Calorie break down
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psprowl1
Posts: 2 Member
Most of my calories are snacks which include fruit and nuts an occasional cookie. Should I be following MPG recommendations and eat more calories at meals?
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Replies
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What's MPG and what are they recommending?2
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I have no idea what MPG is outside of fuel efficiency.
You appear to be describing a diet low in protein. I'd suggest prioritizing protein in order to maintain whatever muscle mass you have in order to avoid long term health issues related to metabolic obesity.5 -
There is nothing inherently wrong with snacking. If you stay within your calorie goal, your weight will behave as expected, regardless of how many of your calories come from snacks. However, if most of your calories come from things typically considered “snack” foods, then you may not be getting enough protein and/or micronutrients.0
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Some days when I have a long work day, the largest "meal" in my diary is "afternoon snack." That's not a problem (but my snacks include things like greek yogurt, dried or deli meat, and cottage cheese, as well as fruit, nuts, and sweets).1
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Auto correct! My fitness pal MFP0
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whole foods, not snacks are the key. I've been reading up on how some calories, like carbs, are treated differently by the body (brain) than say protein.
For example, if you decide on a caloric goal of 1600 calories you can have 10 sodas (160 calories each, all sugar water!) or 5 servings of french fries or 30 cups of broccoli...the problem is with the soda pop one is that the brain recognizes the type of calories being consumed and starts a very bad process in your body which can ultimately lead to poor health (diabetes tops the list).
The adage "calories in, calories out" simply doesn't apply. You have to eat healthy to stay healthy.
To lose weight you really have to decrease simple carbs and increase protein. Cut out the cookies and try to stick to just one piece (or 1/2 cup if it's juice) of fruit a day, except berries, which you could have 2 or three servings.16 -
whole foods, not snacks are the key. I've been reading up on how some calories, like carbs, are treated differently by the body (brain) than say protein.
For example, if you decide on a caloric goal of 1600 calories you can have 10 sodas (160 calories each, all sugar water!) or 5 servings of french fries or 30 cups of broccoli...the problem is with the soda pop one is that the brain recognizes the type of calories being consumed and starts a very bad process in your body which can ultimately lead to poor health (diabetes tops the list).
The adage "calories in, calories out" simply doesn't apply. You have to eat healthy to stay healthy.
To lose weight you really have to decrease simple carbs and increase protein. Cut out the cookies and try to stick to just one piece (or 1/2 cup if it's juice) of fruit a day, except berries, which you could have 2 or three servings.
can you explain what the 'very bad process' is?8 -
whole foods, not snacks are the key. I've been reading up on how some calories, like carbs, are treated differently by the body (brain) than say protein.
For example, if you decide on a caloric goal of 1600 calories you can have 10 sodas (160 calories each, all sugar water!) or 5 servings of french fries or 30 cups of broccoli...the problem is with the soda pop one is that the brain recognizes the type of calories being consumed and starts a very bad process in your body which can ultimately lead to poor health (diabetes tops the list).
The adage "calories in, calories out" simply doesn't apply. You have to eat healthy to stay healthy.
To lose weight you really have to decrease simple carbs and increase protein. Cut out the cookies and try to stick to just one piece (or 1/2 cup if it's juice) of fruit a day, except berries, which you could have 2 or three servings.
In fact, calories in < calories out is the only thing that matters for weight loss.
No one thinks 10 sodas per day or 30 cups of broccoli is a nutritionally sound plan. What an odd thing to say.7 -
Most of my calories are snacks which include fruit and nuts an occasional cookie. Should I be following MPG recommendations and eat more calories at meals?
It really doesn't matter "when" you eat your calories. As long as you are hitting your calorie goal, you will lose weight. The thing with meal timing, macro goals, and individual types of food is compliance and satiety. Everyone finds different eating schedules and types of foods filling.
Are you saying you are eating less calories than MFP gives you? If so, whether or not that's a problem depends on what your goal is, what your stats are, and how much of a deficit you are aiming for.
There is nothing wrong with eating fruits, nuts, and the occasional cookie. If anything, I'd suggest making sure you are getting enough protein. Protein can help you feel full, is the building block of a lot of the stuff in your body, and can be low in snack foods.7 -
whole foods, not snacks are the key. I've been reading up on how some calories, like carbs, are treated differently by the body (brain) than say protein.
For example, if you decide on a caloric goal of 1600 calories you can have 10 sodas (160 calories each, all sugar water!) or 5 servings of french fries or 30 cups of broccoli...the problem is with the soda pop one is that the brain recognizes the type of calories being consumed and starts a very bad process in your body which can ultimately lead to poor health (diabetes tops the list).
The adage "calories in, calories out" simply doesn't apply. You have to eat healthy to stay healthy.
To lose weight you really have to decrease simple carbs and increase protein. Cut out the cookies and try to stick to just one piece (or 1/2 cup if it's juice) of fruit a day, except berries, which you could have 2 or three servings.
Who is eating 30 cups of broccoli a day?
Weight loss is created by a calorie deficit. You can create one while still eating simple carbohydrates.5 -
When I first started logging, most of my daily calories came from snacks. Now, I log my snacks according to the time of day and find it to be helpful.
For example, if I grab a handful of walnuts at 2pm, I’ll log it as part of my lunch. This helps me to see that I am in fact eating 3 solid “meals” per day.
So some of my meals are actually several snacks eaten over the course of a few hours, but by allocating the calories to specific meals helps me to stay within my calorie limit.1 -
whole foods, not snacks are the key. I've been reading up on how some calories, like carbs, are treated differently by the body (brain) than say protein.
For example, if you decide on a caloric goal of 1600 calories you can have 10 sodas (160 calories each, all sugar water!) or 5 servings of french fries or 30 cups of broccoli...the problem is with the soda pop one is that the brain recognizes the type of calories being consumed and starts a very bad process in your body which can ultimately lead to poor health (diabetes tops the list).
The adage "calories in, calories out" simply doesn't apply. You have to eat healthy to stay healthy.
To lose weight you really have to decrease simple carbs and increase protein. Cut out the cookies and try to stick to just one piece (or 1/2 cup if it's juice) of fruit a day, except berries, which you could have 2 or three servings.
I eat a relatively high carb diet. I have sweets, including cookies, every day. I do not eat an especially high amount of protein, and in fact often did not meet my protein goal while I was losing weight (I’m now working on that). Yet I managed to lose 100 pounds, have been maintaining for over a year, and have not developed diabetes or any other health problems. In fact, I was able to stop taking all of my prescriptions because I lost weight and began exercising.6
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