Finally got the courage need advice on what to eat please!!

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mcsalazar87
mcsalazar87 Posts: 1 Member
in Introduce Yourself
After 20 years of being over weight , now at my age of thirty I want to get in shape. I started with a personal trainer and voy is it killing me , but I refuse to give up . I'm having a lot of trouble on the food I should eat that's my biggest flaw, please help thank you in advance !!

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  • impyimpyaj
    impyimpyaj Posts: 1,073 Member
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    Your trainer should have some advice on foods to eat. A lot depends on what you're doing to work out as well as your dietary preferences and needs. Whole foods are better, so fruits and veggies, meats that aren't processed, and so on. Avoiding added sugar is generally a good idea, and it's always good to drink plenty of water.

    Check out the food and nutrition section of the forums here. You should find lots of good recipes and ideas that fit your needs. Welcome!
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    There aren't foods you should or shouldn't eat. Foods aren't bad or good by themselves. Start with what you're used to in smaller portions that fit your calorie goal and then go from there.
  • TheChubbyone4522
    TheChubbyone4522 Posts: 15 Member
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    Losing weight is first and foremost about being in a "caloric deficit" when you are eating less calories and burning them too any diet you do with end up with you being in a caloric deficit so my suggestion to you is to take away obvious unhealty things like fast food, crsips and candy and maybe try to cook at least ONE meal a day to unsure you know what's in it and plus cooking is fun as *kitten*. oh BTW if your trainer isn't helping you with you diet than your not getting moneys worth.

    P.S it's more bout your diet than working out. Working out and "not focusing on diet and focusing on working out is like having a car and focusing on the stereo and not having an engine"
  • TheChubbyone4522
    TheChubbyone4522 Posts: 15 Member
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    Oh and don't drink your calories cause it won't fill ya up
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    Courage should include confidence to make your own food choices, but you need knowledge to do that, so if you are totally clueless, the Harvard Healthy Eating Plate is a good place to begin. Your quest is one of taking personal responsibility, so I leave it to you to google it ;)
  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
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    Welcome to MFP! Here's some good threads to help you started up in here:

    A guide to get you started on your path to Sexypants

    So you're new here...

    Calorie Counting 101

    They're all a good read to get yourself going. If you want more of the good links, you can browse I like old posts and I cannot lie. It's filled with awesome non-woo threads that can help you with your goals. The threads about logging food accurately I found especially helpful when I started on mfp.
  • busyPK
    busyPK Posts: 3,788 Member
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    I agree with another poster, cut down on portion size. Look up recipes of foods you like and ways to make them lower in calories (Pinterest). Plan your meals ahead by logging them in your food diary to make sure you have enough calories for the whole day. Realize you can't be right on target every day, some might be over and some under, but know in the long run you should still see the scale move down slowly.
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
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    For a number of years, I've been working my way through a cookbook, one recipe at a time. (It's called 1000 Vegan Recipes and I'm maybe past the halfway point now). It's not a low-calorie cookbook, though most of the recipes are nutrient dense. And I decided I didn't want to skip over any high-cal recipes; I'd rather make them fit. So, over the last ten months, I've had a number of Asian noodle dishes. For one, I switched out rice noodles for shirataki because a single serving would've been over 800 calories otherwise and this pretty much chopped it in half. The others were made as-is. I've gone through the entire bean main dish section, everything from chili to stews to chickpea-bulger loaf to croquettes. This week I hit the grains section.

    Basically, if there's no medical restriction or allergy, you can eat what you want. You may not be able to eat it WHEN you want (if you want to stay within your calorie limit) or AS MUCH as you want (my bakery's cherry turnovers are 600 calories each. I don't have room for a whole one anymore). But no foods are forbidden.

    As long as you're in a calorie deficit, you will lose. Eating a varied diet rich in nutrients will help to ensure that you stay healthy and feel satiated as you do.
  • gamerbabe14
    gamerbabe14 Posts: 876 Member
    edited September 2017
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    I would really suggest investing in a $15 food scale. Eat all of the same foods you love today but within your calorie deficit. Weigh all of your food before eating.

    Then, I would suggest stop seeing your personal trainer if it is killing you. Exercise is not necessary for weight loss although it is great for you health. Find exercises that you enjoy: walking, tennis, hiking, yoga, etc.

    Losing weight does not require a gym membership.
  • cathipa
    cathipa Posts: 2,991 Member
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    Personal trainers should not be giving diet advice since this is typically out of their scope of practice. A calorie deficit is what is required for weight loss. No special foods to eat/avoid. That being said you will probably do better eating more whole foods vs fast/prepackaged foods. Let MFP calculate a reasonable calorie goal. Weigh your food. Log everything you consume. Use correct entries (no generic or homemade). Don't weigh yourself daily (typically once a week is adequate), however if you must know the number use a trend app like Libra or Happyscale. Have patience.
  • YosemiteSlamAK
    YosemiteSlamAK Posts: 1,230 Member
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    I am basically eating what I was eating before, I just learned to manage the portion sizes or found healthier ingredients to make the foods I love. My big offender was the sodium. I actually paid attention to the sodium in my food, then cut down on my sodium intake and it has made a world of difference.

    Not all trainers are educated to give nutrition advice. Some give advice blind, but typically the rule of thumb is don't offer services you don't have the certifications to support. Some gyms have a guidebook(s) that they use for every client, typically written by a registered Dietician or other food expert, that is monitored by the training staff. Those books can be great, but don't always account for everything (unique diseases, food allergies, cultural dietary restriction). Going beyond your scope as a "expert" can come back and bite you in the butt, for example- clients don't see results, they get sick, they have an allergic reaction, they aren't getting enough calories to support the output, you don't factor in their disease, you factor their disease in incorrectly, you prescribe something that does nothing more than empty their wallet (supplement or equipment) just to name a few.
  • LiveLoveFitFab
    LiveLoveFitFab Posts: 302 Member
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    Eat real food, mostly plants and healthy protein...not too much. I believe a wise man once said.
  • Treece68
    Treece68 Posts: 780 Member
    edited September 2017
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    Come close and listen you can eat what you want within your calories to lose weight it is all CICO. For health eat meat, vegetables, fruits, dairy etc. within your calories more than you would eat pizza, fries, sweets and you will lose weight. Losing at 1-2lbs a week will help you learn how to lose and keep the weight off it may take some time but set small goals and you win.
    Luck!
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    edited September 2017
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    gamerbabe14 wrote: »
    I would really suggest investing in a $15 food scale. Eat all of the same foods you love today but within your calorie deficit. Weigh all of your food before eating.

    Then, I would suggest stop seeing your personal trainer if it is killing you. Exercise is not necessary for weight loss although it is great for you health. Find exercises that you enjoy: walking, tennis, hiking, yoga, etc.

    Losing weight does not require a gym membership.

    Ditto to all of this!

    Good on you for deciding to make a change. IMHO, the "secret" to sticking to it for life is to make small changes that you do faithfully. As you seem to suggest with your "biggest flaw" description, weight loss is mostly about eating, not exercise. Eat the foods you like, but use that food scale to count every bite, lick, sip, and taste that goes into your mouth. It's easier to stick with a small deficit than a large one, so don't be too aggressive on a rate of loss. 1 pound/week is a really good rate of loss if you have >20 pounds to lose. Same with exercise -- do something you like that you actually look forward to doing!

    Losing weight is about enjoying your life more, not punishing yourself. Best to you!
  • angmarie28
    angmarie28 Posts: 2,799 Member
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    I tried the eat smaller portions thing, and it can work, but it was hard for me, I was always hungry, and left wanting more, I mean you are using up calories on foods that dont keep you full, so i try to eat a lot more vegetables, I do NOT cook with oil anymore, thats just a ton of unneeded calories. Like dinner Ill make like rice as a side and green beans, and whatever protein I made, Ill take half my nomal protein and half the rice I would usually take, and an extra scoop or 2 of the vegetables. I also like to snack on green beans, I buy the frozen ones and cook in a little water just til they are hot, but not soft or soggy, drain, ad a little smart balance spread, and salt, so good that way, and they curb my cravings for chips.

    If I just want to eat for the sake of eating, I eat sunflower seeds, or chew gum, and I also drink alot of water, its true that when you are starting to get dehydrated, you start to feel hungry.

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