I’ve been trying for 20 years to find a way to get back to a normal BMI, after weighing as much as 222. I finally hit upon a diet that is actually working that I can stick with and doesn’t produce hunger or cravings. Quite simply, I’m only eating foods that exist in nature… no processed, man-made foods. Nothing that’s sold in plastic bags. Here’s my menu:
Yeah, the oats had to go through some level of human ‘interference’ to be edible, I suspect - though frankly, meat has to be “processed” in some fashion as well (animal skinned, cuts taken, fat stripped off, whatever). I think these oats are probably only squashed flat, if I’m looking at the right product online.
For an easier-to-follow method that’s similar, check out Michael Pollan’s writings, especially In Defense of Food. His basic statements are, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” Part of the “Eat food” statement is trying to get down to “real” food, so he has suggestions like “nothing with more than 5 (?) ingredients on the label” or “nothing your (or someone else on this planet) great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food by looking at it.” In that respect, bread and oatmeal and meat and tofu are fine, while “Go-Gurt” and most breakfast cereals aren’t.
If it works for you and you’re getting a balanced and healthy diet, go for it.
Y’ever think about going to steel-cut oats instead of oatmeal? Still processed, but much less so than oatmeal, and about a thousand times better tasting.
Other than that, pretty cool. I’m not as spartan as you are, but I do try to eat pretty cleanly and have cut as many processed foods out of my diet as I can live with and still feel like I’m eating well.
How many calories a day are you getting? I don’t know what you’re counting as “meat on wheat” but your daily menu doesn’t seem like it even comes close to 1000 calories a day. How are you planning on sustaining yourself once you get to your goal weight?
• “Meat on wheat” is basically a sandwich of meat on wheat or rye bread. The important thing is I’m avoiding white bread or rolls, which are highly processed and carby. Strictly speaking, wheat bread is not “found in nature” but a whole grain bread is a lot closer to that then white bread.
• I do get protein in my evening meal when I eat brown rice and chickpeas.
• Obviously, I will have to moderate this diet when I reach my goal. I want to lose some of my weight, not all of it. But the guiding principle of eating whole foods will remain in place. I’ll probably start eating nuts at that point.
• I haven’t heard of steel-cut oats. I’ll have to give it a whirl!
• For snacking purposes, I eat fruit. I drink water and V-8 vegetable juice.
• I’m not counting calories, so I can’t really say how many I’m getting.
I should also mention I take 15 minute runs and lift weights a bit, usually once or twice a week.
Well losing weight really isn’t a problem, the problem is keeping it off.
I mean it’s not fair when you are shopping in the grocery store to buy skim milk and the Twinkies from the next aisle over call out, “Eat me, I go so well with that awful skim milk.”
Seriously though, good for you, hope you get you goal for the new year
Good for you! Losing weight is really tough, I’ve been trying to lose 20lbs for a while now and while I’ve gotten close, I still can’t force myself to eat correctly. I occasionally eat badly, but I make up for it with the daily hour-long exercise regime that I’m doing.
Sounds like the program my wife and I are on. I’ve dropped 22 lbs. or so since the end of April, and I’m eating tastier foods to boot! I’m down 2 pants sizes, and a whole portion of my closet is now wearable. I’ve always been “stocky,” so skinny isn’t in the plans. If I can get down to what I weighed in college I’ll be happy.
My usual daily intake is:
Breakfast - bowl of cereal with 2% milk. Special K and Raisin Bran figure in the rotation.
Lunch - a granola bar or two. 90 calories each.
Dinner - whatever the wife makes. She’s been shifting more and more to veggie stir-fries and light pasta dishes. Not more than 700 calories or so in any case, but delicious. It helps to have a great cook doing the food prep.
200 calories in alcohol.
That puts my daily intake well below 2000 calories, and often below 1500. So long as I’m seeing my pants get looser and looser, I’m good!
Keep up the good fight. You’ll plateau every now and then, but keep at it and you’ll change your life and keep the weight off.
I continue to struggle with my own, because damn it, I’m a foodie. I can usually follow most diets for a week or two, then I get BORED TO DEATH with the food.
Doesn’t help that I’m single, young, and a bachelor. Not much time to cook, and cooking for one is a time-sink pain.
