I have no idea anymore...was this a balanced day?

EngineerPrincess

So, I have never had an entirely normal relationship with food and I'm just not sure anymore what a healthy day of food consists of. I think today was good, can someone give me input or advice? (Note: I know it's a bit too low as far as calories go but I'm working my way up to a steady healthy intake instead of restrict/restrict/fast/binge. Also I normally would have had chicken or a lean protein with the rice and some veggies but I was in a hurry.)
I seem to eat too many carbs and sugars, what foods should I eat instead to replace that?

EngineerPrincess

Oops, before my diary wasn't viewable it is now!

mom1520

I'd say your day wasn't too bad, but I would recommended adding more lean protein.

Starlage

Wasn't too bad but i'd cut out some carbs to try to stay under what it says to stay under and eat more calories! It's got you set over 1300 you should definitely be taking that much in and try to get as close to 1300 as you can. This can be hard and for me personally at 1530 cals before exercise means PLANNING. I have to plan my whole day in the morning so that i can play with meals to get as close to my goal as possible. Not bad though overall ) Oh and I agree on more protein- you're supposed to take in .5 to 1g per pound of body weight. This is really hard so I'm happy if I get to 100g in a day.

EngineerPrincess

Thanks Anyone have suggestions on how to add more calories without carbs though? Carbs are my favorites.

paj315

Some good non-meat Protein sources that I use:

Nuts and Nut butters
String Cheese
Greek Yogurt
Beans
hummus

heykatieben

Hey there - it's not bad, the most striking thing is just that it's under on calories. I'd say try to go closer to your daily calorie goal, and eat more veggies. The non-starchy veggies are so low-calorie, but if you cook them in olive oil, that'll start filling in your calories.

Add roasted onions, eggplant, zucchini, stir fry veggies, cauliflower, carrot sticks and dip or hummus... things like that. Good luck!

Nopedotjpeg

I think you've answered your own question. If you add lean protein and maybe a bit more healthy fats (cook with a little bit of healthy oil), you'll have a good balance.

taso42

Not too bad, as long as you promise to keep working towards hitting your calorie target. Normally I'd suggest trying to get your calories sorted before fine tuning the macros, but making an effort to increase protein and fat is not a bad idea in this case, as others have mentioned above.

Pebble321

Thanks Anyone have suggestions on how to add more calories without carbs though? Carbs are my favorites.

Try changing the ratios of how you eat your carbs - some ideas:
- one piece of bread with a salad instead of two in a sandwich
- less rice or pasta, more sauce made with veggies and chicken/beef/tuna
- hommus with half crackers and half veggie sticks for dipping

I don't get bothered by carbs in fruits and veggies - they come nicely packaged with fibre and lots of other goodies.

unicornassassin

More fiber, I would suggest.

flinchyny

Your goal weight is way too low for your height -- do you know that? Your current weight is even considered too low. I will echo those above who suggest eating more calories via adding some good fats and protein. But nothing wrong with carbs at all, just avoid refined white flour. Some healthy, yummy carbs include baked potatoes (white or sweet), whole grain bread, oatmeal, brown rice.

grapenutSF

Personally, I'd focus more on adding a lot more protein than specifically avoiding carbs, though in general you might consider swapping out the refined grains for whole grains for both health and satiety. Protein helps me feel fuller, and also helps me build muscle with my weight training-- not sure what exercising you're doing, but ya more protein.

avocado
cottage cheese
greek yogurt
peanut butter
meat
protein shakes
nuts
light cheese sticks

EngineerPrincess

Okay I let MFP set my daily ratios instead of doing it myself and I'm doing better on protein but need more fat.
Is 1200 something I can settle on as healthy for an extended period of time or should I keep trying to raise it? What's healthy for a maintenance calorie level?

flinchyny thanks for the advice, but don't worry I'm still at a normal weight for my height! My bmi is normal.

batesss

I would just focus on those fruits, vegetables and lean protein. Focus on getting balanced meals. You can easily have half the rice or half of the bagel and replace those calories with something that is really going to have a bigger impact (like those good fats and proteins). I suggest most of what people already said: nuts, tuna, fish, turkey (those hot dogs wont cut it for too long), leafy greens, vegetables

JoniBologna

Your goal weight is way too low for your height -- do you know that? Your current weight is even considered too low. I will echo those above who suggest eating more calories via adding some good fats and protein. But nothing wrong with carbs at all, just avoid refined white flour. Some healthy, yummy carbs include baked potatoes (white or sweet), whole grain bread, oatmeal, brown rice.

You goal weight is a little too low. I must second this. Not terrible choices. I will echo what others have said. Make sure to get plenty of protein and fiber. Also, be sure to eat plenty of veggies, which helps with the fiber. Good luck to you.

Nopedotjpeg

I think there needs to be some clarifications.

Have you taken a measure of your body fat percentage? If so, what was it?
What are your goals with your body?
Do you exercise on a regular basis? And if so, what kind of exercise?
Do you have any exercise-related goals you'd like to achieve?

Answering these would help understand if you really should be losing weight. Technically you're not underweight according to BMI, but your goal weight would be.

EngineerPrincess

Body fat percentage changes depending what online calculator I use. anywhere from 20%-28%.

Superbritt2drescu

According to your profile you're 5'8" and round 124lbs. (judging from your ticker) With the BMI tracker on here, you're 18.9. Which is barely in the healthy range. The calories do not seem enough at all. If the information you have put is up todate and correct I'm not sure why you would want to lose more weight.

Nopedotjpeg

Body fat percentage changes depending what online calculator I use. anywhere from 20%-28%.

That's in a "healthy" range, but if you still want to drop body-fat you're going to probably want only a slight calorie deficit, making sure to eat back your exercise calories. I know you're working on eating more, so keep at it. Try getting to at least 1400 net calories.

Also, for the other questions I asked. Are you currently working out? Do you have any particular fitness goals in mind that don't revolve around weight/body fat? Those would be a good thing to keep focus on I think.

Keep chiming in. Everyone's here to help.

EngineerPrincess

Thanks for the advice nopedotjpeg I used to be in ballet/skating but stopped once I hit college, I work out maybe twice a week and I walk everywhere, so there's that. I don't have time for much else.

justanotherbrickinthewall

Please, please, please eat more calories. At least 1200. You're going to end up going through starvation mode like I did.
Fiber One bars aren't the healthiest, I would replace them with Kashi if you still want a bar. As for the sushi, it can be healthy when it has brown rice, lean fish, and lots of protein.
Try adding more higher-calorie foods to your diet, including peanut butter, olive oil, nuts, etc.

Nopedotjpeg

Thanks for the advice nopedotjpeg I used to be in ballet/skating but stopped once I hit college, I work out maybe twice a week and I walk everywhere, so there's that. I don't have time for much else.

Well with those two workouts a week, try to find something specific you want to do and make a goal within that activity. If it's weight lifting, pick a goal weight for a certain lift. If it's running, decide on a race and how fast you want to run it. So on and so forth.

My thinking is this will give you something besides your weight to focus on, but still aid in changing your body. And most people can attest to the fact that if you want to achieve a fitness goal, you're going to have to give your body enough food to do so.

EngineerPrincess

Thanks, but I do want to avoid falling into anorexia athletica, or over exercising, I tend to be obsessive, but I have been using more olive oil recently I feel okay when I eat that. Don't worry I binge too often to go into starvation mode. I'm getting better though! Maybe I should find a good healthy recipe book.

nu2012

From what I see...your diary had main carbs in rice and bagel,so if you would choose a whole wheat bagel or brown rice,the few extra carbs will not be there.

Nopedotjpeg

Thanks, but I do want to avoid falling into anorexia athletica, or over exercising, I tend to be obsessive, but I have been using more olive oil recently I feel okay when I eat that. Don't worry I binge too often to go into starvation mode. I'm getting better though! Maybe I should find a good healthy recipe book.

Well that's where you have to find the balance. I'm obviously not trying to encourage overtraining. And I know about dealing with binging. It isn't easy, but just know that one extreme (binging) doesn't justify another (not eating/undereating). You're on the right track. Good luck, and feel free to message me.

bcattoes

If you do not have a disease affecting diet or digestion, this is the best advice I've seen for healthy eating. It is evidence based adviced and provides the reasons for the recommendations, but most of all it's easy to read and follow.

The Harvard School of Public Health - Nutrition Source
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/index.html

The answer to the question "What should I eat?" is actually pretty simple. But you wouldn't know that from news reports on diet and nutrition studies, whose sole purpose seems to be to confuse people on a daily basis. When it comes down to it, though—when all the evidence is looked at together—the best nutrition advice on what to eat is relatively straightforward: Eat a plant-based diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains; choose healthy fats, like olive and canola oil; and eat red meat and unhealthy fats, like saturated and trans fats, sparingly. Drink water and other healthy beverages, and limit sugary drinks and salt. Most important of all is keeping calories in check, so you can avoid weight gain, which makes exercise a key partner to a healthy diet.