More Calories (but not sugar or carbs)
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katiejanecollins wrote: »katiejanecollins wrote: »Thanks to a few of my MFP friends I was made aware that I was consuming way too many carbs and sugar, I've turned my diet around from today and already it's proving to be successful as carbs and sugar are where they should be (plus I feel good!). The only thing is, my calories are WAY under. I've not put in dinner yet, but it'll still leave me with around 300-400 spare. Any suggestions of snacks/lunch options to add to what I'm having that won't affect my carb/sugar intake too much?
These people are not your friends
Unless you want to be low carb
Otherwise it won't affect your diet as long as you stick to calorie defecit and keep an eye on adequate protein
so do what you want in terms of food intake
My daily carb intake was over 60%, with sugar coming in at 70/80g per day. Pretty sure they're right in saying that's a little too much?
My daily carb intake is 50-60% (250-300g generally)
My protein is around 100g based on 0.8g of Protein per lb of LBM
I have no medical conditions that mean I have to watch either carb or sugar intake and have a generally nutritious diet with lots of vegetables and lean proteins
I lost 50lb in 9 months and am currently trying to maintain
I'm pretty sure they are wrong ... as a hard and fast rule
Unless you want to cut carbs and sugars for any other reason - in which case do it
But needing to .. nah!
There's absolutely no need to be afraid of eating carbs, none whatsoever. However, the OPs high sugar intake was coming from refined sugars added to foods offering no nutritional value whatsoever. These empty calories were subsequently using up her daily calorie allowance and creating a deficiency in other areas like protein (some days coming in at 28g of protein a day) and unable to consume more because calories had been used up eating refined sugar.
So whether you see sugar as a demon or not, if it's taking up a disproportionally high percentage of your daily calorie intake and preventing you from eating enough protein, then it's a good idea to cut back.
I would never suggest cutting back on carbs from a nutritional point of view provided that they are nutritious, unprocessed whole food sources. But, I'm sorry, to suggest to someone that they are ok to fill their calorie quota with refined sugars when it's at the expense of other nutrients is highly irresponsible. (And to use the argument that you lost weight while eating high amounts sugar therefore it can't be bad for you is missing the point entirely).
sugar = sugar so source does not matter.
Not sure how sugar would be an "empty" calorie as it provides energy ….
If OP, or anyone, is hitting their macro/micro/calorie targets for the day then it does not matter where the remaining calories come from. You don't get extra credit for going over on nutrient allowances.
What he said ^^^
Although if she's not hitting her macro (Protein and Fat) and micro targets I can absolutely accept that there's a point in working on that .. but to say cut out carbs and sugar when she's low on energy .. meh!
But that's the point! They weren't hitting their Macro targets, protein in particular, because they were using up calories on ketchup, honey, biscuits, syrups added to coffee and other refined added sugars. So advising that they replace ketchup or the syrup in their coffee with a healthy protein source to raise their protein intake above 28g in a day sounds like good advice to me.
And as for the idea that sugar provides energy therefore any source in any quantity is good for you ?!?! I might as well give up a career in sports science with elite athletes and just leave a note at the training ground instructing staff to get our players to consume unlimited quantities of cola to turn them into supermen with unlimited energy.
who is this "they" you are referring to?
OP is probably averaging about 60-80 grams of protein a day over the past two weeks. Yes, she has some low days but they are balanced out by higher days….
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Okay, so, you want to maintain weight. You need to eat in your calorie range. You want it to be less carbs/sugar. Easy, increase protein and healthy fat. Also, don't be afraid of carbs and sugars in the form of fruits & veggies. Olive oil, nuts, eggs.
I'm also in the camp of "if you don't have any health issues then you don't have to worry about sugar". But if you think this is a problem for you then see my first paragraph above.0 -
katiejanecollins wrote: »katiejanecollins wrote: »Thanks to a few of my MFP friends I was made aware that I was consuming way too many carbs and sugar, I've turned my diet around from today and already it's proving to be successful as carbs and sugar are where they should be (plus I feel good!). The only thing is, my calories are WAY under. I've not put in dinner yet, but it'll still leave me with around 300-400 spare. Any suggestions of snacks/lunch options to add to what I'm having that won't affect my carb/sugar intake too much?
These people are not your friends
Unless you want to be low carb
Otherwise it won't affect your diet as long as you stick to calorie defecit and keep an eye on adequate protein
so do what you want in terms of food intake
My daily carb intake was over 60%, with sugar coming in at 70/80g per day. Pretty sure they're right in saying that's a little too much?
My daily carb intake is 50-60% (250-300g generally)
My protein is around 100g based on 0.8g of Protein per lb of LBM
I have no medical conditions that mean I have to watch either carb or sugar intake and have a generally nutritious diet with lots of vegetables and lean proteins
I lost 50lb in 9 months and am currently trying to maintain
I'm pretty sure they are wrong ... as a hard and fast rule
Unless you want to cut carbs and sugars for any other reason - in which case do it
But needing to .. nah!
There's absolutely no need to be afraid of eating carbs, none whatsoever. However, the OPs high sugar intake was coming from refined sugars added to foods offering no nutritional value whatsoever. These empty calories were subsequently using up her daily calorie allowance and creating a deficiency in other areas like protein (some days coming in at 28g of protein a day) and unable to consume more because calories had been used up eating refined sugar.
So whether you see sugar as a demon or not, if it's taking up a disproportionally high percentage of your daily calorie intake and preventing you from eating enough protein, then it's a good idea to cut back.
I would never suggest cutting back on carbs from a nutritional point of view provided that they are nutritious, unprocessed whole food sources. But, I'm sorry, to suggest to someone that they are ok to fill their calorie quota with refined sugars when it's at the expense of other nutrients is highly irresponsible. (And to use the argument that you lost weight while eating high amounts sugar therefore it can't be bad for you is missing the point entirely).
sugar = sugar so source does not matter.
Not sure how sugar would be an "empty" calorie as it provides energy ….
If OP, or anyone, is hitting their macro/micro/calorie targets for the day then it does not matter where the remaining calories come from. You don't get extra credit for going over on nutrient allowances.
What he said ^^^
Although if she's not hitting her macro (Protein and Fat) and micro targets I can absolutely accept that there's a point in working on that .. but to say cut out carbs and sugar when she's low on energy .. meh!
But that's the point! They weren't hitting their Macro targets, protein in particular, because they were using up calories on ketchup, honey, biscuits, syrups added to coffee and other refined added sugars. So advising that they replace ketchup or the syrup in their coffee with a healthy protein source to raise their protein intake above 28g in a day sounds like good advice to me.
And as for the idea that sugar provides energy therefore any source in any quantity is good for you ?!?! I might as well give up a career in sports science with elite athletes and just leave a note at the training ground instructing staff to get our players to consume unlimited quantities of cola to turn them into supermen with unlimited energy.
So - prioritise your Macro targets
but making sugar / refined sugars the devil is asinine
Nice Straw Man Argument there .. who's saying that Mr Sports Scientist who works with elite athletes (as opposed to Mr Qualified Dietician who works in a medical setting with those with medical conditions)0 -
This.Okay, so, you want to maintain weight. You need to eat in your calorie range. You want it to be less carbs/sugar. Easy, increase protein and healthy fat. Also, don't be afraid of carbs and sugars in the form of fruits & veggies. Olive oil, nuts, eggs.
I'm also in the camp of "if you don't have any health issues then you don't have to worry about sugar". But if you think this is a problem for you then see my first paragraph above.
A good list of protein sources:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/926789-protein-sources
And in general, you don't eat much meat, so that would be an easy way to up your protein. I usually put 100-150g of chicken on a salad that I'll eat for dinner. I bring my lunches to work, and I make the focus of my dishes lean meat (usually chicken because it's cheaper and pretty lean). I batch cook on the weekends or make a ton of stuff in the crockpot and then freeze individual portions.
And replace some of your carb heavy snacks. You've made a good start with the almonds, but you could also do some full fat cheese or yogurt.
Feel free to check out my diary, although I don't regulate my carbs (usually under 200g though). And my calorie goal is higher than yours, but you can kind of get an idea of the types of things I eat for more protein and fat (peanut butter is always the answer for more fat).0 -
tigersword wrote: »katiejanecollins wrote: »tigersword wrote: »
Total myth. No limit on eggs.katiejanecollins wrote: »kalamitykate83 wrote: »Boiled eggs are a good one as they'll up your protein and fat but not carbs
Good idea - but I read that more than 3 eggs a week is bad for you, hoping this is a myth?
No limit on any foods, really, carbs included. As long as you have adequate fat and protein intake, and stick to an appropriate calorie goal, you can basically eat anything you enjoy. People try to force too many unnecessary limitations on themselves.
Phew - I'll try an egg from time to time.
Although it's not the case, I do feel like I'm dieting with what I'm eating from today onwards. It's just 'healthy', but feels quite restricted. I've got myself in the mind set of being obsessed with every little thing I eat which I don't want, as I don't actually want to lose weight anymore. I do want to lose a bit of fat and tone up though. It's tricky!
I lost 60 pounds while eating entire pints of ice cream at a time. Set your protein and fat goals, fill the rest of your calorie goal with carbs, then choose the foods you enjoy that fit into your goal. There's no need to arbitrarily restrict anything out of your diet, unless you have a specific medical condition that requires it (food allergy, chronic disease, etc.)
In for this
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katiejanecollins wrote: »tigersword wrote: »katiejanecollins wrote: »tigersword wrote: »
Total myth. No limit on eggs.katiejanecollins wrote: »kalamitykate83 wrote: »Boiled eggs are a good one as they'll up your protein and fat but not carbs
Good idea - but I read that more than 3 eggs a week is bad for you, hoping this is a myth?
No limit on any foods, really, carbs included. As long as you have adequate fat and protein intake, and stick to an appropriate calorie goal, you can basically eat anything you enjoy. People try to force too many unnecessary limitations on themselves.
Phew - I'll try an egg from time to time.
Although it's not the case, I do feel like I'm dieting with what I'm eating from today onwards. It's just 'healthy', but feels quite restricted. I've got myself in the mind set of being obsessed with every little thing I eat which I don't want, as I don't actually want to lose weight anymore. I do want to lose a bit of fat and tone up though. It's tricky!
I lost 60 pounds while eating entire pints of ice cream at a time. Set your protein and fat goals, fill the rest of your calorie goal with carbs, then choose the foods you enjoy that fit into your goal. There's no need to arbitrarily restrict anything out of your diet, unless you have a specific medical condition that requires it (food allergy, chronic disease, etc.)
My daily intake was around 60% carbs which was way too many, trying to cut back but still struggling with not eating around 50% carbs. 40% would be ideal, from what I've read. What would you suggest are good fat and protein goals? Currently mine are set to 30% fat and 35% protein.
My highest carb intake day (that wasn't at/above maintenance calories) happened to be 57% of my calories. My carb goal is 50% of my calories.
There is no such thing as too high of a macro % because % are arbitrary, and because macros do not determine weight loss. Eat a balanced, varied diet, which will include things you love to eat even if htey aren't "healthy," and you will lose weight so long as you are in a calorie deficit.0 -
I think I'm in a calorie deficit, how do I know!?0
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katiejanecollins wrote: »
Well my experience with eating says that eating high carb while meeting protein and fat needs (which should be set to your weight and custom goals) feels good and benefits weight management goals.... so should you now disregard everything else they said and only listen to me?
More like it'd be worth looking over at least the last 90 days. If your sugar and carb intake has beent he SAME that entire time, it's unlikely been the cause of your issues as of late. E.g issues could be going to bed too late, getting too much sleep, different medication (OTC or rx), not eating enough fat, not eating enough calories, being ill, etc.0 -
katiejanecollins wrote: »I think I'm in a calorie deficit, how do I know!?
Easiest way is to track your calories accurately for 4-6 weeks and see if you lose weight or are the same weight (or if you weigh more). Calculators estimate your calorie needs, so it boils down to what your body does at a particular calorie level. If you've set MFP to maintain, you are likely not in a deficit (although some people find the maintenance setting too low, so you might be in a slight deficit). If you've set it to lose, then you are likely in a deficit.0 -
Woah, so you let friends review your diary and they told you, you were eating too many carbs and sugars??? Is this how you plan on eating for the rest of your life? Seriously, I'd rethink these friends.0
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katiejanecollins wrote: »I think I'm in a calorie deficit, how do I know!?
Easiest way is to track your calories accurately for 4-6 weeks and see if you lose weight or are the same weight (or if you weigh more). Calculators estimate your calorie needs, so it boils down to what your body does at a particular calorie level. If you've set MFP to maintain, you are likely not in a deficit (although some people find the maintenance setting too low, so you might be in a slight deficit). If you've set it to lose, then you are likely in a deficit.
I've set it to maintenance (1800 cals a day) but I haven't met that yet, more like 1600.0 -
katiejanecollins wrote: »katiejanecollins wrote: »Thanks to a few of my MFP friends I was made aware that I was consuming way too many carbs and sugar, I've turned my diet around from today and already it's proving to be successful as carbs and sugar are where they should be (plus I feel good!). The only thing is, my calories are WAY under. I've not put in dinner yet, but it'll still leave me with around 300-400 spare. Any suggestions of snacks/lunch options to add to what I'm having that won't affect my carb/sugar intake too much?
These people are not your friends
Unless you want to be low carb
Otherwise it won't affect your diet as long as you stick to calorie defecit and keep an eye on adequate protein
so do what you want in terms of food intake
My daily carb intake was over 60%, with sugar coming in at 70/80g per day. Pretty sure they're right in saying that's a little too much?
My daily carb intake is 50-60% (250-300g generally)
My protein is around 100g based on 0.8g of Protein per lb of LBM
I have no medical conditions that mean I have to watch either carb or sugar intake and have a generally nutritious diet with lots of vegetables and lean proteins
I lost 50lb in 9 months and am currently trying to maintain
I'm pretty sure they are wrong ... as a hard and fast rule
Unless you want to cut carbs and sugars for any other reason - in which case do it
But needing to .. nah!
There's absolutely no need to be afraid of eating carbs, none whatsoever. However, the OPs high sugar intake was coming from refined sugars added to foods offering no nutritional value whatsoever. These empty calories were subsequently using up her daily calorie allowance and creating a deficiency in other areas like protein (some days coming in at 28g of protein a day) and unable to consume more because calories had been used up eating refined sugar.
So whether you see sugar as a demon or not, if it's taking up a disproportionally high percentage of your daily calorie intake and preventing you from eating enough protein, then it's a good idea to cut back.
I would never suggest cutting back on carbs from a nutritional point of view provided that they are nutritious, unprocessed whole food sources. But, I'm sorry, to suggest to someone that they are ok to fill their calorie quota with refined sugars when it's at the expense of other nutrients is highly irresponsible. (And to use the argument that you lost weight while eating high amounts sugar therefore it can't be bad for you is missing the point entirely).
Then that means carbohydrates overall were out of balance, not refined sugar. Sugar is pretty much just carbs.
Looking at her diary, she is always under on calories. Both under her NET goal and under her GROSS goal. Her net goal is 1800, meaning this is what she should be eating EVERY DAY when she doesn't work out. On Monday she had 1522 calories, which is 278 calories below her NET needs. She then burned extra through exercise, being short an extra 200-some calories.
Her fat is also generally low. She has a day where she only logged 800-some calories - did she only eat that much?
Going back to that same day... her apple and banana each had more sugar in them than her popcorn. So....
OP is also not logging accurately (measuring solids instead of weighing, although weighing isn't required but will be more accurate; using generic recipes; using weighted entries for foods she's probably only measuring) so for all we know her carbs and sugars are actually lower than what her log shows. SHe will only know how much sugar and carbs she's truly eating once she cleans up her logging.0 -
katiejanecollins wrote: »katiejanecollins wrote: »I think I'm in a calorie deficit, how do I know!?
Easiest way is to track your calories accurately for 4-6 weeks and see if you lose weight or are the same weight (or if you weigh more). Calculators estimate your calorie needs, so it boils down to what your body does at a particular calorie level. If you've set MFP to maintain, you are likely not in a deficit (although some people find the maintenance setting too low, so you might be in a slight deficit). If you've set it to lose, then you are likely in a deficit.
I've set it to maintenance (1800 cals a day) but I haven't met that yet, more like 1600.
My guess is that you are likely still eating at a deficit then (you might possibly see a half pound a week loss depending on how accurate your logging is).0 -
Liftng4Lis wrote: »Woah, so you let friends review your diary and they told you, you were eating too many carbs and sugars??? Is this how you plan on eating for the rest of your life? Seriously, I'd rethink these friends.
to be fair to OP I think she posted on her wall that she was feeling tired/lethargic and her "friends" chimed in that her carb and sugar intake was too high and that is what spawned this post...0 -
katiejanecollins wrote: »I think I'm in a calorie deficit, how do I know!?
If you are losing weight you are in a calorie deficit. And since your log is almost always under your calorie goal... you're probably in a deficit unless I am correct in the assumption that you are eating more than you think due to poor logging (mentioned in post above).0 -
katiejanecollins wrote: »katiejanecollins wrote: »Thanks to a few of my MFP friends I was made aware that I was consuming way too many carbs and sugar, I've turned my diet around from today and already it's proving to be successful as carbs and sugar are where they should be (plus I feel good!). The only thing is, my calories are WAY under. I've not put in dinner yet, but it'll still leave me with around 300-400 spare. Any suggestions of snacks/lunch options to add to what I'm having that won't affect my carb/sugar intake too much?
These people are not your friends
Unless you want to be low carb
Otherwise it won't affect your diet as long as you stick to calorie defecit and keep an eye on adequate protein
so do what you want in terms of food intake
My daily carb intake was over 60%, with sugar coming in at 70/80g per day. Pretty sure they're right in saying that's a little too much?
My daily carb intake is 50-60% (250-300g generally)
My protein is around 100g based on 0.8g of Protein per lb of LBM
I have no medical conditions that mean I have to watch either carb or sugar intake and have a generally nutritious diet with lots of vegetables and lean proteins
I lost 50lb in 9 months and am currently trying to maintain
I'm pretty sure they are wrong ... as a hard and fast rule
Unless you want to cut carbs and sugars for any other reason - in which case do it
But needing to .. nah!
There's absolutely no need to be afraid of eating carbs, none whatsoever. However, the OPs high sugar intake was coming from refined sugars added to foods offering no nutritional value whatsoever. These empty calories were subsequently using up her daily calorie allowance and creating a deficiency in other areas like protein (some days coming in at 28g of protein a day) and unable to consume more because calories had been used up eating refined sugar.
So whether you see sugar as a demon or not, if it's taking up a disproportionally high percentage of your daily calorie intake and preventing you from eating enough protein, then it's a good idea to cut back.
I would never suggest cutting back on carbs from a nutritional point of view provided that they are nutritious, unprocessed whole food sources. But, I'm sorry, to suggest to someone that they are ok to fill their calorie quota with refined sugars when it's at the expense of other nutrients is highly irresponsible. (And to use the argument that you lost weight while eating high amounts sugar therefore it can't be bad for you is missing the point entirely).
Then that means carbohydrates overall were out of balance, not refined sugar. Sugar is pretty much just carbs.
Looking at her diary, she is always under on calories. Both under her NET goal and under her GROSS goal. Her net goal is 1800, meaning this is what she should be eating EVERY DAY when she doesn't work out. On Monday she had 1522 calories, which is 278 calories below her NET needs. She then burned extra through exercise, being short an extra 200-some calories.
Her fat is also generally low. She has a day where she only logged 800-some calories - did she only eat that much?
Going back to that same day... her apple and banana each had more sugar in them than her popcorn. So....
OP is also not logging accurately (measuring solids instead of weighing, although weighing isn't required but will be more accurate; using generic recipes; using weighted entries for foods she's probably only measuring) so for all we know her carbs and sugars are actually lower than what her log shows. SHe will only know how much sugar and carbs she's truly eating once she cleans up her logging.
My logging is fine, thanks. I weigh everything. I didn't add my dinner in on one of the days because I had a takeout and physically couldn't weight everything as A. it would of gone cold and B. I would of missed actually eating with my family.0 -
Liftng4Lis wrote: »Woah, so you let friends review your diary and they told you, you were eating too many carbs and sugars??? Is this how you plan on eating for the rest of your life? Seriously, I'd rethink these friends.
to be fair to OP I think she posted on her wall that she was feeling tired/lethargic and her "friends" chimed in that her carb and sugar intake was too high and that is what spawned this post...
Gotcha!0 -
Liftng4Lis wrote: »Liftng4Lis wrote: »Woah, so you let friends review your diary and they told you, you were eating too many carbs and sugars??? Is this how you plan on eating for the rest of your life? Seriously, I'd rethink these friends.
to be fair to OP I think she posted on her wall that she was feeling tired/lethargic and her "friends" chimed in that her carb and sugar intake was too high and that is what spawned this post...
Gotcha! 0 -
I think you might be feeling lethargic because you're letting your calories drop too low0
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