I'm so confused. What should I be eating?

pepsicolaho

I am Jamie. I am 31 and mother to 4 boys (and 3 bonus children). Before getting pregnant with my almost 3 year old (whom I am still breast feeding, so no detox suggestions please), I was 155ish pounds. I was 199 the day I delivered him and 170 2 weeks later. Between then and now I ballooned to 216.5lbs (5 foot 2). I decided last month that I needed a change. As of July 30th I quit drinking Pepsi. It's all I drank, 4L a day. No coffee, milk, water or juice. A week later I decided to try changing my diet. I am not "dieting" as I need a life style change, not a fad diet. For now I eat whatever I want but try to restrict my calories (not so much carbs) to 1200 a day. I've pretty much eliminated the obvious bad foods (candy, chocolate, chips, sweets I'm general). I only drink plain water. I still eat a lot, but it's namely veggies and chicken, some bread, granola, yogurt, occasional Cheerios. Still seems like a lot of days I eat lots but have plenty of the 1200 calories left over. 2 weeks ago I started going to the gym. I love it. I usually spend about 2 hours there a night (sometimes 1.5 hours, sometimes 3) and burn typically 500-650 calories there a night. I seem to be losing approximately 0.5lbs a day (15 total so fat, weighing in at 201.5 today).
I am wanting to know what I can do better, healthier. Besides breast feeding I don't have any health issues that limit me that I know of.


I want to namely make sure I won't hurt myself eating too little (even though it seems like a lot) and working out too much (a month ago I was winded walking up and down stairs to the bathroom). Nutrition information is so confusing. Some of what I read says I need to eliminate carbs. Others say I need to make sure carbs are part of my every day. I am so confused.

KateTii

Welcome!

Most people here won't suggest a detox/fad diet. Like myself, most of us are strong believers in "lifelong changes that can be sustained for your long life" (not to mention detoxes/fad diets generally don't equal sustainable weight loss)

Best thing you can do is eat your goal and around 50% of your exercise calories.

The simplest way to put it is;
1. Eating less than you burn is for weight loss
2. Eating a variety of healthy foods is for nutrition
3. Exercise is for fitness

Make sure you have a food scale and weight everything you eat. To be under 1200 calories by a lot but feel like you are eating a lot suggests to me you aren't logging everything.

Oh and carbs aren't evil - some people choose not to eat them but unless you have doctors advice, there is no reason to avoid them. I am a huge believer in balance and for me, I need carbs in my life (as well as the occasional ice cream, chips, lollies etc) to feel balanced.

pepsicolaho

I was definitely always a late supper them snack all night type of person. Now I get 3 meals a day and some snacks in between. It's still so new I have been really limiting most things that I know I wont stick with long term (potatoes, pasta, etc). For now when I have them, I make myself a salad instead of potatoes, or will eat 1/4 of my usual of pasta, and a salad as the filler. I've eliminated all sauces to try to save there. If I am wasting calories, it better be worth not drinking my beloved Pepsi, kwim?

pepsicolaho

But, I haven't been logging nearly enough the past 2 weeks and may be in for a rude awakening when I do lol

OmarRakeen

for a successful fat loss aim to lose no more than 2 lbs per week or you might risk wasting some lean muscle mass which is a bad thing. use an online calculator to estimate your daily caloric need, eat 10-25% less than your total. the whole point here is to be in a caloric deficit. it doesnt matter what you eat as long as it meets your caloric target BUT obviously a 100 calories from lean meats are a lot more nutritious than those that come from sugars so chose wisely. online calorie counters are very helpful for breaking down your calorie/macro nutrients so use those and log everything you eat. as for carbs, eliminating them is totally unnecessary and definitely exhausting. instead, have a balanced diet that keeps you sane. the goal here is to stick to your diet and keep the fats off. in my honest opinion and in my past experience i highly advise you not to eliminate foods that you love but instead have them every now and then as a reward, this will keep you going and doesnt break you. good luck!

pepsicolaho

Thanks so much Omar!!

tomatoey

Congrats on making a commitment to yourself

Are you eating back your exercise calories? 1200 is a minimum that your body should have available for basic functions. If you're only eating 1200, and burning half of it off with exercise, your body is not getting enough. 1200 needs to stay in there. So eat back your exercise calories

You are going to have to learn how to fit in those foods, because it is for the long haul. I can't imagine not drinking coffee

For general health, and even just portion control, it's not a bad idea to follow generally accepted dietary guidelines. Here's what Harvard thinks you should eat:
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-plate/



To get in all your vitamins and other nutrients, try to "eat the rainbow" - get some green veg, some red and yellow. Generally, the more intense they are in colour, the more nutrient-packed they are.

To keep your muscle mass as you lose, aim to get a good amount of protein in. .8 grams for every pound you weigh. And do some strength training if you're not, bc your muscles need to be stimulated so they stay at the level they're at during weight loss.

Personally, I'd not drink juice, because it's a lot of calories for not a lot of return. Coffee has health benefits and is really tasty and milk has good stuff in it, too. Once you have a handle on how to deal with most of your diet and targets, it'll be easier to work out how to enjoy things you love. Aim for 80% of your diet to look like Harvard's guide and 20% stuff that you like that might not make it on there.

You sound really dedicated to this You'll do great

pepsicolaho

I never drank coffee so that was very easy. Pepsi was my weakness. The first week after I gave that up I drank probably 2L of OJ. It was when I noticed it had almost the same amount of calories as Pepsi that O decided to watch calories. I really need to get a handle on how much I should be consuming vs burning. I am really so ignorant.

pepsicolaho

I do some strength training between cardios. I am working up my time on the machines. Now I do about 25 minutes on the cross trainer and 15 minutes on the bike. Then I give my legs a little break and do some of the strength training machines. I don't know the name of any of them though. I do crunches first, then two arm ones. Then I do the elliptical for 15, and back to strength (leg curls, a back one (you almost do sit ups but the focus is the weight you push back) and more arm. I do the rowing machine (25 mins) and the cross trainer again (10-15m this time), then do 3 more strength ones. I use them to help my legs quit burning before I start the cardio again lol

tomatoey

pepsicolaho wrote: »

I never drank coffee so that was very easy. Pepsi was my weakness. The first week after I gave that up I drank probably 2L of OJ. It was when I noticed it had almost the same amount of calories as Pepsi that O decided to watch calories. I really need to get a handle on how much I should be consuming vs burning. I am really so ignorant.

Don't be hard on yourself - you're seeking out information, and doing everything you can to improve your health. You'll be sharing advice here in not too long a time

I think that just by replacing the full-calorie Pepsi and OJ with water (or lower calorie drinks), you've already made a major dent in your intake. A glass of OJ or Pepsi isn't going to kill you, though - BUT if they're a weakness, it might be a good idea to stay away from them for a bit, since you're starting out. There are things I didn't keep in the house at all for a while, until I worked out how to eat. Once you're more used to things, it'll be easier to figure out how to make it all hang together.

tomatoey

pepsicolaho wrote: »

I do some strength training between cardios. I am working up my time on the machines. Now I do about 25 minutes on the cross trainer and 15 minutes on the bike. Then I give my legs a little break and do some of the strength training machines. I don't know the name of any of them though. I do crunches first, then two arm ones. Then I do the elliptical for 15, and back to strength (leg curls, a back one (you almost do sit ups but the focus is the weight you push back) and more arm. I do the rowing machine (25 mins) and the cross trainer again (10-15m this time), then do 3 more strength ones. I use them to help my legs quit burning before I start the cardio again lol

I'm not a fitness expert, but my take
- Mixing up cardio is a great idea, in my opinion, because it helps prevent overuse injuries. You can do it the way you're doing it, or use the bike one day, and elliptical or rower the next.
- Any resistance training is helpful, so it's great you're doing that! Some people have an issue with using machines unless you have to, because they only target the muscles they're designed to address. Using "free weights" like dumbbells or barbells, in what are called "compound movements" (like squats and lunges) will help strengthen stabilizers, abs, just more of your body all around. It's worth doing an established beginners weight lifting program, because those are designed to provide a balanced approach to muscle development, and to maximize benefits. Also it's just easier to let someone else do the work of planning it all I can't do a program like that anymore myself, but programs that are often recommended are Starting Strength, Strong Lifts, the New Rules of Lifting for Women, and Strong Curves. Your best bet is starting a new post in the Fitness forum for advice on all that

pepsicolaho

tomatoey wrote: »

Don't be hard on yourself - you're seeking out information, and doing everything you can to improve your health. You'll be sharing advice here in not too long a time

I think that just by replacing the full-calorie Pepsi and OJ with water (or lower calorie drinks), you've already made a major dent in your intake. A glass of OJ or Pepsi isn't going to kill you, though - BUT if they're a weakness, it might be a good idea to stay away from them for a bit, since you're starting out. There are things I didn't keep in the house at all for a while, until I worked out how to eat. Once you're more used to things, it'll be easier to figure out how to make it all hang together.

I am afraid one drink will lead to one tomorrow, and the next day, then two. I smell of it is still really alluring so I've banished it front the house for now lol. I was really blessed to not hve any issues giving it up. I thought headaches would be a sure thing. I may have been a bit more tired (went to bed a lot earlier, actually worked well), but that was all. And I was drinking like 4L a day for 10+ years. But not a single headache. I consider myself very lucky.

WBB55

Came here to add:

-you're doing really well.
-there's going to be days where motivation/life gets in the way. I urge you to try to remember that even if all you have the energy for is 30 minute walk, that commitment to doing SOMETHING will be really helpful long term.

Good job with the soda!

bbinoa

Awesome job giving up the soda! I have certain foods I simply can't have around bc I knowing it's available drives me crazy! Lol! I've gotten better where I can buy the stuff in a single serving and be ok but no half gallons of ice cream come through my door!

Just wanted to point out that since you are still nursing you'll want to make sure you don't restrict your calories too much and have it affect your milk production. It's been alot of years since I did that but you may want to reach out to a professional- your doctor, a registered dietician or any lactation support groups (LA Leche league?) To see if they have suggestions. I'm not sure if MFP includes that in the calorie calculations?

Good luck... you are making some great changes for yourself!

tomatoey

pepsicolaho wrote: »

I really need to get a handle on how much I should be consuming vs burning.

I forgot to say that you're far from the only person who finds the 1200 "net" method confusing. There are several posts on this very issue every day. Many, many people have the impression they can only eat 1200, because of how NEAT is set up on the site. You were right to question this and to ask about it. You're on the right track

callsitlikeiseeit

if youre breast feeding still, you need more than 1200 a day

Yi5hedr3

Give up the bread next. Good bang for the buck.

rybo

It's not complicated. Eat real food. Mostly consisting of f vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, eggs, meat, and dairy if you can tolerate it. Experiment with limiting grains, not everyone can, not everyone has negative affects from grains. Start there, find food that you need to avoid because they cause you to overeat. Find foods(treats) that you can eat in small quantities without going overboard.

berski78

From my experience, 1200 calories a day is not enough. Breastfeeding or not 1600 to 1700 a day is what I have been told is perfect for a woman to lose weight. 1200 is just not enough. Good luck ;-)