Diets

hearlady

hearlady

Ready for Spring!
Location
N Carolina
It's so confusing these days with all the diets out there. Eating food should be simple!
I decided to really get in and educate myself on what exactly is a Keto or a Vegan or a Paleo, etc, diet.
My concerns are disease, dementia, and overall energy and wellness.
My humble conclusion is that a plant based diet is the best. The Mediterranean Diet fits my lifestyle. Vegans don't eat dairy, fish, or oil. Too strict for me.
Keto seems very strict and more for endurance athletes.
Low carb is Ok because it does allow for some "good " carbs.
It comes down to what works for you and your goals.
I thought I knew a lot about nutrition but I was wrong about a lot of things. There are many health gurus out there, each with a book and an "eye opening" presentation. Buyer beware!
I've read many of you on here that do keep your eating simple and nutricious.
I still like the phrase "Eat real food, mostly plants, not too much".
Seems sensible.
 

I taped this chart for the Mind Diet inside of a kitchen cupboard door and follow it loosely.

I don't drink wine and I'm trying to cut down on cheese and other dairy products.

mind_diet_infographic-853x1024.jpg
 
Eating IS simple.
I don't diet, and I can't remember the last time I even thought about calories or carbs or any such thing. I eat what I want. Lost 20 lbs several years ago by eating smaller portions, and I've kept it off.
 
applecruncher said:
Eating IS simple.
I don't diet, and I can't remember the last time I even thought about calories or carbs or any such thing. I eat what I want. Lost 20 lbs several years ago by eating smaller portions, and I've kept it off.
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yup

eat to keep the hungries away

never eat to get full
 
And, in addition to beef, fish, poultry, fruits, and vegetables I also indulge in pie, cake, cookies, pizza in moderation. I don't want to live in a world without ice cream and potato chips

When someone talks about diets I notice others rolling their eyes. I smile, nod, and change the subject.
 
applecruncher said:
And, in addition to beef, fish, poultry, fruits, and vegetables I also indulge in pie, cake, cookies, pizza in moderation. I don't want to live in a world without ice cream and potato chips

When someone talks about diets I notice others rolling their eyes. I smile, nod, and change the subject.
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I think you have the right idea AC, but when someone starts talking micronutrients I just can't help myself, I'm all in.......:)
 
Having worked in a grocery store in the early 60's I often pause in stores now to try to absorb the amount of foods available at arms reach. The variety is insane compared to 60 years ago. Look at the cereal aisle and snack aisle for examples. I just wonder what impact it has on our obesity problem. If you can make a list and stick to it you are doing well but few do. Then there are the restaurants. I grew up in a town with a total of maybe 8 including fast foods. Now I can't drive one block without passing that same number.
 
I have a sweet tooth and find strict dieting quite miserable so I tend to stick to a more relaxed 80 - 20 diet, It's called the 80:20 rule, which, when applied to food, is more an approach to healthy eating than a diet. Put plainly, the rule goes that you choose to eat healthy foods 80 per cent of the time, which then allows you to indulge in your favourite treats 20 per cent of the time

I probably weigh a couple of lbs more than I should but really don’t care at my age, I have friends who diet to keep slim and their faces are drawn and haggard, I prefer to balance it out


 
Wren said:
I have a sweet tooth and find strict dieting quite miserable so I tend to stick to a more relaxed 80 - 20 diet, It's called the 80:20 rule, which, when applied to food, is more an approach to healthy eating than a diet. Put plainly, the rule goes that you choose to eat healthy foods 80 per cent of the time, which then allows you to indulge in your favourite treats 20 per cent of the time

I probably weigh a couple of lbs more than I should but really don’t care at my age, I have friends who diet to keep slim and their faces are drawn and haggard, I prefer to balance it out


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That's a good rule Wren. Denise Austin (remember her?) taught that.
 
fmdog44 said:
Having worked in a grocery store in the early 60's I often pause in stores now to try to absorb the amount of foods available at arms reach. The variety is insane compared to 60 years ago. Look at the cereal aisle and snack aisle for examples. I just wonder what impact it has on our obesity problem. If you can make a list and stick to it you are doing well but few do. Then there are the restaurants. I grew up in a town with a total of maybe 8 including fast foods. Now I can't drive one block without passing that same number.
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Yes! It is amazing what's available now. Gone are the days of eating in season. You can have what you want when you want. I guess that can be a blessing and a curse.
 
I gained 40 pounds after menopause and it took a long time to figure out how to eat in order to 1. stop the gain, and then 2. lose the extra. I had never dieted before in my life, my metabolism was extremely efficient, and I'd always stayed around 135 pounds which was a good weight for me at 5'8 1/2". Even when I was pregnant I only ever gained 20 - 22 pounds, and it was all gone within the first month after having the baby. So weight gain/dieting was all a mystery to me.

I won't bore you with the process of finding what worked. But after trying every diet/fad/way of eating out there, I finally realized that calorie counting (the thing I had avoided doing THE MOST!!) was what was going to do it for me, combined with eating much more healthfully than I had before...whole grains, less red meat, more veggies and fruits etc. Over time I lost 30 of that 40 pounds, the other 10 pounds seems to be here to stay, but that's OK. I sit around 145 pounds now, and I feel good, that's what counts. My back and knees stopped hurting, I could dance again without getting out of breath, my borderline high cholesterol started leveling off.

One of the major things I learned about myself is to not restrict ANY food. If I want chocolate or a sugary dessert or a cocktail I have it. (Sweets are my downfall) I just compensate dietarily, adjusting my portions/food choices as needed. I eat around 1500 calories a day, sometimes over that, sometimes under, but always staying in that range. I lost that weight back in 2013, and so far I'm still maintaining the loss.
 
Wren said:
I have a sweet tooth and find strict dieting quite miserable so I tend to stick to a more relaxed 80 - 20 diet, It's called the 80:20 rule, which, when applied to food, is more an approach to healthy eating than a diet. Put plainly, the rule goes that you choose to eat healthy foods 80 per cent of the time, which then allows you to indulge in your favourite treats 20 per cent of the time

I probably weigh a couple of lbs more than I should but really don’t care at my age, I have friends who diet to keep slim and their faces are drawn and haggard, I prefer to balance it out


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This is how I approach it, too.
 
Although I eat mainly WFPB (whole food plant based), I greatly limit all types of potatoes, grains, rices, sugars, and other high carb foods, including whole grains. My body just doesn't process them as well as it did in younger days.
 


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