What foods to and not to eat?????
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Edit: CONGRATS ON WEIGHT LOSS ALREADY! WOW!
word vomit. my eyes hurt, needs paragraphs. haha. Okay, I'm done teasing.
from what I gather, you're confused. it's a confusing process, this whole weight loss thing.
the cut and dry of it, if it comes from the earth, eat it.
if it comes from a lab, eat it still, in moderation.
drink plenty water, move your body, and you're golden.
you can find any information to support any claim and diet, eating pattern, lifestyle you can think of on these internet(s). all the info will conflict and make you crazy.
common sense is key, and patience as well0 -
My sister is a dietician also. Strawberries are considered a 'negative calorie' food- they take more energy to digest than they give you, whilst you benefit from the vitamins and fibre they contain. Don't give them up!
All nuts are great- they contain protein and fat to keep you fuller for longer- just watch your portion sizes. You don't need too many, and watch out for salted nuts! Peanuts are higher in fat- pistacio's are a good choice
Your sister needs to recheck her thermodynamics books if she believes in the negative calorie food bunk. There is not a single food that takes more energy to digest than it contains, not even celery. The myth comes from confusion over calories and kilocalories.
OP: You don't have to cut anything out of your diet if you don't want to. Weight loss is about calorie deficit, as long as you are under, you are good. However, healthfulness is about nutrition. Eating nutrient rich foods is great, but that doesn't mean something "empty" will kill you when consumed in moderation.0 -
Articeluvsmem,
Yes, I am seeing that. Actually I am reading about a fast don't fast, and skipping breakfast type set up now....It does seem there are facts to support no matter what you believe or want to believe? But I guess i will say that if Adam and Eve ate it, I should be able to also...god did make them perfect. Not fat. did they eat meat? Well I know fish was consumed at a later date....Even Jesus fished and ate fish. So maybe those who only eat fruits and vegetables and fish are on to something..After all, I have yet to meet a fat Vegetarian? Unless he or she just started the process....As I still might just do.
Bryan0 -
Never met a fat vegetarian? This site has plenty. Oreos are technically vegan.0
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Jorra,
LOL You know....I never though of an Oreo as a vegetable? LMAO I guess I stand corrected! 0 -
Clean eating is the ultimate diet imo
unfortunately I don't clean eat enough.
Eat organic foods if you can afford it (not sure about the rest of the world but in Australia, organic is damn expensive!)
Avoid refined sugars, preservatives and anything artificial. Get 5 serves of veg, 2 serves of fruit a day. Get some healthy fats, protein, natural sugar and sodium in. Not sure what the deal is with carbohydrates however I find that I need grains around midday to keep me from feeling weak later on.
I've even heard that cutting out gluten is a good idea.
I would do all of this if I could. I think I would be amazed with how many toxins would leave my body and how much healthier I would look, however I'm a sucker for a coffee with sweetener in it. :P0 -
Hey there, you already have lots of good info here, but I wanted to mention that you can manually adjust your macros. Go into your goals from your main page and select change and then use the custom option. Once there you can manually adjust your percentages. I would personally recommend setting protein to 30, carbs to 40 and fat to 30, but you can do whatever you feel works for you. I do agree on getting more protein and MFP doesn't set it high enough in my opinion. I get more than 100 grams of protein a day (often more than I should). I've also been told that you should get 1 g for every lb of lean body mass, but you can't set it that way in here.
Best of luck to you, congrats on what you have already lost. You are doing great!! You might also try increases your calories to maintenance level for a week or two and then going back down. That could shock your system. I also wouldn't worry too much about the weight gain. If you recently started working out more, you could be retaining water to help your muscles repair.0 -
If strawberries were bad for you, I would be dead. People always joke that if i went to a "pick your own strawberries" place, they would have to weigh me going in and coming out.0
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I wouldn't pick Jillian, charming though she is, as my fitness or nutrition guru. Despite her marketability, she has no training in either. Even her one fitness cert. is 'honorary' (because she 'taught' a course for them).0
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I stay away away from nuts because of the calories myself, I eat strawberries maybe once in awhile and I eat them raw with my dinner. I stay away from pastas mostly, I work my butt off and I eat back my calories sometimes more sometimes less depending on what my body says. But pastas, potatoes, and bread are a big no no for me. If I eat bread I eat it occasionally just like red potatoes, but I eat lite wheat bread, its very low in cals, 35 cals per slice, schwebel hearth lite whole wheat bread. adn I eat red potatoes. I talk to a nutritionist who said starchy foods can cause weight gain, she said mostly stay away from the nuts n starchy foods, so I do for the most part, adn I already lost 41 pounds, But she never said anything about strawberries so its news to me too. But I eat ground turkey and mostly as lean of meats I can get my hands on. I stay away from beans also, I only eat those in moderation 0
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I'm no expert but a couple of things I noticed. You have lost a lot of weight and are getting closer to goal. The closer you get, the slower you will lose. I also don't think you're eating enough. You have days where you eat 1400-1500 cals. That's not enough for a guy whom I assume is of average height. I also assume that your job is somewhat physical as opposed to sitting behind a desk all day. Heck, I'm 4' 10.5" and spend much of my day in front of a computer and I eat about 1800 cals a day. And I pretty much eat what I want. I've had to remove some things from my diet because I have medical conditions.
Don't stress so much about what you are eating. I'm not saying eat junk food but there is no magic combo of eat 3 spinach leaves to every bite of chicken to lose weight. Fruits, cheese, nuts, veggies, whole grains, proteins, good fats and a little treat here and there are a good diet. Unless you have a medical condition, eat whatever sounds good. Just make sure you are getting a good balance like enough protein, fiber and a good mix of vitamins.
You might want to go to fat2fitradio.com and use their calculators to help you figure out what you should be eating. I have been following their cal recommendations and my drs. and while I haven't lost any weight in a few months I've gotten smaller. I don't care what I weigh so much as what I look like I weigh.0 -
Eating isn't that complicated.
Don't eat foods that you don't like or are allergic to. You may also want to avoid foods that aren't filling or that you are unable to eat in reasonable portion sizes.
Ideally, you'd want to eat things that are easily recognized... foods that you can imagine in their natural state or made from ingredients that you could imagine yourself cooking with. That probably won't always happen, but if you're doing your best and eating a good variety of food, you'll probably be fine. Fresh fruit and vegetables are always good!0 -
Edit: CONGRATS ON WEIGHT LOSS ALREADY! WOW!
word vomit. my eyes hurt, needs paragraphs. haha. Okay, I'm done teasing.
from what I gather, you're confused. it's a confusing process, this whole weight loss thing.
the cut and dry of it, if it comes from the earth, eat it.
if it comes from a lab, eat it still, in moderation.
drink plenty water, move your body, and you're golden.
you can find any information to support any claim and diet, eating pattern, lifestyle you can think of on these internet(s). all the info will conflict and make you crazy.
common sense is key, and patience as well
QFT!
Don't stress so much mate
People like Jillian, Dr Oz et al, have all succumbed to the dark side. They are more interested in ratings and product placement than giving you sound advice. The truth is you just need to eat (mostly) well, eat at a low/moderate caloric deficit to lose weight, have a good macronutrient ratio (fat/protein/carbs) and get regular exercise.
That's pretty much it. There are a lot more intricacies depending on your specific goals, any food intolerances you may have, personal preferences etc, but in its simplest form, this is all you have to worry about to lose weight and have a healthy diet.0 -
Velvetvisions...I can relate to you in many ways however I do not have kids and am still in my early 30's. I grew up eating anything and everything and never gaining a pound. When people used to say "wow, you must work out a lot" I would laugh at them. Never worked out a day in my life cause I didn't need to. Now, I have watched myself slowly gain 40 lbs over the last 7 years (in denial the whole time). I couldn't face that my body wouldn't just get rid of the weight on it's own. So I have started Calorie counting and working out (cardio and strength with a personal trainer) 3 times a week and even though I am feeling tighter I have only lost one pound over the last 4 weeks. When you mentioned that the body holds on to water to repair muscle that made perfect sense why I haven't seen the numbers go down on the scale yet. I have been so frustrated thinking I should be at least dropping one pound per week and not seeing a change is very discouraging! I too LOVE strawberries and use them often when I make my smoothies. I didn't think they were bad for me and still don't so I plan to continue eating them but will cut down on the bananas for sure!
Good foods I have learned to eat is Salmon, any veggies (love salads! with a low calorie dressing), any fruits, pistachios, protien bars such as (150 fit bars) they have 9g of protein and only 8g of sugar with 150 calories! I have noticed eating them after a workout works for me, and a low calorie cereal for breakfast like cheerios with non fat milk.
Also you may want to try Caffeine free fat burn pills by apex...it's all natural and increases your metabolism. They were recommended to me by my trainer. You take those three times a day with breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Make sure you are working up a really good sweat when you are doing your cardio so you burn more calories. I have noticed that yes, it is going to take a lot of patience from me to see results but will be worth it to me in the end. I just have to wait for my body to get use to strength training so my muscles won't need to hang onto so much water. :-)
I love hearing everyones feedback! I just discovered the feed on here and I think I am going to like it!0 -
It really depends what you're trying to do. Lose weight, lose fat, or gain muscle. Look for specific advice based on your specific goal. Just general nutrition will always conflict with each other. Also, I would avoid nuts because they are extremely high in calories! But, if gaining muscle is your route, then that would be ok for you.0
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Those are two things that I love strawberries and peanut butter lol would'nt give them up & I lost 40lbs while eating them.0
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From a macro nutrient and weight loss perspective, fat is fat. Doesn't matter what kind you are eating. Eat too much and get fat. From a micronutrient perspective, you're probably right about the cashews being a good kind of fat. It's likely you are eating too much. Also you can be a vegetarian but if you don't work out properly or eat enough protein, you'll start to lose your lean muscle so you might weigh less but you won't look any leaner.0
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ARHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH :noway: :explode: :mad:
I half live on strawberrys....
omg life is gonna stop :blushing: 0 -
Im not a dietician or anything but I feel theres an awful lot of waffel out there,I feel eating natural food and not too much trash is the way to go,I feel fresh is the key,at the end of the day if you eat more calories than you burn consistently you gain weight if you eat less you loose weight,fairly simple!Exercise thrown in and you begin to feel fitter,I dont believe you should push yourself too hard either as your fitness will bulid,maybe this is oversimplified but it really is that simple! ok it might take 10 weeks to loose 10lbs so what?Forget the books its a business at the end of the day,ever watch the ads for perfect abs and all that?its hilarious you see the before and after the before nearly always shown in a pale light with a pale body,the after is well tanned and looking great,its so much rubbish,who has time to work out 4-5 hours a day and dont tell me this is achieveable after 10 mins a dayI know Ive gone off the point but its all clever marketing!So I say forget the books do what you feel is right! Common sense prevails!0
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So looking over my food diary, what would you change????
MORE FOODWhat is TDEE? And BMR?
BMR is the amount of calories your body requires on a daily basis to survive. The amount they would put in you in the hospital if you were in a coma, just to sustain life.
As soon as you step out of bed and begin your day, you already require MORE than this number. GO check the BMR calculator in the Tools section.
When you tell MFP your "activity level", they multiply this number by 1.2 sedentary, up to 1.9 highly active, and anywhere in between. That number tells you what you require just living life: job, housework, kids, etc.
This new number is your TDEE. You can see yours by going into your goals and see where it says "calories burned from normal daily activity" or something like that.
They subtract 500 from this number to equate to a 1 lb per week loss and this is your "calorie goal" in your diary. This is a GOAL to REACH to achieve success.
Also, purposeful exercise is NOT INCLUDED in this number. If you work out, add the calories and eat them. If you want your walks to be included in your "lifestyle" calories, and not be a "workout", change your activity level to active and don't log walks.
Bottom line is, underfeeding can be as bad as overeating. It can slow your metabolism through adaptive thermogenesis. Most days you leave anywhere from 200 to 1200 calories on the table. Those are meant to be eaten...and yet here you are whining that you gave up PB because of the calories?
PLEASE, add a TBSP of PB to your diet DAILY, it will actually HELP you!
You've lost a bunch of weight so far, and what works for the overweight DOES NOT work for the "almost at goal". When you are down to the last bit, you need to eat MORE, as close to maintenance as you can while still leaving a deficit....maybe 250-500 a day total deficit.
Your deficit is 700-1700 a day! (the 500 given by MFP for 1 lb per week, plus the 200-1200 that you tend to leave behind. If you chose 2 lbs per week, then it is 1200-2200 a day and that kind of deficit is bordering on ED behavior.
EAT MORE.0 -
Wow, some very interesting thoughts and information.Thank you all for responding. I am taking what you all have advised into serious consideration! This is obviously new to me. I grew up eating spaghetti and anything else I wanted, and was always told that if I was grumpy, or tired, or just did not feel good I needed to eat! Well my mom was 4'10" and over 400 Pounds..should have been a clue growing up, but as a kid it was "normal" mom was always right! Well now I am 27.............Ok 45
and realize that my life was killing me. Literally. I am actually surprised I only made it to 298 pounds. So this is now very important to me.
Bryan0 -
OK so I was doing some searching on line, and found that eating fruits and veggies with whole grains, and chicken breast, turkey breast, and fish are the aultimate foods. So i have been living on them for the most part. I love strawberries, and pinapple and cantalope, etc. so then I search more and find out that I should be also eating beans, and nuts....so I start eating cashews, and peanuts, and kidney beans, and navy beans. first off the calerie content drives me almost over the edge.but the fat content I am told is ok because it is the good healthy fat that we need. I am actually starting to think hard about becoming a vegitarian as eating this way helps me to really feel good. But My wieght loss has almost stopped inspite of my increased length of walking, and adding arobics. I still come in under my goal for caleries even...So I bought this book by Jillian Micheals about how to increase your metabolism with eating right. Guess what two foods she says to avoid? Peanuts, and Strawberries???? Wait now...I just got through reading that all fruits and vegies are good for you? Now strawberries increase the size of your Thyroid which control the amound of calories your body burns, as well as heart rate, and digestion, and body temp... I forget why she said not to eat peanuts...This is driving me crazy..It seems like I can't find two dietitions who agree on what to eat and what not to. So After I eat up the peanuts I have, I won't buy anymore of them...I love strawberries so much...but maybe they are the reason My weight loss has slowed down...I have eaten at least an entire container of fresh strawberries a week...They seem to stop my hunger also....
HELP???
Bryan
So first of all, Jillian Michaels is not a registered dietitian so...technically she's not a nutrition expert. She is also a professional fitness trainer and spends LOOOOOOTTTSSSS of time in the gym. Yeah, she has a sick body-but that's her job to have a good body and work out all the time...
Everything in Moderation is the key to a healthy lifestyle...anything that's telling you to avoid strawberries is a bit fishy to me.
Good, healthy foods include:
Whole grains (pastas, brown rice, quinoa, multigrain bread)
Healthy fats (olive oils, nuts-not salted or with additional sugar, fatty fish like salmon)
Fresh fruits and vegetables (best consumed in their whole form and only very slightly cooked-the more you cook a veggie, the more nutrients it loses...look at water after you steam broccoli or asparagus...if the water is bright green-you've cooked the veggie too much.)
Lean meats and proteins (poultry, fish-always trim off additional fat and remove skin...red meat is ok-try roasting it or trimming it to remove additional fat, legumes are also healthy sources of protein-black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, garbanzos/chickpeas...alfalfa sprouts-all great sources of protein)
Cut back on salt as much as you can-use fresh herbs to season your food if you find it's not flavorful without lots of salt. Salt will make your body hold onto water and, therefore, make the scale reflect a higher number than what you may actually weigh without the water weight.
Just remember-foods don't have morals. They're not good or bad...think of it more like eating More of this, Less of that.
Hope this is helpful...I am always VERY wary of any diet that tells you to cut out something all together-especially if it is a healthy food like fruits and nuts. Junk/snack foods and fast food are not good for you-neither are desserts, but believe it or not, in small amounts and infrequently, they're almost a good thing. If you deny yourself these foods, eventually you WILL crack and decide to eat it-and usually you'll end up eating more than if you'd allowed yourself to have a little bit in the first place...for example, I rarely eat donuts...but once every few months, I'll allow myself one. I also have a sweet tooth and crave chocolate and peanut butter...so I got myself some JIF simply (lower sugar and salt) and dark chocolate chips. I allow myself a tablespoon-1 1/2 tablespoons of each and it fixes my sweet tooth and leaves me feeling satisfied.0 -
Jorra,
LOL You know....I never though of an Oreo as a vegetable? LMAO I guess I stand corrected!
Being a vegetarian doesn't mean all one consumes is vegetables.0 -
It's not about what you eat to an extent. It's HOW MUCH you eat that's the problem.
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
I have struggled with what to and not to eat for years. One person will say NOT to eat fat, while another will say TO eat fat. One person will say to avoid canola oil at all costs, while another will say that it's the best oil to use. Same with coconut oil. One person will say it's a super food, while another will say it has too much fat. Meat or no meat. Beans or no beans. Everyone's opinions vary... and most of these people are dieticians, doctors, and/or personal trainers.
I followed the "real food movement" set in place by the Weston A Price foundation off and on for a few years, and found that it didn't really work for me or our family. Not only do I feel that it allows way too many calories and fat, it is also very complicated and I found that I would keep up for a while, then bomb. It was a frustrating cycle.
I have recently come to the conclusion to focus on eating foods that ARE food... in other words, I just try to not have a lot of processed "foods." Most of what I eat was made to be food... I eat what my body craves, with-in the boundaries that I have set. I have only been following this consistently for a few weeks, but I feel so much better and I have lost about 4 pounds!0 -
I have struggled with what to and not to eat for years. One person will say NOT to eat fat, while another will say TO eat fat. One person will say to avoid canola oil at all costs, while another will say that it's the best oil to use. Same with coconut oil. One person will say it's a super food, while another will say it has too much fat. Meat or no meat. Beans or no beans. Everyone's opinions vary... and most of these people are dieticians, doctors, and/or personal trainers.
I followed the "real food movement" set in place by the Weston A Price foundation off and on for a few years, and found that it didn't really work for me or our family. Not only do I feel that it allows way too many calories and fat, it is also very complicated and I found that I would keep up for a while, then bomb. It was a frustrating cycle.
I have recently come to the conclusion to focus on eating foods that ARE food... in other words, I just try to not have a lot of processed "foods." Most of what I eat was made to be food... I eat what my body craves, with-in the boundaries that I have set. I have only been following this consistently for a few weeks, but I feel so much better and I have lost about 4 pounds!
Sounds like the best way to go to me.
I just think any diet that tells you to avoid a particular food all together or focuses on any one food is trying to sell you something (don't get me started on the whole coconut fad).
Any RD who is following the ADA best practices and/or the Dietary Recommendations for Americans would say everything (including foods that are not "healthy"...aka desserts, high sugar fruits, red meat, cheese, etc) in moderation. Portion sizes are what have Americans getting bigger...not the fact that they ate a burger....but they got the bacon double cheese and large fries...and more than once/week. Moderation seems to be, for a vast majority of Americans, not in their vocabulary.0 -
Strawberrys are part of the super foods group and there isnt many of them Ive just read up about the strawberry effect, and its for thoe that have hyperthyroidism, which dont say you have, so I wouldnt stop eating them, I would maybe cut down on the nuts so much as they could add weight too you as they have a lot of fat.It eating all thing in moderation, and by the look of your diary your not bad at that. It could be just water weight, or that your body is so used to the same walk. Try a different exercise.Your coming in under your calories goals so i dont see any reason for gains, but I would say dont eat before bed, they in the know, have always said that if you eat before bed it will gain weight, and I think that is probs true if the meal is big though,0
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Thanks all for your comments....And see, Even some of us on here who have had success can't agree on what to and not to eat...I am about to just give up and accept that I will just be fat for ever! But for now, I have a huge bowl of salad to eat before it goes bad...so I will be living on that for a couple days. lunch, dinner, and snacks! LOL Maybe I will loose weight then?
Bryan0 -
Thanks all for your comments....And see, Even some of us on here who have had success can't agree on what to and not to eat...I am about to just give up and accept that I will just be fat for ever! But for now, I have a huge bowl of salad to eat before it goes bad...so I will be living on that for a couple days. lunch, dinner, and snacks! LOL Maybe I will loose weight then?
Bryan
I think the takeaway message is that there are lots of different ways to skin this cat. As long as you're staying in a calorie deficit, you will lose weight. Barring metabolic issues, you'll lose about as much as you're supposed to, according to the calculators. IMO, what everyone should do is to choose a healthy (or healthier) way of eating that is sustainable in the long run. If you look at this as a diet that you go on until you reach a certain weight or fitness level, you're likely to fall off and re-gain when you resume eating the way you'd like to.0 -
So then if we keep the calories, fat, sugar, and starch intake below a certian level we should continue to loose wieght right? I just find it hard to believe that I can eat Reeces cups all day long and still keep my calorie count below what my body needs and I will actually loose weight? I mean am I wrong here? I know I would not live long on that diet because I am missing so many things my body needs to live....but is it possible???
Bryan0
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