Clyde1820

I tracked every ounce consumed over a four month period, years ago. After which, I knew how my body handled various ingredients and amounts. At that point, I could mix-and-match the appropriate key ingredients in order to end up with a moderate reduction in overall calories without a serious impact upon required nutrients. Simply translated, I knew what serving size and how many of which types of meals I could do, day in and day out, in order to achieve my goals. Of course, that sort of documenting of things isn't for everyone. It's a pain, to do every little thing.

In the end, I developed a simple blended protein/veg/fruit "shake" that works. And a homemade vegetable soup made with beef bone broth. And a basic "kitchen sink" salad. Along with portion sizes that yielded appropriate weight loss. In between these key meal items, I'd add items to fill the nutritional gaps. Toss in a couple of fasting days per week, swap some of the most calorie-rich ingredients for suitable alternatives, and it's amazing how much faster and more-steady a weight loss can be. One nice thing: I knew I wouldn't overload on the "preservatives" and various chemicals that pre-packaged grocery items almost always have; with my own homemade stuff, there is none of that.

Some people prefer documenting such intake via apps (or websites) on the smart phone. Which does much the same thing. Myself, I make nearly everything from scratch, at home, so there aren't many packaged items and restaurant-type foods consumed. In my case, I liked the per-ingredient approach I did (for that 4mos period), time-consuming though it was.