I know what happens when I eat in a way that works well for me.
And I know what happens when I don’t.
I’ve experienced both.
Several years ago, I changed the way I was eating and eventually lost 60 pounds. I ate mostly whole foods, kept my carbohydrates relatively low, prioritized protein, and stopped relying so heavily on highly processed food.
But the weight loss isn’t the only reason I remember that period.
I felt good.
And that mattered enormously when I went back to school for radiologic technology.
I was juggling classes, clinicals, studying, and eventually working as a student tech. There were long days when I’d sit down in the hospital cafeteria with whatever I’d packed that morning, eat, and head right back upstairs.
Having food with me that I knew would keep me satisfied and get me through the rest of the day made one part of a very demanding season easier.
Since then, I’ve gained some of that weight back.
That’s part of the story too.
I’m not writing this as someone who discovered the perfect way to eat and effortlessly followed it forever. Life changed. My routines changed. My eating changed.
Now I’m returning to some of the things that worked well for me before — with a much better understanding of what I can actually sustain.
What “Eating Well” Means to Me Now
I used to use the phrase clean eating a lot.
I don’t love it quite as much anymore.
Food isn’t morally clean or dirty, and I don’t think eating well requires buying the most expensive version of every ingredient or following a perfect set of rules.
What I’m really talking about is much simpler.
I want most of what I eat to be recognizable food.
Eggs. Chicken. Beef. Fish. Vegetables. Fruit. Dairy. Nuts. Olive oil. Foods that keep me satisfied and make it relatively easy to get enough protein.
I personally tend to feel better eating lower carbohydrate, so that’s part of how I structure my own meals.
That doesn’t mean everyone needs to eat exactly the way I do.
Protein Makes Everything Easier for Me
One of the biggest changes I’ve made is building meals around protein rather than treating it as an afterthought.
Instead of asking, what am I having for dinner?, I can start with:
What’s the protein?
Chicken. Beef. Eggs. Fish. Pork. Greek yogurt. Cottage cheese. Whatever makes sense that day.
Then I build the rest of the meal around it.
That one question makes meal planning considerably easier.
I Don’t Need Interesting Food Every Night
This may be one of the most useful things I’ve learned.
Every meal does not need to be a recipe.
Some nights dinner can be chicken and vegetables. Eggs can be dinner. Leftover meat can become lunch. I can eat the same breakfast several days in a row.
Making food simpler makes consistency easier.
That’s particularly true during busy weeks. If the plan requires an hour of cooking every evening, eventually I’m going to abandon the plan.
I need food that works on a Wednesday when I’m tired.
I Keep Food Around That Solves Problems
There are certain foods I like having available because they eliminate decisions.
Eggs.
Cooked chicken or leftover meat.
Greek yogurt or cottage cheese.
Frozen vegetables.
A few things I can grab when I’m hungry and don’t have the time or desire to cook something elaborate.
The exact foods aren’t important. The principle is.
Your kitchen should make the thing you’re trying to do easier.
Lower Carb Works for Me — It Doesn’t Have to Become a Religion
I eat relatively low carb because I’ve found that I do well eating that way.
That’s different from saying carbohydrates are inherently bad or that everyone should eat the same way.
You may feel better eating differently.
The useful part is paying attention.
What meals keep you satisfied?
What leaves you hungry again an hour later?
What foods make it easier to reach your goals?
What can you realistically prepare during your normal week?
Those answers are more useful than following somebody else’s perfect food rules.
What I’m Doing Differently This Time
Losing weight once taught me that I can do it.
Regaining some of it taught me something arguably more useful: getting results and building something sustainable aren’t exactly the same problem.
This time I’m less interested in creating the perfect diet.
I’m interested in building a way of eating I can return to again and again.
Simple meals.
Enough protein.
Mostly whole foods.
Lower carbohydrate because that’s what works well for me.
Room for birthdays, vacations, restaurants, and ordinary life.
And when things drift — because sometimes they will — I don’t need another dramatic restart.
I need to return to the basics.
Start With One Week
If you’re trying to change how you’re eating, you don’t need to decide what you’ll eat for the rest of your life.
Try a week.
Choose a few simple meals. Shop for them. Eat them. Pay attention.
Then decide what deserves to come with you into the next week.
I’ve put together a free seven-day low-carb meal plan and grocery list if you’d like somewhere to start.
Get the 7-Day Low-Carb Meal Plan →
The Point Isn’t to Eat Like Me
The point is to figure out what makes taking care of yourself easier in your actual life.
Maybe that’s lower carb.
Maybe it isn’t.
Maybe you need to cook more. Maybe you need to stop believing everything has to be cooked from scratch. Maybe you need three reliable breakfasts instead of thirty new recipes.
Find the version you can actually live with.
Then make that version easier to repeat.
Every Friday, one thing we noticed, tried, or figured out — plus one small way to approach the week differently.
This post describes my personal experience with food and nutrition and is for general information only. It isn’t medical or individualized nutrition advice.