Are we eating healthy.. need advice on nutrition

matt035
matt035 Posts: 4 Member
edited November 22 in Food and Nutrition
me and my misses have been on a diet for 2 week, This is typically what i eat in a day, its been working ive lost so far 8 pounds and i know maybe somethings in there arent the best for you but thats what i need help on, also ive come from eating somewhere around at a guess 3000 - 5000 calories a day of junk food to this.

what i need help with is are the amount im taking in, for example it says my gola is 89g sugar but ive only had 39 is that bad do i need to make it higher ? and that goes for everyhtnig else, the only problem i see(and this is why i need help) the sodium levels are to high, which is mainly because of the gravy i have, but i need to have gravy with it or else its just to dry and plain for me, any advice would be great, what other food could we have, also is eating to much protein bad,

Some information that might help:

Current weigh is 266 pounds
Exercise i walk 3 - 4 miles everyday in about an hour at a speed of 3.5MPH
soon planning on weight lifting aswell

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Replies

  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    It doesn't seem bad. Sodium is a little high but not crazy high. If it's not affecting your blood pressure then it's probably not worth worrying about. Gravy is pretty easy to make, so if you wanted you could make your own with less salt.

    Your calories are fairly low for a man, but if it's working for you, again it's probably fine. But realize that if you are overly hungry you can eat a little more and still lose.

    Do you always eat so little fat? That's the one that seems most off to me. Fat is a necessary nutrient so you don't want to cut it too low.
  • matt035
    matt035 Posts: 4 Member
    My calorie intake varies everyday from 1600 to 2200, just this day thats all i needed,ill look into making the gravy instead, As for the fats i would say it is normally around that number yes, somedays higher, would you recommend staying near the gola number on Fat?
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    edited July 2015
    MFP's sodium level is higher than most experts advise and you're exceeding even that, so I'd cut back on my sodium for sure. It's really not easy to do, especially if you eat a lot of processed food. Give yourself time, but keep working on it.

    The rest of it - it's up to you what you want to eat. Try to get in as much healthy food as you can. Most people find it's easier to add it on slowly than it is to flip. It sounds like you've improved a lot already, so don't beat yourself up if you aren't perfect. Rome wasn't built in a day. :)

    Swap the sugar out for fiber. Track your fiber and work on that. MFP's sugar count includes all sugars, not just added sugars. So, take a look at your diet after a month and see how much added sugar you have, then adjust as necessary. But track your fiber every day. The fruits and veggies help a lot with keeping fiber up. :)
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    matt035 wrote: »
    My calorie intake varies everyday from 1600 to 2200, just this day thats all i needed,ill look into making the gravy instead, As for the fats i would say it is normally around that number yes, somedays higher, would you recommend staying near the gola number on Fat?

    Yes. I honestly don't know how little fat you can eat without worrying about negative health affects is, but the recommendations are made for a reason so it's probably best to get near it.
  • J383
    J383 Posts: 4,574 Member
    The first step is changing your mindset. It is a lifestyle change, not a diet. :) A diet is temporary, Lifestyle is long term. Clean up your eating by steps. Instead of bread for sandwiches, use lettuce. Swap mayo for Spicy mustard. Swap FFries for carrots. Just a few suggestions. Always, always, always, read those food labels. Something may seem healthy, but are not.
  • irnz
    irnz Posts: 19 Member
    First of, congrats on starting on a healthier way of living. That is always the hardest step.
    I agree with what others have mentioned with sodium in terms of processed foods, but I know when you start a new diet sometimes prepackaged food is easier to deal with until you can figure out how you can make food that fits your goals and your taste buds. :)
    I would try to add more fruits and vegetables to your meals. Also, maybe some whole grains could be good. Otherwise you might not be getting enough vitamins and minerals and fiber from your food. Gradually start adding these in and reducing the salt in the foods that you do eat (but GRADUALLY). That way your taste buds with readjust to liking healthier foods and less salt. I used to like a lot of salt in my food, especially when I would be going out to eat a lot, but after I started cooking at home more and being mindful about how much salt I was adding to my food I now find most fast-food too salty.
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
    To reduce the sodium, do your gravy homemade. :) Here is what I do. ok so you cook the meat and hopefully have pan drippings. To this you add 1 tbsp olive oil and loosen it up. Then add a cup of milk or low sodium broth with 2 tbsp. flour whisked in, no lumps. Whisk that all together, cooking and thickening it.
  • Steve_ApexNC
    Steve_ApexNC Posts: 210 Member
    hart to really tell from one day's food log. But, FWIW, here is my $0.02:

    1. Sodium looks high - processed foods as someone mentioned.
    2. Don't see a lot of grains/fiber in there.
    3. Fruit consumption appears light and no citrus.
    4. Veggies seem light - especially dark green.

    You don't have to hit it perfect every day but over the course of a couple weeks, make sure you are getting a variety of each food group.

    I know it can be hard, but the more you learn to cook for yourself, the easier it is to control everything (especially the salt)
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