What is the biggest issue in my diet?

ppaliwa
ppaliwa Posts: 9 Member
edited April 2022 in Food and Nutrition
I weigh almost 300 pounds and I am trying to lose weight and be healthier.

Here is what I ate today. I would say it is a pretty standard representation for how most of my days go. (Although, sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and binge a bunch of junk food, which contributes to weight gain.)

Is there anything that jumps out to you? Something that I'm very clearing lacking in my diet, or something I am eating too much of?

Breakfast (8am)
- Eggs (2 or so)
- Cappuccino (about 380 calories)

Lunch
- Medium-sized salad (w/about 2 tablespoons of ceasar dressing) (romaine lettuce, cheddar cheese, turkey, corn, croutons)
- Chocolate soy milk drink (140 calories)

Bonus:
- Half a glass of lemonade (was kind of forced upon me lol)

Dinner (about 11pm)
- Canned pasta with tomato sauce (about 500 calories)

Post-dinner food (2am)
- Vegetable soup (150 calories)

I also had about 2-3 bottles of water throughout the day.

I know it's not enough food if I were to eat like this every day. But whenever I can manage to eat less, I take advantage of it.

Thank you for your perspectives :)
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Replies

  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,778 Member
    Depending on how much turkey and cheese was in your salad, it looks like you might be low on protein.

    And I don't see healthy fats anywhere either: plant based oils, nuts, avocado, fat fish,...

    PS: it would be a lot easier if we could look at your diary directly (you can temporarily open your diary in the settings) to see more precise numbers.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,904 Member
    What Lietchi said above.
    How many calories are these? As a wild guess I'd say it's not much more than 1500. With your weight you might be able to eat more than that if it's really this low. Are you male or female, btw? Getting good nutrition is important for health, but eating enough is also important, mostly for keeping up the weightloss. Too little and you might just crave in, binge, give up.
  • ppaliwa
    ppaliwa Posts: 9 Member
    I meant to say Frappuccino - One of those very sugary Starbucks drinks. 380 just for the Frappuccino, not including the eggs. I was craving it as a treat.

    I haven't been recording my food or calories and just quickly typed this up at the end of the day, but I will consider tracking more in-depth for a while to get more data.

    I am female and 5"0'

    I don't have a calorie goal, and right now I am really trying to just eat less in general but without the stress of calculating how much exactly I am eating in every bite. I keep a mental note of roughly how many calories I'm eating and making sure it's less than 2,000/day. But it seems I am being too careful and should probably make a point of eating a little more.

    Thank you so much for the help. I will try to eat more healthy fats, protein, and vegetables. Though I am not much a fan of fruit - is a banana in the morning every other day enough?
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,778 Member
    You don't need to eat fruit if you don't want to, just vegetables is fine.

    That being said, if you have cravings for sugar (like that frappucino), eating fruit might help alleviate those.
  • ilariadm1
    ilariadm1 Posts: 13 Member
    It jumps out to me that this is a lot of processed food!
    I personally eat a lot more than this, I have at least 1 snack in the morning and 2 in the afternoon, I also binge sometimes but I noticed I have less cravings when eating less sugars and store-bought food.
    Try to pay attention at what you eat, I don't know you or your habits and I understand not everyone has a lot of time to cook their own food, but preparing meals by yourself is a great starting point.
    Eggs in the morning are great, try to sneak in some veggies or fruit or some bread, to keep you fuller.
    For your salad, try a healthier version: some bread instead of croutons (which are usually fried), grilled chicken or some chickpeas instead of processed turkey, parmesan cheese instead of cheddar or no cheese at all.
    As an Italian, canned pasta is a stab in my heart haha so if you really want pasta, try to cook it yourself, it's the easiest in the world and you have more control on the ingredients! A portion of boiled pasta with fresh tomato sauce (you just prepare it simmering some tomato sauce with good olive oil, salt and pepper) is way healthier and better in taste.
    Last but not least, I agree with cutting liquid calories, it's ok if once or twice a week you treat yourself to a frappuccino or another drink, but 3 in the same day (frappuccino+soy drink+lemonade) will make your sugar leels go crazy and crave for more!
  • ReenieHJ
    ReenieHJ Posts: 9,724 Member
    Sorry to say I'd be subbing a lot of those choices. :/ If I ate 2000 cal. a day I'd be gaining and I'm 5'9"F. MFP allows me 1200 and if I exercise I'll add those in so a good day gets me 1400-1500 cal. Canned pasta reminds me of my Chef Boyardee days and my taste buds go yuck. :) Frappuccinos wouldn't be in my diary whatsoever, unless I cut down my calories for the rest of the day. When I get those kinds of cravings I usually sub SF hot chocolate or make a smoothie, being careful there as well because it depends on what you add to it. I don't use full fat dressings. Chocolate anything is a treat or I figure it into the calories.
    My diet consists of lean proteins, lots of nonfat plain yogurt which I doctor up with SF syrup. I eat a fair amount of veggies. I have eggs 1x a week, making myself an omelet with 1 egg and 2 egg whites, lots of sautéed veggies in the middle. I stay simple and basic, nothing fancy or canned for me. Canned foods are notoriously salty as well, something to consider. Breads, pastas, rice, potatoes, corn, etc. are occasional choices for me because they don't pack the bang for the buck, But that's just me. When I do want a sandwich I pick low calorie breads that are 40-45 calories a slice, or I'll choose a spinach wrap loaded with veggies and little bit of turkey. Cheese is another occasional choice for me. The one food I do love and probably eat too much of is peanut butter. But I keep it within calorie range.

    My suggestion would be, since you're just starting out is to enter your stats into MFP, select foods you do like that are reasonably healthy, and go from there. Learn to substitute the foods you're used to eating, with healthier versions and weigh/measure them. You might not have a clear idea of what foods look like at 4 oz., 1/2 c. etc.
    Wishing you good luck, you can turn this around!!
  • ppaliwa
    ppaliwa Posts: 9 Member
    edited April 2022
    @ilariadm1

    Yeah, you're right, it is a lot of processed food :(

    I've been trying to find ways to eat less processed food, but right now I live in a dormitory, and all I have are a very small mini fridge, a microwave, and a toaster. So I can't make use of most of your suggestions at the moment. However, I will be moving out in about a month, so I will save your post and look at it later!
    I'm also quite poor, so that's made it a little rougher too.
    If anyone has tips on how to eat less processed food while having these restrictions in place, I'm all ears!

    Also - The grilled chicken in place of turkey suggestion was interesting to me. Grilled chicken is healthier than turkey?

    I didn't really realize until your post that almost half of my calories for the day were from liquids. That's a yikes! I used to be addicted to pop, and I only recently managed to stop (about 2 weeks ago). I would drink at least a liter of pop a day, usually. I suppose I should try to stick to only one sweet beverage a day at max and then slowly try to switch to every other day and then maybe only once or twice a week.

    I wonder if I'm not addicted to pop, but sugar specifically? Lately my body has sometimes been shaking lightly, and I had no idea what was causing it, but I'm wondering if it's sugar withdraw...?

    The canned pasta was the most boring and bland pasta I have ever had! I will not repeat that.

    @ReenieHJ Thank you for the substitute suggestions and for the general tips!
  • ReenieHJ
    ReenieHJ Posts: 9,724 Member
    Are you on any kind of a food plan associated with your school and can eat in a cafeteria, etc.? Just curious if you'd have that option. I know when my kids all went through college, their diets were notorious. :( Lots of fast foods, pop tarts, ramen, noodle heat-n-go dishes, that type of thing. :( They basically had the same appliances available as you do. Healthier eating is a challenge in those circumstances yet highly doable. Think fresh fruits and veggies/hummus, tuna, deli meats like turkey, lite breads. FF dressings. Lots of water to take over the chocolate and flavored drinks. Or tea. coffee, SF hot chocolate? A lot depends on what you like and will eat. I eat a lot of peanuts in the shell because I like peanuts and they take time to eat. :)
  • ilariadm1
    ilariadm1 Posts: 13 Member
    edited April 2022
    @ppaliwa nope chicken and turkey are very similar, I thought you had some cubed/sliced turkey, which is usually very processed and packed with potato starch, salt and preservatives.
    I can feel you about not having a lot of money, I've been a student on a budget for a very long time...here in Italy maybe it is different, but healthy food is not that expensive! And for healthy food I don't refer to that "organic/bio/superfood/vegan/etc" labels, rather to basic ingredients (fresh veggies, chickpeas, lentils, yogurt, bread, etc).
    Personally, I think 1200 calories is the right intake only for a children or if you are above 60 yo, it isn't sustainable for a long time and it is very risky... the exact suitable intake for you can be defined only by a doctor/nutritionist, but I wouldn't suggest cutting that much.
    I don't know what pop is but I assume it is a sugary beverage like Coke, so it's likely a sort of withdrawal crisis. I personally don't consume a lot of soft drinks, I think you could try with some flavored water (like squeezed lemon+sweetener) or some tea with sweetener, you prepare it in the morning, let it cool and bring with you in a bottle. It works for me when I dont't feel like drinking water!
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,904 Member
    It really depends on where you are. Rice and pasta in bulk might be affordable, or pre-cooked beans (raw might cost a lot of energy in preparing them). Frozen vegetables? A few types of spices to get you started. Nothing unusual but a few things you can use for lots of things. And then some protein of choice.
  • ppaliwa
    ppaliwa Posts: 9 Member
    @ReenieHJ Yes, I am! The cafeteria food is quite limited though and not that healthy. For breakfast, they have cereal, granola bars, some fruit, eggs, tater tots, toast, and sometimes sausage. (There are also a bunch of snacks and junk food like chips and ice cream.)

    For lunch/dinner, there's a salad bar, sushi, customizable hamburgers, customizable sandwiches, customizable wraps, chicken tenders, and pasta that would have @ilariadm1 crying even more. Sometimes there is pizza too, and it's quite a wonder they manage to make pizza taste so terrible. Sometimes they will have something called a "power bowl" instead of the gross pasta. I don't remember what all the options are, but you can choose from numerous vegetables, rice, beans, cheese, sauce, and more.

    I think I might get a spinach wrap for dinner tonight with turkey and veggies as you suggested :)
  • littlegreenparrot1
    littlegreenparrot1 Posts: 702 Member
    I'm a bit hesitant to post this, and it might be out of your control...but do you always go to bed after 2am?

    With an 8am start that would have me on my knees, and eating all the sugary stuff I could get my hands on to try and gain some sort of oomph to get through the day.

    When you eat doesn't have much impact except for personal preference, but a lack of sleep can make it harder to make good choices just because you're to tired to care.

    Fair enough if that doesn't apply to you, but that was the thing that really jumped out at me.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    ppaliwa wrote: »
    @ilariadm1

    Yeah, you're right, it is a lot of processed food :(

    I've been trying to find ways to eat less processed food, but right now I live in a dormitory, and all I have are a very small mini fridge, a microwave, and a toaster. So I can't make use of most of your suggestions at the moment. However, I will be moving out in about a month, so I will save your post and look at it later!
    I'm also quite poor, so that's made it a little rougher too.
    If anyone has tips on how to eat less processed food while having these restrictions in place, I'm all ears!

    Also - The grilled chicken in place of turkey suggestion was interesting to me. Grilled chicken is healthier than turkey?

    I didn't really realize until your post that almost half of my calories for the day were from liquids. That's a yikes! I used to be addicted to pop, and I only recently managed to stop (about 2 weeks ago). I would drink at least a liter of pop a day, usually. I suppose I should try to stick to only one sweet beverage a day at max and then slowly try to switch to every other day and then maybe only once or twice a week.

    I wonder if I'm not addicted to pop, but sugar specifically? Lately my body has sometimes been shaking lightly, and I had no idea what was causing it, but I'm wondering if it's sugar withdraw...?

    The canned pasta was the most boring and bland pasta I have ever had! I will not repeat that.

    @ReenieHJ Thank you for the substitute suggestions and for the general tips!

    This happens to me when I go too long without food.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Lietchi wrote: »
    You don't need to eat fruit if you don't want to, just vegetables is fine.

    That being said, if you have cravings for sugar (like that frappucino), eating fruit might help alleviate those.

    Yes, I was able to cut way down on ice cream and baked goods by eating more fruit.

    When berries are out of season, I buy them frozen. They are cheap and store well.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    ppaliwa wrote: »
    @Xellercin Thank you for the post! The way I presented the information was definitely confusing.

    I say this is a "typical day" but that's really only referring to the past 2-3 weeks. Before then, my diet was much, much worse.

    The biggest trigger for my binging sessions are my sleeping pills. They cause me to want to stuff my face endlessly. I sit there like a zombie in a daze. It's very difficult to overcome it. This strong urge to eat/binge tends to exist regardless of what I ate in the previous day, be it too few calories or far too many.

    I really appreciate all of your help and I'm glad you are where you are now!

    Are you taking Ambien? That's associated with sleep-eating. I struggled with sleep for decades. I'm finally in a good place now. In addition to paying strict attention to sleep hygiene, I am also aided by a substance legal in my state and that's as much as I can say about that here ;)

    https://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/getting/overcoming/tips
  • Xerogs
    Xerogs Posts: 328 Member
    I really can't say how much sugar you are eating but it always helps to try to cut out added sugars especially in liquid form. Pay attention to your nutrition labels. Also work on dealing with the binge eating it will derail your progress (been there done that).

    How big are the bottles of water you are drinking? In the past I've thought I was hungry but really I was just dehydrated.

    I read the book "Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think" by Brian Wansink many years ago and it was enlightening so it might be worth a read if you can find a copy.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Speaking of food pantries, for older people on a limited budget reading, I volunteer at a senior center and we have lots of food to give away for free. We collect donations from local businesses and give away shelf-stable food all week and have an official "shopping" day on Fridays.
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,778 Member
    ppaliwa wrote: »
    My food for the day
    7fimvhr771m7.png.

    Edit: I just realized that almost all of my sodium intake for the day was just from the soup. Wow. That sucks because I really enjoy this soup and I have 4 more cans of it. Guess we now know why I like it so much. I am going to stop buying it.

    Edit 2: It makes no sense for me to eat a biscuit with jelly as a snack. My diet is horrible and I need to change that. I will have canned fruit instead.

    Unless you have blood pressure issues for example, fixating on sodium isn't necessary. But if you can find a lower sodium option, go for it, obviously.

    Also, what strikes me is your very, very low protein intake. That really isn't enough to be healthy. Boiled eggs, canned chickpeas, tinned fish,... Anything like that would be good. And if you go with tinned fish, choosing a fatty type of fish will give you a bonus of increasing your fat intake which is borderline low as well.
  • ppaliwa
    ppaliwa Posts: 9 Member
    edited April 2022
    I appreciate all the responses even if I don't respond to each one individually!

    -

    @Lietchi I never would have guessed my protein was lower than average, much less very very low. I guess I always assumed I didn't have to worry about protein since I eat meat every day. Even today I ate meat twice, turkey in my wrap and chicken in my soup. I figured only athletes/gym buffs and vegetarians/vegans needed to pay attention to their protein.

    If anything, I've had a weird worry about eating too much protein. My best friend recommended that I drink protein shakes the other day if I'm looking for something quick and filling in the mornings. I responded to her that I thought people should only drink protein shakes when they're about to do heavy exercise.

    Guess I'll have to reevaluate that thinking.

    -
    @Xerogs The bottles I drink are 16.9fl oz. It's hard to keep track of my water intake exactly as half of my water intake comes from the cafeteria, but I would guess that I drink about 60fl oz of water a day.

    _

    @kshama2001 No, I'm taking seroquel. I too sometimes will take a "substance that is legal" (which sounds very suspicious in quotes). But that makes me binge way more than the seroquel does, unfortunately. I'll check out that link!

    _

    @littlegreenparrot1 My sleeping schedule is completely out of whack. I do know a proper sleep is important, but my insomnia is severe, and all my attempts at establishing a consistent sleeping schedule have failed. It's an everyday battle. I'll have one good week here and there on occasion, but there will always come a night where I can't fall asleep and it throws everything off. I would say I only sleep consistently/healthily about 10% of the time. Sometimes I will get only 4 hours of sleep in 3 days, other times I will sleep 12+ hours a day for 5 days in a row. The longest I've ever slept at once was 23 hours, waking up only to pee and eat and then go back to sleep.

  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,904 Member
    I noticed something: Some of your nutritional information doesn't have macros. Thus your protein might look completely different, and be higher after all. Are there better database entries with full macros, or is this an entry you made based on a guess or canteen information? Maybe better info is available somewhere.
  • ppaliwa
    ppaliwa Posts: 9 Member
    yirara wrote: »
    I noticed something: Some of your nutritional information doesn't have macros. Thus your protein might look completely different, and be higher after all. Are there better database entries with full macros, or is this an entry you made based on a guess or canteen information? Maybe better info is available somewhere.

    The only items that are missing are milk and the wrap. I probably only used about a third a cup of milk (put it into my cream of wheat). This is about 3g of protein.

    The wrap is one I customized at the cafeteria, so I have no idea what the macros are. It was a jalapeno tortilla, turkey, onion, lettuce, mayo, and cheddar cheese. (I know someone suggested I go for parmesan cheese instead, but parmesan cheese hurts my stomach.)
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,778 Member
    edited April 2022

    yirara wrote: »
    I noticed something: Some of your nutritional information doesn't have macros. Thus your protein might look completely different, and be higher after all. Are there better database entries with full macros, or is this an entry you made based on a guess or canteen information? Maybe better info is available somewhere.

    I just noticed that as well, the wrap with turkey has no protein according to that entry. I would suggest logging the individual ingredients instead of generic entries for prepared foods like your wrap, that would be more accurate. For example using some food database entries from supermarket chains.
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,778 Member
    edited April 2022
    ppaliwa wrote: »

    The wrap is one I customized at the cafeteria, so I have no idea what the macros are. It was a jalapeno tortilla, turkey, onion, lettuce, mayo, and cheddar cheese. (I know someone suggested I go for parmesan cheese instead, but parmesan cheese hurts my stomach.)

    Just ignore that suggestion, no reason why parmesan would be better than cheddar.
  • ReenieHJ
    ReenieHJ Posts: 9,724 Member
    ppaliwa wrote: »
    yirara wrote: »
    I noticed something: Some of your nutritional information doesn't have macros. Thus your protein might look completely different, and be higher after all. Are there better database entries with full macros, or is this an entry you made based on a guess or canteen information? Maybe better info is available somewhere.

    The only items that are missing are milk and the wrap. I probably only used about a third a cup of milk (put it into my cream of wheat). This is about 3g of protein.

    The wrap is one I customized at the cafeteria, so I have no idea what the macros are. It was a jalapeno tortilla, turkey, onion, lettuce, mayo, and cheddar cheese. (I know someone suggested I go for parmesan cheese instead, but parmesan cheese hurts my stomach.)

    What if you doubled the turkey and left out the cheese? Turkey is lean meat, cheese is high fat. And as for the mayo, do they offer lowfat mayo or mustard instead? I've found I like Dijon mustard on my wraps, gives me a tang.