Diet Advice?

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JakeGuentzel
JakeGuentzel Posts: 4 Member
edited October 2018 in Food and Nutrition
Hey all, been using MFP since about 2012, gone through multiple accounts, tried losing weight countless times (best I've done is lost ~25lbs then gave up).

Anyways, I'm taking it seriously this go around, and need some advice concerning my diet. I'm currently a 6'0", ~230lbs Male and have been sticking to this diet for about a month now (down 15 pounds from my 245lb starting point):

Meal 1:
3 scrambled eggs (215cals)
4 slices of turkey bacon (140cals) - Isn't healthy at all, but it's so good
3-4 large mushrooms (~15cals)

Meal 2:
~2cups of frozen veggies (microwaved, ~180cals)
One chicken breast (~360cals)

Meal 3:
1/2 can of light tuna (60cals)
2 slices of Dempster's 100% whole wheat bread (180cals)

Meal 4:
3cups of whole grain pasta (500cals)
1cup of Ragu pasta sauce (140cals)

Snack:
Banana or Apple a couple hours before bed (~100cals)

Total Calories: 1800-1900

I know pasta is incredibly high in carbs, so any alternatives to Meal 4 would be nice (thinking of doing whole grain rice instead).

I know next to nothing about good diet foods, other than calorie amounts, so ALL help is appreciated.

Replies

  • marieamethyst
    marieamethyst Posts: 869 Member
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    I agree, I'd worry less about diet foods and more about trying to fit the foods you do enjoy into your calorie goal so it's sustainable long term instead of continuing to cycle through attempts at "dieting". :)
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    edited October 2018
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    The trick is to find a way to balance foods you enjoy eating (both the food item AND the quantity of the food) with staying at/under/near your calorie goal consistently over long periods of time. Everyone will do that slightly differently (or dramatically differently, in some cases)... and none are more "right" than others.

    Foods you enjoy that work for your diet and for you goals may or may not be the same as foods I like that work for my diet and my goals. Not only is that OK, it's to be expected.

    So when choosing foods, there isn't really right foods or wrong foods. There are foods that help you stay on track and foods that don't. Pick the foods that do, avoid the ones that don't. That's really the gist of it all. It can take some practice and some trial and error to find your groove, but be patient and stick with it.
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
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    I'm with the others on it sounding rather boring. If you enjoy it, that's all that matters. Right now I'm going through a feta and balsamic vinegar phase for adding flavour, but salsa is another great way to spice things up (as well as spices themselves, lemon juice, garlic, etc). As for the carbs, I wouldn't worry about them unless they are crowding out other nutrition, such as getting enough fat and enough protein.
  • JakeGuentzel
    JakeGuentzel Posts: 4 Member
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    Thanks for all the replies guys - and I actually really like the food I'm eating haha, it's not the exact same every day but this is basically what it consists of most of the week.

    1800-1900cals is more than enough to fuel me, I'd probably feel fine with 1,200 but I feel that's way too low for my current height/weight, I don't want to lose too much too soon.

    I guess I'm all good then? That's perfect :)

  • etguillemette
    etguillemette Posts: 16 Member
    edited October 2018
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    When you eat the same thing every day, there's a large risk that your diet will have nutritional gaps and redundancies. I ran your listed foods through a spreadsheet I’ve made, and here are a few key takeaways:
    • Meal 1 needs more fiber. Looks like you’re got 0g in the morning. Overall fiber is pretty good at 32g though.
    • You’re really low (less than 40% daily value) on vitamin E, and K. Pretty low (50%ish) on Calcium, Folate, Magnesium, Thiamin and Folate. You’re a bit low (75%ish) on potassium and vitamin C. Note however that because you’re really high on sodium, you’re able to use even less of that potassium.

    Recommendations:
    • Eat 1 less slice of bacon and 1 less scrambled egg in the morning, and substitute it with a bit (8 oz) of plain greek yogurt, some almonds (15ish) and a glass of almond milk. That’ll hit your calcium goal and get you closer to your folate daily value.
    • Eat some spinach-based salad with various other (non-starchy) vegetables like cucumbers, peppers and carrots. Negligible calories, but the spinach will max you out on vitamin K and C. I’d get rid of the mixed microwaved vegies to be honest. Lots of sodium, and likely some degradation of vitamins.
    • For pasta substitutions, I’d go with bulgur. A lot of bang for your buck nutritionally speaking, and super quick and easy to prepare (pour boiling water over bulgur, cover, then ready-to-eat in 10 minutes). Add in some black beans, and you’ll hit your daily value on potassium, folate, magnesium, thiamin. Add in half an avocado, and you’re getting a grab-bag of nutrients that will give you some nutritional wiggle room.
    • Instead of the banana, go with blackberries or raspberries (1.5 cup). Super nutritious fruit. Close to the same amount of potassium as a banana, but more fiber and other various nutrients. Also loaded with Vitamin K, one of your weak spots.
    • If you remove 1 slice bacon, 1 egg, the mixed veggies, pasta/ragu and banana, then add the yogurt, almond milk, almonds, salad, bulgur, beans, avocado and berries, you’re looking at about 1780 calories. If 1900 calories is working for you, then throw in ~120 calories of your choice. Personally? I’d go with a glass of scotch, but that’s just me.

    Disclaimer: I over-analyze things and you probably don't literally need 100% of every nutrient, but I would definitely say that more potassium and less sodium is pretty important. Also, I'm biased towards high fiber diet, and if you end up taking my advice, drink a lot of water.
  • JakeGuentzel
    JakeGuentzel Posts: 4 Member
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    @etguillemette Thank you for such a detailed reply! I'll look into all those options :)
  • etguillemette
    etguillemette Posts: 16 Member
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    JakeGuentzel wrote: »
    @etguillemette Thank you for such a detailed reply! I'll look into all those options :)

    No problem! But take everything I say with a grain of salt. I edited my post with a disclaimer, as I tend to way over-analyze things (100% DV on everything probably isn't necessary), but my philosophy is that everything can be improved.
  • JakeGuentzel
    JakeGuentzel Posts: 4 Member
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    etguillemette wrote: »
    JakeGuentzel wrote: »
    @etguillemette Thank you for such a detailed reply! I'll look into all those options :)

    No problem! But take everything I say with a grain of salt. I edited my post with a disclaimer, as I tend to way over-analyze things (100% DV on everything probably isn't necessary), but my philosophy is that everything can be improved.

    Your philosophy is correct
  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
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    Sounds boring. You’re covering your vitamin needs and all that, but yawn..... I’d maybe skip the pasta, and certainly lower that sauce....how about a chicken breast with a bit of that sauce and a little fresh mozzarella on it, or some pesto? Maybe instead of the bedtime fruit, have some veggies...jicama sticks are nice...or a hard boiled egg, or a mini-size granola bar, or a square of dark chocolate. Same calories, more fun. Have some berries at breakfast, make a stir-fry with lots of veggies for lunch....have some fun and play with your food!
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
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    JakeGuentzel wrote: »
    Thanks for all the replies guys - and I actually really like the food I'm eating haha, it's not the exact same every day but this is basically what it consists of most of the week.

    1800-1900cals is more than enough to fuel me, I'd probably feel fine with 1,200 but I feel that's way too low for my current height/weight, I don't want to lose too much too soon.

    I guess I'm all good then? That's perfect :)

    If you like it, I don't see a problem. You might want to play around with foods a bit. In my opinion, while you are losing is the best time to explore how you might maintain. Obviously fewer calories than you will maintain with, but things like fitting in meals out, fitting in treats once in a while.

    The only other comment I have would be to evaluate if your current calorie amount is appropriate. During the first month, I would expect a bigger drop in weight, but as you get closer to goal, that should slow down. About 1% of your body weight per week. More than that and a greater percentage of your losses could be coming from muscle mass. We've seen it here time and again where someone has taken on an aggressive loss and were very displeased with their results. Keeping the muscle is much easier than trying to build it later. Basically, as you progress, if you are losing more than that 1%, consider increasing your calories each day.
  • Cbean08
    Cbean08 Posts: 1,092 Member
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    I also like to eat very similar foods. However, I've been trying to include more variety and I had a lot of success in the past when I followed exchanges.

    1 protein = 30-40 calories
    1 fat = 45-50 calories
    1 carb/starch= 80-100 calories
    1 veg = 30 calories
    1 fruit = 60-100 calories

    And then each day I got a certain number of exchanges and I could just plug in the proper serving of whatever food. Some days I make choices that were slightly lower in calories and some days they were slightly higher. Overall, everything balanced out.

    My current meal plan would be about 2500 cals
    16 proteins
    12 fats
    10 starches
    4 veg
    2 fruit

    Maybe this will help you incorporate some other items. Chicken could be switched to a turkey burger. Eggs could be cottage cheese. Toast could be rice. Pasta could be a pita bread and some crackers. Tuna could be ground beef. Make a list of other food you like and see where it could fit.
  • lalalacroix
    lalalacroix Posts: 834 Member
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    I think what works is a diet one can stick with, so if you like this then great. My only comment is that this seems really low on fat. Personally very low fat makes me really cranky and makes me crave everything. I'd probably add some butter, evoo or cheese into the day, but then again that's what works for me.

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