What the hell am I supposed to eat??

HisBeloved65

this topic has been very helpful for me. I am not yet going over my sodium but i get afraid to even let it get to 2500. not tracking sugar as all my sugar comes from the fresh fruits. does massive water intake balance out the sodium (dumb question I know :-)
Ive been drinking on average 150 ounces of water a day.

milaxx

I think it is unfair to assume that because I said I was over on sodium that I eat fast food every day or plain junk in a box. You would be surprised to see how much sodium is in "good" things. Our family doesn't even eat fast food, my husband has Crohn's and we avoid greasy food completely because it makes him very sick. Also because of this we avoid a lot of processed stuff as well. I cook every day, we don't eat out a lot (it's expensive and b/c of my husband's diet restrictions we have to be mindful of the greasy foods) It's just frustrating to try to be conscious and deal with the jigsaw puzzle of sodium vs. sugar vs. calories.

Do you buy canned soup? That;s processed. I am a vegetarian and thought I was doing good buying Morning Star and Boca products as my protein. Nope, it's just as processed as any other food in a box. Now I cook my own beans and make my own. I don't get the sodium from canned beans or from a store bought veggie burger. No one is accusing just putting some advice out there.

I am different from others in that I do try to stay withing my sodium and sugar levels. Most days I am successful. Just take it one day at a time and use the help you can get on the forums.

luvmybentley

I think it is unfair to assume that because I said I was over on sodium that I eat fast food every day or plain junk in a box. You would be surprised to see how much sodium is in "good" things. Our family doesn't even eat fast food, my husband has Crohn's and we avoid greasy food completely because it makes him very sick. Also because of this we avoid a lot of processed stuff as well. I cook every day, we don't eat out a lot (it's expensive and b/c of my husband's diet restrictions we have to be mindful of the greasy foods) It's just frustrating to try to be conscious and deal with the jigsaw puzzle of sodium vs. sugar vs. calories.

My calorie intake is high b/c my weight is higher therefore my caloric need is higher.

I'm no expert, but some of the diet/goal weight research I've done advises that you should calculate the maintenance calories required for your GOAL weight, not your current weight. If you are only eating the calories required to sustain your ideal weight (before exercise), your body will burn off the excess through diet/exercise much easier. As for consciously eating back your exercise calories, I know I'll get slammed for this, but why would you do that if you are trying to lose weight? Your body won't go into starvation mode unless you are truly starving, and if you are eating healthy foods you aren't starving yourself. I think the real issue with metabolism (in your case) is the PCOS, are you on any meds for this? You are insulin resistant, correct? Diabetes meds/diabetic diet really will help stabilize your metabolism/hormones, and once that is under control you should see results. My best friend has suffered from undiagnosed PCOS for years, and once she received the proper treatment and followed a diabetic diet, she felt so much better, had so much more energy and her excess weight just melted off almost effortlessly.

Back to the original question about sodium...has your doctor put you on a restricted sodium diet? If not, then don't worry about the numbers so much if you are eating mostly healthy unprocessed foods. I think in your case the sugars would be more of a concern? You need to find a good nutritionist to work with, someone familiar with PCOS. Hang in there, you are obviously trying if you are on this site:) Keep at it, find some support, and you can do this!

ResilientWoman

I can't do this counting crap anymore!!!!! I'm going insane!!! I don't know what the hell to eat.
MFP has my calorie goal at 2010 calories per day and I'm already having trouble reaching that goal every day because I am trying to be conscious about what I eat, and eating healthier foods makes it harder to eat so many calories.
I am trying to eat 6 smaller meals every day.
My problem is that that I cannot manage to keep my sodium and sugar down (sodium more than sugar, if I go over on sugar it's usually by just a few grams), it's like a freaking jigsaw puzzle. I think it's absurd that I cannot have an orange and a salad for lunch - a total of 200 calories - and it put me way over on sodium and sugar!!! That's ridiculous! That's not even a BIG salad, we're talking like 1/2 a cup of lettuce and 2 tablespoons of LIGHT dressing. That's barely enough food for my 3-year-old, yet it's like 450mg sodium. I was going to eat tuna today for lunch, but at 550mg sodium!??! I thought tuna was good for you!

I try to eat good things like oatmeal and special K cereal or raisin bran, and fruit and peanut butter, and whole grain or pumpernickel bread, and light yogurt... and it's ridiculous how far over on my sodium I always am YET I will still have a thousand calories or so left over every day. I am going freaking crazy trying to deal with this jigsaw puzzle - I don't have TIME for this every freaking day! I cannot sit and input each hypothetical meal and try to piece together reaching my calorie goal while maintaining a lower sodium level. It's like a part-time job... overly time consuming. I REALIZE that processed foods are higher in sodium, totally get that. However, I do not farm in my backyard, I have 3 kids, and we don't live on a steady diet of raw vegetables.

How to you even begin to have a common sense diet, reach what feels like an obscene amount of calories every day (and eating back exercise calories?!? Some days I have to eat 2400 for the day, that's a LOT, I'm going crazy) and still maintain lower sodium???

And before I get hit with judgmental comments, I realize that I weigh a lot, but this is mostly due to my not eating enough combined with PCOS and a bad hormonal imbalance, so I'm working from several disadvantages that I'm trying to overcome. My biggest issue of all was not eating enough. I wasn't eating all day... no breakfast or lunch... I'd have something around 2 o'clock-ish, then eat dinner, and sometimes have a snack late at night and that was it. I'm trying to re-train myself to eat 6 smaller meals every day starting when I first get up and it's been hard to make myself eat when I don't "feel" like it.

I have read a lot of posts on here, and it's no carbs, low sugar, low sodium, low calories... what the hell do you eat??? Everything is loaded with all kinds of crap, even things that are supposed to be good for you... full of sugar, sodium, HFCS, dyes, etc. etc. etc. I am not going to successfully live on a raw vegetable diet, that I can promise. So what is more important - meeting my calorie goal? Keeping sodium low - which means not achieving my calorie goal every day... ?? I dunno.... but the amount of thought that I have to put into this is worse than being obsessed and compulsively overeating.

My first week or so I lost 8 pounds and I haven't lost a damn thing since. I was up 1.5 lbs from YESTERDAY when I weighed this morning, so I am feeling severely defeated and irritated.

Anyone have any common sense advice for me???

I sent you a PM.

If you are trying to eat clean and natural, don't worry about meeting a calorie goal. Please respond to my PM if you would like more help.

A fellow PCOS'r here with great successes...........

What Grokette said. I sent you a pm/friend request. Friend me if you want more advice. Former PCOS sufferer. Proud Primal Momma.

Schwiggity

Worry about calories and macronutrients first. As you learn what foods are better for you, the sugar and sodium will follow (though not very often in today's world). I don't even have Sugar or Sodium as what I'm tracking. Sometimes less information is better.

cheshirechic

One thing that I noticed from skimming the first post was that you use lite dressing. Sometimes prepackaged dressings, especially those that are "light"/"lite" have a ton of sodium and sugar to make up for the fat that was cut. Fat, salt, and sugar add flavor; those dressings sacrifice the first for the sake of the latter two.

Try dressing salads with olive oil and vinegar. You can even blend the two together (with a whisk) with some mustard (just read the label to make sure that there isn't a lot of salt added to this, too). It will up your calories, add unsaturated fats, and reduce sodium and sugar.

I hope this helps and I'm sorry that you're so frustrated. This community is built for support and I'm glad you posted about it instead of quitting.

Good luck!

Janworkingitout

At the beginning of my journey I only focused on my calories and that's my advice to you. This is a journey not a short trip and you should take it one step, one day, one minute at a time. As you get used to keeping your calories up, you'll eventually spot the things that will raise your sodium and sugar levels (fast foods, etc.).

Don't be so hard on yourself, breathe! You can do this! Good luck!

NatalieWinning

Are you a vegetarian, because eyou didn’t list a single meat or dair product. These will add calories and a re good for you.

Dairy is high in sugar though. I love yogurt, but it's high in sugar And I do eat meat, usually at dinner, and usually only 4 ounces at a time, I am really not a big fan of eating meat, but I do eat meat once a day.

Eat protein at every meal, or most. If you are only eating protein (and I can't tell if you are) once a day then this might be a big factor. Raw fruits and vegetables are really great and low in calories as you know.

But as another person said you can certainly read the product lable at the store and find the lower sodium option when you go shopping. Pick up tomato sauce cans and there is a huge difference. Same with packaged foods. Same with salad dressings. Check out which foods you are eating that are the culprits and try to find better options for them especially. Eating out is always always always way high in sodium. So are ready made foods. Cooking at home from basic stuff is better almost every time. It takes a while to put recipe's into the database, but it is a good thing for the next time.

I put nuts on my salad and enjoy nuts often. I have roasted turkey that I roasted myself and cut up into portion sizes and froze for convenience because deli meats are obnoxious in sodium. I put that in my salad. So are individual frozen chicken breasts. They inject them. Spend a lot of time bringing home foods low in sodium. Every product has a better option if you start looking and taking note one by one. I have a KitchenAide mixer and got the grinder attachment and i'm grinding my own chuck roast into hamburger. It's better... A lot of little things add up.

jmconway1

I think the main thing is to reach your calorie goal. Sodium is the second thing. To offset the sodium, try drinking tons of water and buy the lower sodium option of foods if available. I think sodium mainly affects weight loss when its down to the stubborn last pounds. Not at the beginning. So at first I would meet the calorie goal and after eating like that for a while you can try and make adjustments to lower your sodium... you could always buy that 'salt substitute' with no sodium if you're a big salt fan. I haven't actually tried that though so I don't know if it is any good. just remember, meet the calorie goal and drink tons of water to avoid bloat that's caused from sodium.

matwood74

I get frustrated with all the counting too. I personally don't worry about my sodium and what not, I just
stay under my calories and watch my fat intake. I can't worry about every little thing, I'd drive myself
nuts!! I too have PCOS so I know what you mean, we're already at a disadvantage..... :frown: Just
hang in there and do the best you can!!! Don't beat yourself up over things like that...... and try to stay
positive!!

Nomoreplus_sizes

Are you a vegetarian, because eyou didn’t list a single meat or dair product. These will add calories and a re good for you.

Dairy is high in sugar though. I love yogurt, but it's high in sugar And I do eat meat, usually at dinner, and usually only 4 ounces at a time, I am really not a big fan of eating meat, but I do eat meat once a day.

Try Greek Yogurt, nonfat or even the kind with a bit of fat in it. It's very low in sugar and it's great with fresh fruit. It's a bit tangy though. You could add sweetener or honey/agave nectar

ResilientWoman

Are you a vegetarian, because eyou didn’t list a single meat or dair product. These will add calories and a re good for you.

Dairy is high in sugar though. I love yogurt, but it's high in sugar And I do eat meat, usually at dinner, and usually only 4 ounces at a time, I am really not a big fan of eating meat, but I do eat meat once a day.

I have to disagree with the statement that meat and dairy are good for you. I've been a vegetarian for only about 5 months now, but I already notice a huge difference in how I feel. I still have dairy products once in a while, and my tip about the yogurt is to get unsweetened yogurt and put it on some fruit, this is a really good breakfast.

If you don't feel like eating meat, you shouldn't feel like you have to. You can get your protein from beans, lentils and even quinoa, which are all filling and pretty calorie-dense.

While being a vegetarian works for you, it doesn't work for anyone I have met with PCOS. The original poster has already said that she is omnivorous.

I was Vegan for 9 1/2 months and Vegetarian for over 10 years, it improved some of my health issues and did great damage to my fertility. The carb load necessary for my body to get sufficient protein to thrive was destructive to my insulin sensitivity and caused me to become morbidly obese.

If you disagree, design a day's intake for me with less than 15g carbs, more than 70g protein and at least 100g of heart/brain healthy fats. I will not eat gluten because it hurts my gut, so no wheat or seitan. I am intolerant of soy, so no tofu priducts. No legumes, my body reacts by insulin driven, hormonal imbalance. No nuts/seeds, takes the same toll as legumes. I have insufficient stomach acid to digest fiber but this is improving as I continue to follow the best science for nutritional healing of my medical issues. Because I am a mindful omnivore, I do know about the types of lives the animals I eat live and do what I can to only purchase ethically raised meat.

So, in conclusion, no, not everyone can get their protein needs met by plant sources. I have to choose to eat animals or die. I am choosing to live.

Since I began following a mindful nutritional plan that addresses my medical needs, I have shed 94 lbs. I have also left behind a life of disability, disease and suffering. My infertility was cured, I have a beautiful daughter and she is able to eat anything but wheat/gluten, loves all other plant based foods. She also thrives on animal fat centered nutrition.

sceck

Take it one step at a time...go for the calories. But, sodium can be a silent problem. I don't understand those who said to drink more water if you take too much sodium. Salt and sodium make you retain water, so it seems to me that drinking more water would not flush the sodium, but just the opposite, retain more water. I don't claim to know, but wonder where that theory comes from. And it would make it a little harder on the kidneys, too.

I am usually under on my sodium. I use spices instead of salt, cook in the crock pot so I can use dry beans instead of canned. Think it through...make big pots of veggies, then freeze portions. Drink a glass of milk with protein powder (that's quick and easy). Anywhere you can cut will help. Slow changes that you like will lead to new changes. And BTW, I've heard that potassium offsets sodium, so eat a banana!

Good luck and stick with it!!

radio_flyer

I don't really look at sodium and sugar too much either -- but watch the cereal because "healthy" cereal like Special K has a lot of sugar. Corn Flakes, Cheerios, Kix --- have like 1 gram. Bread is the worse thing you can eat -- so go for tortilla wraps instead. I use them all the time for everything -- even wrapping salad into them for a fun sandwich. And eat what you want -- just cut the portion by half. Yesterday I was dying for a Snickers --- so I bought one, broke it in half and threw half out the window of my car! LOL. Not that I advocate littering -- but I didn't need to eat the whole thing and if it was in front of me or I could smell it I would have!! The half that I had was yummy and just enough to get it out of my system.

My advice --don't get overwhelmed with all the numbers at first, just concentrate on getting into a habit of logging in your diary and work exercise in everday. I told someone yesterday -- I'm lazy and my doctor knows it-- so he suggested that I try to walk everyday. 10 minutes away from home and 10 minutes back everyday for a week then add to it by 2 minutes. So week 2, 12 minutes away, 12 minutes back, Wk3 - 14 minutes away, 14 minutes back. etc.

Once you get into a habit -- the rest will start to fall into place. And remember we're all here for you.

cheryl3660

Take it one step at a time...go for the calories. But, sodium can be a silent problem. I don't understand those who said to drink more water if you take too much sodium. Salt and sodium make you retain water, so it seems to me that drinking more water would not flush the sodium, but just the opposite, retain more water. I don't claim to know, but wonder where that theory comes from. And it would make it a little harder on the kidneys, too.

I am usually under on my sodium. I use spices instead of salt, cook in the crock pot so I can use dry beans instead of canned. Think it through...make big pots of veggies, then freeze portions. Drink a glass of milk with protein powder (that's quick and easy). Anywhere you can cut will help. Slow changes that you like will lead to new changes. And BTW, I've heard that potassium offsets sodium, so eat a banana!

Good luck and stick with it!!

Although I have not done any personal research on the issue, it is my understanding that drinking plenty of water will flush sodium from your system. If you don't drink enough, the body will retain it, but if you flood it, your body has no choice but to let it go. That's one reason why drinking adequate water is so important and if you believe you are getting too much sodium, then drinking more water will help as long as it is enough water to flush your system.

Courtneylici0us

well it looks like you have lost 8lbs so far congratulations! My friend Just told me about the healthy choice steamers, she said one meal is only 170 calories and its like 3 bucks a meal, technically I would be spending $3 if i went to a fast food restaurant anyways, thats how i fit it into my budget. So I know it wasn't much but it was 1 idea I guess. Hope you figure it out girl you can do it!

MinnieInMaine

Please take all of the feedback posted here with a grain of salt (no pun intended) and don't be offended...
Since your food diary is hidden, none of us can comment directly on what you're eating but can only make assumptions and are sincerely trying to help.

I think the first step is to take a hard look at your daily food diary. Pick out those things that are really high in sodium and try to see if you can find healthier althernative. Although those cereals are technically a healthy choice, they can have a ton of sugar and sodium in them. If you think that's the root of the problem, google "low sodium cereals" or "low sugar cereals" and see what comes up and try a few different brands.

Just because a food's not "fast food" or "greasy" doesn't necessrily mean it's healthy. If you're getting vegetables (or just about anything) from a can, there will be lots of sodium. Try fresh or frozen instead.

As far as sugar goes, as I've seen a couple other people post, don't worry so much about the ones that come from natural sources like fruit and vegetables.

If you can, take some extra time in the grocery store to look around at all the options. Pay special attention to the serving size as it can be deceiving (I mean really, who eats just 1/2 cup of ice cream! )
Those nutritional labels are your friend!

KMS5783

I have PCOS as well and have struggled with my weight for a long time. I have found that the only thing that works for me is to cut out a majority of carbs (mostly white/processed). The easiest program I have found to follow is the South Beach Diet. The first two weeks are a little rough (you can't even have fruit!!), but your body goes through a detox and you will feel so much better. You eat several times a day, and generally I felt pretty satisfied. After two weeks I added back in fruit and plain yogurt. My favorite is Fage Greek yogurt, and it only has 4.5 g of sugar a serving. I add a little bit of honey and eat it with strawberries for my morning snack. For the most part I still rarely eat bread or pasta, and when I do it's whole grain. I hope this is some hopeful information! Good luck!

c3lxxx

I think it is unfair to assume that because I said I was over on sodium that I eat fast food every day or plain junk in a box. You would be surprised to see how much sodium is in "good" things. Our family doesn't even eat fast food, my husband has Crohn's and we avoid greasy food completely because it makes him very sick. Also because of this we avoid a lot of processed stuff as well. I cook every day, we don't eat out a lot (it's expensive and b/c of my husband's diet restrictions we have to be mindful of the greasy foods) It's just frustrating to try to be conscious and deal with the jigsaw puzzle of sodium vs. sugar vs. calories.

My calorie intake is high b/c my weight is higher therefore my caloric need is higher.

Just speaking about this quote....
I don't think people are assuming that, just know that people on here are trying to help you :]]]]]]
We are FRIENDS not enemies....sometimes it's just hard to give advice without knowing your lifestyle, ya know??? Just keep your chin up, a lot of people have had good suggestions on here and take the good and anything else, take it with a grain of salt. Know that everyone is trying to help and that we love our MFP family Go get em girl.

Ps....Chron's is so tough, positive thoughts and prayers to you and your family

keelekat

I really wouldn't worry too much about the sugar and sodium levels too much to begin with, although if you want to do something about it then cut out the low fat options as they are packed with both of these to make up for the lack of fat.

I constantly go over my sugar allowance as I eat a lot of fruit, but I don't worry about it as fruit is filled with a lot of other vitamins and nutrients that balance out the sugar. I never, however, go over my sodium allowance... in fact I'm lucky if I take in anywhere near half of the daily allowance but it is because I always cook with fresh vegetables and where produce is tinned it's always stored in water therefore trace amounts of sodium.

Not sure if living in the UK and the strict regulations we have on food makes a difference on the salt issue?

sclosson

I started with just watching calories. The longer I'm on here the more I learn about better nutrition and the better I get at incorporating it into my life style. I don't pay any attention to the sugar, sodium. I do watch protein somewhat. Find healthy whole foods you and your family enjoy. It is a process!!!

kirianna55

Are you a vegetarian, because eyou didn’t list a single meat or dair product. These will add calories and a re good for you.

Dairy is high in sugar though. I love yogurt, but it's high in sugar And I do eat meat, usually at dinner, and usually only 4 ounces at a time, I am really not a big fan of eating meat, but I do eat meat once a day.

Try eating Zoi Greek Yogurt. I love it. I usually mix a big container of Zoi with a container of Nacy's plain or honey yogurt.

http://www.nancysyogurt.com/
http://www.zoigreekyogurt.com/greek-yogurt.php

Strive2BLean

I have been battling my weight since my early teens so I am not new to this but This is the first time I have ever used an online program for tracking and support. I find it very help ful and not very time consuming at all. At the end of the day I plug in all the info. But getting back to your concerns regarding sodium, the only way to decrease your intake significantly is to eat whole foods and by that I mean nothing that comes out of a package or can. My diet basically consists of fresh fruit and fresh vegetables, plain no fat Greek yogurt. and fresh lean protein like chicken, turkey, fish that I cook myself not precooked by a manufacturer cause that's where the sodium comes in. I know it is time consuming but it's the healthiest way to eat and I know I'm worth the effort and so are you. So just take a deep breath and say I CAN DO THIS because if I can do it you can too. It just takes some effort and we are definitely worth the effort.

jmgj27

I do track my sodium because there's a serious history of heart problems in my family and I'm always way under. I think the trick is genuinely just avoiding processed food and never adding salt to your diet. I do eat fish and meat but during the days do tend to stick to fruit, nuts, water and slimfast and just have salty foods at one meal. I was brought up without salt in the food which makes me pretty sensitive to the taste which helps. I'm also lucky because I have access to a good, cheap fruit and veg stall which really helps. Ultimately, I just focus on my net cals, never eat back my exercise cals and don't go anywhere near the 2100 - 2400 cals that MFP recommends as I gain massively if I do that.

lvorlandi

I know, I used to feel the same way when I was trying to not eat any foods where sugar was listed in the first five ingredients, but then I found out that even plain Cheerios has sugar in the first five ingredients, so I just stopped worrying about it . I just try to stay within my calories. Try to do it by eating fruits and vegitables which have the lowest calories. Then you'll be too full to eat other foods like cookies. I'm skeptical of any diet that would tell someone not to eat fruit (maybe there is an exception for someone w/ diabetes) because it just seems so healthy! Don't limit your fruits and vegitables at all.

mom23nuts

I have to say I have PCOS too and I lost a ton of weight before i found this site and now that I am here and working my butt off 6 days a week at the local gym mixing up the routine and adding weights I have not lost a THING!!!! in over a month and a half.

I too am tired of charting ever damn piece of gum or almond I stick in my mouth and am about to give up. It seems like it all fell into place before without any measuring, charting, counting of anything and now I am more focused and diligent it is harder and nothing is moving.

I think I am going back to about 100-120 net carbs a day F*** counting fat and calories and sodium as a PCOSer the carbs for us are the killers so that is what I will focus on while eating the 50/25/25 way.

50% of the plate are healthy low glycemic fruits and veggies and 25% of the plate is a palm size protein and 25% is other either carbs or a sensible treat.

Sticking to 30-40 carbs a meal is no sweat and only 1 variable to fixate and frustrate about and it worked before so I am going back to it. I will still enter food log here as it is a nice way to see my history, but I am not going to go nuts anymore. hell if I want a damn brownie or mini blizard I am going to have it as long as I can plan in for it into my 30-45 carbs.

After all this is healthy eating for life not eating like a rabbit for a 6month stretch and then fit into those jens only to breathe eat a corn flake and have the pants explode upon trying to eat like a normal person again.

I get it original poster! friend me and we can talk more