Diet Critique?

zionarbadon
zionarbadon Posts: 27 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Anyone mind looking at my eating habits in my diary recently? I've been eating differently (used to eat out every day) and going to the gym 6 days a week. I lost 10lbs the first two weeks and i've lost maybe 1lb in the 3rd week. I assume the large amount was just water weight, but I want to make sure I'm not doing something that's going to really hurt my weight loss/muscle gain.

I also am not sure how accurate MFP is on guessing calories and what not so I just thought I'd get a second opinion on all that.

Male
Starting weight 205, now 194.
5'10"

I appreciate any input, thanks for your time!

Replies

  • michael300891
    michael300891 Posts: 275
    You've lost weight. Doing better than 95% of other dieters out there :) Just keep going.

    As for the critique it seems great but just make sure you get enough variety so that you don't go insane
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    You do know that the calorie goal MFP gives you has a built in deficit right? That you don't have to create your own deficit from that? And that the goal does not include workouts, so you're supposed to log workouts and eat (at least a portion of) those calories back?

    Have you read these?
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1069275-links-in-mfp-you-want-to-read-again-and-again


    and this...
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants


    To answer your question, it's normal to lose a significant chunk of weight in the first week or two, yes it's water weight. 1 lb a week is very reasonable.
  • Michiiba
    Michiiba Posts: 27
    Eat more fiber.

    Also eat more food, peanut butter on bread is going to get old fast.
  • Zekela
    Zekela Posts: 634 Member
    Man... I wish I could eat like you for just two weeks!
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    Your diary makes me hungry - that's so many remaining calories at the end of the day. I feel so sad for them. :sad:
  • zionarbadon
    zionarbadon Posts: 27 Member
    Honestly, I am really adjusting to eating so much. I used to eat one big meal once a day, but now I've been spreading it out. I like a nice PB sandwich and peppered eggs are one of my favorite foods :p Steak, chicken, mmm. I am trying to make a 'lifestyle change' instead of dieting, so I am only eating stuff that I like, aside from the vegetables haha. Working on finding ways to like them better.

    With working out a lot and the built in deficit, will that hurt my muscle build? I don't want all that work at the gym to go to waste, I just spent an hour and a half there last night, would suck to lose all that work cause I"m not eating enough. I just am not used to eating such a large quantity of food.
  • michael300891
    michael300891 Posts: 275
    Honestly, I am really adjusting to eating so much. I used to eat one big meal once a day, but now I've been spreading it out. I like a nice PB sandwich and peppered eggs are one of my favorite foods :p Steak, chicken, mmm. I am trying to make a 'lifestyle change' instead of dieting, so I am only eating stuff that I like, aside from the vegetables haha. Working on finding ways to like them better.

    With working out a lot and the built in deficit, will that hurt my muscle build? I don't want all that work at the gym to go to waste, I just spent an hour and a half there last night, would suck to lose all that work cause I"m not eating enough. I just am not used to eating such a large quantity of food.

    Sorry mate, but yeh calorie deficit will hurt your muscle build but thats something you cannot avoid if you want to cut.

    However, you can make sure you make the right choices to promote the muscle growth and recovery.

    Get yourself a whey protein shake immediately after exercise containing at least 3-4g leucine and I would recommend a casein shake before bedtime. That will maximimse muscle protein synthesis throughout the day and minimise Muscle protein breakdown.
  • astronomicals
    astronomicals Posts: 1,537 Member
    you're crash dieting, period.

    you should be eating around 2000 calories plus eating back your exercise... You should probably be eating like 2500 calories a day and still be losing weight just fine.

    your diet is going to screw you.... hard...
  • zionarbadon
    zionarbadon Posts: 27 Member
    *sigh* I don't think I'll ever figure out how to eat right. xD Just when I think I'm doing okay for once. . .
  • tealgrove
    tealgrove Posts: 36 Member
    Healthy eating is all about balanced eating. You need all your food groups and quite honestly you are not taking in enough calories. If you continue to eat like this you will not lose weight because your body is going to go into starvation mode and hang on to every calorie you put in your mouth.

    Lean proteins, whole grains, fruits, vegetables and healthy fats. You have to have it all and you should not be skipping meals to keep your metabolize revving.
  • MainEventMike
    MainEventMike Posts: 22 Member
    Where are the vegetables and fruits?
  • zionarbadon
    zionarbadon Posts: 27 Member
    Some bananas, snap peas, carrots, watermelon. I generally hate vegetables so I'm trying to find things that I can eat that I can continue to eat. I just started this change about 3 weeks ago so I'm still exploring in that area, hesitantly.
  • davert123
    davert123 Posts: 1,568 Member
    Well done on your loss so far :-)

    My weight bounces all over the place, sometimes it stays level for week, sometimes it goes up and sometimes it drops 5 or 6y in a week. This is just how my body reacts to the food, salt and exercise. Just because the scales say you lost 1lb this week doesn't mean you have lost just 1lb of fat :-)

    I would keep your protein level right up. Unless you have a medical condition try for 1grm per lb of lean body mass (do a search on the net for lean body mass calculators) it may come out at 150-160 grms per day. Keeping your protein up will keep your lean body mass up. You may not drop weight as fast but you will loose more fat that muscle. I would also eat more fruit and veggies :-) Good luck mate, you will do it if you keep it going. Just log everything, try and hit your macros as best as you can (protein first) and try and do a bit of resistance as well as cardio and you will be sorted.
  • astrampe
    astrampe Posts: 2,169 Member
    Eat more - you are setting yourself up for massive muscle loss....You are eating the same amount of calories I do - and I still lose weight - but you are a male, 2 inches taller than me, almost 20 years younger and a lot heavier.......
    Do the math and eat more....
  • bradXdale
    bradXdale Posts: 399
    Eat more!

    More protein (.5 to 1g per pound of lean body mass)

    More veggies and fruits!

    You'll get there man.
  • zionarbadon
    zionarbadon Posts: 27 Member
    Well done on your loss so far :-)

    My weight bounces all over the place, sometimes it stays level for week, sometimes it goes up and sometimes it drops 5 or 6y in a week. This is just how my body reacts to the food, salt and exercise. Just because the scales say you lost 1lb this week doesn't mean you have lost just 1lb of fat :-)

    I would keep your protein level right up. Unless you have a medical condition try for 1grm per lb of lean body mass (do a search on the net for lean body mass calculators) it may come out at 150-160 grms per day. Keeping your protein up will keep your lean body mass up. You may not drop weight as fast but you will loose more fat that muscle. I would also eat more fruit and veggies :-) Good luck mate, you will do it if you keep it going. Just log everything, try and hit your macros as best as you can (protein first) and try and do a bit of resistance as well as cardio and you will be sorted.

    Looks like it's 144.6, I got 132 protein yesterday so not too terrible, I could ad another 12 grams somehow, maybe I'll get some powder.
  • zionarbadon
    zionarbadon Posts: 27 Member
    Eat more!

    More protein (.5 to 1g per pound of lean body mass)

    More veggies and fruits!

    You'll get there man.

    Yeah as I said, working on the veggie thing. As far as fruits, it seems like a hard balancing act for me, cause fruits have sugar but low calories. Of course, the fruits I like are probably also the least nutritional, like bananas and watermelon lol.
  • Michiiba
    Michiiba Posts: 27
    Unless your diabetic sugar in fruit is not a balancing act at all.
  • zionarbadon
    zionarbadon Posts: 27 Member
    Unless your diabetic sugar in fruit is not a balancing act at all.

    Okay, I just end up going over on my sugar on MFP a lot (mainly because my breakfast shake has a decent amount in it) I figured that was bad.
  • Michiiba
    Michiiba Posts: 27
    That shake does seem to have a lot of sugar. I personally try and avoid "Drinking" my calories, plus I have a baby bladder.

    Berries are a decent bang for your buck, I put them in oat meal or eat them for a sack.
  • zionarbadon
    zionarbadon Posts: 27 Member
    I'll put berries on the grocery list and get whatever looks the most fresh. I only drink the shake cause 1) it's tasty and 2) I have a hard time when I get up at 4:30am but I don't have any issues drinking. I have found it gets my metabolism going too, I'd normally not get hungry till late in the afternoon until I started drinking the shake when I wake up and and I'm hungry by 8am lol.
  • vjohn04
    vjohn04 Posts: 2,276 Member
    Srsly dude... eat more. Take a look at my diary.... go back a few days. Then compare it to yours. Eat more; you can do it and still lose..
  • zionarbadon
    zionarbadon Posts: 27 Member
    Just to be clear, i'm not restricting my calories, I'm just eating what fills me up. I just want to make sure that's clear. I understand that I need to eat more. I've made progress, when I first switched to not eating out, I was only getting about 1k a day, I've worked up to 1500-1800. I guess I gotta push myself to get used to eating a little bit more.
  • betweenthesedays
    betweenthesedays Posts: 15 Member
    Biggest missing for me is the veggies, but you don't like veggies so maybe we can troubleshoot there. What about veggies you can add in with your eggs? Do you like peppers? Green, yellow, red, orange though the red/orange/yellow are sweeter and might be more palatable. Onions? Yellow, white, red, sweet. Slice them up thin and then sautee before your eggs. Spinach? It's fairly mild and when it wilts down you can turn a lot of spinach into less volume. Potatoes? Hashbrowns are nice and you can buy them in the freezer/produce dept to cut down on prep.

    Bananas are good for potassium, but cantalope is even better. Add in a slice of cantalope with your eggs, veggies, and hashbrowns and you've got a good mix of fiber and vitamins.

    Is there a salad dressing you like? Even a little iceberg lettuce salad like you can get in the bag along with your lunch sandwich would help. If you can conquer the simple salad then you can embellish it with some beans or other vegetables.

    Is it a texture thing? A sensory thing?

    If it's not that, then maybe start small. When you go grocery shopping pick one vegetable to try. Look up a few recipes online and try it multiple ways. Maybe you hate it raw, but love it sauteed or baked or pan fried or steamed. If you like it, put it in regular rotation. If you hate it, drop it off the list and move on. The next week pick another one, lather, rinse, repeat. If you make your way through the entire produce department, then swing back around to your dislikes and try them again. Tastes change and multiple exposures to new foods is usually what it takes.

    :0) You can do it!
  • zionarbadon
    zionarbadon Posts: 27 Member
    Biggest missing for me is the veggies, but you don't like veggies so maybe we can troubleshoot there. What about veggies you can add in with your eggs? Do you like peppers? Green, yellow, red, orange though the red/orange/yellow are sweeter and might be more palatable. Onions? Yellow, white, red, sweet. Slice them up thin and then sautee before your eggs. Spinach? It's fairly mild and when it wilts down you can turn a lot of spinach into less volume. Potatoes? Hashbrowns are nice and you can buy them in the freezer/produce dept to cut down on prep.

    Bananas are good for potassium, but cantalope is even better. Add in a slice of cantalope with your eggs, veggies, and hashbrowns and you've got a good mix of fiber and vitamins.

    Is there a salad dressing you like? Even a little iceberg lettuce salad like you can get in the bag along with your lunch sandwich would help. If you can conquer the simple salad then you can embellish it with some beans or other vegetables.

    Is it a texture thing? A sensory thing?

    If it's not that, then maybe start small. When you go grocery shopping pick one vegetable to try. Look up a few recipes online and try it multiple ways. Maybe you hate it raw, but love it sauteed or baked or pan fried or steamed. If you like it, put it in regular rotation. If you hate it, drop it off the list and move on. The next week pick another one, lather, rinse, repeat. If you make your way through the entire produce department, then swing back around to your dislikes and try them again. Tastes change and multiple exposures to new foods is usually what it takes.

    :0) You can do it!

    It's texture. For example, if I eat brocolli texture of the tops of them just make me immediately vomit. xD It sucks. I have been trying to rotate though, I did snap peas and carrots and then green beans. I just have to decide what to try next. I didn't think potatoes were very good for you for some reason?
  • astrampe
    astrampe Posts: 2,169 Member
    Of course potatoes are good for you - it's full of potassium and fibre - just don't fry it in oil and eat it in moderation like anything else....
  • astronomicals
    astronomicals Posts: 1,537 Member
    Just to be clear, i'm not restricting my calories, I'm just eating what fills me up. I just want to make sure that's clear. I understand that I need to eat more. I've made progress, when I first switched to not eating out, I was only getting about 1k a day, I've worked up to 1500-1800. I guess I gotta push myself to get used to eating a little bit more.

    Whats the point of tracking calories if you're not going to hit your targets?

    I know I was blunt with you, but, I wanted it to stick out since nobody else said it. Dont beat yourself up about it. You havent ruined the cake yet. Eating more should be great news.

    Let me make this abundantly clear though. The most important thing right now is that you eat at a proper deficit. All these peopel talking about vegetables and fruits and stuff dont know an *kitten* from a ****. Unless its me. Cuz im an *kitten* and I'm a ****.
  • Cakewalk25
    Cakewalk25 Posts: 71 Member
    As a fellow vegetable hater (for some reason I never outgrew this phase from childhood), a great way to get in the required nutrients is to do a green smoothie every morning instead of the protein shake. The sweetness of the fruit covers the bitterness of the greens and it tastes delicious. I do four cups of kale or spinach, 2 cups of unsweetened almond milk, and one cup of frozen fruit (something sweet like strawberries or mangos). That way I'm starting off my day with getting all the requirements for vegetables and fruit and most of my calcium in. You can add a couple of scoops of protein powder to get the required protein boost in. The protein powder shake you have in the morning seems to have a lot of sugar - probably not good for you.
  • zionarbadon
    zionarbadon Posts: 27 Member
    Just to be clear, i'm not restricting my calories, I'm just eating what fills me up. I just want to make sure that's clear. I understand that I need to eat more. I've made progress, when I first switched to not eating out, I was only getting about 1k a day, I've worked up to 1500-1800. I guess I gotta push myself to get used to eating a little bit more.

    Whats the point of tracking calories if you're not going to hit your targets?

    I know I was blunt with you, but, I wanted it to stick out since nobody else said it. Dont beat yourself up about it. You havent ruined the cake yet. Eating more should be great news.

    Let me make this abundantly clear though. The most important thing right now is that you eat at a proper deficit. All these peopel talking about vegetables and fruits and stuff dont know an *kitten* from a ****. Unless its me. Cuz im an *kitten* and I'm a ****.

    Is it okay to 'drink my calories' to make up for what I need until I get used to eating more? I had a smoothie king smoothie last night to bridge the gap but it has like 100g of sugar xD MFP put me at like 75 for the day. . .

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