Diet help

Squidgeypaws007

Hi guys, I have been doing a bit of research into what is good to eat and what is not, but to be honest I'm still a bit stumped.

When I first joined MFP I weighed 172. Up to last week I had lost 8Ibs of that, bringing me down to 164. Last Saturday I found that I had put on 2Ibs over the week.....I hadn't changed my diet (save for a couple of pieces of cheesecake on V-day) and I had starting exercising, a 20 minute bike ride every day. To be honest I was a little disheartened.

This week I've been working even harder to get the exercise going, and I've actually been eating past the point of hunger to ensure I'm reaching the 1, 200kcal goal.

Would anyone with a few moments to spare be able to look at my diet and tell me if I'm HUGELY off the mark with what I'm eating? Any ideas where the 2Ibs could have come from? It just feels like this is going to be some impossible journey, and then the "maybe you're supposed to be this weight" ideas come to me.....Any ideas/comments/help GREATLY appreciated!

Squidgeypaws007

Also (sorry bout the double post) if I eat say, 800 calories a day but don't feel hungry, should I push myself to eat the 1200 recommended?

UponThisRock

Your weight can fluctuate a few pounds here and there based on many factors, water retention being the most common reason. It's nothing to get upset over, what happens over the course of one week is small in the grand scheme of things.

As for general advice about your diet, I would advise limiting the processed foods and eating a lot more fruits and veggies.

Squidgeypaws007

Ah brilliant, thank you I was wondering whether water retention could be that much?

Also (sorry for sounding like a dunce) but by processed foods what do you mean? The ready meal cauliflower cheese (and other things like it)? Would the breakfast cereals I eat (i.e. shreddies) count as processed food? (sorry just got to make sure I'm getting the terminology right!)

danmoffett

I have lost 152 pounds in the past 24 months. It took me a while to learn what to do. But once you do, the weight falls off. NO calorie counting EVER. Read my blog, I tell my weight loss journey with lots of helpful info. I have nothing to sell and you won't find any ads on my blog.
I've been there, I know what fat, overweight, obese people are going through, I was one. I was always the fattest guy in the room. Not any more.

Enjoy the freedom of eating right. The FREEDOM from calorie counting.
Enjoy good health and lots of energy.
If I can do it, you can do it.

Dan

engineman312

Ah brilliant, thank you I was wondering whether water retention could be that much?

Also (sorry for sounding like a dunce) but by processed foods what do you mean? The ready meal cauliflower cheese (and other things like it)? Would the breakfast cereals I eat (i.e. shreddies) count as processed food? (sorry just got to make sure I'm getting the terminology right!)

in my opinion, foods that are processed are generally prepackaged foods. like, if it takes two steps or less to get it from the container to the plate ready to eat, its processed. you can make you own cauliflower and cheese and it'll probably be much healthier. cold cuts are considered processed too, and also high in sodium.

breakfast cereals aren't as bad, but have do you like oatmeal? i like oatmeal, cooked with peanutbutter, and then some brown sugar, or nuts and berries mixed in. keeps me full in the morning for a long time.

Squidgeypaws007

Enjoy the freedom of eating right. The FREEDOM from calorie counting.
Enjoy good health and lots of energy.
If I can do it, you can do it.

Dan

Thank you Dan, i'll check your blog out xD

in my opinion, foods that are processed are generally prepackaged foods. like, if it takes two steps or less to get it from the container to the plate ready to eat, its processed. you can make you own cauliflower and cheese and it'll probably be much healthier. cold cuts are considered processed too, and also high in sodium.

So, would you guys say that Quorn is processed? and should I cut that from my diet? As I'm a veggie what other high protein foods could I find? Someone said Whey protein.....is that also processed?

cryingwolfeblog

Nice job on the 33 pounds BTW

UponThisRock

So, would you guys say that Quorn is processed? and should I cut that from my diet? As I'm a veggie what other high protein foods could I find? Someone said Whey protein.....is that also processed?

I would say that Quorn and Whey are both processed foods.

I wouldn't completely cut any food out of your diet that you enjoy. Just try to keep processed foods to a minimum, ~80% of your diet should be non or minimally processed foods. Keep in mind, this isn't about weight loss, just general health.