Female needing help hitting 2000 calories a day w/out junk

lemurcat2

kimny72 wrote: »

kshama2001 wrote: »

Ok, I see it's time for me to drop in the Brazilian definition again. Whenever there is an OP that mentions "processed foods" they essentially mean what everyone I know off MFP means - "Ultra Processed Foods" like in http://bvsms.saude.gov.br/bvs/publicacoes/dietary_guidelines_brazilian_population.pdf starting on page 39.

Oddly, MFP uses a more food manufacturer type definition - if a food has gone through any sort of treatment whatsoever, it is processed, and therefore everything we don't eat directly out of our own garden is processed, which is clearly not what these poor OPs mean.

Considering OP is classifying protein powder as healthy and nuts as garbage, I'm not sure you can assume she's strictly thinking of ultra-processed foods as junk.

Right, and there is absolutely zero reasonable usage of the term "processed" that would not include protein powder (or sweet potato pasta). I just bought some black bean pasta to try, but I would never claim it wasn't processed. It's fine, though, as is the cheese and plain skyr I bought.

I limit the ultra processed stuff I buy (more just because of personal preference) and consider some processed options acceptable for me, and others are things I choose not to have in my personal diet, and I wouldn't judge anyone else for doing the same, but this "oh, everyone knows people don't mean whole wheat bread when they say processed" (or whatever) always mystifies me, since I do consider those things processed and always have. And it's pretty clear people use the term in a whole bunch of entirely inconsistent ways.

Also, I think the way I use the term is the normal way. I read this book Unprocessed by Megan Kimble (http://megankimble.com/) and she does an experiment where she tries to eat ONLY unprocessed foods for a year, and she absolutely does not mean only avoiding ultra processed stuff (which in itself is a confusing distinction). It would have been a trivially simple project if that's what she meant.

I think a better distinction is between foods you think are nutrient rich (processed or no) and those you think are not, and I assume OP has some distinction like that in mind, or one involving macros (since nuts are nutrient rich), and to give good advice we need to know what it is. (OP didn't say she was avoiding processed foods, but what she considers "processed garbage," but my guess as to what that might mean was clearly wrong for the reasons kimny points out.)

sijomial

I'm struggling to understand why eggs whites would be considered more healthy than whole eggs when the whole egg has more and far more varied nutrients. A low calorie way to boost your protein is how they are normally regarded but you don't want low calories....

I maintain on over 3000 cals mostly on two meals and a few snacks, your meals must be tiny in terms of both volume and calories.

I'm also not keen on a high fat diet (upsets my stomach) but starchy carbs, grains and fruits would surely fit the bill for minimally processed foods/close to natural state/not garbage foods? (However, you choose to define them.)

Start by swapping out any "diet foods" for their non-diet alternative if you struggle with volume.

Nice back definition by the way.

lemurcat2

sijomial wrote: »

I'm struggling to understand why eggs whites would be considered more healthy than whole eggs when the whole egg has more and far more varied nutrients. A low calorie way to boost your protein is how they are normally regarded but you don't want low calories....

Strongly agree with this, but I'm assuming OP's idea of healthy is based on having low fat macros (or super high protein), from what she said about not wanting to eat nuts.

More info would be useful.

jjpptt2

Unfortunately, it seems as though OP is no longer interested in this thread.

Panini911

sijomial wrote: »

I'm struggling to understand why eggs whites would be considered more healthy than whole eggs when the whole egg has more and far more varied nutrients. A low calorie way to boost your protein is how they are normally regarded but you don't want low calories....

I maintain on over 3000 cals mostly on two meals and a few snacks, your meals must be tiny in terms of both volume and calories.

I'm also not keen on a high fat diet (upsets my stomach) but starchy carbs, grains and fruits would surely fit the bill for minimally processed foods/close to natural state/not garbage foods? (However, you choose to define them.)

Start by swapping out any "diet foods" for their non-diet alternative if you struggle with volume.

Nice back definition by the way.

a number of these posts complaining they can't hit their calorie goal opt for low fat this and no fat that. sorta boggles the mind. such an easy place to increase your calories without increasing quantity of food.

nowine4me

@gunnshannonm assuming that’s you in your profile pic, you have an amazing physique and a lot of muscle, so you clearly have a handle on nutrition. To add calories without too much bulk, add nuts, nut butters, brown rice (or any whole grain), avocado, olive oil, dried figs/dates, or a good quality PP. it’s hard to think you built those guns on a low calorie diet.

WinoGelato

OP I have some of the same questions as others including:

- what is currently happening with your weight eating the way you have been where you have been struggling to achieve a certain calorie level?
- What are your goals, to maintain your current weight?
- how did you arrive at the 2000 calorie number that you think is your target? Based on your stats and activity level I wouldn’t be surprised if your TDEE weren’t higher than 2000 cals so I’m still questioning whether you’re trying to lose or maintain
- Are you trying to adhere to a particular type of diet (low fat) for medical reasons?

lemurcat2

I guess I'm being woo stalked. Amusing.

brower47

gunnshannonm wrote: »

janejellyroll wrote: »

I suggest you rethink some of your assumptions about food, specifically the one that has you dismissing a whole bunch of perfectly valid and healthful foods as "garbage" (while you're also consuming calories through processed drink mixes throughout the day).

When I need more calories, I'll usually add things like avocados/guacamole, coconut, dark chocolate, nuts/seeds, and potatoes to my day. I also don't worry about eating foods like pasta, oats, plant oils, tortillas, or muffins because I know that these can be part of a healthful diet.

One scoop of iso whey protein is hardly a horrible choice when you are eating 1gm of protein per pound of body weight which is 140 gms for me and only supplementing with 25gms. So im doing good there. I look at macros also so i dont want to eat a bag of nuts or tons of fats just to hit my goals. Appreciate your feedback you mistook the word garbage since i primarily eat a variety of healthy foods all day long and still fall short. Guess i have to keep shoving my face and get over it.

If you're going for more calories then nuts are an excellent source of fat, vitamins and minerals. The biggest reason I eat a lot of nuts is for the magnesium. Up to 45% of the U.S. population (and I'm sure this applies many other countries) are deficient. Magnesium is an incredibly important mineral for the production of ATP. So if you want the most from your workouts, nuts can be very beneficial in helping to meet that nutritional need.

lemurcat2

kgeyser wrote: »

kshama2001 wrote: »

Ok, I see it's time for me to drop in the Brazilian definition again. Whenever there is an OP that mentions "processed foods" they essentially mean what everyone I know off MFP means - "Ultra Processed Foods" like in http://bvsms.saude.gov.br/bvs/publicacoes/dietary_guidelines_brazilian_population.pdf starting on page 39.

Oddly, MFP uses a more food manufacturer type definition - if a food has gone through any sort of treatment whatsoever, it is processed, and therefore everything we don't eat directly out of our own garden is processed, which is clearly not what these poor OPs mean.

The majority of people on MFP are using the "ultra processed foods" definition when they mention "processed foods," it's a small minority of MFP users who view it from the food manufacturer definition.

I would like to point out that I think this is false and offensive. Most people on MFP use the standard definition of processed as I mentioned by reference to the book Unprocessed. It's weird and inexplicable to claim protein powder or, I dunno, black bean pasta is unprocessed but wheat bread or (in this case) nuts or olive oil are.

jdog022

She ain’t coming back guys. Clearly didn’t like the truth and I don’t think we are going to change her views on food.

AnnPT77

Panini911 wrote: »

sijomial wrote: »

I'm struggling to understand why eggs whites would be considered more healthy than whole eggs when the whole egg has more and far more varied nutrients. A low calorie way to boost your protein is how they are normally regarded but you don't want low calories....

I maintain on over 3000 cals mostly on two meals and a few snacks, your meals must be tiny in terms of both volume and calories.

I'm also not keen on a high fat diet (upsets my stomach) but starchy carbs, grains and fruits would surely fit the bill for minimally processed foods/close to natural state/not garbage foods? (However, se to define them.)

Start by swapping out any "diet foods" for their non-diet alternative if you struggle with volume.

Nice back definition by the way.

a number of these posts complaining they can't hit their calorie goal opt for low fat this and no fat that. sorta boggles the mind. such an easy place to increase your calories without increasing quantity of food.

Especially as (IMO) ultra-low fat probably isn't the most balanced way of eating, nutritionally speaking, and may be particular suboptimal for women.

Psychgrrl

OP, if you see this, I'll add ...

I eat fruit (raspberries and wild blueberries) on my (plain) Icelandic (high protein) yogurt for dinner often. I had a massive workout today and had some extra calories to play with, so I added two servings of pumpkin granola. Rounds out the macros nicely.

Another protein-adding trick I have is making my protein shake with unsweetened soy milk. Eight fluid ounces adds 80 calories and 7 grams of protein. It has a nice macro balance and it makes the shakes taste extra-creamy.

Hope that helps!