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Takemetothepub... If i cut out potato, rice, pasta and bread... what do I eat? :-) thats my main meals each day.
That's the problem.
It's great food if you do what Takemetothepub is suggesting. It's easy too. It just seems hard at first. Like he said, lean meat and veggies. Add a little fruit, some nuts for snack, a small handful, and you're golden.
A couple things, eating higher fat foods does not make you fat. I eat bacon and sausage everyday. My goal is 50% fat in my diet, and I still lose weight. The thing is, your body uses fat for energy. It's more efficient than processed carbs. You still get your carbs from the veggies you eat.
It's totally sustainable. Cut processed carbs. You don't need it and it's crap food, and it just makes people fat for no good reason because it's not filling and the benefit is very small for the quantity and density. More bang for your buck sitting down with a baked chicken breast and a pile of brocolli.
I do eat sweet potatoes. Yum. But, rice, pasta, bread...don't need it.
I'm always surprised at how emphatic the non-processed carbs people are about how it makes you fat, when there are so many of us out there eating pancakes, ice cream, white rice, bread, etc. and still having great success over the long term. This just isn't necessary.
This. OP you're new to this, so don't complicate it.
Hit your calorie goal. Get as many filling/nutritious foods in as you can, while still leaving room for enough treats that you don't lose your mind. Log accurately. Be patient.0 -
I'm always surprised at how emphatic the non-processed carbs people are about how it makes you fat, when there are so many of us out there eating pancakes, ice cream, white rice, bread, etc. and still having great success over the long term. This just isn't necessary.
No one here has said they will make you fat once?
The question was wanting to lose a good amount of weight in a short time frame.
Removing simple carbs will help towards that.
Not saying they are the evil of all man kind or if you look at them you will balloon to the size of a whale.0 -
I'm no food expert, however I can say that the key to winning and getting your goal is just to be honest to start, you are only 5 days in so you have loads to learn
In all honesty everyone has a point of view that is relevant depending on circumstance \
My advice is to start slow and easy, carry on the excercise routine, drink lots of water, there is a belief that sometimes thirst causes your brain to think you are hungry and since I upped my fluid intake I have come to believe its relevant (for me of course)
Record your food and slowly you will build a picture of what is good and bad, there is no quick fix a crash diet usually results in long term weight gain. Set your goal and go for it I think you can realistically expect to drop 2 dress sizes in 3 months if you stick to the plan, and keep to it after.
good luck and be patient0 -
There are no good calories and bad calories. There are foods that help you meet your goal, and foods that don't, but that's about it. Even cake helps me meet my goal, because I need it for my mental health. Now if I have too much cake and it crowds out food with a lot more nutrients, or it causes me not to get enough protein, then it's not helping me meet my goal anymore. Does that make sense? :P So don't stress about that.
As for getting the most out of your food, I personally focus on protein the most. MFP's recommendation is the minimum, it's good to go over.
Since you're only 5 days in you may not be ready to talk macros yet but when you are check out this post:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets
BUMP for later!
It sounds like your calorie goal may be too low if you're having trouble feeling like you have gotten enough food. Another possibility is that you're eating stuff that doesn't have much bang for your buck, so to speak. So if you open your diary (go to settings and set it to public) we can give you better advice.
Also are you eating back your calories earned from exercise?0 -
Takemetothepub... If i cut out potato, rice, pasta and bread... what do I eat? :-) thats my main meals each day.
That's the problem.
It's great food if you do what Takemetothepub is suggesting. It's easy too. It just seems hard at first. Like he said, lean meat and veggies. Add a little fruit, some nuts for snack, a small handful, and you're golden.
A couple things, eating higher fat foods does not make you fat. I eat bacon and sausage everyday. My goal is 50% fat in my diet, and I still lose weight. The thing is, your body uses fat for energy. It's more efficient than processed carbs. You still get your carbs from the veggies you eat.
It's totally sustainable. Cut processed carbs. You don't need it and it's crap food, and it just makes people fat for no good reason because it's not filling and the benefit is very small for the quantity and density. More bang for your buck sitting down with a baked chicken breast and a pile of brocolli.
I do eat sweet potatoes. Yum. But, rice, pasta, bread...don't need it.
I'm always surprised at how emphatic the non-processed carbs people are about how it makes you fat, when there are so many of us out there eating pancakes, ice cream, white rice, bread, etc. and still having great success over the long term. This just isn't necessary.
I'm not emphatic. I just was stuck for literally years and couldn't lose. I was told that was my "natural body weight". I cut out processed carbs, and bam! So, yes, I'm a believer and I try to share that with others. If you can meet your goals with processed carbs in your diet, great.
BTW, I am now adding them back in selecvtively. Last night I had 4 chocolate chip cookies and red wine. I'm not hard core. But, I do believe that cutting them out has helped me achieve my goals. And, I do believe there is something to it. But, I can see how if you keep that stuff in your diet and still reach your goals, you can't understand what the big deal is. For me, it changed EVERYTHING.
Fair enough. My personal opinion is that the kind of attention to your diet that is required to pull off a low carb diet is what actually causes the improvement in most cases (special exceptions certainly apply for medical reasons). But that's just my opinion, and we all are certainly entitled to our personal approaches. I had great success, at one point for example, on a low fat diet but the existing science tells me it was unnecessary.
OP - I would suggest that you start here. There are people that require special diets but they are the exception, not the rule, so it's best to start with the simple approach first, before making things complicated. There are some great information sources out there such as Lyle McDonald and Alan Aragon but there is also the "Eat, Train, Progress" group here on MFP that puts all of that into very easily read form (as Angel mentioned above):
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833026-important-posts-to-read0 -
Just one last thought. OP if you want to go low carb it can certainly help you drop water weight (which will come back immediately if you go back to eating carbs). However, unless you have some kind of intolerance or medical condition, it is not necessary for fat loss.
All that is required for weight loss is that you consume less calories than you burn. All the other recommendations are for maximizing your calories. Check out the link Sunsnstheart posted ^^ and good luck.0 -
I too am in the eat what you want camp, moderation and portion control has been my number one best thing to losing weight. Of course you learn you can trade off certain foods for more filling ones, like I used just eat butter to whatever I felt like, however I now reduce to about a 1/4 or less at a use and would rather have an apple for those found calories.
I eat potatoes often, but measure a 3-4 ounce potato it is small but still satisfying, instead of picking the biggest of the bunch weigh a smaller one and have that. Same with mashed potatoes, used to be I thought oh gee need to make a big ol pot of potatoes, so I'd just automatically peel and cut up 6-8 potatoes, and me and my husband (and small child) on a good night would eat them all, with butter, milk, ugh. I still make them but weigh out maybe 12-14 ounces, measure butter and milk, no more just keep adding milk and butter.
Same with rice and pasta. If you are wanting or planning these pre plan them BEFORE you get to that meal. Have a "cup" of pasta, don't make the pasta and fill your plate, that could be 2-3x as much as a serving. If I know I am making pasta I log that in my diary, log a serving or serving and a half, then you can plan other meals around that. Used to be if I made spaghetti I would also make bread, salad, giant pasta serving. Now, I have my pasta, sauce and a veggie, no bread or maybe a small salad with measured dressing. That change alone will save hundreds of calories, yet I get a satisfying pasta meal.
I really try and pre log big meals, or now I kind of now where my calories will end up for days, when it is hard is when I am extra hungry or busy or not motivated, pre planning helps a lot. I have not given up too much in the way of meal foods, just measure and weigh everything, and keep doing it, for me without weighing and eyeballing is when portions get bigger and bigger. That 3-4 ounce potato can get much bigger if I am just guessing and not weighing.0 -
Takemetothepub... If i cut out potato, rice, pasta and bread... what do I eat? :-) thats my main meals each day.
That's the problem.
It's great food if you do what Takemetothepub is suggesting. It's easy too. It just seems hard at first. Like he said, lean meat and veggies. Add a little fruit, some nuts for snack, a small handful, and you're golden.
A couple things, eating higher fat foods does not make you fat. I eat bacon and sausage everyday. My goal is 50% fat in my diet, and I still lose weight. The thing is, your body uses fat for energy. It's more efficient than processed carbs. You still get your carbs from the veggies you eat.
It's totally sustainable. Cut processed carbs. You don't need it and it's crap food, and it just makes people fat for no good reason because it's not filling and the benefit is very small for the quantity and density. More bang for your buck sitting down with a baked chicken breast and a pile of brocolli.
I do eat sweet potatoes. Yum. But, rice, pasta, bread...don't need it.
I'm always surprised at how emphatic the non-processed carbs people are about how it makes you fat, when there are so many of us out there eating pancakes, ice cream, white rice, bread, etc. and still having great success over the long term. This just isn't necessary.
I'm not emphatic. I just was stuck for literally years and couldn't lose. I was told that was my "natural body weight". I cut out processed carbs, and bam! So, yes, I'm a believer and I try to share that with others. If you can meet your goals with processed carbs in your diet, great.
BTW, I am now adding them back in selecvtively. Last night I had 4 chocolate chip cookies and red wine. I'm not hard core. But, I do believe that cutting them out has helped me achieve my goals. And, I do believe there is something to it. But, I can see how if you keep that stuff in your diet and still reach your goals, you can't understand what the big deal is. For me, it changed EVERYTHING.
Fair enough. My personal opinion is that the kind of attention to your diet that is required to pull off a low carb diet is what actually causes the improvement in most cases (special exceptions certainly apply for medical reasons). But that's just my opinion, and we all are certainly entitled to our personal approaches. I had great success, at one point for example, on a low fat diet but the existing science tells me it was unnecessary.
OP - I would suggest that you start here. There are people that require special diets but they are the exception, not the rule, so it's best to start with the simple approach first, before making things complicated. There are some great information sources out there such as Lyle McDonald and Alan Aragon but there is also the "Eat, Train, Progress" group here on MFP that puts all of that into very easily read form (as Angel mentioned above):
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833026-important-posts-to-read
My true hope is that as I add selective carbs back in, I will find that what you are saying is true. It's possible. As I say in my profile, this is a science experiement.
I can't read your profile (it's private) but I certainly get what you're saying. I think for a lot of us, it's a personal science experiment. I've gone through a series of the popular advice, "clean" eating, no simple carbs, low fat, and even did "fit for life" years ago. My biggest challenge now is nailing my TDEE and making sure that my training cycle is "perfected." My diary is open if you want to take a look at the amount of simple carbs I eat. I'm not arguing that it's optimal (I always need more vegetables) but I really can't tell the difference in weight gain/loss based on simple carbs. It also means that I'm not kicking myself when I drink beer or eat a pizza. I just fit it into my plan.0 -
There are a million different fads/techniques & believes about what is & isn't healthy. For me, I prefer to apply a more practical approach to my diet & exercise goals. I try not to focus on loosing "x" pds by "x" date, but to develop some habits that promote a healthy lifestyle.
When buying food I try not to shop down the aisles. Everything there is processed for packaging, stick with thinks in the refrigerated section around the store.
Eat more fruits/vegetables than protein, and more protein than starch
Drink plenty of water.
Exercise get my heartrate to the 80% mark for atleast an hr. 3-4x a week-I have learned that after I learned how to run without pain & injury; I really enjoy running.
Find a strength program that leaves my muscles feeling worked the next day & do it regularly.
Make sure I take time to breathe, relax & rest. Stress promotes unhealthy eating habits and weight gain.
Hope it helps.0 -
Food:
Stay away from bread, pasta, rice, potato.
Why? Unless she wants to do a low carb diet these are fine foods...
He wasn't saying no carbs at all, just choosing better carbs. Carbs from fruit break down faster than those from starchy carbs like those above. It is ok to have in moderation, but I find it difficult personally to stop once I start
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Food:
Stay away from bread, pasta, rice, potato.
Why? Unless she wants to do a low carb diet these are fine foods...
It really depends on the workouts you do...as a long distance runner these are STAPLES.0 -
When I became a diabetic I had to go several times to a registered dietician to relearn food. There ARE good and bad calories. Does this mean you should stop eating foods you like altogether? Absolutely not. A life changing diet is that. life changing. Diets are great for short term, but let's face it, we never stick to them for long term and that is where we often fail. I saw on your food diary lasagna. Try replacing the white pasta with a whole grain, put some fruits like berries. For a healthy fat source (yes, you need fat in your diet) add nuts like almonds, pecans or walnuts. Add legumes to your foods like quesidillas, tacos, heck put them on salds. Kidney beans, white beans, black beans and even pinto make wonderful additions to most meals and have a high fiber to carb ratio. This is what it means by GOOD CALORIES. Ones that are HIGH IN NUTRIENTS. Add some low or non fat yogurt or cottage cheese with fruit to your morning meals, add veggies IN foods to boost nutrients and fiber. Hope this helps. 0
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Honestly the reason I've failed so much in the past is because I have tried to limit my diet, failed by eating some "forbidden" food, and given up.
I agree with everyone's posting here about cutting out carbs as a way to lose quickly (Focusing instead on lean protein, veggies and some fats), as I have seen this work for friends/family, but if you aren't 100% needing to lose 2 dress sizes by the summer and instead want something more sustainable long term don't cut anything out completely. Cut back, adjust what you it but from my experience as soon as you start denying yourself something that's when you realize that's all you want to eat.0 -
I am by no means an expert, just like most of the folks here. I can only comment based on my experience. I lost 96 lbs in a year and a half without ever tracking my food and exercise. Granted, I would have included more strength training in my efforts if I had used MFP or done more research, but I digress.
I never analyzed my food intake other than to count calories. Most days my calorie intake was less than 1000. Every once in a while I "splurged" and went over. I NEVER cut anything completely out of my intake, I monitored CALORIE INTAKE.
I did cardio at the gym (mostly classes but some machine) 4-5 times a week.
I'm maintaining now a little higher than my goal, but perhaps my goal is below the weight I should be. I'm lifting now to build muscle. I KNOW I should have been doing this all along.
End result...don't expect miracles in a month or two. Monitor your body's reaction to your intake and exercise plan. Every month or so, make adjustments if you don't like the results you're seeing.
I've lost weight before by cutting carbs and other things out of my diet but as soon as I started eating them again, I gained it all back. Notice I don't use the word DIET until I talk about cutting things out. Diets don't work long term.
Again...based on my experience.0
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