I eat a 2000kcals diet and want to eat clean but can I treat myself ? !
dlp97dlp
Posts: 24 Member
Hello all, I am new here and just looking for some general advice.
6ft 1 - 20 years old and weigh 11st -lightly active mainly walking.
Just over a year ago my diet consisted of Microwave Burgers, eating whole family slabs of chocolate maybe twice a week, Pizzas etc... I ate nothing nutritious as such, lack of fibre, protein and good fats. My metabolism is high but I started to put on weight and soon became a little overweight.
Now I eat on a regular basis Low GI carbs;
Oats in the morning , for lunch rice / pasta / seeded bread, quinoa and other pulses to get plenty of fibre and tend to choose chicken or tuna. In the evening just a well balanced meal maybe spaghetti bolognese or lasagne, casseroles etc...
My only worry is there is a history of heart problem and stroke on one side of the family from my grandparents but I believe this to be the result of a diet very high in red meat, dairy - lots of butter, lard and the like. My cholesterol level has never been high as far as I know.
I guess my main objective is to not consume too much sugar and not too much saturated fat from red meat, dairy but not cutting it out completely?
After all that my main question - providing I am under my rough guide of 2000kcals can I still treat myself to cakes like millefeuilles or sponge cake occasionally as although I want to eat clean it would seem overkill to avoid them completely.
Just some general advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks
6ft 1 - 20 years old and weigh 11st -lightly active mainly walking.
Just over a year ago my diet consisted of Microwave Burgers, eating whole family slabs of chocolate maybe twice a week, Pizzas etc... I ate nothing nutritious as such, lack of fibre, protein and good fats. My metabolism is high but I started to put on weight and soon became a little overweight.
Now I eat on a regular basis Low GI carbs;
Oats in the morning , for lunch rice / pasta / seeded bread, quinoa and other pulses to get plenty of fibre and tend to choose chicken or tuna. In the evening just a well balanced meal maybe spaghetti bolognese or lasagne, casseroles etc...
My only worry is there is a history of heart problem and stroke on one side of the family from my grandparents but I believe this to be the result of a diet very high in red meat, dairy - lots of butter, lard and the like. My cholesterol level has never been high as far as I know.
I guess my main objective is to not consume too much sugar and not too much saturated fat from red meat, dairy but not cutting it out completely?
After all that my main question - providing I am under my rough guide of 2000kcals can I still treat myself to cakes like millefeuilles or sponge cake occasionally as although I want to eat clean it would seem overkill to avoid them completely.
Just some general advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks
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Replies
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Well - be prepared, using the word "clean" in the title is going to bring a number of questions and likely to take this thread into a debate... but I can appreciate your sincere question and so I'll try to start the discussion on a positive note.
First - what does "eat clean" mean to you? That word means something different to just about everyone who uses it, some people think it sounds simple and everyone should know what they mean, but after spending years on these forums I can tell you it doesn't.
What you describe, about changing your prior eating habits to one that focuses more on low GI carbs and a balanced diet that encourages fiber, protein, while minimizing sugar and saturated fats sounds sensible and a good goal to focus on. That said, I think the crux of your question, about whether you can still incorporate treats in or does it negate the "clean eating" approach is the heart of why I , and so many others, really don't care for the label of "clean eating" because it sets unrealistic expectations.
If you are eating an overall balanced, primarily nutrient dense diet - there's absolutely nothing wrong with continuing to eat cake on occasion, or pizza in moderation, or burgers or chocolate, or whatever you fancy. That's how many of us eat, a flexible diet with a focus on nutrition but allowing for treats in moderation. That enables a person to achieve their weight loss goals, improve overall health markers, and allow for the foods you enjoy to help keep you motivated and on track.
Good luck, enjoy the treats and your new healthy lifestyle, and buckle up for how the rest of this thread is going to go.16 -
Yes, and I'd say a balanced diet with no restrictions (with the exception of foods that you may allergic or intolerant too) is healthier (especially mentally) than being completely restrictive. In my opinion, "Clean" is a pointless explanation of a diet as what constitutes clean is completely individual.2
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There are no rules other than those you set for yourself. No clean eating police that will come and chastise you for eating a treat. If it were me, I'd include treats.7
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Hello @dlp97dlp At 6'1" and 11 st, and doing a bit of math, I see a tall, slim, quite healthy young man of 154 lb.
Are you really sure that this isn't some sort of self image problem that you call yourself 'overweight'?
I'm 5'10" and the middle of the 'healthy' BMI for a male my height is 160 lb. That you are taller and think a lower weight is overweight is a unique personal view, not a population statistical view.
ETA, I don't know what you think a 'treat' is, but for me it's ice cream, cookies, chocolate, cakes, and pies. My progress ticker today says I've lost 100 lb.6 -
Just make room to treat yourself & don't overdo it! Just be mindful of serving size or just build it in to your daily calorie goals. Or have a cheat now & then 0
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6ft1 and 11 stone is nowhere near overweight so i am hoping you are trying to maintain or gain some weight now?
there's nothing wrong with the odd cake. you don't mention eating any fruit or veg though?1 -
Your goals towards making better dietary choices are admirable. I do hope you're eating some vegetables and fruit - you didn't mention them. Don't shy away from healthy sources of fat like avocados, olive oil, and nuts. They are good for you and necessary for proper hormone function.
Having said that, yes, it's quite alright to have the occasional cake, burger, pizza, chocolate. Just fit it into your calorie goals. Life is too short to live without ice cream!1 -
2000 cals is very low for a tall and young male!
(For comparison I'm 57, 5'9" and maintaining on about 3000 cals during the warmer months and 2500 during winter when my activity & exercise drops.)
With a family history of heart disease and strokes think you should work a bit more on your fitness rather than just "mostly walking". Building a good CV base now will come very easily for you and be a lifelong benefit.
Don't understand why you think low GI carbs are necessarily better or something to focus on. Do you have a health condition where that might be (slightly) helpful? A focus on the nutrition rather than the glycaemic index would be better IMHO.
Unless you eat a meal consisting of one ingredient after fasting GI pretty irrelevant without a health concern.
Do applaud you for thinking of your long term health at your age - just don't let that concern tip over into unnecessary restrictions including restricting your enjoyment of food.
All food has nutrition in varying degrees and something "unhealthy" doesn't cancel out an overall "healthy" diet.5 -
2000 cals is very low for a tall and young male!
(For comparison I'm 57, 5'9" and maintaining on about 3000 cals during the warmer months and 2500 during winter when my activity & exercise drops.)
With a family history of heart disease and strokes think you should work a bit more on your fitness rather than just "mostly walking". Building a good CV base now will come very easily for you and be a lifelong benefit.
Don't understand why you think low GI carbs are necessarily better or something to focus on. Do you have a health condition where that might be (slightly) helpful? A focus on the nutrition rather than the glycaemic index would be better IMHO.
Unless you eat a meal consisting of one ingredient after fasting GI pretty irrelevant without a health concern.
Do applaud you for thinking of your long term health at your age - just don't let that concern tip over into unnecessary restrictions including restricting your enjoyment of food.
All food has nutrition in varying degrees and something "unhealthy" doesn't cancel out an overall "healthy" diet.
This is all very true. Don't shy away from a perfectly nutritious food like the potato because of its supposedly high GI. Potatoes are something that a lot of people find very filling, they contain a lot of potassium, they're brilliant paired with protein and veg, and the GI impact of them is mitigated when they're in a full meal.4 -
Yes, you can treat yoursel,f once in a whileAfter all that my main question - providing I am under my rough guide of 2000kcals can I still treat myself to cakes like millefeuilles or sponge cake occasionally as although I want to eat clean it would seem overkill to avoid them completely.
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Hello all, I am new here and just looking for some general advice.
6ft 1 - 20 years old and weigh 11st -lightly active mainly walking.
Thanks
You're in the prime testosterone years of your life - speaking for myself, if I was 20 again I'd get on the protein and lifting heavy weights. I'm bookish by nature and didn't think much of physical culture until I hit my thirties and realized how great being in shape is. I'm doing well now too but I think back to how things could have been if I took advantage of my early-twenties biochemistry.1 -
JeromeBarry1 wrote: »Hello @dlp97dlp At 6'1" and 11 st, and doing a bit of math, I see a tall, slim, quite healthy young man of 154 lb.
Are you really sure that this isn't some sort of self image problem that you call yourself 'overweight'?
I'm 5'10" and the middle of the 'healthy' BMI for a male my height is 160 lb. That you are taller and think a lower weight is overweight is a unique personal view, not a population statistical view.
ETA, I don't know what you think a 'treat' is, but for me it's ice cream, cookies, chocolate, cakes, and pies. My progress ticker today says I've lost 100 lb.
Hiya - thanks for the response. I was nearly 15 stone probably 2 years ago but now I am around 11 and feel healthier than I did before.0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »6ft1 and 11 stone is nowhere near overweight so i am hoping you are trying to maintain or gain some weight now?
there's nothing wrong with the odd cake. you don't mention eating any fruit or veg though?
Sorry - I could have worded it better. I must add I was nearly 15 stone two years ago, although I didn't look it something just clicked when I weighed myself and thought I need to improve my diet somewhat as it was hardly nutritious. I eat plenty of veg throughout the week, mainly in one pot meals with chicken or if I have rice I mix in some peas and sweetcorn to it that sort of thing.0 -
2000 cals is very low for a tall and young male!
(For comparison I'm 57, 5'9" and maintaining on about 3000 cals during the warmer months and 2500 during winter when my activity & exercise drops.)
With a family history of heart disease and strokes think you should work a bit more on your fitness rather than just "mostly walking". Building a good CV base now will come very easily for you and be a lifelong benefit.
Don't understand why you think low GI carbs are necessarily better or something to focus on. Do you have a health condition where that might be (slightly) helpful? A focus on the nutrition rather than the glycaemic index would be better IMHO.
Unless you eat a meal consisting of one ingredient after fasting GI pretty irrelevant without a health concern.
Do applaud you for thinking of your long term health at your age - just don't let that concern tip over into unnecessary restrictions including restricting your enjoyment of food.
All food has nutrition in varying degrees and something "unhealthy" doesn't cancel out an overall "healthy" diet.
My grandparents on one side are in their mid 80s , one had a heart problem about 12 years ago and the other a stroke a year ago so it's not a problem they had in their 60s but more recently - what down to i don't know but they do eat a diet high in bacon, butter, lard, sausages - historically members of the family have lived quite long into their late 80s.
My weight has been stable for a while now since bringing it down from 15 stone but if I did more exercise then certainly I would eat more and I have no problem in changing it or modifying it. I have always preferred a seeded multigrain loaf to a white loaf and I actually like the nutty taste wholegrain rice gives but white basmati to me is fine. Pasta, I just eat standard pasta as I don't think there is much difference between the two. When I have rice I have quite allot for lunch - about 250g of cooked rice, similar with pasta, potatoes - generally for all carbs I eat its 70-80g of carbs per meal - I don't know if that's too much in one sitting but I do pair them with protein.
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GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »Your goals towards making better dietary choices are admirable. I do hope you're eating some vegetables and fruit - you didn't mention them. Don't shy away from healthy sources of fat like avocados, olive oil, and nuts. They are good for you and necessary for proper hormone function.
Having said that, yes, it's quite alright to have the occasional cake, burger, pizza, chocolate. Just fit it into your calorie goals. Life is too short to live without ice cream!
I have a question to ask - when I have lunch or dinner I tend to go for allot of rice, pasta or potatoes - probably 70-90 grams worth of carbs. Alway's paired with good fats or protein though as I have never snacked much - I just generally enjoy large meals and look forward to them. Is that too many carbs in one sitting?
I am going on holiday in two weeks and plan to indulge in buffets and lots of foods / treats for 4 / 5 days. I don't eat too much refined sugar at all. I never have really its been more the consumption of bad fats, processed food.
Now if I cook baby potatoes or roast potatoes I do them in olive oil, my oats in the morning with flaked almonds / seeds and blueberries. Not tried avocado yet!0 -
2000 cals is very low for a tall and young male!
(For comparison I'm 57, 5'9" and maintaining on about 3000 cals during the warmer months and 2500 during winter when my activity & exercise drops.)
With a family history of heart disease and strokes think you should work a bit more on your fitness rather than just "mostly walking". Building a good CV base now will come very easily for you and be a lifelong benefit.
Don't understand why you think low GI carbs are necessarily better or something to focus on. Do you have a health condition where that might be (slightly) helpful? A focus on the nutrition rather than the glycaemic index would be better IMHO.
Unless you eat a meal consisting of one ingredient after fasting GI pretty irrelevant without a health concern.
Do applaud you for thinking of your long term health at your age - just don't let that concern tip over into unnecessary restrictions including restricting your enjoyment of food.
All food has nutrition in varying degrees and something "unhealthy" doesn't cancel out an overall "healthy" diet.
My grandparents on one side are in their mid 80s , one had a heart problem about 12 years ago and the other a stroke a year ago so it's not a problem they had in their 60s but more recently - what down to i don't know but they do eat a diet high in bacon, butter, lard, sausages - historically members of the family have lived quite long into their late 80s.
My weight has been stable for a while now since bringing it down from 15 stone but if I did more exercise then certainly I would eat more and I have no problem in changing it or modifying it. I have always preferred a seeded multigrain loaf to a white loaf and I actually like the nutty taste wholegrain rice gives but white basmati to me is fine. Pasta, I just eat standard pasta as I don't think there is much difference between the two. When I have rice I have quite allot for lunch - about 250g of cooked rice, similar with pasta, potatoes - generally for all carbs I eat its 70-80g of carbs per meal - I don't know if that's too much in one sitting but I do pair them with protein.
Why is any amount of carbs too many?
If it's not causing you to exceed your calorie allowance or crowd out other aspects of your diet then what's the problem?
Unless you have a health condition that makes you restrict carbs there's zero reason for you to eat, or to restrict, like a person who does have that health condition.
If you want an extreme example.... When I'm doing a long distance cycle I'm eating the maximum amount of carbs that I can consume and digest. That's about 90g an hour, for hour after hour, a rate that's actually restricted because I'm exercising hard.
Context is important, you aren't an 80 year old with a medical condition - which may or may not be attributed to their diet anyway.1 -
GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »Your goals towards making better dietary choices are admirable. I do hope you're eating some vegetables and fruit - you didn't mention them. Don't shy away from healthy sources of fat like avocados, olive oil, and nuts. They are good for you and necessary for proper hormone function.
Having said that, yes, it's quite alright to have the occasional cake, burger, pizza, chocolate. Just fit it into your calorie goals. Life is too short to live without ice cream!
I have a question to ask - when I have lunch or dinner I tend to go for allot of rice, pasta or potatoes - probably 70-90 grams worth of carbs. Alway's paired with good fats or protein though as I have never snacked much - I just generally enjoy large meals and look forward to them. Is that too many carbs in one sitting?
I am going on holiday in two weeks and plan to indulge in buffets and lots of foods / treats for 4 / 5 days. I don't eat too much refined sugar at all. I never have really its been more the consumption of bad fats, processed food.
Now if I cook baby potatoes or roast potatoes I do them in olive oil, my oats in the morning with flaked almonds / seeds and blueberries. Not tried avocado yet!
Some of the healthiest populations in the world eat diets rich in carbohydrates.
I'm glad to hear you're eating nuts and using olive oil.
Now how about some vegetables?0
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