Ya know, it's not I like ate all this wonderful variety of food when I was at a higher weight. I generally ate the same type of food--it wasn't particularly healthy and I ate a lot of it.

My breakfast and lunch are essentially the same. I have about the same 4-5 dinners per week. The other two nights tend to be when I go out.

I've created a menu of foods to eat during the day (all calorie-counted) - spaced at more regular intervals for maximum protein utilization and muscle repair, since I workout several times a week. The foods are, I think, reasonably varied, and I like this menu enough to do it every day. I'm not eating the same food at every meal, but it is the same menu every day, which makes it easier for me to know what to buy and prepare, as well as to know what I'm eating and when I'm eating it. If it's not on my menu, I don't eat it, and that goes double for holidays/special occasions, which are my big downfalls. This takes a lot of guesswork out of my dieting, which I like. Of course, when I reach my goal I can relax my requirements and treat myself occasionally. But - knowing myself - I can't relax for one moment or make "exceptions" until my goal is reached.

I don't think that limiting it to a few things will lead EVERY person to an eating disorder. For me, I Have about 4 different types of meat in my freezer (We go to a butcher about once every 3 mos and stock up), I have plain oatmeal and a few different fruits I can puree and add to it, I have my "normal" Veggies and then my boyfriend has his cereal and his chips. I do "Limit" What I have by sticking to the same things that are in my cupboard and just buying those over and over. I tend to make different recipes or change things up a bit (put less energy into a meal if it is for only me like it is 5 days a week, more energy if it is for my bf and me when he is off so that he can have a nice home cooked meal). I tend to do very well if I have just a protein and a veggie for dinner. I do "limit" my wheat, meaning I don't eat wheat period. Once I get through the first month or two of being back on track I might go to pizzicato and have one slice of pizza for lunch, but I don't buy a whole pizza, I will over eat and the sodium makes me hold water.

To others I restrict my foods I eat, to me, its whats healthier for me and helps me lose weight (I gain uncontrollably if I add grains back in to my diet, so fast in fact I gained 40 lbs in 3 months after seeing a nutritionist and doing what she told me to do). My mother on the other hand can't restrict what she eats, she will binge uncontrollably and even now sometimes falls off the wagon to the point she loses about 1/2 a lb a week and while this frustrates her it works for her, when she ate the way I do she gained because it would cause her to binge almost every day.

I guess my point is for every person it varies, my way of eating is ok for me, it is not ok for my mother to be honest my boyfriend can't eat this way either, we keep bread and such in the house for him, I don't eat it. I have worked with people who can eat only cabbage and chicken and lose loads, be perfectly fine and not binge. It just varies, try it for a while and if you find yourself binging to not wanting to eat at all, add a few more choices in till you find a way that works for you.

I restrict myself from dairy. I just feel it's a food group easily removed. I am certain the sodium and fat in cheese might have been a detriment to my plan. I do have a minimal amt of cheese maybe 1x per month.

This. This is how my attitude toward food has had to change to maintain the 100-lb loss. And now I don't like to be around foodies all that much. Not when they get on their favorite subject, anyway.

I lost 60lbs last year by restricting calories and I didn't give up much of anything. I just counted everything religiously and ate the higher calorie foods more sparingly. When you only have 500 calories left for example, you want to save it for something good. Suddenly, you start looking at food differently when you realize you can have an entire meal vs a single candy bar. I still ate the things I loved when I could fit them in and if I really wanted them, I would MAKE them fit!

Good luck.

I'm pretty restricted now, but I cheat occasionally, and my restriction is because I've gone primal, but I have limited time and know what I like. I eat a lot of salmon, eggs and spinach. But if I want something else I have it.