What Do You Eat for Weight Loss?

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7Wannabe5
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Re: What Do You Eat for Weight Loss?

Post by 7Wannabe5 »

@Frita:

We get some delivery from Walmart.com through Fed-Ex. We get fresh food via my BF’s ex-wife. She orders on line and does drive-thru pick-up at a grocery store wearing a mask. The worker puts it right in the back of her van. Then she puts our food in the garage for my BF to pick up the next day. She is younger, so less at risk, and lives with their 6’2” 14 year old son who demands a ton of food. It’s a good deal for her because my BF pays for everything on top of his usual child support etc.

@whitebelt:

I think that was the most balanced, sensible advice in the topic that I have ever read on this forum.

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Lemur
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Re: What Do You Eat for Weight Loss?

Post by Lemur »

@White Belt

Great post. But to clarify one point - the 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. It is actually 1 gram per pound of lean body mass....so if you're 190 pound male with 20% body fat, your lean mass is 152 pounds...so 152 grams of protein. Big 38 gram difference here. Also...individuals with a higher body fat % (greater than 20% or so), can "get away with" eating slightly less protein and still retain lean mass.

Though more protein certainly does not hurt if calorie deficit is maintained.

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Alphaville
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Re: What Do You Eat for Weight Loss?

Post by Alphaville »

new (?) theory postulates that a) we have multiple appetites for 5 nutrients, not a single one, and b) hunger for protein comes first, and meeting your protein needs first will reduce hunger for other macros
https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg ... ur-health/

this isn’t keto, but explains why keto/atkins/paleo might work without “insulin spike” explanations.

white belt
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Re: What Do You Eat for Weight Loss?

Post by white belt »

@Lemur

Well I've dug into some more research regarding protein intake, and it seems I did mischaracterize the consensus of 1 gram per pound of body weight. Recommended protein intakes for healthy (not morbidly obese) individuals seem to range from .8-1.3g/lb of BW depending on various factors.
Eric Helms wrote:I think ~0.8-1g/lb (~1.8-2.2g/kg) is probably the highest intake you’ll benefit from in terms of enhancing strength or mass gains when you’re not in a deficit. Higher intakes are fine, but the only benefit would be for people who tend to overeat in the offseason and want to limit their calorie consumption to prevent excess fat gain.

While dieting, the jury is still out concerning whether there’s a benefit from an intake higher than 1.8-2.2g/kg for muscle retention. However, there probably are some benefits in terms of satiety and potentially mood. That said, I wouldn’t go too high, as excess protein can displace your caloric allotment for carbs and fat. Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater and end up with a sub-par diet in terms of variety, micronutrient density, and adequate nutritional support for training. Thus, I’d cap dieting protein intake at ~2.8g/kg of total body mass, or roughly 1.3g/lb.
Source: https://www.strongerbyscience.com/refle ... g-protein/

Meanwhile, this review recommends .7g/lb BW for healthy individuals trying to gain some muscle. They do note that morbidly obese individuals should use their target bodyweight, not their actual bodyweight.

So given that we are talking about protein intake in a hypocaloric diet in this thread, I stand by my recommendation of 1g/lb of BW.

Edit: note that some of these sources focus on athletes, but I'd argue that any true ERE Renaissance (Wo)Man should think of him/herself as an athlete

catpepper
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Re: What Do You Eat for Weight Loss?

Post by catpepper »

Does anyone know any good food or snacks that keep you full, but have low caloric count, and are either easy to access or prepare/make? Hopefully they are also sustainable ERE wise.

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Re: What Do You Eat for Weight Loss?

Post by jacob »

Boiled potatoes will do that. They do contain calories but the fullness/calorie ratio is one of the best. They're also cheap.

A better strategy is to wean off the body's tendency to keep constantly high insulin levels (which causes the sensation of hunger among other more chronic problems) and the feeling of being full. If nothing else, it provides an emotionally convincing alternative to snacking on cold potatoes.

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Alphaville
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Re: What Do You Eat for Weight Loss?

Post by Alphaville »

jacob wrote:
Fri Aug 07, 2020 10:05 am
A better strategy is to wean off the body's tendency to keep constantly high insulin levels (which causes the sensation of hunger among other more chronic problems) and the feeling of being full.
☝️ this

whenever i need to lose weight i reduce carbs, and soon enough intermittent fasting becomes highly possible

going from a simple starches diet to fasting state is difficult

going from some semi-keto thing to fasting state is nearly seamless

ps- i believe cold potato is resistant starch and behaves differently from fresh cooked. same with cold rice (24h refrigeration).

ThriftyRob
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Re: What Do You Eat for Weight Loss?

Post by ThriftyRob »

There are many competing schools of thought on eating for weight loss. The ketos argue for protein, healthy fats and no carbs – many of them get very confused about what carbs are though. The plant-based school, epitomised by Dr John McDougall, is pro-starch, anti protein, zero fat. His diet is pretty similar (in content if not execution) to the Gerson therapy which appears to have restorative effects for the immune system. The third main group is the fasting school (5 plus 2 and variations on this).

It has been question how two such opposing diets can be effective (plant and keto) and some proponents of the rival diets acknowledge that some people do better on one type of diet than the other. I got nowhere with keto (healthy fats are just not my thing) yet the pounds fell away following McDougall. Gerson is very close to a juice fast and is probably the fastest way to effect beneficial change, albeit it is a demanding regime to follow.

EricaR
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Re: What Do You Eat for Weight Loss?

Post by EricaR »

A cup of oats for breakfast is my choice.. I'm suffering cholesterol too..So, I eat a cup of oats with sliced bananas.. Not too delicious..but helps to maintain my health

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Lemur
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Re: What Do You Eat for Weight Loss?

Post by Lemur »

I know this is 'controversial' for some reason (it shouldn't be) but all diets are designed, one way or another, to trick a person into eating less calories. It really doesn't matter from a high-level if one is eating a higher carb or lower carb diet for weight loss. Yes some people do feel better on one or the other; that is for the user to figure out. Generally if one is insulin sensitive, they're better with the carbs. If one is insulin resistant, they're better with the lower carbs. Anyone who is significantly overweight will probably benefit a bit more with the lower carbohydrate approach due to this reason. Not to mention the initial drop in water loss is motivating when seen on the scale.

https://www.stephanguyenet.com/referenc ... xperience/

Anyhow, I've officially dropped 10 pounds the past month. I'm one pound away from being in a normal BMI range with the end goal to be 22 BMI. I just track my calories on a notepad (1700 calories a day) that I keep by my work station at home. I don't overthink the protein/carb/fat ratios: just hit the calories, eat whole foods like fruits, veggies, lean meats, workout occasionally, stay hydrated. It has been almost too easy.

Recommended Reading:
viewtopic.php?p=187822#p187822

One last note, +1 on potatoes, also adding +cabbage. Any whole foods that will fill you up but won't cost too many calories. Everything you eat is an opportunity cost for calories. For example, half a Hershey Bar is 110 calories but you could have eaten a whole banana for 105 calories. Mix in the veggies whenever you can; for instance, adding zucchini to eggs. Adding veggies to any sandwiches. Doing a lot of squash soup dishes lately (my personal favorite). + cooking skills also helps immensely. Diets don't have to suck from a taste perspective.

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jennypenny
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Re: What Do You Eat for Weight Loss?

Post by jennypenny »

Gary Taubes has a new book out -- The Case for Keto -- that does a really good job of explaining why low carb diets work and why they are more important to some people than to others. His description of how it feels for people who respond well to LCHF diets is educational for those who don't understand the devotion to the diet. People are different physiologically and for some, low carb diets are life changing.

If you don't have serious weight issues but live with someone who does, you might want to read Taubes' book to understand how what works for you might not work for them.

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Alphaville
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Re: What Do You Eat for Weight Loss?

Post by Alphaville »

jennypenny wrote:
Tue Jan 05, 2021 12:49 pm
People are different physiologically and for some, low carb diets are life changing.
thanks for the link. i've read some taubes before, will take a look at that one.

im currently walking a bit of a tight rope trying to become more vegetarian but keeping the weight from piling up at the same time. it's not quite working...

having given up on beef due to large carbon footprint and trying to eat less meat in general i'm currently exploring eco-keto options... but i have a lot of stockpiled flour to get through first :lol:

white belt
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Re: What Do You Eat for Weight Loss?

Post by white belt »

Alphaville wrote:
Tue Jan 05, 2021 12:55 pm
im currently walking a bit of a tight rope trying to become more vegetarian but keeping the weight from piling up at the same time. it's not quite working...
I think that is a common trope among people that switch to a vegan/vegetarian diet. You may want to try tracking macronutrients and see what your daily protein/fats/carbs look like. My guess is that compared to your previous diet with meat, your protein and fats have decreased while your carbs have increased. This often results in overreating and weight gain since proteins and fats are more satiating than carbs.

As a vegetarian you do still have some low carb high protein options in soybeans/tofu, eggs, dairy, and fish. You’ll have to decide what balance is appropriate for you, because I think is is unlikely that a diet optimized for minimal eco footprint will maximize human performance.
In my case, consuming 1g/lb body weight of protein is necessary to meet my physiological goals, but I know is detrimental to my ecological goals (hence my recent interest in efficient protein sources).

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Alphaville
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Re: What Do You Eat for Weight Loss?

Post by Alphaville »

white belt wrote:
Tue Jan 05, 2021 1:12 pm
I My guess is that compared to your previous diet with meat, your protein and fats have decreased while your carbs have increased. [...]
As a vegetarian you do still have some low carb high protein options in soybeans/tofu, eggs, dairy, and fish. […]
In my case, consuming 1g/lb body weight of protein is necessary
i get plenty good fats. just more reliance on grains and legumes is slowly doing me in, meat or no meat.

i'm satisfied, but the weight quietly piles on. even whole grain, nothing processed, etc.--i only ever lose bodyfat on keto, period. calorie reduction or more exercise has never worked work for "weight loss" for me.

if i train while eating carbs i just shape up like a lineman 💪💪

going to start aiming for .5g protein/lb which is plenty for my current situation. been a while since i count my protein. red lentil and mung bean are high protein and low glycemic. can't stand soy...

i could go back to eating 4-egg cheese omelettes but that kinda beats the purpose :D

it's going to be a bit of experimentation. i can always lean more on whey powder if need be.

white belt
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Re: What Do You Eat for Weight Loss?

Post by white belt »

@Alphaville

Whey protein comes from milk, so it’s actually lower eco impact than meats (it is processed in a way that I think is somewhat energy intensive though). I’d say on a typical day about 1/3 of my total protein comes from whey and casein powder.

Maybe in some post-apocalyptic future I’ll be making my protein powders at home with milk from the family pet goat that we take on walks around the neighborhood to eat overgrown vegetation.

Edit: Also your experience shows why I prefer the weighing all food and tracking macronutrients route. There is much less guess work involved and it takes portion control out of your hands.

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Alphaville
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Re: What Do You Eat for Weight Loss?

Post by Alphaville »

yeah i used to track macros religiously but in 2019 switched to just eyeballing, no problem as i biked for locomotion, i'd have beer and some weekend bread no problem. bike added carbs but it was more like "paleo for athletes" if you've read... what's the name of that guy, from boulder... cordain.

pandemic upset that whole balance as i switched to shelf stable foods. then last month or two trying to cut meat i completely lost track though :?

gonna get back on that train now, but supplying plant protein component will be key. i don't like the vegan powders (nasty stuff) but i like real peas. really wanna limit the animal part without quitting it altogether.

im committed to increasing plant protein for the time being so the challenge will be to increase that with whole foods but without adding too many carbs... but i still got stockpiles of carbs to consume :D

overall a complicated balancing act, but i like a good experiment.

Dave
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Re: What Do You Eat for Weight Loss?

Post by Dave »

I can relate to this effort to reduce body fat/sustain LBM while implementing a (mostly whole food) plant-based diet. It's taken me something like 5 years to find something that works for me (I'm a slow learner...), but now I'm probably 12% body fat and trending down.

IMO/E, it is harder to achieve a (more) lean and muscular physique eating plant-based, but it's not impossible. The standard idea, discussed above, is that eating high amounts of protein (to sustain LBM), and relatively low carbs, is the key*. Because whole food plant-based sources of protein tend to come with meaningful amounts of carbs, this means it's quite difficult to achieve these ratios while also achieving the caloric deficit needed to generate fat loss.

My solution is some mix of the following:

1) focus on eating legumes/nuts/seeds with the highest protein/calorie ratios
2) increase your activity to increase your total caloric needs, thereby allowing adequate protein/lb. to be achieved while also maintaining a caloric deficit (i.e. your total caloric needs have been pushed up so you no longer hit/exceed caloric needs just by getting to protein goals)
3) instead of the standard vegetarian heavy reliance on grains/starches to fill caloric/protein needs, seriously minimize these foods and instead eat more vegetables, nuts, seeds, sprouts, and to a lesser degree fruits

and, if necessary, consider 4) substituting some of your caloric intake for a protein powder, vegan if need be (I use Nutrakey VPro) to give a slight boost to your protein/calorie ratio. The downside of this is of course it's a processed food, has a higher plastic load (and other manufacturing environmental costs) than say bagged beans (but perhaps not as much as tofu on a plastic/protein basis), and it's something on the order of $4/lb of meat-equivalent protein, so not incredibly cheap, but not so bad considering that you aren't going to be taking so much of it (we're talking $1-3/day, nowhere near what clean keto people are going to be looking at).

YMMV, but the above has helped me. I think the biggest mental shift, at least for me, was realizing that grains/starches don't need to be an essential or significant part of eating plant-based. Option 4 is sort of the "last resort", but I have found it to be personally helpful at this stage in my journey, but hope to eventually no longer need it.

*this is for people who don't fit into the categories discussed above that really really struggle with any sort of carbs, but I'd suggest that many would who think they fall into this category may find success with what I outlined above, as I learned about myself

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Alphaville
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Re: What Do You Eat for Weight Loss?

Post by Alphaville »

Dave wrote:
Tue Jan 05, 2021 6:38 pm
I I think the biggest mental shift, at least for me, was realizing that grains/starches don't need to be an essential or significant part of eating plant-based.
thanks @dave.

funny thing is that it was grain that made me realize i could actually get enough protein from plants. i find rye and whole wheat breads very satisfying and hunger-suppressing.

problem is, there's more than just protein in them, and i'm not moving enough to justify them :lol:

thanks for the encouraging news and reports of success after 5 years. i'll get there eventually...

Married2aSwabian
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Re: What Do You Eat for Weight Loss?

Post by Married2aSwabian »

Sugar, in all its various forms, is really not good for us and highly addicting. Studies have shown that the same part of the brain lights up when either cocaine or sugar are used!

Especially in the USA, it’s hard to cut out of the diet, because refined sugar or some variant thereof is in 98% of processed food.

The secret is to avoid the processed crap and shop the perimeter of the store for fresh stuff.

I weighed 185 lbs for over 20 years and no matter how much I exercised and watched calorie intake, I couldn’t lose weight.

In 2014, I decided to cut out sugar. I lost 15 lbs in less than a month, while eating as much as I wanted and normal (almost daily) exercise.

In 2015, we also switched to a vegetarian diet, which has lead to a further sense of wellness and some additional weight loss.

Also avoid most bread, as these are empty calories that only cause blood sugar to spike. Read this a while back:

https://www.amazon.com/Wheat-Belly-Revi ... 992&sr=8-1

I’ve backslid on the sugar somewhat, having a cookie or piece of chocolate occasionally, but weight still at 165. :)

gettingfired
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Re: What Do You Eat for Weight Loss?

Post by gettingfired »

Hi everyone, just my two cents on the vegetarian & weight loss here: I would look into the videos and books by Dr. Michael Greger, in particular, "how not to diet" considering the goal. I happen to follow a lot of the recommendations just because I'm an ethical vegetarian (leaning towards vegan) and I try to eat mostly whole foods. I also like intermittent fasting because I can't be bothered to cook more than one big meal a day (usually veggies, beans, whole grains & some source of fat) and then I snack on oatmeal, fruits, and carrots&hummus. I don't actually need to lose weight though, my weight is slightly too low actually because I haven't practiced any sports since I was a kid so I have very little muscle mass.

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