How to eat enough of the right foods?

Dalton1720

I'm having a hard time meeting my calorie goal with the right foods. With my daily exercise routine I need at least 1,800 per day. I know I can eat a big juicy burger to add these calories in, but that's obviously not the right way to go about it. Any advice?

brandnewneek

I'm new to this, so take my advice with a grain of salt, but what I'm seeing is most people are suggesting snacking, and not really, changing too much of what you eat, more changing portion sizes, so if you want a burger you could! I'm finding a lot of the stuff I'm used to eating though could literally take up 80% of my daily calories though!!! So I've been making a lot of changes in food I eat. Looks like you are already doing well congrats on the 12lb lost!!

corgicake

What's wrong with a burger? It's a portion of animal-based protein with some fat which is pretty normal for protein sources, sandwiched between some carbs. All you need is some fruit and vegetables on the side and you're good to go.

sarahstrezo

there are no "right" foods and "wrong" foods.
Food is food.
Meet your calorie and macro goal and try your best to meet your micro nutrient goals each day.
If your fat macros are low for the day….have some cheese or avocado. If your carb macro is low for the day…have a bagel. Same with protein…..scarf a steak if need be.
it's really not that hard. Food is not good or bad. Food is either more nutrient dense or less nutrient dense.

Alatariel75

I had a burger the other night with a big lean beef patty, shortcut bacon, an egg, lettuce, pickles, mustard, tomato sauce and a seeded bun for around 650cals, side of oven fries and YUM! 800 cal meal, happy tummy, all good healthy foods.

Burgers are not wrong!

bluntlysally

eat real food. if you want something (like a burger), fit it in (by planning). stay away from anything labeled "diet" or "fat free" - low-fat is ok (keep the nutrition, skip the extra chemicals). have some things handy you can add in to hit your calories for days when you need help getting to your goal - certain snacks (mini popcorn bags, chocolate, granola-type bars, yogurt, nut butter), glass of wine, add avocado to a sandwich/salad/meal, etc...

i average 1800ish. send a friend request and i will send you a key to peek.

ublanchard

there are no "right" foods and "wrong" foods.
Food is food.
Meet your calorie and macro goal and try your best to meet your micro nutrient goals each day.
If your fat macros are low for the day….have some cheese or avocado. If your carb macro is low for the day…have a bagel. Same with protein…..scarf a steak if need be.
it's really not that hard. Food is not good or bad. Food is either more nutrient dense or less nutrient dense.

I think this is really good advice. Also maybe planning your meals and snacks more might help? Having ideas for specific breakfasts/lunches/dinners that have the right number of calories to add up to 1800, or eating a 200-400 calorie snack mid morning. Or try having full fat dairy instead of low fat/no fat.

Lastly, a regular In N Out burger has 390 calories, 16 g protein, 39 g carbs, 19 g fat. I guess it depends on far you are from 1800 calories, but I'd eat a burger!

Dalton1720

Thanks for all your input guys! I know burgers aren't "bad", but It isn't something Id want to eat every day. Ive been snaking constantly, about every two hours or so, but today I still have 100 calories left over and Im about to go to bed. I do really like the whole dairy and whole foods idea! It seems like a good way to get those extra calories in without having to snack so often.
My food dairy isn't blocked so you can see what I eat on a daily basis.

sarahstrezo

Instead of one egg…eat 2. There's an additional 70 calories. Put 1/2 avocado on top of your chicken or eggs or whatever.

And again…there's really nothing wrong with a burger. Even a burger every day if that's what you like. If it fits your cal and macro goals, it doesn't really matter.

I have ice cream about 4 days a week. I make it fit because I like it that much.

dopeysmelly

The way I approach it is to plan out each day (more-or-less) first thing (actually while I'm checking my work emails in the morning). I target getting my protein first, then fiber and then jiggle it around until it hits my calories. I don't obsess if one of those 3 things are off slightly.

I don't like snacking so I swap different foods around in my meals depending on whether I need more protein or fiber, and what's in the fridge.

JoRocka

eat the burger.

When I am short I come home and crush oreo's into my ice cream and have 8-12 oz of milk- usually gets me around 500 extra calories.

Delicious.

eldamiano

I know I can eat a big juicy burger to add these calories in, but that's obviously not the right way to go about it. Any advice?

Why is that obviously not the right way?

Dalton1720

I was always under the impression you have to eat healthfully all the time to loose weight, but I suppose if it fits it fits! I'll just use the 80/20 rule.

sarahstrezo

I was always under the impression you have to eat healthfully all the time to loose weight, but I suppose if it fits it fits! I'll just use the 80/20 rule.

That is incorrect. You eat at a calorie deficit to lose weight. you could eat nothing but Pop Tarts….and as long as you ate less calories than you burn in the day, you could lose weight on pop tarts. Now….nobody is reccomeding that.

Food quality has nothing to do with losing scale weight and everything to do with overall health (and body composition).

I, personally, follow an IIFYM (if it fits your macros) style of eating. I have a carb, fat and protein goal each day. All food will fit into one or more of those three macros. You can fill them with whatever you like and as long as you are eating at a deficit, you will lose weight.

Dalton1720

Then whats all the hype about eating healthy to loose weight? Im sorry I'm just trying to understand this.

Strokingdiction

The right food: Foods that meat your macro and micro nutrient goals.

Any food can in combination with other foods can meet this requirement. Look at labels, plan ahead and nom nom nom.

ValeriePlz

Then whats all the hype about eating healthy to loose weight? Im sorry I'm just trying to understand this.

It depends on what you mean by "healthy" - if you eat lots of foods like fruits and veggies, which are high in nutrition and low(er) in calories, then you can eat more of them and still meet your calorie goals. It takes more work to fit high calorie foods into your diet, but you can fit them in.

cwolfman13

I was always under the impression you have to eat healthfully all the time to loose weight, but I suppose if it fits it fits! I'll just use the 80/20 rule.

Most people have a very skewed view of what "healthy" means...in particular they seem to believe that dietary fat is "unhealthy" and should be avoided...in reality, dietary fat is a highly essential macro-nutrient. To boot, there are many wholesome foods like nuts and avocados which are high in fat and calories and extraordinarily nutrient dense and good for you.

Eating "healthy" doesn't mean just fruit and veg...that's only a little part of it....you need fat and you need protein for proper nutrition.

Dalton1720

I took a look at this tread and it really helped me understand peoples view points on MFP.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1267509-why-do-people-seem-to-bash-healthy-eating

I see healthy eating as no processed foods. Like, fruits, veggies, grains, nuts, avocados, lean proteins, eggs, fish.
I am in no way the perfect clean eater, but I always try and make the better choice.
I really don't see how people could eat Mcdonalds everyday and feel its okay because it fits into their calorie goals, but thats just me. Everyone has their own opinions and what works for them works for them. (:

diannethegeek

Then whats all the hype about eating healthy to loose weight? Im sorry I'm just trying to understand this.

Most of the hype you see about "healthy" foods is cooked up by marketing professionals trying to convince you to buy their product over their competitor's because it's "healthier."

I agree that no food is healthy or unhealthy by itself (assuming you have no medical reasons to avoid any particular foods). If you're getting enough fat & protein, eating several servings of fruit and veggies per day, and eating a varied diet to ensure plenty of micronutrients, then a burger or some chocolate cake or chips or whatever is fine as long as you feel good and you're hitting your goals.

It's okay to cut out foods like burgers or candy if you truly want to. But it's not necessary for weight loss or health. You can eat the foods you love in moderation and still be healthy.

SugaryLynx

Healthy is in terms of overall diet and not individual foods.

http://evidencemag.com/clean-eating/

JoRocka

The right food: Foods that meat your macro and micro nutrient goals. and make you happy and not go crazy

Any food can in combination with other foods can meet this requirement. Look at labels, plan ahead and nom nom nom.

FTFY

runfatmanrun

You can look at my diary. I eat pretty heatly and enjoy some ice cream, pizza, burgers, etc. whenever I feel like it. I eat 3000-3500 cals a day so I think you should easily be able to pick out some that fits your needs.

Strokingdiction

The right food: Foods that meat your macro and micro nutrient goals. and make you happy and not go crazy

Any food can in combination with other foods can meet this requirement. Look at labels, plan ahead and nom nom nom.

FTFY

A worthy fix.

diannethegeek

I took a look at this tread and it really helped me understand peoples view points on MFP.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1267509-why-do-people-seem-to-bash-healthy-eating

I see healthy eating as no processed foods. Like, fruits, veggies, grains, nuts, avocados, lean proteins, eggs, fish.
I am in no way the perfect clean eater, but I always try and make the better choice.
I really don't see how people could eat Mcdonalds everyday and feel its okay because it fits into their calorie goals, but thats just me. Everyone has their own opinions and what works for them works for them. (:

This would be a good point...


...if your only two options were no processed foods or McDonald's all the time. Fortunately, we live in a world with more variety than that.

lemurcat12

Then whats all the hype about eating healthy to loose weight? Im sorry I'm just trying to understand this.

(1) It's easier to eat lots of so-called healthy foods--if by healthy you mean nutrient dense and by nutrient dense you mean lots of micronutrients per calorie--and fill up without hitting your calorie target. For example, I can eat a serving of chicken breast and lots of vegetables and be under 200 calories and a lot fuller than if I ate 200 calories of cake or McDonald's fries. This is especially true of vegetables, most of which have quite low calorie counts. But be careful, since cutting fat too much isn't good for you, even though it has relatively high calories, and fat also tends to be filling.

(2) If you are cutting calories to a relatively low level (say 1200, although it's true even at somewhat higher levels) it takes more work to make sure you get all the nutrients you want in within your calorie limit. So again this means you will tend to do better with more nutrient dense foods.

What this does not mean, IMO, is that foods that are among your favorites but not nutrient dense or especially filling are off limits. For example, I had a small piece of cake on Friday, since it was a birthday celebration and I like cake. I just worked it into my calories for the day, and also ate lots of vegetables and protein and so on too. When thinking of eating healthy, it makes sense to me to focus on your overall mix of foods.

And of course your experience may differ--it makes sense to experiment and see what works for you.

Dalton1720

Then whats all the hype about eating healthy to loose weight? Im sorry I'm just trying to understand this.

(1) It's easier to eat lots of so-called healthy foods--if by healthy you mean nutrient dense and by nutrient dense you mean lots of micronutrients per calorie--and fill up without hitting your calorie target. For example, I can eat a serving of chicken breast and lots of vegetables and be under 200 calories and a lot fuller than if I ate 200 calories of cake or McDonald's fries. This is especially true of vegetables, most of which have quite low calorie counts. But be careful, since cutting fat too much isn't good for you, even though it has relatively high calories, and fat also tends to be filling.

(2) If you are cutting calories to a relatively low level (say 1200, although it's true even at somewhat higher levels) it takes more work to make sure you get all the nutrients you want in within your calorie limit. So again this means you will tend to do better with more nutrient dense foods.

What this does not mean, IMO, is that foods that are among your favorites but not nutrient dense or especially filling are off limits. For example, I had a small piece of cake on Friday, since it was a birthday celebration and I like cake. I just worked it into my calories for the day, and also ate lots of vegetables and protein and so on too. When thinking of eating healthy, it makes sense to me to focus on your overall mix of foods.

And of course your experience may differ--it makes sense to experiment and see what works for you.

This makes a lot of sense to me. I don't want to completely deprive myself of all foods i enjoy so Im going to stick to the occasional snack/treat but fuel my body with good nutrients regularly. Thanks for putting it in a more logical manner.

Natmarie73

You certainly don't have to eat nothing but healthy food to lose weight. As long as you eat less calories than you burn you will lose weight.

Some people choose to mainly eat healthy food so they can eat more of it. Others like to incorporate the foods they love into their diets in smaller portions. I myself prefer natural food over processed food because I am trying to keep my refined sugar and sodium intake as low as I can and micronutrients are more important to me than just hitting my macros. I eat quite a lot of fat and probably too many carbs but overall I aim for 80/20 unprocessed food to treats. If junk food takes up too many calories I have to deprive myself of that yummy rib eye fillet I was going to have for dinner