How to Freestyle and create your own meal plans following the
CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet guidelines.
Introduction to Freestyling -
Freestyling is what most people call it when we create our own meal plans based on the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet guidelines. When I first joined TWD in June 2018, I determined that the suggested meal plans didn't appeal to me, so I decided to create my own meal plans based on their guidelines.
It really is important to understand that you don't need to blindly follow the meal plans to have success. Losing weight in a healthy way is NOT about eating a particular brand of bread or only eating a type of low fat cheese with 15% fat, or one brand of high protein milk.
It's about making healthy, sustainable choices that fit YOUR taste preferences.
Once you do this, it changes from a diet to a lifestyle and becomes SUSTAINABLE...
For example, I know that chicken breast is 'healthier' as it has a lower fat content, except I find it dry and unpalatable. If I forced myself to eat this, I would not enjoy my meals, and then I might binge on something unhealthy. So instead, I choose chicken thighs, and just adjust my portion size to meet the TWD guidelines. It means I may eat a smaller portion, but the meal plan will be sustainable to me.
The same for dairy. I find low fat cheese flavour-less, so instead, I choose a smaller portion of cheese I enjoy the taste of.
A healthy diet is about eating food from all food groups (including carbs and indulgences).
It's about understanding and practicing portion control, especially with my indulgences.
It's about making healthy choices the majority of the time.
It's about accepting that I am a food addict, and that sometimes I'm NOT perfect, and overeat my indulgences. When I do over-indulge, I need to accept that I am human, refocus, track my food intake and ensure that I make healthy choices the MAJORITY of the time.
A healthy diet is NOT about restriction.
Restriction quickly becomes unsustainable to me and will lead to binge eating, which I definitely want to avoid.
I want a healthy relationship with food, one where 'I control food', and 'food does not control me'.
I want to 'eat to live', not 'live to eat'.
Portion Control is critical.
A key component of my success is portion control.
This means I
- Weigh EVERYTHING
- Measure EVERYTHING
- Track EVERYTHING
I then ensure I reach but not exceed my daily food units, except for vege units which are unlimited.
This ensures I have a healthy balanced diet, and as a benefit of this, I reach my health goals.
Can you lose weight freestyling?
Well, here's my personal results from freestyling since Day 1.
I lost 100 kg in just under two years, and have kept it off 15 months now (September 2021)