Critique My Diary!

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led6777
led6777 Posts: 268
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone! I went over on calories today and I'm feeling really guilty about it. On top of that, I think I may be eating too much sugar and sodium. I would be so grateful if some of you could check through my diary and give me any tips or suggestions. Thanks!

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  • nickyfm
    nickyfm Posts: 1,214 Member
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    Hi love!
    You don't have your protein listed, but from what I can tell, you're eating too much sugar, and not enough protein. Especially at breakfast. Protein keeps you fuller for longer, and will help you stay under your calorie goal.
    Also try and up your veg serves to 5 a day.

    Hope this helps! :)
  • Jenatello
    Jenatello Posts: 35 Member
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    We can only view your diary if we're your friend. Make your profile public. :)
  • DBiddle69
    DBiddle69 Posts: 682 Member
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    Read this article...

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/LorinaLynn/view/exercise-calories-explained-206876
  • led6777
    led6777 Posts: 268
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    Thanks for the tips so far!

    Are you sure you can't see my diary? It's set as public.. hmm.
  • Jenatello
    Jenatello Posts: 35 Member
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    I think it's just my computer. I can see it now.

    I agree that too much sugar and not enough protein are the problems here.

    I am working on trying to add more protein to my life. Also trying to make myself eat more smaller meals instead of feasting on whatever seems to fall in front of me only three a day(who am I kidding it's more like 1-2 times a day).

    Also, you only drank two glasses of water today?! Did you drink anything else? I'm a water/iced tea freak.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
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    The sugar's high, but most of it's from fruit and milk. Swap some of the plums and grapes for tomatoes and celery. And could you reduce the size of portion of the jam from 1.5 to just 1 spoons?

    I'm guessing you eat back all your exercise calories - if you're going to do that you have to be super careful about measurement, both of what you eat and also what you burn. I use a margin of +/- 10% rather than trying to hit everything bang on.
  • bcc112986
    bcc112986 Posts: 362 Member
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    Hi.

    What I noticed most about your food diary is the large amount of processed and pre-packaged foods you are eating. I think that is a large source of the sodium. Be mindful of how many pre-packaged food you are consuming. Also be mindful of the processed meats and breads, waffles, and pastas you eat as well (these are high in sodium, usually).

    If you need grains in your breakfast, try to find low-sodium cereals. Kashi is a great brand.

    Egg white scrambles are a great option for breakfast as well if you need something that will fill you up for a few hours. Add some turkey, spinach, and pinch of low fat cheese. Season with cayenne pepper, garlic, cilantro and cumin. (I usually eat a package of oatmeal with this as well to keep me fuller longer).

    Start simple with your diet. Limit yourself to a few options at first and add more foods as you get better at it.

    :)
  • led6777
    led6777 Posts: 268
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    Thanks so much everybody. I think you're all right, protein needs to increase.

    I eat a ton of bread/waffles/pasta because those are the foods that I absolutely love. I suppose I've been partially convinced that calories matter most, but I also see the obvious point that it's better to be eating whole, nutritious foods rather than processed, sugary ones, even if you're able to do that while staying within your calorie budget.

    I'm not a big fan of eggs or meat in general, but I try to force myself to eat them because I already eat plenty of peanut butter. I will try the egg white scramble - that seems like a good way to incorporate protein and vegetables into my diet. My breakfast is ironically usually the junkiest meal of my day.
  • Terasome
    Terasome Posts: 3,808 Member
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    Your sodium and sugar are what worries me the most. Are you drinking lots of water to counteract the amount of sodium in your diet.

    I plan out what Im going to eat roughly each day then make sure I dont go over on my allowances. Occasionally Its ok but it is very rare that I have gone over any of them except maybe sugar because of the fruit I eat. But I dont track my sugar anymore although I do check it each week.

    Trial and error and you will find a balance.
  • tbresina
    tbresina Posts: 558 Member
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    Main thing I noticed was all the red's-I make sure that there are no reds on my diary.....RED is bad!
  • Christine1110
    Christine1110 Posts: 1,786 Member
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    I would say....give up the bread. You can find bread that is 45 calories a slice.
    Red Lobster has the lighthouse menu I think all the dishes are around 300 calories.

    Good luck
  • MarincicS
    MarincicS Posts: 265 Member
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    I too am seeing a heavy emphasis on processed "reduced fat" foods and very little fresh veggies and fruit. I would suggest replacing at least one meal with only fresh fruits and veggies - like perhaps take a fresh chopped salad to work for lunch every day. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a dash of salt and pepper and suddenly you fill yourself with a low fat, low sodium, low carbohydrate water and vitamin meal. Try to include nothing processed in that one meal.

    I also think it's going to cause you some problems if you don't drink water. Especially with all of that sodium.

    I have only recently started myself and am shocked at the sodium content of some things. I started out looking only at calories, but as i become more familiar with the calorie content, i am starting to also pay attention to the other nutrient contents. It also helps that the more fresh you eat, the more you seem to want it and the more you notice those processed foods make you feel lethargic and gassy and just plain not good.

    Good luck.
  • Mmmporkrinds
    Mmmporkrinds Posts: 192
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    Hi! It seems you generally eat two meals a day, rather than three (though you do snack). What if you had three meals a day? Maybe having breakfast fairly soon after you get up? Might make you less hungry during the day (though of course there might be good reasons that's not ideal for your lifestyle or job etc.)

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