Registered Dietitian here. Happy to answer questions.

FoodandFitness

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Its like you read my mind! I was just thinking earlier I need to speak to a dietitian because I'm confused on some things...
Question number 1: Do I eat below BMR? Or between BMR and TDEE?

Same question. I should eat about 1600 per day to lose. That will put me under BMR for sure. BMR is 1590. Is it o.k. to eat so little? Can I eat low cal for a short period without slowing my metabolism?

The BMR, etc on here are estimations. It is perfectly ok to start off trying a calorie plan that deviates a little from your calculations. Let results and preference be your guide. You will not slow your metabolism unless you are losing weight excessively fast because a portion of that weight will be LBM.

marisol7649

Hi,

I am going to eat brunch with the family,so far I have not eaten breakfast because I am not hungry.I worked out and have about 1300 calories so far.is this bad?

stephvaile

i see you giving advice to cut calories of 10% on some peoples diets who are already eating very low calories i.e the person on 800 cals what is your take on eating below 1200 cals and people exercising at this amount and not eating back the cals burned do you as dietician believe this to be a healthy way to lose weight

FoodandFitness

Hi Tony
I have joined the Navy and gained weight due to such a big life style change Its hard to count cals when living on the ship for weeks at a time since all of our are meals are prepared for us I joined at 146 and I am now almost 170 very and unhappy I feel like all I new about being healthy isnt working for me becuase I counted very cal and use my hrm for every workout to always keep track of things I just feel like I dont even know how to get back to the happy healthier person i use to be

Thanks In advance

I'm not sure how your schedule works, but I recommend my clients try to plan ahead for most meals to avoid frustration. If you are stalled in your progress, cut additional calories.

OddballExtreme

Thanks for being here, Tony. Perhaps you can help me with a couple of situations:

First, I do exercise about four to five days a week, walking around my neighborhood with at least five hills in the area. I also use 1-pound wrist weights to add a little more challenge into it. How can I accurately enter that in the exercise when I've had to make it up myself?

Second, I know my caloric intake is at 1200. However, when I exercise, it appears I have to add MORE calories to accommodate the situation. I've been below the minimum almost all the time and wonder if I'm starving myself without realizing it. Should I change the minimum to a smaller number or leave it as it is?

Finally, I've been waking up at 3am every morning with a slightly elevated heartrate. I've tested my blood sugar a couple of times when that happens and discovered it's around 70, which might be a little too low for me. Should I have a snack (like a banana) standing by to take care of this? (And for the record, I did discuss this with my doctor last week during my checkup.)

FoodandFitness

I was once told by a personal trainer to always start my day with a warm/hot glass of (fresh)lemon water before eating anything. i was told it get your metabolism going as well as detox your body is this correct?

Also what is the maximum amount of fruit you should eat daily if trying to lose weight? also what time of the day is best to eat fruit? I notice a weight gain sometimes when i have eaten more fruit than my usual 1 piece (nectarine, Pear) per day.

Lol, that personal trainer's advice is scientifically unfounded.

There is no maximum amount. As long as the carbs from the fruit is not displacing your other nutrient goals, eat as much as you like.

FoodandFitness

OK, here's a question you've probably never heard before: Do carbs make you fat?

Any form of calorie intake about maintenance calories will be converted into stored adipose fat tissue. There are some differences in respect to the properties of each nutrient but the take home message is eat > maintenance = weight gain

Glamma26

bump

FoodandFitness

what, if any, is the difference between a dietician and a nutritionist?

Registered Dietitan is a licensed credential. It requires a 4 year degree in nutrition, a 1200 hour internship, and an exam and yearly continuing education in nutrition sciences.

A nutritionist is a unlicensed term. Anyone can call themselves a nutritionist. Even without any formal education.

Aedrah

Hey y'all. My name is Tony. I'm a Registered Dietitian and Personal Trainer. I have all of my clients use MFP and I'm a big fan of this program.

I'm glad to offer and feedback or help for your nutrition or fitness questions.

Hi Tony!
What are your thoughts about eating a lot of baby spinach? I've heard conflicting stories - something about too much oxalates can cause kidney stones.

I really love baby spinach - I use it in salad normally, and even more so now since I've joined MFP and am working to become healthier. Do you think there are generally any concerns in eating about 4 cups of baby spinach a day, over the long-term?

Thanks for being here!

FoodandFitness

Random question just for lulz. Do you have a bb.com account and are you the dude who posted a head shot which then prompted me to post the Napoleon Dynamite pic comparison?

If not, disregard and nevermind

Srs question though.

Yup. I've cut my hair since, but thanks for the sentiments back in the day.

Sidesteal

Random question just for lulz. Do you have a bb.com account and are you the dude who posted a head shot which then prompted me to post the Napoleon Dynamite pic comparison?

If not, disregard and nevermind

Srs question though.

Yup. I've cut my hair since, but thanks for the sentiments back in the day.

YES! I knew it was you

Welcome to MFP.

FoodandFitness

Hey y'all. My name is Tony. I'm a Registered Dietitian and Personal Trainer. I have all of my clients use MFP and I'm a big fan of this program.

I'm glad to offer and feedback or help for your nutrition or fitness questions.

Hiya Tony. I was curious what your thoughts were on intermittent fasting as well. Particularly in an Eat Stop Eat pattern, 3 days a week...or alternatively in a leangains type pattern, of 16hrs fasted, and 8hrs fed.

Thanks!

According to my research on the topic, it think its micromanaging. A simple calorie deficit will do the job. However, if it is your preference and helps you with long term dietary compliance, go for it!

Tony its less about micromanaging. With intermittent fasting its just an easy way to create the required caloric deficit for weight loss or staying weight stable during maintenance. Then there are the benefits of intermittent fasting and its easier to do to get the benefits rather than daily caloric restriction.

Looks like you've blogged or written an article about intermittent fasting on your website:
http://foodandfitnessonline.com/nutrition/fat-loss/intermittent-fasting/
Will take a read.
Your site looks good.

You didn't really address the benefits of IF:
"fasting once in a while seems to offer many of the same benefits of calorie restriction – you know, stuff like increased longevity, neuroprotection, increased insulin sensitivity, stronger resistance to stress, some cool effects on endogenous hormone production, increased mental clarity, plus more - but without the active, agonizing restriction."

Read more: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/health-benefits-of-intermittent-fasting/#ixzz22dmhxyf4

and this:
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/intermittent-fasting/chapter-1
''Research in favour of IF looks compelling. So, shouldn’t you get started right away? Maybe, maybe not. Sometimes looks can be deceiving.

Before we get all gung-ho and skip meals or entire days of eating, I think it’s important to mention a few things you’re not going to read on most pro-IF web sites.''

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/intermittent-fasting/summary
"WHAT ARE THE BIG “TAKEAWAYS”?

I think there are four main takeaways that readers of this book should come away with.

Trial fasting is a great way to practice managing hunger. This is an essential skill for anyone who wants to get in shape and stay healthy and fit.

More regular fasting isn't objectively better for losing body fat. While my IF experiments worked quite well, the intermittent fasting approach (bigger meals, less frequently) didn't produce better fat loss than a more conventional diet approach (smaller meals, more frequently) might have.

More regular fasting did make it easier to maintain a lower body fat percentage. Intermittent fasting isn't easy. However, I did find that using this approach made it easier for me to maintain a low body weight and a very low body fat percentage vs. more conventional diets.

Intermittent fasting can work but it's not for everyone, nor does it need to be. In the end, IF is just one approach, among many effective ones, for improving health, performance, and body composition."
Dr John M. Beradi

"Intermittent fasting can work but it's not for everyone, nor does it need to be. In the end, IF is just one approach, among many effective ones, for improving health, performance, and body composition."
Dr John M. Beradi

^ Yes, this is my take on it as well.

And once I see stronger human studies and clinically significant benefits, I will consider making recommendations on IF based further than the preferences of the client. This is because I tend to be more conservative in my recommendations. So far I can say that empirically, my current methodology has proved well. I would never discourage anyone from IF, unless a specific reason contraindicated an IF approach. Thank you for your input.

FoodandFitness

Sorry but what is TDEE? Thanks!

Total daily energy expenditure. IE- maintenance calories.

elizabethlongcroft

Hi i have just started and my calorie in take is 1200 and am under every day .i think i eat alot can you tell me where i am going wrong

FoodandFitness

Hi Tony, thanks for posting here! I've been on a plateau for about 4 months - gaining and losing the same couple pounds. I'm getting really frustrated and not sure how to push myself back into loss (I still have about 20 lbs to go before I am in a "normal" BMI range) Any tips?
I'm a high-protein vegetarian & eat about 1400 cals a day (spread out into about 5 little meal/snacks through the day), getting exercise in about 2-3 times a week.

You need to cut calories. Try a 10% cut and make sure you are being consistent. Check your weight again in a month.

disagree strongly. i eat 1450 on the days i do nothing and 1700 to 2000 on the days i kick butt at the gym...( weights/cardio)
once i increased my calories from 1200 i started dropping weight. i was stuck for months because i was eating too LITTLE.

I agree with Jules. Tony, you may have a degree in whatever, but dispensing generic advice on the internet can be harmful. You don't know this woman's age, height, weight, anything at all, and you told her to cut 10% off her intake. What if she is already eating too little?

If she was taking in less than her maintenance calories, she would be losing weight. People cannot defy the 2nd law of thermodynamics.

If she is not giving herself nutrient deficiencies, then she is not eating too little.

ZeroWoIf

I was once told by someone to drink 6 cups of prune juice and eat broccoli 5 min later. Would you care to explain to me why?

FoodandFitness

Hello, how many eggs is it health to eat a day? I eat 2-4 as I love the taste and they are really healthy. I know there are a lot of myths surrounding eggs, are they safe to eat lots?

Nothing wrong with 2-4 eggs per day. There are a lot of myths. Enjoy your eggs. I just had a 3 egg omelet for breakfast and it was damn tasty.

zrmac804

There's a debate raging on the boards right now called "Please stop microwaving your food". Perhaps you can add your professional opinion?

SportyLadyPhotographer

How did you get into this line of work, I'm really interested and have done quite a lot of research but still like to know