What side of the health/weight loss argument do you sit on?

[Flopsy145]

My Instagram algorithm seems to be largely animal based diets, featuring meals such as beef mince, avocado, blueberries and raw honey (all mixed in together). I see a lot of bone broth, raw milk, obscene amount of eggs and cast iron skillets. No calorie counting, but definitely tracking protein. All weight training and pilates.

A few years ago I would be seeing skinny syrup and slender blend shakes, huge calorie deficits, lots of tracking. Cardio, light weight high reps etc.

For me, I eat a lot of meat, mainly beef and chicken. I eat at least 3 eggs a day, and try and eat lots of fruit and veg. Will eat bread, ideally sourdough but also love a bit of tiger bloomer. I don't like sweeteners so will use agave or honey, like to avoid additives but will eat the odd takeaway or cake. I CBA to calorie count but will eat mindfully. I love Jersey cow milk but won't drink raw milk. Don't have phosphates or sulphates in my hair care but will use Clarine eye cream rather than beef tallow 😂

Ideally I'd have a beehive and my own cows and chickens and allotments but sadly that's not the case.

There's plenty more out there, I'm just curious to see where other people sit on this spectrum?

Have anorexia, barely managed right now. Get a vegan whole food meal service so I dont have to think about food so much. Just gotta get it down me. Have bread and butter (sourdough) on sundays without much distress.

I think everyone is different and different people will do best with different diets, and have different healthiest weights.

Mounjaro for those who need to be tracking calories and losing weight.

It’s a game changer.

Not quite sure what the ‘sides’ are?

If I want to lose weight I up my exercise (walking and swimming, maybe a slow jog), cut back on simple carbs and eat as healthily as possible (still eating complex carbs like rice and potato, will cut out ‘rubbish’ like pastry, ice cream etc).

I've got lifelong big shoulders that weigh loads (as well as being supremely handy for being able to lift things) and obviously big, heavy shoulders weigh a lot in the BMI scheme of things.

I eat when I'm hungry and not because a clock tells me it's time. So really I'm rather slim. I eat cake when I want to and calories according to output; so much easier to maintain a semblance of control over eating so I see no reason why there are so many obviously fat/obese people about.

I see lots of fruit and leafy greens on my IG but that's because I mainly follow primate sanctuaries.
On my own plate is anything I fancy, at any time I want. However, I'm a lanky streak of piss and I have had awful acid reflux for as long as I can remember. That puts me right off greasier foods. Thankfully, chillies do not give me any problems and I eat a lot of them. I also take a 30 mins walk every day as it helps with my arthritis.

I think that in a lot of ways humans are very adaptable, including diet. Just look at all the differences across the world where people were still pretty healthy.

But in general I think less processed foods, less snacking, lots of activity, and getting good sleep are what's important. Practically, sitting down to meals and not eating on the road seems to be a factor too, albeit an indirect one.

I also think eating more veg overall is generally good, unless you live in the far North.

Mounjaro + whole foods

I really have no clue what you are asking . Just work out yourself what you want to eat. To be healthy, Lose weight, stay slim, put on weight
.. Whatever it is you want.

Not sure what spectrum that is?

I’m broadly in the “eat what our ancestors would have recognised” camp. Avoid UPFs, try to eat less meat and far less sugar compared with average modern Western diet. Try to eat lots of different plants. Fail some days?!

Definitely not into multiple eggs a day and I don’t worry about hair care ingredients really.

I aim to eat a whole food diet that's high in protein as much as I can, drink lots of water and avoid caffeine, sugar and UPFs - but won't deny myself a bit of chocolate.
I am slim. Always have been.

I’m fodmapping due to IBS
it certainly focusses me!
high protein - low fat, low carb is working

That sounds incredibly tough for you. Do you have a GP you can talk to?

I don’t overthink it. I mostly eat and drink more or less whatever I want except for once about every two years where I realise I’ve gradually put on half a stone or so over the preceding two years and do a carb-free low calorie crash diet for a month to get it off. It’s dull but it works, and then I can go back to eating and drinking more or less whatever I want. Rinse, repeat. Though ultimately I start off slim and just get slimmer, I just prefer not to carry the extra half a stone, and I acknowledge that crash dieting probably isn’t a sustainable approach for people who are overweight and have a lot of weight to lose.

Not sure what you’re asking.

I keep my weight down by fasting at least 18 hours daily (sounds harder than it is as I never eat breakfast and tend to eat lunch late), I count and restrict calories Mon-Fri and eat what I like at the weekend. I avoid UPF and try to eat high protein with not too many carbs and very little sugar.

Really interesting to hear all the different ways. There's never any one size fits all diet and it's interesting to hear what works for different people.

@minipie @daisydaughter I just meant the huge spectrum of different diets that are promoted. Not so much a one or other side of the fence sorry if that was misleading!

Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

That's Michel Pollans summary of decades of research on food and health and it seems to work out fine. I'd add in - do some exercise too.

I need protein for muscle building and carbs for long distance running. I track protein to make sure it's high enough and only track carbs during a long distance run/race.

I still drink alcohol but less, try have some fruit or vegetable every meal. I won't cut out protein powders or energy gels and am not averse to a protein yoghurt or pudding. I try to stay within my calories and keep up the exercise.

I don't sit on any side, I do what I need to do to lose weight without losing my marbles.

I am slim, bordering underweight, which I think is mostly genetic.

I get 'normal' recipes come up. Possibly because I sometimes use a search engine to find recipes (e.g. quantities for making pizza dough) but I don't know.

Also meal box deals...not sure if that's the time of year or because my friend sent me a code and I looked once.

I am a slightly obsessive person (anxious) so I think if I tried any sort of 'diet' (even one to put on weight) it would become an issue for me. As I am very slim it's more important to me that food doesnt become an issue that I focus on too much. Instead I just try to do little things like upping fruit and veg, rather than move away from any of the traditional nutrition advice.

I eat mostly plant based, low fat, lots of fruit and vegetables. I track protein to make sure I'm getting enough - if I'm not i'll add in a vegetarian protein source (eggs, cheese).
I'll eat lean meat occasionally but would prefer to avoid.
I sometimes eat processed food like vegan sausages or a vegan burger.
I eat loads and loads of veg.
I eat potatoes, rice, pasta etc.

I'm not a vegan. But when I cook for myself it's generally plant based. I eat very very little meat.

I see mostly vegan recipes on Insta!

My diet is lots of protein, eggs, vegetables and fruit. Full fat Greek yoghurt. Water, red wine and black tea. I hate sweet and/or fizzy drinks.

This all sounds very worthy I know; unfortunately I also have a huge weakness for sourdough bread, croissants and cinnamon buns.

I’ve just been on a diet and lost 11 kg in WeightWatchers. I’ve done it before. I switch to eating lean meats, lots of protein and fruit and veg and I drop bread, with the odd rye sourdough. I swap out full fat for lower fat, although I don’t like doing this.

Now I’m at goal weight, I can up my points/ calorie intake and I’ll do it by swapping out low fat for full fat and more olive oil and avocado. I’ll still eat healthy.

I think the best thing you can do for health is increase fruit and veg. Include healthy fats, whole grains and some protein but the basis of your meals should be plants. We’re all eating far more protein than we need and far too little fibre, which is why bowel cancer is on the rise.

I try, in a vague sense, to live a somewhat balanced lifestyle without overthinking it. I like delicious food and drink and don't intend to give any of it up - to me food in particular is a source of joy, not guilt. I refuse to have a complex about it. I basically got into exercise so I could eat whatever I wanted without thinking about it, and that's worked for the past 15 years. I also discovered that exercise is somewhat addictive, especially when you see physical results, and you end up making healthier choices all round (for example, not drinking alcohol because you have a run planned the next day).

I say "eat what I want" but while I love tasting menus, cheese, cakes and so on, I eat very little processed food - all home-cooked. That's due to preference and taste rather than self-denial.

I don't think about weight at all. I've never owned scales and haven't actually weighed myself since I was a teenager. I've never been on a diet. I can tell if clothes begin to fit less comfortably, I can tell what I look like in the mirror, I can tell how healthy I feel and I can react from there. If I've had a week of boozing and eating rich food I'll probably follow it with a quiet week eating vegetable-heavy meals - again this isn't due to guilt or self-denial but because it's what my body and mind want.

Basically I'm in my 40s and I feel the fittest I've ever been, with the best abs I've ever had. I also absent-mindedly ate a whole round of camembert last night with no guilt. I feel like what I'm doing is working.

I also attach no judgment to weight. I enjoy having visible abs and toned arms and feeling like my body can do so much, but I'm also aware that aging exists and this won't last forever. If I get plumper in 10 years, so what? My self-worth isn't tied up in my weight.

I don’t tend to get food things come up on social media as I don’t really search for anything. Mines all fashion and travel.

I’m in the whatever works for you, no one size fits all camp.

Spectrum?
I struggle to find an opinion & my social media isn't about those topics. My end of the spectrum (how many dimensions does a spectrum have?) is struggling to give a rats arse what other people do.