For me, the best I've been able to do over the last 6 years is this:
- No(or very low) sugar. This means not eating many fruits, although I incorporate raspberries a lot because they are fairly low sugar and high fiber, resulting in low net-carbs.
- Low carbs, and definitely no refined carbs. Having gone the no-carb route, I didn't feel great on it, but some people do. I think carbs are fine for replenishing glycogen stores. Otherwise, I just don't have enough energy to do weight lifting.
- Intermittently fast, although I haven't been doing this nearly enough for the last 6 months. This is a good reminder for me.
- Eat lots of good fats, but really don't overdo it to the point where your body gets pissed off. I love MCT oil and ghee.
- Similar to Tim Ferriss' diet, I usually budget for cheat days. I agree with his assessment that a cheat day a week just isn't enough to negatively impact one's diet, and an imperfect healthy diet that's maintained is better than a perfect healthy diet that someone can't maintain. Plus I will get sick of the junk food and really desire to eat healthy again. This is also good because I don't want to be that guy who can't socially eat with friends, so just accepting the cheat day as an option means I can have pizza and beer and not feel bad about it when I see my friends occasionally.
- Don't overdo the protein, but have some protein. You really don't need that much protein despite what marketers are trying to sell you on, even if you are building muscle(serious bodybuilding being an exception). Excess protein can be converted to glucose. However, you can go down the frequent protein shake route if you are doing tons of exercise a day. I lost tens of fat-pounds at one point drinking lots of whey protein while hiking 6+ miles a day. No, I didn't have a full-time job at the time. ;)
When I'm maintaining it, my diet basically combines attributes of Keto, Paleo, and Mediterranean. This way I'm not too restricted or bored of what I eat. Unfortunately, it's been nigh impossible to maintain during periods where I've made little money. With the Mediterranean portion, I generally skip the rice.
By the way, if anyone's looking for a healthy shake to have in the morning, this is the recipe for the one I make all the time:
- 1 cup unsweetened pea milk (70 cal, 4.5g fat, 0g net carbs, 8g protein) (NOTE: water is just fine, and often times I'll adjust closer to 1/2 cup for a thicker consistency)
- 1/2 cup frozen raspberries (45 cal, 0 fat, 6g net carbs, 1g protein)
- 1/2 cup frozen avocado (92 cal, 8.58g fat, 2g net carbs, 1g protein)
- 1 tbsp stevia or erythritol (You might have to do it to taste)
- 1 tbsp MCT oil (130 cal, 14g fat)
- 2 tbsp sunflower seed butter (210 cal, 19g fat, 1g net carbs, 5g protein) (Almond butter tastes better, but has a few more carbs and has less omega-6 if I remember correctly.)
- 1/2 tbsp ceylon cinnamon
- 2 large raw pasture-raised eggs (71.5 cal, 6g fat, 0.5g net carbs, 6.3g protein) (make sure they're pasture-raised since they're the most safe)
Blend that in a bullet blender, and you've got yourself a sweet and fulfilling snack to start your day. Sometimes I replace the raspberries with a second 1/2 cup of avocado, use cold-brew coffee instead of water or pea milk, and add 1 tbsp high-fat cocoa powder. I'm kind of lazy with my measurements on that one, so I can't guarantee it will work out the same for you. Also, definitely don't have too many of them in one day; excess avocado causes certain phenomena in my bowels, but I feel great with just one or two shakes a day.
Some months I go "eff it" because I'm focused on work and devolve into eating junk, but I usually soon go back to my healthy diet. I've effectively maintained my weight of ~160 lbs despite sometimes going weeks or a month failing the diet.