Food is Fuel

cwolfman13

I definitely couldn't eat/drink meal replacements all day and be happy...that is for sure. I have to have real food (and I've learned to eat a lot more nutritionally dense and whole than I used to)...though I do need a couple of whey shakes per day to get me to my 30% (equates to ~ 160g with my current caloric intake) of protein per day.

Confuzzled4ever

I get into these arguments all the time on here, esp when it comes to fast food. lol.. and all that ends up happening is people find one or two bad things in my diary and rip it apart. I don't claim perfection. If I was I'd be healthy and happy, instead of working on healthy, although I'm still happy. lol.

I have a girl on my friend list who eats meal replacement bars and subway all the time. WIth her personal struggle this might be a good step, but it's not necessarily a healthy one. She'll lose weight sure.. but from a health and substainability perspective? mm not sure they are good choices. I want to make the choices that will make this a life long change. Not a temporary one.

I guess it depends more on your goals. Wanna lose 10 pounds period? Yep.. eat less it'll work. If your goal is a lifestyle change, you need to make more radical changes and more permanent ones. That means eating real food, and learning how to make the choices that will keep me healthy because seriuosly.. I'm not gonna eat protein shakes and bars for the rest of my life..

renitawalker9

I eat a mainly whole foods diet but I add brown rice protein to my breakfast and a snack because I found it really hard to get my protein considering I'm pretty limited. I am on a low sodium diet (severely sodium sensitive) so I only eat limited amounts of fish and dairy because the sodium in them compromises my blood pressure. Not to mention that have digestive issues so any dairy other than yogurt makes me ill (lactose intolerant but the live cultures in yogurt pre-digest the lactase). I had a very hard time getting my protein from things like beans and legumes because I cannot digest them very well either and they make me very uncomfortable when I eat them. I eat some nuts and seeds but an inordinate amount of them has way more fat than I like and they don't make me feel very well when I eat too many of them either.

I said all that to say...People have to be able to experiment to find what works for them. Most people that have logged on here are truly trying to do something better. Its hard to feel encouraged when people who are further along in their journey are looking back and laughing at those who have just started.

For the record I have maintained a 50lb weight loss since 2011 so I am not a beginner, but always looking for ways to improve my fitness and tweak my diet for maximum health.

THExNEKOxCHAN

Link of proof GMOs increase risk of cancer?

Maybe it's wise for you to start doing your own research. You can post on MFP, so surely you can use Google. I'm not going to hold anyone's hand when it comes to researching about the food we eat. if you're concerned, that should be enough incentive for YOU to start learning yourself.

And that is my tough love statement for the day. Do your own research, as I do mine.

Serah87

How about you focus on yourself instead of others, just saying!!! :bigsmile:

EvanKeel

Link of proof GMOs increase risk of cancer?

Maybe it's wise for you to start doing your own research. You can post on MFP, so surely you can use Google. I'm not going to hold anyone's hand when it comes to researching about the food we eat. if you're concerned, that should be enough incentive for YOU to start learning yourself.

And that is my tough love statement for the day. Do your own research, as I do mine.

That kind of makes it sound like you're more interested in making pronouncements, rather than engaging in a conversation about the available evidence. There's nothing wrong with that. But if you're going to just tell someone to do their own research, there's nothing to stop someone from saying that you're wrong, without providing any evidence, and have their statement be just as valid as yours. And if that's the case, there's not much point in making the pronouncement in the first place.

I'm all in favor people doing their own research, but you didn't give a tough love statement. You gave a cop out.

rlmadrid

I was one of those people two years ago.... that's what I though nutrition was. It's what media and marketing spoon-feeds the public!!!! It's constant on television commercials!

I thought the only way to loose weight was to starve myself and drink those nasty shakes and bars. It wrecked my metabolism and it made me feel like crap. As time went on and I lost pounds I began caring about my body. I started to educate myself through sites like this (I was on mynetdiary.com) where I learned better nutrition and that I needed all the things you just stated.

So don't knock people down because they are doing that...They are probably new at this and they will eventually learn better nutrition, but on their time time and of their own will.

I didn't mean to "knock people down". I was hoping to do the opposite, perhaps get them thinking about trading some of their convenient, yet junky "health foods" for more whole food choices. Maybe my approach sucked? Sorry. But it's sort of a tough love situation, isn't it? And yes, I ate like that too. I'm glad that I don't anymore and I hope that more people start to try eating real food and get away from the heavily marketed crap that we are fooled by at one time or another. I wish someone had "woke me up" earlier. I hate that I wasted my 20s eating garbage and being unhealthy

Yeah I agree...I wish I would have learned sooner too. Hahaha tough love does work, but I don't think it has the same effect online. I guess we can live my being model MFP'ers??? :happy:

Perhaps putting daily tips or examples of what can be substituted for shakes? Simple enough for new people to pick up on...that's how I learned! Reading other peoples journals. I was nosey.


I.e. "eat this, not that"

Slim Fast shake -- 190 cals and 10g of Protein (YUCK & YOU'RE STILL HUNGRY!)

Instead eat....

Scrambled egg and mini baby bell light cheese sandwich on a whole grain english muffin -- 220 cals and 17g of Protein ( YUM, FUELED, AND FULL)

Wow slim fast is high cal! My chocolate protein shake is 220 cals for 50 grams! Add that to a cup of frozen berries, a cup of almond milk, and a tbsp of peanut butter or pb2 (it varies) and yum!

SideSteel

Link of proof GMOs increase risk of cancer?

Maybe it's wise for you to start doing your own research. You can post on MFP, so surely you can use Google. I'm not going to hold anyone's hand when it comes to researching about the food we eat. if you're concerned, that should be enough incentive for YOU to start learning yourself.

And that is my tough love statement for the day. Do your own research, as I do mine.

Are you assuming he has not done his research on this?

Acg67

Link of proof GMOs increase risk of cancer?

Maybe it's wise for you to start doing your own research. You can post on MFP, so surely you can use Google. I'm not going to hold anyone's hand when it comes to researching about the food we eat. if you're concerned, that should be enough incentive for YOU to start learning yourself.

And that is my tough love statement for the day. Do your own research, as I do mine.

I have done my research and not found anything legit that would lead you to make a statement like that, which would lead me to beleive that you may be relying solely on the discredited French study on GMO corn and rats. If so that would lead me to beleive you lack the ability to critically examine and interpret the current body of literature on the subject.

And that is my tough love statement for the day

OtiWanKenobi

Your body has a set of requirements. It needs water, the proper amount of electrolytes, vitamins and minerals, and a level of nutrient that allows it to break down, rebuild, and repair itself. Getting this balance right means being very aware of your body.

It is very important that you eat the right amount of food for your body to maintain itself.

I don't believe in getting my needed nutrients from pills, so this may seem like a radical idea to some: try getting your nutrition from your food. And not just any food either; you want to look for the best stuff, because this is your body you're caring for, and who wouldn't want the best for their body?

Eat more vegetables and fruit. Look for organic brands, or shop from farmers markets. The fresher the better. If you have the time, try growing your own. The quality of home grown vegetables is very noticeable, in flavor and nutrient content.

Buy grass-fed/pasture raised meats, wild caught fish, and free range chicken/eggs. Do not be afraid to eat the fat, and don't leave out the egg yolks: they have the most basic nutrients your body needs. Avoid farmed fish, for they are fed many antibiotics and colorants. Avoid barn-laid, cage-free, and cage eggs, and do not eat grain fed meat or factory raised meat. If feasible, try to locate a farmer or a co-op that can provide you these things.

Buy grass-fed butter, whole, UN-homogenized milk (or raw if you can get it), use clean animal fats (pork lard, duck fat, beef or lamb tallow) or cold-pressed coconut oil for cooking, and extra virgin olive oil for cold dishes. Do not use hydrogenated oils, margarine, blended butters, vegetable oil, or anything with trans fats. Do not use milk powders, or drink ultra-pasteurized or UHT milks (they are over cooked, with damaged proteins and fats, and are from much lower quality milk overall). Do not drink skim milk: there is hardly anything useful left in it for you, and they use titanium dioxide to make it white (without the pigment, the skim milk would be bluish in color).

Enjoy nuts, seeds, avocados, naturally fermented foods (such as sauerkraut, beet kvass, kimchi, etc) to encourage good gut bacteria. Use home made yogurt and kefir. Use raw honey and pure maple syrup.

Try to avoid things with ingredients lists. Avoid refined sugar and flours, and anything that says "enriched", "fortified", "with _____ added", anything insisting it's "healthy", "low fat", "no fat", "low carb", "low sugar", "sugar-free", "lean" or "skinny". Avoid the majority of wheat, avoid soy at all costs, avoid corn (aside, perhaps, from a bit of fresh, organic sweet corn) and all of it's derivatives. (Cutting out processed foods, breads, etc will help knock a lot of these out of the game.) Avoid soda pop and most juices.

Remove all GMOs from your diet. They raise the risk of cancer and food allergies, are soaked with pesticides and herbicides, they destroy the environment, plant and animal life, and are run by morally corrupt companies who have their fingers in many pies.

Get plenty of sunshine. If you live in a place with a short winter day (as I do) you may use fermented cod liver oil to supplement yourself until summer rolls around. You need the Vitamin D. (If you want to know what your Vit D levels look like, they can run a blood test for it.)

Drink plenty of water. It's what allows your body to function at it's best. It helps with the transfer of nutrients, it keeps your blood flowing, and assist in the removal of toxins from your tissues. Don't drink too much on hot days, though, as that may dilute your electrolyte balance. If drinking a lot on hot days, have something with a little sea salt added, like broth, or look up a recipe for a natural electrolyte drink.

Listen to your body. Are you hungry? Feed it a meal, or a snack. Eat several small meals through the day and keep whole, healthy foods on hand. Cook more meals from scratch. Do you wake up feeling hungry in the middle of the night? You might be thirsty. Keep a glass of water by the bed. Do you feel tired or restless or unsettled during the day? Go for a walk/run to wake your body up and get its cells and fluids moving, and to help aid digestion and sleep. Get at least 6 or 7 hours of sleep at night. Find a hobby that you like doing. Please your mind with reading or craft projects, or gardening.

I like to call this common sense living. If you can do these things, you're well on your way to good health, both physical and mental.

Remember: You are beautiful and so is your body. It doesn't matter what others think. Your body is a finely tuned machine, and it knows exactly what it needs, so do your best to give it the best.

^^^Brilliant.

Agreed!

SideSteel

I think context is important.

bcattoes

I get into these arguments all the time on here, esp when it comes to fast food. lol.. and all that ends up happening is people find one or two bad things in my diary and rip it apart. I don't claim perfection. If I was I'd be healthy and happy, instead of working on healthy, although I'm still happy. lol.

I have a girl on my friend list who eats meal replacement bars and subway all the time. WIth her personal struggle this might be a good step, but it's not necessarily a healthy one. She'll lose weight sure.. but from a health and substainability perspective? mm not sure they are good choices. I want to make the choices that will make this a life long change. Not a temporary one.

I guess it depends more on your goals. Wanna lose 10 pounds period? Yep.. eat less it'll work. If your goal is a lifestyle change, you need to make more radical changes and more permanent ones. That means eating real food, and learning how to make the choices that will keep me healthy because seriuosly.. I'm not gonna eat protein shakes and bars for the rest of my life..

Not necessarily. I've worked with a few co-workers who eat bars and frozen diet meals every day for lunch and have for years. They are neither fat nor unhealthy. Obviously, that diet is sustainable for them.

OtiWanKenobi

I was one of those people two years ago.... that's what I though nutrition was. It's what media and marketing spoon-feeds the public!!!! It's constant on television commercials!

I thought the only way to loose weight was to starve myself and drink those nasty shakes and bars. It wrecked my metabolism and it made me feel like crap. As time went on and I lost pounds I began caring about my body. I started to educate myself through sites like this (I was on mynetdiary.com) where I learned better nutrition and that I needed all the things you just stated.

So don't knock people down because they are doing that...They are probably new at this and they will eventually learn better nutrition, but on their time time and of their own will.

I didn't mean to "knock people down". I was hoping to do the opposite, perhaps get them thinking about trading some of their convenient, yet junky "health foods" for more whole food choices. Maybe my approach sucked? Sorry. But it's sort of a tough love situation, isn't it? And yes, I ate like that too. I'm glad that I don't anymore and I hope that more people start to try eating real food and get away from the heavily marketed crap that we are fooled by at one time or another. I wish someone had "woke me up" earlier. I hate that I wasted my 20s eating garbage and being unhealthy

Yeah I agree...I wish I would have learned sooner too. Hahaha tough love does work, but I don't think it has the same effect online. I guess we can live my being model MFP'ers??? :happy:

Perhaps putting daily tips or examples of what can be substituted for shakes? Simple enough for new people to pick up on...that's how I learned! Reading other peoples journals. I was nosey.


I.e. "eat this, not that"

Slim Fast shake -- 190 cals and 10g of Protein (YUCK & YOU'RE STILL HUNGRY!)

Instead eat....

Scrambled egg and mini baby bell light cheese sandwich on a whole grain english muffin -- 220 cals and 17g of Protein ( YUM, FUELED, AND FULL)

Wow slim fast is high cal! My chocolate protein shake is 220 cals for 50 grams! Add that to a cup of frozen berries, a cup of almond milk, and a tbsp of peanut butter or pb2 (it varies) and yum!

Yum! I've done that too when I get tired of the eggs. My favorite is chocolate whey protein with coconut almond milk and bananas!!! Sooooooo good!!!

Crankstr

Cake is fuel.

Goosiesnougs

If your diary isn't open (OP) than maybe you shouldn't be judgemental of those of us who don't have that privacy:) JUST SAYIN

bcattoes

Your body has a set of requirements. It needs water, the proper amount of electrolytes, vitamins and minerals, and a level of nutrient that allows it to break down, rebuild, and repair itself. Getting this balance right means being very aware of your body.

It is very important that you eat the right amount of food for your body to maintain itself.

I don't believe in getting my needed nutrients from pills, so this may seem like a radical idea to some: try getting your nutrition from your food. And not just any food either; you want to look for the best stuff, because this is your body you're caring for, and who wouldn't want the best for their body?

Eat more vegetables and fruit. Look for organic brands, or shop from farmers markets. The fresher the better. If you have the time, try growing your own. The quality of home grown vegetables is very noticeable, in flavor and nutrient content.

Buy grass-fed/pasture raised meats, wild caught fish, and free range chicken/eggs. Do not be afraid to eat the fat, and don't leave out the egg yolks: they have the most basic nutrients your body needs. Avoid farmed fish, for they are fed many antibiotics and colorants. Avoid barn-laid, cage-free, and cage eggs, and do not eat grain fed meat or factory raised meat. If feasible, try to locate a farmer or a co-op that can provide you these things.

Buy grass-fed butter, whole, UN-homogenized milk (or raw if you can get it), use clean animal fats (pork lard, duck fat, beef or lamb tallow) or cold-pressed coconut oil for cooking, and extra virgin olive oil for cold dishes. Do not use hydrogenated oils, margarine, blended butters, vegetable oil, or anything with trans fats. Do not use milk powders, or drink ultra-pasteurized or UHT milks (they are over cooked, with damaged proteins and fats, and are from much lower quality milk overall). Do not drink skim milk: there is hardly anything useful left in it for you, and they use titanium dioxide to make it white (without the pigment, the skim milk would be bluish in color).

Enjoy nuts, seeds, avocados, naturally fermented foods (such as sauerkraut, beet kvass, kimchi, etc) to encourage good gut bacteria. Use home made yogurt and kefir. Use raw honey and pure maple syrup.

Try to avoid things with ingredients lists. Avoid refined sugar and flours, and anything that says "enriched", "fortified", "with _____ added", anything insisting it's "healthy", "low fat", "no fat", "low carb", "low sugar", "sugar-free", "lean" or "skinny". Avoid the majority of wheat, avoid soy at all costs, avoid corn (aside, perhaps, from a bit of fresh, organic sweet corn) and all of it's derivatives. (Cutting out processed foods, breads, etc will help knock a lot of these out of the game.) Avoid soda pop and most juices.

Remove all GMOs from your diet. They raise the risk of cancer and food allergies, are soaked with pesticides and herbicides, they destroy the environment, plant and animal life, and are run by morally corrupt companies who have their fingers in many pies.

Get plenty of sunshine. If you live in a place with a short winter day (as I do) you may use fermented cod liver oil to supplement yourself until summer rolls around. You need the Vitamin D. (If you want to know what your Vit D levels look like, they can run a blood test for it.)

Drink plenty of water. It's what allows your body to function at it's best. It helps with the transfer of nutrients, it keeps your blood flowing, and assist in the removal of toxins from your tissues. Don't drink too much on hot days, though, as that may dilute your electrolyte balance. If drinking a lot on hot days, have something with a little sea salt added, like broth, or look up a recipe for a natural electrolyte drink.

Listen to your body. Are you hungry? Feed it a meal, or a snack. Eat several small meals through the day and keep whole, healthy foods on hand. Cook more meals from scratch. Do you wake up feeling hungry in the middle of the night? You might be thirsty. Keep a glass of water by the bed. Do you feel tired or restless or unsettled during the day? Go for a walk/run to wake your body up and get its cells and fluids moving, and to help aid digestion and sleep. Get at least 6 or 7 hours of sleep at night. Find a hobby that you like doing. Please your mind with reading or craft projects, or gardening.

I like to call this common sense living. If you can do these things, you're well on your way to good health, both physical and mental.

Remember: You are beautiful and so is your body. It doesn't matter what others think. Your body is a finely tuned machine, and it knows exactly what it needs, so do your best to give it the best.

While I don't doubt that doing all of that can be heatlhy, there really is no evidence that it has health advantages over simply eating a diet consisting mostly of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds and lean meats and getting regular exercise.

SnicciFit

How about you focus on yourself instead of others, just saying!!! :bigsmile:

I am very focused on myself and always looking for ways to be a better, healthier me. I see a lot cries for help from people on here that aren't losing weight (or aren't losing it fast enough), or are bored with their routine or asking how to.... My 2 cents is this: take a long hard look at what you're eating. Is it even really food? Or has it been manufactured? We tend to depend way too heavily on convenience and expect an "easy way out" (just 3 shakes a day!). It's time that we all wake up and pay attention to what we're doing to ourselves.

SnicciFit

If your diary isn't open (OP) than maybe you shouldn't be judgemental of those of us who don't have that privacy:) JUST SAYIN

I didn't realize that it wasn't open. I can open it. I'm always open to trying new things that may (or may not work).

Confuzzled4ever

I get into these arguments all the time on here, esp when it comes to fast food. lol.. and all that ends up happening is people find one or two bad things in my diary and rip it apart. I don't claim perfection. If I was I'd be healthy and happy, instead of working on healthy, although I'm still happy. lol.

I have a girl on my friend list who eats meal replacement bars and subway all the time. WIth her personal struggle this might be a good step, but it's not necessarily a healthy one. She'll lose weight sure.. but from a health and substainability perspective? mm not sure they are good choices. I want to make the choices that will make this a life long change. Not a temporary one.

I guess it depends more on your goals. Wanna lose 10 pounds period? Yep.. eat less it'll work. If your goal is a lifestyle change, you need to make more radical changes and more permanent ones. That means eating real food, and learning how to make the choices that will keep me healthy because seriuosly.. I'm not gonna eat protein shakes and bars for the rest of my life..

Not necessarily. I've worked with a few co-workers who eat bars and frozen diet meals every day for lunch and have for years. They are neither fat nor unhealthy. Obviously, that diet is sustainable for them.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner? As the girl I was talking about does? For everything someone says, there will be someone who does it or does the opposite and that will be proof. Unless you know them very well you do not know how healthy they really are. One of my co-workers a few years ago hit the gym all the time, could out run me, was happy all the time, always seemed to be eating healthy. She had such bad cholestrol and diabetes.. she passed away at 32 from not being healthy, learned about her health stuff at her funeral. I've learned a lot from that. Yes.. a million reasons that could have led to that outcome. Also.. I was talking about me and my views primarily. I can't imagine living off protein shakes and bars for the rest of my lfie. I course I grew up eating real food and have always eaten real food. In a pinch they are ok, but for the long term no.

sullus

Cake is fuel.

No way. Cake is 5 guys from sacramento. Fuel is 4 guys from Tenessee. Not even close.