I have drawn the line
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Op...it's best to avoid doing any radical changes to your overall diet. Continue eating the type of foods you've always eaten just eat less of them. Start with the calorie goal MFP set for you and start working on portion control. Eat a little slower than you may have done in the past and pay attention to when you're full. Drink lots of water, get an electronic scale and get very precise about weighing everything. This is going to be a journey and you will change things along the way and find things that work for you. Just continue to stick to it and it's OK to slow down but just don' t stop. Just keep going until you reach your goal.0
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Ok, an easy way for me to think about any given meal is to do it this way:
- 6-8 oz of some kind of meat
- 1/2 cup (ish) of some kind of starchy side (potatoes, rice, lentils or beans; bread, if it's breakfast and I'm having eggs)
- 1-2 cups some kind of veg (salad, boiled green thing, or sauteed veg - including some green and some red and yellow things, usually that's red or yellow peppers - that way I get the Vit C and A in there)
- 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of fat (usually butter or olive oil). Sometimes it's a bit more, depending on what I'm having.
That usually gets me around 1700-2200, depending on what I'm having. Steak or burgers = ^ calories. Chicken, fish, shellfish = fewer calories.
Lentils and black beans have a good amount of protein, so if you want that, they're a good pick for sides. I cook just for me. One can of this stuff can last me through a few meals, easy to throw into salads or soups.
Greek yogurt and cottage cheese are also good for proteiny snacks or adds to other meals if you want more (protein).
Nuts and avocados have good fats and are yummy, but calorific, eat but don't go wacky with them. Avocados have a good bit of fiber, good pick for that. Fiber helps keeps you full and keeps your digestive tract in shape (especially soluble fiber).
I don't eat a lot of fruit (have IBS), but raspberries are ok for me, they also don't have a lot of cals and do have a lot of fiber.
Pasta, I have sometimes - bugs my guts and has more calories than other starchy sides.
I shop twice a week, for 3-4 days at a time, that way it's all mostly fresh. (I hate batch cooking)0 -
What I found to help is to take your favorite meal and turn it into a salad.
I turned a meal that was typically 1000 calories for me into a 350 to 400 calorie meal.0 -
So far so good! The one problem am having is restricting how much sodium I eat. Even when I watch what I eat all day I am still way over.0
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haha, yes. I have really high blood pressure for being 22. Mainly from stress caused by school (and poor diet and exercise) --- Does sodium effect blood pressure?
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How high is the sodium? If you eat a lot of canned/packaged foods, it's easy to hit your salt limits. Have your doctors given you a max sodium to try for?
haha, yes. I have really high blood pressure for being 22. Mainly from stress caused by school (and poor diet and exercise) --- Does sodium effect blood pressure?
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Sodium...according to some things that I have read...does not cause high BP. Reducing it will help to level it out.
Actually...today was my first time to see a normal blood pressure in years. What got me there was...losing weight...exercising...keeping my sodium levels below 1500mg...raising my potassium levels. That is what has worked for me. About 2 years ago I had readings of 200+/100+. So I have come a long way without medication.
I will say though...your best route would be to follow a plan that your health care provider recommends.
Another I will say...for me it was difficult getting my sodium level that low...I love...absolutely love...salty things. Food will definitely taste rather bland at first but if you stick to it at some point...it gets better.
About once a week I indulge in something that is higher in sodium...it is good...really good!0 -
Fruits, veggies, whole grain breads, low or no-fat dairy and lean, white meats.
The key to eating healthy, IMO, is learning how to make healthy food that you enjoy as much as the other stuff. It takes some time, but is worth doing,
Good info on sodium here: http://sodiumbreakup.heart.org/sodium-411/ Please note that waiting until you've been diagnosed with a cardiovascular issue before paying attention to your sodium levels is not something experts recommend. That's an MFP thing, not a real thing,0 -
Calories. Stay at the intake that MFP gives you, and still eat what you love. However, if you're a person that will binge if you have a whole bag/package of something, portion them into baggies and label them with the calories on it so it is sort of mindful eating. I bought a food scale, and it has helped me remain accountable(except during the few occasions that I eat out-that is when I guesstimate). While the scale may not be important for you to lose weight now, you may want to consider getting one in the future as you get closer to your goal. They are relatively inexpensive and extreme handy!
Also-do not find it necessary to plunge into exercise too quick.
If you are considering exercise, You do not want to start anything too strenuous right away. If anything, walk more than you normally do, and mainly focus on your intake! You only need a calorie deficit to lose weight, and you do not want to injure yourself! I started my weight loss at 250 and only exercised 2x a week, focused on my calories, and now work out a bit more and have lost 56lb. My food scale is my best friend on this journey, exercise is second. I still eat foods I love, but not as much/frequently.
My best wishes to you on your journey! You will not regret making this decision! You can do it without depriving yourself!!! Good luck!
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When I started (and now restarting)- I weighed (with a cheap Walmart digital scale) all of my food. I began to learn what a serving was. Chips- I was happy with just a serving usually. Cheese- I was eating 3-4 times more than I thought a serving was! Creamer in coffee (like 150 calories a day). I made small adjustments to each meal. I go to Wendy's and get a burger with a side salad and my own dressing- I don't like fries but got them out of habit. Made large amounts of soup and chili to freeze in servings for easy lunches at work. Sunday I would cut veggies and put into serving bags.
So- just learn about food first. Weigh it and then look at nutrients. Read the stickie posts (at the top of the discussions posts that always stay there). You will learn so much.0 -
If you don't cook, pick up a rotisserie chicken & a big salad-bar salad (load it up with all kinds of good stuff) for a delicious easy meal. Remove the skin (except the wings are a special treat) & dig in! Slice any leftover chicken for sandwiches for the next day, bulking them out with tomato & greens. Or add diced chicken to rice with some sauteed onions & mushrooms. I sometimes get an extra container at the salad bar with mushrooms, spinach, roasted red pepper & onion, chop it all up & saute it quick to throw in with scrambled eggs for an easy meal. Crock pot meals can cook while you're at work, take only a few minutes to throw all ingredients in, & I just use canned veggies if I can't get out for fresh. Watermelon is my favorite dessert/snack right now - filling, refreshing, and sweet! Best wishes and you will never regret getting healthier. Do it while you're young, trust me.0
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Thank you all for the information! So I found the problem.... First off MFP is recommending that I eat 2,300 mg of sodium a day. Today I made two ham+turkey sandwiches with mustard. The sodium from the packaged lunch meat is insane. For the two sandwiches it totaled 2,400 mg of sodium. (Either they are incredible salty or MFP has the wrong numbers)0
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Thank you all for the information! So I found the problem.... First off MFP is recommending that I eat 2,300 mg of sodium a day. Today I made two ham+turkey sandwiches with mustard. The sodium from the packaged lunch meat is insane. For the two sandwiches it totaled 2,400 mg of sodium. (Either they are incredible salty or MFP has the wrong numbers)
Go with incredibly salty! Deli Mears usually have a lot of sodium0 -
Thank you all for the information! So I found the problem.... First off MFP is recommending that I eat 2,300 mg of sodium a day. Today I made two ham+turkey sandwiches with mustard. The sodium from the packaged lunch meat is insane. For the two sandwiches it totaled 2,400 mg of sodium. (Either they are incredible salty or MFP has the wrong numbers)
Its the meat.
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Thank you all for the information! So I found the problem.... First off MFP is recommending that I eat 2,300 mg of sodium a day. Today I made two ham+turkey sandwiches with mustard. The sodium from the packaged lunch meat is insane. For the two sandwiches it totaled 2,400 mg of sodium. (Either they are incredible salty or MFP has the wrong numbers)
Yeah my husband tries to go low sodium too but it's tough, you pretty much have to make everything from scratch.
What's helped me a lot is my george foreman grill (you can cook anything on there in less than 10 minutes) and frozen veggies. Super easy to make a meal in no time with that.
Otherwise, just keep logging what you like... eventually you'll see what's high calories and you can eat less of, what has high sodium and that you can substitute (like you can cook chicken breasts and use that instead of lunch meat) etc.0 -
this is my standard advice:
1. Enter stats into MFP and set for x amount of weight loss.
2. Eat to the number that MFP gives you.
3. get a food scale and weigh all solid foods, and as many liquids as possible.
4. log everything
5. make sure that you are using correct MFP database entries
6. realize that there are no bad foods and that while the majority of foods should come from nutrient dense sources, there is nothing wrong with having pizza, ice cream, cookies, etc, as long as ones micro and macro needs are met.
7. macro setting are typically .85 grams of protein per pound of body weight; .45 grams of fat per pound of body weight; fill in rest with carbs.
8. find a form of exercise that you like and do it < not necessary for weight loss, but is for overall health and body comp.
I would also recommend the below sticky:
sidesteels guide:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
There are a few people around MFP that I always listen to, and NDJ is one of them. Don't over-complicate this, it really can be as easy as those 8 points. I have followed them, and gone from 366lbs in January, to 294lbs this morning.
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Deli meat is incredibly salty.Thank you all for the information! So I found the problem.... First off MFP is recommending that I eat 2,300 mg of sodium a day. Today I made two ham+turkey sandwiches with mustard. The sodium from the packaged lunch meat is insane. For the two sandwiches it totaled 2,400 mg of sodium. (Either they are incredible salty or MFP has the wrong numbers)
If you have a butcher shop near you, they can cut you healthier slices and they can slice the stuff pretty dang thin. Ham will always be salty, but turkey is easier to get.
There is so much salt in processed food. It's just crazy. But the good news is that you can make most things yourself and they'll taste as good or better. You can't make ham, lol. Only God can make a pig! But you can make baked beans and cottage cheese and all manner of things you'd otherwise have to give up...and that leaves room for a bitty bit of ham now and again. 0 -
I totally understand where you are at. I got to that point two months ago when I weighed myself and couldn't believe how much the scale went up. That's awesome that you are motivated now to get healthy. You can do this!
My biggest tip for you is one that I started doing this week....Meal Prep!!!! Planning my meals in advance on Sunday was a huge help to stay on track during the week and I didn't have to think about what I was going eat. YouTube is where I found meal prep videos with great healthy meal ideas. I purchased a few Rubbermaid containers to separate all my meals for the week. I made breakfast (eggs) and lunch meals (chicken and veggies), snacks (fruit, almonds, carrots, etc.). Dinner i made salads so that was easy to throw together after the gym. Meal prepping is great and makes things a lot easier.
Hope you get lots of great tips and best of luck to you!!0
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