Do you follow a certain diet or do you just track calories?

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HarlowAudrey
HarlowAudrey Posts: 42
in Food and Nutrition
Since I started my weightloss journey I have followed two different "diets"

1. Low Carb/High Protein
2. Ashy Bines Clean Eating Plan: Basically low carb, no diary, no processed food, no sweetners etc.

I have hit a point where I am binging every other day and always thinking about food. I think it is because I feel so deprived. I have dropped 3 dress sizes and although I would like to lose some more weight, it is no longer my major goal over overall fitness and health.

I also feel that I have formed an unhealthy relationship with food, and view things as either "good"or "bad". For instance, I really want to eat oats for breakfast but they fall under "bad"as they are carbs, so instead I eat egg whites with spinach and onion and sometimes tomato but tomatoes have high sugar so only sometimes. It is such an unhealthy mindset and I am really worn down.

I'm thinking about just eating what I want, but tracking my calories to make sure i'm eating the right amount.

Example:
Baked blueberry and apple oats
Protein shake (if hungry)
Rye sandwich with tuna, lettuce, carrot and onion with light mayo.
0% Chobani
Quest protein bar (no sugar/sugar alcohols)
Peanut chicken skewers with sweet potato and steamed greens


That is just under my calorie goal + I will be exercising. I am really nervous about eating intuitvely and what I want.. I don't know why I have such issues with food. Am I the only one?
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Replies

  • pg3ibew
    pg3ibew Posts: 1,026 Member
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    I just track calories. I eat what ever I want when ever I want. Check out my Diary if you want. Today was a real bad day though. LMAO.
  • saraann4
    saraann4 Posts: 1,312 Member
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    I just track calories. If you want to eat oats, then by all means eat oats. Carbs are not the enemy. If it's in your calorie intake, go for it. Don't limit yourself. It's all about maintaining a calorie deficit. The only thing I refuse to eat now is fast food. Maybe every once in awhile.
  • saraann4
    saraann4 Posts: 1,312 Member
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    Since I started my weightloss journey I have followed two different "diets"

    1. Low Carb/High Protein
    2. Ashy Bines Clean Eating Plan: Basically low carb, no diary, no processed food, no sweetners etc.

    BTW, are you going to do low carb/high protein or Ashy Bines plan for the rest of your life? I'd hope not. Just track your calories.
  • angrodriguez92
    angrodriguez92 Posts: 193 Member
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    I think it is more satisfying to simply track calories and try to eat as healthy as possible, lots of whole foods. Oats are not bad, ha. You just have to make sure you balance the day. If what you are doing now wears you down and makes you unhappy, you should change it. Health isn't just about diet and fitness. It's about being happy, playing, and doing things that please you.. also.

    My diet is, a salad a day with lots of raw veggies in it, sometimes hard boiled egg/s.
    Omelets with veggies.
    I eat a smoothie in the morning with fruit and nonfat chobani/fage yogurt.
    Some kind of cooked veggie dish with nuts in it or a carb protein combo like Quinoa.
    I eat junk too. Coffee with cream, occasionally small servings of pudding or jello.
    Stuff like that... I just try my best. I don't way breads or pasta (gluten intolerant) so my diet is sorta low carb, high protein. Kinda too high in fat...
  • wgn4166
    wgn4166 Posts: 771 Member
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    Calories
  • peachyxoxoxo
    peachyxoxoxo Posts: 1,178 Member
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    Neither. I just eat healthy. I do estimate my calorie intake though to be sure I'm eating enough to fuel my exercise.
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
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    I just eat real food.
  • Eve23
    Eve23 Posts: 2,352 Member
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    No specific diet for me the first time I joined and lost 45 lbs nor this time. I do have to stay away from certain foods but that is because of allergies not because I don't want them.
  • goodhealth2012
    goodhealth2012 Posts: 85
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    Your idea of a daily plan sounds perfect! Carbs are not bad, but try to have wholegrain as much as possible, brown rice, whole wheat/meal bread etc. But be kind to yourself, oats are great for lowering cholesterol, they are filling etc, a great choice in the morning. You don't have to deprive yourself, I can't stand brown rice, so I eat basmati, it's better than white, and tastes a lot better than brown! I try to have only 1 cup cooked and figure that nobody got obese just from eating white rice!
    Check out http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/oatmeal-recipes/ it's clean but nice food ideas with oats.
    Your intuition sounds fine to me, so go with that! try to stick to 80% "clean food" and have 20% to enjoy yourself! Exercise, and you'll be laughing all the way to the scales! Good luck!
  • HarlowAudrey
    HarlowAudrey Posts: 42
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    Since I started my weightloss journey I have followed two different "diets"

    1. Low Carb/High Protein
    2. Ashy Bines Clean Eating Plan: Basically low carb, no diary, no processed food, no sweetners etc.

    BTW, are you going to do low carb/high protein or Ashy Bines plan for the rest of your life? I'd hope not. Just track your calories.

    I thought I could.

    I don't know.. I wish I didnt care what I ate and just followed a strict pla but I need to get out of this äll or nothing mentality.

    So If I know one night I am going out with friends, I should just try and eat low calorie foods throughout the day so I have more calories at night?

    Is that right?
  • inlander
    inlander Posts: 339 Member
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    I do the low carbohydrate thing. (Not no carb, just no grains, lots of veggies, moderate protein, high fat, periodic fruit.) I tried counting calories and eating whatever I wanted as long as I was at a deficit, but my body doesn't respond well to a higher-carbohydrate diet, and it never has.

    It's hard to stay on the low-carbohydrate bandwagon if you don't enjoy the food you're eating - if you have a sweet tooth, I just made some killer low-carb ice cream. If you want the recipe, send me a message (I'll forget to check back here).

    I think that if counting calories works for you, you should do it. Restricting your intake of anything can be difficult, but unfortunately some people only do well with a low-fat diet and some only do well with a low-carbohydrate diet. Just depends on your body.
  • airangel59
    airangel59 Posts: 1,887 Member
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    Always had done WW when wanted to lose weight. This time I'm just tracking calories/carbs (not sure how with the WW point plan I can control carbs, just dx'd with type2DM) and seeing how that works out for me.
  • freerange
    freerange Posts: 1,722 Member
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    Just IMO you are not getting enough healthy fats in your diet, this can and will lead to binge and feeling unsatisfied.
  • ShrinkRapt451
    ShrinkRapt451 Posts: 447 Member
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    I've done the South Beach Diet in the past, but it's impossible to stick to if you like to eat out (and I do, and do it often).

    So now I count three things:
    1. Calories
    2. Carbs (keep 'em below 200 if I can)
    3. Protein (keep it above 100)

    There are days I don't meet those goals. By having carb/protein targets, I am MUCH less likely to gorge on stuff that is nutritionally worthless. Most of those things have too many calories and too many carbs. I know that if my carbs get over 200 for more than a few days in a row I start craving sweets like crazy. If I meet these targets I can take or leave sweets. And I can usually meet these targets even when I eat out.

    As for "banking" calories for a planned splurge evening: lots of ways to handle that. You can put in an extra workout. You can drop your calories by 100 for a few days to "cover" the extra. You can eat light in the morning to allow yourself more in the afternoon.

    I usually do #2 (reduce other days by 100 or so) because I pay more attention to my calorie intake v. goal for the week, rather than the day. So I often have a day where I go over goal. But as long as I'm where I need to be for the WEEK, I still lose.
  • irisheyez718
    irisheyez718 Posts: 677 Member
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    I eat what I want, and work it into my calories.
  • annahiven
    annahiven Posts: 185
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    I eat what I want. I don't do low-anything except I try to control my sodium. Else than that, I just try and stay under my total calories. It has worked fine so far.
  • nz_deevaa
    nz_deevaa Posts: 12,209 Member
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    I just track my calories, but I do try to cook as much food as I can, and not buy 'pre-prepared' food.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    I eat what I want. I just make sure to cook it all myself, from fresh, whole food ingredients. Non processed, whole grain, etc.
  • Robin_Bin
    Robin_Bin Posts: 1,046 Member
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    I track calories and fiber... check the macros (carbohydrates, protein and fat to make sure I'm not way off), but don't worry about minor deviations. Also tracking exercise. And trying to eat more "whole", organic, fresh foods, staying away from GMO, artificial and extra sweeteners, and some other "healthier" food choices, but not tracking those. For me, oats for breakfast are fine. I would probably combine them with milk, so I'd be getting some protein too. If there's going to be a long time between breakfast and my next meal, I might go for something with more protein like the eggs, but otherwise... either is fine.

    Keep in mind that too much of almost anything is not good for you. Good luck finding what works for you!
  • stupidloser
    stupidloser Posts: 300 Member
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    I like to carb cycle. I eat very little carbs on days I don't have a very high energy expenditure like mon-thur. Then on friday I increase my carb intake to sustain the all-nite partying i like to do on the weekends.

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