Registered Dietitian in TX. Here to answer questions.

FoodandFitness

Hey, y'all. My name is Tony. I'm a RD and personal trainer in Flower Mound, TX. It's raining here and I've already worked out today so I'm cooped up inside and ready to answer your questions!

I've done this once before and I got overwhelmed with questions so please read these few points before you ask your questions.

1. I am not here to argue science, methods, or prove any advice I'm giving. I have a formal education in nutrition, keep up on the current research and have my own opinions. I welcome you to share yours, but I will not engage in debate, nor will your opinion be likely to change my positions. I will not be posting links to peer reviewed journals for my recommendations. I am aware of the laws of giving nutrition guidance online, etc. etc.

2. I am only going to answer questions for people in general good health. If you have questions about a medical condition or disease state (ie diabetes, thyroid disease, cancer) My answer is always going to be, "talk to your doctor and dietitian."

3. If you "have tried everything and cannot lose weight" or if you're eating "x amount of calories and still can't lose weight." my answer will always be the same- you are eating too many calories. Be consistent with your current intake and cut by 10-20% while making sure you are getting enough protein. Make sure you are correct with your portion sizes and choosing the right foods in the MFP. In other words, if you can't lose weight- you need to eat less and exercise more.

4. The more information you can provide me like your height, weight, bodyfat %, current workout program, etc. will help me help you.

Ok, *whew* now that that's out of the way, fire at will!

(Also, sorry if I don't get to your question in time. I'm just doing this for fun, so I'm not sure how long I'll be on here. I'll try my best though and I appreciate your questions!)

GuybrushThreepw00d

Losing weight at the moment, trying to retain muscle mass and just lose fat.
Diary is open, what do you reckon of recent days?
Particularly my macro's.

I weigh 200lb, roughly 24% body fat. Exercise 7 days a week, 3days a week are lifting on a beginner program.

babybs

Hi Tony,

Another Texan here in rainy Mountain Home.

Just a quick question...Are "white" carbs really my enemy? Try as I might I have a hard time with whole grain breads so I just don't eat breads at all. How really horrible is a white bread sandwich every once in a while?

Erika1962

Reserving me a seat in this one!

JoanneStone

Will eating no starchy carbs eg: bread, potatoes etc help to get past a long standing plateau?

FoodandFitness

Losing weight at the moment, trying to retain muscle mass and just lose fat.
Diary is open, what do you reckon of recent days?
Particularly my macro's.

I weigh 200lb, roughly 24% body fat. Exercise 7 days a week, 3days a week are lifting on a beginner program.

According to the Katch-Mcardle equation, your RMR is 1862 calories based off your weight and body composition. So here's my recommendation:
Keep your protein between 152-200g protein per day and don't drop your calories toooo far below your RMR. If you're losing 1-2 pounds per week, you're right on track. More than that may mean you're losing some muscle. Keep up with your weight lifting and monitor your body composition each month.

Debbiedebbiey

How many carbs a day do you recommend ? The only times in life I've lost weight I've ate under 30 carbs. Obviously couldn't stick to it, which is why I'm here. Today I read "good calories; bad calories by Gary Taubes, it mentioned under 60 carbs/day. Funny everyone wants to know about carbs. Sorry, no one had posted it yet! By carbs I'm talking, apple, steel cut oats, etc. thanks in advance!

kennyrgreen

I'm 6' 2" and currently weight 288, but want to get to 240. Is eating 1200 calories a day too little to the point where my body is going to start retaining what i eat?

FoodandFitness

Hi Tony,

Another Texan here in rainy Mountain Home.

Just a quick question...Are "white" carbs really my enemy? Try as I might I have a hard time with whole grain breads so I just don't eat breads at all. How really horrible is a white bread sandwich every once in a while?

Hello fellow Texan!

White carbs are not your enemy. Whole grains and starches from vegetables come with extra micronutrients and healthy phytochemicals not found in refined grains and breads. Eat whole grains a majority of the time but be sure to have foods you enjoy too. This will help with long term compliance and therefore be healthier in the long run.

I recommend my clients follow the 80/20 rule. 80% of the time eat nutrient-dense foods and 20% of the time (or 10-20% of your calories) can be discretionary calories.

hooah_mj

Especially where genetics play the largest role in disease, how bad really is sodium (sea salt) in one's diet for someone on meds to control blood pressure?
(at my healthiest weight and target BMI I was and continue to take serious BP meds)
My doc said it's hands down genetics in my instance, but they never ask about my salt intake and I don't shoot myself in the foot by opening my mouth about it.

150lbs, 50yoa, Hispanic, so prone to all kinds of cultural diseases

Thx,
Texas Native

GuybrushThreepw00d

Keep your protein between 152-200g protein per day and don't drop your calories toooo far below your RMR. If you're losing 1-2 pounds per week, you're right on track. More than that may mean you're losing some muscle.

Thanks for your input.
What about fat intake?

FoodandFitness

Will eating no starchy carbs eg: bread, potatoes etc help to get past a long standing plateau?

When it comes to macronutrients: carbs, protein, and fats. There is a hierarchy of importance. There is a minimum amount of proteins and fats you need to prevent muscle loss and deficiencies. That being said, carbohydrates have the least physiological importance and are often reduced first when someone is on a low calorie diet.

So my answer is- cutting calories will help you overcome a weight loss plateau. Carbohydrates just may in fact be a logical first choice, but there is nothing inherently evil about carbs.

mluelevate

At what age should/would it be safe for me to use a product such as ginseng to speed up my metabolism?


Current Exercise plan : 5 days a week doing cardio for about 25-27 minutes doing periodic sprints. (Average calorie burn - 420), Lifting weights for about 30 minutes 3/5 days that I do cardio, and on Sundays I have two baseball games.

Any overall tips to lose, change my workout schedule (This is pretty flexible), or an answer about a metabolism pill?

angel79202

Hi Tony,
I am starting a cleanse tomorrow with USANA products..have you heard of them, and if so what is your opinion?

rmchapman4

Place Holder: BUMP!

DonnaLeeCattes

Hi Tony,
I have asked a few people this before and always get a different answer, so I will ask you, my goal in sugar is 24 grams. I have had a hard time staying at 24 or lower, I'm getting better, but anyway, people tell me if my sugar is coming from fruits that don't count as sugar, I don't believe this is true, how about you?

GretchenReine

Reserving me a seat in this one!

Taking a seat!!!

ska41

Hi Tony. Thanks for doing this! I'm in Flower Mound, too. It's about time we got some rain....

Soooo....I'm 56, 5'9", 312 lbs. at the moment. I swim 45-60 minutes a day - leisurely laps. Until I started exercising a month ago, I was the definition of "sedentary", spending all my waking time at the computer. I still spend most of the day at the keyboard, except for my exercise time (trying to get moving a little more), but I assume this doesn't put me at the high end of the metabolism numbers. MFP tells me to eat 1610 a day to lose 2 lbs a week, but in my infinite wisdom, I decided to try averaging 1200-1400 a day to make sure I lost 2 - 2 1/2 a week at the beginning. I've read lots of posts about messing up your metabolism eating too low and losing muscle, but is this really a concern since I'm way into the "morbidly obese" range right now? I plan to start lifting when I get the go ahead from my orthopedist (got a healing mcl tear). I have plenty of energy and feel good after changing my old awful diet to plenty of fruits and veggies. Staying at about 40-30-30. Have I gone too far with the calorie deficit at the moment?

FoodandFitness

How many carbs a day do you recommend ? The only times in life I've lost weight I've ate under 30 carbs. Obviously couldn't stick to it, which is why I'm here. Today I read "good calories; bad calories by Gary Taubes, it mentioned under 60 carbs/day. Funny everyone wants to know about carbs. Sorry, no one had posted it yet! By carbs I'm talking, apple, steel cut oats, etc. thanks in advance!

It all depends on your current stats, goals, and exercise regiment.

The quick answer is that your brain needs about 50g of carbs per day for some basic energy (even though in ketosis it can run off primarily ketones) and about 100-120g of carbs for the average person to stay out of ketosis.

A quick rule of thumb would be 1g of carb per pound of bodyweight for a non-obese person would be a good starting point. Once you have your minimum amount of proteins and fats met, how you fill your other calories up is up to your preference.

In my personal experience, eating low carbs sucks and puts me in a grumpy mood. I was able to reduce my bodyfat to 5% last summer while still eating over 100g of carbs per day. I forget the exact # I was eating though.

missionPossibleIcan

Training for a marathon.. it is 23 days away and then doing the Goofy Challenge in Jan. 39.3 miles in two days. Anyways, I have done great with training. Run 3-4 times a week, lift 3 times a week and always exercise 6 times a week. I am losing muscle mass and becoming puffy. Is this because of all the carbs I am eating? I also put on 8 pounds.. last time I trained for a marathon I gained 10 pounds. I am trying to keep the food clean and healthy.

KATRENAJ

I would like to know what % of carbs to calories are best for weight loss. Also what % of fat. Should I be striving for 33% fat and carbs or will this work itself out.

FoodandFitness

At what age should/would it be safe for me to use a product such as ginseng to speed up my metabolism?

Current Exercise plan : 5 days a week doing cardio for about 25-27 minutes doing periodic sprints. (Average calorie burn - 420), Lifting weights for about 30 minutes 3/5 days that I do cardio, and on Sundays I have two baseball games.

Any overall tips to lose, change my workout schedule (This is pretty flexible), or an answer about a metabolism pill?

As far as I know, there are no supplements that safely increase your metabolism... or even dangerously increase your metabolism enough to be clinically significant enough to merit their use. If you want to increase your metabolism, take a serious approach to weight lifting and build more muscle.

Philosophy input: even if a supplement did work, you'd have to take it forever because it would stop working as soon as you stopped taking it. Do you really want to have to take pills, powders, or potions forever when you can achieve your goals with a little self-discipline and hard work?

busymom11

What is your educational background? What is your actual job title currently? My daughter is a sophomore at an Oregon university studying nutrition and plans to be a dietitian also. She wants to minor in, or double major in an exercise science also. She has been told that this is an uncommon combination of degrees. Just hoping she can find a job she enjoys after she is done.

FoodandFitness

Hi Tony,
I am starting a cleanse tomorrow with USANA products..have you heard of them, and if so what is your opinion?

Good question. I'm going to copy/paste an exert from an article I wrote about cleanses:
Detox and cleanse supplements and diets are complete quackery. Legitimate health care practitioners have known this for years. Without explaining the science about it, detox programs simply do not work. I have yet to see one single decent peer reviewed study to show how detox works on actual fat loss. Dr. Barrett, MD goes into detail about the phoniness of detox programs. http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/detox_overview.html

Debbiedebbiey

That's what I was wanting to hear ! For long term success ! Thanks again !

FoodandFitness

Hi Tony,
I have asked a few people this before and always get a different answer, so I will ask you, my goal in sugar is 24 grams. I have had a hard time staying at 24 or lower, I'm getting better, but anyway, people tell me if my sugar is coming from fruits that don't count as sugar, I don't believe this is true, how about you?

Sugar is sugar. Sometimes it comes from fruit which has benefits because of the vitamins and phytonutrients that it accompanies, somtimes it comes from a candy-bar.

10-20% of your total calories can come from "discretionary calories." 24g of sugar is a low amount to begin with. I wouldn't stress about your sugar intake too much. Just try not to go overboard.

jalara

Bump!

Erika1962

What is your input on the so called starvation mode?

FoodandFitness

Especially where genetics play the largest role in disease, how bad really is sodium (sea salt) in one's diet for someone on meds to control blood pressure?
(at my healthiest weight and target BMI I was and continue to take serious BP meds)
My doc said it's hands down genetics in my instance, but they never ask about my salt intake and I don't shoot myself in the foot by opening my mouth about it.

150lbs, 50yoa, Hispanic, so prone to all kinds of cultural diseases

Thx,
Texas Native

Good question. It's a complicated answer. Not everyone's BP is sensitive to salt. In me experience though, most hispanics are. Losing weight and exercising can be some of the best ways to control your BP. For a low salt-approach I usually recommend no salty highly processed foods (like canned food or TV dinners) and no added salt.

Be sure to run your concerns by your doctor next time you see him.

michellekicks

I'm 6' 2" and currently weight 288, but want to get to 240. Is eating 1200 calories a day too little to the point where my body is going to start retaining what i eat?

Dear Lord how can you live eating so little?! I'm not Tony, but just wanted to say my husband is 6'2" and started about 280. He's been losing steadily by eating 2600 calories/day. He does a 5km walk/run a few days a week. No need to be so restrictive with this thing. Just my humble opinion. I'm a girl and I lose eating 2100 calories/day.

Lazygal53

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