Problems, hardships, and issues.
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I won't weigh-in on the "good carbs vs bad carbs" topic, I think most people know where I probably stand with that lol. That is to say, carbs are not necessarily "bad" buuuuut they are also not entirely "good", yes, even the complex carbs. My carbs come mostly from vegetables (and my Biotin supplements), if you look through my diary I have very very very little sugar.
As for "good" meats... I would not go so far as to label red meat as a "bad"meat. Red meat has its own nutritional value. This assumption goes back to the notion that "fat = bad" (if you're actually curious about this, I can go into it further but for the sake of not getting too preachy I'll assume people have done the research on this.) The bottom line here is: many of the studies that label red meat to be associated with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, etc. are *observational* studies. I.e studies that cannot prove causation but rather correlation. I would not let this mentality cloud your judgement of what you consider to be good vs bad.
There are a lot of myths surrounding fats (saturated, unsaturated, etc). The main reason one might "prefer" lean protein is if they struggle with staying in caloric deficit, as certain cuts of meat have more fat, and fat is more calorically dense. Then by all means, have your fill of chicken breasts. One caveat to the whole red-meat-is-bad ideology is: make sure you are buying your red meats (well this applies to most food really not just protein) from a good source. Quality in not equal everywhere. A LOT of processed food exists even in items you may not consider, chicken is a huge culprit for this. Try to aim for grass-fed organic, depending on your country's food standards, this usually means the animals have not been given hormones and the meat is not altered with chemicals. There is an extreme difference in the physiological effects of processed vs unprocessed meat. Don't just assume a certain protein is healthier for you just because it is "white", you should be more concerned with what is actually IN what you're consuming.
All in all, what you eat is personal preference and what you feel works for your body and your mental health (willpower, energy level, etc). I'll just end this by saying: your healthcare professional will be able to weigh-in on whether or not your body has specific dietary needs or restrictions. Just don't dismiss certain foods because of what you've heard all your life regarding what is healthy. In the end its about being mindful and considerate of what you put inside your body.
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It was never my intention to state that red meats were "bad", hence my use of quotations. I was just explaining that most people recommend lean meats.
And I don't believe fats are bad at all! Just that red meats generally have more fat.
As for carbs, if you're not on a low to no carb diet, eating them in moderation is perfectly fine. There are plenty of nutritious carby foods that'll give you energy. Complex carbs are preferred because they siphon into your body slower, avoiding spikes, and take longer to turn into fat. I also have very little sugar, mostly getting it from the occasional banana or morning oatmeal. I don't eat sugary snacks, and it is extremely rare that I ever have dessert.
But carbs aren't *necessary*, I'd agree. Plenty of people do perfectly fine getting their energy from fats (Keto). However, if you're someone who doesn't overeat on carbs, I don't really know why you couldn't say they are good?
It is absolutely about what works for each individual. You don't have to eat lean meat over red meat. You can eat carbs, or not eat carbs. Just make sure to log and try to hit your goals. Once again I will state that I'm not a nutritionist. If they say something that contradicts what I've said, ignore me 100%.0 -
Thank you everyone! I was saved on the birthday cake and ice cream last night lol. We are celebrating on Sunday during Easter when everyone is home. As far as the pizza, I did English ton pizzas. English muffins with a little sauce and a little cheese. Saved me from going overboard with a big sheet sitting in the house with leftovers. I was kind of down and out of it yesterday because of that scale so I didn't do any workouts (still got 2 10 minute games of basketball with the kids, nothing huge but a few calories burned along with my 10,000 step goal).
As far as nutrition and carbs and meats, thank you all for your input! I go see a nutritionist on 4/26 and hopefully she can help tailor my diet a little better because it's still new to me. Everything you guys said was very helpful. For now, I think I will stick with the chicken and fish (thankfully I really don't care too much for hamburger). I guess it's important to listen to my body and make sure that my body is getting what it needs when it "craves" a certain food (other than sugar which honestly, I'm not craving processed sugars). I did notice that the bottled water I was drinking had sodium in it! So I switched my bottles of water to something with no sodium.
Being healthy can be so overwhelming. But thank you all! And thank you for the happy birthdays! Have a blessed day!1 -
Ahhhh I forgot to say happy birthday!!!1
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When the rest of your message gets deleted because you used an iPhone emoji on accident. ^^" Stick with your changes and you'll see tons of progress before you know it
don't let one day of not working out or a scale get you down, just keep on keeping on 1 -
Sodium is fine as long as you don't have blood pressure issues. Drink enough water. If you have extremely higher sodium days, it can lead to the scale not "cooperating" but then again that's retaining water and not actual fat gain (assuming youve been eating at a deficit. That said...Sodium is not evil though.0
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3 weeks and no loss - no gain, but no loss. Struggling to drink my water and I think that is part of my problem. Also, our weight loss challenge at work is over - I don't have that motivation factor or accountability any longer. I have to rely on my own motivation.1
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Water intake is my issue. I drink coffee in the morning. Love unsweetened plain ice tea in the afternoon. Can ice tea count as water?0
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I think if it's just tea and water with nothing else added, it's not really different than flavoring your water to help get more down!0
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I've been told that liquid is liquid, even it's its sweetened. It's still pretty much water, and iced tea is pretty much just flavored water and not any different than if someone put crystal lite into their water. It doesn't matter if its sweetened or not - it still counts as liquid. You could actually dump a Tbsp of sugar into a glass of water and it would still count as your water intake.
The point is to increase your hydration - most people put a huge focus on water, thinking it has to be only water, but that's simply not true. Most drinks available are mostly water anyway. The reason you want to steer clear of sweetened drinks isn't because it doesn't count as liquid intake but because the added sugar has calories and counts toward your calorie limit, not to mention the health consequences of the added sugar. You don't want to drink a huge chunk of your calories. And a lot of studies are starting to point to bad effects of artificial sweeteners, too and their part in obesity, so it's just a plain good idea to limit the sweet stuff no matter whether its natural or artificial.
So health experts point people to water because its healthy and calorie free and because being properly hydrated is good for your body and in helping you control hunger cravings. But that's not to say that it HAS to be water. Coffee, tea, bai fruity drinks and other liquids absolutely count toward your water intake during the day - believe it or not, even soda pop counts, actually (you want to limit pop because of all the chemicals and additives in it that is harmful to your health, and because of the sweeteners in it, but it still is mostly water.) Several recent studies have linked tea and even coffee to positive health effects, and the diuretic effect of caffeine is actually mild, so caffeinated drinks do still count toward your hydration goals. The thing is, for some people, too much caffeine can cause migraines and have other effects, so know yourself and what you can tolerate.
Here's a link from the mayo clinic:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/caffeinated-drinks/faq-20057965
For me, I absolutely count my coffee and tea intake. I usually have 1 Bai bubbles drink a day and 1 bai bottled drink - that's 27 oz of liquid and only about 15 calories. I limit myself to one 16 oz cup of coffee a morning if I just must have a caffeine hit because I can't drink coffee black - I can't stand it that way!, and I drink probably 32 to 48 oz a day of unsweetened black tea - I can drink a half gallon of unsweet black tea in a day if it's fresh. In fact, I probably only drink about 16 to 32 oz of strictly water in a day. I'm learning to recognize the signs my body gives me on when I am not hydrated enough, but I've also seen that it doesn't matter whether its strictly water or not; I just need liquid.3 -
I personally do not count my coffee or the rare Zevia I have, towards my water intake. I choose to focus on strictly water intake for two main reasons: 1) my OCD takes comfort in the fact that I am well hydrated without any additives. And 2) I know how I feel when I haven't had at least my standard 3L, I can always tell and my body feels it. Of course this is is strictly anecdotal, but the importance of water intake is often overlooked. Sure you can count any liquid towards your hydration goals but not all liquids are created equal. So I guess it's a personal decision: if you're someone who struggles with drinking water, it's better to get hydration in you in any form you can versus not at all.3
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Thanks everyone on your input. I think I will not count my coffee because I put sugar and skim milk in it. But my ice tea in the afternoon I will count. It's unsweet and brewed from black tea and with lots of ice. I'm now starting the day with a big glass of water, so I am improving the water intake. I guess it's all a work in progress.0
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I can tell that I'm not hydrated enough when my lips get dry and chapped. But in many cases, plain water doesn't quench my thirst - I'll drink a bottle and it leaves me dry mouthed. So then I'll reach for a tea and that does the trick. Sometimes, its the other way around. So I count my coffee and my tea and my bottle of Bai each day - and as long as my lips don't get chapped, I know I'm doing good
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I drink a lot of sparkling water with ice ... that is what takes away the thirst ... regular water I need to learn to like it and need it ... improving but should drink more.0
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I am the same way as @anna4anna.. I only count water that I drink due to my excessive OCD. If it were any liquid...geez i'd log 4 gallons on weekends on when i drink beers...and that is a liquid, but definitely not 'water'.2
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I also only log my water for that reason. I'm hesitant to log other things because the water I take is meant to hydrate and cleanse. Other drinks might add more stuff. That's how my mind sees it anyway. I've also found it easier to enjoy water simply by changing what I drink it out of. I got one of those 32 oz bottles with the straws that fold in and out and I can drink half of it without realizing!0
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I'm really struggling with emotional eating. I plan my day out, leaving myself with a little wiggle room in my calories and I end up eating all kinds of crap in the evenings after a long day. I need to figure out how to stop. And soon.0
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I'm really struggling with emotional eating. I plan my day out, leaving myself with a little wiggle room in my calories and I end up eating all kinds of crap in the evenings after a long day. I need to figure out how to stop. And soon.
Consider reducing you loss target, till you feel satiated and can stick with your meal plan - dieting is admittadly hard BUT shouldn't feel like self-torture. You could also experiment with your macros, maybe add more fat and protein. I've had to give up most processed carbs.
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also, perhaps you can lower your calorie consumption during the day to give you some extra calories of an evening for when you know your willpower is the weakest. I do this as I'm the same way; the desire to snack and eat are strongest at the end of the day, so I'll have a smaller breakfast and lunch and limit my snacks during the day to make sure I have extra calories of an evening.
Are you able to go through your cupboards and throw out the stuff that is tempting you? I know that's not always possible when you live with other people, but if you're alone, its a good idea to remove the items that are tripping you up, and replace them with healthier, lower calorie snacks, like berries or other fruit or veggies and the like. If you are living with others, perhaps they'd be willing to either not keep the certain items that tempt you around, or take them to their room or another location not as easily accessible by you? Such as stashing their snacks in their desk drawer, or filing cabinet, or such?
As a last resort, you can also try pushing those foods to the back of the fridge or cupboard and bring the healthier items to the front, though I know that if you're living with someone else, it may be hard for this one to work as they may pull them back out.
You may be able to try grabbing a glass of water when the craving hits or perhaps go for a quick walk or find an activity you like to distract you. Another trick I use is gum - especially at work. sugar free gum gives me the chewing sensation and some flavor, so it helps, and even better, if its a strong, mint flavor, it will ruin the taste of other foods you eat after chewing it. You could also try brushing your teeth for the same effect.
Just some suggestions! Hope they help!0 -
Oh, and if the emotions you are dealing with are negative ones, I'd also suggest finding something to help lift your spirits and help you feel better. Laughter really is good medicine!
Some suggestions would be prayer or relaxation, focusing on activities that bring you pleasure or a sense of accomplishment, avoiding stressers such as the news (if the news brings you down, it might be best to avoid it) or abrasive social media. You could watch a funny or uplifting movie or video - find cute videos of kids or pets or whatever (just don't read the comments below!), or play a game you enjoy, call up a good friend to chat, go for a walk in a place that helps lift you up - that either energizes you and makes you feel better or that helps relax and calm you.
Or read a book to escape reality for a while or put on your favorite music.0
