, gain, maintain, support activities; newbie, restarter, experienced, athlete, etc)?
    If you care to share, why have you settled where you have, and how long have you been eating this way?

    Mediterranean Diet because I moved to Italy 37 years ago. I'm 67 now. My goal is to stay at a reasonable weight, and keep my mobility (I have OA). I've been exercising for over 30 years, especially swimming and walking (all over Rome), but keep adding new things--gym, yoga, powerwalking, tai chi, acquagym, and always stretching. Once I stop I stiffen up.
  • cosmiccurves
    cosmiccurves Posts: 356 Member
    Low Carb/"keto" not tracking ketosis
    Low carb with bouts of keto, but main focus is low carb with lots of healthy fats, as many plant based as possible, and lean meats!
  • COGypsy
    COGypsy Posts: 1,365 Member
    CICO only for me!
    I don't cook, so my diet is largely determined by the whims of Grubhub and the grocery store deli. Anything but straight calories would be too frustrating to track.
  • azuki84
    azuki84 Posts: 212 Member
    I used to do cico, but now i just eyeball it. Haven’t seen any loss in progress at all

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