Newbie - Confused and in need of advice

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kimmie790
kimmie790 Posts: 26
in Introduce Yourself
Hi Guys,

New to this site and loving what I'e seen so far.
I've been given conflicting info about calories / exercise etc....And would appreciate any help going.
My main problem appers to be I cant eat enough calories. Bread,pasta and potatoes tend to give me a bad tum so I tend to stick to meat and veg.

I'm reasonably active, riding and walking / running so happily building up my fitness - Stopping smoking has helped a LOT!!

Any advice would be greatly received!!! Getting a bit down in the dumps as my weight just isn't moving.

Thanks x

Replies

  • amfaery
    amfaery Posts: 267 Member
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    Add some fruit? Gluten free stuff?
  • chorgi
    chorgi Posts: 221
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    Just believe in yourself and keep trying! :) You'll get there. There are tons of people on here that can give advice on which ever diet/lifestyle you feel drawn to.
  • karenzephyr
    karenzephyr Posts: 33
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    nuts. peanut butter, rice...
  • emmieb10
    emmieb10 Posts: 7 Member
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    I've found that peanut butter (all natural) and Greek yogurt keep me full for a while. Also eggs - really anything that has lots of protein in it - these tend to be things that have good amounts of good-for-you calories. I always eat breakfast and that helps with making sure my calorie count is at or slightly above where I need to be each day (depending on my exercise for that day).

    Good luck to you and welcome! You're in the right place - lots of nice people on here for the same reason you are, so everyone is super motivating. =)
  • JulieBoBoo
    JulieBoBoo Posts: 642
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    Add nuts, olive oil, legumes (chick peas, lentils, beans), sunflower seeds, Greek yogurt, avocados to your menu. They're high in calories, high in fat (but the good kind), full of protein and generally just good for you.
  • Xaspar
    Xaspar Posts: 726 Member
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    what about nuts (almonds, pecans, hazelnut), sweet potatoes, sunflower seeds, yogurts?

    You don't have to have crappy carbs to get enough calories. There are plenty of good, and good for you options. Use real versions and not diet versions of foods. I don't eat 'diet' anything and have a fairly consistent caloric intake. I do eat a slice of bread or a tortilla or something because I don't have the same issues. But there are weeks when I don't have anything of the sort. (Hate going to the grocery store and eat everything in the house down to next to nothing before I go shopping)

    I even make room in my daily calories for an ice cream for dessert every day. Sometimes it is only a 70 calorie creamsicle, sometimes it is a serving of Ben and Jerry's whatever makes me happy that day.

    Don't give up. Try looking for less processed options and see what you can come up with. I can't see your diary, you have it set to private, so I can't give you much more specific advice and don't even know if you aren't already trying the things I have suggested.

    Anyway, keep your spirits up and hopefully there are some other good suggestions coming too.
  • amuhlou
    amuhlou Posts: 693 Member
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    do rice & legumes upset your stomach? add the veg you normally eat to lentils & rice or beans & rice and you will have a really filling meal.
  • mjenson17
    mjenson17 Posts: 13 Member
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    Good job on getting started. Sounds like you are getting some good protein with the meats and veggies. If bread carbs are hard on you, you could try more carbs from fruit. They digest well. Otherwise I don't know if you've tried couscous or quinoa, or barley. I seem to do better on these.
    Sounds like you are doing well with activities as well. Try to incorporate weight lifting and strength training. Strengthening muscles actually burns calories and increases your metabolism faster than running or biking. You'll see results even if your weight doesn't go down as well since your muscles will tone.
    Good luck!

    It's all about mixing things up and trying new things. You're changing your lifestyle for the better and that's awesome!
  • AdAstra47
    AdAstra47 Posts: 823 Member
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    Well, the reason you get conflicting information is because, no matter what anyone tells you, there is NO one-size-fits-all solution. Everyone's body is different. Some people's metabolisms are more efficient than others. Some are better at processing carbs or fat than others. Everyone will want to help, and will share what worked for them. But don't feel badly if a solution that someone else swears by doesn't work for you. Your body may just be built differently. It's a learning process, you have to try lots of things until you figure out what works for you. I have friends who are perfectly healthy on a vegan diet, and others who are perfectly healthy on the paleo system.

    With that said: there are a few basic facts of biochemistry that are true for everyone. You need energy (calories) to run your body's systems, and you have two ways to get it: eat & burn carbohydrates for quick bursts of energy, or burn fat & protein for slow, steady energy. From what you said about breads & potatoes giving you a bad turn, it sounds to me like your body does better when it burns the fat/protein rather than the carbs. So I'd say, listen to your body and go with that.

    Remember that the chemical reaction that burns fatty acids for energy also requires amino acids. And it gets those amino acids from protein. So it's important to eat plenty of protein. If you don't eat it, your body will harvest it from your muscles instead. MFP tends to set the carbs high and the protein low; most people I know have tweaked the percentages quite a bit. On my doctor's recommendation, I eat 5% carbs, 30% fat, 65% protein. That works out to 350g protein a day. So as you can see, it's really hard to "overdose" on protein. Just experiment and find the levels that work best for you.

    So if you're having trouble eating enough calories, try high-protein snacks like hard-boiled eggs, cheese cubes, beef jerky, nuts, or find a good no-carb protein drink powder.

    Congratulations on quitting smoking, that's tough! Good luck to you!
  • kimmie790
    kimmie790 Posts: 26
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    Thanks so much for your advice. I'm now in the kitchen with Almonds!!!
    Is my profile now public? Just changed my settings......
  • Xaspar
    Xaspar Posts: 726 Member
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    Yes, It's public now ...
    :-)
  • tristahenry
    tristahenry Posts: 175
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    I just checked out your diary and I would suggest you beef up breakfast a little, if you can stomach it. Also, add a few more healthy snacks in there. You are so active, which is wonderful but I'm not noticing any intentional "fuel" before a workout. What works for me, about an hour before a good work out, I eat a snack that will give me enough fuel to get me through (my fave is an apple with a handful of nuts or almond butter). Also remember you don't have to eat back all your exercise calories, not doing so is what helps you lose weight. I think you're doing fabulous and making amazing food choices and staying active which is so important. Just tweek it a little here and there and you'll be just fine. Great job!

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