Off-of-the-Wall Questions

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krlynch157
krlynch157 Posts: 12
in Health and Weight Loss
I have just a few questions that I am curious about! Hopefully, there are some MFP people that know the answers or have an entertaining opinion:smile:

1: Should you work out before or after eating dinner?

2: What are some low weight-bearing exercises for someone who has undergone surgery on their leg recently? Or has a current injury postponing their workout plans?

3: What are foods to ABSOLUTELY stay away from? Besides the obvious fast food and white starches?

4: Is there a maximum and/or minimum calorie intake for someone of a specific size (say me for example: 5'2" CW 170lbs GW 130lbs 20 y/o female)

5: How can you stay full during the entire day without feeling like you could eat anything in front of you?

I think that is it for now:laugh: lol

Replies

  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,598 Member
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    I don't know all the answers, but as for the workout timing, eat a light snack that won't sit heavy, just for a little energy, then work out, then eat dinner. If you eat a whole dinner and then work out you will feel like there is gravel in your tummy. X(

    Keep raw vegetables and apples on hand to eat when you are hungry between meals.
  • BombshellPhoenix
    BombshellPhoenix Posts: 1,693 Member
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    1. Whatever works better for you.

    2. No idea :( sorry

    3. No bad foods, only bad diets. Eat everything in moderation being mindful of nutrient density.

    4. Depends. You'll have to play with numbers. I'm 5'3.5 " 120 lbs and have been maintaining at 2350.

    5. Nutrient dense foods keep me fuller longer. High protein, fats, and fiber as a a priority. Fill in the rest of my calorie goal with carbs.
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
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    1: Doesn't matter whatever works for you

    2: You should speak to a specialist about injury specific exercises, not strangers on the internet who are not familiar with your specific case.

    3: None, you can have fast food and or white starches. Everything is okay if you track it and still hit your goals. (transfat might be the only thing that's even unsafe in moderation but it's rapidly being removed from products left and right)

    4: Totally depends on your activity level so no, no maxes or minimums

    5: Eat foods that have a high level of satiation relative to their caloric content. Vegetables are a good example. A lb of broccoli is around 150 calories, so is 1 and a half tablespoons of peanut butter. Which do you think is more filling?
  • michikade
    michikade Posts: 313 Member
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    I'll answer one of them :)
    3: What are foods to ABSOLUTELY stay away from? Besides the obvious fast food and white starches?

    There are no foods that are absolutely off the list. There are foods that are less nutritious, to be sure, but if you have a "healthy human diet" of lean meats, a variety of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, dairy and whole grains, and if you are fulfilling your nutritional requirements, having things that are a little less nutrient-rich every so often is perfectly okay.

    Many people use an 80/20 approach - where 80% of their calories come from nutrient rich sources and 20% of their calories come from everything else.

    Now, to lose weight, all you need is a calorie deficit - taking in fewer calories than you use. You can do this regardless of the food you eat - if you eat 1500 calories worth of twinkles and burn 2000 calories via BMR + moving back and forth to the fridge, you'll still lose around a pound a week ---- BUT you won't be healthy, you'll lose muscle mass, and you won't have much energy outside of the carb spikes. To fuel yourself properly, you need more of a balanced diet approach.
  • beertrollruss
    beertrollruss Posts: 276 Member
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    1. I work out about 1 1/2 to 2 hours after dinner.
    2. Swimming would be the least weight bearing if you have access to a pool. If not, you can still lose weight or maintain weight by eating at a deficit.
    3. Pet food. Otherwise, everything in moderation. Denial makes it harder to stay on the wagon.
    4. I set MFP to 1/2 a pound per week weight loss. It's slow but it should make it easier to transition to maintenance. Currently I'm losing about 2-3 pounds a month. I hit a 4 week plateau but I stayed on my plan and got through it.
    5. I eat 5-6 small meals a day. I still get hungry sometimes. I asked a coworker who lost 110 pounds about hunger. She pre logs her meals and ignores the hunger.

    Good luck!
  • SailorKnightWing
    SailorKnightWing Posts: 875 Member
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    1. Whatever works best for you.
    2. Look into Pilates exercises. They were designed for injured soldiers to stay healthy while recovering.
    3. The only foods you should absolutely stay away from are the ones that put you over your limits for the day. I had chicken Mcnuggets and fries for lunch and will still be under my calorie goal for the day.
    4. There are no hard numbers, merely guidelines since we can't realistically know every number with certainty. According to your numbers, scoobysworkshop.com, and the assumption that you should lose 1lb/week (reasonable for someone wanting to lose 40lbs), you should be eating around 1,6331 calories per day. This is a soft number, so hit somewhere in this area.
    5. That depends entirely on you. Some people eat small meals throughout the day. Some people eat three larger meals. Some people eat lots of protein, others lots of fiber, others both. I can go all day on a high carb breakfast, most people can't. You'll have to experiment.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    1: Should you work out before or after eating dinner?

    Yes.

    2: What are some low weight-bearing exercises for someone who has undergone surgery on their leg recently? Or has a current injury postponing their workout plans?

    That is a question for the doctor (and then, maybe, the physical therapist.)

    3: What are foods to ABSOLUTELY stay away from? Besides the obvious fast food and white starches?

    This depends on the person and how healthy they want to be. http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/healthy_eating/index.html

    4: Is there a maximum and/or minimum calorie intake for someone of a specific size (say me for example: 5'2" CW 170lbs GW 130lbs 20 y/o female)

    Also a question for the doctor (and then, maybe nutritionist) and will vary based on the person.

    5: How can you stay full during the entire day without feeling like you could eat anything in front of you?

    Eat tons of low-cal food. Become accustomed to eating less. It gets easier once you get used to it.
  • maizerage66
    maizerage66 Posts: 367 Member
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    1. Whatever works better for you. Some people feel sick or lightheaded if they eat before working out. There is no timing window for this. Just do what fits your schedule best.

    2. I'm assuming you mean low weight exercises for the legs? Regardless, you could always just do body weight squats and calf rases. Whatever you can do that won't give you too much pain if any at all.

    3. None. It's not WHAT you eat, it's HOW MUCH. Stay within your calorie allowance and you could eat whatever you want and still lose weight. Your overall health is a different question though, so if you eat whole micronutrient dense foods with your favorite snacks/desserts in moderation you'll lose weight and still be healthy.

    4. Maximum depends on your TDEE which will depend on your activity level. Minimum should be 1200. Anybody who eats below that is hurting their health.

    5. Drinking water and keeping yourself hydrated keeps hunger pains and that "fake hunger" feeling away, and foods high in protein and fiber will keep you fuller longer. Protein and fiber take longer to digest so your stomach will still feel full while taking a while to digest it. My favorite and most filling meal is boneless skinless chicken breast with brown rice and steamed broccoli or green beans. I might throw a side salad in there depending on the day. But most of all, make sure you DRINK YOUR WATER.

    Hope I helped and good luck reaching your goals!! :drinker:

    You can add me as a friend if you'd like, I love helping others and people seem to be liking my diary :happy:
  • michikade
    michikade Posts: 313 Member
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    Ok, one more:
    5: How can you stay full during the entire day without feeling like you could eat anything in front of you?

    Generally speaking, foods higher in protein and fats tend to help with satiation. Protein takes longer to digest, whereas carbohydrates start the digestion process very early on - in the mouth, in fact (fat digestion also begins in the mouth but the digestion of fats is a far more complex process that requires more work for the body than carbohydrates). Dietary fiber is non-digestable, so foods high in fiber can help you feel fuller longer as well because there's bulk in place that isn't actually being absorbed anyplace.

    If your meals consist of a protein source along with your vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy, etc etc etc, chances are you'll feel less ravenous throughout the day.

    If you're just miserably hungry, though, your caloric intake goal may need to be reevaluated. You can be at a deficit without feeling miserable.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    I'd say it's all been covered.
  • krlynch157
    krlynch157 Posts: 12
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    Thank you to everyone for your advice!!! Just trying to get back on track since I had a leg surgery and I am a very impatient person, so the whole "taking it day by day" isn't really my thing! lol:laugh:

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