I Am Food Illiterate

llama_sammich
llama_sammich Posts: 124
in Food and Nutrition
I try to eat healthier....as in eating more veggies, less grease, smaller portions...

But everyone keeps going on about how I need proteins and less carbs and sodium and blah blah blah... I don't know what the eff this stuff is. And I lack the funds to buy things like chicken breasts and organic everything.

I seem to be shrinking regarless so what I want to know is....is all that really that important? It just seems like a hassle. And I suck at math :p

Replies

  • KenosFeoh
    KenosFeoh Posts: 1,837 Member
    Knowing something about nutrition is a good thing, but take it at your own pace. Log your food and look at your results. You'll see if you need more protein or have too much sodium. Then you can do a little research to correct the imbalances. You can get protein without having to buy expensive chicken breasts, etc. Beans have protein; they're cheap. Etc. There are a lot of options that you can probably afford.

    Of course if you're happy with your results and feel good, no need to correct anything. As it is said "if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
  • kellehbeans
    kellehbeans Posts: 838 Member
    As KenosFeoh said, it's good to know about nutrition. However, as long as you have a calorie deficit, you will lose weight.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    Just try to do three things:
    Stay under your calorie goal
    Get at least .35g fat per pound of body weight
    Get at least 1g protein per kg of body weight (ideal is 1g per pound of lean tissue)

    I don't worry about stupid stuff like sodium or eating organic because it really doesn't make a difference. Just eat enough fats and protein and let the rest fall where it falls.
  • danmoxon1
    danmoxon1 Posts: 2
    I think theres always ways you an improve the balance, but you can take it to extremes, what you are doing sounds ok to me
  • llama_sammich
    llama_sammich Posts: 124
    Just try to do three things:
    Stay under your calorie goal
    Get at least .35g fat per pound of body weight
    Get at least 1g protein per kg of body weight (ideal is 1g per pound of lean tissue)

    I don't worry about stupid stuff like sodium or eating organic because it really doesn't make a difference. Just eat enough fats and protein and let the rest fall where it falls.

    Heh sorry but....I have no idea what you just said. What is lean tissue? Are you talking about MY tissue or the foods' tissue? And how do you know how much tissue you have...or your food...idk... I am one confuuuused little llama over here :)
  • metacognition
    metacognition Posts: 626 Member
    These are my top five dieting tips for weight loss and muscle retention:

    1. Golden rule: eat less than you use. Weight loss is about staying in a deficit. Count your calories as accurately as possible. You can eat anything as long as calories are under a certain level and still lose weight. Learn this before worrying about anything else.

    Actually, you don't have to worry about anything else if your only goal is to lose weight, although it will be harder to maintain weight loss unless you make an effort to build muscle and increase your metabolism through activity. Which leads us to #2.

    2. Exercise will make weight loss easier.
    Cardio will help your heart.
    Heavy weight training will reshape your body and make it visibly hotter.
    50% of my visible results come from weights.

    3. Eating right will allow you to stay at calories easier and thus make weight loss breezy. Protein makes one feel fuller longer. Fiber makes one feel fuller longer. Get more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein. Try to spread out your meals over the day so you aren't going too long feeling hungry. Try to eat a gram of protein per pound of body weight. Avoid plain white breads if you have a whole grain alternative. Avoid products heavy in saturated animal fat (although fish is good for you).

    4. God tier foods: all fruits (cheap eat: bananas), vegetables (cheap eat: carrots), low fat cottage cheese, boneless skinless chicken breast, old fashioned oats (cheap!). You can substitute lentils for chicken breast if you have trouble with the cost (it's 2.99 / lb raw on sale where I live)


    5. The rest is preference. Organic doesn't matter although many people fiercely defend it.
    It is reasonable to avoid excessively processed foods with a lot of white sugar - those are just empty calories.
    Sodium isn't a big deal if you have normal blood pressure and don't add it to food.

    Pretty much my healthy improved 100% just by losing weight and secondly by eating more fruit / veg.
    If you do those two things, you will probably do fine. I think weight lifting also helped though.
  • llama_sammich
    llama_sammich Posts: 124
    These are my top five dieting tips for weight loss and muscle retention:

    1. Golden rule: eat less than you use. Weight loss is about staying in a deficit. Count your calories as accurately as possible. You can eat anything as long as calories are under a certain level and still lose weight. Learn this before worrying about anything else.

    Actually, you don't have to worry about anything else if your only goal is to lose weight, although it will be harder to maintain weight loss unless you make an effort to build muscle and increase your metabolism through activity. Which leads us to #2.

    2. Exercise will make weight loss easier.
    Cardio will help your heart.
    Heavy weight training will reshape your body and make it visibly hotter.
    50% of my visible results come from weights.

    3. Eating right will allow you to stay at calories easier and thus make weight loss breezy. Protein makes one feel fuller longer. Fiber makes one feel fuller longer. Get more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein. Try to spread out your meals over the day so you aren't going too long feeling hungry. Try to eat a gram of protein per pound of body weight. Avoid plain white breads if you have a whole grain alternative. Avoid products heavy in saturated animal fat (although fish is good for you).

    4. God tier foods: all fruits (cheap eat: bananas), vegetables (cheap eat: carrots), low fat cottage cheese, boneless skinless chicken breast, old fashioned oats (cheap!). You can substitute lentils for chicken breast if you have trouble with the cost (it's 2.99 / lb raw on sale where I live)


    5. The rest is preference. Organic doesn't matter although many people fiercely defend it.
    It is reasonable to avoid excessively processed foods with a lot of white sugar - those are just empty calories.
    Sodium isn't a big deal if you have normal blood pressure and don't add it to food.

    Pretty much my healthy improved 100% just by losing weight and secondly by eating more fruit / veg.
    If you do those two things, you will probably do fine. I think weight lifting also helped though.

    I love you. Thank you so much!! Apparently I gotta get me some weights! Dunno what to do with them, but I'm gonna get em! And lift them, I guess. Heh. Time to post in the Exercise section ;) tytyty ily! <3
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    Just try to do three things:
    Stay under your calorie goal
    Get at least .35g fat per pound of body weight
    Get at least 1g protein per kg of body weight (ideal is 1g per pound of lean tissue)

    I don't worry about stupid stuff like sodium or eating organic because it really doesn't make a difference. Just eat enough fats and protein and let the rest fall where it falls.

    Heh sorry but....I have no idea what you just said. What is lean tissue? Are you talking about MY tissue or the foods' tissue? And how do you know how much tissue you have...or your food...idk... I am one confuuuused little llama over here :)

    Lean tissue is your total weight - body fat. If you're 150lbs and 30% body fat then you have 45lbs of fat and 105lbs of lean tissue.
  • sgtlee13
    sgtlee13 Posts: 66
    If you really want to change your overall health instead of simply losing weight, pay attention to what you eat and what makes up what you eat. The closer to a food's original form you can get the better is is going to be for you; ie. fresh broccoli (organic or not) vs. processed frozen broccoli with cheese sauce. There is a HUGE difference in not only calories but also nutrients, vitamins and minerals, etc. A standard "American" diet can lead to being overfed but under-nourished. Just maintaining a calorie deficit each day will help you lose weight but you can still very easily be unhealthy.

    There's a website maintained by the USDA that I had to research for school which gives you a decent idea of what you need nutrient-wise and how to get it. It's pretty user friendly, simple and free! You can get a specialized plan and follow the site religiously or just learn some good information and use it to make your own plan.
    https://www.supertracker.usda.gov/default.aspx if you want to check it out.

    There is SOOO much information out there it can be completely overwhelming and sometimes seem like a foreign language. If you look 6 different places, you'll likely be told 6 different methods to get a "a new, healthy you!". But there is a lot of information out there based solely on nutrition, health alone instead of marketing and trying to sell you something.

    I started my journey some time ago and while it was (still is after baby) a tough one, it's SO worth it. It sounds kinda goofy but eating the right foods in the right combination can make a HUGE difference in how you feel not just in how you look.

    I'm no professional but I've done a ton of research into all of this so if I can help at all, just shoot me a message. I just got out of the military and decided during my last year in to make a career switch. I'm now taking my last class now for my BS in Health and Wellness and I start my Masters in Clinical Nutrition program in January.

    Good luck to you in your journey!!!
  • Graham_077
    Graham_077 Posts: 67 Member
    Food is basically made up of three elements. Protein, Carbs and fats. Muscle is made of protein. If you’re trying to add muscle then you need to consume a reasonable level of protein to give your muscle the fuel to grow (and of course lift some weights!). Doesn’t have to be a huge amount of protein and small changes in your diet will get you consuming plenty.

    If you want to simply lose weight eat less and move more. It’s not scientific but it’s a simple and easy rule to follow.

    Good advise above is to everything you’re eating to see what exactly it is you’re consuming.

    Nutrition is such a massive subject but get a reasonable handle of the basics and your do well.

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