Edit: This is a long post. I went on for a bit.
Ares, this is what I’ve been eating for awhile and I’m losing weight:
For breakfast, I have a 1/2 cup of old-fashioned (or rolled) oats. That’s the dry measurement, so it’s a 1 1/2 cups cooked. I top that with some fruit (it’s usually either blueberries or a combo of raspberries and peaches) and some walnuts or almonds. I also have a banana whenever they decide to be ripe on the day I’d like to eat them.
For lunch, I try to eat as many raw vegetables as possible. My goal is a one-pound salad, but I rarely hit that number. It’s mostly dark leafy greens rather than something like iceberg which is useless. I also go light on the dressing (around 2 tablespoons). Obviously, I don’t use dressings like ranch or honey mustard. You might as well eat a bacon cheeseburger if you’re going to eat those. I have another serving of fruit (oranges are good for this) at lunch as well.
For dinner, I’ll have some protein and one or two vegetables (raw or cooked). For the protein, I eat beans, seafood or poultry for six days and red meat on the other. For the vegetables, I always have one vegetable from the Brassica species (kale, collard greens, broccoli, etc). If I have a second, it’s usually something starchy (squash, corn, sweet potatoes, carrots, etc.) and I limit that to around cup.
I only drink water (gave up soda years ago) except for alcohol, and I’ve reduced the alcohol to a couple of nights a week. I’m lactose intolerant, so dairy isn’t something I have to worry about, anyway. Fried food also makes me sick, so I’ve got that going for me.
I eat as much vegetables as I want, 3 servings of fruit, 1/2 cup of whole grains, 1 or 2 ounces of raw nuts or seeds and one serving of beans or meat. That’s pretty much everyday.
I try to load up on foods that are high in nutrients and low in calories, and I try to minimize foods that are the opposite (simple sugars, oils, etc). I really like fruits and vegetables, so it’s easy. I’ve also never cared for bread or dessert.
And there’s some flexibility to it. I could have a green smoothie for breakfast (made with kale or spinach) and shift the whole grains to lunch or dinner. I’ll sometimes skip the oatmeal on the weekends and get those carbs later.
I’ve only been doing it for four months, but I’ve dropped 30 pounds so far, and I feel great. This is also how I like to eat, so it’s sustainable for me.
