Mediterranean

alex2017new

Hi, Per dr. I need to start getting the Mediterranean way of of eating. Is there anyone/groups that do this? Any help would be appreciated..TIA

cathipa

I follow a plant based diet so really the only difference is Mediterranean diet has some chicken and fish. What questions do you have?

alex2017new

Ok, any idea how many calories I should be eating and also my what settings of % for carbs,protein and fat should be..I’m so lost?

janejellyroll

alex2017new wrote: »

Ok, any idea how many calories I should be eating and also my what settings of % for carbs,protein and fat should be..I’m so lost?

You can get your calorie goal and macro recommendations from MFP by entering your current stats and goals. There is no specific Mediterranean calorie goal or macro split . . . it's about the type of food you're choosing.

If this a diet that your doctor is recommending, did they give you any resources to help you understand it? An option would be to ask for a referral to a registered dietician, they can help you understand how to approach this way of eating.

maureenkhilde

Regardless of what diet you choose could be Keto, Mediterrean, Flexiterrean, Low Carb, Dash, Vegan, Vegetarian or just calories in and out. Every single one follow something in common. We lose weight by burning up more calories than we take in.

First put in your stats age, how much you weigh, how tall you are. How much you have to lose and so on. So based on starting weight VS goal weight how much one needs/wants to lose. How many lbs per week you are aiming to lose. MFP will come up with a suggested number of calories you should eat per day. There will be defaults for macros, and really at first there are fine to follow.

And for how many lbs to lose per week, that is safe. There are guidelines based on how many lbs you really have to lose. Example those who are obese and or have 75 plus pounds to lose are really the only people who should be saying they want to lose 2 lbs per week. We all are so impatient and want the weight gone so fast.

I think the sticky notes for new people there is literally a chart that shows if you have X amount of lbs to lose here is the amount to input, if your amount to lose is in a different range it shows that as well. I have found this to be very helpful.

lemurcat2

alex2017new wrote: »

Ok, any idea how many calories I should be eating and also my what settings of % for carbs,protein and fat should be..I’m so lost?

Here's a good source for what the Mediterranean way of eating is: https://memory.ucsf.edu/sites/memory.ucsf.edu/files/MediterraneanDietHandout.pdf

How many calories you should be eating depends on your height, weight, activity level, and goals, and does not vary based on what type of diet you are eating. Go through MFP for a goal. We could help you with that if you tell us stats and your goal (weight loss or whatever).

If you use the MFP way you add back intentional exercise daily and the goal goes up (the original one assumes no intentional exercise).

Macros do not matter for the Med diet, they can be quite varied, so I'd start with the MFP basic ones but not worry about hitting them exactly. You will learn over time what works best for you.

What specifically did your doctor say about the reasons for choosing this way of eating? Often it's just because it's generally healthful, and it's about focusing on vegetables, fruits, and whole food or whole grain carbs like beans and lentils (these also come with protein), potatoes and sweet potatoes, and the many kinds of grains. Also healthy fats like those in olives (and olive oil), avocados (although not actually Mediterranean), and nuts and seeds. And fish or other seafood as the main source of meat with other meats eaten more sparingly. Compared to the supposedly average US diet, it tends to decrease sat fat, decrease highly refined carbs and foods high in fat and sugar, and of course increase some foods that are really good for you, like vegetables, etc., as well as increasing fiber. It also tends to focus on cooking from whole foods.

lisa2113940

maureenkhilde wrote: »

Regardless of what diet you choose could be Keto, Mediterrean, Flexiterrean, Low Carb, Dash, Vegan, Vegetarian or just calories in and out. Every single one follow something in common. We lose weight by burning up more calories than we take in.

First put in your stats age, how much you weigh, how tall you are. How much you have to lose and so on. So based on starting weight VS goal weight how much one needs/wants to lose. How many lbs per week you are aiming to lose. MFP will come up with a suggested number of calories you should eat per day. There will be defaults for macros, and really at first there are fine to follow.

And for how many lbs to lose per week, that is safe. There are guidelines based on how many lbs you really have to lose. Example those who are obese and or have 75 plus pounds to lose are really the only people who should be saying they want to lose 2 lbs per week. We all are so impatient and want the weight gone so fast.

I think the sticky notes for new people there is literally a chart that shows if you have X amount of lbs to lose here is the amount to input, if your amount to lose is in a different range it shows that as well. I have found this to be very helpful.

If his doctor told him to go on the Mediterranean diet, it likely was due to the health benefits of that diet. It is not really a weight loss diet as much as one that research has shown promotes longevity. I would not assume that weight loss is the only important aspect to changing one's diet.

lemurcat2

That's what my link should have shown too. ;-)

lemurcat2

If you are getting into adding more veg and fruit (which is an important part of the Med way of eating), you might enjoy this thread: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10726786/for-the-love-of-produce/p68