Opinions and Constructive Critisism on my Food Diary

I sat next to a dietician at work for a year.. she told me something I never even knew: that fat free and light, etc foods better for your heart, but it doesn't mean you are not going to gain fat in your body. Fat does not turn into fat when you eat it.. if you eat more calroies than you expend then that is what turns into fat. You have to keep in mind that your body has a resting metabolic rate, which is the minimum amount of FUEL(calories) your CAR(body) needs to run without problems! So I agree with all the above as well! Good luck.

Reference - http://www.shapeup.org/atmstd/sud10v3/sud10s7.php

What is "metabolism" and what is "resting metabolic rate"?

Even when you are sitting at rest your body is not resting. Your heart is beating, you are breathing and your body is carrying out other functions that you are unaware of entirely. Your body may be making blood cells, your kidneys may be eliminating wastes and your liver may be clearing toxic substances from your body. Your brain is burning calories as it acts as the master control center coordinating all of these activities. This is work that your body must do to keep you functioning. This work involves making new cells or tissues, breaking down old cells or tissues, or repairing and maintaining existing cells and tissues. All of this work is collectively referred to as your metabolism. It should not be surprising that this work requires energy. You are burning calories even when you sit quietly at rest.

The rate at which your body burns calories when you are comfortably resting is called your "resting metabolic rate" or RMR

There is only one way to know for certain if you have a slow metabolism and that is to measure it. Before you go to the expense of having your RMR measured, you should know that a slow metabolism is quite rare. Shape Up America! has provided you with a "Metabolism Calculator" that you can use to estimate your RMR. We will tell you more about that below.

another thing I would look at (which is not in your food diary) is the sodium count on all those processed/pre-packaged and deli meats - if the sodium is high you need to drink even more water to help flush that extra sodium out.

Hey honey, eat more calories and shop on the OUTSIDE of the grocery aisle. I know you say you eat on the go, but you may have to slow down one day a week and prepare your meals ahead of time so that you don't have to buy boxed or pre packaged processed foods (baaaaad) you can do it!!! I'm with ya!!!

I want to commend you on your start. That's why we are all here. You have taken the hardest step and now have taken another critical step by opening yourself up. HIGH FIVE TO YOU :drinker: !! I can't imagine this has been an easy change and like many of us here probably a very emotional one :ohwell: . GREAT JOB and keep up the positive attitude.

Since I'm still learning myself, I won't comment on your food habits. But I would suggest drinking more water. When I started it was my saving grace to not being hungry. I recommend having the bottled water that way you can alwyas have one in hand or within arms reach. :drinker:

I am going to join the chorus here and say that you should ditch the packaged and processed food as much as possible. Many boxed foods, aside from being expensive, have too much sodium and just a lot of other additives that can impede weight loss in addition to just not being very healthy.

Go a little at a time if you need to, but definitely add vegetables and fruits. I would also suggest whole grains in moderation and, if you are not sensitive to dairy, moderate amounts of non-fat milk products like yogurt. Don't be afraid of moderate amounts of healthy fats, they are also a necessary part of a balanced diet.

Proper hydration is also very important, if you are very overweight I would suggest exceeding the 8 servings per day recommendation by several servings.

Calories and eating are not necessarily the enemy and 1000 calories is not enough for most people to have a sustained, healthy weight loss. You may lose quickly in the short term, but the majority of people find that at very low food consumption the weight loss slows down or even stops and then is quickly gained back (plus more in many cases). You also want a plan you can stick to for the long term that will keep you satisfied and healthy, not starving.

Although you will get a lot of conflicting information, if you are new to healthy eating ask questions and there will always be people here with answers. Just be wary of "ultimate" solutions (people who say NEVER eat fill-in-the blank or ONLY eat fill-in-the-blank) or rapid loss plans. Take a little time to verify information with your own research or ask your primary care physician, if they are someone you trust.

Take care and good luck!

Great advice so far. I have found that within 6 days of making changes i seem to acclimatize my body. Please believe me when i say i feel a world of difference when i cut out processed foods (they just make me crave more carbs and more food) and when i have cleaned up my diet- i feel more satisfied. Good luck in your journey!

some fruit and veggie tips:

Cut them up when you get home from shopping. If they are ready and you are on the go- you will eat them.

Stirfrys. Find a good recipe, weightwatchers.ca or sparkspeople have lots of good recipes and follow it so that it tastes good. Make extra and measure it out into a second and 3rd portion right after you cook it so you don't overeat and you have a few more 'ready' meals for the next few days. I eat triple the amount of veggies if i combine them in a stirfry.

Fruits smoothies are always fun and healthy. I've seem some great recipes on this site.

Cut up strawberies with fat free whip cream. YUM. Or layer your fave yogurt with fruit and make a few at a time. Easy to grab for snack or lunch.

Check out some other diaries on here. Mine is open. I am not the picture perfect healthy eater, but I try really hard to add fruits and veggies to all my meals. It has helped me tremendously in my weight loss to cut down on refined breads and other grains, not cut out, I have to live in the real world, after-all, but to cut down. And to really really up the veggies & fruit. I have found lately, that unless I need a specific item for a recipe I want to try, I can skip the frozen food aisles (except for frozen fish fillets -- and not the processed breaded stuff and some frozen fruits).

If I can do this successfully I know ANYONE can!