MS Warrior/Early Retired Industrial Electrician

penystone2007

Hello all, I'd like to say hi and that I'm interested in new friends with tons of patience and advice!!! I want to get into body competitions for women over 50. This is a goal that I have set because early retirement is eating my lunch, pardon the pun. What I'm currently struggling with is learning how to eat properly. I've subsisted on a construction worker diet, ie... 19-hour days = fast food, protein bars, Nutrisystem, and lots of coffee. Now I'm home and rarely eat out, I live in the country with my two puppy dogs and horses that I can no longer handle, although I occasionally attempt to. So, I'm learning how to cook properly from fresh raw products to eliminate inflammation causing foods amap. I am removing Gluten, Sugar, Soy, Dairy, and lowering to a scant level my consumption of Nightshades. I'm not super effective at it yet because these products still exist in my home but when they run out, I won't buy it again. I'm trying to keep my kcal from 1750-1850, with 130g protein and I'm having difficulty with getting the protein, although, I have just found out about collagen peptides. I do wonder if that level is for someone that gets in more steps than I can currently succeed in. My biggest issue is knowing what/how to eat. I usually air fry what I cook and I'm extremely anal about the nutritional information that I log. Oddly enough I am fat due to what I have eaten, although I didn't eat much. Apparently, there is starvation mode fat.... Eating as I am now, is a struggle in attempts to get it all crammed in my face. Sitting in front of this computer in attempts to "figure it out" can really put me in a foul mood where I don't even want to eat that day.

I feel like I just filled out a dating profile, hahhahahha.......

Is anyone else out there trying to lower their inflammation like this?

AnnPT77

Hello, and welcome!

I'm 68F, retired, and used MFP to lose weight at 59-60, and maintain a healthy weight since. I admit I haven't made any specific effort to reduce inflammation via food choices, though I do try to get well-rounded nutrition. I do think systemic inflammation declined for me as a result of weight loss. I do eat a lot of veggies and fruits, but I ate about the same range of foods now as I did when obese, just different portions/proportions, and treat-type foods less often.

As far as whether 130g of protein is more than necessary, that would depend on things like your height, weight, goals, and to some extent age. There's a science-based protein calculator at this generally well-respected site:

https://examine.com/guides/protein-intake/

Note that they say in the guide that a substantially overweight person can use something more like a healthy goal weight in the calculator - or it least it said that last time I read through it.

If you're struggling with protein, this thread might give you some ideas of foods you like that are higher in protein and lower in calories that may not have been front of mind:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10247171/carbs-and-fats-are-cheap-heres-a-guide-to-getting-your-proteins-worth-fiber-also

Personally, I would not go with collagen peptides. It's not a complete protein (in terms of essential amino acids, EAAs), and IMO the first goal is to get adequate complete protein from highly bioavailable sources. If you need a supplement, some complete, bioavailable protein powder would be a better idea, until you work your way up to getting enough protein from foods. I'd usually recommend whey or soy protein (widely available, affordable), but you say you're avoiding dairy and soy. Maybe egg white powder?

Starvation mode isn't really a thing, at least not as usually presented in the blogosphere. If we eat too little or with sub-par nutrition, it can sap energy and encourage our body to down-regulate certain processes to survive the "famine" (since it can't tell a diet from a famine). That can result in burning fewer calories than expected of an average person, but it won't stop weight loss completely. What do you estimate your maintenance calories would be now, out of curiosity? Is it different from what the so-called calorie calculators estimate?

Wishing you success: IME, the results are worth the effort!

penystone2007

I have a body coach helping me through this. She has her own autoimmune issues and has been involved in these body competitions for quite some time. I've tried increasing my protein through creating my own facsimile of bread, this is my first day... I don't know how to get past the fat content though. I'm having short term memory issues so baking gluten free type bread is difficult. I want to stay away from things like corn, rice, and potatoes to make it. Today I tried just making some savory pan bread slices with Quinoa, Sorghum, and chickpea... it didn't quite work out, I don't like the soggy texture. I can't keep the process of baking in my head long enough to get it right and mistakes are made. These are expensive products so I really don't like wasting it but I have to try somehow. Thanks for interacting!!!