"Dieting" with normal food
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I get most of my recipes from SkinnyTaste.com. It is a food blog that I discovered right around the time I started dieting and there are real meals that are all low-calorie. I highly recommend it.0
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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!
Yes! Nuts are awesome. Walnuts also have Omega 3s, which I imagine would be tough to get if you're not eating fish and can't take fish supplements.
It wasn't my intention to make anyone feel like they're wrong. I'm sorry if I confused you or made you feel bad. You have to do what is right for you. I honestly am clueless about the extra dietary needs of vegetarians and vegans. My only other suggestion is to take your vitamins (if you do take them) when you eat something with fat in it so they get absorbed better. Or maybe see a nutritionist that knows the vegan dietary needs?0 -
No attacks coming from me
I've lost 112 pounds in a year by eating "normal" foods. I don't do the low fat, light, non fat, no sugar stuff. Calories in, calories out. I'm living proof it works.
I saw that episode of loser where he used regular mayo. I was cheering for him. I knew he would take heat for it but I saw no problem with his choice.0 -
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.
Exactly! That's why I also put quotes around "diet" Cheers! :drinker:0 -
I saw that episode and it made me think too. I do agree with your general philosophy, but to play the devil's advocate here.... I use light mayo, particularly because it doesn't taste as "greasy". I assume it is made lighter by using egg whites instead of whole eggs, but I'm not sure. I think there is something to be said for switching out high cal/low nutrition foods with lower cal alternatives at times. For example, I found out that pizza made on flatbread is about 1/3 the calories of a traditional crust, and I can eat enough to feel full AND satisfy my pizza cravings. I think the point the past contestants were trying to make is that it can be a challenge to modify foods to be healthful and tasty, but a full fat mayo wouldn't be a great example of that. I am surprised that they didn't spend more time talking about how important it is to have a quick list of fast and healthy recipes handy. The planning is the hardest part of dieting, and when my plan fails my diet fails as well. 0
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You are not alone in your feelings about many diet foods. I eat real food. Mostly things like fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, almond milk, avocados, nuts... I figure you can eat just about anything if you are able to eat it in moderation, as part of an overall healthy diet. I will admit that I make two exceptions to the eating real food routine. (1) I also eat things that contain protein isolates/concentrates, etc. (e.g. cliff bars, homemade protein bars, etc.). (2) I eat Daiya, which is a cheese substitute occasionally, it's not "low fat," and this isn't a "dieting thing," it's an ethical consideration.
Oh, and they do tend to add more sugar to low-fat things. Often, if you look, there are nearly as many calories in "low fat" foods as in regular ones, and distinctly more sugar. In baked goods this is because sugar holds moisture, which prevents reduced fat baked goods from seeming dry. In other products, I assume it's just because people like sweet things.0 -
I totally agree.. I have always felt that if we ate more REAL food instead of fake crap we would be healther,thinner and happier in general. and let's be honest - most didn't gain weight by eating real food..it's cause we ate junk food.that's my two cents0
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I think too, that if you cut out too much of the yummy stuff that's not low-fat or fat-free , you'll just gorge on that food because you're treating it like it's bad and you can't have it. A few of you said it - moderation is key. That said, I prefer skim milk over whole milk, so for some things, eating lower fat or fat free is what I want just because it tastes good to me.
Great post!0 -
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*
PREACH!!!! lol I think thats the reason some many fail. People like me felt for a long time that I had to give up everything that I had ever ate for no fat, no calorie, powder this and powder that. Simply not realistic for many. Excellent post!!!0 -
Most of the food I eat doesn't come with a "full fat/low fat/diet/low sugar" option and I don't hunt it out either.
For the most part, where there is a choice of 'low fat/sugar' I pick the normal one. That said, I drink semi-skimmed milk (because it's what I've always drunk from being a small child so I like the flavour), the orange or blackcurrent squash I use tends to be the 'low sugar' version because I prefer the flavour and my margarine is a 'low fat' version, again because I prefer the flavour to the normal version.
And if I go to the beach for fish and chips, you can bet I'll have salt on it.
I don't want to be eating 'diet/low xxx' foods forever so I'm losing weight by just watching what I eat and being sensible about it. That way I'll be able to maintain easier after and not have to switch foods. Just my take anyway.0 -
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.
If it is to be a healthy lifestyle change, as opposed to a weight loss program, then balance is key. Yes, you do need to monitor your numbers and you do need to make sure that the fats (all types), carbs, and proteins are in balance. If you are hitting your calorie numbers, but your fats are low, then you are getting excess calories in either carbs or proteins - which is not a good thing, long term. If you are eating junk food like potato chips, they should probably be baked and eaten in moderation. There's not a lot of good nutrition in a bag of chips.
On topic of the original post: I use skim and 0% greek yogurt, along with almond milk for dairy. A touch of avocado or olive oil in plain yogurt, instead of sour cream, will get me to my fats without sacrificing taste, while keeping saturated fats at 7%. I do eat butter (no margarine) on occasion, but if taste isn't affected, I'll opt for olive oil. Fats are important to your diet and you need them, but it is very easy to exceed your fat intake by a large margin eating normal foods.
While this is a personal decision, family history and personal health are important considerations. Someone needing to raise their HDL and lower triglycerides will have different dietary needs than someone that is dealing with gout or who is pre-diabetic. Foods low in fat, sodium, or sugar can be made to taste great, with some creativity.0 -
I like this post. I too use butter, real sweeteners when needed.. I make most things just like the recipe then I allow myself a small serving.. I saute in olive oil or a tad of butter but I ALWAYS account for it and usually end up plenty full.. same with Bread. I used to use the sara lee 45 cal bread.. but it never satisfied me.. now I use 100% whole grain wheat bread with no HFCS. I only use one slice and it keeps me full for hours. I think the more natural and less processed our foods are the better.. I have chickens in my backyard that give us healthy, full fat eggs and I love every bit of it. Ive lost 25 lb eating this way so far and my husband has lost 25 as well.0
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Sadly I don't crave butter, mayonnaise or bolognese sauces. I eat certain things that are lower in fat because they don't really add ingredients that's going to affect my health.
I just read a few articles about modified starch. Some people say it's bad for you, some say it isn't. It's gives certain foods a certain consistency when made. So the Dolmio Low Fat Bolognese sauce has Modified Starch instead of Olive Oil which is what the regular version has.
A lot of the people are saying they prefer to use regular butter, and not the light or low fat butters. I'm just checking out Country Life Butter, regular and light version.
The Light version compared to the regular version has Buttermilk. Even though it has a bit more sugar, I would prefer a tiny increase in natural sugar than more saturated fat.0 -
Hear hear! Great post! Thanks for saying the things I'm thinking :flowerforyou: It particularly irks me when people insist on low-fat or fat-free dairy, but then advocate the use of protein powders. Where do they think that whey protein is derived from? The dairy companies are laughing all the way to the bank, with profits from selling the blue-white water AND the expensive protein powder to the same person, again and again and again.
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I know you are not trying to be mean (I don't guess you are anyway), but just so you have another point of view...even when I was 30 lbs overweight and didn't know what protein powder was...I drank skim milk. I don't like the way 2% milk tastes...it's a texture thing...and whole milk?? It feels like I'm drinking pudding...probably just me, but some people drink skim milk cause it tastes good :happy:0 -
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.
If it is to be a healthy lifestyle change, as opposed to a weight loss program, then balance is key. Yes, you do need to monitor your numbers and you do need to make sure that the fats (all types), carbs, and proteins are in balance. If you are hitting your calorie numbers, but your fats are low, then you are getting excess calories in either carbs or proteins - which is not a good thing, long term. If you are eating junk food like potato chips, they should probably be baked and eaten in moderation. There's not a lot of good nutrition in a bag of chips.
On topic of the original post: I use skim and 0% greek yogurt, along with almond milk for dairy. A touch of avocado or olive oil in plain yogurt, instead of sour cream, will get me to my fats without sacrificing taste, while keeping saturated fats at 7%. I do eat butter (no margarine) on occasion, but if taste isn't affected, I'll opt for olive oil. Fats are important to your diet and you need them, but it is very easy to exceed your fat intake by a large margin eating normal foods.
While this is a personal decision, family history and personal health are important considerations. Someone needing to raise their HDL and lower triglycerides will have different dietary needs than someone that is dealing with gout or who is pre-diabetic. Foods low in fat, sodium, or sugar can be made to taste great, with some creativity.
Totally agree with needing balance. I don't have special dietary needs, but obviously I would advocate working your diet around any medical conditions. But I also don't believe people get diet induced illnesses (not sure if that's a phrase, but I'm using it! Haha) from the foods I'm talking about, but rather from eating too much fast food and sweets. I should also say that my fats are always under the MFP recommendations, usually by a few grams. I still eat lean proteins, fruits, veggies and whole grains. No soda or sweets here!0 -
avacados,nuts,hummus,chia seeds, natural peanut butter,dark chocolate..:)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.0 -
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*
The facts are that people are trying to lose weight including myself and this means a reduction in calories.
Why the hell I would want to eat mayo that is full fat when I could eat the light version and so have calories left for other stuff beats me.
Low fat food is actual food by the way, it can cut daily calories by half. I used to eat all the full fat stuff and that is why I am here, now trying to lose weight.
It is possible to stay within the calorie goals with full fat stuff, sure, but it is also high in calories and I for one would rather not do it that way.0 -
Hear hear! Great post! Thanks for saying the things I'm thinking :flowerforyou: It particularly irks me when people insist on low-fat or fat-free dairy, but then advocate the use of protein powders. Where do they think that whey protein is derived from? The dairy companies are laughing all the way to the bank, with profits from selling the blue-white water AND the expensive protein powder to the same person, again and again and again.
I know you are not trying to be mean (I don't guess you are anyway), but just so you have another point of view...even when I was 30 lbs overweight and didn't know what protein powder was...I drank skim milk. I don't like the way 2% milk tastes...it's a texture thing...and whole milk?? It feels like I'm drinking pudding...probably just me, but some people drink skim milk cause it tastes good :happy:
(and now that I do know what protein powder is...I mix it with water to drink it
)
I actually used to drink skim milk and know exactly what you're talking about! We switched to whole milk when my son started drinking cows milk. It took a while to adjust. It doesn't bug me as much because they're just skimming the fat off the top without adding all the extra sugar nd junk like they do with other stuff (at least, from what I understand that's all that happens).
And I promise this wasn't meant to be a malicious post! I understand how reading what I'm writing without my tone and inflection may be taken wrong. It was meant to be light hearted, and is totally just opinion. I'm not a judger, but it hurts me when I see people trying SO hard to be healthy and they're just overdoing it to a point that they aren't enjoying food any more because all they eat is lettuce and fat free ranch. Food is fuel, but we still have our taste buds! 0 -
There is good reason to embrace dietary fat and cut back on the high carb foods.
http://www.dietdoctor.com/weight-loss-time-to-stop-denying-the-science
http://www.lowcarbdietitian.com/1/post/2011/08/is-a-low-carb-high-fat-diet-a-heart-healthy-one.html0 -
I agree 100%.
The low-fat theory is completly flawed, in fact.
Here are some myths that companies, regulatory agencies AND average people (especially in the US) are still conveying:
1) Dietary cholesterol (like in egg yolks) can raise your blood cholesterol
2) Saturated fats are bad for you
3) Vegetable oils (the ones you find on supermaket shelves (canola, cottonseed, corn, soya) are healthy
Just to name a few.
If you want to learn more about the above myths (WARNING : shameless plug), you can check out a report I put together titled "Eat Fat, Burn Fat":
http://www.thefatlossanswer.com/weight-loss-blog/free-report-day6g/
Oh man the cholesterol egg thing drives me nuts! And I'll totally check that out!
Eggs are good for a person, that includes the yolks. The whole "eggs are bad for you" was debunked a long time back
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