Cannot devise decent menu

Options
2»

Replies

  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    edited February 2016
    Options
    koinflipper wrote: »
    I don't eat anything that I can weigh. No fresh chicken, beef or other such thing where knowing weight is really only way to know how much you are eating. Most everything I eat is measured in cups not grams or it is already packaged with known specified amount.

    I don't eat fresh veggies except carrots and celery. All others are frozen so makes no sense to weigh the ice.
    Weigh everything that isn't a liquid. Items are sold by weight, not volume. A cup of uncooked oatmeal may actually hold 1.2 times the grams expected (due to settling) so it would have 1.2 times as many calories and you won't know that unless you weigh it.

    You can find grams in the nutritional information on packages and on Google (for instance, a search for carrot nutrition will show a chart on the right of the screen) if it didn't come in a package.

    My food scale has helped enormously with portion accuracy.

    For instance, peanut butter. Put the jar on the scale, tare the scale so it says zero, get out your peanut butter, and put the jar back on the scale. If it says -24, you used 24 grams of peanut butter.

    I eat frozen dinners quite often. The nutritional info for tonight's Chicken Parm said that a serving was 308 grams. I weighed the meal before cooking and it weighed 360 grams. 15 grams of that was packaging so the food weight was 37 grams high. Therefore, I put it into MFP as 1.12 servings to account for those additional calories.
  • koinflipper
    koinflipper Posts: 45 Member
    Options
    amusedmonkey:

    You are making a lot of incorrect assumptions. I said 200 calories to digest a high protein MEAL, not just a can of tuna. And it definitely depends on the amount of protein in the meal.

    You also assume that I have been gradually gaining weight over time through uncontrolled eating. This is not true. I weigh exactly what I weighed at age 21 and have maintained that same weight for 40 years. Too many issues outside my control makes losing more difficult than average person. So I decided just a year ago to try for first time.

    Weight gain and loss it not as simplistic as you make it to be. There is a lot more involved than just the calories you eat versus calories you burn. Medical conditions and medications to treat them change metabolic rate in unpredictable ways. There is no magic formula that works for all people all of the time.

    I maintained the same weight for 40 years through many changes in health and life circumstances. I will not let food or weight be the focus my life.
  • koinflipper
    koinflipper Posts: 45 Member
    Options
    "The RDI for protein for you would be 46 grams per day with a percentage range of 10-35% of calories from protein."

    That is not totally correct. You need 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram you weigh. A person of normal weight probably calculates out to that recommended amount. A person weighing 60 pounds more than average needs more protein. 1 kilogram is just less than 1/2 pound. So 0.8 x 30 means you need about 24 more grams of protein than a person of average weight.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    Options
    koinflipper wrote: »
    amusedmonkey:

    You are making a lot of incorrect assumptions. I said 200 calories to digest a high protein MEAL, not just a can of tuna. And it definitely depends on the amount of protein in the meal.

    That's very theoretical. In practice the vast majority of studies report an increase of less than 10% even with high protein meals. Your meal would have to be 2000 calories to burn a maximum of 200 extra calories (this isn't how it exactly works either). Internet articles tend to over-simplify and over-exaggerate things, not to mention that the more fat you have the less thermic effect you tend to produce.
    You also assume that I have been gradually gaining weight over time through uncontrolled eating. This is not true. I weigh exactly what I weighed at age 21 and have maintained that same weight for 40 years. Too many issues outside my control makes losing more difficult than average person. So I decided just a year ago to try for first time.
    I did not make such an assumption. Note I said your calorie intake must be closer to maintenance, which by definition means maintaining weight
    Weight gain and loss it not as simplistic as you make it to be. There is a lot more involved than just the calories you eat versus calories you burn. Medical conditions and medications to treat them change metabolic rate in unpredictable ways. There is no magic formula that works for all people all of the time.
    Calories you eat vs calories you burn is exactly how weight gain and loss works. There are medical conditions that affect either side of the equation, or both, but the principle stays the same. Once you find out your true metabolic rate through logging as accurately as possible, you will be able to lose weight by controlling calories accordingly. My metabolic rate, for example, is about 150-180 calories lower than predicted by calculators due to medical conditions, yet it did not stop me from losing close to 100 pounds because armed with that knowledge I knew I needed to reduce my calorie intake about 150 calories further than the average person my weight to achieve the same results. Logging accurately to figure out my true maintenance was key.
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    Options
    Listen to @amusedmonkey. Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) is a small effect; focusing on it is looking through the wrong end of the telescope. A couple of reliable books I recommend are Marion Nestle's Why Calories Count and Yoni Freedhoff's The Diet Fix.
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    edited February 2016
    Options
    koinflipper wrote: »
    "The RDI for protein for you would be 46 grams per day with a percentage range of 10-35% of calories from protein."

    That is not totally correct. You need 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram you weigh. A person of normal weight probably calculates out to that recommended amount. A person weighing 60 pounds more than average needs more protein. 1 kilogram is just less than 1/2 pound. So 0.8 x 30 means you need about 24 more grams of protein than a person of average weight.
    One kilogram is 2.2 pounds, not less than 1/2 a pound.

    Your extra fat doesn't need extra protein. You figure protein off of your ideal weight, not your current weight.

    It's good to have a bit more protein while you are losing weight and/or exercising more. MFP sets a default of 20% of calories from protein goal. That puts the protein at a minimum of 60 grams for women.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited February 2016
    Options
    koinflipper wrote: »
    amusedmonkey:

    You are making a lot of incorrect assumptions. I said 200 calories to digest a high protein MEAL, not just a can of tuna. And it definitely depends on the amount of protein in the meal.

    You also assume that I have been gradually gaining weight over time through uncontrolled eating. This is not true. I weigh exactly what I weighed at age 21 and have maintained that same weight for 40 years. Too many issues outside my control makes losing more difficult than average person. So I decided just a year ago to try for first time.

    Weight gain and loss it not as simplistic as you make it to be. There is a lot more involved than just the calories you eat versus calories you burn. Medical conditions and medications to treat them change metabolic rate in unpredictable ways. There is no magic formula that works for all people all of the time.

    I maintained the same weight for 40 years through many changes in health and life circumstances. I will not let food or weight be the focus my life.

    With this information you provided here, you are the exception and not the norm, like you said things in your medical history current and family out of your control makes you not the average person.

    IMHO you should be speaking to your doctor and that doctor should assist you in finding a dietician in order to set you up a plan that will aid you in loosing the weight you need.

    There is some knowledgeable folks here on MFP that have been here for years and worked this process to much success including my self, and these people have helped many many others however the disclaimer here is we are not doctors and nor should we provide medical or dietary advise when such medical issues are present.

    Get the food scale, you will be amazed how this little 20.00 gadget can change your life when used everyday, and the food is logged in the diary.
  • dubird
    dubird Posts: 1,849 Member
    edited February 2016
    Options
    Seconding the food scale. When I switched over, even though I was measuring before, I quickly learned I was getting a lot of extra calories in the day due to the difference in weighing and measuring with cups/spoons/etc.!

    And @amusedmonkey is right about calories. To lose weight, you have to consume less calories than you burn. That's all it is. Now, HOW you do that varies from person to person. If you have a medical condition like PCOS that makes it harder to lose weight, you need to make adjustments. If you're taking medicine that has to be take with food at certain times or can kill your appetite, you have to make adjustments. If you have a medical condition where you can't have wheat or iron or something else, you have to make adjustments. But those are adjustments you should be discussing with your doctor first. They can help you develop guidelines for eating that you can use to build your meals. They can also recommend a licensed dietitian that can help you as well.

    Also, keep in mind this isn't a 'diet', it's you changing your eating habits to something healthier. Using a meal replacement shake for breakfast or as a way to get additional nutrients can be very helpful, but if you use it for all meals, you're not likely to learn how to adjust your diet once you lose the weight and the weight will come back. If you try something someone else does that worked for them, give it a week or two and then ask yourself 'Do I want to eat like this/do this thing for the rest of my life?' If the answer is no, it's not for you. And that's ok, we all have things that worked for us because we're all different. Trying things is great, it gives you pointers and directions, but you have to find what works FOR YOU.

  • CaptainJoy
    CaptainJoy Posts: 257 Member
    Options
    koinflipper wrote: »
    I have been eating 1400 calories for over a year now but no weight change. My doctor said Mediterranean diet but only maintaining weight/not losing. My blood work is always great with total cholesterol below 120, fasting blood sugar at 95. BP fine but on 3 meds for that.

    I have been vegetarian (not vegan) most of my life so only recently started eating chicken and tuna (I can only afford canned) . My whole family has been vegetarian but it obviously did nothing to prevent heart disease or metabolic syndrome.

    I am unable to do much exercise beyond walking the dog (arthritis and back problems). Besides most research now shows that exercise does very little to help lose weight. Diet is the key.

    I think the biggest problem losing weight is my use of mostly legumes for protein which adds too many carbs. Legumes are cheap and supposed to be healthy. I guess not good diet for weight loss.

    If you're not losing weight at 1400 calories, drop to 1200. Your cholesterol is good so eggs for breakfast, such as hard boiled or even scrambled, will provide good protein. You can put them on a slice of whole grain toast. Just forget about adding cheese or fatty breakfast meats. Cheese and sausage/bacon gobbles up calories and adds a lot of saturated fat that clogs arteries and leads to heart attacks in people with metabolic syndrome. Oatmeal is also a good breakfast food if you can do without too much added sugar. Canned tuna (packed in water) is a great source of protein.

    Exercise does help one lose weight because it burns calories. You don't have to go to the gym to exercise. I had bad arthritis and back problems so I started by slowly walking our dog more often. If you can afford it or someone is willing to buy you one, a Fitbit (even the cheapest of the huge selection) will help you understand how active you really are. I went from averaging 2400 steps/daily to well over 7500 steps.

    I also weigh almost everything. If I put tuna on toast, I drain the tuna, put the toast on a plate, weigh the plate, tare the scale so it's set back to zero, then add my tuna and weigh it in ounces. I do this when I add mayo, butter, salad dressing BBQ sauce or anything. It's usually easier for the spreads to measure in grams. Frozen vegetable should be cooked first, then weighed when you put them on your plate using the same method of taring the plate first. If you have a smartphone, you can use the barcode for lots of things, like a slice of bread, to get a very accurate calorie amount.

    I have lost well over 40 lbs since mid-October and find the kitchen scale, Fitbit, and logging foods I eat to be the main reason that my weight loss efforts worked. I have actually saved money on food because I eat so much less of it. I can now afford a pound of extra lean ground turkey. I am also at risk of metabolic syndrome because of hereditary traits but refuse to give up. Good luck!
  • koinflipper
    koinflipper Posts: 45 Member
    Options
    I avoid all breads and cereals. Just too many carbs. I do eat eggs and keep some hard boiled ones in fridge. Never have eaten sausage or bacon (vegetarian most of my life) so that isn't a problem. I don't care about how many steps I take during the day (like taking the dog outside or to the mail box). Not a significant contribution to weight loss as not sustained exercise.

    I am just getting together what I need for exercise. Can't use wrist type because numbers too small for me to read (had cataracts removed so need reading glasses just to read text messages on cellphone.) Also, my cardiologist doesn't think wrist HRM are accurate enough. I need to see my heart rate in real time and very few devices do that. Important that my heart rate doesn't get too high (arrhythmia risk).

    So I bought a Polar H7 chest strap to use when I am doing cardio walking. Tried a bunch of apps for my android and dumped most because they didn't display HR in real time or they crammed so much on display I could not read or find HR. I finally found ENDOMONDO. It displays everything I need and gives audio updates during training. Walked 1.25 miles today but for some reason ENDOMONDO didn't sync with MFP so had to manually enter it. MFP trying to work it out.

    Although I have set my calories to 1400 a day, I haven't eaten close to that since I started logging. By end of day, I still have 400-600 unused calories. On average, I guess I'm eating closer to 1100. I have lost 2.2 pounds in 5 days since I started this. Probably all water, but encouraging anyway.

    You lost 40 pounds since mid Oct? You are losing more than recommended 1 pound a week.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
    Options
    koinflipper wrote: »
    "The RDI for protein for you would be 46 grams per day with a percentage range of 10-35% of calories from protein."

    That is not totally correct. You need 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram you weigh. A person of normal weight probably calculates out to that recommended amount. A person weighing 60 pounds more than average needs more protein. 1 kilogram is just less than 1/2 pound. So 0.8 x 30 means you need about 24 more grams of protein than a person of average weight.

    Yeah, you've got your conversions wrong. 1 lb is just under half a kilogram, not the other way around. 1kg = 2.2lbs
  • koinflipper
    koinflipper Posts: 45 Member
    Options
    yeah, read the conversion calculator backwards. 1 pound = .453592 kg
  • CaptainJoy
    CaptainJoy Posts: 257 Member
    Options
    koinflipper wrote: »
    Although I have set my calories to 1400 a day, I haven't eaten close to that since I started logging. By end of day, I still have 400-600 unused calories. On average, I guess I'm eating closer to 1100. I have lost 2.2 pounds in 5 days since I started this. Probably all water, but encouraging anyway.

    You lost 40 pounds since mid Oct? You are losing more than recommended 1 pound a week.

    Congratulations on losing 2.2 pounds since you started logging!

Categories