My natural diet has to be the same as my "dieting" diet. This is a lifestyle, not something I will change when I get to goal. For me, that is whole foods, plant based. This is what works for me and how I feel my best. We all have different ways of eating, we just have to find what works for us that we can live the rest of our lives doing.

I agree with Lyn. I watch carbs a bit more when I'm trying to lose weight but otherwise I normally eat protein with veggies. I don't care for bread so my carbs come from sweets and carb laden fruit and veggies. I mostly roast my meats and veggies. I do miss pasta and rice which I limit too when I'm working on losing weight.

Tosca Reno's eat-clean guidelines work for me, and I have expanded from there. I am not vegetarian, but lean that direction; I eat lots of fruits and veggies, use full-fat dairy products, and generously use healthy fats. Nothing is off limits, but I have come to genuinely prefer eating clean almost all of the time; I have custom tweaked my plan to include planned treats in moderation, and to allow for life to happen without a derailment. It was crucial to me to find a plan that I loved in weight loss mode, that was doable for life. When I got to goal, I did not change anything. I could go on and on, but will stop here.

So interesting! Thank you for engaging! I have found that I tend to have triggers that derail me (in life and with food), but the more I acknowledge my triggers, the more I go towards the lifestyle I want and the food that I need to enjoy a healthy "right-sized" me without excess. I think the closer we stay to our natural eating habits and likes the better chance we have at succeeding. With that said, there are healthy temptations as well that can derail us. If I see grapes, especially fresh ones, plump ones, I can derail a good day in two minutes flat! Grapes are like candy to me and I cannot stop at a couple. So, I try my very best to stay away from them. They are bigger than me! lol

But grapes are very low on the calorie density scale so you'd have a hard time doing a lot of damage with them. Google says a cup of grapes has 62 calories vs. a cup of raisins having 424 calories. Also, grapes rank higher in satiety than raisins. Plus they're really good for you!

And for comparison sake, a cup of oil has 1,904 calories. Now, we obviously wouldn't eat a cup of oil but adding say, 2 tbsp. in a salad dressing is 240 calories and it has no satiety. It takes up almost no room in your stomach so it doesn't even register that you've eaten it.

Ok, that chart is blurry but I'm surprised it even went through. I haven't been able to add a picture for years. LOL. Anyway, look up calorie density and it is very interesting.

Verrry interestin', Lyn! Thanks for sharing this. Honestly I do not limit my fresh produce. Way back in WW years ago, they "allowed"unlimited produce, and of course, I investigated, learned, and ate produce with reckless abandon -- and it worked, and I felt good and lost weight! This works for me but not everyone, because I do not have blood sugar issues, and I do better with healthy complex carbs found in produce, as well as whole grains of all types. You would not believe how much I can and do consume eating this way, and happily maintain goal weight. It's the simple carbs, refined sugars, unhealthy fats, chemicals, and other additives that literally make me feel lackluster and unwell.

My problem with this discussion is that I have never in my life ingested a grape... well wine, but not a grape. I have had them in my mouth but it's the texture on my teeth. I cannot bite them. I have even tried cutting them up... nope. I spit them out. The same is true of fresh blueberries. I love them baked into muffins, pancakes etc. but I can't bit into them and have them pop. I realize that's odd but it's how it is for me and always has been. I cannot stand fresh tomatoes... the skin! Ugh. I love tomato sauce etc. though. I have long suspected that I am on the edge of the spectrum and this is one of the reasons why. But... I certainly find plenty to eat without fresh grapes, blueberries and tomatoes!

I get it, Sandy! I'm spectrum-ish as well, but in different ways.

Sandy, I think that is more common than you think. My husband is the same way. A lot of people have texture issues. And I am always amazed at how one person can love a food so much and another be repulsed by the same food. I find it so interesting! My husband gets his steaks extra well done with no seasoning on them and everyone at the table cringes and teases him. He says...I know I do it wrong... I say, there is no wrong here, you like food how you like it! Who decided that there is one right way to eat a steak? LOL So you do you, eat what you like, the way you like it and skip the stuff you don't like!