Diets & Meal Plans

michellemnguyen
michellemnguyen Posts: 3 Member
edited November 11 in Health and Weight Loss
Hey guys,
I'm new here at MFP and I use "new" lightly because I've always tried to use it before to lose weight but then I fizzle out. I dive head first and then grow tired of it.

But now I'm back with vengeance and feeling a little lost, to be honest. As much as I want to lose weight/inches, I'm more concerned with achieving a healthier lifestyle. All of the diets that I've read so far sound so constricting and boring. If it's too hard to maintain then I know I won't keep it up.

I've been doing a little research and reading past posts, but I was wondering if there's tips to setting macronutrient targets that are easier to hit and still allow me to lose weight. Or do I have to go on a strict diet now and maintain it later?

My weakness is sugar and carbs. Sugar, I can manage pretty well even though I have my chocolate cravings. Carbs, I can't maintain as well. I come from an Asian family and my meals tend to centralize around rice. Besides that, I don't think I eat anything else that's considered too unhealthy. I eat everything in moderation, but I love food. I would like something where I could go out to eat freely and not worry about side effects.

Thanks in advance!

Replies

  • SandyBVTN
    SandyBVTN Posts: 367 Member
    I think moderation and loving food is a great way to start! Have you set a calorie goal yet? For me the best way to sustain my motivation and keep going is to set realistic calorie goals and not to focus too much on macronutrients, but generally target towards what MFP set for me. Otherwise I just eat what I enjoy and add a nice big green salad every day, for nutrients and for a lower calorie filling meal.

    My biggest advice would be to purchase a digital food scale and use it. Family food made by others can be tricky to track, so do your best to find out what is in everything and how it's prepared. Rice can be a little high in calories, so I always make sure I weigh mine out. I can so easily go overboard there.
  • michellemnguyen
    michellemnguyen Posts: 3 Member
    I have. Like I said, I read some of the posts on this board and decided to use values from outside of MFP. They initially set 1,200 calories for me but even eating more clean to meet the values, I found myself hungry in between meals and I don't want to put myself in starvation mode.

    The digital food scale is a great idea. I tend to eyeball everything and I feel like I'm either under or over. Thanks for the tips though.
  • markjacobs1987
    markjacobs1987 Posts: 162 Member
    1200 calories sounds low, especially if you find yourself feeling hungry in between meals. I would try starting at 1600 calories for a starting point and see how that works for you for a couple weeks. As for foods to eat rice can be fine if you keep it in check. I eat brown rice which is 150 calories a serving which isn't bad and remember you want to have some carbs in your diet for fuel for your body. Definitely get a digital scale. That will help you portion things out and let you know how much you are putting into your body exactly to calculate your calories. As for sugar just try to be careful and monitor that. It's ok to have a treat once in a while though. Keep 85% of what you eat healthy and you'll be on the right track.
  • michellemnguyen
    michellemnguyen Posts: 3 Member
    Oh yes, I forgot to mention. I did increase it to 1500 and that's when I noticed that you could set the macronutrient targets. That's when I was swamped with the different diet plans like Ketogenic, Atkins, Zone, etc. I wanted to know how everyone chose theirs.
  • HBRN2015
    HBRN2015 Posts: 10 Member
    I did tons of research and actually went with intermittent fasting. I fast for 18 hours and eat for 6. All my calories are consumed in those 6 hours. I eat very healthy, nutrient rich foods and never feel deprived. I am honestly not hungry until later in the day so it works for me. As for the rice... maybe just substitute brown rice for the regular white rice? You really have to decide what works for you, your body, your mind, and your lifestyle.
  • JossFit
    JossFit Posts: 588 Member
    I customize my clients diets based on what they actually NEED, not what MFP tells them that they need. This site should be used as a counting tool only because the algorhythm they use is horrid. I'm guessing it also tells you to eat 1200 calories per day...
This discussion has been closed.

Categories