Would love your opinion on my diet:

rachaee

Hi everyone, I know these sorts of posts can get annoying but I have a few reasons for asking. I have a history of binging and starving so my ideas of dieting are pretty warped. Im ready to do this properly, and i mean REALLY properly to get one of those ripped beachbody physiques! So i need my diet to be pretty dead on...hence the advice!

Whats the opinion on dairy? yes or no? Fruit also? I have 40 pounds to lose in total and im willing to work hard. exercise wise im starting off with turbofire, then insanity i reckon and then I will see!

So here's my diet plan...PLEASE give me your thoughts, I want to do the best possible!

Tea with soya milk and sweetener x4 per day

Breakfast: 1 egg, 2 egg whites, mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes

Lunch: large salad (greens, peppers, beetroot, chickpeas, cucumber) with tuna/salmon/white fish/quorn
OR
Vegetable soup and fish/quorn mixed with veggies

Dinner: Fish/quorn/eggs with veggies (boiled/stir fried/roasted/baked), maybe some sweet potato or butternut squash

Snacks: cottage cheese with fruit or low sugar jam, low fat string cheese, hummus and veggies, natural nut butter and fruit/veggies

What would you say i should aim for grams wise for protein, fat and carbs?

Thankyou SO much for your help!

Sarauk2sf

Reading through these may help:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819925-the-basics-don-t-complicate-it

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/817188-iifym

AntWrig

Hi everyone, I know these sorts of posts can get annoying but I have a few reasons for asking. I have a history of binging and starving so my ideas of dieting are pretty warped. Im ready to do this properly, and i mean REALLY properly to get one of those ripped beachbody physiques! So i need my diet to be pretty dead on...hence the advice!

Whats the opinion on dairy? yes or no? Fruit also? I have 40 pounds to lose in total and im willing to work hard. exercise wise im starting off with turbofire, then insanity i reckon and then I will see!

So here's my diet plan...PLEASE give me your thoughts, I want to do the best possible!

Tea with soya milk and sweetener x4 per day

Breakfast: 1 egg, 2 egg whites, mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes

Lunch: large salad (greens, peppers, beetroot, chickpeas, cucumber) with tuna/salmon/white fish/quorn
OR
Vegetable soup and fish/quorn mixed with veggies

Dinner: Fish/quorn/eggs with veggies (boiled/stir fried/roasted/baked), maybe some sweet potato or butternut squash

Snacks: cottage cheese with fruit or low sugar jam, low fat string cheese, hummus and veggies, natural nut butter and fruit/veggies

What would you say i should aim for grams wise for protein, fat and carbs?

Thankyou SO much for your help!

I need your current macros. That is what matters.

Siege_Tank

The thermic effect of food really does have a lot to do with weight loss. There is a metabolic cost associated with doing everything, including eating. Protein costs a LOT for us to assimilate, it takes a LOT for our bodies to be able to break that protein down into amino acids. Carbs are less costly for us to digest and assimilate, and fats... forget about it. Fats get broken down into fatty acids.. There’s not much of a transformation there.

I thought that every now and then I could cheat, that I could have days where I would let myself eat "bad" things and maintain my calorie count/cut for the day. I will psych myself up for eating out at a restaurant... the problem is, with eating out, you can be pretty sure that the food item sent to the lab and measured for calorie content from the test kitchen is NOT the same dish that arrives at your table. An extra ladle full of alfredo is a couple of hundred calories. Using a different kind of cooking oil, heavy handed sauces, more food than what was counted at the lab, all of that can add up to THOUSANDS of calories difference in what a website lists for certain items, and what we get in our bodies. The real kicker, there is no money to police and test calorie counts when they might be wrong. You’ll never be able to monitor everything coming out of every kitchen for caloric content.. We can barely keep health inspectors on track to find dirty restaurants! So many times even they miss stuff!

Does each little bite matter? Yes. People who are in a coma are fed protein shakes(plus carbs, fats, and every essential vitamin and mineral) through a feeding tube. Their weight can be monitored and adjusted up or down based on the number of calories fed to them, in the form of proteins, carbs, and fat though the feeding tube. It doesn't matter if it's a "clean" calorie or not.

If it is a protein, our bodies will break it down into the basic amino acids that make up that protein.

If it is a carb our bodies will break that down into glucose molecules.

If it is a fat, our bodies break it down into fatty acids.

The arguments for and against certain diets, what to eat, how much of what to eat really don’t do much for us. It doesn’t matter from what food source a protein, fat, or carb comes from, our bodies will use it.

It is much easier to eat 1500 calories worth of calorie light food, like green vegetables, steamed rice, any piece of meat you can find, potatoes, baked fish...

When 1600 calories is the caloric cost of a McDonalds Angus Bacon Cheeseburger, Large fries, and a Large Coke, You can sort of see how total food volume can come into play here. 1600 calories of healthy food would be TEN 4 ounce portions of baked chicken breast PLUS six cups of steamed broccoli. I don't know about you, but given an entire DAY I don't think I could eat that much.

When we eat less, our body makes up for the calorie deficit by chaining fatty acids together with amino acids... from stored fat and stored protein. If we eat enough protein in our diet, then stored protein (muscle) won’t be used. That’s why you see people lose muscle mass when they diet, glucogenesis requires protein from somewhere, and the body doesn’t care where it comes from.

Eat protein. Seriously. Eat teh proteins and you won't be ABLE to overeat on anything else. Like 150 grams a day should be your goal, or half of your calorie needs for the day - whichever is higher. 1.5 grams protein per pound of lean body weight.

neecie5

Your diet sounds really healthy. I have been drinking a glass of 2% milk almost every day (good for you, and makes you feel full) so I say don't avoid dary unless you have a problem processing it. Lots of lean protein, some whole grains, foods that you actually enjoy that are healthy, and processed foods in moderation is the name of the game. MFP is very useful for calculating how much protein, fat and carbs you need daily, so use this built-in tool. It will tell you what you need. And YES, you need fat. It's just important to understand good fats (avocados, nuts) vs. bad fats (McDonald's french fries), and know that if you're craving fries bad, it's okay on occasion to order the kids' size fry, but don't eat it again for a few months.

claritarejoice

Regarding the diet plan you've laid out: it's similar to what I eat and I've lost 35 pounds so far, so it will work. I have just a few thoughts. Protein: do you not eat meat except fish? It's difficult for me and will be for you on that diet to get enough protein. I would add natural chicken, turkey and greek yogurt to your plan. Carbs: your plan looks low carb - don't be afraid of carbs. There's no weight loss reason to limit carbs (unless you have a medical reason). I love Ak Mak crackers with my hummus for snacks - they are high protein and low fat. I also eat oatmeal for breakfast. My macros are set to 40% carbs and 30% fat and protein. I hope this helps.

jrmartinezb

Well, IMHO your plan sounds healthy and tasty, you have a nice variety of veggies, lean protein, fruits and healthy carbs. I think you could add some whole grain bread/pasta and perhaps some legumes.

Maybe try it for a few days, see what the actual macros look like and make adjustments depending on how you feel.

Personally, I aim for 40%carbs, 30%fat, and 30%protein, but I'm sure you'll get a lot of different (even conflicting) advice. In the end I guess you'll have to figure what works best for you through trial and error. Just make sure your diet is varied, healthy, sufficient, affordable and enjoyable!

SadKitty27

The thermic effect of food really does have a lot to do with weight loss. There is a metabolic cost associated with doing everything, including eating. Protein costs a LOT for us to assimilate, it takes a LOT for our bodies to be able to break that protein down into amino acids. Carbs are less costly for us to digest and assimilate, and fats... forget about it. Fats get broken down into fatty acids.. There’s not much of a transformation there.

I thought that every now and then I could cheat, that I could have days where I would let myself eat "bad" things and maintain my calorie count/cut for the day. I will psych myself up for eating out at a restaurant... the problem is, with eating out, you can be pretty sure that the food item sent to the lab and measured for calorie content from the test kitchen is NOT the same dish that arrives at your table. An extra ladle full of alfredo is a couple of hundred calories. Using a different kind of cooking oil, heavy handed sauces, more food than what was counted at the lab, all of that can add up to THOUSANDS of calories difference in what a website lists for certain items, and what we get in our bodies. The real kicker, there is no money to police and test calorie counts when they might be wrong. You’ll never be able to monitor everything coming out of every kitchen for caloric content.. We can barely keep health inspectors on track to find dirty restaurants! So many times even they miss stuff!

Does each little bite matter? Yes. People who are in a coma are fed protein shakes(plus carbs, fats, and every essential vitamin and mineral) through a feeding tube. Their weight can be monitored and adjusted up or down based on the number of calories fed to them, in the form of proteins, carbs, and fat though the feeding tube. It doesn't matter if it's a "clean" calorie or not.

If it is a protein, our bodies will break it down into the basic amino acids that make up that protein.

If it is a carb our bodies will break that down into glucose molecules.

If it is a fat, our bodies break it down into fatty acids.

The arguments for and against certain diets, what to eat, how much of what to eat really don’t do much for us. It doesn’t matter from what food source a protein, fat, or carb comes from, our bodies will use it.

It is much easier to eat 1500 calories worth of calorie light food, like green vegetables, steamed rice, any piece of meat you can find, potatoes, baked fish...

When 1600 calories is the caloric cost of a McDonalds Angus Bacon Cheeseburger, Large fries, and a Large Coke, You can sort of see how total food volume can come into play here. 1600 calories of healthy food would be TEN 4 ounce portions of baked chicken breast PLUS six cups of steamed broccoli. I don't know about you, but given an entire DAY I don't think I could eat that much.

When we eat less, our body makes up for the calorie deficit by chaining fatty acids together with amino acids... from stored fat and stored protein. If we eat enough protein in our diet, then stored protein (muscle) won’t be used. That’s why you see people lose muscle mass when they diet, glucogenesis requires protein from somewhere, and the body doesn’t care where it comes from.

Eat protein. Seriously. Eat teh proteins and you won't be ABLE to overeat on anything else. Like 150 grams a day should be your goal, or half of your calorie needs for the day - whichever is higher. 1.5 grams protein per pound of lean body weight.

Good info here; I really enjoyed this post.

vjohn04

The thermic effect of food really does have a lot to do with weight loss. There is a metabolic cost associated with doing everything, including eating. Protein costs a LOT for us to assimilate, it takes a LOT for our bodies to be able to break that protein down into amino acids. Carbs are less costly for us to digest and assimilate, and fats... forget about it. Fats get broken down into fatty acids.. There’s not much of a transformation there.

I thought that every now and then I could cheat, that I could have days where I would let myself eat "bad" things and maintain my calorie count/cut for the day. I will psych myself up for eating out at a restaurant... the problem is, with eating out, you can be pretty sure that the food item sent to the lab and measured for calorie content from the test kitchen is NOT the same dish that arrives at your table. An extra ladle full of alfredo is a couple of hundred calories. Using a different kind of cooking oil, heavy handed sauces, more food than what was counted at the lab, all of that can add up to THOUSANDS of calories difference in what a website lists for certain items, and what we get in our bodies. The real kicker, there is no money to police and test calorie counts when they might be wrong. You’ll never be able to monitor everything coming out of every kitchen for caloric content.. We can barely keep health inspectors on track to find dirty restaurants! So many times even they miss stuff!

Does each little bite matter? Yes. People who are in a coma are fed protein shakes(plus carbs, fats, and every essential vitamin and mineral) through a feeding tube. Their weight can be monitored and adjusted up or down based on the number of calories fed to them, in the form of proteins, carbs, and fat though the feeding tube. It doesn't matter if it's a "clean" calorie or not.

If it is a protein, our bodies will break it down into the basic amino acids that make up that protein.

If it is a carb our bodies will break that down into glucose molecules.

If it is a fat, our bodies break it down into fatty acids.

The arguments for and against certain diets, what to eat, how much of what to eat really don’t do much for us. It doesn’t matter from what food source a protein, fat, or carb comes from, our bodies will use it.

It is much easier to eat 1500 calories worth of calorie light food, like green vegetables, steamed rice, any piece of meat you can find, potatoes, baked fish...

When 1600 calories is the caloric cost of a McDonalds Angus Bacon Cheeseburger, Large fries, and a Large Coke, You can sort of see how total food volume can come into play here. 1600 calories of healthy food would be TEN 4 ounce portions of baked chicken breast PLUS six cups of steamed broccoli. I don't know about you, but given an entire DAY I don't think I could eat that much.

When we eat less, our body makes up for the calorie deficit by chaining fatty acids together with amino acids... from stored fat and stored protein. If we eat enough protein in our diet, then stored protein (muscle) won’t be used. That’s why you see people lose muscle mass when they diet, glucogenesis requires protein from somewhere, and the body doesn’t care where it comes from.

Eat protein. Seriously. Eat teh proteins and you won't be ABLE to overeat on anything else. Like 150 grams a day should be your goal, or half of your calorie needs for the day - whichever is higher. 1.5 grams protein per pound of lean body weight.

Good info here; I really enjoyed this post.

yes, yes! great post!!!