Going over carbs and not getting enough calories
KimSisk2
Posts: 5 Member
I just started tracking my food a couple of days ago. Consistently, I'm going over on my carb count but not eating all my calories. I'm 5 foot 1 and 154.2 pounds. I want to lose down to 110 so I'm going for 1,200 calories a day and a loss of 2 pounds a week.
I have a half cup of oatmeal with a tsp. each of raisins and crasins with a sprinkling of brown sugar and cinnamon for breakfast along with my coffee (whole milk, creamer). That gives me 50 carbs out of my daily goal of 60. Lunch today was a protein smoothie with milk, some chicken, and 1 cup of vegetable barley soup. That's 45 carbs. Dinner will be 1 cup of one of the Bird's Eye Protein Blends at 46 carbs. Snacks are two pieces of sugarfree gum and three mini bell peppers and 1 TBS of light ranch dressing. So I'll be over my carbs by 91 with only 1,055 calories eaten.
What can I do? I know oatmeal is good for you.....Everything else is where it should be - my sugar is over by 7 out of 52 total, and that seems to be coming from the whole milk. I used to drink skim, but then I read that whole milk is healthier.
I have a half cup of oatmeal with a tsp. each of raisins and crasins with a sprinkling of brown sugar and cinnamon for breakfast along with my coffee (whole milk, creamer). That gives me 50 carbs out of my daily goal of 60. Lunch today was a protein smoothie with milk, some chicken, and 1 cup of vegetable barley soup. That's 45 carbs. Dinner will be 1 cup of one of the Bird's Eye Protein Blends at 46 carbs. Snacks are two pieces of sugarfree gum and three mini bell peppers and 1 TBS of light ranch dressing. So I'll be over my carbs by 91 with only 1,055 calories eaten.
What can I do? I know oatmeal is good for you.....Everything else is where it should be - my sugar is over by 7 out of 52 total, and that seems to be coming from the whole milk. I used to drink skim, but then I read that whole milk is healthier.
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Replies
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Why are you trying to follow a low carb diet if you like carbs?
And sugar free gum is not a 'snack'!6 -
My first question would be how and why did you set your macro goals. It doesn't look like MFP's defaults to me (though I admit it's too early in the morning for me to math). If you're setting a custom carb goal that's so low (60 grams of carbs a day looks like you're striving for ketosis?) then you either need to reasses why you set those goals or change your eating patterns to meet them.1
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if you are trying low carb high fat eating, then reduce carbs and eat more fats. Loose the oatmeal and/or have eggs, bacon. For a snack eat pecans or macadamia nuts or have some sharp cheddar cheese. Read dietdoctor.com if you are doing low carbs. at least loose the sugar on your oatmeal. in coffee have real heavy cream and lose the milk2
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Who said I like carbs? I'm eating those things because they're supposedly good for you. And what's wrong with sugarfree gum? Surely, it's better than a candy bar?
I got the macros from IIFYM's site which I saw recommended here as apparently the defaults aren't correct. Here's what the email said:
Protein Grams: 123
Fat Grams: 62
Carbs Grams: 38
Fiber Grams: 23 - 31
When all of these macros are added up, you get a total of 1200 calories.
These calories are based on the number of calories you burn in a given day (known as your personal TDEE, which the IIFYM Calculator estimated at 1503), less the percentage you selected as your fat loss deficit. Eat less than this number and you burn body fat for fuel. Eat more and you will store body fat for fuel for a later date.0 -
Eat things you like not things that 'they' say are healthy or it won't be sustainable.
The menu you wrote is carb heavy... if you're doing low carb then eat more far and protein. Pre logging your day may help with this.
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Who said I like carbs? I'm eating those things because they're supposedly good for you. And what's wrong with sugarfree gum? Surely, it's better than a candy bar?
I got the macros from IIFYM's site which I saw recommended here as apparently the defaults aren't correct. Here's what the email said:
Protein Grams: 123
Fat Grams: 62
Carbs Grams: 38
Fiber Grams: 23 - 31
When all of these macros are added up, you get a total of 1200 calories.
These calories are based on the number of calories you burn in a given day (known as your personal TDEE, which the IIFYM Calculator estimated at 1503), less the percentage you selected as your fat loss deficit. Eat less than this number and you burn body fat for fuel. Eat more and you will store body fat for fuel for a later date.
And there's nothing wrong with gum, but it's not a snack, it's not food... it's gum!7 -
If you want to restrict carbs, you need to not eat low fat eg ditch the "light" dressing for the ordinary stuff. It's far nicer. Anyhow. You also need fat to absorb fat soluble vitamins.1
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::sigh:: OK. Thanks for clearing that up. I'll put my macros back to the default and figure out something else for breakfast instead of oatmeal. And no more protein smoothies. Don't know what I'll do to make up the calories, but I'll keep researching.0
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Are you using skim milk in your smoothie? Switch to 2% or whole. And I agree on skipping light ranch. Just get regular ranch. It will keep you feeling more full, and you have the calories for it. Also, light salad dressings are sometimes heavy on sugars, which might be an issue for you if you want to have fewer carbs.
I do a relatively low carb diet, but if I go over and it's because of fruits and veggies, I don't sweat it. If it's because of sugars and grains, I try to do better the next day (though I don't worry that much about any issue that is just one day.) But if you aren't over your calorie limit, and particularly if you're over your carbs because of fruits and veggies, you might reconsider how big of a problem that is.2 -
::sigh:: OK. Thanks for clearing that up. I'll put my macros back to the default and figure out something else for breakfast instead of oatmeal. And no more protein smoothies. Don't know what I'll do to make up the calories, but I'll keep researching.
Eat oatmeal if you LIKE oatmeal... drink protein shakes if you like them...
It's really not so hard, eat what you like in amounts that allow you to lose weight. Veg will help bulk out meals, adequate fat and protein will help keep you full... eat some fruit, it's good for you... eat a little chocolate and drink a little wine, they're good for your mental health!6 -
Who said I like carbs? I'm eating those things because they're supposedly good for you. And what's wrong with sugarfree gum? Surely, it's better than a candy bar?
I got the macros from IIFYM's site which I saw recommended here as apparently the defaults aren't correct. Here's what the email said:
Protein Grams: 123
Fat Grams: 62
Carbs Grams: 38
Fiber Grams: 23 - 31
When all of these macros are added up, you get a total of 1200 calories.
These calories are based on the number of calories you burn in a given day (known as your personal TDEE, which the IIFYM Calculator estimated at 1503), less the percentage you selected as your fat loss deficit. Eat less than this number and you burn body fat for fuel. Eat more and you will store body fat for fuel for a later date.
Ok, here are a few things that may help. First, 2 lbs per week is way too aggressive for the amount of weight you have to lose. At 44 lbs, 1 lb per week is more appropriate because it will be easier to manage.
That protein number seems really high for your stats, so I'm questioning that. And the 1503 as a TDEE sounds a bit off as well, and it would only be a 300 cal deficit which is closer to 1/2 lb per week. I know deficits are continuing source of frustration for those who shorter side, but those numbers still seem off to me. I'm more familiar with http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ for TDEE. Maybe try running your stats there and see how they compare.4 -
Who said I like carbs? I'm eating those things because they're supposedly good for you. And what's wrong with sugarfree gum? Surely, it's better than a candy bar?
I got the macros from IIFYM's site which I saw recommended here as apparently the defaults aren't correct. Here's what the email said:
Protein Grams: 123
Fat Grams: 62
Carbs Grams: 38
Fiber Grams: 23 - 31
When all of these macros are added up, you get a total of 1200 calories.
These calories are based on the number of calories you burn in a given day (known as your personal TDEE, which the IIFYM Calculator estimated at 1503), less the percentage you selected as your fat loss deficit. Eat less than this number and you burn body fat for fuel. Eat more and you will store body fat for fuel for a later date.
If you like these macros and they work for you, then great, but it doesn't sound like they are working for you. Eat foods that you like and do some tweaking for satiety sakes. That will make it easier for you to stick with it.
Many people find the default settings here to be fine, others prefer higher protein goals than what MFP gives, particularly those who are lifting or more focused on muscle preservation. The 123g seems a bit high, depending on your needs.
There are several threads here on setting your macros. They are in the sticky posts at the top of the getting started and general diet boards (sorry, I can't link right now). Take a peek through.
At the end of the day, macro splits are mostly personal, as long as you are getting enough nutritious foods (meeting vitamin, mineral, and macro needs for proteins and fats; several body processes require fat, including nutrient absorption). I think of my protein and fats as minimum targets, and then let the rest fall where they may. That works for me.
You need to find what works for you.3 -
I just started tracking my food a couple of days ago. Consistently, I'm going over on my carb count but not eating all my calories. I'm 5 foot 1 and 154.2 pounds. I want to lose down to 110 so I'm going for 1,200 calories a day and a loss of 2 pounds a week.
I have a half cup of oatmeal with a tsp. each of raisins and crasins with a sprinkling of brown sugar and cinnamon for breakfast along with my coffee (whole milk, creamer). That gives me 50 carbs out of my daily goal of 60. Lunch today was a protein smoothie with milk, some chicken, and 1 cup of vegetable barley soup. That's 45 carbs. Dinner will be 1 cup of one of the Bird's Eye Protein Blends at 46 carbs. Snacks are two pieces of sugarfree gum and three mini bell peppers and 1 TBS of light ranch dressing. So I'll be over my carbs by 91 with only 1,055 calories eaten.
What can I do? I know oatmeal is good for you.....Everything else is where it should be - my sugar is over by 7 out of 52 total, and that seems to be coming from the whole milk. I used to drink skim, but then I read that whole milk is healthier.
What are you doing for exercise? I am working on some numbers for you and knowing your training would help.
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Gum isn't a snack.3
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There isn't anything inherently wrong with carbs...there are a lot of carbohydrates that are very healthful foods to eat...carbs aren't the devil...eat your carbs if you like your carbs.0
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saw this on dietdoctor.com. for strict low carb eat less than 20 grams of carbs. then eat 1 gr of protein for ever kilogram or GOAL weight, the rest is fat. I use MFP and adjusted my goals and put in my cals, then adjusted % carbs til i got to the number (or close) i wanted for carbs. Then put the number of proteins in as a percentage until you get close to the number you want. The rest is fats, adjust that percentage and on MFP it has to equal 100%
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I think you're making this way more complicated than it needs to be.
I always recommend paying attention to not more than three to four numbers, and you can be successful even if you just track one:
1. To lose weight, you only need to worry about one single number - total calories.
2. To help preserve muscle mass (in conjunction with resistance training), you might want to add a second number - make sure you get enough protein.
3. Beyond that, optionally choose other targets with consideration to your overall health:
* Are you prone to any kind of nutrient deficiency? If so, that should probably be a target.
* Are you hypertensive? Sodium and/or potassium might be a good choice for a target.
* Do you have gastrointestinal problems? Maybe track fiber.
* Do you have medical reasons to reduce sugar or carbohydrates? Those could be goals, too.
Don't eat food that "they say" is healthy. "They" are known idiots. Eat in a way that you not only tolerate but enjoy.4 -
rankinsect wrote: »I think you're making this way more complicated than it needs to be.
I always recommend paying attention to not more than three to four numbers, and you can be successful even if you just track one:
1. To lose weight, you only need to worry about one single number - total calories.
2. To help preserve muscle mass (in conjunction with resistance training), you might want to add a second number - make sure you get enough protein.
3. Beyond that, optionally choose other targets with consideration to your overall health:
* Are you prone to any kind of nutrient deficiency? If so, that should probably be a target.
* Are you hypertensive? Sodium and/or potassium might be a good choice for a target.
* Do you have gastrointestinal problems? Maybe track fiber.
* Do you have medical reasons to reduce sugar or carbohydrates? Those could be goals, too.
Don't eat food that "they say" is healthy. "They" are known idiots. Eat in a way that you not only tolerate but enjoy.rankinsect wrote: »I think you're making this way more complicated than it needs to be.
I always recommend paying attention to not more than three to four numbers, and you can be successful even if you just track one:
1. To lose weight, you only need to worry about one single number - total calories.
2. To help preserve muscle mass (in conjunction with resistance training), you might want to add a second number - make sure you get enough protein.
3. Beyond that, optionally choose other targets with consideration to your overall health:
* Are you prone to any kind of nutrient deficiency? If so, that should probably be a target.
* Are you hypertensive? Sodium and/or potassium might be a good choice for a target.
* Do you have gastrointestinal problems? Maybe track fiber.
* Do you have medical reasons to reduce sugar or carbohydrates? Those could be goals, too.
Don't eat food that "they say" is healthy. "They" are known idiots. Eat in a way that you not only tolerate but enjoy.
I am not disagreeing with you but he LCHF is an easy way to cut back on cals and not feel hungry0 -
billglitch wrote: »rankinsect wrote: »I think you're making this way more complicated than it needs to be.
I always recommend paying attention to not more than three to four numbers, and you can be successful even if you just track one:
1. To lose weight, you only need to worry about one single number - total calories.
2. To help preserve muscle mass (in conjunction with resistance training), you might want to add a second number - make sure you get enough protein.
3. Beyond that, optionally choose other targets with consideration to your overall health:
* Are you prone to any kind of nutrient deficiency? If so, that should probably be a target.
* Are you hypertensive? Sodium and/or potassium might be a good choice for a target.
* Do you have gastrointestinal problems? Maybe track fiber.
* Do you have medical reasons to reduce sugar or carbohydrates? Those could be goals, too.
Don't eat food that "they say" is healthy. "They" are known idiots. Eat in a way that you not only tolerate but enjoy.rankinsect wrote: »I think you're making this way more complicated than it needs to be.
I always recommend paying attention to not more than three to four numbers, and you can be successful even if you just track one:
1. To lose weight, you only need to worry about one single number - total calories.
2. To help preserve muscle mass (in conjunction with resistance training), you might want to add a second number - make sure you get enough protein.
3. Beyond that, optionally choose other targets with consideration to your overall health:
* Are you prone to any kind of nutrient deficiency? If so, that should probably be a target.
* Are you hypertensive? Sodium and/or potassium might be a good choice for a target.
* Do you have gastrointestinal problems? Maybe track fiber.
* Do you have medical reasons to reduce sugar or carbohydrates? Those could be goals, too.
Don't eat food that "they say" is healthy. "They" are known idiots. Eat in a way that you not only tolerate but enjoy.
I am not disagreeing with you but he LCHF is an easy way to cut back on cals and not feel hungry
Agreed as long as LCHF is enjoyable and tolerable to the OP...3 -
billglitch wrote: »rankinsect wrote: »I think you're making this way more complicated than it needs to be.
I always recommend paying attention to not more than three to four numbers, and you can be successful even if you just track one:
1. To lose weight, you only need to worry about one single number - total calories.
2. To help preserve muscle mass (in conjunction with resistance training), you might want to add a second number - make sure you get enough protein.
3. Beyond that, optionally choose other targets with consideration to your overall health:
* Are you prone to any kind of nutrient deficiency? If so, that should probably be a target.
* Are you hypertensive? Sodium and/or potassium might be a good choice for a target.
* Do you have gastrointestinal problems? Maybe track fiber.
* Do you have medical reasons to reduce sugar or carbohydrates? Those could be goals, too.
Don't eat food that "they say" is healthy. "They" are known idiots. Eat in a way that you not only tolerate but enjoy.rankinsect wrote: »I think you're making this way more complicated than it needs to be.
I always recommend paying attention to not more than three to four numbers, and you can be successful even if you just track one:
1. To lose weight, you only need to worry about one single number - total calories.
2. To help preserve muscle mass (in conjunction with resistance training), you might want to add a second number - make sure you get enough protein.
3. Beyond that, optionally choose other targets with consideration to your overall health:
* Are you prone to any kind of nutrient deficiency? If so, that should probably be a target.
* Are you hypertensive? Sodium and/or potassium might be a good choice for a target.
* Do you have gastrointestinal problems? Maybe track fiber.
* Do you have medical reasons to reduce sugar or carbohydrates? Those could be goals, too.
Don't eat food that "they say" is healthy. "They" are known idiots. Eat in a way that you not only tolerate but enjoy.
I am not disagreeing with you but he LCHF is an easy way to cut back on cals and not feel hungry
That's individual preference though. There are many people for whom LCHF doesn't work. OP, didn't have the intention of going LCHF, she was using the IIFYM macro calculator and this is what it gave her. If LCHF works for her, then great, but it doesn't sound like that's the case here.3 -
Never mind. Too tired for reading comp.1
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nutmegoreo wrote: »billglitch wrote: »rankinsect wrote: »I think you're making this way more complicated than it needs to be.
I always recommend paying attention to not more than three to four numbers, and you can be successful even if you just track one:
1. To lose weight, you only need to worry about one single number - total calories.
2. To help preserve muscle mass (in conjunction with resistance training), you might want to add a second number - make sure you get enough protein.
3. Beyond that, optionally choose other targets with consideration to your overall health:
* Are you prone to any kind of nutrient deficiency? If so, that should probably be a target.
* Are you hypertensive? Sodium and/or potassium might be a good choice for a target.
* Do you have gastrointestinal problems? Maybe track fiber.
* Do you have medical reasons to reduce sugar or carbohydrates? Those could be goals, too.
Don't eat food that "they say" is healthy. "They" are known idiots. Eat in a way that you not only tolerate but enjoy.rankinsect wrote: »I think you're making this way more complicated than it needs to be.
I always recommend paying attention to not more than three to four numbers, and you can be successful even if you just track one:
1. To lose weight, you only need to worry about one single number - total calories.
2. To help preserve muscle mass (in conjunction with resistance training), you might want to add a second number - make sure you get enough protein.
3. Beyond that, optionally choose other targets with consideration to your overall health:
* Are you prone to any kind of nutrient deficiency? If so, that should probably be a target.
* Are you hypertensive? Sodium and/or potassium might be a good choice for a target.
* Do you have gastrointestinal problems? Maybe track fiber.
* Do you have medical reasons to reduce sugar or carbohydrates? Those could be goals, too.
Don't eat food that "they say" is healthy. "They" are known idiots. Eat in a way that you not only tolerate but enjoy.
I am not disagreeing with you but he LCHF is an easy way to cut back on cals and not feel hungry
That's individual preference though. There are many people for whom LCHF doesn't work. OP, didn't have the intention of going LCHF, she was using the IIFYM macro calculator and this is what it gave her. If LCHF works for her, then great, but it doesn't sound like that's the case here.
Quite.
The default mfp carb % turned out to be higher than suits the way I eat to feel satisfied, but a simple removal of 10% from carbs and adding it onto fats did the trick. I left protein alone, as it was impossible to increase without eating more meat than I like or more dairy or eggs than I can tolerate.
Low carb all the time just leaves me with gut cramps. It doesn't suit everyone.0 -
You asked..so I am going to pick, what you described as, your regular diet apart. I am not trying to be mean, this is just to let you know a few alternatives. My husband is a type 1.5 diabetic so we understand carbs a little bit. The reason for eating fewer carbs is that your body will take the path of least resistance when burning calories. It is much easier to burn carbs for energy than fat or heaven forbid protein. So by limiting the number of carbs the body has access to it starts to use fat for fuel. (This is where we cheer because burning fat is the goal.) Your body needs carbs...just not as many as in the processed diets that most people have.
Oatmeal...Steel cut oats has fiber but not enough fiber to offset the carbs when trying to eat lower carb diet and you cannot add sugar to anything and make it healthier. Eat protein packed omelets for breakfast. You will have to be careful here...as you add more protein, you will naturally start adding calories. Count everything.
Raisins, Craisins - manufacturers dehydrate grapes and cranberries to condense the sugars...limit/lose them from your diet...might as well add candy to your breakfast. Literally, one little box of raisins 25g sugar, 1 pkg twix 28g sugar (34g/37g carbs respectively). Use hard nuts as filler/snack for protein and fiber. See more calories...count them.
Brown sugar and cinnamon - ok sugar is sugar no need to tell you to get rid of that, it is obvious. As I said, we do not advocate a sugar free diet but we try to reserve our grams of sugar for natural sugars from the source. i.e. fructose from eating the actual piece of fruit. (You can keep the cinnamon) For a healthier option try slicing an apple and sprinkling cinnamon on the slices and eating with a tsp of peanut butter. Adds fiber, natural sugar, protein and keeps the cinnamon for a treat.
Your coffee is your coffee...skim, whole, half-half...as long as you do not add sugar you should be fine unless you are drinking 3 pots a day.
Your protein smoothy...you didn't say what type of smoothy you are having, but with carbs like that, it has added sugar of some form (probably fruit or fruit juice). There are very good protein meal replacement shakes (not just added protein but look for one that also has vitamins and minerals that are very high in protein. The one we use has 25 g of protein and only 17 grams of carbs)
Your chicken is probably fine if grilled with herbs. Get creative with seasoning...that way you don't get ho-hum and resort to adding other...bad for you things. (avoid salts to prevent water retention).
Barley soup - bad soup choice for low carbs. Barley is high in carbs even if they claim to be "carb steady"... carbs are carbs and picking apart what type they are in general is a waste of time. Every type of carb reacts differently every time you eat it because not all variables can be taken into account. Simply read the label and look for total carbs. If your soup is from a can it can also have malts, gluten, and sugars added...all three can lead to spikes in blood sugar. The sodium levels in canned soup are through the roof and you can be undoing any good fat loss with water retention. If you need a can soup, because you are in a rush, look at the labels...study and compare them, soup is sneaky...ones that sound healthy are usually the worst for you if you read the label. (A brand named chicken and stars individual serving can seems to be the lowest carb). Read the label if you are using a low fat one because that is where they often replace fat with sugar and that can cause some problems.
Birds Eye Protein Blends - These meals use legumes and beans to up their protein content and fill the bag with cheap ingredients...unfortunately these foods come packed with carbs. You would be better off grilling a 6 oz steak and having a huge leafy green salad on the side.
You will have to very strictly read labels. Splash banners that say high protein, low sodium, healthy, low fat, all natural are just that, splash banners that try and get you to buy their product. Light and Lowfat are often keywords for "we added sugar so this doesn't taste like crap". Make sure you are comparing serving size to serving size. To maximize what looks like lower sugar content (or calorie content)...they also cut the serving size. Make sure you are comparing two tbls to two tbls of two dressings. Also ouryve is correct have the real stuff just lower the amount if you are having trouble with caloric intake.
Also know that while a report will give you numbers, your body doesn't read. You will have to adjust things, try things out and find what works for YOUR body. They tell me I can eat 100 carbs a day. If I ate that I would never lose weight. My report says I can eat 1500 calories, if I did that I would pack on the pounds. I eat 1050 calories a day and limit my carbs to a max of 50 per day. I cannot have any carbs after a certain time because I won't burn fat overnight. Those are just little nuances that I have found for me...I also find that I have to fluctuate my calories about once a month (feast/famine) to remind my body to process the fat. You will find yours too.
What often happens to someone who has been eating a carb heavy diet, that drops their carb intake to these low levels is something called the carb flu. It is the body adjusting to burning fats and kind of a withdrawal from sugar. If you start to feel like you have the flu and your doctor rules out actual flu, push through, it only lasts a couple of days and you will feel better in the end.
I hope this helps. I completely understand how all of the labels and lists of what is healthy and not healthy can be super frustrating. My husband, when he first was diagnosed with diabetes, had to eat low fat, low carb, no vit k diet. Try that one on for size, little to no meat, little to no carbs, few if any vegetables, no fruit. At that point I had to have the dietitian try and create a meal plan with those stipulations. When she couldn't I knew I would have to research what really worked for him.
Good luck on your weight loss.5 -
Wow! Thanks for all the helpful replies. I really appreciate it. I can't figure out how to respond to individual posts, but someone asked what I'm doing for exercise. I have mild spastic cerebral palsy and walk with a slight limp, so I'm trying to figure out what exercises will help and not hurt. If I walk a great deal at one time - like at a zoo or amusement park - my unaffected hip gets very sore and it takes a couple of days to recover. So right now I'm going to increase my walking....I did 5,000 steps yesterday.
When I was in college I was 110 pounds. I think that was a combination of a fast metabolism, an active lifestyle - I was doing Irish step dancing - and the fact that my body has to expend more energy just to move me around. When I hit my mid-20s I started to gain even though I was still pretty active - horseback riding, walking to and from work. According to the few studies that have been done, people with CP start to show the affects of aging sooner, so I speculate this was when my metabolism began to slow down and the aches started to appear.
Last fall, I used what's called the Dip Diet - the book is "Dr. Jen's Dip Diet" and lost 16 pounds without any additional exercise, just by basically going vegetarian plus cutting out bread and all sweets. I'm going to re-read the book so I can remember what sort of foods I was eating. I stopped because it got too expensive. I was spending $200 a pop at Wal-Mart just buying "healthy" food which was frustrating.
All that said, I want to get healthy not just to lose weight, but so I don't end up with a hip replacement and in a wheelchair by the time I'm 50. I'm hesitant to hire a personal trainer because very few studies have been done on older adults with CP. I don't expect they would know how to deal with all my unique challenges (I also have eye problems which prohibit me from lifting more than 10 pounds).
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Having a physical disability does tend to complicate matters, doesn't it?
Mine is eds/HMS which limits the exercise I can do safely. I can walk a reasonable distance but struggle with core strength and upper body strength due to joint instability and damage. I've looked at bodyweight exercises and there's very few I can do without hurting myself - I can't even lean up on my side in bed without days of shoulder and rib pain, for example. I've ordered some light resistance bands with the intention of using them to work on upper body strength - might be worth a shot for you.0 -
It sure does! And it's even more frustrating considering how active I used to be. I rode horses from middle school until after college when an eye hemorrhage made it too dangerous to continue in case of a head injury. Then, I discovered Irish step dancing - think "Riverdance". In three years my balance, posture and endurance improved so much it was amazing to everyone who knew me. I would dearly love to go back to it, but there are no classes nearby.
Thanks for the idea of resistance bands. I think they used those when I received PT as a toddler/child to attempt to stretch my tight leg muscles. I've found a gym in my town that offers a "free evaluation" and a trial seven-day membership. I *might* visit them and see what one of their personal trainers thinks. If I can get up the courage.
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billglitch wrote: »rankinsect wrote: »I think you're making this way more complicated than it needs to be.
I always recommend paying attention to not more than three to four numbers, and you can be successful even if you just track one:
1. To lose weight, you only need to worry about one single number - total calories.
2. To help preserve muscle mass (in conjunction with resistance training), you might want to add a second number - make sure you get enough protein.
3. Beyond that, optionally choose other targets with consideration to your overall health:
* Are you prone to any kind of nutrient deficiency? If so, that should probably be a target.
* Are you hypertensive? Sodium and/or potassium might be a good choice for a target.
* Do you have gastrointestinal problems? Maybe track fiber.
* Do you have medical reasons to reduce sugar or carbohydrates? Those could be goals, too.
Don't eat food that "they say" is healthy. "They" are known idiots. Eat in a way that you not only tolerate but enjoy.rankinsect wrote: »I think you're making this way more complicated than it needs to be.
I always recommend paying attention to not more than three to four numbers, and you can be successful even if you just track one:
1. To lose weight, you only need to worry about one single number - total calories.
2. To help preserve muscle mass (in conjunction with resistance training), you might want to add a second number - make sure you get enough protein.
3. Beyond that, optionally choose other targets with consideration to your overall health:
* Are you prone to any kind of nutrient deficiency? If so, that should probably be a target.
* Are you hypertensive? Sodium and/or potassium might be a good choice for a target.
* Do you have gastrointestinal problems? Maybe track fiber.
* Do you have medical reasons to reduce sugar or carbohydrates? Those could be goals, too.
Don't eat food that "they say" is healthy. "They" are known idiots. Eat in a way that you not only tolerate but enjoy.
I am not disagreeing with you but he LCHF is an easy way to cut back on cals and not feel hungry
Depends on the person. Doesn't work well for me at all - mainly because I can eat sausage and cheese in almost limitless quantities.
I find high protein foods to be filling, but I've never really found carbs less filling than fats. In fact pasta, baked potatoes, etc. are all very filling meals for me. I find a mix of all macronutrients with some emphasis on protein works best for me.
I also think hunger is only a portion of the drive to eat - cravings, preferences, and social events play a huge role, too. If we ate purely to satisfy hunger, we should be satisfied eating the same thing every day, but most people find that very undesirable. Changing the way one eats forever means needing to find a way of eating that meets all of our needs, not just addresses our hunger. Some people do great staying on LCHF for a lifetime. I couldn't make it more than about a month before I hated it.1 -
If you're over on carbs and under on calories, then you have to be low on at least one of your other macros. Eat more of that.0
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A couple of little tweaks I would suggest:
1) if you like having oatmeal everyday, but want more of your carbs for later, leave out the sugar and switch to a fruit with less sugar, for example, some blueberries. You can keep a bag in the freezer, and they'll thaw just fine with a rinse off and then in the hot oatmeal.
2) You can up the protein of your oatmeal by mixing in some whey protein powder. Experiment with the amount, because it does effect both consistency and taste. I find with the brand I use, that one scant scoop works (the normal serving to make a smoothie is 2 scoops)
3)If you're not particularly keen on oatmeal everyday (I have it 2-3 times per week) you can get more protein in other days with various egg things. Make ahead muffin fritattas are a good way to do this and retain the ease of oatmeal. I always add some Greek yogurt to my eggs: started it to add protein, but found I much prefer the flavor that way, too.
4) Oatmeal pancakes are a great way to have some change up and pack in more protein. I make a version that includes egg and pumpkin with a quarter cup oatmeal. I eat it with ham on the side and blueberries + sugar free syrup, and it makes an incredibly filling and "indulgent" sort of breakfast, though fewer carbs than a bowl of oatmeal + fruit. I could freeze the pancakes to make it a quicker deal, but instead, I just save it for weekends: for me, it's so perfectly balanced in carbs and protein that it carries me from a late breakfast to dinner with no problems, setting up a great weekend of eating right.
I know I'm not directly answering your question, but I hope it gives you some ideas of new things to try.0 -
Just keep your calories in check and eat the food that you like. You will lose weight, and you won't lose your mind.0
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