Routines and eating the same foods

glam70s

I've been seriously off track lately - you'll know it in the future because that's when I can't bring myself to come and post here!

I'm ready to get back to it and I really want to stick to it, but I'm the type to eat the same things every day, and if something throws my routine (like dinner with FI's parents, or a work function I have to go to), it's extremely difficult to get back on board. Once I've been in the routine for a few weeks things are less likely to throw me for a loop, but finding a few weeks with nothing going on is next to impossible, particularly now that it's summer.

In terms of overall weight loss and nutrition, is it better to eat the same very healthy foods over and over every day and give up variety (this is what I do), or to eat more variety at the risk of never really getting into a routine, and therefore slipping up often? I keep hearing that variety in your diet is so important for your health, but is it enough that your foods throughout the day are varied, or do they need to vary from day-to-day as well?

Am I overthinking? I'm starting training for a half marathon as of yesterday, so I've been giving a lot more thought to nutrition..

jenb1205

Unless you find a perfect balance (which just might be impossible), you'll be missing some sort of nutrients in your diet if you eat literally the same things everyday.  What happens if you go to a wedding or party and they don't have your foods available?  A routine is good but if you eat the same foods over and over, you'll be likely to get bored and burned out of those foods.

Sticking to it is hard, but finding a way to be successful despite the things that come up in life is really the only way to make this a lifestyle that lasts.

raynes

I'd say it's important to not eat the same things too much.  Just because when you eat the same things alllll the time you start to limit the nutrients you're taking in. 

Variety is not only the spice of life, but also the path to getting your vitamins!

I will admit though, it's hard to break some habits.  Do you sit down and plan out your meals for the week?  I find it's a LOT easier to stay on track when I've got my everything planned out.

I'll sit down on Sunday afternoon (before I go grocery shopping) and plan out the meals for the week, including what I'm having for my snacks, lunches and what we'll have for dinners.  Then I compile my grocery list on the same page and when I get home from the store, stick it up on the fridge.  Making meals through the week is then pretty much a no brainer.  Just refer to the list to see what you've got planned.  That way, too, if something happens and one of the meals doesn't happen, then you just move on to the next one.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

Glam, do you track your meals through an online calculator? I find it's a lot easier to stay on track that way, no matter what I'm eating. My trainer also told me that I can eat pretty much anything I want - as long as I can fit it into my calories. One of my favorite junk foods is nachos. I don't have them as often anymore, but when the mood strikes, I'll just do an ounce of baked tortilla chips, some low-fat cheese, and some jalapenos, olives and salsa. Then I log it into my calories. Way better than going to Taco Bell or a local mexican restaurant.

If you're worried about overindulging, check restaurant menus before going out, look at the nutritional information, and decide what you're going to eat beforehand. If you go to a BBQ, bring along some turkey burgers and a green salad with ff dressing. If you want to meet up with friends, suggesting going for drinks after dinner, then have a light beer and switch it up with diet soda or water in between.

As long as your calories, fat, protein and carb balance look good at the end of the day and you don't feel hungry, you're doing it right!

glam70s

Thanks for the advice.. I do track my calories through sparkpeople. My issue with eating different things each day is that the grocery list gets so long. It's only one of me eating whatever I buy, and often wind up throwing out food that's gone bad because I only needed half a bell pepper for a recipe, for example.

What if I switched it up each week. Would that be often enough?

I think the biggest issue is that I can't stand cooking and taking the time to prepare food, nor can I stand spending a lot of time poring over recipe websites looking for things to make. So I tend to make things that are quick and easy and that I can make once and eat throughout the week, like chicken and veggie stirfry and quinoa veggie salad. There are a limited number of those recipes in my repertoire and just the thought of spending time on looking for more makes me cringe...

*sigh*.. I could just suck it up and do it, but it means giving up time doing things I actually enjoy, and I just can't see myself sticking to it..

jenb1205

What about changing up the veggies in your stir fry?  I have a relatively limited go-to meal repetoire.  I do several kinds of chilis, couscous or quinoa with different veggie combos each time, whole wheat pizza with different kinds of veggies, lettuce wraps with different veg/protein combos, etc. 

Last week for example, I had lots of different peppers in the fridge and we were going out of town for the weekend.  I chopped some and froze them (used them in one chili today) and roasted the rest (put them in the fridge and used them in a different kind of chili). 

It's just the two of us so we have the same sort of issues but I'm learning all the time how to better use things (i.e. using a chicken carcass and left over carrots and celery to make homemade chicken stock, which is way better for your sodium intake!!).  I rarely throw away any veggies, they can be chopped and thrown into any stirfry, chili or salad. 

I know my go-to items and what will "go together", meaning when I meal plan, I know that I'll use asparagus on pizza and in a couscous dish so it all gets used.  Some of the repetition can't really be avoided but I try to switch up between cottage cheese and greek yogurt from week to week and then I'll buy a different fruit to put in it.  

jenb1205

sorry to keep posting, but check this blog.  She's vegetarian but does a great series of recipes called "Table for One" .

http://www.poundingpavementandplants.com/