What your body really needs

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sbrown227
sbrown227 Posts: 16 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I see a lot of posts on the message board about people being under their calorie goal. They don't feel hungry and find it hard to intake 1200 calories (for example).

I see responses by people saying that not meeting your calorie goal is starving the body (even though you don't feel hungry) and offering food suggestions like raw fruits and vegetables, nuts, cooking oils, etc in order to meet your calorie goal.

As good as these suggestions are, we forget that not everyone's body reacts the same way to the foods we put into our bodies. One person may lack certain nutrients while others lack a different type of nutrient. On Wed Oct 2, I realized that my cholesterol intake was too high and my potassium intake was way too low and I tend to have elevated high blood pressure levels; which may be due to the lack of potassium. A diet low in potassium can also lead to hypertension and cardiovascular disease. So on Thurs. Oct 3, I decided to be cholesterol free and increase my potassium intake and had a banana day. I had a banana for breakfast, made 20 ounces of a banana shake (2 bananas, 2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk and 1 tbsp honey). I drank that for lunch and dinner. My calorie intake was very low, but my body felt very good and wasn't weighted down; and I did not feel hungry. This was my version of fasting, without fasting.

Come on guys, sometimes it's not all about meeting the calorie goal, but in-taking the right nutrients (or the nutrients you don't get enough of). You can eat all the calories you want, but if you don't get the right nutrients for your own body, you are still starving your body. Now I am not saying that you should do this everyday; but from time to time you have to stop worrying about calories and start worrying about the nutrients that's right for you.

It's okay to stop counting calories from time to time. And honestly, I don't see myself living off of nuts, fruits, flaxseed oil, a 6-ounce piece steak, one slice of bread w/peanut butter, etc. for the rest of my life. From time to time, I like my 5-guys burger and my 20 oz ribeye from Long Horn steak house :smile: . As long as I remember "moderation", get the nutrients I need and my daily dose of exercise, I know that I will be okay.

Remember, it's all about a change in lifestyle and knowing what your body really needs.

Replies

  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
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    If you're looking to boost potassium, potatoes are better than bananas and sweet potatoes are better than white.

    The rest has become a foreign language because I have a difficult time staying under 1700 calories per day, but I had to let go of my disordered eating before my body accepted begin hungry again.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    This is one of those subjects that you aren't going to win.

    I do my thing and let people argue amongst themselves.
  • action_figure
    action_figure Posts: 511 Member
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    Did you also find in your research that one of the side effects of prolonged very low calorie diets is appetite suppression? It's kind of the same mechanism as anorexia nervosa. An occasional low calorie day for whatever reason is not the same as someone deliberately, over a long period of time, eating an extremely deficient diet. While the first will probably have no bad effects and may in fact have good results, the second is a far different beastie.
  • dieselbyte
    dieselbyte Posts: 733 Member
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    You could have also just taken potassium supplements, and not eaten at all... But zero calories is probably not a good thing long term :wink:

    I agree. One should absolutely focus on nutrient intake, not just calorie intake. But the chance of meeting all of your nutritional needs AND eating below 1200 calories (which is extremely low to begin with) will be difficult. The more food and calories you consume, the easier it will be to meet these needs. But understand this - calories vs nutrients, calories wins 100% of the time. At the end of the day, its about survival, and your body cares more about energy (calories), then whether you hit the recommend amount of mg of potassium.
  • sbrown227
    sbrown227 Posts: 16 Member
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    And that is why I said "Once in a while" and "From time to time". This is not something I suggest to do everyday. But there are some people who will fill up on calories, and still not get the nutrients their body needs. So calories will not always trump nutrients 100% of the time. There are good calories and calories. Therefore, every once in a while, you may need to forgo your focus on calories and focus on nutrients.

    In the end, it's about knowing your body and how your body reacts.
  • sbrown227
    sbrown227 Posts: 16 Member
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    This is one of those subjects that you aren't going to win.

    I do my thing and let people argue amongst themselves.


    LOL . . . so true
  • Timothy1962
    Timothy1962 Posts: 161
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    Yeah, this is an area where I have to step back when I see other's diaries and say "they aren't the same as me" ...and not fire off some unhealthy condemning comments... I myself am having a difficult time getting some of the nutrients as you and specifically potassium for my high blood pressure condition. Even though it is more under control now that I have lost weight I still want to get the nutrients to help my body keep functioning properly. I would rather find my nutrients from natural foods than some pill honestly... and yeah, I don't want to be clinical and eat food just for the nutrient content either, I think it is something that in "moderation" can be enjoyed.. having said that I have been strictly limiting myself to such indulgences to a minimum until I lose my initial weight goal... best of luck to you ... and speaking of bananas in kind of a fast ... there is a banana only diet and you can find all kinds of youtube posts about it... I haven't tried it and I don't recommend anyone doing such without consulting their doctor first...
  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,025 Member
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    I try to guide people in terms of calories and macros. Micronutrients are another beast that they can handle themselves unless they ask a micro-specific question.
  • sbrown227
    sbrown227 Posts: 16 Member
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    I would rather find my nutrients from natural foods than some pill honestly...

    Exactly. . . In a nutshell

    As far as the bananas, they were just something I already had in my kitchen that I knew would help in my potassium-seeking mission. I refuse to go out and buy food that I would not normally buy. I am learning how to use the food I already have and am accustomed to purchasing to make better food preparations and portion choices. Also incorporating more exercise. I refuse to start buying wheat germ and spending a whole bunch of money at GNC.:laugh:
  • VixenInTraining
    VixenInTraining Posts: 80
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    I try to guide people in terms of calories and macros. Micronutrients are another beast that they can handle themselves unless they ask a micro-specific question.

    *looks at your weight ticker*

    *looks at your join date*

    You try to "guide" people? No offense but it looks like you can't even guide yourself! Why should anyone take your advice?
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
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    So calories will not always trump nutrients 100% of the time.
    I don't think that's what people are saying when they give suggestions of how to more easily meet a calorie goal. You can focus on both. Your body needs nutrients, and it needs energy too. :smile:

    And, generally from what I've noticed, people aren't talking about the odd day of under-eating here and there, it's about people who are routinely missing their calorie goal by several hundred (or even more).

    As for your potassium - potatoes are a great source of it.
  • sbrown227
    sbrown227 Posts: 16 Member
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    Jester,
    I agree. It's okay to be at a deficit from time to time, but not all of the time. My hang up is that people become so fixated on calorie counting instead of looking at the whole picture.

    As far as the potatoes, I am not a big fan of potatoes. And I only used the bananas because that is what I already had in my kitchen. On my next grocery run, I'll get the potatoes.

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