I have just started eating healthy and have no idea what to eat.

lworby69 · May 2015

Hello,

I have just finished university so want to shed a bit of weight!

firstly I don't really know how many calories i should be eating, they set me to 1200, but i felt it was to low?

Also i don't know what are good amounts to eat of each section. what is a good ratio for carb, fat and protein for weight loss.

Also some people tell me not to eat any grains or starchy carbs like rice or potatoes, and others tell me i can but in limited amounts, just have no idea really what to eat?

please can anyone help explain?
Thank you

sevenactual · May 2015

Take a look at the info in this link. There is a section on what to eat. The entire document is outstanding.
http://fit101.org/the-step-by-step-guide-to-losing-weight-with-myfitnesspal

neogramps · May 2015

To lose weight you can eat whatever you like, as long as you are in the deficit. People have done studies and lost weight eating just donuts or mcdonalds and it works as long as the deficit is maintained. However, you won't be healthy if you take that approach.

Cut out soda, cut out sweets, avoid processed food as much as possible. It's ok to have treats in moderation, as long as you keep within your goals. When you record and measure your calories, you'll soon learn which foods are not worth it (i.e. they taste good, but they leave you hungry and out of calories for later).

DemoraFairy · May 2015

As @neogramps says, you can lose weight eating whatever you want as long as it's in your calories. I don't agree with cutting out soda and sweets though, or really avoiding anything as much as possible. I do agree with eating things in moderation, but that means you don't have to cut anything out.

You may end up cutting out foods indirectly if you feel they're not worth the calories, but if you're desperate for something and can fit it in, then go ahead and eat it.

neogramps · May 2015

A wild cosplay legend appears

@DemoraFairy

MelissaLsmith93 · May 2015

Hi,

I'm exactly the same. I'm just about finish uni and I want to lose my weight. Finally.

My calorie allowance is 1290 calories a day. This is only my third day, but I'm managing to stay below 1290 calories a day and not feel starving at the end of the day.

I still have pasta but I eat brown pasta, brown rice, spinach pasta etc. Everything in moderation as they say. I'm trying to cut out potatoes, chips and really minimise bread.

DemoraFairy · May 2015

neogramps wrote: »

A wild cosplay legend appears @DemoraFairy

Cosplay legend?? Haha

Bshmerlie · May 2015

I'm going the "just eating healthy foods" route of weight loss. I'm eating 1200 calories but looking at the daily nutritional breakdown on MFP I am still missing out on my recommended goal of certain vitamins and nutrients. And that is with just eating meats, fruits and vegitables. I've cut out all the processed stuff and with only 1200 calories it doesn't leave a whole lot of room for "treats" with no nutritional value. Of course, that is if you care about proper nutrition or if your only goal is pure weight loss. Everyone's goal on MFP is unique. Find you ultimate goal of what your looking for and tweak your food plan for that result. Remember it's a work in progress as you will certainly be tweaking it along the way. Now....I'm off to find a good Multi-Vitamin.

yirara · May 2015

lworby69 wrote: »

Hello,

I have just finished university so want to shed a bit of weight!

firstly I don't really know how many calories i should be eating, they set me to 1200, but i felt it was to low?

Also i don't know what are good amounts to eat of each section. what is a good ratio for carb, fat and protein for weight loss.

Also some people tell me not to eat any grains or starchy carbs like rice or potatoes, and others tell me i can but in limited amounts, just have no idea really what to eat?

please can anyone help explain?
Thank you

Understand that not 'they' put you on 1200 kcal per day but you did that yourself by setting your weight, size, gender, and most likely saying you want to lose 2lbs per week. Set this to a lower loss rate and your calorie allowance is higher. Keep in mind that this should be something that you can keep up for a longer period of time, and that you didn't gain the weight you want to lose now in a month.

SconnieCat · May 2015

OP Welcome! A great resource for your to check out is : http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants#latest

It's a bit long, but it is a great great resource and will answer virtually all of the questions you have.

A few recommendations:

Unless you have a reason not to eat grains or starchy carbs, there is no reason to not eat bread, rice or pasta (for example). Carbs aren't the enemy
Basic principle to weight loss is CICO. Make sure your "calories in" are less than your "calories out" so-to-speak.
You can drink soda if you want to. Soda is fine. I personally recommend switching to a diet version, but if you're going for the full-calorie thing, just log your calories
Invest in a food scale to weigh what you're eating. It's far more accurate than using measuring cups and you will more-than-likely have the "oh! I've been eating way more than this" moment.
Look into "macros". It's the proper amount of protein, fat, carbs, etc. that you should be eating on a daily basis. The link above will have some information on this.
Whatever method of weightloss/eating you decide, make sure it's sustainable and you will be able to eat in that fashion long-term.
It's completely fine to Treat-Yo-Self. Just log whatever it is that you're eating.
Log your cheat days (if you have them).
There is no such thing as a cleanse/detox. I know you didn't ask about it and you might already know it... but I wanted to throw it out there in case you started researching and you came across some information. You've got kidneys...let them do the work.
With regards to weight loss, be patient and be kind to yourself. You'll probably have weeks where you lose more than others. Weight loss isn't linear. You might also have times where you feel your clothes fit looser (yay!) but you step on the scale and don't see the number budge. That's ok.

Those are just a few things I can think of that have helped me or are tips that have helped others. I absolutely recommend the link above though!

cwolfman13 · May 2015

lworby69 wrote: »

Hello,

I have just finished university so want to shed a bit of weight!

firstly I don't really know how many calories i should be eating, they set me to 1200, but i felt it was to low?

Also i don't know what are good amounts to eat of each section. what is a good ratio for carb, fat and protein for weight loss.

Also some people tell me not to eat any grains or starchy carbs like rice or potatoes, and others tell me i can but in limited amounts, just have no idea really what to eat?

please can anyone help explain?
Thank you

firstly, you have to understand that carbs are just the latest and greatest of dietary demons...your friends telling you that potatoes are the debil are *kitten* idiots...a potato is a whole food.

Start there....whole foods...*kitten* that grows and/or occurs in nature. Fruits, veg, potatoes and sweet potatoes...whole grains from brown rice, oats, etc...legumes and lentils...lean sourced protein from poultry, fish, and lean cuts of beef and pork. Eat some eggs and get in some healthy fats with nuts, avocados, dark chocolate, olives and olive oil, avocado and coconut oil, etc.

When you shop, basically shop the perimeter of your grocery store. I personally wouldn't attempt to be 100% process free, but you can definitely make great strides in nutrition by incorporating a lot of whole foods. But have some pizza now and then.

FitForL1fe · May 2015

I have just started eating healthy and have no idea what to eat.

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