Nutrition Questions- I'm new to all of this!!

khageman101

Hi Everybody,

I am new to MFP and nutrition in general. I have always eaten somewhat healthy, but not like I am now using MFP. This calorie tracking is eye opening!!! Now, I have so many questions regarding nutrition....

A little background info... I had a baby 10 weeks ago and am trying to get rid of this baby fat. I am 6' tall and have about 25 pounds to lose. I carry most of my weight in my stomach....which is so hard to lose. I do cardio 5 times per week.

Here is my main question: I notice when I finish eating for the day, I don't always consume 100% of what the app tells me. For example, yesterday I only had 43.9 g of the 65.4g of fat I should have. Should I be eating more fat so I can reach the 65.4? It seems that I shouldn't since the goal is to lose the fat. I finish under for most of the nutrients listed.

Any insight would be great! Or if you have any ideas/tips on how I can reach my goal the quick and healthy way. Also, I have abut 3 friends on here, so if you would like to friend me...that would be great as I could always use some motivation! Thanks Ya'll!

hgycta

If you're under your fat one day, don't worry about it too much, as long as you're not ALWAYS under by a lot (there will be other days when you go over, this will balance it out). Your main goal should be to eat a variety of things to provide different nutrients while staying within your caloric limits. You also mentioned that you do cardio 5 times a week, that's great! But do you do any weight training exercises? It can be a little disheartening if you gain some muscle weight, but muscle burns more than fat so adding some of that in might be worth considering!

ncboiler89

khageman101 wrote: »

Hi Everybody,

I am new to MFP and nutrition in general. I have always eaten somewhat healthy, but not like I am now using MFP. This calorie tracking is eye opening!!! Now, I have so many questions regarding nutrition....

A little background info... I had a baby 10 weeks ago and am trying to get rid of this baby fat. I am 6' tall and have about 25 pounds to lose. I carry most of my weight in my stomach....which is so hard to lose. I do cardio 5 times per week.

Here is my main question: I notice when I finish eating for the day, I don't always consume 100% of what the app tells me. For example, yesterday I only had 43.9 g of the 65.4g of fat I should have. Should I be eating more fat so I can reach the 65.4? It seems that I shouldn't since the goal is to lose the fat. I finish under for most of the nutrients listed.

Any insight would be great! Or if you have any ideas/tips on how I can reach my goal the quick and healthy way. Also, I have abut 3 friends on here, so if you would like to friend me...that would be great as I could always use some motivation! Thanks Ya'll!

Your main goal should be your calorie target and if you eat a reasonably well balanced diet you will be in the ballpark of your macro goals. If you find you are consistently missing your macro goals just research what foods are high in what you need and add it to your diet or eat more of it. You say you are missing your fat goal - try some nuts. I can't hit my protein goal so I have a protein shake at least once per day.

SezxyStef

The macros set by MFP are USDA minimums....and fat is easy to get in if you aren't in too steep of a deficit. Fat helps your body absorb vitamins and minerals.

whole milk, full fat cheese, nuts, peanut butter all good sources. The one macro you need to really watch is protein to ensure you are getting enough to help preserve muscle mass and do resistance training or heavy weight lifting. Carbs are good for energy...

I agree with the weights but no worries on gaining anything from it...except maybe some water weight at first.

As for hitting your goals in a healthy way...it is not always the fastest way.

Set a reasonable deficit...1/2lb to 1lb a week for now until you reach 10lbs from goal then 1/2lb a week. Don't stop eating food you love just do it in reasonable portions to stay in your reasonable goal.

Exercise is good but isn't required for weight loss...health and fitness is what exercise is for. As for exercise cardio is good, some form of resistance training.

khageman101

Thank you all for your replies and advice, it helps for sure! I have been doing some light weights in addition to my cardio. I do weights about 3 times per week. At first I did gain a few lbs....but now that I have been at it for about 4 weeks I am finally seeing the lbs come off. I have lost 4 lbs so far and I couldn't be more proud of myself!! Yay go me!!!! Thanks again!!

msty112

First of all, congratulations on the little one! You have a 10 week old baby, cut yourself a little slack and enjoy that little baby. They grow so fast!

Eating fat won't make you fat. You just need healthy fats. Nuts, cheese, avocado, real butter, olive or coconut oil. Don't be afraid of fat. Refined grains and added sugars make us fat.

4 pounds in 4 weeks is excellent! Keep up the good work. Remember that healthy and maintainable weight loss is a slow and steady process.

healthygreek

msty112 wrote: »

First of all, congratulations on the little one! You have a 10 week old baby, cut yourself a little slack and enjoy that little baby. They grow so fast!

Eating fat won't make you fat. You just need healthy fats. Nuts, cheese, avocado, real butter, olive or coconut oil. Don't be afraid of fat. Refined grains and added sugars make us fat.

4 pounds in 4 weeks is excellent! Keep up the good work. Remember that healthy and maintainable weight loss is a slow and steady process.

Refined grains and added sugars do NOT make us fat!
Eating too much does!

sofaking6

This may not be the case if you're breastfeeding (anyone?) but I would say, try and hit your protein every day, it's important during weight loss to help maintain your muscle mass, but unless you're deliberately cutting out fat or carbs then you should be close enough with a relatively healthy diet to not have to worry about them. You say you've always been a pretty healthy eater and IMO that's enough that you should feel confident in your overall nutrition. Congrats on the bebe!