NEW to MFP. NEED help with what to EAT????????

The calorie limit is lower for women, mine is set at 1330 with a 500 cal deficit and I don't have too many issues getting there. I'm definitely not starving.

Here is what I have been doing:

As for food, I'm learning to be more aware of what I eat, and I have tried to not overhaul my diet completely but instead, one by one. I quit soda by itself because I was really bad at that, then I started trying to just drink water, and now I am trying to be more aware of food itself. I am trying to just add more veggies to things and less things that come in a box.

I work, so a quick on the go breakfast is good for me. I just grab two hard cooked eggs I made the night before. High in protein and so good for you. I like a good homemade chili, salad w/ protein like chicken, or Harvest Select or Low Sodium canned soup for lunch. And dinner is my biggest struggle because I cook for my bf as well and he is very resistant to healthy food. But from what gather, more protien is important. So I try to make something like grilled or baked chicken, or a rice/noodle dish with ground turkey and veggies.

Snacks, just try to be smart - veggies, fruits, or other healthy things, etc. But don't avoid bad foods altogether. If you want it, you want it, so let yourself have something you really want once in a while.

I suggest looking up recipes at eatingwell.com and other sites like that.

I am confused how to fill my 1400 calories limit with low fat, low carb, high protein foods.

The excellent news is you don't have to. I promise! You can fill your 1400 calories however you want. PLUS you can exercise to get more calories which you can also use however you want.

The thing you'll learn along the way is this: must junky foods waste your calories pretty quickly and don't leave you feeling that full. That's the reason I eat them less often, because I'm miserly with my calorie budget.

I choose proteins and veggies more often than I choose breads and fruits. That's based on my food preference, and how I want to spend my calories. You have to decide what you can live with. I know people who could NOT live if they don't have cream in their coffee. I'll NEVER waste calories on that beause I don't care about it, but there are dealbreaker items I will never give up, because my enjoyment of them is worth the calories they cost me. Each one of us has to find which things are that important to them, because a deprivation plan is doomed from the start.

Why do you think you have to eat low carb?

Because nutritionists and trainers say so. LOL
And carbs can add weight easily. Good carbs, yeah alright. But eating a plate full of white pasta is not a good idea.

Jump off that the low carb and low fat bandwagon - aim for a balanced diet.

Go to tomorrow's diary, and start filling in all the foods you'd LIKE to eat. Compare to the MFP-provided numbers. Make adjustments as necessary until the numbers line up pretty closely. Now you have an eating plan for tomorrow.

If you are planning to exercise, don't forget to factor in an estimate of the extra calories to compensate.

Repeat this every day until you have the hang of eating.

Don't starve your body of carbs, because your body needs them! Sure you can lose weight by eliminating them, but like many fad diets out there, low carb diets do it by stealing essential energy from your body and is not very productive. Just be smart about your carbs, get them from healthier sources like whole wheat and fruits and vegetables and not a lot from sugary treats and refined white breads.

This article on Livestrong, gives a easy explanation on why you should eat carbs.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/313023-what-happens-if-you-dont-eat-enough-carbohydrates/

I learned all of this in my college Biology class last semester and my teacher even made us do a lab/discussion assignment on low-carb diets and their effects on the body.

Here's my average day

Breakfast : Special K cereal with skim milk (1 cup of each)

Lunch: Healthy Choice Frozen meal - Some come with dessert too. They're very tasty and low calorie and high in fiber and protein.
If I don't bring my lunch, we'll go to Subway and I'll get a 6 inch buffalo sub with no ranch. (or search for a meal within 300-400 calories)

Dinner - We love Dreamfields Pasta..it's low carb and tastes just like normal pasta. For spagetti sauce, we use sugar free light ragu. if we go out, you try to control your portion size, but really can eat most places. Everything in moderation.

Here's my recommendation that has worked for me:

Eat Clean:

http://www.extremely-fit.com/fitness-tips/2011/01/8week-transition-diet/

That's how I started.

I went in my diary and custom set my diary to 40% carbs and 30% fat (you need fat - just pick healthy ones) and 30% protein but there is a little wiggle room here - see what works for you.

Carbs - veggies, veggies, and more veggies. Some fruit. Occasionally some whole wheat bread or pasta. I try to avoid refined carbohydrates as much as possible, but quite a few sneak their way into my diet anyhow. But trying to avoid them helps.

Fats - oils from fish, nuts, olives

Protein - lean meats - fish, turkey, chicken, grass-fed beef (higher in omega 3 - a good fat than the grain fed counterparts), and to a lesser extent beans or yogurt. And Whey protein for smoothies!

I do have some dirty stuff in moderation - you know chocolate, a nibble of fries from my kids plates, etc...

My diary is public if you'd like to see how I incorporate these foods.

Fruit, preferably something citrus for breakfast, maybe a protine bar

Lunch should be the highest calories of the day because you still have most of the day to burn it off. Chicken or lean fish is great, but personally I don't really care so long add i'm not over my cals at the end of the day.

Dinner should be more light, salad and soup for instance

Best advice though is to eat something small every 2 hours. You won't feel add hungry. Take snacks along with you like fruit or pretzels. If you feel full, don't eat any more. Listen to your body.

Good luck!

I'd usually stick to lean mean like white turkey or chicken breast. Sometimes that doesn't happen though so I try to just keep a balanced diet with fruits, protein, carbs, and dairy. Carbs aren't the bad guys. Carbs are an essential source of energy, but yes you're right, if you don't exercise to burn the carbs, they'll most likely be stored as fat. I prefer protein over carbs though because it leaves me feeling more full off of a smaller portion for a longer time period. Everyone is different though. Good luck!