Recently, Renaissance Periodization posted: “Shoutout to my dog for continuously getting excited about eating the same thing over and over again for every meal.” There is, indeed, something to be said for simplicity in the diet for long-term maintenance of body composition. While there is something to be said for variety in fruits and vegetables, in reality it might be a bit of an overstatement.
The boring redundancy of diet (remember this is referring to long-term eating habits, as opposed to the short-term hypocaloric diet plan) can help to regulate consistency. The habit of quantity helps control the regularity of intake.
My experience with the RP Diet App has brought me to a point in the maintenance phase where I can prepare my day’s meals with very little thought, but near perfect consistency. Sure, it is boring, but I have stayed within a pound of my goal weight for three weeks.
If you want some variety, allow yourself some variety. Just be overall consistent.
Managing macros and timing meals really helps with consistency and keeping caloric regulation on track. It can, however, be a bit repetitive, though. To keep it interesting, learn portion balanced and plan meals accordingly. Personally, I can eat chicken breast most meals, but the kids don’t like to. Know your vegetables and pick a variety as your primary carbs. (I am finding that 3 oz of most vegetables is nearly always about 10 g of carbs—and the add up to a lot more food than breads and pastas.)
Another reason to keep things boring is that we have a greater tendency to over-eat foods that are more flavorful. Also, a lot of what adds flavors in recipes is the creams and fats that are added—which may unnecessarily exceed the allowable fats for the meal. I find it better to have to add fats to a meal to meet my macros rather than having to find an alternative (or eat a smaller portion and find additional carb sources).
I get it. Consistency is boring. Nevertheless, it is effective. Allow yourself to be bored 80% of the time (5 of your 6 daily meals) and you can have a bit more creativity in the other 20% (e.g., dinner). You will be more successful in affecting your body composition.
Be your best today; be better tomorrow.
Carpe momento!