Registered Dietitian in TX here to answer questions.
Replies
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Oh god not this guy again.. *smh*
Why? I imagine a lot of people here can't afford the services of a dietitian. I've found mine to be invaluable, so I'm glad to know that others are being given the opportunity to ask questions of someone with qualifications and experience in the field.
Great thread, OP. I know your reason for engaging with users here is not entirely altruistic, but that doesn't make the advice you give any less helpful.0 -
thank you. your responses have been very straight forward and helpful to me also.0
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I agree with everything said so far except the part about Tosca Reno, but as you said, "you're not here to argue". Neither am I.
None the less, I thank you for your help.
One question. I do not understand how to calculate protein percentages. My weight is 165, I am 41 yrs and my goals weight is 117. Can you explain this? If it's been explained and I missed it, just tell me to "reread" and I will.
Use a % that gives you 1g protein per pound of lean mass up to 1g per lb of body weight.0 -
What ratios should I be aiming for? I am doing 55 carbs, 15 protein (but I eat more like 20% protein, 50% carbs) and 30% fat.
Thanks for the super quick reply
First of all, it depends on your goals. If your is weight loss, generally more protein will help you feel satiated and preserve your muscle. For this I normally go with 35% protein and carbs and 30% fat- those number usually add up nicely.0 -
Will fasting hurt me, such as stopping eating at 6pm and then starting again about 11am? Something of that nature. It helps me create a deficit comfortably. When I eat six mini meals I stay hungry and I gain weight. I have tried and tried. Not eating makes me feel more energetic. When i eat just one large meal or two larger meals vs the mini meals I feel better.
Also is it safe for me to cut to about 600 calories three days a week and then eat normal the rest of the week in order to create a deficit? On my three days, I would eat only veggies, lean meat and two fruits to create a carb deficit as well.
1. Fasting in that nature will not hurt you. There is plenty of research to support that your preference of meal frequency will work just fine for you. You don't need to eat 6 small meals a day to "stoke the metabolic fire" this is a myth and has not been proven.
2. Normally, I recommend a medium daily deficit and not to calorie cycle, but this is entirely up to you and your preferences. The only reasons I don't recommend cycling is because it tends to be a little more micromanagement for my clients. It really boils down to preference.0 -
Hi Tony,
does carbonation in seltzer have any negative effect on my body?0 -
Hi,
I have a 10 month old daughter and I am currently breastfeeding her. How do I figure out how many calories to eat? I am 5'5" and 176lbs. I have currently set myself for 1400 calories. I jog with my baby for an hour (I am slow. I do about 4.5 to 4.8 miles), while pushing her in her stroller about 4-5 times a week. I am losing about a 1lb a week but I just want to make sure my milk supply does not go down but I would still like to lose weight.
Thanks!
Generally, breast feeding will allow for an extra 250-500 calories in your diet (I know this is a large range, but it varies from person to person)
Losing 1 pound per week is a healthy weight loss. I'm not concerned with this rate being too aggressive.
Make changes according to how your body changes. If you stop producing as much milk, try bumping up your calories by about 10%. Most importantly, your physician should be networked with a lactation consultant nurse, you can also find a lactation consultant nurse at your local WIC center. Breast feeding is not my specialty, but there's some general advice for you.0 -
Hi Tony,
does carbonation in seltzer have any negative effect on my body?
Nope. It all depends on your personal preference and tolerance.0 -
Hi Tony, I don't know if you would have any info on this as an RD, but I've always loved healthy foods and working out and was in really great shape until some bad eating habits caught up with me in college. My issues with food are completely mental I'll admit - if I'm stressed, lonely, overwhelmed I will eat and eat (even healthy foods) to the point where I feel sick. Then I feel so embarrassed and disgusted with myself that the cycle tends to repeat more and more often. I'm in grad school so my trigger emotions happen a lot (stress etc). I've gained close to 10 lbs this school year. Do you happen to have any tips to deal with emotional eating?0
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Hi, I'm 26-years old, 5'3'' and about 115lbs. My body fat is 34%. My work is sedentary.
My goal is to gain more muscle and reduce the body fat. Currently I'm going to the gym 2-3 times a week, and trying to do cardio once or twice a week, not too keen on it though.. I've set my goal calories to 1550 to maintain this weight somewhat, but since I don't log every thing (spices, cooking oil, coffee) I'm sure it's actually more than that.
Do you think this is a good way for me to achieve my goal?
I would certainly measure your oil. Base your methods off your results. If you're losing 1 pound per week or so with your current strategy, great! If not, reduce your caloric intake about 10% and go from there. Try to make it in the gym at least 3 times per week, lifting heavy, if you want to preserve that muscle.0 -
Sorry if this has already been asked, but I assume it's okay to go over in fats a little if they are healthy fats like avocado and nuts, as long as you stay within your calories. IS this correct?
Also, i know fish is good for you but I'm allergic to it. How can I get the good stuff from fish without eating fish product? I can't take fish oil capsules because I'm pretty sure it's the actual oil I'm allergic to.
It's ok to go a little over and under on the macronutrients as long as you are managing your calories in the right amount. Healthy fats is kind of a relative term, as all have their place in the diet. Stay away from artificial trans fats though.
You don't have to eat fish. Omega 3 are found in other sources such as walnuts and flax. If it's just fish and not all seafood, you could also try krill oil. However, I'd be VERY careful about anything you think you may even be slightly allergic too.0 -
I agree with everything said so far except the part about Tosca Reno, but as you said, "you're not here to argue". Neither am I.
None the less, I thank you for your help.
One question. I do not understand how to calculate protein percentages. My weight is 165, I am 41 yrs and my goals weight is 117. Can you explain this? If it's been explained and I missed it, just tell me to "reread" and I will.
Use a % that gives you 1g protein per pound of lean mass up to 1g per lb of body weight.
Thanks for answering, but I don't get it. Do I use my goal weight to base the amt of protein I am to eat or my current weight? So I should use a percent of my total caloric intake to equal 117 g of protein a day since that is what I want to weigh?
Again, thanks for being so nice to take time to help us.0 -
Also is it safe for me to cut to about 600 calories three days a week and then eat normal the rest of the week in order to create a deficit? On my three days, I would eat only veggies, lean meat and two fruits to create a carb deficit as well.
2. Normally, I recommend a medium daily deficit and not to calorie cycle, but this is entirely up to you and your preferences. The only reasons I don't recommend cycling is because it tends to be a little more micromanagement for my clients. It really boils down to preference.
What is "micromanagement?" Thanks in advance.0 -
Since you're also a PT I have a question in the area of working out. Is walking beneficial. As in long slow cardio walking? I am in my 40s, I want to lose fat and weight. I am also doing circuits for 20 min with small weights, high reps mixed with cardio. I am about to start weight training April 1st, but I love walking. Am I wasting my time on it? Enjoying it is beside the point, I have very little free time so I don't want to spend it doing something which won't benefit me. I suppose the circuits for 20 are enough to work my heart? Or no?
Again, at this time, my main focus is weight and fat loss.
Would you recommend losing fat before lifting to build muscle? I need to do both, but I heard I can't be in a deficit and build muscle at the same time. That said, should I knock out the weight loss by going in a focused deficit and THEN build muscle in a few months?0 -
Hi there. Thanks for taking the time to help out us MFP-ers :happy:
I'm a 28yo female, 5'9" and 153 pounds. I am trying to get to 145. It feels impossible. I would like to lose this weight as quickly as (safely) possible.
My TDEE is 1,800 calories (I don't really exercise and I have a desk job), so in order to lose 2 pounds per week I would have to eat 800 calories per day (1,000 calories per day deficit). But, I have always been told not to go below 1,200 calories (starvation mode, slowing the metabolism, et al).
Is 1,200 truly the minimum, or can I eat below that for a month or so to lose the weight? Then I suppose I would slowly add calories in to bring myself to maintenance.
Even if it's safe, would it work? Sometimes things that work on paper don't happen in practice!0 -
Hi, not sure if you saw my post before but I'm looking for a little advice:
I'm a 38 year old female, 5 foot 4 with approx 31% body fat and I currently weigh 144 lbs. I am looking to drop to around 22% body fat and I'd even be happy with 25% but it seems like an impossibility right now.
I've been logging calories on MFP since 2nd January and in that time have lost 4 lbs and gained back 1lb. My body fat may have been 32% so I might have dropped 1% in that time but I've been working out for 6 days a week burning off 3000-3800 calories per week through HIIT training and using light weights, although I switched to lifting heavy about 2 weeks ago and plan on doing Insanity plus heavy lifting 2-3 days a week (I may skip the Insanity workouts on weights days).
I've tried various methods of eating but I've generally been working to TDEE -20% based on an active TDEE of 2250. I also tried using a sedentary TDEE -20% which came out to 1350 and then I was eating back exercise calories but that way I think I was quite often eating at or above maintenance.
I generally try and eat below 100g of carbs and above 100g of protein but don't really moderate the types of foods I'm eating. I'm not losing scale weight or inches now (although overall I've probably lost 2 inches in 11 weeks) so I'm obviously not doing something right.
I am now going to try TDEE -25% to see if this helps and have also thought about switching to clean eating with the same calorie intake but was trying to avoid doing this as I don't really like eating fish, plain chicken etc. I really like sauces, bacon, hame and red meats and I always drain the fat but don't know if this is where my problem lies?
What's the best way to drop the body fat and what do you think I should change? My new TDEE -25% is 1650 calories so I plan on eating 1450 daily during the week and more at weekends.
Obviously I know that TDEE and BMR figures aren't always 100% accurate but does this sound right to you to start seeing changes or am I going to have to eat different foods too and lower my calories further.0 -
Bump0
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Oh god not this guy again.. *smh*
Why? I imagine a lot of people here can't afford the services of a dietitian. I've found mine to be invaluable, so I'm glad to know that others are being given the opportunity to ask questions of someone with qualifications and experience in the field.
Great thread, OP. I know your reason for engaging with users here is not entirely altruistic, but that doesn't make the advice you give any less helpful.
Oh it would be great advise if half of it wasn't dangerous. Telling people to deliberately under eat without knowing anything about them. Telling breastfeeding moms its OK if you don't eat?? He's just here to try and pick up more people to pay him for his 'insights'.
There are a million resources here who have proven how to safely lose weight - people who have lost hundreds of pounds and written amazing articles that explain everything and yet for some reason people just keep going for the 'easy' answers and people like this guy are always willing to make a buck off of it. You want advice that works? look here http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912914-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013
its free. Ask people like helloitsdan, heybales, sidesteel, Sarauk2sf - join groups, educate yourself.0 -
I have begun drinking smoothies in the morning with a mix of vegetables and frozen fruits. I have noticed that it
is a lot easier to maintain my weight and it fills me up.. My question is why do they always say do not drink your calories
when I get so many fruits and vegetables into about 400 calories. I put in green beans, peppers, mixed berries and mangos.
I even might throw in an egg or peanut butter.
Is this good for you or will I eventually gain weight.0 -
What are your thoughts on the Mediterannian Diet and do you recommend it?0
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Bump0
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'Oh god not this guy again.. *smh*
Why? I imagine a lot of people here can't afford the services of a dietitian. I've found mine to be invaluable, so I'm glad to know that others are being given the opportunity to ask questions of someone with qualifications and experience in the field.
Great thread, OP. I know your reason for engaging with users here is not entirely altruistic, but that doesn't make the advice you give any less helpful.
Oh it would be great advise if half of it wasn't dangerous. Telling people to deliberately under eat without knowing anything about them. Telling breastfeeding moms its OK if you don't eat?? He's just here to try and pick up more people to pay him for his 'insights'.
There are a million resources here who have proven how to safely lose weight - people who have lost hundreds of pounds and written amazing articles that explain everything and yet for some reason people just keep going for the 'easy' answers and people like this guy are always willing to make a buck off of it. You want advice that works? look here http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912914-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013
its free. Ask people like helloitsdan, heybales, sidesteel, Sarauk2sf - join groups, educate yourself.
Never underestimate the power of a REAL education. With the group you mentioned, you may not know the whole story. There are many pills, drugs, steroids, etc which can help people 'appear' healthy. What's on the outside doesn't necessary represent what is on the inside. I would take advice of a doctor, registered nurse, or registered dietitian before listening to anyone else. Becoming a dietitian is very intense. It requires years of college. I believe it is five or six full years total to completion of all requirements for the degree and licensure and then required PD classes every two years. It's intense, you're required to have a high gpa even to get into the program. You can't get there without knowing "your stuff". Furthermore, he wouldn't be in business if people weren't succeeding under his belt. I don't see where he is advertising any services, however if he helps me to see that he knows what he is talking about then I may hire him long distance. I love the, "try before you buy" approach with services. And if so, if he IS advertising, what is wrong with that? It is how it works. For example, massage therapists give free ten minute massages at fairs to promote services and show how skilled they are, other professionals give radio question-answer to the public to get their name out there and help people to promote themselves. How else do you prove your value if not by example of success stories. Maybe he is just a nice guy with a big heart. Maybe he is here because this is part of his community service for his PD. In any event, regardless of his reasons doesn't make his information incorrect. And most importantly, if YOU are not an expert how can you say HE is wrong and/or the group above are right? How would you know this or what credentials do you have to be able to come to this conclusion?
Let those who wish to ask and listen do so. If you don't agree, we would like you to kindly move on. Don't ruin a good thing for us by giving him a hard time so that he leaves as some of our other professionals have done here due to the bashing. Thank you.0 -
Oh it would be great advise if half of it wasn't dangerous. Telling people to deliberately under eat without knowing anything about them. Telling breastfeeding moms its OK if you don't eat?? He's just here to try and pick up more people to pay him for his 'insights'.
And how is the link you posted to other MFP members any different from what Tony is doing? They're giving advice too... Only difference is Tony has a formal education in nutrition. Maybe you don't know but a Texas RD has a 4 year degree in nutrition, 1000+ intern hours, and is required to pass a board exam to be licensed to work in the state of Texas. This license allows him to legally work and set food guidelines in hospitals, elementary schools, prisons, and other such environment that have people. He is the only person with any formal educational in nutrition giving away advice on these forums.
There are a million resources here who have proven how to safely lose weight - people who have lost hundreds of pounds and written amazing articles that explain everything and yet for some reason people just keep going for the 'easy' answers and people like this guy are always willing to make a buck off of it. You want advice that works? look here http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912914-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013
its free. Ask people like helloitsdan, heybales, sidesteel, Sarauk2sf - join groups, educate yourself.
Tony has never advocated that anyone here "under eat". His stance has always been along the lines of "if it's working for you and you have good energy levels", you may continue to do what you are currently doing. That's it. It's your choice if you want to follow his advice or not.
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I am looking for a little advice:
I'm a 38 year old female, 5 foot 4 with approx 31% body fat and I currently weigh 144 lbs. I am looking to drop to around 22% body fat and I'd even be happy with 25% but it seems like an impossibility right now.
I've been logging calories on MFP since 2nd January and in that time have lost 4 lbs and gained back 1lb. My body fat may have been 32% so I might have dropped 1% in that time but I've been working out for 6 days a week burning off 3000-3800 calories per week through HIIT training and using light weights, although I switched to lifting heavy about 2 weeks ago and plan on doing Insanity plus heavy lifting 2-3 days a week (I may skip the Insanity workouts on weights days).
I've tried various methods of eating but I've generally been working to TDEE -20% based on an active TDEE of 2250. I also tried using a sedentary TDEE -20% which came out to 1350 and then I was eating back exercise calories but that way I think I was quite often eating at or above maintenance.
I generally try and eat below 100g of carbs and above 100g of protein but don't really moderate the types of foods I'm eating. I'm not losing scale weight or inches now (although overall I've probably lost 2 inches in 11 weeks) so I'm obviously not doing something right.
I am now going to try TDEE -25% to see if this helps and have also thought about switching to clean eating with the same calorie intake but was trying to avoid doing this as I don't really like eating fish, plain chicken etc. I really like sauces, bacon, hame and red meats and I always drain the fat but don't know if this is where my problem lies?
What's the best way to drop the body fat and what do you think I should change? My new TDEE -25% is 1650 calories so I plan on eating 1450 daily during the week and more at weekends.
Obviously I know that TDEE and BMR figures aren't always 100% accurate but does this sound right to you to start seeing changes or am I going to have to eat different foods too and lower my calories further.
Keep your protein at around 120-140g and drop your calories 10%. Be sure to weigh and measure your foods for accuracy. Check your weight in a few weeks and see if that helps!0 -
I'm 5' 1". I weigh 149 lbs. right now. I have a large bone structure (or endomorph) I had a c-section five months ago, but I have been cleared to exercise. I'm almost back to my pre-pregnancy body. I still have some "pooch" near the center of my stomach still. I have worked hard to get this far because I had bad ab separation, but I closed the gap. I'm trying to eat more clean. I have been eating anywhere from 1250-1450 calories (trying to stay within macros too). Right now, I have them set to 25%/55%/20% (carbs/protein/fat). Do you have any recommendations for my macros and how to lose belly fat (I know it can't be spot reduced)?
Just keep losing weight and the belly fat will start to come off. Where people hold their weight is largely genetic, so you just need to stick with your program. Sounds like you're doing great! Your macros look fine, and it's ok to have wiggle room in your macros. Just keep your calories consistent.0 -
Hi Tony, I don't know if you would have any info on this as an RD, but I've always loved healthy foods and working out and was in really great shape until some bad eating habits caught up with me in college. My issues with food are completely mental I'll admit - if I'm stressed, lonely, overwhelmed I will eat and eat (even healthy foods) to the point where I feel sick. Then I feel so embarrassed and disgusted with myself that the cycle tends to repeat more and more often. I'm in grad school so my trigger emotions happen a lot (stress etc). I've gained close to 10 lbs this school year. Do you happen to have any tips to deal with emotional eating?
There's a number of different strategies. Here are a few:
1. Use the "yes, but first I will..." approach. This means that when you have an impulse for (chips), you tell yourself "yes, I will have those chips. But first I will ... check my email" This way you agree to your craving, but you put a small task in between eating it. Sometimes you will find that you don't crave that food any more. Either way, this helps put you back in control.
2. Figure out what time of day you have those cravings, and just plan ahead for it so it fits in your calorie budget. Skip breakfast or eat a lighter lunch if you like to eat more food in the evening- just an example
3. Keep lower calorie convenience foods on hand for you to grab as an alternative
4. Get yourself in a different routine so it's harder to just flow with bad habits.
5. Seek help if you need it.0 -
Bump0
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I agree with everything said so far except the part about Tosca Reno, but as you said, "you're not here to argue". Neither am I.
None the less, I thank you for your help.
One question. I do not understand how to calculate protein percentages. My weight is 165, I am 41 yrs and my goals weight is 117. Can you explain this? If it's been explained and I missed it, just tell me to "reread" and I will.
Use a % that gives you 1g protein per pound of lean mass up to 1g per lb of body weight.
Thanks for answering, but I don't get it. Do I use my goal weight to base the amt of protein I am to eat or my current weight? So I should use a percent of my total caloric intake to equal 117 g of protein a day since that is what I want to weigh?
Again, thanks for being so nice to take time to help us.
There is a range for protein intake. You can use your goal weight all the way up to your current weight. Shoot for around 100-120g per day0 -
Also is it safe for me to cut to about 600 calories three days a week and then eat normal the rest of the week in order to create a deficit? On my three days, I would eat only veggies, lean meat and two fruits to create a carb deficit as well.
2. Normally, I recommend a medium daily deficit and not to calorie cycle, but this is entirely up to you and your preferences. The only reasons I don't recommend cycling is because it tends to be a little more micromanagement for my clients. It really boils down to preference.
What is "micromanagement?" Thanks in advance.
Micromanagement meaning, putting a lot of effort into the little things. In this case, little things that don't really have a big impact. My philosophy is to do the least amount of work to get the most amount of benefits. Exercise and nutrition should be a part of your life, but it shouldn't consume your life.0
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