Am I Being Unhealthy (Rate My Diet)
griefburrito
Posts: 2 Member
Hey everyone!
I'm new here but have been using the app for a while. I'm just looking for some advice regarding nutrition as I feel like I'm flitting back and to on different trends and there's so much information out there!
Basically I used to be reasonably large and have lost weight as I grew up however due to being stupid in youth I just starved myself... This resulted in me losing a lot of muscle and keeping the fat so I guess I'm what people would call "skinny fat". This is only made worse by being 6"3 so I looked super skinny! Just for a guide my weight hovers between 10.5 stone and 11 stone.
I've been working out pretty much every week with weights and walking a few miles a day while eating a surplus to try and build some muscle which worked reasonably well for a while and I definitely notice a little difference. In regards to what I've been eating I feel like I'm being unhealthy even though I'm following "healthy advice" but I'm sure if this is just a fear of getting fat again!
Here's what I've been eating:
Morning -
Lunchtime
Snack
Dinner
If more protein is needed
This is the average of what I'm eating currently, I use plenty of spices and herbs to mix up the flavours and overall I'm happy with the variety but I guess I'm just looking for pointers. Although I've seen many places online that "100% peanut butter" is heart healthy I'm aware that is high in calories. Is that shake okay to have everyday? I've been having one every day and am starting to worry I've made some terrible mistake and have been clogging my arteries over the past year
Thanks for taking the time to read this, I really appreciate any advice!
H
I'm new here but have been using the app for a while. I'm just looking for some advice regarding nutrition as I feel like I'm flitting back and to on different trends and there's so much information out there!
Basically I used to be reasonably large and have lost weight as I grew up however due to being stupid in youth I just starved myself... This resulted in me losing a lot of muscle and keeping the fat so I guess I'm what people would call "skinny fat". This is only made worse by being 6"3 so I looked super skinny! Just for a guide my weight hovers between 10.5 stone and 11 stone.
I've been working out pretty much every week with weights and walking a few miles a day while eating a surplus to try and build some muscle which worked reasonably well for a while and I definitely notice a little difference. In regards to what I've been eating I feel like I'm being unhealthy even though I'm following "healthy advice" but I'm sure if this is just a fear of getting fat again!
Here's what I've been eating:
Morning -
- Black coffee (no sugar)
- Protein Shake - 1 cup of unsweetened Oat Milk, 1 banana, 20g natural peanut butter, 5g Chia Seeds, 20g Hemp Protein, 5g Raw Cacao Powder, 30g Rolled Oats.
Lunchtime
- 2 roasted chicken breasts, 4 cherry tomatoes, 100g broccoli, 100g sweetpotato, 1 spring onion
Snack
- Apple or Clementine
- 160g unsweetened Skyr, 10g Hemp Protein, 20g Rolled Oats, 15g Walnuts
Dinner
- 2 roasted chicken breasts or 250g mince beef or pork. 1 cup of brown rice, half a pepper, 4 mushrooms
If more protein is needed
- 2 eggs scrambled, dash of semi skimmed milk
This is the average of what I'm eating currently, I use plenty of spices and herbs to mix up the flavours and overall I'm happy with the variety but I guess I'm just looking for pointers. Although I've seen many places online that "100% peanut butter" is heart healthy I'm aware that is high in calories. Is that shake okay to have everyday? I've been having one every day and am starting to worry I've made some terrible mistake and have been clogging my arteries over the past year
Thanks for taking the time to read this, I really appreciate any advice!
H
4
Replies
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Peanut butter contains healthy fats. I put one tablespoon in my protein shake.3
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Speaking of clogged arteries... you do need healthy fats, especially Omega-3 for heart and neuro health. See that you get some fatty fish in your diet or supplement.4
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@griefburrito This is such a subjective question. My healthy lifestyle is the very different from yours. There is a variety of expert opinions and advice. I use data and strategies to give me feedback on the results of my daily efforts and reflect on improvements. Do the research, trust yourself, experiment and release what isn't working for you. Wishing you the best of health!1
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@griefburrito
The above example is pretty good. Running this through a nutrient tracker gives me a deficiency in Folate, Vit D, E and Calcium, as well as a big surplus of cholesterol, manganese and niacin (B3). Generally speaking, this is a pretty balanced diet, and you can certainly use this long term. Your macros splits are around equal (30-35% each), your calories around 2750 with all options.
Try to squeeze in some unsweetened almond milk, lentils/beans and some more broccoli to fill the blind spots. And consider taking a Vit D. supplement (1000IU is always a good idea, especially if the climate where you live is not very sunny).2 -
Thank you for the replies guys, I do really appreciate the feedback!
I did forget to add that sometimes I do throw in other things obviously like spinach and chickpeas.
In regards to vitamin supplements I have started taking an all in one in the mornings too, which if I'm honest I do feel better for! Whether it's placebo or not I'm fine with it. I live in the North of England Dante so yes a lack of sunshine is common so I do try to get Vit D where I can!
I do eat Salmon reasonably frequently where I can too Mithridites but it hasn't been as common recently because of cost.
Dante, was it the eggs that was giving that cholesterol height? As far as I'd heard there was no proof that eating 2-3 eggs per day was bad for you? I'll definitely try to mix it up to get some more Folate etc like you suggested. Hopefully my multi VIT now covers that!
So I'm okay to continue with the morning shakes do you think? It feels like a treat that's to good to be true haha.
H5 -
The shakes are totally fine, and they actually sound delicious too!!
With regards to cholesterol, here is the breakdown.
Don't worry too much about it though. Most recent research shows that the link between dietary and blood cholesterol is a lot thinner than we thought it'd be. If you don't see any problems in your blood exams, keep doing what you are doing.
What multi are you taking? Have in mind that it might put you way over in some nutrients. We generally don't need to use multi-vitamins, unless our nutrition is very unbalanced. Yours isn't, and targeting specific deficiencies would make more sense, tbh.5 -
griefburrito wrote: »Thank you for the replies guys, I do really appreciate the feedback!
I did forget to add that sometimes I do throw in other things obviously like spinach and chickpeas.
In regards to vitamin supplements I have started taking an all in one in the mornings too, which if I'm honest I do feel better for! Whether it's placebo or not I'm fine with it. I live in the North of England Dante so yes a lack of sunshine is common so I do try to get Vit D where I can!
I do eat Salmon reasonably frequently where I can too Mithridites but it hasn't been as common recently because of cost.
Dante, was it the eggs that was giving that cholesterol height? As far as I'd heard there was no proof that eating 2-3 eggs per day was bad for you? I'll definitely try to mix it up to get some more Folate etc like you suggested. Hopefully my multi VIT now covers that!
So I'm okay to continue with the morning shakes do you think? It feels like a treat that's to good to be true haha.
H
Keep in mind that "surplus" doesn't necessarily mean bad. For example, my tracking shows I have a surplus of vitamin A regularly, mostly because I eat a lot of vegetables. I know from research that this is not the type of surplus that is associated with a risk of harm, so I can ignore it. If I was coming up short on other nutrients, a surplus might help me identify things I could eat *less* of so that I could get more of what I wasn't getting enough of . . . but otherwise, surpluses of certain things are benign and just part of a normal diet (there are obviously things that you DON'T want to have a surplus of because they are associated with a risk of harm).5 -
It's fine to have a surplus of water-soluble vitamins (like C) in your diet - you just pee out the excess. It's the fat soluble ones you have to avoid overdoing. Read the label carefully on your multivitamin and decide if it's giving you the things you're short on. It most certainly won't have Omega-3. @Dante_80 What are you using for tracking nutrients?3
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Mithridites wrote: »@Dante_80 What are you using for tracking nutrients?
A professional NAS suite called Nutritics. I don't want to get flagged for advertising though (especially since I'm not even affiliated in any way with it, my nutritionist was simply nice enough to grant me limited access).
For personal use I utilize a tracker like MFP (called Cronometer)
3 -
Thanks @Dante_80
I may look into it. I've been wishing MFP tracked a wider array of nutrients.4 -
griefburrito wrote: »Hey everyone!
I'm new here but have been using the app for a while. I'm just looking for some advice regarding nutrition as I feel like I'm flitting back and to on different trends and there's so much information out there!
Basically I used to be reasonably large and have lost weight as I grew up however due to being stupid in youth I just starved myself... This resulted in me losing a lot of muscle and keeping the fat so I guess I'm what people would call "skinny fat". This is only made worse by being 6"3 so I looked super skinny! Just for a guide my weight hovers between 10.5 stone and 11 stone.
I've been working out pretty much every week with weights and walking a few miles a day while eating a surplus to try and build some muscle which worked reasonably well for a while and I definitely notice a little difference. In regards to what I've been eating I feel like I'm being unhealthy even though I'm following "healthy advice" but I'm sure if this is just a fear of getting fat again!
Here's what I've been eating:
Morning -- Black coffee (no sugar)
- Protein Shake - 1 cup of unsweetened Oat Milk, 1 banana, 20g natural peanut butter, 5g Chia Seeds, 20g Hemp Protein, 5g Raw Cacao Powder, 30g Rolled Oats.
Lunchtime- 2 roasted chicken breasts, 4 cherry tomatoes, 100g broccoli, 100g sweetpotato, 1 spring onion
Snack- Apple or Clementine
- 160g unsweetened Skyr, 10g Hemp Protein, 20g Rolled Oats, 15g Walnuts
Dinner- 2 roasted chicken breasts or 250g mince beef or pork. 1 cup of brown rice, half a pepper, 4 mushrooms
If more protein is needed- 2 eggs scrambled, dash of semi skimmed milk
This is the average of what I'm eating currently, I use plenty of spices and herbs to mix up the flavours and overall I'm happy with the variety but I guess I'm just looking for pointers. Although I've seen many places online that "100% peanut butter" is heart healthy I'm aware that is high in calories. Is that shake okay to have everyday? I've been having one every day and am starting to worry I've made some terrible mistake and have been clogging my arteries over the past year
Thanks for taking the time to read this, I really appreciate any advice!
H
Don't overthink it. You're doing fine. Train smart, eat well, rest, recover and repeat.
3 -
If you want to learn more about how to eat well and nutrition in general, check out Harvard School of Public Health's Nutrition Source, especially their "Healthy Eating Plate." https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/0
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Mithridites wrote: »Speaking of clogged arteries... you do need healthy fats, especially Omega-3 for heart and neuro health. See that you get some fatty fish in your diet or supplement.
fish are not the only food source of omega-3s.4 -
There are three ω-3 PUFAs. ALA, EPA, and DHA. ALA is mainly found in plant oils, and the other two are commonly found in marine oils. The fish themselves don't produce EPA and PHA PUFAs, they take it from phytoplankton and marine algae.
Our body can synthesize EPA and DHA using ALA, but has no way to make ALA. However, the ability to make the longer-chain omega−3 fatty acids from ALA may be impaired in aging, so for some people marine oils (via fish) are essential.2 -
There are three ω-3 PUFAs. ALA, EPA, and DHA. ALA is mainly found in plant oils, and the other two are commonly found in marine oils. The fish themselves don't produce EPA and PHA PUFAs, they take it from phytoplankton and marine algae.
Our body can synthesize EPA and DHA using ALA, but has no way to make ALA. However, the ability to make the longer-chain omega−3 fatty acids from ALA may be impaired in aging, so for some people marine oils (via fish) are essential.
Algae oil is a way to supplement DHA and EPA. As a vegan that is what I use6 -
That is correct, I forgot about them and was wrong. As I said, the fish themselves don't produce EPA and PHA PUFAs, they take it from phytoplankton and marine algae.
So, going to the source would be even better!4 -
You could get powdered peanut butter. I also wonder about adding more fruits and veges?1
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The answer is that yes your could be being unhealthy but it has nothing to do with your diet. Some fear is a good thing. Too much will drive you crazy and especially with the concept of healthy eating. There are just too many opinions these days about what that should mean. They almost all, imo, do not take into account that the human body is pretty flexible with how it gets nutrition.
My fear with you is that you overdid your weight loss and now you are taking that aggressive mindset in a new direction.
If you are not getting bad news from your doctor and can moderate it then eat a burger and some fries. You do not need to live a stark existence. You do need to do what is right most of the time and if you are actively trying to build muscle you need to be doing largely what you are doing You are not an Olympic athlete though so allow yourself to be normal.
All or nothing is not a good place to live for most of us.5 -
There are three ω-3 PUFAs. ALA, EPA, and DHA. ALA is mainly found in plant oils, and the other two are commonly found in marine oils. The fish themselves don't produce EPA and PHA PUFAs, they take it from phytoplankton and marine algae.
Our body can synthesize EPA and DHA using ALA, but has no way to make ALA. However, the ability to make the longer-chain omega−3 fatty acids from ALA may be impaired in aging, so for some people marine oils (via fish) are essential.
The fish oils aren't essential, we can get them from algae like the fish do.
Edit: Never mind, I see this was already noted by someone else.1 -
Your diet looks very good to me. It's similar to how I eat. There is almost no processed foods and no added sugars. Plus you are getting healthy whole grains and protein sources. I eat a bit more plant foods than you do (mostly fruits), but still, it looks great to me.
For what it's worth, I've been eating this way for most of this year. I once had a doctor tell me I will have to take cholesterol medicine the rest of my life. I got my blood work done a few weeks ago (new doctor), and not only did everything come back normal, but I was removed from all medications. And I'm in my early 50s. The only deficiency from blood work was vitamin D. So, after you eat this way for a while, let your doctor and test results be the best guide. If this way of eating is new, you may be surprised at how well your test results come back.
But, from what I can see, your diet looks very good. There are small tweaks you can make such as avoiding burnt meat, getting more fish, using unsweetened peanut butter, etc... But those are small tweaks.
One tip: your smoothie/shake looks great! I eat a similar one, but I add 1 cup of frozen organic blueberries. Blueberries are a super food, and it adds plenty of flavor as well. Banana + blueberries + peanut butter = awesomeness.2 -
People are shocked at how I eat. High sodium (no heart or blood pressure issues), lots of processed, fried foods, candy, ice cream and fast food thrown in once in awhile. I do eat whole foods and make sure to meet my macro/micro nutrient needs and am healthier than a lot of 30 year olds.
Health ISN'T just about food. And you can eat perfectly "clean" and still be unhealthy. I'd rather eat what I like to and just make sure that I stay within the parameters needed for macro/micro nutrient needs.
But that said, I'd only eat what you do above IF I was prepping for a bodybuilding competition. And I hated prep.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
1
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