Because I don't know what the fuck to eat anymore!

[MissusWrex]

I'm almost ready to give up.

It's in the news today that a high carb low fat diet is bad for you and that a high fat low carb diet is the way to go with lots of protein.

Though not too much red meat according to the stories a few months ago.

I suppose you could have eggs? Are they bad or good I can't bloody keep up anymore!

I know I know. The advice I should listen to is to just have a healthy balanced diet but I've never had that. I had a terrible diet growing up and still have a very poor relationship with food.

So asking me to just follow a 'healthy balanced diet' is the equivalent of asking me to build a rocket to Mars using only the contents of my bin.

Ive tried to research what exactly constitutes a healthy diet but there is so much contradiction...

I've a few stone left to lose but have been following the low fat high carb route ( no low fat or sugar foods though, I cook from scratch as often as I can)

Will someone more knowledge my that me just tell me what's good and what isn't in a easy to understand format that won't change tomorrow.

Is that too much to ask?!

I tend to eat relatively simple food. I've never eaten anything low fat, but have avoided sugar for years, as it gives me big, sore spots.

So today I've have porridge with blueberries, hummus and salad sandwich, banana, gluten free oat biscuits, two cups of coffee, and I have a chicken casserole in the oven. That's fairly typical. I won't snack other than the oat biscuits.

Honestly, go for tasty food, not too much, no sugary drinks.

I think everything in moderation, eat when you're hungry stop when you're full not stuffed.

Also it really is true that everyone has time to cook from scratch. I am a really lazy cook and if it weren't for the fact that I live in Italy and ready-meals are not really available (sob!) I would eat them all the time. As it is, I rarely spend more than 20 minutes preparing a meal.

Has this been posted yet?
Eat food, not too much, mainly plants.

TBH that low fat is a crock of shit has been around as a theory for 20 years. I'm nearly 50, not skinny but neither have I ever dieted. I've never eaten low fat willingly because it's usually over sweetened gloop.

Each meal, ideally, will have a lot of veg, a decent amount of protein, some carbs,and be low in added/refined sugar; carbs should be brown rice/pasta/bread.

Portion control and snacking need to be carefully considered, as many people eat too much, even if the quality of food is good and the nutritional breakdown is right.

Eat butter, milk, yoghurt, cream etc as they add flavour and help satisfy the appetite.

I've waxed lyrical about this on other threads but I really recommend people having a crack at the Whole30 Diet. It's a version of the Paleo Diet (no wheat, no dairy, no refined sugar, etc) that you follow for 30 days.

I did it a few months ago, my skin cleared up completely, I had bags more energy and lost 11lbs to boot.

I'm very much in the camp of sugar is the enemy. It can't be coincidence that so many health issues have become more common at the same time as our sugar consumption has increased.

This is long but well worth a read.

I lost 5kg between start of Feb and end of April just cutting back generally. At beginning of May I switched to low carb and have lost 7g in 3 weeks. Carbs are fucking EVIL imo.

start from this basic premiss - NO FOOD IS BAD

Food is not your enemy - everything eaten in high enough amounts will make you gain weight - if you ate 1 twix a day you would lose weight

What you eat needs to be balanced and enjoyable - and you exercise to stay fit and healthy

Cutting out any essential food group will not work long term

The whole low-fat thing is a lie, it should have been sugar in the frame, not fat.

Yes, really.

The anti-eating-fat idea began when US President Eisenhower had a heart attack in the 50s. His doctor advocated the new idea that a high-fat diet causes heart attacks, based on the ideas of an eminent scientist at the time. The scientist didn't have any evidence, it was a theory, but these three powerful men - the President, his doctor and a well respected scientist - wenton a misguided crusade to educate the public that eating fat is bad for you.

The scientist later did a study to back up his claims, but it was not scientifically rigorous. For example he looked at data from many countries, but did not include those that he knew had a high fat diet but low heart disease.

But, his ideas were accepted and have been taught to us all as fact since.

In the 70s a UK scientist suggested that actually it was sugar not fat that was the real issue. He was absolutely vilified, he lost his job, status, ability to get funding for his work or his papers published. So viscous were the attacks from the nutrition science community that no one else dared challenge those ideas again, until recently.

And the thing is, if you go back over the data in the study that "proved" fat is bad for you, a much higher corolation was found between sugar and heart disease, but the scientist choose not to report that (probably for ego reasons)

So all those low fat diets, all that feeling we're failing to shift weight when we should be. all of it, was based on one guy's attempt to further his career without a proper scientific basis, and the way nutrition science has supported dogma over facts.

Basically sugar gets turned into fat in the body. That's the real culprit.

There's a reason low-fat diets are not working! It's hokum!

Ditch the low fat, eat real food, cut out sugar, exercise.

Here's an article on it, bit of a long read but fascinating The Sugar Conspiracy - Guardian article

With respect ghosty some foods are not healthy, it's not an emotional issue. DH literally gets terrible arthritis pains if he eats pork and pork products. He doesn't eat them and he can walk , he experiments and he gets terrible pains, ! (the WHO discovered that highly processed pork and other products encourage cancer).

I cut out dairy and become allergic as soon as I eat it.

I think the only food groups we should look at cutting out of our diets are the following:

Sugar (and you can take that literally i.e. No Haribos, chocolate etc, or also include refined carbs/ alcohol which then get converted to sugar in your system)

Most sweeteners because they are BAD BAD BAD

MissusWrex Google The Blood Type Diet or Eat Right for your Type by Dr. Peter D"Adamo. That is very helpful and explains a lot of 'fussiness" why some people are good with steak and tomatoes and why they make others ill

X Post with Blink - well said!

Dr Michael Mosley was on Chrs Evans last week. This is what he said about sugar - 3 minute audio clip.

Unfortunately the link expires tomorrow.

With respect ghosty some foods are not healthy, it's not an emotional issue

I never said all foods where healthy - and obviously if you have an intolerance to some foods you should avoid them - and I never said anything about it being an 'emotional issue'

I'm just saying making food the enemy is not the answer - learning to eat well and enjoy food and to understand moderation is better than denial

Does anyone remember that BBC thing a while ago where they found established 'wisdom' of what foods lead to insulin spikes, etc., was flawed and it was very person specific, and they think due to the composition of your gut flora? I recorded but never watched the show, but read an article about it.

I hear you OP. I think we've been indoctrinated over the years to think low fat/ low calorie is the way forward. ( There is a whole back story regarding anti sugar versus anti fat research conducted in the US and the government chose to back the anti fat lobby. Now that is being cited as flawed and it was the sugar which was the enemy all along) I've been on a lot of diets over the last few years but always rebound back ( and then some!). So I'm determined to lose weight this time slowly and realistically. It's hard because I've done a couple of low carb diets ( Paleo = no grains, dairy, sugar or alcohol!) and so I now think of a piece of bread as the enemy....I refuse, REFUSE to support that thinking. So lots of fruits and veg - leafy greens and veg that grows above ground is better than root veg/ below ground. I try and eat protein at all meals which I find more filling than carby food eg omelette rather than cereal. If I have a carb it will probably be brown rice or quinoa or similar but I don't make it the basis Of the meal. It's a side dish - no big piles of spaghetti for me. I buy courgetti/ butter nut squash noodles instead and either mix it into the rice noodles / spelt pasta/ whole meal pasta or replace the noodles entirely. I try and cook from scratch if all possible but If I'm hungry I eat something. I have a sweet tooth and love a pudding but I try and only indulge at the weekend or when out for dinner. I eat the odd biscuit and small fun size chocolate bar but I know that should really be a piece of dark chocolate! I've cut out beer and wine and drink vodka weekends only ( and I mean 1 or 2 drinks over the weekend). I buy skinny popcorn but eat small piles of crisps secretly in the kitchen - standing up ( because we know that doesn't count right?)I think if you can make small changes then that's better. Forget those weight watchers type meals and concentrate on increasing your veg intake if possible. Try one meal in a day without a carb as a base or try and reduce the amount of carbs so it's more balanced with the protein. Try and switch from white pasta and rice to whole meal....these are all very do-able things.oh yes and exercise' Good luck - it's a work in progress for me but I hope I'm on the right track

Yeah, it's a nightmare! I watched a documentary about this on Netflix (can't remember what it's called now..). Basically, fat was chosen as the "enemy" back in the 70s/80s, and the low-fat industry boomed, but when low-fat products were introduced, the sugar content went up. So now we eat "low fat" but get lots of sugar. Everything has sugar in it, I now check all the labels, it's insane.
Since I had DS in 2013 I've been battling with my weight; I was also diagnosed with an underactive thyroid whilst pregnant so losing weight has been a real struggle. Last year I subscribed for The Bodycoach program and lost 8kg. He prioritises proteins and good fats (not calorie counting, but keeping an eye on macros), and I have to say it is the only way of eating that makes me lose weight.
But like other people have said, probably the best strategy is to eat as clean as possible: no processed sugars, lots of greens/veggies, limit the fruits as they are high in sugar, some nuts (almonds/cashewes), etc.

when i said i eat clean food...i didnt even know this was some form of dietary fad !!

I meant I often decide what i feel like eating is some fish and veg or a large salad ...i do not often feel like cake or pizza for instance but when i do , i have it and i dont feel guilty or beat myself up and then comfort myself with more food !
And interestingly i have completely lost the taste for fruit...so sugery imo.

though calorie counting and restricting is considered 'bad' the bottom line is if you eat more calories than your body is using your body stores these extra as fat...you body will not differentiate between the 100 calories from a bag of crisps or 100 calories from two apples ...if you do not need it it will become fat . There is nothing faddy about that...that is basic biology.

I was chatting with my hairdresser who has a dietician as a client, she told him the two biggest things you can do for your health are stop taking sugar in your tea/coffee and stop eating bread - mainly because of the added sugar.

If you eat 4 different portions of veg (including at least one leafy green) and three of fruit, every day, you won't have room for much else IME. My rule is to try to eat 7 portions of fruit and veg and something with protein with every meal. Everything else is fair game but I don't have as much room for crap if I do this.

Its been known for years that high carb/low fat doesnt work and that high fat low carb is a much more efficient way to lose weight, and to eat in general.

But the NHS has never pushed it because of partnerships that they have with food companies that push these low fat alternatives, they would lose too much money if they started pushing Atkins (which is what it is) as the best way to eat.

Anyone else remember the fuss about fibre? In 90s remember my home ec all about fibre you never hear about it now

Don't see a nutritionist, they are usually unqualified. Look for a dietician. Your GP may refer you but possibly only if you are significantly under/overweight.

Different people suit different diets. I do best with high protein/fat, low carb. I have much more energy and lost weight faster. Others thrive on low fat, high carb. You will need to adjust to your own needs. Give any new diet a minimum of a week and keep a food and mood diary throughout. Don't just judge it on whether you lost weight; consider how you slept, how much physical energy you had, how your bowels are. (If you end up having the shits or totally constipated then something needs adjusting!) Also consider "Can I sustain this method of eating forever?"

I lost weight like fury on Dukan but I felt awful and constantly craved vegetables.

As a PP said, the one thing everyone agrees on is that sugar is poison.