nutrition help

ewodonnell
ewodonnell Posts: 8
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok so to say the least I need help. I am currently at 32% body fat and trying to drop to 25% by January this is the current diet I've been following and please keep in mind I have a night shift job so my hours are a little different than most.

11am- I get up eat a 10 egg white omlet and wash it down with a smoothie which consist of 2 bananas some mixed veggies, because I can't eat them any other way, and a strawberry or two for added flavor.

12 pm- I run/jog around my local park for about 3 1/2 hours. I do take breaks to walk as I can't run the entire time.

3pm- I eat some tuna fish on whole wheat bread. With water

4pm- I go to work which is a particularly physical job.

9pm- I will eat a grilled chicken sandwich or a small piece of steak to keep my protein levels up

2:30am- I get off work go home and lift weights for about an hour or two and then pass out.

This diet is killing me but I am seeing results I'm not sure if I'm getting enough calories or enough protein and what I could add to this diet to be more balanced and maybe see better results any help you guys can give would be greatly appreciated

Replies

  • supermodelchic
    supermodelchic Posts: 550 Member
    Unless you open and log all your food daily , there is no way to give you proper advice, :flowerforyou: you should start logging for a few weeks and post message again...
  • ewodonnell
    ewodonnell Posts: 8
    I have been logging my food and work out Dailey. In order to drop 7% body fat what should I be limiting my carbs to? I'm trying my best to keep them down but a lot of things have carbs in them including bananas and whole wheat bread I eat no more than 3 piece of whole wheat bread a day and I've been eating 2 bananas but 1 banana alone has 23-27g of carbs in it and with what I'm eating I'm having a hard time keep my calories above 1000 a day any type of guidance of where I should be would be very helpful. My sugar is below 50g a day total fat below 10g a day. Potassium is around 2000MG sodium is below 1000mg fiber around 10-20 a day and protein is between 50-100g a day. My saturated fat polyunsaturated and monounsaturated is at 0. I usually hit well over 100% on my vitamin a and c and my calcium and iron is usually around 30%. I run 3 hours a day burning around 2500 calories and lift at night burning around 450 calories then Im at work for 10 hours and the walking I do at work alone according to my s health app is estimating me burning about 860 calories a day but I'm only taking in about 800 calories a day
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    As the lady said, open your diary. http://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/portal/articles/201687-how-do-i-make-my-diary-visible-to-other-users-

    If you're seeking to restrict carbohydrate intake then forget bananas or grapes, if you want fruit have low carb berries like raspberries.

    Your calorie burns look to be overestimated, try to eat ~100 grams of protein a day and 120 grams of carbs with at least 50 grams of fat for 2 weeks and see what happens.

    Don't eat egg whites, have bacon and egg or something like that.

    Your exercise regime is excessive.
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    As the lady said, open your diary. http://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/portal/articles/201687-how-do-i-make-my-diary-visible-to-other-users-

    If you're seeking to restrict carbohydrate intake then forget bananas or grapes, if you want fruit have low carb berries like raspberries.

    Your calorie burns look to be overestimated, try to eat ~100 grams of protein a day and 120 grams of carbs with at least 50 grams of fat for 2 weeks and see what happens.

    Don't eat egg whites, have bacon and egg or something like that.

    Your exercise regime is excessive.

    Yep ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  • aneary1980
    aneary1980 Posts: 461 Member
    As above but I think you also needs some more sleep!
  • Unknown
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  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    There is no need to restrict carbs to lose fat.

    Although your diary is closed, it sounds like you're not eating enough and exercising too much.

    Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Diary is closed, your ticker shows no loss and you're saying you're exercising 4 hours a day and eating roughly 1000 calories?
  • ewodonnell
    ewodonnell Posts: 8
    Sorry I didn't realize my diary was closed but it is now open. I have spoken to my recruiter and this is the advice he gave me. Keppra my sodium as low as possible as it will cause me to retain water. And no carbs at all after lunch and don't eat anything 4 hours before going to sleep. So that's what I'm aiming for but it seems like everything I see is loaded with sodium. Please check my diary as I have updated my diet a little bit my lunch has stayed the same I am eating low sodium tuna on whole wheat bread which would be my last carbs for the day. In the morning I've been eating 6 egg whites and a banana and strawberry smoothie to keep my potassium up and the extra carbs in the morning is better than late at night. Then for my dinner which would be around 5-6pm I will either have a serving of chicken breast or hamburger. And both are organic and carb free and low in sodium. Now my main problem is that I'm not hitting above 600 calories a day and I really don't want to do more harm than good to my body. I have cut out the weight lifting at night and am sticking to just cardio and sit ups and push ups. Thanks for all the help you have all given me I really appreciate it
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    The first thing that stands out to me is that your fat levels are really low. Is there a medical reason for that? Most people should aim for .3-.4 grams of fat per pound of body weight to help with things like vitamin absorption, cell regrowth, etc. Adding more fat into your diet in the form of nuts, nut butters, avocado, cheese, etc. will help to get your calories up.

    Sodium is a particular problem in packaged foods because it's used as a preservative. Unfortunately, that means the easiest way to keep your sodium down is to start cooking for yourself.
  • ewodonnell
    ewodonnell Posts: 8
    I don't have a problem cooking for myself I'm just having a hard time finding food that isn't completely loaded with sodium. So I need to take in more fat as well?
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    A recruiter is probably not the best resource for nutrition advice - even though he probably means no harm.

    To lose weight you need to eat less than you burn in a day. But you also need to eat enough to fuel your body. Carbs are not bad - they're an energy source. Add some light mayo & relish w/ your tuna sandwich. Have an apple, and some peanuts on the side. Have a starchy side and some veggies w/ dinner. Doesn't mean you need to load a potato with a pound of butter - of course.

    According to your diary your goal before exercise is 3000 calories a day? I'm not sure what activity level/weight loss goal that is based on. But I'd imagine you should be eating at least 2000 a day - and should be able to lose weight there also.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    You started a week ago and the first few days were just fast food (tons of sodium). First, this is not something that is going to happen overnight, and starving yourself and over working out is going to make this non-sustainable for you. All that is necessary, is a caloric deficit and you will lose. Also, it doesn't matter WHEN you eat, as timing is irrelevant.
  • ewodonnell
    ewodonnell Posts: 8
    Ok I really appreciate the help everyone. Should I lay off the bread due to its high amounts of sodium? Or will I be ok eating the whole wheat bread. I drink probably a gallon or more of water a day and I'm afraid if I take in to much sodium I will retain that water and defeat my purpose. I'll add some starchy food and try to get my calories up to at least 1200 and yes the first few days on my work out was fast food. The reason for that was I hadn't started my diet yet I wanted to log my usual intake so I knew where I was at before compared to where I should be now
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    There is no reason to limit your sodium, assuming you're not treating hypertension. Lower sodium will help lower body water levels but eat low sodium a few days before your January weigh-in, end of story. Sodium isn't otherwise affecting your weight.
  • leftinthekitchen
    leftinthekitchen Posts: 98
    Holy cow, i would be starving if I ate what you ate. Do not fear carbs or fat, and protein alone will not solve all of your problems. I say diversify your diet. Eat whole eggs they are delicious. Add veggies and beans in there as well.
  • maineapple
    maineapple Posts: 133 Member
    One thing I notice right away is that I don't think you are getting sufficient sleep for the amount of exercising that you are doing. You should be aiming for 7-8 hours per night if possible. I have read several books by experts about sleep and they say that 5 1/2 or 6 hours per night is not enough sleep. Your body needs more than that to recover.

    Also, running for 3 1/2 hours and also lifting weights for 1-2 hours in the same 24 hour period is too much exercise, in my opinion. I am concerned that you might injure yourself. You would be better off to alternate with the weight work one day, and the running the opposite days. Just a few thoughts. Good luck.

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