"Dieting" with normal food

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Replies

  • littleworm23
    littleworm23 Posts: 341 Member
    For me (and my husband) portion control and exercise has been the key. We still eat everything, although we do tend to eat more fruits and veggies now. But I have found that if I don't allow myself the "bad" things that I want now and then I at some point will go overboard on them. A little bit now and then won't hurt me. Besides, I don't want to think of myself being on a diet for the rest of my life.
  • TinkrBelz
    TinkrBelz Posts: 866 Member
    I can say that I am not eating "Diet" Food. I mean....I do drink Skim...but I have for years, so I guess that is a habit and I do use Sweet n Low in my coffee....not because of the lack of calories, because it is SUPER sweet!! haha! Plus, SnL is suppose to be bad right?

    But, I eat eggs, real cheese, beef, oatmeal (buy the weight control but it is more filling with 1 packet than 2 packets of normal oatmeal)

    I used the cook for the boys and then heat up a Lean Cuisine for myself. Now, I cook dinners that I and my sons can eat. then I eat the leftovers for lunch. So much easier this way.

    I do 35/35/30 carbs/protein/fat...so this is super easy to do and very balanced. AND, I eat coconut oil and that has saturated fat in it!! :noway:
  • witrixie2011
    witrixie2011 Posts: 224
    I completely agree!! I'm continually tell myself that this is a lifestyle change and not a diet. So far I've lost 20 pounds and am proud that I've done it using butter, sugar and all the other foods you shouldn't eat when on a "diet". :happy:
  • Zichu
    Zichu Posts: 542 Member
    Great I'm one of those people >.<

    I don't buy the groceries, but we have light mayo, light margarine, pure skimmed milk, 0% total greek yoghurt and low fat bolognese sauces... Maybe once a month I will need something and will go get what I need during weekly grocery shopping.

    I do look at products before get them. Such as the Bolognese Sauces, Dolmio do a regular and a low fat version. The low fat version doesn't use Olive Oil whereas the regular one does use Olive Oil, so that just adds to the fat. There are no added sugars to the low fat one, there is actually less sugar and carbs in the low fat version compared to the regular version. They are pretty much the same except for the lack of Olive Oil.

    The mayo, I don't buy anyway, but there is only an increase of 0.2g of sugar per 15ml in the Helman's Light Mayo, but more than half the amount of fat compared to the regular mayo.


    I can understand everyone does it the way they prefer to do it. I'm not trying to judge people for choosing low fat or regular versions of foods. Some people prefer to go for low fat because it has usually means it has less calories. I don't look for low fat foods because it's low in fat, I do it because it's lower in calories compared to the regular version, but I always check the ingredients and see if there is more sugar compared to the regular version.

    I need foods that help fill me up throughout the day. I don't fancy increasing my calories from the same foods, but with more fat and higher calories and still feel hungry because I had to be careful what I added. I would rather find healthier options of that same food and still be able to add say more chicken or other meat products to get that extra protein. I just don't think I would feel full from eating hidden calories.
  • fisherlassie
    fisherlassie Posts: 542 Member
    I've lost 56 pounds eating real nutrient dense food for the most part and lots of it! It fuels my body so I can move which is my main goal! I eat a quite a bit of fat for just that reason. When I eat vegetables I want those vitamins to get into my body! I had blood work done and although I eat three whole eggs most days my doctor said my cholesterol was amazing! What I don't eat is a lot of sugar or white flour. Check out the connection those two have with your cholesterol and other fats.
  • tdmcmains
    tdmcmains Posts: 227 Member
    Totally agree. i've lost 43 lbs so far eating normal foods. We cook every meal, dont buy processed crap, and don't really ever eat out. I think it's way healthier than snackwells and splenda. Whole foods!!
  • bilzprincess
    bilzprincess Posts: 107 Member
    Normal's probably in the eye of the beholder. But I'm vegan, and open diary, and I eat stuff u cld buy anywhere, anytime. I'm in a small town and tanking up for green seaweed mulch in a shake doesn't sound appealing. I'm doing vegan for the animals' sakes, and I'm thinking they Wldnt begrudge me some delicious vegan lasagne and yummy vegan hoagie sammiches, or a night out to dinner with my hubby to a favorite Thai food place. If I can't find it in a town of 7000, then I'm probably not gonna eat it. Vegetable tempura in moderation, anyone?
  • Angiecelina
    Angiecelina Posts: 4
    Bump (Like)
  • rebawagner
    rebawagner Posts: 199 Member
    I gave up sweet and low for Lent ( I was on about 12 packs a day, in tea on fruit, etc) and I have to tell you that I think things taste so much better now that I have rid my taste buds of the chemicals! Good post!
  • BrienJD
    BrienJD Posts: 541 Member
    The only thing I do diet is soda. Kinda laid off the mayo (cause I like to pile it on sandwiches and egg and potato salad.) I've switched to turkey meats for some stuff and to leaner cuts of pork and added chicken and I use a little more caution with TV dinners and the like.

    I haven't done the exchange everything for diet food though. It just wouldn't work for me. I like taste way too much and there will eventually come a time when I say screw it. I'd rather modify along lines I know I can accept.

    Diet foods....It's a great deal of smoke and mirrors as the OP suggested.
  • Im_NotPerfect
    Im_NotPerfect Posts: 2,181 Member
    I kind of feel like Will Smith in I Am Legend and I'm hoping there are others out there.

    I'm tired of seeing all of the recipes and people suggesting fat free and sugar free this and that (and by sugar free I mean they add the fake sugars). I was watching the Biggest Loser a couple of weeks ago and they had a cooking challenge and the guy got in trouble for using a tablespoon of real mayo. Seriously???

    When did eating get so complicated? I read somewhere (I can't remember where and have no source) that when they take fat out of something like mayo or ranch dressing they add SUGAR to make it taste better (add it still tastes awful in my opinion). And I don't even want to know how they take the fat out, because oil is a main ingredient in both of those... Over processed much?

    Eating fat does not make you fat. Actually, it makes you feel full and can help you eat less in moderation. I'm not suggesting you eat a stick of butter for lunch here. I'm also not suggesting things like fried foods or McDonalds. I'm talking about ingredients that go into home cooked meals.

    I'm not going to go into the fake sugar. It's like talking about politics or religion every time I bring it up around someone who won't let go of their Diet Coke. So I'll just say I don't use it.

    I don't eat anything that is supposed to have fat in it and has fat free on the label. That's right. I eat actual butter. Fully loaded sour cream. I drink whole milk. I use oil and eat cheese. I just don't eat a ton of it. A tablespoon of sour cream has 30 calories (yes! The kind that actually tastes good)

    Your body needs fat to operate properly. There are fat soluble vitamins that need fat to dissolve. So let go of all of the marketed diet bs and eat actual food. It is totally possible to stay within your calorie goals. Your taste buds will thank you and you won't feel deprived like I always do when I try fat free sour cream (ICK!)

    *braces for attacks on all fronts*

    I'm SO with you on everything you said here. My husband does all the cooking and refuses to use "diet" type ingredients (other than skim milk...it's all we have in the house). I also do not drink protein shakes, take supplements, and eat ice cream! I posted something similar to this a few weeks ago. I am determined to lose this weight naturally and healthily. I don't want to reach my goal and then have to relearn how to eat regular food and worry about putting the weight back on!

    I'm right there with ya sista! :drinker:
  • dinosnopro
    dinosnopro Posts: 2,177 Member
    I also meant to mention the fact that Taco Bell uses light sour cream. Really???


    the Doritos taco is a huge disappointment :sad:
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
    Ohh....thank you for posting this! I would rather be in the red for fats than have a bunch of "fake" stuff!! (I make an exception for my coffee creamer....which I am addicted too.....but I am trying to find a delicious alternative!).

    It's all about moderation :) But everyone has a right to do this their own way, of course.

    If you are looking for a "real" creamer, the simply natural kind that coffeemate just came out with is good! And it's real dairy, no hydrongenated oils...

    Thanks for the recommendation - I've seen it, but haven't tried it yet. I've read some other posts where people recommend vanilla almond milk or vanilla syrup with heavy cream. I'm going to do some experimenting after I use up the creamer I have (Bailey's Creme Brulee.....ahhh.....so good! LOL!).
  • kaetra
    kaetra Posts: 442 Member
    My Personal Rule #1 - If it's not delicious, I'm not eating it.

    I like real food that tastes good. Real sugar, real butter, real salt, real meat, real veggies, real fruit, real grains, real potatoes.

    Fake sugar tastes absolutely vile to me and I like a bit of fat with my food. (I wish Chobani would sell more flavors in 2%, strictly for convenience. I am suspicious of anything dairy that says 0% fat.)

    I'm not above some convenience items like Fiber One brownies, Skinny Cow ice creams, the occasional SmartBalance margine if I'm running short on available calories - all of which have fake-ness in them, but to me those taste good so I eat them.
  • AReasor
    AReasor Posts: 355 Member
    Love this! My house is the same way. I was diabetic while pregnant and I think the dietician had her hands full with me. They wanted me to use artificial sweeteners and fake butter like country crock. I just said no, ate more natural, but watched my intake and levels constantly. It boggled my mind that they wanted me to eat those chemicals, with them going straight to my baby. :huh:
  • melusinagr
    melusinagr Posts: 205 Member
    Agree 100%! I've lost all my weight eating normal food and haven't had any problems with maintenance (in fact I've lost 3 more kilos since I've been in maintenance since December!). I eat real butter, whole milk, eggs, real cheese, mayo, etc.

    The main thing is moderation and a well-balanced diet and a bit of exercise. Then you can eat pretty much anything.
  • paigemarie93
    paigemarie93 Posts: 778 Member
    I haven't cut anything out, I eat the exact same foods I used to eat, pizza pasta burgers whatever I want, just not huge portions.
  • whatluckycat
    whatluckycat Posts: 52 Member
    Totally agree with the OP. Low-fat foods usually have higher carb content than the regular option.
  • twinmom01
    twinmom01 Posts: 854 Member
    Right on - I saw that same Biggest Loser and was increduloius over the fact they were wigging out about the full fat mayo...all fat does is add calories and I think he had the right idea....if full fat makes it taste better and the difference is a handful of calories...

    I could care less about the fat content in foods...and to a lesser extent calories...if it fits with in my daily range.

    The only thing Lite I use from time to time is Coconut milk from a can (for my coffee sometimes as it stays liquid in the fridge vs full fat - and in a recipe here and there to cut the overall calories so I can enjoy more protien and veggies in the meal)

    Things like Mayo - I don't use it that often - I try and plan meals that may use mayo close together so I can whip up a batch of homemade mayo (have to use it within a week)
  • VeganPanda
    VeganPanda Posts: 582 Member
    Agreed!
  • castadiva
    castadiva Posts: 2,016 Member
    Love this! My house is the same way. I was diabetic while pregnant and I think the dietician had her hands full with me. They wanted me to use artificial sweeteners and fake butter like country crock. I just said no, ate more natural, but watched my intake and levels constantly. It boggled my mind that they wanted me to eat those chemicals, with them going straight to my baby. :huh:

    That truly is bizarre (and alarming), but all too believable.
  • mrsmangomum
    mrsmangomum Posts: 62
    I also meant to mention the fact that Taco Bell uses light sour cream. Really???


    the Doritos taco is a huge disappointment :sad:

    Haha I haven't tried it. I just saw a commercial the other day for taco bell and they were listing off all these ingredients and one was light sour cream. Seemed really silly to me, considering the entire menu. :tongue:
  • batalina
    batalina Posts: 209 Member
    after reading a lot of threads like this one, i'm really confused about what i should do. i pretty consistently consume about half, or less than half, of my allowance for fat. for example, what i have preemptively logged in my tracker for today comes to 15g of fat with the ability to eat 29g more. none of the foods on my tracker for today are "diet" foods. i've got oatmeal, lots of fruits and veggies, this spanish rice-thing i make for dinner, and i'm actually going to taco bell for lunch. i'm a vegan, so my diet doesn't/won't contain any cholesterol.
    sometimes i feel like i should eat more fat, because of all the people like OMG UR DOIN IT RONG EAT MORE FAT. but the days when i do eat more fat, it's because i got into the potato chips when i was visiting my mom, or went out to eat with friends and had french fries, or ate a lot of soy ice cream. in other words, i'm lost about how to get my fat into my diet without eating JUNK. :(
  • susanswan
    susanswan Posts: 1,194 Member
    I diet with normal food, too! My morning smoothie contains spinach, berries, banana, soy milk, chia seeds, flax seeds, cocoa powder and stevia. (Stevia is plant).

    Lunch yesterday was pinto beans with scallions and cilantro. I had an orange, made myself a latte, and had a few "forbidden" snacks at Costco.

    Dinner was a huge salad with lots of fresh veggies thrown in. I made my own dressing with olive oil, grey poupon mustard, no salt seasoning, honey, and red wine vinegar. I needed to eat more calories so I grabbed my homemade peanut butter and dove in!

    I was still under calorie and even got to lose a bit of weight this morning! Love eating whole foods!! = D
  • susanswan
    susanswan Posts: 1,194 Member
    after reading a lot of threads like this one, i'm really confused about what i should do. i pretty consistently consume about half, or less than half, of my allowance for fat. for example, what i have preemptively logged in my tracker for today comes to 15g of fat with the ability to eat 29g more. none of the foods on my tracker for today are "diet" foods. i've got oatmeal, lots of fruits and veggies, this spanish rice-thing i make for dinner, and i'm actually going to taco bell for lunch. i'm a vegan, so my diet doesn't/won't contain any cholesterol.
    sometimes i feel like i should eat more fat, because of all the people like OMG UR DOIN IT RONG EAT MORE FAT. but the days when i do eat more fat, it's because i got into the potato chips when i was visiting my mom, or went out to eat with friends and had french fries, or ate a lot of soy ice cream. in other words, i'm lost about how to get my fat into my diet without eating JUNK. :(

    Nuts and avocados are GREAT sources of HEALTHY fats! I am aiming for 80-90% Vegan, too!
  • mrsmangomum
    mrsmangomum Posts: 62
    Love this! My house is the same way. I was diabetic while pregnant and I think the dietician had her hands full with me. They wanted me to use artificial sweeteners and fake butter like country crock. I just said no, ate more natural, but watched my intake and levels constantly. It boggled my mind that they wanted me to eat those chemicals, with them going straight to my baby. :huh:

    That truly is bizarre (and alarming), but all too believable.

    Agreed! Good for you for watching out for your little one!
  • Scarlett_S
    Scarlett_S Posts: 467 Member
    I am probably somewhere in the middle on this. There are things that I think taste good and I do use them to save on fat and calories - like some of the low fat cheeses and definitely the light and fat free salad dressings. But I also use real butter, and sour cream and definitely real ingredients to make guacamole, and then I just eat them sparingly. I also use skim milk but I always have, even when I was overweight. I feel like I can actually 'taste' the fat in whole milk and I don't like that.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    You are doing it right. :)
  • TexanThom
    TexanThom Posts: 778
    To me, going a "Diet" is a short term thing. I am changing the way I eat, and the things and amounts that I eat. I will not do the fake sugar because I seem to crave more food after I eat it. I am in this for the long haul, not a quick fix.
  • SimplyShanRunning
    SimplyShanRunning Posts: 885 Member
    :drinker:

    I love your post!
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