How do I even eat?.

zutari

6'2 295 lbs.
I have lost about 15 pounds but I'm not exactly sure what or how I should be eating. I know fruits and veggies but, how many? What kind? What kinds of breads? Anyone know where to start?

SteveMFP123

Update your goal on MFP to 2lbs/week, the site will tell you how many calories to eat to lose that weight. Basically cut out as much junk food as possible and stay within your limits, MFP does all the thinking for you. And you can still eat food you enjoy within reason, for example I still make homemade pizza every week and I'm 45lbs down and counting, I actually started at 293lbs and I'm 6ft 3" so we both started at a similar point. For the record I eat Warburtons wholemeal bread, it's really nice and better for you than white.

Buy yourself a digital food scale and weigh everything, then log everything so you can't overeat if you're honest with yourself.

RodaRose

Track everything in the diary. After a few days or a week or two look to see if you want to make changes. Essentially you can eat what you are eating now as long as you are eating less.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

zutari

I keep track of my calories well, but I know dieting is more than just calorie counting. I'm almost always within my calorie goal, but I'm wondering about what else I should be eating and in what quantities! Thanks for the reply though!

KJoubert1966

My opinion on what works for me...

1. All the veggies you can stomach. Lots of variety, and not swimming in high calorie dressing or sauce or butter. A little is okay, but not too much.
2. take it easy on the fruit. No more than 1 or 2 servings a day, and definitely "fruit" and not "fruit juice".
3. Protein. Several small servings a day. Lean is good, but fat is not "the devil" provided you accurately track and account for the calories. In many cases, you'll need to cut the fat down, not because its bad for you... but because it pushes your calorie intake way over the top. Fat and protein will satisfy your hunger, unlike the veggies. Eat them strategically.
4. Bread. Don't eat it if you are trying to lose weight. Same for pasta. I'd severely limit all grains if you want to lose weight.

Be very honest and accurate in your calorie intake and exercise. Use the app. It works.

obscuremusicreference

KJoubert1966 wrote: »

My opinion on what works for me...

1. All the veggies you can stomach. Lots of variety, and not swimming in high calorie dressing or sauce or butter. A little is okay, but not too much.
2. take it easy on the fruit. No more than 1 or 2 servings a day, and definitely "fruit" and not "fruit juice".
3. Protein. Several small servings a day. Lean is good, but fat is not "the devil" provided you accurately track and account for the calories. In many cases, you'll need to cut the fat down, not because its bad for you... but because it pushes your calorie intake way over the top. Fat and protein will satisfy your hunger, unlike the veggies. Eat them strategically.
4. Bread. Don't eat it if you are trying to lose weight. Same for pasta. I'd severely limit all grains if you want to lose weight.

Be very honest and accurate in your calorie intake and exercise. Use the app. It works.

I'm glad that works for you, but I've lost 27 pounds eating bread and 2-5 servings of fruit. OP, make sure you're logging accurately and eating at MFP's recommendation for calories and the weight will come off.

WinoGelato

What food did you eat before you started MFP? Figure out your goals, set reasonable expectations (depending how much you have to lose, may not be 2 lbs/week, may be 1 lb) and start logging. Many people find using a food scale to weigh their food helps dramatically. Many people set macro targets (Protein, Fat, Carbs) and try to balance those. Many people use exercise to "earn" additional calories.

These recommendations are not mutually exclusive. Bottom line, if you are trying to lose weight, you need to consume less calories than you expend. Calories In < Calories Out. You can do that eating the same foods that you ate before joining MFP, just in smaller quantities.

fearlessleader104

Same stuff you ate before deciding to lose weight, but less. Unless you are deficient in something and the doctor recommends you change up your diet.

SueInAz

What you're eating isn't as important as how many calories you're eating. That's really the number one thing you should internalize; it's all about eating less calories than your body is burning every day.

When you start MFP, you should have set a starting weight and your body stats and picked a weight loss goal. MFP will then set you a calorie goal for each day. That's your starting point, theoretically. However, I often advise someone new to this process to simply start by recording everything you eat. That's it, just simply getting used to the process of logging absolutely everything that crosses your lips. After a few days, take a good look at it and decide where you can make some easy changes to your diet that will result in less calories. You will probably be very surprised how many calories some of the foods you eat contain or how many calories you're getting through what you drink.

Next, buy a kitchen scale so you can weigh your food. Food portions are often overestimated. 2 tablespoons of peanut butter are 200 calories and don't look like that much when seen sitting on a slice of bread. Getting to understand portion sizes will really help you in the long run.

SteveMFP123

fearlessleader104 wrote: »

Same stuff you ate before deciding to lose weight, but less. Unless you are deficient in something and the doctor recommends you change up your diet.

This so much. Before I started losing weight I thought I'd be fat forever because I just don't like healthy foods, I never have and I never will. Then I realised I can lose weight eating pretty much the same stuff I was before just way less of it. All my meals are basically the same as they were 6 months ago, just less of it and more homemade versions instead of frozen products. I did cut out all the unnecessary stuff though, like soda, crisps, sweets, milkshakes etc.

lemurcat12

Like others have said, what are you eating now? If you are logging, how are your macros (the total amounts of carbs, fats, and protein)?

Many people find it easier to look at what they are eating and see where they might be eating many excess calories that aren't worth it to them or aren't filling them up. For example, if you found that you were using 600 calories per day on soda, that might be something you'd want to reconsider as an easy place to cut. For me, it was easy to cut calories used on stuff like rice and bread, since I don't care much about those foods--they were calories that weren't worth it to me, more calories I ate because they were there. If you love these foods, though, you'd want to cut somewhere else.

Other people (including me) find it easier to focus on weightloss in the context of eating a healthy diet, and if that's you and you aren't sure if your diet is currently healthy you might want to think about whether you are eating a lot of food (and mostly filling up on) foods with lots of nutrients. In particular, you'd want to get calories from protein (in meat, eggs, dairy, beans, and a variety of other foods--MFP will show you), healthy fats (things like olive oil, avocados, nuts), and of course a good many vegetables and fruits.

I tend to approach meals by making sure I have some protein, some veggies, and then add fruit/dairy/starch depending on what I'm in the mood for. Starch means stuff like grains (bread, pasta rice), potatoes, sweet potatoes. But what you do will depend on your personal preferences.

Also, eating healthy doesn't at all exclude eating some things that you just enjoy the taste of, regardless of nutrients. It's just that by focusing on nutrients first you tend to ensure that you eat them in moderation.

None of this is essential to losing weight; just a way that can work if you find it more appealing to focus on eating a healthy diet vs. just eating less.

RodaRose

Open your diary. We can give you specific suggestions.

luluinca

The best thing to do if you're not sure what to eat, or aren't used to cooking your own meals, is to look at others' diaries. That will give you a good idea. In your case, I would look at the diaries of other guys with your similar statistics. A lot of people here have their diaries set to public viewing.

You can also check out the recipe pages here for ideas if you're interested in cooking some easy meals.

Good luck, sounds like you're off to a good start.

Christine_72

Why are some people so against fruit?? I love my fruit, and don't limit it all!

Ninkyou

Eat all foods (that you like & aren't allergic to), within moderation and following your calorie goal.

Sabine_Stroehm

You sound like someone who could benefit from reading up, and from starting with a reasonable formal diet. I could recommend a few, based on your preferences. Formal diets can be a good way to learn if you're totally at a loss. I was, when I began.

I guess it depends on your goals. A number on a scale? improved health? Both?

Good luck!

concordancia

How many? The US government once suggested five a day. It is a nice number and will usually get you enough fiber at least, depending on the actual choices.

What kind? Just go to the supermarket (or even the farmer's market) and pick something that looks interesting. Make sure you find out what it is called. Take it home and look up a recipe. Your end goal is to get a variety, including a variety of colors.

How? (I don't think you actually asked this) If you can't find a recipe, or if you didn't like it when you were a kid, try roasting it. Cut <veg of your choice> into bite sized pieces, toss with olive oil and salt (a ziploc bag works good for this). Spread it on a baking sheet and put it in the oven at ~400F for 15 minutes for softer vegetables, up to 40 minutes for starchier vegetables. (Or, look up "roast <whatever you brought home in the previous step>)

Breads are best whole grain, on general principles. More important than what kind of bread is that you add in proteins with your fruit and veg.

bwogilvie

Personally, I try to follow Michael Pollan's advice: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." By "food," he means anything that your grandmother would recognize as food. (Maybe it's safer to say great-grandmother these days.)

I modify the rule, though, to include anyone's (great-)grandmother. My grandmothers both had pretty limited ranges, though they cooked well within them.

You don't need to do that to lose weight, though. You could lose weight eating TV dinners and drinking PBR, as long as you stay within your calorie goal. I just find it more satisfying to cook good meals and to eat my veggies.

That said, tonight's dinner is steak and potatoes with broccoli, followed by cheese and crackers, accompanied by a glass or two of red wine. But lunch was chickpea-tomato soup, and tomorrow's dinner is pasta with a vegan spinach-cashew sauce and a big salad. And I also have the occasional burger with fries or slice of pizza. I'm not going to cut those out forever, so I've learned to fit them into my goals.

GingerbreadCandy

Are you asking for what type of food will help you lose weight, or how to maintain a balanced and healthy nutrition?

Because the answer to the first is – none in particular. It is the amount of calories you eat that matter.

As for the second, it is a tad more complex.

Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »

You sound like someone who could benefit from reading up, and from starting with a reasonable formal diet. I could recommend a few, based on your preferences. Formal diets can be a good way to learn if you're totally at a loss. I was, when I began.

I guess it depends on your goals. A number on a scale? improved health? Both?

^this. You already have a bunch of ideas in this thread, but it's hard for us to really give you specific advice unless we know more. Perhaps you could let us know or, as Sabine suggested, read up on some formal diets. Then if you have more specific questions you can post them here or make a new thread in the Food and Nutrition forum.

KJoubert1966

christinev297 wrote: »

Why are some people so against fruit?? I love my fruit, and don't limit it all!

I am not "against" fruit (or bread). I only advise to people that are starting out, to be careful with higher calorie foods and carbs. You can easily reach your calorie limit and still feel very hungry. That can lead to frustration, cheating, and even quitting. Good luck and good wishes to the OP.