Hi there, I'm new! Who else here focuses (while counting calories or some other method) on avoiding processed foods, cooking from scratch, and eating foods that are wholesome and real? Do you have a garden or a farm? Do you go to the farmer's markets, or find some other way to buy local, or do you just buy organic/non-GMO from your grocery store? I have a small vegetable garden, though it hasn't produced yet this year because of extreme heat and drought conditions. I have backyard chickens, so I have fresh, organic, pastured eggs available every day which is awesome. We go to the farmer's market when we can, and get the rest from grocery stores. I plan on trading eggs for veggies with some other local foodies.
Anyway, there's so much info out there about eating the way nature intended, but I don't see a lot of support for weight loss while doing so. My problem is that even though we make about 95% of our meals and snacks from scratch, we do eat out every week or two, and I know I just eat too big of portions (often having seconds).
I also haven't managed to cut out soda - my one terrible vice. I avoid high fructose corn syrup in foods, but when it comes to soda I turn a blind eye. I have cut my consumption of soda in half (I've counted the number of glasses a day), but I'm still drinking 3-4 glasses most days. I like coffee OK for caffeine, but it's too hot to drink coffee this time of year, and I can't stand it without sugar and cream, so that isn't much better than what's in soda. I've added in a lot more water, but I just can't cut soda out cold turkey - I need to wean off of it because I get terrible withdrawal headaches and lethargy for days on end if I do it suddenly.
I'm not into gimmicky diets that demand you avoid certain types of foods - I've Been There Done That many times. I was bulimic when I was a teenager/young adult, and then it turned into just plain overeating without the purging, which led me to gain tons and tons of weight (along with weight gain after getting married and having a baby). I just want to avoid things that I didn't make from scratch, while making sure that I'm eating things that will give me enough energy and fill me up enough with fewer calories.
So, anyone else want to just have whole/real foods, or already doing this? Can we discuss this here, or is there already a thread like this? Thanks!
Welcome! I think the Whole Foods Lifestyle page is where we talk about this kind of stuff, although it's pretty inactive. It's a shame, because I think that more people should be trying to eat naturally. I'm doing a mostly vegan diet with an emphasis on whole foods and cooking everything from scratch, and it's definitely one of the most enjoyable and effective lifestyle choices I've ever made.
I actually had the same exact problem with gaining a ton of weight after having an eating disorder. Natural eating seems to be a good solution for this, because the weight is coming off gradually and I'm able to appreciate food again without thinking too much about sugar/fat/calories.
Also, a healthier way that you can get some caffeine is to add espresso powder to a smoothie with a frozen banana, peanut butter, and some milk. It's kind of an all-in-one breakfast.
I concentrate on eating whole, real foods. I made a rule for myself that means I have to cook all of my family's food everyday of the week. On the weekend I get one take-out day. It gives me a break from cooking and we get to have different flavors like thai or korean. I just try to eat smaller portions.
We hit up the farmer's market most weekends, but we are also lucky to have a mobile food service here where you can put in your order online and they'll bring it right to your door. All from local farms and most of it organic, including the meat!
I find eating whole foods and cooking is almost like a short cut to losing weight, you just automatically end up eating less fat, salt or refined carbs. Don't even have to bother with label reading lol.
I have a 14 month old and when she started on solids I couldn't bring myself NOT to make her food from good wholesome veggies, etc. Eventually I realized the only way she would continue eating good stuff was if she saw me and my husband doing the same.
I think whole foods have a unique aspect to them, it's about more than the food you eat, there is a whole food culture surrounding them. Knowing what's in season, how to shop at a farmer's market, maybe growing your own veggies or visiting a farm, they are all part of eating whole foods I find.
Awesome! Thanks for the tips, guys! I'm glad there are a couple people here who feel like I do about eating. Eating real food definitely is NOT easy in this society - everything revolves around convenience, ready-made, pre-packaged, etc, and that stuff is, like you guys said - loaded with all the stuff you should be avoiding for better health (regardless of whether or not you need to lose weight). I used to think that eating microwave meals was a good diet because they have some that are low fat/low cal and you already know how many are in it, but if you look at the sodium, sugar, and all the junk it's made out of - YUCK!
We don't even own a microwave anymore, and we buy full fat dairy based on a lot of research I've done touting the benefits vs. low fat dairy and whatnot actually causing people to gain weight and lose out on a lot of nutrition. I was a strict vegetarian (not vegan) for 10 years, but haven't been for about 7 years now. I do feel that grass fed, organic, local (when possible) meat makes me feel better than the crap that is in grocery stores, and I still don't eat meat as much as a lot of people.
It's not easy to find time to make everything from scratch. I'll admit, sometimes I get burnt out on cooking. My husband is a great cook and cooks often, but he tends to want to use a billion ingredients including some of the highest calorie things available. He can't just make chicken and vegetables... he has to top it with tons of cheese and sometimes put it in tortillas or on pasta. Don't get me wrong, I love it, but it's just too much for one meal most of the time.
This is one of my goals. We had a garden last year, but didn't plant one this year because we are planning to move later this year. We have 4 farmer's markets within 30 minutes of our house and try to frequent those. We also have a few organic co-ops, but they are a little too far for us to drive on a regular basis. Once we move, we plan to plant a large garden and get some chickens, and I'd really like to start a neighborhood co-op.
I do! I meal plan, shop weekly, buy as much of the best fresh food that I can afford (tight budget) in season and cook from scratch as much as possible making my own stocks and breads too. I live in an apartment in the city, but I have a community garden plot. Our weather is not very warm, so I grow mostly greens which are too expensive in the stores. Our pantry is basically one tiny cupboard as most of our food is fresh.
Do you remember the nutritional index that Yale put out years ago? I have the short list that National Geographic wrote about (e-mail if you want it) of 100 foods and their ratings. I wish I could find the full list though. My stores don't follow the numerical system either which is a shame. My understanding is that the higher in nutrient value a food is, the more satisfied you and your body will be, thus a lower desire to binge or eat poorly.
I'm glad that you posted this because I didn't know about the whole food lifestyle page! Maybe we can get it going again.
Last edited by archychick; 07-04-2012 at 03:09 PM.
Real/Whole/Local Foods - Anyone Else?
