What are your principles in eating?

[Anelia]

afterthought to answering this post (:......are you being conversational? AWESOME (: looking to change/improve? just curious?

Depending on answer i may have 2 more cents worth! lol

Just conversational

In my experience with nutrition, training and supplements I noticed that no two people are the same. So, it's difficult to give 2 cents or even 2 bucks
When people say: "I like your body transformation, tell me your diet", I answer: "It's experimenting, learning and consistency."

[tealtreak]

Just conversational

In my experience with nutrition, training and supplements I noticed that no two people are the same. So, it's difficult to give 2 cents or even 2 bucks
When people say: "I like your body transformation, tell me your diet", I answer: "It's experimenting, learning and consistency."

It is so interesting how different foods/diets work for a given person, the only consistent thread seems to be whole food/nutrition versus junk gives better health and energy. The variations in that context are amazing (: (and make me wonder about trying it all!!!!!)

[azfiddle]

I try to eat a "balanced" diet- but I have a definite sweet tooth, which has gotten me into trouble with being overweight for most of my life.

I try to avoid most heavily processed foods, fried food, and don't usually eat pork. I try to eat a lot of fruit, vegetables, some cheese, chicken, fish and sometimes beef or lamb. Carbs are the main things that get me into trouble, and I eat more processed carbs than anything else. I have come to enjoy steel cut oats, but white rice, bagels, crackers, and bread from the French Bakery find their way into my diet a lot, although I have moved to whole wheat pasta most of the time.When I am too busy or tired though, I give in to the convenience of prepared foods like weightwatchers frozen meals or canned soup. Sadly, I am susceptible to the lure of cookies and chocolate.

I would not be happy on the paleo diet- those carbs are pretty central for me.

[shootingstar]

have come to enjoy steel cut oats, but white rice, bagels, crackers, and bread from the French Bakery find their way into my diet a lot

Azfiddle, I thought I would never see the day that I would not eat white rice since it was so central to my diet.

But it's been a move away from it where instead I substitute with several other different types of carb that taste good to me and it was so gradual that move for me.

I don't regularily buy egg-based pasta for home anymore. It's an eggless noodle...made from egg white. A little more expensive. I will have an egg-based pasta ....in a restaurant which amounts to only a few times per year.

My body has now been genuinely "trained" to want a lighter carb. I will eat sushi and sashimi several times annually but if it's too much white rice in it, then I don't feel fantastic, meaning it feels like a sugar crash for me.

I do love sushi and sashimi and will never give it up totally.
Unfortunately now I'm discovering that wine not only gets me "drunk" fast (which has been like that for decades), now I tip towards a sugar crash. Which results in me wanting to nap more quickly.

As for hard riding, which for me is long distance bike touring with my stuff, I can adjust temporarily if I have no choice to eat the foods I want when visiting an area. The amount of energy required during those rides, temper my body's reactions to high glycemic carbs.

[azfiddle]

Shooting Star, that's interesting about moving away from white rice. I think partly, it's easy and quick to cook and goes with so many other things.

I meant to say about carbs- that of the food that I do eat, the most processed items would be the bread/rice etc. It didn't sound exactly how I meant it.

[Crankin]

I gave up white rice long ago and I hardly ever eat pasta any more. When I do, it's usually in a very good Italian restaurant, and I will plan for that. It's really not that hard. I don't really like the taste of ww pasta, but I will eat it, if served.
I can't say I never eat white bread/flour, but again, it's rare, and usually in the context of eating out. I buy real whole wheat (not whole grain) small slice Pepperidge Farm bread, as well as raisin bread, and deli flats. I occasionally buy the whole wheat ciabattas or loaves at a good bakery near me, but not often, as I would eat it all in a short time. The only bagels I eat are whole wheat. I just cannot eat simple carbs much and maintain my weight. Same thing with Asian food cooked in soy sauce.
I probably eat too much fruit and not enough veggies. I eat different salad foods a lot, but don't have cooked veggies that often as a side dish, as my stomach just can't digest most of them. It's not that I can't stand eating them, but it's not worth the pain.
I was a vegetarian for awhile in my 20s when I had to lose 25 lbs. It worked, but I enjoy eating a variety of chicken, thin pork chops, fish, and beef or veal now. However, that got me off of junk food and eating right. I would say I have beef once every 7-10 days and I eat fish at least once a week, sometimes twice. I eat meatless meals at least once a week, too, as I love beans. Also, I have nuts every day as a snack.
I do eat 1-2 pieces of dark chocolate almost every day, but other than that, desserts are few and far between.
I really would like to tweak my diet a bit more, but it already feels kind of restrictive at times, given how much I eat out and cook. I am going to try adding more vegetables in slowly and see how my stomach does. I weigh pretty much what I did in HS, and since I am close to 60, I guess I should be happy.

[VeganBikeChick]

I'm vegan, so I stick to a dairy- and meat-free diet. I've finally discovered as an adult, though, that while I love carbs, my body hates them. I retain weight and get very bloaty with starchy carbs (bread, pasta, grains), so I've recently been eating a small serving protein (tempeh, tofu, or beans), with a half-plate full of veggies and some type of fruit for dessert.

Pastries (cookies, cakes, anything sugar-laden) is definitely another downfall, so I've had to jump off that bandwagon as well and try to stick to a piece of chocolate as my after dinner "treat".

[Reesha]

That reminds me... I'm so glad holiday baking is over-- I made cookies- one for each of my students last week and it was definitely something I didn't need while I was sick AND trying to stick to a new nutrition plan.

So far the lack of starches after noontime is working great-- I just made a chicken salad sandwich for DBF and just had chicken salad for me, but had it with apple slices, red pepper slices and some avocado. Hit the spot! This 5 300-400 calorie meal thing is really making my body happy

[Reesha]

I weigh pretty much what I did in HS, and since I am close to 60, I guess I should be happy.

That is quite an accomplishment! I don't think I could ever weigh that little again-- I feel like my hips grew a lot in the first year or so of college. I think I was 130 at my thinnest back then. I'm heavy boned though. When I'm not being careful about what I eat (that is, not trying to lose) my weight naturally hovers around 155. I'm shooting for the 140-145 range with mega bike muscles

[azfiddle]

It's interesting to read what approach to eating works for different people...

I am thinner than I was in high school- I was around 130 in high school and 117 now, but I'm only 5'1" and I would like to be around 110-112. (I'm 55). I have been in the 140-145 range most of my adult life, but was 149 when I went back to Weightwatchers in Jan 2009. It took over a year with WW and cycling to 112, and I maintained for about 6 months but it crept back up to where I am now. For me, it seems to be reducing sweets, portion control and tracking- I don't notice that specific foods make me gain weight, but salty foods make me gain water very quickly.

When my husband switched to a paleo diet, I couldn't imagine it for myself- I just don't crave that much meat and the restrictions would have caused such a drastic shift in eating that I had no desire to try it myself.

[shootingstar]

I should clarify the reason for my diet changes in the past few years:

After blood tests, I was advised by ...2 doctors that I should cut back on my white rice, white bread intake, etc. And continue to exercise regularily to keep my natural insulin production normal.

'Course means minimize wine intake, desserts (which I'm not doing well...), etc.

[Lizzz]

I think, no matter what kind of diet you're doing, also keep in mind what's going on in the world. I love rice and wholegrain stuff, but have just recently read about the exploitation of the people working on the rice fields - I mean in a way we always know about it but it slips out of focus in everyday life, I think it's really a good thing if you buy fair trade products event though it might be more expensive. I found many information about food production here.

[Reesha]

What's weird though is that we are such an abnormally healthy group. I don't think we're representative of Western food culture at all, which is too bad.

I can't believe some of the things people I know eat, but I hold my tongue. To each their own.

[skhill]

I'm so glad I don't weigh what I did in high school (or jr high). I was around 175 at graduation; now it's 125. Same as 6th grade, but I was a lot shorter back then.

These days, I try to eat seasonally and locally. And I cook from scratch. In the past 4+ years, I've purchased bread twice; I eat plenty of bread, but it's my homemade sourdough. I don't eat much meat, but plenty of dairy and eggs.

It's interesting seeing folk's different strategies-- thanks! But no doubt, we're a not very typical group.