How are there so many different ideas on healthy WOE ?

[TheDoctorClara]

   It drives me crazy that in all this time that humans have been in existence we still are unable to narrow down a definition for healthy eating. In fact so many people can agree on parts of healthy eating but everyone has their own way for going about it. Some people are more restricted in their diets while others live by calories in calories out everything in moderation ideals.

     So what is your chosen method ? what works for you and why ? For my self I respect those people who chose to go vegan or vegetarian , but i personally have a hard time giving up dairy or meat , mainly because I don't do nuts  or soy so some of the vegan and vegetarian substitutes just wouldn't be staples in my diet. Some people do pre-boxed meals and shakes , some people are keto , some people are on a twinki diet . Okay I'm not so sure on that one but you get my point every one has a different idea on healthy eating habits.

    The other thought that comes to mind is why did you chose your method? are you an all or nothing kind of person ? for me so far I've found I cant be the calories in calories out kind of person with everything in moderation. I just don't do moderation well , If I love something i may polish it off in one sitting if I'm not paying attention to every bite. I've binged off high sugar , high calorie foods loaded with carbs plenty of times in my life and it contributes to my overall unhealthy weight. Often I don't realize the quantities I've eaten until its all gone and then i feel horrible about it. When it comes to food I have an addiction to sugar and carbs and  in my  mind the only way to combat this is to go without . Now I know its impossible to go without carbs vegetables are a form of carb but its better to eat the carbs that are more nutrient dense. and as for sugar if its not in the form of fruit I'm  more likely to over indulge. The best comparison I can make is to that of an alcoholic an alcoholic doesn't get sober by continuing to drink , I cant get over my addiction to sugar if i continue to eat sugar in every meal. you'd be surprised at how much sugar you eat on a daily basis and then when you compare sugar quantities it can actually be mind blowing !

    what are your thoughts on healthy eating in general? what advice would you give to some one who's just trying to take back their life ? what are your favorite healthy foods and dishes ? Do you have groups or people who keep you accountable to your goals ?

[Esya]

Good for you for trying to beat that sugar addiction. I don't feel like I fit into a box. I eat vegan meals (mostly), vegetarian meals and sometimes fish or meat. But there are some things that are in my opinion healthy in general, despite the diet you chose. These are the things I always try to follow:

1. No sugar in drinks. Drinks won't battle hunger, but can contain a lot of calories. So aim for 0 calorie drinks like water, tea and coffee, depening on which you can drink without sugar. Instead of having a juice you better eat the fruit instead.

2. Produced foods typically contain a lot of sugar and salt. I cook mostly from scratch as much as possible, so I know what is in my food without adding sugar. There are a lot of easy 15 minute recipes out there.

3. Prepare a shopping list and buy what is on your list only. You cannot eat what is not there.

4. Know your habits and (dis)likes. If you know you like an evening snack, then don't hurt yourself by not having it. Eat a bit less earlier in the day so you don't have to feel guilty about having that snack. If you know you cannot go vegan because you would miss out on nutrients as you don't do nuts and soy, then don't go vegan. There is no point in punishing yourself and feel guilty about your food.

5. If you tend to binge on something sweet, you could try having grapes or another fruit at hand. Try to have healthy options available for binges you tend to have.

It can be very hard to apply a lot of changes at once. So depending on your current situation you might just want to start with the first one. When that has become more of a habit you don't struggle with, you could move on to add another change.

[MarciM]

I agree with @Esya. I have a simple rule I try to follow, no processed food. People laugh and think its too hard, but over time it gets easy. I ask one simple question, did the food I'm about to eat exist 100 years ago, if the answer is no, simply put it's processes. These days we are so fast to substitute 'real food' for fake food, enter a ton of soy by products, fat free, palm oil, gum additives, sugar and salt, we don't need these things to survive. Take away what we don't need and start eating what our bodies do and I think you will find fresh food tastes much better. Granted it will take time, if you are accustom to eating processes food with a lot of sugar and salt, real simple healthy food will taste bland at first, but your taste buds will reset. A hand full of grapes will be more than sweet enough to quiet a desire for sugar.

Best of luck in your journey to find what works best for you.

[SunsetRunner]

Like @MarciM I too stay away from processed food. When I went on diet in April my wife found a company that was delivering boxed meals which were initially a good idea ( lack of time to cook etc. ) but with time ( and few failed deliveries ) I replaced those with homemade food. The more I cooked, the less I trusted ready-made meals ( even those targeting a weight-loss ). Soon after I started exercising and running longer distances. Typical, boxed weight-loss diet wasn't appropriate as circumstances changed. In that case, I just learned my food 🙂 I'm not vegan/vegetarian but I do follow mostly plant-based diet. Approx. 93% of my calories ( I actually checked that using MFP data 😉 ) within a single week comes from plants. The rest is dairy and a very little comes from meat. I don't use added sugar and avoid products with added sugar. If I need to make something tasting sweet, I look for more natural ways like for example grating or juicing a sweet fruit, replacing certain ingredients with sweet-tasting like white potatoes with sweet potatoes or plantain etc. There are thousands of ways to make something sweet without adding a gram of white sugar! Of course, sometimes I allow myself to have a treat like a slice of cake but it's rare nowadays. To make sure my food is healthy I do my own cooking. I enjoy a lot more eating homemade food and feel more confident eating it knowing what's inside. I reduced salt which in fact sharpened my palate. Now even basic oatmeal has a flavour! I bought a juicer and make lots of juices including vegetables and fruits ( I throw there almost anything I find in my fridge 🙂 ). The only downside is that, at least in the UK, plant-based diet may come quite expensive. I don't know why is that, but fruits and veggies are pricy. Is my diet healthy? I don't know. I will probably know in 10-20 years 🙂 I try to deliver all nutrients and good stuff to my body and see results every day having more energy, feeling more awake. I think everyone has to find something that works individually. We are all different and it's hard to give one solution to everybody. Experiment and learn to enjoy REAL food and REAL flavours 🙂

[MagsOnTheBeach]

     So what is your chosen method ? what works for you and why ? 

I have been following DASH diet since January.  This works for me - it doesn't restrict any specific food.  It is more about balance and food portions/servings.I have not been this healthy or energetic in over 16years.  I've lost 65lbs, I run daily, I use kettlebells, and HIIT.  I do these things because it is fun and I like them.

    The other thought that comes to mind is why did you chose your method? are you an all or nothing kind of person ?

I did not want another diet.  I don't want to eliminate any types of food. I want a "normal" life - but the best life possible.  I like eating foods and not thinking a food is bad or a choice is a cheat.  I feel like it makes me a positive role model to my kids.  I enjoy food - flavors, variety, cooking, typing new recipes so having chicken breasts and broccoli day in and day out is not something I want to do.

what are your thoughts on healthy eating in general? what advice would you give to some one who's just trying to take back their life ? what are your favorite healthy foods and dishes ? Do you have groups or people who keep you accountable to your goals ?

My advice is to research diets and decide on a couple  plans you would be willing to follow for the rest of your life.  What are your goals and how will food help you reach them?  My goal was to have a great blood pressure and to have more energy.  I also need to lose 80 pounds total.  I have about 15 to get there.  I am becoming a yes person - want to go on a hike? Yes! Camping? YES! For me healthy eating is variety.  I used to hate beets, squash, most beans, and lentils.  I am learning to use all of them in different ways and I enjoy them after trying them several different ways over time. Who knows - the farro I eat could be named the next super food.  Or the flax I put on my oatmeals could be seen as a super food.  Or persimmons.  Who knows?  But I am eating such a huge variety that I get a little good from every direction.

If you want to change your life, do a couple of things at a time. For me, I had to lose about 20lbs before I could think about walking.  So I focused on losing the 20lbs first.  Then I added walking, later jogging and then running. Each success lets you build on it.

My favorite dishes change - I'm always in the kitchen - I'd say my favorite veggie dish is from Jacques Pepin and it is a dish with mushrooms, peas and endive.  It is delicious and has a lot of flavor.  My favorite meat dish is a toss up between 5 spice pork chops and a kimchi, bean and pork dish - it is a japanese/italian mash up of ideas.  I also like a vegan lentil, rice and bean Mexican dish.  It's hearty and has a lot of flavor.  I never thought cooking lentils and brown rice in the same pot at the same time, but I really like it - it has texture and a nice dose of protein.

I have an online supprt group and that has helped - sometimes I make poor choices (or just don't make a choice) and I can feel down about it later.  They remind me that one flounder isn't going to ruin 10 months of good choices.  It's nice to have that support.

In response to your main idea - I think there are different WOE because there are different types of people, goals and situations.  It doesn't bother me, but I would not be supportive if my teen suddenly said they were not going to eat fruit (insert any one food group) any more.  I just think there are so many mincronutrietns that we don't even know about that eliminiating an entire group of foods may have unintended consequences.  There are studies where a food group is eliminated and the nutrients are anaylized and pills are made to replace them.  They don't always replace everything though - for example - Tang.  Do you think it is as good as orange juice from concentrate? Fresh squeezed? Or eating an orange?  I want my kids to go to the orange.  The most natural way of eating the food.

[MagsOnTheBeach]

I just read the other responses - there seems to be a commonality - cook your own food, avoid sugar, avoid processed food and move.

[emili]

I think anytime you attach "diet" to anything it creates the mindset that it has to be restrictive, based completely on leaves and taste like cardboard. There has to be a behavior change and a mindset change towards food that will lead someone to lose weight but more importantly keep it off. I love sweets and I love salt. But I can say no to both without a problem- why would I though? I eat a biscotti every single day with a huge cup of coffee after lunch which consists of at least 5 different veggies in all sorts of ways, chunky bleu cheese and a handful of mini pretzels because I prefer them to croutons. All that for 375 calories. I eat two cups of fruit every morning with a low fat waffle and sugar free syrup. I will save you the story of my dinner, but will finish with- every night I eat a giant bowl of air popped popcorn with salt because that and crappy TV makes me happy. I lost over 65 pounds three years ago and have never looked back. I just make sure that my daily consumption does not exceed what I put out in calories. I make sure that there is a good balance of highly nutritious food to my salt and sweet additions. I am not hungry, I am not deprived- so it is easy to keep up with and manage my weight..

[MarciM]

@emiliI couldn't agree more about the word 'diet'. My husband and I both lost 40+ pounds when we stopped eating processed food and made sure there was more veggies in every meal. I had a lot of people ask what diet we were on and always responded, it isn't a diet, it's a lifestyle. it's not restrictive, it's balanced. I may not eat processed food, but I don't feel deprived in any way and I enjoy my food a lot more and appreciate the flavors. 

[Dominique]

Earlier this year, I read an interesting e-book on the subject: Understanding Healthy Eating. I mentioned it in this post. One of the points made by the authors was that the minimum amount of each macronutrient needed to sustain good health is actually very small. Therefore they concluded that – as long as you meet the minimum requirements for protein, carbs and fats – you can eat a very healthy diet with extremely different approaches (e.g. high carbs, low protein, low fats, as with many vegans/vegeterians, or high protein, high fat, low carb, as with paleo people, or high fat, low carb, moderate protein, as with keto proponents, or any other mix). Thus there is no need to be surprised there isn’t a single definition of "healthy eating".

As to the chosen method, what works and why: each of us has to find what works for them. An approach that works for one person may not necessary work for another one, because our genetics, our environment, our personal preferences etc. differ widely. I’d view myself as a "calories in, calories out, everything in moderation" person.

Regarding going vegan or vegetarian (significant difference between the two), you cannot sum it up to nuts and soy. Maybe you think they need to get their fats primarily from fat and their protein primarily from soy? If so, just be aware there are plenty of other sources of fats and protein for vegans, and even more so for vegetarians. I’m not a vegan or a vegetarian myself (though I do try my best to eat as much veggies and fruits as possible), and I’m not trying to turn you into one, just getting the facts right.