We cut out processed food years ago. None whatsoever in our house. Haven't been on a "diet " since.

Do you eat breads or white foods like pasta and rice? We are eating differently too, but I find it very hard to do.

We have rice or pasta a couple of times a week, and we have bread and cheese. and chocolate. But other than that we are "real food" folk. What we really need it more exercise. We used to get lots of incidental exercise, but life changes mean that now we need to make a concerted effort to get moving.

Funny story: our niece is in sports, and she has a "real food" lifestyle. She was recently visiting, we visited a craft brewery and had a snack afterwards--had to try cheese curds. and sausage. with beer. As we talked about "real food" we had to laugh at what we were doing! And agreed that moderation is a good thing.

Sas95.......I'm curious, what is a typical breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks for you? And what about eating out?

daisychain, so glad you got something out of the article. I've been a subscriber to the Nutrition Action Letter for many years...they help cut through all the nonsense and get to the facts of good nutrition.

Joanie, I should qualify to say that we do have things like whole grain bread, tofu and plain yogurt in the house. And condiments. But that's about it. We cook from scratch. Breakfast is usually combination of eggs, fruit, yogurt and a slice of whole grain toast. Or steel cut oats and fruit. Lunch is a salad, soup or chili made at home. Dinner is a protein, vegetable and either beans or whole grain or maybe butternut squash, etc. Snacks are fruit or nuts usually.

When we eat out, we try to make healthy choices but if there is something we really want we aren't totally rigid. Eating well at home 80% of the time is most of the battle.

Good for you for trying to make some healthy changes in your life, but you don't have to go hungry just because you don't have processed food in the house! You'll never be able to keep it up if you're hungry.

For most of my adult life I have not eaten bread, pasta and most other carbs. Mostly high protein and fat. I have also always done intermittent fasting ... not knowing it was a "diet" or "new lifestyle" and had a name!

I do allow myself treats or snacks such as good potato chips, ice cream or chocolate brownie/cookie, but I tend to eat a few pieces a few days in a row and then I won't eat any for weeks.

I also don't drink, as I have never really liked the taste, and as I got older hated the tired feeling after barely a drink. I would rather have those calories in the form of a good brownie!

I have been mostly on the lower end, of the weight range for my height, for most of my adult life, but have always exercised and kept an eye on food consumed. I am an eat to live type and not a live to eat type.

I'm never going to be able to remove carbs and whites from my life. I've always cooked from scratch, but that includes breads and pastries. I make our own yogurt, soups, beans, sauces, don't deep fry. We eat lots of roasted vegetables, broiled fish. Neither of us has high blood pressure or diabetes, but we've both had cancer.

I just like to eat - and cook - more than I dont!

Thx Sas95. I sure admire your and Chispa's discipline, which I sorely lack!

Joanie, don't sell yourself short! I think part of discipline is routine. Starting something is hard, but once it becomes part of your routine or lifestyle, then the discipline tends to follow along.

My DH and older son always thought I was different because I could go all day without eating, or not have my first meal till after lunch time, and that "normal" people didn't do that. Well, now that intermittent fasting has become a thing, I am now normal!

My son lost 30 lbs with IF and so have a couple we know. For me it was never a diet or fad, just the way that felt good for my own body.

I agree with chispa about the routine. I stopped processed sugar over two years ago, and the only time I deviated was our vacation in Sicily last year, where I really wanted to taste everything! The first few weeks were hard, but after that, not at all. It isn't some big exercise in willpower-- once I stopped including sugar in my routine, that was that. I don't miss it at all now, and there could be 100 dishes of sweets in front of me and I don't even want the stuff. Not a struggle at all, so it's not willpower, it's routine.

I also think that one needs to get out of the mindset that changing one's eating patterns is "depriving oneself," or that if you eat a certain way you must not like food that much. We eat a healthy diet, but we are total foodies. Shopping for good/interesting food is a big part of our lives, and we try new recipes all the time. The vacations we go on tend to be very food/wine oriented as well. I would categorize our diet as largely "Mediterranean," and you can hardly say that the people in the Mediterranean countries do not care about or eat good food. If anything, we are now much more conscious of the quality of food that we eat on a regular basis.

Chispa, great point. You can eat healthy and still eat too much food. I was good example of that. I've lost 15 lbs and am looking to add more. Just need to re-set myself with managing my hunger levels.

I'm traveling for a conference this week, so it will be a little more challenging, but I will be walking a lot. I do have breakfast meetings, so it's harder to do IF. But at least we have healthy foods.

What I found interesting in the article was that processed vs unprocessed was more significant than was the proportion of carbs/fat/protein as they were essentially the same in both.

https://www.nutritionaction.com/daily/how-to-diet/do-ultra-processed-foods-make-you-gain-weight/

They've also tracked other diets where low fat vs low carb isn't important as either will lead to the same amount of weight loss, though low carb has been associated with a reduction in life span by 4 years. They suggest 50-55% carbs as being most healthful.

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(18)30135-X/fulltext

I wonder how many people have been forced into eating breakfast for the sake of doing the right thing? Like Chispa and Feathers, I have always preferred to skip that meal and not eat until Noon at the earliest. I only eat breakfast is it's something special or I know I'll not be able to eat until late into the afternoon.

This is an interesting discussion. I wonder about the intermittent fasting and people who have type 2 diabetes, intermittent fasting would/could be dangerous for them. However, I have been told and read that intermittent fasting can increase your chances of developing type 2 diabetes over time. Is there truth in this? How I understand it is, if your body doesn't have anything to fuel it the pancreas will still produce some insulin causing damage to your body. I truly don't have a good understanding of the metabolic function of the human body and need to do more reading on the subject.

hcbm, I don't know the answer to your question but can tell you that my physician, a very smart guy who has a lot of facts and figures at the ready on seemingly any medical issue, is a big believer in IF. We got on the subject during one of my visits when he noted I'd lost weight in the past year. I told him I'd begun IF when I became tired of the full feeling after eating even the smallest amount at breakfast and read about the benefits of IF. He went on to elaborate about the benefits and told me he and his wife have done it for a very long time.

Hcbm, yes, IF is not for everyone. There also are no definitive studies on humans. This article contains some information about what's been researched.

From my perspective, there are healthy and unhealthy ways of fasting, and many people do it in unhealthy ways. I have learned to understand my body's reactions to food (mentally and physically) and it's a combination of what I eat and when I eat. I have a layperson's knowledge of insulin, glucose, the liver and metabolism. I can tell when my body is stressed from not eating, and I eat. But it's very different from what we conventionally feel as "hunger." So far, based on how I feel, my energy, sleep and functioning, as well as blood work and examinations by my doctor, I'm not experiencing any negative impacts from IF, so I'll continue.

And while I don't know the details of the OP's diet, my guess is that she didn't lose 3 lbs because she cut enough calories from her diet to lose 3 lbs, but she lost 3 lbs because her body responded to her reduction of processed foods by reducing inflammation, which resulted in the weight loss.

I see a lot of my peers becoming frustrated with their weight and their overall health at this point in their lives. We have been trained to accept certain exercise and eating practices as "healthy" yet I don't see observational evidence that most of it's working. IF works for me, and it's something that's very easy and natural for me to do.

Feathers11, I think we are nutritional twins separated at birth! :-)

I'm lucky not to need any prescription medications and I'm going through my first joint problem, ever, due to throwing a heavy roped ball for my dog one time too many. No other aches or pains otherwise.

Chispa, we must be! I could talk about this all day long because I'm passionate about it. My friends believe it would be too difficult to follow. There's an initial adaptation period, for sure, but long-term, it's the most effective means of healthy eating that I have found. I still exercise, too, but I do it for maintenance and functioning, rather than spending hours trying to burn excess calories. In reality, I'm a very lazy person who has learned how to get the best results with the least amount of effort.

The topic of breakfast is an interesting one. I find that I feel hungrier when I do eat breakfast than when I dont. 1.5 hours after a bowl of steel cut oats I'll be ready to have another breas fast or even lunch.

I find this topic very interesting and must admit I am not very well informed on this way of eating. I have started trying to cut processed foods but I certainly have a long way to go.

I would like more information on IF. I can understand skipping breakfast as that is something I can often do but are you suppose to do IF for a full day or just certain times.

thanks for any information.

omg Feathers, you even used the same line I've used! :-)

When I used to run every morning before work, people used to ask how I got up so early, yadda, yadda ... my reply was always "I run every morning because I'm lazy. I get the most out that exercise in the least amount of time".

Gave up running when everyone a bit older than me was starting to have knee and feet problems. I switched to the elliptical and had to do twice as much time, but avoided any joint issues.

I really never ate breakfast until I was in my 20's and had to take some medications that felt better with food in my belly. It was a daily battle with my mother when I was a child. I am hungrier all day if I eat a carb heavy breakfast. If I stick to protein, it is not a problem.

Lyban, I just googled and this site had a good description.
https://www.mercola.com/infographics/intermittent-fasting.htm

Most people do the daily schedule, but some will also do full days or multiple days. I think my son has done a 3 day fast as his longest.

I also noticed that people tend to project their eating habits on their pets! My small rescue dog was being a picky eater and wasting lots of food. I decided to change her eating habits and placed her on what I called the "wilderness diet". In the wild a dog never knows when they will catch or find food. Eat when you get it, because it might not be found again for days.

I started to randomly give her her food at a different time of day and take it away if she didn't eat it. I guess I pushed her to an intermittent fasting method! It didn't take long for her to catch on. She doesn't waste any food now and has stayed at a healthy weight for the last 5 years as she has aged.

Thanks for that link Chispa, I have another question. Because I have just started to try and eliminate processed foods I am still having some.

one product I love and have convinced myself that it is better for me than bread I still have this everyday. Is it really bad or acceptable.

well, the third ingredient is sugar - one of the reasons for eliminating processed foods is to eliminate ”hidden” sources of sugar, fats and sodium. Maybe consider switching to Wasa bread which does not have added sugar as well as being all whole grain (notice second ingredient on Ryvita label is just whole wheat flour).

How much do you have every day? Maybe cut back the quantity a bit and then go to every other day, then every third day, etc.

I will give that a try. Thanks.

I still eat brownies! Just found some really good ones that come in a small container 5 x 4 and cut into small pieces. I'll eat them over 2 to 3 days, but then won't buy more for several weeks. You don't want to deprive yourself of a treat, but you need to eat them in moderation.

Lyban, I'm not a nutritionist and don't play one on TV ;-) But moderation like Chispa noted would apply here for me, too. If I ate the Ryvita for lunch along with processed lunch meat, chips or pasta salad, a muffin for dessert, then that's just too much processed food overall. However, if I topped it with sliced vegetables, hard-boiled egg or avocado, etc., then sides of fruit, a quinoa salad with homemade dressing, or other non-processed foods, then I would be OK with eating it. Also the serving size is 3 slices... it would be easy to cut it back to 2.

If you want to try intermittent fasting, I recommend first cutting back on processed foods and improving your regular diet overall. Some people use intermittent fasting as an excuse to binge eat junky food when they're allowed to eat. I don't see the point in that. It's important to me that when I do eat, that I'm eating good, real, healthy food--for 90% of the time... I still enjoy indulgences once in a while.

Then, when you want to explore intermittent fasting, do some research. There are a million resources now about IF, and it's good to compare notes, talk with your doctor, etc. The main methods I've tried are:

5:2 IF - I first read about this several years ago when a study came out about effective weight loss in the UK. It was based on something like this approach. I found this approach do-able when I have 2 days a week when I'm super-busy and can keep myself occupied and away from food. 500 calories seems like nothing, but it's a good way to introduce your body to IF.

Timed eating: This involves taking in all of your daily calories in a restricted timeframe, like from 10 am to 6 pm, or from noon-4, etc. This link has more information and guidance. It also has a video by Dr. Jason Fung, who's well-known in IF circles.

Start slowly and give your body time to adjust. Research tips and strategies (the link above has good ones). Yes, you can exercise on an empty stomach (I do all the time). No, I have not lost muscle mass. No, I am not hungry all the time. Yes, I take a break during special occasions, holidays, vacations, etc.

Once my body adjusted, IF became very natural and felt good. I do a combination of the 5:2 and timed eating, just depending upon my schedule. And I'm not a stickler or obsessive over it... it's just how I eat. The most important thing, however, is paying attention to my body. Good luck, and I hope it works for you.

Hmm, I don't eat Ryvita but I would say to simply state "the third ingredient is sugar" can be misleading. It has 1g of sugar per serving, yes? That is pretty low.

However, there are plenty of good bread/bread products w no added sugar and even more fiber and other benefits

https://www.eatthis.com/bread-store-bought/

Yes, agree that it is low sugar. I guess my point was that it was “added” sugar (as well as not completely whole grain) and that there were alternatives such as the Wasa crisp bread that might be better. Without knowing the rest of Lyban’s diet it’s hard to say how the Ryvita fits in (as Feathers11 noted) and moderation is always a good path as suggested by chispa.

Thank you feathers for your interesting take on this.

i did buy some whole grain waso this morning and had one slice with my homemade squash soup for lunch. Quite good. I will continue with the waso andcut my ryvita to 2 slices instead of three when I have it.

Like you said I am going to try to cut as much processed food for now and when or if I get a handle on that I will read up on IF.

While I love Wasa crisps and they have a shorter list of ingredients, I want to caution people about the reasons for eliminating processed food as much as possible. The preservatives used in these products are a big part of what makes them bad. Potassium sorbate and tri-sodium citrate are not wholesome. How I know this is a long story and comes from first hand experience dealing with organic waste mitigation. These preservatives put bacteria to "sleep" and make them unable to do their jobs. Plus they inflame every surface they touch. We have a lot of good bacteria in our bodies and I worry about what these chemicals do to that ecosystem.

That is new and interesting information, Rita, though I guess not surprising when I think about it. Thanks for sharing. Thankfully, we've always eaten from the perimeter of the grocery store.

Pretty much the only crackers I eat anymore are Triscuits. Three ingredients.

We are gradually moving toward a no-junk, no-preservatives diet in our house. It’s a process! DH and I have talked about it and it’s a goal for both of us. We both have acquired a bunch of aches and pains in our 50s and I’d love to see how we can make an impact on that w/ diet.

I prefer the word “journey“ rather than process - sounds less burdensome! It’s all about incorporating healthy changes that can become a way of life. We’ve always eaten healthy, but have been trying to move towards incorporating more plant-based meals. Sure there has been some push back from the kids, some disastrous recipe forays, but good things too, so yes a journey! For the past few years we have belonged to an organic CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) which has upped our game in terms of moving towards a more plant based diet. Here is a photo from our first box of the season...

EDITED: just wanted to add that eating healthy shouldn’t be about deprivation, just more about making thoughtful choices. I made strawberry rhubarb crumble over the weekend - real butter, real sugar.

That box looks great, Elunia! I agree, too, that it's not about deprivation but about real food that's good and healthy. And enjoyment needs to be part of the equation, too. I do cook with butter and sugar, as well. Not every day, but when I do, I'd rather use the real stuff than substitutes.

Rita, that's interesting about the preservatives putting bacteria to sleep. I didn't realize that's what they did, and I wonder, now, if this is why probiotics are so trendy. I experience this firsthand--whenever I eat food with preservatives, my stomach bloats. It's a very noticeable and obvious cause and effect.

Many foods simply aren't meant to hang around in our pantries for months. If they can, it's a bad sign.

I agree Elunia. We eat pretty clean and cook from scratch, etc. Preservatives kind of worry me too, and we try to stay away from them. BUT, on the other hand, we do enjoy treats too! I do agree about butter, sugar, etc. using the "real stuff". Something else to consider, a healthy eating plan is not a one-size-fits-all. What works for one person might not work for another.