Help! What do I eat for glowing health and vitality?
stephanj
Posts: 898 Member
So I have been on this ride for awhile, and without boring you with a long story, I have lost a lot of weight, I haven't had alcohol for months, I avoid treats, don't eat flour or wheat currently, eat lots of yogurt, less of other dairy, I eat lean protein, salads, beans, fruit, have leafy greens every day, drink TONS of water and green tea, get 7 hours sleep at least, work out 30-60 minutes every single day, and use higher-end products that are paraben free and as natural as possible on my body. Vices? I guess I drink a fair amount of coffee, and I eat cheese. No fast food, no chips, a tiny bit of chocolate and fruit juice gummies when I crave sweets. Protein shake every day. Take vitamin C, iron, omega 3's. Thyroid and iron just tested fine.
What's my point? I feel like I should be freaking GLOWING with health! like my skin should be radiant, I should feel energetic. People should look at me and go wow you look great!
Instead, I have lots of mini breakouts, occasional rosacea and eczema, look really gray and tired. I am 38 years old. Why don't I look fantastic? I guess my main question is about my skin, but in general I feel kind of gross and dirty, internally, if that doesn't sound too vague.
Does anyone have any thoughts on what you eat or do that makes you feel Fabulous? What gives you your glow? I've tried doing research but I already have all the obvious things covered. Do I start juicing? Do I go vegan? Do I take bee pollen? Any suggestions very appreciated. I'll open my diary in a sec.
What's my point? I feel like I should be freaking GLOWING with health! like my skin should be radiant, I should feel energetic. People should look at me and go wow you look great!
Instead, I have lots of mini breakouts, occasional rosacea and eczema, look really gray and tired. I am 38 years old. Why don't I look fantastic? I guess my main question is about my skin, but in general I feel kind of gross and dirty, internally, if that doesn't sound too vague.
Does anyone have any thoughts on what you eat or do that makes you feel Fabulous? What gives you your glow? I've tried doing research but I already have all the obvious things covered. Do I start juicing? Do I go vegan? Do I take bee pollen? Any suggestions very appreciated. I'll open my diary in a sec.
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P.S. the only thing I do not do is take a multivitamin. Is it really that simple? Not sure if I "believe" in needing a multi. Thoughts?0
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not sure. sounds like you are doing great!! way to go! you are an inspiration!
trying a vitamin might help. i take kids vitamins as the adult formulas are so hard on my stomach.0 -
have you tried taking a vitamin E supplement ?0
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I peeked at your diary. I know the 1200 calorie limit is a controversial topic here and I don't intend to start anything :flowerforyou: BUT - how did you arrive at this number? Maybe you feel tired and run down from simply not eating enough. You could try upping calories a little at a time as an experiment to see if you can continue to lose and see if that makes you feel better. I actually have had a lot of the same stuff going on, especially being constantly tired, and have upped mine a little at a time and continued to lose though it did slow down. Might be worth it to run your numbers again and see if you could try that. Good luck!0
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I peeked at your diary. I know the 1200 calorie limit is a controversial topic here and I don't intend to start anything :flowerforyou: BUT - how did you arrive at this number? Maybe you feel tired and run down from simply not eating enough. You could try upping calories a little at a time as an experiment to see if you can continue to lose and see if that makes you feel better. I actually have had a lot of the same stuff going on, especially being constantly tired, and have upped mine a little at a time and continued to lose though it did slow down. Might be worth it to run your numbers again and see if you could try that. Good luck!
i was thinking the same thing, because she is so active, but i didn't want to start a flame war! LOL0 -
For you, I would suggest eating more and eating better. There is a ton of processed foods in your diary which probably means high amounts of sodium in your diet. Personally, I have felt so much better when I transitioned to mainly a raw food diet... it works for some, not for others.
Not feeling as good as you should go be a vitamin issue... mineral issue.. intolerance to something you are consuming.. etc.0 -
Sounds like you're well on the right track. Haven't looked at your diary but maybe you just need to be eating more of all that healthy stuff.
Do you have a good skincare routine?0 -
Let's address this one right away, 'cause I shoulda known that's where y'all would go first: I am on my last 6 lbs. I didn't do 1200 when losing the majority of my weight. But I am at the point where TDEE is like 1700 cals. The majority of the time I do eat more, I also eat exercise back. But more than 1200 me no lose. What I am doing to lose the last ten pounds is not what I would recommend or have done the rest of the time. But my last ten pounds are FINALLY coming off. So it is working for me. Which means I ain't changing it! But I know it is said with love so here's some love back
Now, any other ideas? :bigsmile:I peeked at your diary. I know the 1200 calorie limit is a controversial topic here and I don't intend to start anything :flowerforyou: BUT - how did you arrive at this number? Maybe you feel tired and run down from simply not eating enough. You could try upping calories a little at a time as an experiment to see if you can continue to lose and see if that makes you feel better. I actually have had a lot of the same stuff going on, especially being constantly tired, and have upped mine a little at a time and continued to lose though it did slow down. Might be worth it to run your numbers again and see if you could try that. Good luck!
i was thinking the same thing, because she is so active, but i didn't want to start a flame war! LOL0 -
i was thinking the same thing, because she is so active, but i didn't want to start a flame war! LOL
Hah, I felt the same way!0 -
hmmm...ton of processed foods? Do you mean the protein powder? Or do you consider yogurt "processed"? I am upping the protein powder right now because I am doing P90X and want build muscle, and I don't want to add more meat or eggs than I am already eating. Lest I sound defensive, I want you to know I am considering doing more raw/juicing and cutting down on the meat once the macro balance isn't so key.
Got a good skincare regimen, just went for a seaweed facial last week :-)
P.S. I am really looking forward to phasing back in more stuff when I hit goal weight. More of all the good stuff. I hear you, I really do!0 -
Have you tried cutting out dairy for a bit? I've never glowed more than when I followed a vegan diet.0
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hmmm...ton of processed foods? Do you mean the protein powder? Or do you consider yogurt "processed"? I am upping the protein powder right now because I am doing P90X and want build muscle, and I don't want to add more meat or eggs than I am already eating.
Got a good skincare regimen, just went for a seaweed facial last week :-)
P.S. I am really looking forward to phasing back in more stuff when I hit goal weight. More of all the good stuff. I hear you, I really do!
Yoplait is not yogurt, its crap food.
You are not eating enough green leafy vegetables or fish. Your diet is not as good as you think it is and by not wanting to add any more protein while doing the p90x, you are not going to not only not look as good as you think you should, you are not going to feel as good as you think you should.
I really hope you take the advice you asked for into consideration.0 -
Have you tried cutting out dairy for a bit? I've never glowed more than when I followed a vegan diet.
I agree with this statement! Also, no processed foods (if it comes in a box or a can, it's very likely processed). Eliminating caffeine, sugar, and gluten make my skin look so much better!0 -
I also have bad skin and my dermatologist says genes pay a large role. So it's not all diet...maybe you can go to a dermatologist and see if they have any options?0
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Eat an avocado 3 times a week! Yep, a whole avocado.
Drink coconut water in a green smoothie.
Are you drinking enough water?
You will be amazed at changes in your skin. Once a week, eat a tablespoon of unrefined coconut oil.
Also, as mentioned, you may have a mild milk allergy. Drop it for a month and see if your skin heals....
and check back in to update us! Good luck!0 -
I looked at a week or so of your diary, so I don't know how typical this is of your diet, but I saw low fat stuff everywhere. You could try adding more olive oil, nuts, avocado...stuff like that.0
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I would say that a multivitamin is a pretty easy experiment -- get a bottle and see if you feel better by the time you finish it. You may also want to try a supplement called xyflamend -- it's really a "cocktail" (in capsule form) of a bunch of different beneficial anti-inflammatory herbs like turmeric and ginger. How is the quality of your sleep?
I'll also say that your fat intake looks low. You are getting in a beneficial fat most days, but maybe more of them would help?
I have a juicer too and beet juice is supposed to be primo for liver cleansing. I am also a big fan of "green lemonade"0 -
hmmm...ton of processed foods? Do you mean the protein powder? Or do you consider yogurt "processed"? I am upping the protein powder right now because I am doing P90X and want build muscle, and I don't want to add more meat or eggs than I am already eating.
Got a good skincare regimen, just went for a seaweed facial last week :-)
P.S. I am really looking forward to phasing back in more stuff when I hit goal weight. More of all the good stuff. I hear you, I really do!
Yoplait is not yogurt, its crap food.
You are not eating enough green leafy vegetables or fish. Your diet is not as good as you think it is and by not wanting to add any more protein while doing the p90x, you are not going to not only not look as good as you think you should, you are not going to feel as good as you think you should.
I really hope you take the advice you asked for into consideration.
Thank you so much for your input. Those are reasonable comments, I wish you had expressed them in a less adversarial way. But I will consider upping my green veg and fish, thanks.0 -
Thanks everybody, I am hearing maybe I should experiment with adding in more healthy fats, maybe try a detox from dairy and see what happens. Stopped off at the health food store and got a multivitamin and some organic veg to juice tonight.
Cheers!0 -
I agree with the adding healthy fat options, plus.....get a facial! Relaxing, pampering, and good for your skin.0
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I didn't go too far back in your diary – just a few days – but looking at just that I would suggest loading up on the veggies and diversify. Remember to eat the rainbow (fruits and veggies of a variety of colors – not bags of skittles :laugh: ) Veggies are so low-cal and nutrient-rich it is easy to toss them into everything, bulk up meals and make them satisfying. Plus they have fiber that is very filling. Keep an eye on food labels and remember the fewer the ingredients, the better. Just get as close to natural as you can. If you like yogurt maybe browse around and check out some other brands – chobani and fage are on the cleaner side (yoplait actually contains gelatin and tricalcium phosphate – ground animal collagen and bone). And I definitely support the idea of a multivitamin. Hope that helps and best of luck!0
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Oh yeah! And water... lots and lots and lots of water!0
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*Eat more plant based foods and cut back on processed foods. I hate the no fat/low fat yoghurts like yoplait. It's like melted plastic to me.
*Try a 'Hair, Skin and Nails' supplement (In Australia Blackmores do a good one)
*Drink more water
*Use some good quality 'natural' facial products (I use a handmade, organic, local clay based cleanser, I don't tone and I moisturise with rose hip oil at night and a handmade, organic moisturiser during the day)
*Get a decent amount of sleep each night!
Just a couple of tips for you!0 -
hmmm...ton of processed foods? Do you mean the protein powder? Or do you consider yogurt "processed"? I am upping the protein powder right now because I am doing P90X and want build muscle, and I don't want to add more meat or eggs than I am already eating. Lest I sound defensive, I want you to know I am considering doing more raw/juicing and cutting down on the meat once the macro balance isn't so key.
Got a good skincare regimen, just went for a seaweed facial last week :-)
P.S. I am really looking forward to phasing back in more stuff when I hit goal weight. More of all the good stuff. I hear you, I really do!
Protein powders, yogurts, cheese slices, almond milk/butters, sauces, etc etc are all processed (not that there is anything super wrong with processed... I personally find I do better with as little processed as possible). For me, store bought almond milk messes up my skin and makes me feel terrible so I make my own... could be happening to you as well. I don't juice so I can't say whether or not that will help.
It's great to up the protein... get it in any way you can. Just a word of warning, eating at a calorie deficit will not allow you to build muscle. At a deficit, you either maintain or lose the muscle you have. You have to eat at a slightly surplus of calories along with heavy lifting to build muscle. Considering the fact that you don't have a lot to lose what about taking the focus off the scale and going to measurements? Build some muscle... the scale won't go down as you want it to but your body will be smaller.
Up your veggies and fruits and you won't need a multivitamin. With a proper diet you should be able to get all your nutrients from food alone (kale for example has over 100% of the vit A and C you need in a day in just 1 cup). If you think a multi will help take one and see.0 -
Take a good Multivitamin - they are not created equal.
Eat more. As you get close to goal (and you are very close) the deficit should be like 200-300 calories. You are over taxing your body.
Honestly, you should stop focusing on the scale - as in, throw it out. Eat (GOOD FOOD) at TDEE for a month, lift heavy weights, sleep enough - TRACK your progress via weekly photos, measurements and how you feel (and how much more you can lift/run/jump/etc)
You may be pleasantly surprised at how your body recomposition and how you look after a month or two.0 -
Thanks I take the points about processed stuff. I've been phasing it put gradually ( nothing out of a box, only beans and tomato sauce out of a can) I will think about some different yogurt choices and look at dairy labels more. Anyone who is keeping up with that level of cleanliness in your diet, my hat is off to you!0
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P.S. the only thing I do not do is take a multivitamin. Is it really that simple? Not sure if I "believe" in needing a multi. Thoughts?
Exfoliate. I'm not sure if you do on a regular basis or not but at least once every couple of weeks, exfoliate your skin in some form or another. You get a lot of dead skin build up even with use of a moisturizer and it makes the skin look a little dull. I use microdermabrasion 1-2 times monthly, wash my face with olive oil, use an all natural witch hazel astringent and a smidge of argon oil to moisturize. Some people use a wash rag or a softer loofah to exfoliate, some shave with an eyebrow razor, there are lots of ways.0 -
hmmm...ton of processed foods? Do you mean the protein powder? Or do you consider yogurt "processed"? I am upping the protein powder right now because I am doing P90X and want build muscle, and I don't want to add more meat or eggs than I am already eating. Lest I sound defensive, I want you to know I am considering doing more raw/juicing and cutting down on the meat once the macro balance isn't so key.
Got a good skincare regimen, just went for a seaweed facial last week :-)
P.S. I am really looking forward to phasing back in more stuff when I hit goal weight. More of all the good stuff. I hear you, I really do!
And go very easy on dairy, if not cut it out completely. If I even get a tiny piece of cheese snuck into a meal, I have a break out to deal with for at least a week. Could be that you have an allergy to it that you weren't aware of. (Not the same as lactose intolerant.) They have coconut milk yogurt now with live cultures you could try if you don't wanna give it up. It's made by "So Delicious." I recommend the vanilla.
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Get Dr. Perricone's books (don't buy the products, too expensive) and correct any nutritional deficiencies from there. Get some Derma E DMAE Alpha Lipoic C-Ester Serum. Use it. Eat salmon. Lots of salmon. That should do it.
http://www.amazon.com/Perricone-Prescription-Physicians-Program-Rejuvenation/dp/00609343520 -
I remember after I had my daughter 2 1/2 years ago, I was trying to lose weight and ate lots of celery as a snack. I'm not joking, it made my skin glow and look flawless. I had so many people ask me what i was using on my skin. I was simply eating celery lol. Give it a try.0
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