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brittanyjeanxo
brittanyjeanxo Posts: 1,831 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Criticism on my food diary? There are a few days recently that have not been so great, but it's my fault and I'm not gonna make any excuses! So, any critiques? Should eat more, eat less? I can take it :bigsmile:

P.S. I already know I need to cut back on sodium >.> feel free to tell me again if you feel I need a good smack about it ;)
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  • ChanlynMay
    ChanlynMay Posts: 37 Member
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    I am still really new so my "contruction criticism" isn't very knowleable like many of the others here. I would suggest getting more fruit and veggies in though. When I looked through a few days, it didn't seem like you generally get your daily servings. That being said, it is something I am learning to add in each day and don't always make it!
  • brittanyjeanxo
    brittanyjeanxo Posts: 1,831 Member
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    I am still really new so my "contruction criticism" isn't very knowleable like many of the others here. I would suggest getting more fruit and veggies in though. When I looked through a few days, it didn't seem like you generally get your daily servings. That being said, it is something I am learning to add in each day and don't always make it!

    You're right, I don't :( But I've been trying!
  • ChanlynMay
    ChanlynMay Posts: 37 Member
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    I hear you loud and clear! I would go days without eating a single fruit and vegetable so now I try to get a little more in each day :) We'll get there eventually!
  • MSepp
    MSepp Posts: 228
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    Not really criticism so much as advice..

    eat high fiber foods-they keep you full longer. (Fresh/raw fruits, vegetables...whole grains). Also pairing a carb with a protein (ex: Cheese and crackers, peanut butter on apples) will keep you feeling full longer. Avoiding swings in your blood sugar (even if you are not diabetic) will keep you from feeling as hungry.

    Drink a glass of water before you eat something. A lot of times we think we're hungry when really we're thirsty. And since I'm guilty of not drinking as much water as I should-some advice is to add something to your water. I use crystal light or ocean spray (low calorie) flavorings for my water-I've increased my water intake DRAMATICALLY since I started doing that.

    Hope it was helpful!
  • mandylooo
    mandylooo Posts: 456 Member
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    How are you setting your target calories? They seem quite high.
  • firesoforion
    firesoforion Posts: 1,017 Member
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    All in all, I'd say your diary looks pretty good! I don't guess I have much criticism. :) Keep on going, good job!
  • becoming_a_new_me
    becoming_a_new_me Posts: 1,860 Member
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    You are not actually doing too bad, but can start subbing out some things. Trade unsweetend Almond milk for whole milk. If you don't like the taste, go for 1% or Skim. Instead of 80/20 blead hamburger, use 97/3 or lean turkey burger. Instead of 2 whole eggs, use 3 egg whites and one yolk or buy the egg substitute. Use low-fat or non-fat cheese. Also add more fresh or frozen fruits and Veggies. Very filling and low-cal.
  • brittanyjeanxo
    brittanyjeanxo Posts: 1,831 Member
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    Not really criticism so much as advice..

    eat high fiber foods-they keep you full longer. (Fresh/raw fruits, vegetables...whole grains). Also pairing a carb with a protein (ex: Cheese and crackers, peanut butter on apples) will keep you feeling full longer. Avoiding swings in your blood sugar (even if you are not diabetic) will keep you from feeling as hungry.

    Drink a glass of water before you eat something. A lot of times we think we're hungry when really we're thirsty. And since I'm guilty of not drinking as much water as I should-some advice is to add something to your water. I use crystal light or ocean spray (low calorie) flavorings for my water-I've increased my water intake DRAMATICALLY since I started doing that.

    Hope it was helpful!

    Thank you! I've been looking for ways to get more protein! I recently bought sugar-free, caffeine-free sparkling water in a bunch of different flavors, and it's made it a lot easier to drink my water :)
  • sdailey4
    sdailey4 Posts: 56 Member
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    Maybe try getting in calories earlier in the day, looks like the bulk of them are at dinner.
  • brittanyjeanxo
    brittanyjeanxo Posts: 1,831 Member
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    You are not actually doing too bad, but can start subbing out some things. Trade unsweetend Almond milk for whole milk. If you don't like the taste, go for 1% or Skim. Instead of 80/20 blead hamburger, use 97/3 or lean turkey burger. Instead of 2 whole eggs, use 3 egg whites and one yolk or buy the egg substitute. Use low-fat or non-fat cheese. Also add more fresh or frozen fruits and Veggies. Very filling and low-cal.

    Been wanting to try almond milk--is it expensive?
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
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    Wow, some of your quantities seem huge - 12 ox minced steak in one go? 6 slices of bacon? 3 cups of strawberries?
  • becoming_a_new_me
    becoming_a_new_me Posts: 1,860 Member
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    Not much more than regular milk and completely worth it. Also, I agree with the question of calories...why so high? Unless you are breast-feeding this should be more around 1400 or so. I also noticed you ate 12oz of hamburger today. Next time go for half that and add lots of veggies to your meal
  • brittanyjeanxo
    brittanyjeanxo Posts: 1,831 Member
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    Wow, some of your quantities seem huge - 12 ox minced steak in one go? 6 slices of bacon? 3 cups of strawberries?

    That's not really advice, but okay. I don't have 12 ounces of steak all the time, nor do I have bacon a lot, nor strawberries. And a lot of the time, I add it all at once in same category if I know I'm going to have more later.
  • snakesandladders2
    snakesandladders2 Posts: 59 Member
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    Hello!

    - You could maybe try eating some more "good oils" like olive oil, avocado, almonds, oily fish etc. instead of saturated fat like cream, cheese etc. If you eat a lot of cholesterol (eggs, bacon), it might be better to make sure you switch to good oils when you can.

    - I would consider eating less cheese / full-fat dairy and switch to skimmed milk, low fat yoghurt for your calcium. Calcium and low-fat dairy is really good for you and will help with fat loss.

    - Maybe eat more lean meats like turkey? You want to make sure you get plenty of protein without all the fat from cheese and bacon.

    - DEFINITELY more veggies, especially green leafy vegetables, like the brassica family.

    - Consider eating a little more wholemeal stuff, it looks like you're a little low on fibre and some of the other micronutrients in wholewheat carbs. Consider having one fewer egg, for example, and have the other two eggs on a slice of wholemeal toast. You could also switch to WM options whenever possible, e.g. choose wholemeal burger buns if you're having burgers.

    - You're not eating many meals, so your blood sugar must fluctuate a lot, which is not great for your metabolism. Try eating a few more meals, but perhaps smaller ones. And make sure each snack has some protein in it and some good carbs, for example: an apple with some almonds, wholemeal toast with a little peanut butter, low-fat yoghurt with a few tablespoons of oats...

    Do you like cooking? If you do, that makes it lots easier!

    Good luck, and well done so far :)
  • cbear017
    cbear017 Posts: 345 Member
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    It really depends what your goals are and your current weight and height. I'd recommend you figure out your TDEE. If you're interested in figuring out how to do that I can link a post I made a couple of months ago in which one of the really knowledgable guys on here, Sidesteal, gave me a great link to a sticky on bodybuilding.com.

    Once you have that figure you can determine how many calories to consume daily. It'll also help you figure out your ratios for protein and fat, the two most important macronutrients to set of the three. Carbs should be whatever's left over. For example, I have 1g of protein for each lb of lean body mass which for me is 110, given that I weigh 145 and my body fat percentage is 24%. My ratios are 35% fat, 35% protein and 30% carbs. Overall, your diary looks pretty good, but again, to assess it properly it really helps to know what your goals are.
  • jewelswye
    jewelswye Posts: 49 Member
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    Im no expert but looking at ur food diary it seems that you starve urself then binge on junk food. You're metabolism will be rubbish. Advice eat breakfast and get back to basics. Make more of your meals without fat if you can. more fruit and veg and make sure you eat three meals a day. cut back on your high fat, cal and sugar/salt snacks and fill urself up on meals. Im a snack-a-holic too but have low cal ones. How long have you been dieting for ur weight loss?? xx
  • brittanyjeanxo
    brittanyjeanxo Posts: 1,831 Member
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    Not much more than regular milk and completely worth it. Also, I agree with the question of calories...why so high? Unless you are breast-feeding this should be more around 1400 or so. I also noticed you ate 12oz of hamburger today. Next time go for half that and add lots of veggies to your meal

    Yeah, that's not a thing I do often! lol. I only had a burger and a half, so I think I overestimated how much beef there actually was--didn't realize it was set that high! Like I said, trying to add more fruits and veg in, just didn't have any veggies this week
  • MSepp
    MSepp Posts: 228
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    Not really criticism so much as advice..

    eat high fiber foods-they keep you full longer. (Fresh/raw fruits, vegetables...whole grains). Also pairing a carb with a protein (ex: Cheese and crackers, peanut butter on apples) will keep you feeling full longer. Avoiding swings in your blood sugar (even if you are not diabetic) will keep you from feeling as hungry.

    Drink a glass of water before you eat something. A lot of times we think we're hungry when really we're thirsty. And since I'm guilty of not drinking as much water as I should-some advice is to add something to your water. I use crystal light or ocean spray (low calorie) flavorings for my water-I've increased my water intake DRAMATICALLY since I started doing that.

    Hope it was helpful!

    Thank you! I've been looking for ways to get more protein! I recently bought sugar-free, caffeine-free sparkling water in a bunch of different flavors, and it's made it a lot easier to drink my water :)

    Here's a yummy lunch or light snack for you then:

    Lettuce leaf (either iceberg or romaine-whole, not torn up)
    Tomato slices
    Cucumber slices
    Tuna filling (recipe below)

    Tuna (I like white albacore myself) 4 oz
    1/2 Tbs dijon or spicy mustard
    1 tsp lemon juice
    lemon pepper to taste.

    Fill the lettuce leaf with your veggies and tuna...eat it like a wrap. I ate these all the time when I was studying for my registered dietitian exam. Kept me full and hardly any calories at all!
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
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    Not everyone loses weight at 1400 calories. Some people simply NEED more calories.

    In order to lose weight, I have to consume between 2100-2200 NET calories a day. If I were to drop down around 1400, I would be threatening to eat my own limbs and small children. If you are extremely active, you will have a TDEE. A high TDEE = more calories a day - even when you take the deficit into account.

    It isn't as unusual as people think to find people who have to consume more calories on a day to day basis. I wish people would stop assuming that just because you aren't netting in the 1400 range that you are overeating. Not everyone is overeating by being in the 2000 calorie range. And not everyone eating in that range is obese either.
  • cbear017
    cbear017 Posts: 345 Member
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    By the way, there is nothing wrong with whole milk, cheeses and even bacon. If it feels good to eat them by all means do!

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