WHAT SHOULD i EAT??

momof5skis
momof5skis Posts: 11
edited September 24 in Food and Nutrition
Does anybody else feel like every food you eat comes with conflicting advice? Eat more protein! watch the fat! Too many carbs are bad news! Protein bars are good! Protein bars are bad! Eat more complex carbs!
What do you do? Do you try to eat a certain percentage of protein-fat-carbs? If so, whose advice do you follow? Some say less than 50 grams carbs, some say less than 150. Any advice is appreciated!:grumble:

Replies

  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Depends on your goals. If you are just looking for good health, maybe shed a few pounds a balanced diet is the best. A balanced diet consists of carbs between 45 and 60% of total calories, protein ranging from 10-30%, fat ranging from 15-30%. If you do resistance training the protein should be in the 20-30% range. Hope this helps

    Anything outside of these ranges is no longer a "balanced" diet but rather, low carb, low fat, or high protein.
  • lessertess
    lessertess Posts: 855 Member
    There is a ton of conflicting advise out there and, in my experience, many of the people who support some kind of special eating plan like low carb or high protien tend to be, well.....zealots. They are not only right they are right at the top of their lungs and the rest of us are doomed to failure for not accepting their advise. LOL

    I advocate a common sense, everything in moderation approach. Unless you're an athlete with special training needs or have specific health issues go with what erickirb said. Focus primarily on whole foods and keep fast/junk food to a minimum. I do fall back on some processed/frozen meals if they are convenient and I don't beat myself up over it. Everything is a choice or a trade-off. You can pretty much eat anything you want, you just need to practice portion control follow sound nutritional practices. None of this is new. Eat a diet that consists mostly of fresh fruit and veggies, lean meats and eggs, dairy, legumes and whole grains.

    Pizza is still ok, just not every day. Hamburgers are ok, just not every day. Birthday cake is ok.......well,you get the idea.

    Journal your food so that you keep control of your portions and your calories and you don't need to obsess too much about the details. Honestly, I find that most of this happens automatically without my having to think too much about it.


    Oh...one more thing. Fat does not make you fat, carbs do not make you fat, protien does not make you fat. Eating more calories than you burn is what makes you fat. If you really worked at it you could probably get fat eating broccoli (it would take some work though LOL)
  • tgh1914
    tgh1914 Posts: 1,036 Member
    You've hit on a good point. That's why I bristle every time I hear something being referred to as "healthy". "Healthy" is SO relative to your goals. Ever notice how anything can be labeled as healthy. I can literally eat a bucket of candy and it's all "non-fat". Or I can have really fattening stuff & it's all "no sugar added" or "no preservatives".

    Generally, I think it's a good idea to adjust your cal and pro/carb/fat levels to suit your goals and then make sure you're eating "cleanly" (complex carbs instead of simple, non-processed foods, think perimeter of the grocery store stuff).

    Tell us what you're after and we can help you more.
  • momof5skis
    momof5skis Posts: 11
    Thank you to everyone for the advice! I am trying to drop 30 pounds.I have been working out about 5 days a week and tracking my calories here. The pounds just aren't moving! I decided to stay away from the scale for awhile after reading some great articles on this site. I just joined the local YMCA so I am hoping they can help me adjust my work-out some to get more results. Andmy pants are fitting better, so progress is being made....
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