my whole foods menu secrets
Hi Ya’ll! I wanted to share my whole food menu secrets that reveal how I lose weight while drinking raw milk, eating grass fed butter, sourdough bread, and whole eggs. I posted some food logs which include examples of whole foods I consume in a day. Or “plan” is a loose term because sometimes eating is based on how you feel, or what’s available! That’s what I love about the flexibility of counting macronutrients. The purpose of this is to give you some hope and ideas that can work for you! I will continue to make posts on this content with hopes to inspire you. Don’t lose hope – you can eat what you feel you should be eating, and finally be IN CONTROL of your weight.
is eating whole foods actually healthy?
I always felt strongly that I wanted to eat ‘naturally’. I had (and still have) strong opinions on what was healthy or not. That said, eating ‘this way’ didn’t result in weight loss, and my weight kept creeping up despite exercising regularly. Why were my attempts to control my weight were continually unsuccessful? I felt between a rock and a hard place when it came to my weight loss ideals.
I wasn’t interested in consuming artificial sweeteners or low fat dairy, and I couldn’t afford to spend money on meal plans, or hiring a trainer. Macro counting intrigued me, but my strong affinity to eating a whole foods diet didn’t seem like it could be sustained within the numbers the macro calculator was suggesting for me. It also seemed (in my perspective) that people who were counting macros were consuming protein powder and foods and snacks with protein added… which seemed very unappetizing and unnatural to me.
With some trial and error, I discovered the secret that many whole foods are actually very macro friendly and I could still eat the way my conscious directed me to. But I needed to make some modifications. The pork sausage, granola, grated cheese in casseroles, and homemade baked goods that I consumed regularly contained a lot more calories than I was aware of. I also ate a dismal amount of protein. It was a mindset shift to get myself to eat the protein my body desperately needed. I’m not just saying this because the numbers were off- I encountered an increase in sustained energy and a reduction in mood swings.
whole foods that work for weight loss
Some of my favorites like homemade water kefir and kombucha and fermented pickles fit nicely into my macro guidelines. Whole chickens, bone broth, pork tenderloin, pork chops, top round beef roast, and steaks started making a more regular appearance. Freshly ground grains in the form of sourdough breads or cultured buttermilk pancakes definitely “fit”. Steel cut oats, grass fed butter, and raw milk even had their place in my whole foods menu.
losing weight eating ‘forbidden’ foods
A side effect of macro counting was that I let go of my desire to control the quality of what I was eating. When weight was coming off, I realized eating whole foods was not what contributed to weight loss, but rather eating in a calorie deficit. I was (and am!) feeling better than I ever did while eating all the foods in my former “diet” approach. I now take a 80/20 approach and will even consume something that contains an artificial sweetener or artificial flavoring if I want to eat it.
One of my favorites I added back into my diet was Avocado oil potato chips! I had sworn off chips and felt if I ever wanted to lose weight I could NEVER eat them. I also discovered different protein bars which tasted like a candy bar but helped me meet my health goals. Obviously not the “cleanest” thing to eat, but I finally felt “free” to enjoy this type of food.
Here are examples of what I eat in a day as a 5’3″ woman around 150 pounds, looking to lose weight. My macro numbers 1600 Cals, 120 Protein, 163 Carbohydrate, 52 Fats. Keep in mind, these numbers will differ greatly depending on your height, weight, activity level, and gender. Follow here to get a link to a macro calculator to determine your numbers! https://hubs.ly/Q01254070
does ideal nutrition actually exist?
As you can see, my example days are not perfect, and could include better, more ideal nutrition. You don’t need to be perfect to lose weight. Nutrition is not designed to be perfect. This is a process and over time you will discover whole foods that you enjoy, and methods of preparing them that fit within your guidelines. It’s ok if you have a day that you rely more heavily on foods that you don’t prefer just to stay within your guidelines. It’s ok if you go over your calorie allotment and have to try again tomorrow. The pathway to success is something you can quite easily stay on, and learn more over time. Your individualized whole foods meal plan will develop as you discover new foods and a route to health you may have never expected. The secret is to start in the first place 🙂
I hope you enjoy my whole foods menu secrets! These secrets enable me to eat the way I want to from a health conscious perspective and to lose weight. I will continue to post content revealing more of the secret discoveries i’ve made on my weight loss journey.
join our facebook group for ladies looking to improve their health!
Join us here! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1363725513667190
Here are the steps I followed to start Macro counting and the reasoning behind why I made this choice: https://mywalkbyfaith.com/how-to-lose-weight-as-a-christian/
Here is more about me! https://www.mywalkbyfaith.com/about-3/
Click here to download the app I use to track my macros https://www.getmymacros.com/
