Need help creating a healthy diet
ambersho
Posts: 27 Member
Hi all,
I could use some suggestions on the steps to take to start transforming my diet into a more healthy and substinable one. I want to have a complete lifestyle change - not just a quick fix.
Thank you!!
I could use some suggestions on the steps to take to start transforming my diet into a more healthy and substinable one. I want to have a complete lifestyle change - not just a quick fix.
Thank you!!
0
Replies
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What do you consider healthy for food? There are many opinions on this. I do a low carb (not Keto) diet with plenty of protein and fat. It works to keep me from being hungry. But it might not work for you. How much weigh do you want to lose? Are you wanting to maintain or gain weight? Are you vegetarian? Hate fish?
Myfitnesspal can set calories and macros for you but without knowing your goals, likes or dislikes, no one can determine a healthy diet for you. Have you considered working with a dietician?1 -
What do you consider the challenge? Figuring out what would be a nutritious diet? Or how to make changes to get you there? What do you struggle with now?0
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I think you already have some thoughts about what a healthy diet is (or else you wouldn't have come up with this idea in the first place). Start eating some of the foods you feel are healthy. Pay attention to how different foods make you feel - are you satiated, happy, lethargic, hungry, after you've eaten? Try new foods. Keep those you like. Eat some of everything, but not too much of anything. (How much food you should eat, depends on whether you want to lose, gain or maintain weight, so that part is easy, too.)0
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I currently weigh 150-152 and would like to be down to around 135 if I can. I am not a vegetarian. My struggle is mainly salty foods and snacks. I love fish!! I guess what I mainly struggle with is finding a diet I can stick with for a long time. Diets that cut carbs or other essentials drastically don't work for me. In the past, I have been drastic with my change. And even with the 1200 calories that this app suggested I still struggle with. I also rarely eat breakfast or an actual lunch which is hurting my metabolism.0
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Make small changes to begin with. Maybe start by logging a few days of normal eating to see where you can cut back on calories with the smallest effort. Drink water instead of calorie laden drinks. Weigh all your solid foods and measure all your liquids. Also, when you feel "snacky," ask yourself if you're really hungry or if reaching for food is a habit. If you're bored and want to eat, find something to distract yourself. Take a walk. Turn on the radio and dance for a couple songs. Drink a glass or two of water. Concentrate on fitting your meals into your recommended calories before anything else.1
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Awesome advice! Thank you!! Yeah, I mainly drink water now. No soda or anything like that. I do drink alcohol, which I'm going to cut back on. I think another challenge for me is weighing out foods and counting calories. It almost seems to be a deterrent for me sometimes because of the tediousness of it.1
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Calculate your maintenance then target a number that is at a deficit. Once you know what your target number is you can plan your meals so that you can budget how much to intake for meals. Including snacks and treats so you don't go crazy is pretty crucial as well.
Keep this in mind as well:
High Processed food = more calories absorbed, more calorically dense
Minimally process food = less calories absorbed (fresh foods, fruits & veggies)
How macronutrients are stored and oxidized (burned)
Dietary fat = very high likelihood of storage relative to daily intake and low oxidation due to intake
Carbs = moderate likelihood of storage relative to daily intake. Very high oxidation due to intake (body uses this first) conversion to glucose, causing insulin spikes. insulin causes body to halt lipolysis
Protein = moderate storage, moderate oxidation
The reason low carb diets work so well is because during deprivation of carbohydrates the body becomes ketogenic, burning primarily fat for energy. (ketogenic state can be achieved by consuming less than 100g of carbs per day but for some people may need as low as <50g) As you consume carbs again the pancreas excretes insulin to absorb that glucose spike in your bloodstream and insulin causes the body to halt lipolysis.
The rate of fat oxidation is relative to carb intake as the body is able to alter carb oxidation due to changing intake and consumption of carbs. Meaning eat more carbs = burn more carbs. (and less fat). Eat less carbs and burn less carbs and more fat. Protein is in the middle ground, oxidation can increase or decrease based on intake but the time effect is more time delayed as it can take up to a week.
Lastly I'll just talk a little about alcohol (I've completely cut it out for this year as I've gotten serious about getting lean). Alcohol oxidation takes precedence over everything else. The body treats it as a toxin. When alcohol is consumed the body increases oxidation of alcohol to maximum. Which results in the oxidation of other nutrients being decreased or halted until all the alcohol has been processed through the body. If you're serious about weight or fat loss, alcohol consumption should be very minimal.0 -
I currently weigh 150-152 and would like to be down to around 135 if I can. I am not a vegetarian. My struggle is mainly salty foods and snacks. I love fish!! I guess what I mainly struggle with is finding a diet I can stick with for a long time. Diets that cut carbs or other essentials drastically don't work for me. In the past, I have been drastic with my change. And even with the 1200 calories that this app suggested I still struggle with. I also rarely eat breakfast or an actual lunch which is hurting my metabolism.
Sodium intake causes the body to hold on to more water. If you intake a lot of sodium, cut back on it or up your intake of potassium to counter the sodium.
I don't eat breakfast. But I also drink black coffee to help blunt hunger during the fasting period. I mostly only eat between noon and 8pm. I also take a multivitamin and fish oil.
Your metabolism may dip slightly but don't listen to what everyone says. If you're in a wakeful alert state your metabolism is fine. When you eat it increases slightly as consuming food takes some energy to digest but it's minimal compared to physical activity. The greatest metabolic boost comes from strenuous exercise.
If you're fine eating 2 meals a day intermittent fasting may be the diet plan for you. Shorten your feeding window from 12-7pm. Eat roughly 1/3 of your daily intake at lunch and then a large dinner. By decreasing your feeding window you allow yourself a greater variety in choosing what you want to eat.
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It helped me to take things a bit at a time so I wasn't overwhelmed with change. Here was my approximate path:
- I started with CICO-Calories In, calories Out. Weighing, measuring, logging. I didn't do much else for about 6 weeks. That helped with portion control and mindfulness, and also just getting used to what a 100 caloriess of chicken versus a 100 calories of potato chips versus a 100 calories of spinach looked like. I also started walking and swimming more, and, in addition to giving me a bigger calorie allowance, made me mindful of what 100 (or 200 or 300) calories of physical exercise feels like.
- Next, I started paying more attention to my Sodium and Sugar levels--while still being mindful of CICO. I realized that beer and wine was killing my sugar allotments, so I transitioned from one or two beers a night, and now save them for weekends and special occasions. Although I'm not a real salt feind, when I really kept an eye on my sodium, I realized how much a "salty day" really affected my water retention and weight swings (as much as 4 lbs in one day--then a two day recovery time!!). I found there were some snacks and prepared foods that I could totally do without so I could really enjoy the few things (like suhi nori!) that I really really like. I also fell in love with garlic powder and other spices that add lots of flavor without adding salt
- Next, I started paying attention to the Big Four Macros: Fiber, Protein, Fat and Carbs in that order). By this time, I was a good 3 months in to more mindful eating already--and I'd lost about 18 lbs (total motivator!) This is where I made the biggest changes in my eating habits, but also the ones that I think have really made the biggest differences health-wise: I chose to fill up on veggies (BIG HUGE PILES OF VEGGIES-- raw, sauteed, roasted, grilled. . . !!) because I realized I felt more satisfied and less like I was "dieting" when I felt full, and FOCUS ON FLAVOR--with things like lime juice and chile powder and garlic powder and ginger paste, so I don't miss the salt and sugar and really enjoy my food. Chips and bread became less attractive; I love big spicy salads with nuts and beans and hard boiled eggs for the protein; I eat LOTS of fish and seafood because it's high protein and low fat. I find if I load up on veggies and lean protein to meet my fiber and protein goals, I'm full and really don't crave empty carby calories or really fatty food.
- Now, 50 lbs down, I'm focusing more on "Eating the Rainbow"-- getting good variety in my diet so that I have a wide array of micronutrients and taking a multivitamin to fill in the rest. I still log religiously, I mind my fiber, protein fat and carbs; watch the sugar and sodium,
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I currently weigh 150-152 and would like to be down to around 135 if I can. I am not a vegetarian. My struggle is mainly salty foods and snacks. I love fish!! I guess what I mainly struggle with is finding a diet I can stick with for a long time. Diets that cut carbs or other essentials drastically don't work for me. In the past, I have been drastic with my change. And even with the 1200 calories that this app suggested I still struggle with. I also rarely eat breakfast or an actual lunch which is hurting my metabolism.
Sodium intake causes the body to hold on to more water. If you intake a lot of sodium, cut back on it or up your intake of potassium to counter the sodium.
I don't eat breakfast. But I also drink black coffee to help blunt hunger during the fasting period. I mostly only eat between noon and 8pm. I also take a multivitamin and fish oil.
Your metabolism may dip slightly but don't listen to what everyone says. If you're in a wakeful alert state your metabolism is fine. When you eat it increases slightly as consuming food takes some energy to digest but it's minimal compared to physical activity. The greatest metabolic boost comes from strenuous exercise.
If you're fine eating 2 meals a day intermittent fasting may be the diet plan for you. Shorten your feeding window from 12-7pm. Eat roughly 1/3 of your daily intake at lunch and then a large dinner. By decreasing your feeding window you allow yourself a greater variety in choosing what you want to eat.
Thank you for answering so thoroughly! I have never considered intermittent fasting before. That would actually work really well for me considering that I rarely eat breakfast. It usually makes me feel sick to my stomach. I know I definitely need to add more exercise into my life, haha.0 -
You could start by just eating what you regularly would, and log everything for a week. Then look back at your diary and see: How far off are my calories? Am I getting enough protein? Enough fat? Fiber? Are there some foods you are eating that are using up way too many of your calories?
Then start making small changes week by week to get your calories in line while still eating a diet you enjoy and makes you feel good!
Don't worry about when or how many meals you eat, any affect that might have is tiny. Good luck!0 -
rosebarnalice wrote: »It helped me to take things a bit at a time so I wasn't overwhelmed with change. Here was my approximate path:
- I started with CICO-Calories In, calories Out. Weighing, measuring, logging. I didn't do much else for about 6 weeks. That helped with portion control and mindfulness, and also just getting used to what a 100 caloriess of chicken versus a 100 calories of potato chips versus a 100 calories of spinach looked like. I also started walking and swimming more, and, in addition to giving me a bigger calorie allowance, made me mindful of what 100 (or 200 or 300) calories of physical exercise feels like.
- Next, I started paying more attention to my Sodium and Sugar levels--while still being mindful of CICO. I realized that beer and wine was killing my sugar allotments, so I transitioned from one or two beers a night, and now save them for weekends and special occasions. Although I'm not a real salt feind, when I really kept an eye on my sodium, I realized how much a "salty day" really affected my water retention and weight swings (as much as 4 lbs in one day--then a two day recovery time!!). I found there were some snacks and prepared foods that I could totally do without so I could really enjoy the few things (like suhi nori!) that I really really like. I also fell in love with garlic powder and other spices that add lots of flavor without adding salt
- Next, I started paying attention to the Big Four Macros: Fiber, Protein, Fat and Carbs in that order). By this time, I was a good 3 months in to more mindful eating already--and I'd lost about 18 lbs (total motivator!) This is where I made the biggest changes in my eating habits, but also the ones that I think have really made the biggest differences health-wise: I chose to fill up on veggies (BIG HUGE PILES OF VEGGIES-- raw, sauteed, roasted, grilled. . . !!) because I realized I felt more satisfied and less like I was "dieting" when I felt full, and FOCUS ON FLAVOR--with things like lime juice and chile powder and garlic powder and ginger paste, so I don't miss the salt and sugar and really enjoy my food. Chips and bread became less attractive; I love big spicy salads with nuts and beans and hard boiled eggs for the protein; I eat LOTS of fish and seafood because it's high protein and low fat. I find if I load up on veggies and lean protein to meet my fiber and protein goals, I'm full and really don't crave empty carby calories or really fatty food.
- Now, 50 lbs down, I'm focusing more on "Eating the Rainbow"-- getting good variety in my diet so that I have a wide array of micronutrients and taking a multivitamin to fill in the rest. I still log religiously, I mind my fiber, protein fat and carbs; watch the sugar and sodium,
Wow! Thank you so much! This is SUPER helpful. I appreciate you breaking this down into steps for me. That's the hardest part. But you're right, if I focus on counting calories and paying attention to how much exercise I need to do a day for those 6 weeks at least I will be able to taper off the tedious practice of counting. So, that's something to look forward to
I know that my sodium intake is INSANE right now. My favorite things to eat are super heavy with salt. I know that Mrs. Dash seasoning is pretty good to cook with if you want flavor without the salt. What are some of the spices that you recommend? I love garlic so I am trying to use fresh garlic as much as I can.
Congratulations on being down 50 pounds!0 -
I follow IF ( intermittent fasting) eating from 1-2pm to 9-10pm. I eat 2 big meals and 2 snacks. It works for me. A "healthy diet" is one that is sustainable for your lifestyle. I also eat 80/20. 80% fresh fruits and veggies and whole foods like rice, meats, cheese, and beans. Then 20% processed foods like fig newtons, dark chocolate, and ice cream. Its all about what you feel best eating and living. 2
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Calculate your maintenance then target a number that is at a deficit. Once you know what your target number is you can plan your meals so that you can budget how much to intake for meals. Including snacks and treats so you don't go crazy is pretty crucial as well.
Keep this in mind as well:
High Processed food = more calories absorbed, more calorically dense
Minimally process food = less calories absorbed (fresh foods, fruits & veggies)
How macronutrients are stored and oxidized (burned)
Dietary fat = very high likelihood of storage relative to daily intake and low oxidation due to intake
Carbs = moderate likelihood of storage relative to daily intake. Very high oxidation due to intake (body uses this first) conversion to glucose, causing insulin spikes. insulin causes body to halt lipolysis
Protein = moderate storage, moderate oxidation
The reason low carb diets work so well is because during deprivation of carbohydrates the body becomes ketogenic, burning primarily fat for energy. (ketogenic state can be achieved by consuming less than 100g of carbs per day but for some people may need as low as <50g) As you consume carbs again the pancreas excretes insulin to absorb that glucose spike in your bloodstream and insulin causes the body to halt lipolysis.
The rate of fat oxidation is relative to carb intake as the body is able to alter carb oxidation due to changing intake and consumption of carbs. Meaning eat more carbs = burn more carbs. (and less fat). Eat less carbs and burn less carbs and more fat. Protein is in the middle ground, oxidation can increase or decrease based on intake but the time effect is more time delayed as it can take up to a week.
Lastly I'll just talk a little about alcohol (I've completely cut it out for this year as I've gotten serious about getting lean). Alcohol oxidation takes precedence over everything else. The body treats it as a toxin. When alcohol is consumed the body increases oxidation of alcohol to maximum. Which results in the oxidation of other nutrients being decreased or halted until all the alcohol has been processed through the body. If you're serious about weight or fat loss, alcohol consumption should be very minimal.
just no to almost everything in this post.
3 -
OP-
What i suggest you do is take the time to sit down and write out:
Breakfast-
Lunch-
Dinner-
Snacks
Write down everything you eat on a daily basis, your favorite foods, etc.
Then, plug these dishes into MFP (recipes or other). That way when you want to log them they are already there. Then, plan out your days.
Like, okay if i eat x for dinner that means i need a lower cal lunch/breakfast, etc. etc. etc.
As far as i'm concerned other than the little tweaks here and there (like using low-fat cheese, using less oil, using different seasoning, etc.) having an idea of how many calories the food you actually eat is crucial. Once you know you can estimate how and where you want to cut down, what you can and can't eat on the same day, and so on.
Getting used to eating an appropriate number of calories WHILE eating the foods you know and love is going to be paramount in maintaining this change long term.
Along the way you'll make little changes (certain things are not worth the calories IMO), but this was you aren't trying to completely start over from scratch.2 -
Awesome advice! Thank you!! Yeah, I mainly drink water now. No soda or anything like that. I do drink alcohol, which I'm going to cut back on. I think another challenge for me is weighing out foods and counting calories. It almost seems to be a deterrent for me sometimes because of the tediousness of it.
If counting calories and weighing food seems like too much of a pain, you might want to try an autopilot type approach. By that I mean, Monday to Friday when you work, you eat oatmeal with fruit for breakfast and a turkey sandwich or vegetable soup for lunch. Snack is an apple or a serving of cheese. Or whatever it is you like to eat. Those were just examples. If you can have one or two meals or snacks that you don't have to think about, it can make counting your calories a little easier.1 -
rainbowbow wrote: »OP-
What i suggest you do is take the time to sit down and write out:
Breakfast-
Lunch-
Dinner-
Snacks
Write down everything you eat on a daily basis, your favorite foods, etc.
Then, plug these dishes into MFP (recipes or other). That way when you want to log them they are already there. Then, plan out your days.
Like, okay if i eat x for dinner that means i need a lower cal lunch/breakfast, etc. etc. etc.
As far as i'm concerned other than the little tweaks here and there (like using low-fat cheese, using less oil, using different seasoning, etc.) having an idea of how many calories the food you actually eat is crucial. Once you know you can estimate how and where you want to cut down, what you can and can't eat on the same day, and so on.
Getting used to eating an appropriate number of calories WHILE eating the foods you know and love is going to be paramount in maintaining this change long term.
Along the way you'll make little changes (certain things are not worth the calories IMO), but this was you aren't trying to completely start over from scratch.
Thank you!!!0 -
wtliftchick wrote: »Awesome advice! Thank you!! Yeah, I mainly drink water now. No soda or anything like that. I do drink alcohol, which I'm going to cut back on. I think another challenge for me is weighing out foods and counting calories. It almost seems to be a deterrent for me sometimes because of the tediousness of it.
If counting calories and weighing food seems like too much of a pain, you might want to try an autopilot type approach. By that I mean, Monday to Friday when you work, you eat oatmeal with fruit for breakfast and a turkey sandwich or vegetable soup for lunch. Snack is an apple or a serving of cheese. Or whatever it is you like to eat. Those were just examples. If you can have one or two meals or snacks that you don't have to think about, it can make counting your calories a little easier.
Yes, that's definitely a good idea. Thanks! 0 -
You could start by just eating what you regularly would, and log everything for a week. Then look back at your diary and see: How far off are my calories? Am I getting enough protein? Enough fat? Fiber? Are there some foods you are eating that are using up way too many of your calories?
Then start making small changes week by week to get your calories in line while still eating a diet you enjoy and makes you feel good!
Don't worry about when or how many meals you eat, any affect that might have is tiny. Good luck!
Thank you!0 -
rainbowbow wrote: »Calculate your maintenance then target a number that is at a deficit. Once you know what your target number is you can plan your meals so that you can budget how much to intake for meals. Including snacks and treats so you don't go crazy is pretty crucial as well.
Keep this in mind as well:
High Processed food = more calories absorbed, more calorically dense
Minimally process food = less calories absorbed (fresh foods, fruits & veggies)
How macronutrients are stored and oxidized (burned)
Dietary fat = very high likelihood of storage relative to daily intake and low oxidation due to intake
Carbs = moderate likelihood of storage relative to daily intake. Very high oxidation due to intake (body uses this first) conversion to glucose, causing insulin spikes. insulin causes body to halt lipolysis
Protein = moderate storage, moderate oxidation
The reason low carb diets work so well is because during deprivation of carbohydrates the body becomes ketogenic, burning primarily fat for energy. (ketogenic state can be achieved by consuming less than 100g of carbs per day but for some people may need as low as <50g) As you consume carbs again the pancreas excretes insulin to absorb that glucose spike in your bloodstream and insulin causes the body to halt lipolysis.
The rate of fat oxidation is relative to carb intake as the body is able to alter carb oxidation due to changing intake and consumption of carbs. Meaning eat more carbs = burn more carbs. (and less fat). Eat less carbs and burn less carbs and more fat. Protein is in the middle ground, oxidation can increase or decrease based on intake but the time effect is more time delayed as it can take up to a week.
Lastly I'll just talk a little about alcohol (I've completely cut it out for this year as I've gotten serious about getting lean). Alcohol oxidation takes precedence over everything else. The body treats it as a toxin. When alcohol is consumed the body increases oxidation of alcohol to maximum. Which results in the oxidation of other nutrients being decreased or halted until all the alcohol has been processed through the body. If you're serious about weight or fat loss, alcohol consumption should be very minimal.
just no to almost everything in this post.
Care to elaborate? If you're going to issue a blanket refutation of someone else's statements you should offer an explanation.
Your entire follow up post is basically what I said in my first paragraph... but ok.
Studies that support what I'm talking about:
1. Eating at a deficit: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2763382/
2. Caloric absorption of food: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3396444/
3. Macronutrients: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2897177/
4. Ketosis: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3945587/
5. Insulin inhibition of lipolysis: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2953052/
6. Rate of fat oxidation inhibited by carbohydrate intake: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14641041
7. Alcohol's inhibitive effects on lipolysis: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3371448/
0
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