Yet another diary thread

RobinC37

Hi everyone! I've been on here for two weeks now, and was hoping people might have some insight on my diary. I am actively working to find ways to increase my caloric intake on exercise days. I haven't figured out the recipe thing yet, so I just input all my ingredients separately. I log every single thing I eat, but don't precisely track my water intake. I also have one coffee every day, which I don't always log. I know I am generally doing okay, but I'd like some input just to make sure I really am on the right track.

Is there anything vital I am missing?
How are my numbers looking? I know it's gotten better- when I first started I was still in recovery from surgery and entirely sedentary.
Should I be eating more earlier? The second half of my day (after workouts) is usually much higher in calories than the first half. I eat something everyday within an hour of getting up, beyond that does it really matter?
Am I getting enough calcium as a 20-something woman?
Are there any huge red flags?

All general input is welcome too! I hope I've addressed some of the points I believe people will bring up immediately ("Eat more!" "I'm trying!"), but I am still open to suggestions on how to deal with any issues.

Thanks in advance!

Robin

PS- Let me know if your diary is open so I can check it out for inspiration!

quirkytizzy

I don't think you'll get too much in the way of "eat more." Your calorie goal is reasonable and you do a good job of keeping close to it. I suck at nutrition information so others will have to give that to you.

(I think my diary's open, but it's probably not good for super-healthy inspiration. I eat a lot of processed food and high sugar stuff.)

RobinC37

Bump! Anyone else?

Firefox7275

Nutrient timing ... different people have different opinions. I think it matters if you are having any energy peaks and troughs, struggling to get all your servings of different food groups in, struggling to get enough overall calories. You are consistently under on fat, add in healthy ones (oily fish, nuts, seeds, avocado, olives, block creamed, coconut, cocoa) and you will hit your targets. MFP protein is a minimum not a maximum, don't be scared to go over you definitely should never be under.

Your breakfast is just produce it's not really a complete meal - have some protein and/ or healthy fats in the form of seeds or dairy because this meal particularly stimulates your digestive system. Simple way to get calcium and calories is to eat the recommended three servings a day of reduced fat dairy every day: ideally not cottage cheese it's quite low but milk, plain Greek yoghurt, low fat soft cheese or hard cheese (only 20g-30g).

I don't see any oily fish (vitamin D and omega-3s) and little evidence of mineral and fibre rich foods like nuts, seeds, beans, lentils and wholegrains. Calcium is far from the only mineral you need for health, and it is best absorbed and utilised alongside vitamin D and magnesium. Don't underestimate how much you need of these foods or choose them carefully - pumpkin seeds and chia are particularly good.

Being super picky .... lots of fruit and veggies which is great but you have a tendency to repeat, each item counts as one towards your nine a day no matter how many servings you eat. Limit juice to one serving a day. Try to eat more veggies than fruit and from the full rainbow of colours, greens are not better than blue/ purples, reds and yellow/ oranges. You might consider increasing the amount of berries and sour cherries you eat, research suggests these may help you recover faster from exercise, they are lower in sugar than other fruits plus there are few blue/ purple produce options away from fruit.

SideSteel

I would base your nutrient timing decisions on satiety, personal preference, behavior, and gym performance. I don't believe you're going to see any significant difference in actual progress or body composition due to nutrient timing decisions outside of the previously mentioned factors.

RobinC37

Nutrient timing ... different people have different opinions. I think it matters if you are having any energy peaks and troughs, struggling to get all your servings of different food groups in, struggling to get enough overall calories. You are consistently under on fat, add in healthy ones (oily fish, nuts, seeds, avocado, olives, block creamed, coconut, cocoa) and you will hit your targets. MFP protein is a minimum not a maximum, don't be scared to go over you definitely should never be under.

Your breakfast is just produce it's not really a complete meal - have some protein and/ or healthy fats in the form of seeds or dairy because this meal particularly stimulates your digestive system. Simple way to get calcium and calories is to eat the recommended three servings a day of reduced fat dairy every day: ideally not cottage cheese it's quite low but milk, plain Greek yoghurt, low fat soft cheese or hard cheese (only 20g-30g).

I don't see any oily fish (vitamin D and omega-3s) and little evidence of mineral and fibre rich foods like nuts, seeds, beans, lentils and wholegrains. Calcium is far from the only mineral you need for health, and it is best absorbed and utilised alongside vitamin D and magnesium. Don't underestimate how much you need of these foods or choose them carefully - pumpkin seeds and chia are particularly good.

Being super picky .... lots of fruit and veggies which is great but you have a tendency to repeat, each item counts as one towards your nine a day no matter how many servings you eat. Limit juice to one serving a day. Try to eat more veggies than fruit and from the full rainbow of colours, greens are not better than blue/ purples, reds and yellow/ oranges. You might consider increasing the amount of berries and sour cherries you eat, research suggests these may help you recover faster from exercise, they are lower in sugar than other fruits plus there are few blue/ purple produce options away from fruit.

Thank you for responding! Is "nutrient timing" what that's called? I now have a phrase to put in Google! Fat is one of the areas I'm trying to work on- almost 25 in fat-phobic America has taken it's toll on my mental perception of it

As far as "breakfast" goes (I don't give meals names really because I eat all the time)- I drink my green smoothie (all the produce), do some yoga or walk the dog or stretch for ~30 mins, then usually eat again. So my first two "meals" of the day are really one spread out over around an hour. Do you think it would be better to switch the smoothie and the real food for any reason? Or eat it all together?

I do eat fish- tuna and salmon. Don't really care for most nuts, and they can be expensive. So I'd rather spend my money on the salmon. I thought I eat beans and chickpeas pretty frequently though. How many servings would you suggest per week?

I know it seems like I'm picky, but I'm really not. Because of the season and my location in the city (seems a little racist to me), my grocery store doesn't stock a wide variety of produce. I live alone and can't afford to buy a wide variety and half half of it go bad before I use it, so I'll have 3 days of spinach then 4 days of broccoli and kale. I try to buy at least 3 different vegetables and 3 fruits when I shop though (for 3-4 days of groceries). Is there a way to store produce so it will last longer? Fruit gets frozen or stays on the counter, and veg all goes in the crisper in the fridge. If I know I can use it all before it goes bad, then a wide variety is worth the investment.

Thanks for your insights!

RobinC37

No more responses?

rougecrayon

Looks like you are doing a great jobs eating lots of whole foods! If you are worried about getting a good amount of nutrients, keep eating like you are for 6 months minimum and get a general blood test at your doctors. They can check the important stuff, and if you are low, you know to try to incorporate more foods with different nutrients in them.

If you are low in calories, a bit of really delicious cheese is a good way to get some good fats and add some great flavour to your day.