MFP daily calorie amount too high for obese?
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What are your thoughts on peanut butter? I like putting 3TBsp reduced fat PB on a whole wheat wrap and wrapping it around a banana as an occasional lunch. I find it helps fight cravings, but I read people saying it's the devil.
My thoughts on this is I would rather have 2 TBSP of full fat PB
I like a little bit of balsamic vinegar on some veggies - especially roasted asparagus!0 -
Haha good one.... I honestly don't find the skippy reduced fat peanut butter to taste any different than normal.
Great ideas for the roasted veg. I love balsamic vinegar and I have some great Italian aged 20 year stuff sitting in my cupboard. We went out and got some sweet potatoes and broccoli tonight and I'm going to roast them up tomorrow for dinner when the gf gets home from work.
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I applaud you for your efforts so far. Keep up the good work. You are doing great. I like to put cumin on sweet potato sticks. I don't like sweet potatoes but they taste great when baked with cumin.0
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I can't do any hard resistance training because of the aortic aneurism. I'm using flex bands where I can. I also have significant leg weakness which I think is synthroid related but the docs don't know. I also take a multi vitamin and D3 as I live in Canada and its winter. I do not move around much due to muscle weakness and joint pain, but I can walk short distances etc.
In addition to what you are doing already, you can check with your doctor and see if he/she would be on board with walking.
As you lose weight you could increase your walking. I think walking would also help with the health issues you are having as well, but check with your doctor first.
I say this because I was obese and started having health issues. My doctors all recommended exercise and diet to lose the weight and improve my health, and most of them recommended walking.0 -
I can't do any hard resistance training because of the aortic aneurism. I'm using flex bands where I can. I also have significant leg weakness which I think is synthroid related but the docs don't know. I also take a multi vitamin and D3 as I live in Canada and its winter. I do not move around much due to muscle weakness and joint pain, but I can walk short distances etc.
Take the D3 with fat or oil. It needs oil to be processed by the body.
Maybe you can do "chair boxing" on YouTube. Also other seated or mat/floor exercises. Follow whatever the doc says of course.
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The doc said I have to focus on losing weight through better nutrition before doing any exercise, they are worried that any strenuous exertion with worsen the aneurysm in my aorta and the cardiopulmonary hypertension. I'm hoping that losing a bunch of weight will help my body heal a bit and at least not get worse. When I say walk I mean I can walk around the house and from the house to the car and short distances etc. I am stronger than I was a year ago, but I'm still unable to walk around a grocery store etc. Have to rely on the gf to do things like that.
After my thyroidectomy I was feeling good, but within a few months I started getting weaker and weaker and my muscles started to atrophy especially in my legs. They still don't know what has been causing it but from my own research it seems to be synthroid related. I have been on injected testosterone for the last year and I have been getting stronger but it's been really slow going. The muscle weakened combined with trouble breathing again led me back to my specialists who did an ultrasound and found more thyroid tissue growing in my chest and then they did the ct scan that picked up the rest.
It's been a stressful couple of months, I'm waiting for a referral to cardiology for my heart stuff, but the only way to deal with this is by taking ownership of my life and making the changes needed to lose the weight and eat healthier.
Since losing the 24lbs I am already breathing better, especially at night, I'm determined to make this work, I used to play soccer and golf and ski and cycle and swim.... And I haven't done any of it in years.... I miss it, I miss being able to go out without worrying I'm going to hurt my knees or end up in bed for the next few days because my body aches so badly and my feet are blistered. Not having to worry that I won't be able to fit in the seats at the pub because they are those awful wooden ones with the arms, or the booth doesn't have a table that moves.0 -
I'm so glad I looked at your thread! I got tons of veggie cooking ideas that sound so yummy and...
THANK YOU BUDDHABOY FOR INSPIRING ME WITH YOUR POSITIVE "CAN DO" SPIRIT!
So many folks here post threads about how they can't do this, they want a short cut, nothing works for them, this is hard, everything I do fails. Then when they get advise that might help, they have a list of reasons why that won't work either.
But you really seem to have your head in this game, and even though you are facing a challenge, you are facing it with intelligence, strength, and perseverance.
For that, I salute you, sir!
And I hope you will check in here regularly so we can keep tabs on your progress on your journey toward a healthier you!
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i don't have any other input as everyone gave you great advice but I just want to say good luck. Motivation is a gigantic piece of the health puzzle and you seem to have a lot of it! Its very inspiring. And as far as veggies I love to make stirfry's with garlic and a low sodium teriyaki sauce. Or I make a lot of veggie soups and add pesto sauce for a little zing.0
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If the 1500 a day is working then I think you have found your sweet spot. Don't go lower. Your weight loss will slow down and this is normal.
I hope you find your way back to full health and strength.0 -
Honestly I have nothing against veggies.... But I have never been a huge fan. I eat them because they are good for me but you will never hear me go "mmmmm that's a yummy raw piece of broccoli" I'm open to suggestions on how to enjoy veggies more without adding a ton of prep or fat/sugar etc
It's a little prep and one way does involve a bit of fat (if you have 2200 to play with maybe that's ok?) but I'm pretty boring about veg, and I'm ok with either of these, usually:
- Sautee in olive oil, add garlic and salt: kale, spinach, zucchini, mushrooms, red or orange peppers, eggplant. Could bake or roast with the same ingredients, but it's faster in the pan
- Get salted water to boil in a smallish pot, add veg, boil on high, uncovered for 6 minutes; season with lemon juice (or olive oil and garlic and salt : broccoli, brussel sprouts, asparagus, green beans. 6 minutes is the magic number for me for fibrous or dense veg, always works for some reason.
With lemon juice, I don't feel I need as much salt. I just use bottled juice for this, sometimes.
Are you ok with salt or would a substitute be better?
If you have a food processor, you could puree spinach or kale after it's cooked and add a bit of greek yogurt for a nice spread.
Sometimes, when I feel lazy, I get a can of soup (minestrone, most often) and just add cooked green beans, asparagus, baby spinach, or 1/2 a can of drained lentils to it to beef it up nutrition wise. I used to boil the veg separately, but if I'm adding it to soups, I microwave it now:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/steamed-asparagus-recipe.html
You could nuke stuff if you're eating it on its own, I just don't for texture reasons. In a soup it doesn't bother me.
Great work so far, and all the best.0 -
Glad you like it! I suggest using garlic as well 0
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Hello fellow Canuck! I just wanted to drop in to say that you are doing great and I love your attitude. You got this for sure. It's great how serious you are taking your health and how willing you are to be sensible about your approach. I started off over 300 lbs and have lost 116 of them so far, in this past year. It is a long term process, so I know that just finding what works for the long term is best. Keep it up and you will do great! 0
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Looking for some help/advice on the recommended daily calorie amounts.
I am extremely overweight and the tracker is suggesting a daily calorie allotment of 3700 calories will allow me to lose 1lb per week.
Does the mfr calculation hold true regardless of how large someone is, or at some point does it become skewed?
I am currently eating about 1600 Cals per day on average and while I do feel hunger pangs I don't feel like I'm starving myself.
I had a total thyroidectomy and I'm on daily synthroid.
I lost 24lbs in about 20 days but in the last week I am only down 4lbs.
Any advice would be welcome.
In my opinion it becomes skewed as the BMR calculations were not built on a population of very large people, it's more like a line drawn through skinny Italian conscripts.
For larger people the Katch McArdle method might be better, as it's based on lean body mass. http://www.calculatorpro.com/calculator/katch-mcardle-bmr-calculator/ (but obv you need a clue about your % body fat).
Large people can also afford higher calorie deficits / lower intakes as they have greater fat reserves to draw on, 100 lbs of excess weight is said to be capable of supplying about 3000 calories a day.
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Forgot to mention my other post that soup is a great way to get veggies in. Keep all the veggie end pieces that you would normally throw out from your other meals, freeze them in a baggie and keep adding to it- when you have a huge bag filled you can make a broth base with it.
How to make broth/soup on stovetop: Take all your veggie ends, place them in a pan make sure they are completely covered in water, boil on low until they are falling apart and the water turns to a light brown. Strain the broth to get rid of the chunks and put broth back in pan, add extra water if you need it. Add your seasonings, fresh veggies, and meat, boil until cooked. Add your noodles, rice, or potato at the end, cook until soft.
If you need to add more flavor and not affected by sodium use "Better than Bouillon" and add that until it suits your taste.
If you are affected by sodium you can always fry some onion, garlic, and black pepper in a pan until the onions are transparent, add water to catch all the drippings and flavor on the bottom of the pan, dump all that into your broth.0 -
I'm cheering you on!
You can do this.
And, thank you for inspiring me!0 -
Honestly I have nothing against veggies.... But I have never been a huge fan. I eat them because they are good for me but you will never hear me go "mmmmm that's a yummy raw piece of broccoli" I'm open to suggestions on how to enjoy veggies more without adding a ton of prep or fat/sugar etc
Juicing is one possibility for upping your veggie intake: you might your own V-8 juice (I usually keep a couple of cans of the hot V-8 around for a snack). Evelyn Tribole suggests chopping veggies up fine and adding them to other things ("stealth health"). A tasty vegetable soup is another thing I love to eat - with the right broth, it can convince even veggie haters. Another great thing to do with veggies is roast them: it caramelizes the sugars in them and adds a great flavor. Once in a while I make a big bowl of ratatouille or caponata (the Sicilian equivalent) and eat that as a side dish will meals. You can make a lot of recipes lower fat and sugar by sautéing with broth, and replacing the sugar with something like stevia.
Regarding fat: my MD works with a lot of cardio patients, and used to be a low fat diet guy. After a lot of research, he's switched all of his patients to a low/reduced carb diet and he says he sees the results in their blood workups and weight loss. Good fats (peanut butter, avocado, nuts) add to my sense of satisfaction so I'm actually less likely to eat as much. I'd talk to my doctor about this, if I were you.
For a high protein snack in the evening, I use Chocorite brand protein powder blended with water and a few ice cubes. That helps me up the protein grams if I've been a bit short during the day.
Repeating what others have said, for me logging everything on MFP is key because it keeps me accountable to myself and helps me understand the consequences of the food choices I make.0
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