Diet: Do it? or Don't it?!

Discussion in 'Fit Pad' started by AJK, Feb 13, 2020.

  1. AJK

    AJK I plead the 5th ...

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    The Cheese thread got me thinking about a statement made to my mother by her doctor; that dairy causes inflamation. I tried to research this and found this from Mayo Clinic- which was more interesting. I don't do "diets". Instead, hubster and I are working up a lifestyle plan to hopefully eliminate the ridiculous numbers of pills he takes daily- BP, diabetes pills, anti-inflamatory meds, etc.
    Have you tried any of these eating plans?
    Popular diet trends of the moment
    Thinking about jumping on the Whole30, ketogenic diet, anti-inflammatory diet or intermittent fasting bandwagon?
    By Mayo Clinic Staff

    They offer balanced facts. What do you think of the article? Have you tried any of these?
     
    Last edited: Feb 13, 2020
  2. Memaw2Wm

    Memaw2Wm Well-Known Member

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    My mother (an R.N.) always said the best diet is to simply eat a variety of healthy foods, eat smaller portions and get some exercise.
     
  3. cookingmylife

    cookingmylife Pizza would be my last meal, except ...

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    I've found, much to my dismay, that eating cheese, which I love! gives me congestion rather than inflammation. But then sugar=inflammation so it's pretty much what @Memaw2Wm says. I try to avoid all processed food but with dh sticking to frozen meals that he has picked out himself by choice, I too find that I'm eating some myself but not enjoying them. Plus imho even the 'good' ones are pretty crappy. I really need to get back to cooking a lot more from scratch as I know how, can do it but have gotten lazy when not much tastes good to him post chemo/radiation.
     
  4. BevG

    BevG If I can't remember it, it didn't happen

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    A good balanced meal plan with few or no sweets, no processed foods, and in small portions will be do-able over the long run (i.e. rest of your life). Drink lots and lots of water. We rarely drink enough. I have been trying to get 10 cups a day and that is a challenge. Anything with caffeine does not count. I have been amazed at the benefits of doing this.

    And exercise? Yup --- and sleep! Get your sleep in. When I started going to bed earlier it also made a big difference in how I feel.

    And most important of all? God - only he can fill those god-sized holes that we so often try to fill with something else (it was food for me).
     
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  5. Cherylndesigns

    Cherylndesigns All glasses should be bigger than 1.5 oz

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    I don't like to think of "dieting" either. I try to be careful of what I eat, hardly ever eat sweets, don't eat after 8 PM (that's the secret for me), and don't snack. I know I sound horribly boring.
     
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  6. IntenseMagic

    IntenseMagic Some grannies cuss a lot. I'm some grannies.

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    I really don't like the idea of restricting lots of things. I'm trying to be more mindful of what I eat. We have a new wellness program through work that pays out cash for doing healthy things. I'm tracking all the things on My Fitness Pal and a friend and I are walking 4 laps around the school in the morning and a few more during the day if we get a chance. Also working on drinking more water and less soda. I could easily do intermittent fasting on the weekends and during the summer because I often don't eat until dinner. But, when I'm working, I'm hungry the minute I walk in the school. I'm trying to cut down on carbs some, but honestly they are my weakness. I do not want to give up my pasta and potatoes, but I am trying to eat less of them. Sweets are not really an issue for me because I don't eat them much anyway. Basically, I am just trying to cut down on the bad stuff and I for sure need to get back to the gym!!
     
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  7. rach3975

    rach3975 Well-Known Member

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    I think that any "diet" can be healthful or not depending on how you do it. For example, being on a low carb/high fat diet eating nuts and olive oil isn't the same as being on the same type of diet but eating bacon and butter. I've never tried any of the diets in the article. I've been influenced by keto (more on that in a minute), but I aim for 50-75 grams of carbs a day (ie, way too high for keto, which I think is usually under 20 g).

    I was a teenager and young adult in the '90's, when fat was the enemy. It influenced how I ate for a long time--it's only in the last few years that I started eating whole eggs instead of egg whites and added back nuts, which I didn't used to eat because of their fat and calorie density. That's also when I started eating a lower carb diet because of a family history of diabetes and blood sugar levels that were higher than optimal, so I had to increase fats. I eat whole grains in small amounts and still eat lots of vegetables, even some that are higher in carbs. I've cut out most fruits because of the sugar in them, but I still eat berries since they're lower in sugar. I've also been a vegetarian for more than 20 years. Well, really I'm a pescetarian (vegetarian who eats fish), but I only eat seafood once or twice a month, usually when I'm at a restaurant and they don't have good low carb vegetarian options. My weaknesses are cheese, almonds, and peanut butter. I'm sure my weight would be a lot lower if I gave them up, but it isn't happening!
     
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  8. carrie1977

    carrie1977 Tequila and Taco Tuesday

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    I've been a WW member on/off for years. I re-committed back in May and I've lost about 75lbs. It works for me because I can still eat the foods that I love (in moderation, of course). I don't have to give anything up. I work full-time and have two children. There are going to be times that I'm going to have nuggets and tots for dinner. I'm realistic. I eat on plan 90% of the time and I'm thankful for the 10% that I can go off track if needed. For me, it isn't a diet. It's a lifestyle.
     
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  9. bestcee

    bestcee In love with places I've never been to

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    I'm in a nutrition and wellness class this semester at college, which means I've read a ton of scientific studies on lots of different diets and recommendations.
    My take away at the halfway point is moderation, pay attention to what you put in your mouth, and know yourself.
    Eating after a certain time at night? Not a problem if it's good choices. If that's when you reach for ice cream and other sweets, then cutting yourself off is a great choice. Can't control yourself with carbs? Then maybe limiting to a smaller range is a good choice for you.
    Our bodies need a certain amount of carbs, protein, and fats. There is a balance that has been studied to be effective. The typical American diet overdoes the carbs (should be in the 45-65% range), overdoes the fats (20-35% range) and underdoes the protein (15-25%). Find the range that works for your individual goals.
    Perhaps you need more carbs because you are doing a lot of weight lifting. Perhaps you need more protein to help you feel full as you lose weight. Or perhaps you need more fat to keep you sated. You might have to experiment with the percentages until you find personal diet happiness.
    As to cheese specifically: I swear there's always a food being lauded for being amazing (coconut oil comes to mind) that isn't as good as it's touted to be, or a food that is being banned/shamed (eggs come to mind) depending on the year and society. My friend shouldn't eat a lot of cheese because she's slightly lactose intolerant. Cheese makes her gassy and gives her a stomach pouch. But so does ice cream, milk, and other dairy products. I believe eggs, corn, bread, rice, salt, oil, peanut butter, etc have all been labelled as inflammation foods before. There are as many food fads to follow as there are clothing fads.
    So personally, I choose none. I aim to follow a balanced diet, avoid foods that make me personally feel gross, and enjoy food overall. As I've learned more and more this semester, I've also learned that there are short term studies with interesting choices to prove almost any food opinion. So I stick to long term studies and call it good.

    But that's me. You do you!:agree:backing
     
  10. AJK

    AJK I plead the 5th ...

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    For myself, I am in agreement. I only take thyroid meds and with my current plan, I am learning that I can eventually do away with them by working my way through ( 500 pages!!) Thyroid Healing by Anthony William.
    For hubster, he needs a regimental plan to reset his systems. Then it can be modified. Was just curious of anyone had tried the above ideas. DIL has done every one, I think, LOL!
     
  11. michelepixels

    michelepixels A pun is not fully matured until it is full groan.

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    I've never done any diets. The closest I've come is keeping in mind what Michael Pollan says in In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, which I read about a decade ago: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." I think it was also in this book that I read the idea that the longer the ingredients list and/or the harder to pronounce, the less "real," less healthy, it is.
     
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  12. Scrapping with Liz

    Scrapping with Liz Crafts for days.

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    Ditto what most everyone said. Moderation is key no matter what you do. It has to be a lifestyle and not a "diet"...I do think that some of these diets can help people get going in the right direction. I also think that maybe some people who are suffering from certain ailments that a strict diet of some type might help.

    I also like what @bestcee said about macros. Everyone is slightly different in what they need. I've been watching my macros for the last 6 months or so and playing around with what is right for me.
     
  13. littlekiwi

    littlekiwi I charge by the hour for anything before noon

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    I have PCOS so a lower carb/higher protein way of eating suits me the best however sticking to it is my downfall. Once I move for work (whenever that may be) I’ll be joining Weight Watchers - it’s less about the actual diet for me but more about accountability to keep me on track.
     
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  14. Tracie Stroud

    Tracie Stroud Active Member

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    I have a few autoimmune conditions and fibromyalgia and suffered with them all for many years, trying more medications, supplements, you name it. Nothing helped at all. As a last resort before going on immune-suppressing drugs and at the suggestion of a friend who also suffered from many of the same conditions, I tried 30 days of a whole foods plants-based diet (like Forks Over Knives documentary on Netflix). I was absolutely amazed. I kept a journal of all my symptoms, and within 3 weeks I felt better than I had in years. It was incredible. It can be difficult to keep up with since my family all still eat omni and I live in the Deep South where health food is definitely not an easy or normal thing, so what I do now is eat as balanced of an omni diet as I can, avoiding straight junk (except root beer, which is my nemesis lol), and then when the pain and exhaustion start to become too much again, I'll go back to plant-based for a couple of months as a reset. One of these days I'll be able to make it work 100% of the time, but for now, this is working for me. I'll probably be going back on it through all of Lent this year. It's time to do it again, and Lent will help me with the discipline part of it.
     
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  15. AnneofAlamo

    AnneofAlamo Slippers IN sunshine? Even better!

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    I’m a keto eating and do intermittent fasting but.
    Only in warm weather lol.
    Low carb and fasting causes me to freeze! I live in desert so about 4/5 months I can not do keto. I gain about 20 pounds in winter. I just am able to begin exercising outside. I go full 2 hours by summer and will drop the pounds in about 2 months.
    Crazy. But I am finally understanding my body.
     
  16. AJK

    AJK I plead the 5th ...

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    Yes, I think with the exception of chicken and fish I could be full fork.
    Fasting is valued. But to those with thyroid it is chaotic. That's why we have been drafting a new lifestyle plan- much of what has been said above is what we are about. I don't believe "cold turkey" is the way to go for anything- you are asking for a rebellion, ha. AND I don't like the taste of cold turkey.:giggle:hehe I love that in the South we have access to fresh fruits and vegetables nearly 10 months of the year! And farmers markets rock! Planning our garden now for this spring is part of the plan. Hubster is an amazing gardener. That helps motivation as well as exercise!
    Thanks for all the feedback everyone!
     
  17. KarenW

    KarenW Send in the Clowns

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    My husband does the intermittent fasting - works for him - he has self control and is distracted by a busy work schedule. I tried for a while but found it unsustainable being at home - too many temptations around!
    I have just started a weight loss program with my trainer - lots of exercise (so hard) but he says you can't exercise off a poor diet (damn) so starting on portion awareness at the moment.
    Just writing everything down makes the biggest difference for me. Have just downloaded My Fitness pal which has a great diet diary and links up with my fitbit to track everything I do. My trainer is about habits so no rushing into anything, get one part under control then move on to the next challenge. If I started this a year ago, I would have failed within a month but feeling confident atm.
     
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