Eating Like A Hobbit

kimmytx82
kimmytx82 Posts: 4 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hello all! I am new to the community part of MFP, and wanted to give everyone a big Howdy!

Like zillions of others I am trying to reboot my diet. My plan is to eat like a Hobbit (I am a big fan of 2nd breakfast, elevensies, and tea) and try and stay as clean as possible. I have created a spreadsheet to help me meal plan, and I have added in the dietary guidelines the USDA put out. I am afraid that I am now completely overwhelmed on how to actually eat all of the food groups.

Can anyone offer some suggestions on how to do it? Extra points for veggie ideas (I can do protein and dairy like nobody's business!)

Muchas Gracias Y'all!

Replies

  • fruttibiscotti
    fruttibiscotti Posts: 986 Member
    Why are you tracking food on a spreadsheet when you can track on MFP using the food diary? I don't get it.
  • Carnivor0us
    Carnivor0us Posts: 1,752 Member
    I think you can export your food diary information to Excel, but I've never tried. MFP does list your RDA for some things, I believe.
  • fruttibiscotti
    fruttibiscotti Posts: 986 Member
    I think you can export your food diary information to Excel, but I've never tried. MFP does list your RDA for some things, I believe.

    Really? You can export to excel? If so, I'd like to know how. That would be great.
  • Carnivor0us
    Carnivor0us Posts: 1,752 Member
    I think you can export your food diary information to Excel, but I've never tried. MFP does list your RDA for some things, I believe.

    Really? You can export to excel? If so, I'd like to know how. That would be great.

    You know what, I think that was an old feature or something that I SWEAR I've seen in the past, but I don't see it now. :-/
  • kimmytx82
    kimmytx82 Posts: 4 Member
    Sorry for the confusion. I am meal planning for the week on the spreadsheet. That way I have a plan, and it keeps my grocery list tame :) I figured it would be nifty to add in the dietary stuff just so I am more aware of them. I
  • jayjrf
    jayjrf Posts: 25
    USDA...

    Watch out for sugars, aka white death.
    Avoid wheat (keeps you from feeling full).
    Cook your own foods.
    Eat some fats (avocado, olive oil, coconut oil, raw dairy, etc).
    Veg out
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    USDA...

    Watch out for sugars, aka white death.
    Avoid wheat (keeps you from feeling full).

    What.
  • tabbyxxcat
    tabbyxxcat Posts: 102 Member
    USDA...

    Watch out for sugars, aka white death.
    Avoid wheat (keeps you from feeling full).
    Cook your own foods.
    Eat some fats (avocado, olive oil, coconut oil, raw dairy, etc).
    Veg out

    Agreed.
    Always remember that too much sugar and salt are what keep people addicted and fat.
    Cooking your own meats, veggies, etc. helps you control what you put into it, so you don't over salt or butter/oil your meat, for example.
    Protein and fats > carbs, because carbs don't keep you full the same way. Use carb rich fruits, veggies, and breads as sides, but not as main parts of your meals.

    I commend you on building a spreadsheet, most people who happen here on MFP need to completely retrain themselves and I'm sure that's a great method. One day it will come natural to you :) good luck!!!!
  • iclark2012
    iclark2012 Posts: 24
    Yay! I'm glad Im not the only one trying to eat Hobbit Style! Trying to eat super often is difficult, but its much easier to eat proper portions when you know youll be eating again in an hour or two. I have found some great add-ons for MFP but have not yet found one that lets you add additional meals to the schedule. If you find one, or write one, please let me know.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    I have found some great add-ons for MFP but have not yet found one that lets you add additional meals to the schedule. If you find one, or write one, please let me know.
    There are only six meal fields: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings but you can use one field for multiple meals (for example, second breakfast + elevensies).
    I am now completely overwhelmed on how to actually eat all of the food groups.
    I use the protein & fiber goals as minimums, meet my calorie goal, and ignore the rest. But if you poll 100 MFPers, you'll get 100 different opinions. Don't panic. It will take trial & error to find what works for you. If you eat at a deficit, you will lose weight.
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
    Being that you aren't a hobbit and have different nutritional needs, I'm way of this. If you want to do it short term as a diet, or a few days a week, I guess there's no harm in that.
  • iclark2012
    iclark2012 Posts: 24
    Granted, no, we are not hobbits, but most diets advise eating multiple smaller meals rather than 3 large meals, and the hobbit style of loading your calories in the first half of the day is far preferable to eating a lot in the evening like most people do.
  • Stripeness
    Stripeness Posts: 511 Member
    Sorry for the confusion. I am meal planning for the week on the spreadsheet. That way I have a plan, and it keeps my grocery list tame :) I figured it would be nifty to add in the dietary stuff just so I am more aware of them. I

    You're being really proactive - good for you! It might sound silly, but you could pre-load some meals into MFP to see how everything shakes out (macros, nutrients, etc.). Nothing stopping you from putting in all of next week's food while planning & then deleting it so you can log honestly as you go.

    It's not elegant, but it is an option.
  • kimmytx82
    kimmytx82 Posts: 4 Member
    Thank you all for your input!
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,899 Member
    USDA...

    Watch out for sugars, aka white death.
    Avoid wheat (keeps you from feeling full).
    Cook your own foods.
    Eat some fats (avocado, olive oil, coconut oil, raw dairy, etc).
    Veg out

    Agreed.
    Always remember that too much sugar and salt are what keep people addicted and fat.
    Cooking your own meats, veggies, etc. helps you control what you put into it, so you don't over salt or butter/oil your meat, for example.
    Protein and fats > carbs, because carbs don't keep you full the same way. Use carb rich fruits, veggies, and breads as sides, but not as main parts of your meals.

    I commend you on building a spreadsheet, most people who happen here on MFP need to completely retrain themselves and I'm sure that's a great method. One day it will come natural to you :) good luck!!!!

    Yes. So. Very. "Addicted." And "fat."

    OP - this is awfully straight forward. Get your calories keyed in. Eat a nutritious diet that hits your protein, fat, and fiber goals and make sure you're eating a variety of foods to get sufficient micronutrients. If you like sugar and have enough calories leftover when you've hit those nutrition goals, then eat a cupcake, ice cream, or whatever else floats your boat. Salt is largely irrelevant if you're otherwise healthy. Trying to deprive yourself over the long run is very often a recipe for failure.
  • BrainyBurro
    BrainyBurro Posts: 6,129 Member
    USDA...

    Watch out for sugars, aka white death.
    Avoid wheat (keeps you from feeling full).
    Cook your own foods.
    Eat some fats (avocado, olive oil, coconut oil, raw dairy, etc).
    Veg out

    Agreed.
    Always remember that too much sugar and salt are what keep people addicted and fat.
    Cooking your own meats, veggies, etc. helps you control what you put into it, so you don't over salt or butter/oil your meat, for example.
    Protein and fats > carbs, because carbs don't keep you full the same way. Use carb rich fruits, veggies, and breads as sides, but not as main parts of your meals.

    I commend you on building a spreadsheet, most people who happen here on MFP need to completely retrain themselves and I'm sure that's a great method. One day it will come natural to you :) good luck!!!!

    Yes. So. Very. "Addicted." And "fat."

    OP - this is awfully straight forward. Get your calories keyed in. Eat a nutritious diet that hits your protein, fat, and fiber goals and make sure you're eating a variety of foods to get sufficient micronutrients. If you like sugar and have enough calories leftover when you've hit those nutrition goals, then eat a cupcake, ice cream, or whatever else floats your boat. Salt is largely irrelevant if you're otherwise healthy. Trying to deprive yourself over the long run is very often a recipe for failure.

    all this with one addition...

    take a suitable multivitamin every day with food (some of the vitamins are fat soluble). no matter how "good" your dietary variety, a multivitamin can help. think of it as an insurance policy. you have it in case you need it. even if you think you're getting all of your vitamins and minerals from your foods, it can't hurt and the cost is literally only pennies per pill.
  • nz_deevaa
    nz_deevaa Posts: 12,209 Member
    My cousin ate like a hobbit. It turned him into a real ogre.

    True story. I have a picture to prove it.

    11787877114_8aeda32fb0_z.jpg
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    USDA...

    Watch out for sugars, aka white death.
    Avoid wheat (keeps you from feeling full).
    Cook your own foods.
    Eat some fats (avocado, olive oil, coconut oil, raw dairy, etc).
    Veg out

    Agreed.
    Always remember that too much sugar and salt are what keep people addicted and fat.
    Cooking your own meats, veggies, etc. helps you control what you put into it, so you don't over salt or butter/oil your meat, for example.
    Protein and fats > carbs, because carbs don't keep you full the same way. Use carb rich fruits, veggies, and breads as sides, but not as main parts of your meals.

    I commend you on building a spreadsheet, most people who happen here on MFP need to completely retrain themselves and I'm sure that's a great method. One day it will come natural to you :) good luck!!!!

    Yes. So. Very. "Addicted." And "fat."

    OP - this is awfully straight forward. Get your calories keyed in. Eat a nutritious diet that hits your protein, fat, and fiber goals and make sure you're eating a variety of foods to get sufficient micronutrients. If you like sugar and have enough calories leftover when you've hit those nutrition goals, then eat a cupcake, ice cream, or whatever else floats your boat. Salt is largely irrelevant if you're otherwise healthy. Trying to deprive yourself over the long run is very often a recipe for failure.

    Yep, this.
  • Mother_Superior
    Mother_Superior Posts: 1,624 Member
    Samwise-Lord-of-the-Rings-potatoes.gif
  • ImtheOnethatsCool
    ImtheOnethatsCool Posts: 212 Member
    :huh:

    eating like a hobbit is how I ended up on this site in the first place.
  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
    Are you suggesting that hobbits use spreadsheets?


    I think they just eat a lot, but eat sensibly... or just go to denny's at 5am

    The_Hobbit_FSM_CoverLOGO2.jpg
  • Mr_Starr
    Mr_Starr Posts: 139 Member
    I think you can export your food diary information to Excel, but I've never tried. MFP does list your RDA for some things, I believe.

    Really? You can export to excel? If so, I'd like to know how. That would be great.

    To download...
    > Go to your food diary page in MFP (http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/.....)
    > Scroll all the way to the bottom of the page
    > Select the green button at the bottom of the page labelled "View Full Report (Printable)"
    > You can experiment from their...

    I usually download meals and exercise separately, then 'clean' up the data to be database ready.
  • Mr_Starr
    Mr_Starr Posts: 139 Member
    Yay! I'm glad Im not the only one trying to eat Hobbit Style! Trying to eat super often is difficult, but its much easier to eat proper portions when you know youll be eating again in an hour or two. I have found some great add-ons for MFP but have not yet found one that lets you add additional meals to the schedule. If you find one, or write one, please let me know.

    To add meals ...

    You can name your up to 6 meals in whatever order works for you, or naming convention or time slot etc.

    On website
    > Select "My Home".
    > Select "Settings"
    > Select "Diary Settings"
    > Scroll down and you will see where you can change meal names.

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