NEW to MFP. NEED help with what to EAT????????

ImBringingJennyBack

Hi everyone!

I am new to MFP. I need some help because I am just learning about what foods to eat. I am confused how to fill my 1400 calories limit with low fat, low carb, high protein foods.
If you can all give me some ideas and pointers I would really appreciate it.

THANKS!!!

Jen

Would love friends for support as well. Please feel free to add me.

TMLPatrick

I eat a lot of the Healthy Choice Cafe Steamer things.... they're all really tasty, filling, and relatively good for you. Turkey sandwiches are also a favorite of mine... I honestly wouldn't worry too much about fat and carbs as they don't really matter much for weight loss if you follow the amount of calories you're given. 1400 seems like it might be a little difficult to stick to, but I'm not sure how different the amount of calories should be for women.

lostsanity137

The calorie limit is lower for women, mine is set at 1330 with a 500 cal deficit and I don't have too many issues getting there. I'm definitely not starving.

Here is what I have been doing:

As for food, I'm learning to be more aware of what I eat, and I have tried to not overhaul my diet completely but instead, one by one. I quit soda by itself because I was really bad at that, then I started trying to just drink water, and now I am trying to be more aware of food itself. I am trying to just add more veggies to things and less things that come in a box.

I work, so a quick on the go breakfast is good for me. I just grab two hard cooked eggs I made the night before. High in protein and so good for you. I like a good homemade chili, salad w/ protein like chicken, or Harvest Select or Low Sodium canned soup for lunch. And dinner is my biggest struggle because I cook for my bf as well and he is very resistant to healthy food. But from what gather, more protien is important. So I try to make something like grilled or baked chicken, or a rice/noodle dish with ground turkey and veggies.

Snacks, just try to be smart - veggies, fruits, or other healthy things, etc. But don't avoid bad foods altogether. If you want it, you want it, so let yourself have something you really want once in a while.

I suggest looking up recipes at eatingwell.com and other sites like that.

HMonsterX

Why do you think you have to eat low carb?

LuckyLeprechaun

I am confused how to fill my 1400 calories limit with low fat, low carb, high protein foods.

The excellent news is you don't have to. I promise! You can fill your 1400 calories however you want. PLUS you can exercise to get more calories which you can also use however you want.

The thing you'll learn along the way is this: must junky foods waste your calories pretty quickly and don't leave you feeling that full. That's the reason I eat them less often, because I'm miserly with my calorie budget.

I choose proteins and veggies more often than I choose breads and fruits. That's based on my food preference, and how I want to spend my calories. You have to decide what you can live with. I know people who could NOT live if they don't have cream in their coffee. I'll NEVER waste calories on that beause I don't care about it, but there are dealbreaker items I will never give up, because my enjoyment of them is worth the calories they cost me. Each one of us has to find which things are that important to them, because a deprivation plan is doomed from the start.

Terri73

I felt that moderation is the key, well it was for me. I still had foods i love just in better portion sizes. When i cut things completely i want them more and it lead to me binging. You will find your own best way to deal with food issues as its more about finding out what works for you.
I lost nearly 2 stone last year and i still ate crisps, chocolate etc just not in the extremes i was before xx

amandavictoria80

Why do you think you have to eat low carb?

Because nutritionists and trainers say so. LOL
And carbs can add weight easily. Good carbs, yeah alright. But eating a plate full of white pasta is not a good idea.

amandavictoria80

Excellent advice given here Jen.

Acg67

Why do you think you have to eat low carb?

Because nutritionists and trainers say so. LOL
And carbs can add weight easily. Good carbs, yeah alright. But eating a plate full of white pasta is not a good idea.

Unless she or anyone has a metabolic disorder that requires them to limit carbs, there is no metabolic advantage to low carb diets.

Assuming you've met your minimum requirements for protein and fats, i don't see how a plate full of white pasta is a bad idea

samb

Focus on things that are not processed / are "clean" as many refer to them. I cannot express to you just how important this truly is! Weight may come off but you may hold onto fat because of the processedness & crap in the foods. Focus on meat, eggs, cheese, vegetables, fruit, and nuts. Try to avoid anything that includes ingredients that you do not know exactly what they are! If you eat clean, and use fruit as a "dessert" basically, you will be eating pretty low carb, high protein naturally and you will feel full longer. You will also feel lighter after a while, regardless of your actual weight, and you will likely have much higher energy levels. I never understood just how important this was until a few months ago. As they say abs are made in the kitchen - well I never even had any slight abs even at low carb, til I cut out the crap and ate pretty much "primal/paleo" with the exception of cheese really. It's certainly worth a shot, and pretty apparent that its the healthy way to go!

taso42

Jump off that the low carb and low fat bandwagon - aim for a balanced diet.

Go to tomorrow's diary, and start filling in all the foods you'd LIKE to eat. Compare to the MFP-provided numbers. Make adjustments as necessary until the numbers line up pretty closely. Now you have an eating plan for tomorrow.

If you are planning to exercise, don't forget to factor in an estimate of the extra calories to compensate.

Repeat this every day until you have the hang of eating.

kennethmgreen

Because nutritionists and trainers say so. LOL
And carbs can add weight easily. Good carbs, yeah alright. But eating a plate full of white pasta is not a good idea.

Unless she or anyone has a metabolic disorder that requires them to limit carbs, there is no metabolic advantage to low carb diets.

Assuming you've met your minimum requirements for protein and fats, i don't see how a plate full of white pasta is a bad idea

But nutritionists and trainers say carbs are bad. So does the Internet. Are you saying they are not?

Acg67

Because nutritionists and trainers say so. LOL
And carbs can add weight easily. Good carbs, yeah alright. But eating a plate full of white pasta is not a good idea.

Unless she or anyone has a metabolic disorder that requires them to limit carbs, there is no metabolic advantage to low carb diets.

Assuming you've met your minimum requirements for protein and fats, i don't see how a plate full of white pasta is a bad idea

But nutritionists and trainers say carbs are bad. So does the Internet. Are you saying they are not?

Well of course they are Gary Taubes says they are...

on a serious note, any nutritionist or trainer that demonizes carbs must also be a certified broscientist as carbs are not evil, nor are they uniquely fattening. People that tend to demonize carbs are some of the most ignorant people to nutrition around, even those that start classifying carbs either good or bad are quite ignorant.

If someone would like to show me some controlled metabolic ward studies showing a metabolic advantage to low carb diets, i'd love to see them.

kimclaws

I keep my carbs a little lower but it is because I only eat whole grains but it is still at a moderate level, not low or high, I don't eat much white bread or pasta, I think people use carbs as a filler in most meals, because a sandwich with no bread is not nearly as filling or as " convenient". It is all about moderation, if you are going to have a high carb meal, add a lean protein to have along with it.

lostsanity137

Don't starve your body of carbs, because your body needs them! Sure you can lose weight by eliminating them, but like many fad diets out there, low carb diets do it by stealing essential energy from your body and is not very productive. Just be smart about your carbs, get them from healthier sources like whole wheat and fruits and vegetables and not a lot from sugary treats and refined white breads.

This article on Livestrong, gives a easy explanation on why you should eat carbs.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/313023-what-happens-if-you-dont-eat-enough-carbohydrates/

I learned all of this in my college Biology class last semester and my teacher even made us do a lab/discussion assignment on low-carb diets and their effects on the body.

ginareejoy

Here's my average day

Breakfast : Special K cereal with skim milk (1 cup of each)

Lunch: Healthy Choice Frozen meal - Some come with dessert too. They're very tasty and low calorie and high in fiber and protein.
If I don't bring my lunch, we'll go to Subway and I'll get a 6 inch buffalo sub with no ranch. (or search for a meal within 300-400 calories)

Dinner - We love Dreamfields Pasta..it's low carb and tastes just like normal pasta. For spagetti sauce, we use sugar free light ragu. if we go out, you try to control your portion size, but really can eat most places. Everything in moderation.

ginareejoy

Here's my average day

Breakfast : Special K cereal with skim milk (1 cup of each)

Lunch: Healthy Choice Frozen meal - Some come with dessert too. They're very tasty and low calorie and high in fiber and protein.
If I don't bring my lunch, we'll go to Subway and I'll get a 6 inch buffalo sub with no ranch. (or search for a meal within 300-400 calories)

Dinner - We love Dreamfields Pasta..it's low carb and tastes just like normal pasta. For spagetti sauce, we use sugar free light ragu. if we go out, you try to control your portion size, but really can eat most places. Everything in moderation.

Pebble321

My best advice is not to stress about looking for specific low-carb, low-fat food (that doesn't leave you much anyway, unless you want to live off protein) and try looking out for foods that don't come in a package or aren't overly processed. Usually the processing is where they add lots of sugar and salt and cheap fillers, at the cost of actual nutritious food.

Look for recipes to cook your own meals with meat and veggies and rice and pasta (I'm not scared of white pasta!). Eat bread with lots of grains (tastier and keeps you full for longer), peanut butter without sugar or salt added, fruit or almonds for snacks, eggs are great. Yoghurt is good too - buy it unflavoured and add your own fruit it you want it sweeter.

Don't deny yourself anything though, if you are craving something, have a bit of it, record it in your diary and move on!
Really though, don't make it too hard on yourself. Start out by recording what you are eating currently and gradually replace the things that are very high in calories and low in nutrition with better choices. You don't have to do it all in one day.

WifeMomDVM

Here's my recommendation that has worked for me:

Eat Clean:

http://www.extremely-fit.com/fitness-tips/2011/01/8week-transition-diet/

That's how I started.

I went in my diary and custom set my diary to 40% carbs and 30% fat (you need fat - just pick healthy ones) and 30% protein but there is a little wiggle room here - see what works for you.

Carbs - veggies, veggies, and more veggies. Some fruit. Occasionally some whole wheat bread or pasta. I try to avoid refined carbohydrates as much as possible, but quite a few sneak their way into my diet anyhow. But trying to avoid them helps.

Fats - oils from fish, nuts, olives

Protein - lean meats - fish, turkey, chicken, grass-fed beef (higher in omega 3 - a good fat than the grain fed counterparts), and to a lesser extent beans or yogurt. And Whey protein for smoothies!

I do have some dirty stuff in moderation - you know chocolate, a nibble of fries from my kids plates, etc...

My diary is public if you'd like to see how I incorporate these foods.

Shoechick5

It's so refreshing to see so many people on this site recommending a balanced diet rather than fads! Thank You

mommyoverboard

Fruit, preferably something citrus for breakfast, maybe a protine bar

Lunch should be the highest calories of the day because you still have most of the day to burn it off. Chicken or lean fish is great, but personally I don't really care so long add i'm not over my cals at the end of the day.

Dinner should be more light, salad and soup for instance

Best advice though is to eat something small every 2 hours. You won't feel add hungry. Take snacks along with you like fruit or pretzels. If you feel full, don't eat any more. Listen to your body.

Good luck!

lostsanity137

It's so refreshing to see so many people on this site recommending a balanced diet rather than fads! Thank You

Maybe doing it the right way, with good nutrition, exercise, an effort to learn, and the ability laugh at and learn from your mistakes...could possibly become the new fad? That would be so exciting!

I am still learning, but I am finding it fun, and it gets more fun everyday.

To the OP, learning to plan meals, and finding new delicious and healthy meals gets kind of fun once the frustration of not knowing what you are doing wears off. I was really frustrated at first and couldn't figure out what to eat, but eating healthy is very important. It shouldn't just be about losing weight, but getting healthy too so your body can function at its best. The calorie deficit is what will help you lose weight, along with exercise! There are lots of healthy foods out there, you just have to experiment with what you like and what is easiest.

Jishmeister

I'd usually stick to lean mean like white turkey or chicken breast. Sometimes that doesn't happen though so I try to just keep a balanced diet with fruits, protein, carbs, and dairy. Carbs aren't the bad guys. Carbs are an essential source of energy, but yes you're right, if you don't exercise to burn the carbs, they'll most likely be stored as fat. I prefer protein over carbs though because it leaves me feeling more full off of a smaller portion for a longer time period. Everyone is different though. Good luck!

cristaa

I can't stick to my calorie goal so I do about 600-800 calories of cardio a day. That lets me eat pretty much whatever I want. If you have an iphone there are some good apps like , eat this not that and 400 calorie fix, and the snack app. I literally try to stay away from frozen dinners and canned soups. They are way too high in sodium and don't fill me up much. Sparkpeople.com has some really killer low cal recipes that could help get you started. I also invested in a food scale to weigh out my cheese and pasta and meats. Also, if you like veggies thats great because they are really low cal and fill you up. I usually just throw a bunch in a pan with some onions and garlic and add either a spaghetti sauce or something like that to make them taste better. Good Luck! you can do it!