How should I eat?

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Replies

  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
    If you don't eat every 90min you will lose all your gainz, unless you're cutting in which case you will gain uncontrollably because of metabolic damage!

    dafuq?

    I'm assuming troll because of user name....
    ok
    Other than a rather immature (and bizarre) username I am not seeing trolling. Just youth. But that's me.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10026386/slimquick-pills
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10026377/free-exercise-videos

    Yup. I saw those.

    I guess we're not using the word troll the same way. Because I'm not seeing trolling. Maybe someone lying about their age...

    His first response in the first thread?
    I had a student last semester who passed out in my class (university). Turns out she was eating only saltines and fruit. Trying to lose weight for her wedding and someone told her this was a "get skinny quick" solution. The OPs posts all smack of young and naive and trying to get skinny quick. Not trying to cause disruption and discord.

    LOL. Did someone get up and yell, "You got knocked the f--- out!" Then stole her necklace, and bike?
  • You should eat either four small meals a day, or 3 meals with 2 snacks. You should try to eat more whole foods and less packaged foods. You should include protein and if possible some healthy fats into every meal. And you should log everything you eat and try to keep your sugar intake lower to reduce cravings.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
    why 4 or 5 times?
  • UltimateTrashBae
    UltimateTrashBae Posts: 176 Member
    edited November 2014
    dbmata wrote: »
    What's your daily caloric need? Dietary wants/desires/restrictions
    Daily energy output?
    Additional outputs
    Social issues/topics
    Goals (reasonable and well articulated)

    Myfitnesspal says 1640 calorie limit.
    I've pretty much been eating what I normally do but in small quantities. Like for breakfast, I'll have a packet of oatmeal, a yogurt, and a banana. For lunch, I'll have a sandwich and some carrot sticks, and for dinner, I'll eat a little of whatever my fiance wants for dinner. Sometimes I accidentally skip meals, I'm a college student and a mom, I'm not always on top of eating on schedule. I drink Diet Coke more often than water but I'm trying to kick the habit.
    I don't have a daily energy output? I don't think? I try to find as many reasons as possible to climb the stairs in my apartment but other than that I haven't found a workout that fits into my schedule. I'm working to fix that, as previous posters so kindly posted that thread for me.
    I would like to lose at least 30 pounds. I don't have a time limit on that. Just, end goal, 30 pounds lighter would be nice.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    dbmata wrote: »
    What's your daily caloric need? Dietary wants/desires/restrictions
    Daily energy output?
    Additional outputs
    Social issues/topics
    Goals (reasonable and well articulated)

    Myfitnesspal says 1640 calorie limit.
    I've pretty much been eating what I normally do but in small quantities. Like for breakfast, I'll have a packet of oatmeal, a yogurt, and a banana. For lunch, I'll have a sandwich and some carrot sticks, and for dinner, I'll eat a little of whatever my fiance wants for dinner. Sometimes I accidentally skip meals, I'm a college student and a mom, I'm not always on top of eating on schedule. I drink Diet Coke more often than water but I'm trying to kick the habit.
    I don't have a daily energy output? I don't think? I try to find as many reasons as possible to climb the stairs in my apartment but other than that I haven't found a workout that fits into my schedule. I'm working to fix that, as previous posters so kindly posted that thread for me.
    I would like to lose at least 30 pounds. I don't have a time limit on that. Just, end goal, 30 pounds lighter would be nice.

    Are you (still) breast feeding?
  • UltimateTrashBae
    UltimateTrashBae Posts: 176 Member
    dbmata wrote: »
    What's your daily caloric need? Dietary wants/desires/restrictions
    Daily energy output?
    Additional outputs
    Social issues/topics
    Goals (reasonable and well articulated)

    Myfitnesspal says 1640 calorie limit.
    I've pretty much been eating what I normally do but in small quantities. Like for breakfast, I'll have a packet of oatmeal, a yogurt, and a banana. For lunch, I'll have a sandwich and some carrot sticks, and for dinner, I'll eat a little of whatever my fiance wants for dinner. Sometimes I accidentally skip meals, I'm a college student and a mom, I'm not always on top of eating on schedule. I drink Diet Coke more often than water but I'm trying to kick the habit.
    I don't have a daily energy output? I don't think? I try to find as many reasons as possible to climb the stairs in my apartment but other than that I haven't found a workout that fits into my schedule. I'm working to fix that, as previous posters so kindly posted that thread for me.
    I would like to lose at least 30 pounds. I don't have a time limit on that. Just, end goal, 30 pounds lighter would be nice.

    Are you (still) breast feeding?

    I wasn't breast feeding.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    dbmata wrote: »
    What's your daily caloric need? Dietary wants/desires/restrictions
    Daily energy output?
    Additional outputs
    Social issues/topics
    Goals (reasonable and well articulated)

    Myfitnesspal says 1640 calorie limit.
    I've pretty much been eating what I normally do but in small quantities. Like for breakfast, I'll have a packet of oatmeal, a yogurt, and a banana. For lunch, I'll have a sandwich and some carrot sticks, and for dinner, I'll eat a little of whatever my fiance wants for dinner. Sometimes I accidentally skip meals, I'm a college student and a mom, I'm not always on top of eating on schedule. I drink Diet Coke more often than water but I'm trying to kick the habit.
    I don't have a daily energy output? I don't think? I try to find as many reasons as possible to climb the stairs in my apartment but other than that I haven't found a workout that fits into my schedule. I'm working to fix that, as previous posters so kindly posted that thread for me.
    I would like to lose at least 30 pounds. I don't have a time limit on that. Just, end goal, 30 pounds lighter would be nice.

    Are you (still) breast feeding?

    I wasn't breast feeding.
    thanks. Always best to check when one's profile says their a new(er) mom.

  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
    dbmata wrote: »
    What's your daily caloric need? Dietary wants/desires/restrictions
    Daily energy output?
    Additional outputs
    Social issues/topics
    Goals (reasonable and well articulated)

    Myfitnesspal says 1640 calorie limit.
    I've pretty much been eating what I normally do but in small quantities. Like for breakfast, I'll have a packet of oatmeal, a yogurt, and a banana. For lunch, I'll have a sandwich and some carrot sticks, and for dinner, I'll eat a little of whatever my fiance wants for dinner. Sometimes I accidentally skip meals, I'm a college student and a mom, I'm not always on top of eating on schedule. I drink Diet Coke more often than water but I'm trying to kick the habit.
    I don't have a daily energy output? I don't think? I try to find as many reasons as possible to climb the stairs in my apartment but other than that I haven't found a workout that fits into my schedule. I'm working to fix that, as previous posters so kindly posted that thread for me.
    I would like to lose at least 30 pounds. I don't have a time limit on that. Just, end goal, 30 pounds lighter would be nice.

    So, we're getting somewhere.

    MFP is ok, but it might make more sense to use a better calculator. There's a TDEE calculator, which is Total Daily Energy Expenditure. Use that, calculate the ballpark figure for what you expend on the daily, and eat a bit under that. With 30 pounds, i'd make it a 3 or 4 quarter goal.

    Now, firstly, are you talking a straight 30 pounds, or would you prefer to preserve as much lean body mass as possible while losing body fat? Because there is a significant difference between those two things.

    Now, food wise. I'd strongly suggest weighing and logging what you eat. What is "a yogurt"? What is "a banana"? When I have a banana, I weigh that puppy, so I know it's 153gr of banana. I know I have 95gr of yogurt. Etc. That way I can be more accurate with my intake rating.

    Skipping meals happens, I do it sometimes. On days like that, I'll hit my workout and then eat dinner like a famine victim who just had a good harvest.

    The big thing for you to determine right now, is what you need to maintain your weight, how much actual weight/body comp you want, and THEN how much you should eat.

    From there the rest is just details like macro mix, and then actual dietary constituents.
  • UltimateTrashBae
    UltimateTrashBae Posts: 176 Member
    dbmata wrote: »
    dbmata wrote: »
    What's your daily caloric need? Dietary wants/desires/restrictions
    Daily energy output?
    Additional outputs
    Social issues/topics
    Goals (reasonable and well articulated)

    Myfitnesspal says 1640 calorie limit.
    I've pretty much been eating what I normally do but in small quantities. Like for breakfast, I'll have a packet of oatmeal, a yogurt, and a banana. For lunch, I'll have a sandwich and some carrot sticks, and for dinner, I'll eat a little of whatever my fiance wants for dinner. Sometimes I accidentally skip meals, I'm a college student and a mom, I'm not always on top of eating on schedule. I drink Diet Coke more often than water but I'm trying to kick the habit.
    I don't have a daily energy output? I don't think? I try to find as many reasons as possible to climb the stairs in my apartment but other than that I haven't found a workout that fits into my schedule. I'm working to fix that, as previous posters so kindly posted that thread for me.
    I would like to lose at least 30 pounds. I don't have a time limit on that. Just, end goal, 30 pounds lighter would be nice.

    So, we're getting somewhere.

    MFP is ok, but it might make more sense to use a better calculator. There's a TDEE calculator, which is Total Daily Energy Expenditure. Use that, calculate the ballpark figure for what you expend on the daily, and eat a bit under that. With 30 pounds, i'd make it a 3 or 4 quarter goal.

    Now, firstly, are you talking a straight 30 pounds, or would you prefer to preserve as much lean body mass as possible while losing body fat? Because there is a significant difference between those two things.

    Now, food wise. I'd strongly suggest weighing and logging what you eat. What is "a yogurt"? What is "a banana"? When I have a banana, I weigh that puppy, so I know it's 153gr of banana. I know I have 95gr of yogurt. Etc. That way I can be more accurate with my intake rating.

    Skipping meals happens, I do it sometimes. On days like that, I'll hit my workout and then eat dinner like a famine victim who just had a good harvest.

    The big thing for you to determine right now, is what you need to maintain your weight, how much actual weight/body comp you want, and THEN how much you should eat.

    From there the rest is just details like macro mix, and then actual dietary constituents.

    TDEE calculator said my BMR is 1479 and my TDEE is 1775 but I don't know what any of that means...
    I'm aiming for lean body mass and losing fat.
    Where can I buy a scale for that? Is it expensive?
    Thank you for your time and advice. I apologize for not knowing how to ask the right questions. I literally feel like I have no idea what I'm doing.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
    I already told you what TDEE means.

    You don't need a scale for that, but you do need data points. I'd suggest if resources are not an issue, a bodpod or DEXA scan, but I like precise and accurate data for analysis. If resources are an issue, see if you can get a trained individual at your college to do a body fat test with calipers. Once you know your body fat % and your weight, you can determine how much actual fat you need to lose. You may find that 30# is actually 18# or 35#. Depends on fat.

    So if your TDEE is 1775, if you were to say, cut 275 off that, and aim for 1500 calories daily, paired with some cardio and weight lifting, you'll lose weight at a moderate rate, while increasing fitness and preserving lean mass, which is bone, muscle, organs.

    Now how do you get those 1500 calories? Up to you, but a good rule of thumb is around 0.6 to 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass, and then the rest of the caloric need split between fat and carb. Stick with whole foods, minimize items that are caloric dense but nutritionally lacking, and you're well on your way.
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,928 Member
    edited November 2014
    To address your question of "how should I eat?":

    I recommend using any of the following: your hands, fork, knife, spoon, chopsticks, etc. to lift food vertically off your plate or bowl. After that, I recommend opening your mouth and moving your hands or utensil towards your face, placing the food inside your mouth on your tongue. Close your lips around the utensil gently (or in the case of large items such as burgers or pizza - bite a piece off with your teeth, avoiding contact with your fingers) and remove the utensil from your mouth, and moving it back toward your plate. Chew your food thoroughly and then swallow. Repeat until food is gone.

    Tips for eating:

    -When eating liquids out of a spoon, avoid slurping or taking big breaths right before putting the spoon in your mouth. The sounds annoy people around you.
    - When chewing, attempt to chew relatively quietly.
    - When chewing, keep your lips closed to prevent spilling, spitting as well as unappealing sights and sounds for people around you.

    After you're done eating, it is recommended to wash your dishes and put any leftovers in an appropriate container and into a fridge.

    (I hope this made you giggle - remember to not stress about food too much - it helps, I promise).
  • UltimateTrashBae
    UltimateTrashBae Posts: 176 Member
    dbmata wrote: »
    I already told you what TDEE means.

    You don't need a scale for that, but you do need data points. I'd suggest if resources are not an issue, a bodpod or DEXA scan, but I like precise and accurate data for analysis. If resources are an issue, see if you can get a trained individual at your college to do a body fat test with calipers. Once you know your body fat % and your weight, you can determine how much actual fat you need to lose. You may find that 30# is actually 18# or 35#. Depends on fat.

    So if your TDEE is 1775, if you were to say, cut 275 off that, and aim for 1500 calories daily, paired with some cardio and weight lifting, you'll lose weight at a moderate rate, while increasing fitness and preserving lean mass, which is bone, muscle, organs.

    Now how do you get those 1500 calories? Up to you, but a good rule of thumb is around 0.6 to 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass, and then the rest of the caloric need split between fat and carb. Stick with whole foods, minimize items that are caloric dense but nutritionally lacking, and you're well on your way.
    I just meant that I didn't know what it means for me. Like what changes I should be making. But you've clarified that. Thanks again!
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    If you want A LOT of guidance as to what to eat:

    https://www.eatthismuch.com

    start with "anything" or "mediterranean" (both good starting points for beginners). And it will tell you. Then move on from there.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
    dbmata wrote: »
    I already told you what TDEE means.

    You don't need a scale for that, but you do need data points. I'd suggest if resources are not an issue, a bodpod or DEXA scan, but I like precise and accurate data for analysis. If resources are an issue, see if you can get a trained individual at your college to do a body fat test with calipers. Once you know your body fat % and your weight, you can determine how much actual fat you need to lose. You may find that 30# is actually 18# or 35#. Depends on fat.

    So if your TDEE is 1775, if you were to say, cut 275 off that, and aim for 1500 calories daily, paired with some cardio and weight lifting, you'll lose weight at a moderate rate, while increasing fitness and preserving lean mass, which is bone, muscle, organs.

    Now how do you get those 1500 calories? Up to you, but a good rule of thumb is around 0.6 to 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass, and then the rest of the caloric need split between fat and carb. Stick with whole foods, minimize items that are caloric dense but nutritionally lacking, and you're well on your way.
    I just meant that I didn't know what it means for me. Like what changes I should be making. But you've clarified that. Thanks again!

    Just keep in mind, it's a process. You won't nail it down day one, it will take time. So invest that time in yourself. :)