Help Please - read my diary!

2»

Replies

  • lemasney
    lemasney Posts: 67 Member
    Can I get some opinions on my diary so far today? I have logged everything but snacks - and I've only eaten my breakfast...anything else can be changed. Looking for any suggestions or opnions. Thanks!!!

    You're only eating about half your calories, but I think the stuff you are eating looks pretty good. No flags for me, though you should be eating more than this in a day. 1200 cals is about as low as I would go even without exercise, though maybe you are an especially tiny person?
  • DinahKyle
    DinahKyle Posts: 186 Member
    Can I get some opinions on my diary so far today? I have logged everything but snacks - and I've only eaten my breakfast...anything else can be changed. Looking for any suggestions or opnions. Thanks!!!

    You're only eating about half your calories, but I think the stuff you are eating looks pretty good. No flags for me, though you should be eating more than this in a day. 1200 cals is about as low as I would go even without exercise, though maybe you are an especially tiny person?

    Lol - definitley not a tiny person. 5'8 and roughly 147lbs. I do try to eat at least 1200 by the end of the day - this is just pre-planned food.
  • DinahKyle
    DinahKyle Posts: 186 Member
    I just noticed your food notes - you're taking what the calculator says you will weigh in 5 weeks if you keep eating at those levels. Please know that the calculator doesn't factor in whether or not you are adequately fueling your workouts. Do some reading about eating back some of your exercise calories - I know there's a lot of contradictory opinions, but you'd be better informed and far less likely to damage your metabolism than just going by that calculated weight loss projection at the end of the day. It lies!

    Besides, weight (the scale) is NOT the best measure of your progress. :flowerforyou:

    Yes, I know that the scale is not a friend. Used it today - especially during certain weeks in the month - so basically women should ignore it altogether haha.

    I do the calculations more as a mental note though - I can tell that it is not accurate - I just like keeping track of what it seems to think.
  • DinahKyle
    DinahKyle Posts: 186 Member
    I am noticing a trend - a lot of people are telling me my protein is low. The problem with that is that I usually only eat meat on the weekends. Any other reccomendations for good sources of protein?

    Thanks!

    Greek yogurt is great. You do need protein, at least your goal. It is probably also a good idea to eat within 100 calories to you goal. I love to be under my goal but nowhere that low under my goal. BTW since you have that many calories peanut butter + spoon = YUMMY and it has protein.

    Best wishes:smile:

    Then perhaps greek yogurt + peanut butter would be even better!
  • DinahKyle
    DinahKyle Posts: 186 Member
    You don't eat enough, and u don't get enough protein!

    As I stated - I have not added any snacks as of yet - open to suggestions. I normally have snacks after workouts - but I haven't done them yet.

    I don't just mean today, u do loads of exercise but don't eat back any of your exercise cals so you are netting only a couple of hundred calories which is not healthy when u only have a small amount of weight to lose.

    My only worry is that if I eat back my calories and the counter isn't correct then I may be over-eating.
  • DinahKyle
    DinahKyle Posts: 186 Member
    It's not a bad thing to go through veggies quickly when you have them in the house! Definitely buy them more.

    There are lots of threads on here about vegetarian protein sources. Here are some suggestions for your meat-free, or low-meat days:
    Yogurt (which you already seem to eat often, but some have more protein than others. Try Chobani Greek yogurt instead.)
    Eggs
    Cottage Cheese
    Cheeses
    Lentils and Beans (black, kidney, garbanzo, pinto, etc.)
    Tofu
    Seitan (wheat protein)
    Tempeh
    Peanuts & peanut butter
    Tree nuts & seeds

    And since you're not actually a vegetarian: fish

    Pretty much taking this to the grocery store with me - my only thing is that I can't find Chobani Greek yogurt...I feel like I've looked everywhere :(
  • thefunone70
    thefunone70 Posts: 8 Member
    protein...meat, peanut butter, eggs
  • morkiemama
    morkiemama Posts: 894 Member
    You don't eat enough, and u don't get enough protein!

    As I stated - I have not added any snacks as of yet - open to suggestions. I normally have snacks after workouts - but I haven't done them yet.

    I don't just mean today, u do loads of exercise but don't eat back any of your exercise cals so you are netting only a couple of hundred calories which is not healthy when u only have a small amount of weight to lose.

    My only worry is that if I eat back my calories and the counter isn't correct then I may be over-eating.

    But you ARE moving and exercising. Not eating any of them back is causing you to drastically under-eat. You should eat at least 1/2 to 3/4 of them back. That leaves a bit of buffer room for accuracy.

    It also isn't just on exercise days. You are way under on non-exercise days too. You should be eating at least 1200 at a minimum every day, preferably more. You don't have a lot to lose (thus your goal should be set around 0.5lb/week rather than say 2lbs), you are taller, and you should be eating more than 1200. However, shoot for at least 1200 since you seem to be struggling with it. :)

    A good way to get some easy cals and protein and good fats in is nuts. It should make it easier to hit your goal. I like vanilla greek yogurt with a 1/4cup of almonds. Yum.
  • pamfm
    pamfm Posts: 93 Member
    It's not a bad thing to go through veggies quickly when you have them in the house! Definitely buy them more.

    There are lots of threads on here about vegetarian protein sources. Here are some suggestions for your meat-free, or low-meat days:
    Yogurt (which you already seem to eat often, but some have more protein than others. Try Chobani Greek yogurt instead.)
    Eggs
    Cottage Cheese
    Cheeses
    Lentils and Beans (black, kidney, garbanzo, pinto, etc.)
    Tofu
    Seitan (wheat protein)
    Tempeh
    Peanuts & peanut butter
    Tree nuts & seeds

    And since you're not actually a vegetarian: fish

    Pretty much taking this to the grocery store with me - my only thing is that I can't find Chobani Greek yogurt...I feel like I've looked everywhere :(

    Glad to help with your shopping list. :happy: That's too bad about the Chobani. I'm not usually into yogurt with fruit already mixed in, but theirs are effing amazing. I bet you'd love the pineapple one! Maybe look for Oikos, or Fage, then? They are the other tasty brands at my grocery store, the Chobani is just my favorite.
  • DinahKyle
    DinahKyle Posts: 186 Member
    [/quote]

    I don't just mean today, u do loads of exercise but don't eat back any of your exercise cals so you are netting only a couple of hundred calories which is not healthy when u only have a small amount of weight to lose.
    [/quote]

    My only worry is that if I eat back my calories and the counter isn't correct then I may be over-eating.
    [/quote]

    But you ARE moving and exercising. Not eating any of them back is causing you to drastically under-eat. You should eat at least 1/2 to 3/4 of them back. That leaves a bit of buffer room for accuracy.

    It also isn't just on exercise days. You are way under on non-exercise days too. You should be eating at least 1200 at a minimum every day, preferably more. You don't have a lot to lose (thus your goal should be set around 0.5lb/week rather than say 2lbs), you are taller, and you should be eating more than 1200. However, shoot for at least 1200 since you seem to be struggling with it. :)

    A good way to get some easy cals and protein and good fats in is nuts. It should make it easier to hit your goal. I like vanilla greek yogurt with a 1/4cup of almonds. Yum.
    [/quote]

    Actually have some almonds at home from a baking night a while ago - will be sure to grab some GREEK yogurt tonight. Thanks :)
  • BSBgirl337
    BSBgirl337 Posts: 119 Member
    Morningstar Farms and Boca and meat substitute products, and taste good, and have lots of protein.

    And you definitely should be sure to eat at least 1200 calories a day. I know we all sound like a broken record, but you need at least that much to keep your body out of starvation mode.
  • DinahKyle
    DinahKyle Posts: 186 Member
    Morningstar Farms and Boca and meat substitute products, and taste good, and have lots of protein.

    And you definitely should be sure to eat at least 1200 calories a day. I know we all sound like a broken record, but you need at least that much to keep your body out of starvation mode.

    Meat subsitutes? Like tofu or like those fake chicken things?

    You guys don't sound like a broken record - you all just care enough to say something. :)
  • pamfm
    pamfm Posts: 93 Member
    Morningstar Farms and Boca and meat substitute products, and taste good, and have lots of protein.

    And you definitely should be sure to eat at least 1200 calories a day. I know we all sound like a broken record, but you need at least that much to keep your body out of starvation mode.

    Meat subsitutes? Like tofu or like those fake chicken things?

    You guys don't sound like a broken record - you all just care enough to say something. :)

    The fake chicken things. Veggie burgers, veggie sausage, etc. I eat them because my meat-eating husband likes them. They're not bad, but they do tend to be pretty processed, so it's a good idea to look at the sodium and carb contents on the labels in the store, to help choose the healthiest ones.
  • lizziefood
    lizziefood Posts: 4 Member
    More protein as everyone is saying, here's my tip I make a protein pancake in the morning, http://toneitup.com/blog.php?Protein-Pancakes-Low-carb-low-fat-and-delicious-1973/ , here's a good recipe , then I'll have a hard boiled egg as a snack that might help .
  • Miggy52
    Miggy52 Posts: 164
    I agree that you should increase your protein, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, hard boiled eggs...remember to hydrate your self drink lots of water...with a dash of Lemon juice....
  • DinahKyle
    DinahKyle Posts: 186 Member
    I agree that you should increase your protein, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, hard boiled eggs...remember to hydrate your self drink lots of water...with a dash of Lemon juice....

    Water is never a problem with me - I drink 3-4 1.5litre bottles everyday - just forget to log it sometimes haha. Plus LOADS of tea. I log it by the bag not the cup!
  • DinahKyle
    DinahKyle Posts: 186 Member
    Morningstar Farms and Boca and meat substitute products, and taste good, and have lots of protein.

    And you definitely should be sure to eat at least 1200 calories a day. I know we all sound like a broken record, but you need at least that much to keep your body out of starvation mode.

    Meat subsitutes? Like tofu or like those fake chicken things?

    You guys don't sound like a broken record - you all just care enough to say something. :)

    The fake chicken things. Veggie burgers, veggie sausage, etc. I eat them because my meat-eating husband likes them. They're not bad, but they do tend to be pretty processed, so it's a good idea to look at the sodium and carb contents on the labels in the store, to help choose the healthiest ones.

    What about things like homemade chickpea and bean burgers? I read about them - have a can of chickpeas sitting there waiting to be used too - might experiment with that on my day off?
  • Momjogger
    Momjogger Posts: 750 Member
    I am noticing a trend - a lot of people are telling me my protein is low. The problem with that is that I usually only eat meat on the weekends. Any other reccomendations for good sources of protein?

    Thanks!

    Do eat fish? Canned Salmon or Tuna for lunch is great
    Other baked fish for dinner
    Cottage cheese
    Low fat cheese sticks (like string cheese)
    Farmers cheese (I like this because it's low in calories and sodium)
    Peanut or Almond Butter
    Oatmeal - the real kind, not instant
    Eggs or egg whites if you have any cholesterol issues. I put 2 egg whites in my oatmeal every morning to boost the protein.

    Feel free to look over my diary if you'd like for some ideas. I try to get at least 90+ grams of protein each day
  • Momjogger
    Momjogger Posts: 750 Member
    I like all the protein ideas too. I eat greek yogurt, 2 percent cottage cheese - 4 ounces at a time, egg whites, shrimp cocktail, boiled lobster with no butter in the summer, alot of chicken and ground turkey, and pan seared salmon over cooked spinach with balsamic cream drizzled over it (which is not cream - it is reduced balsamic vinegar for a low cal sweet but tangy flavor. I also like cooked cabbage or bok choy with shredded carrots with my protein. If you are working out you def need more protein. Good luck!
  • ladystrange1
    ladystrange1 Posts: 10 Member
    I see allot of calorie bashing here. Everybody has the right to their own diet and opinions. But I would let your body speak for itself if you feel tired or sluggish then up your calories. If you operate just fine on your calories then do your own thing ( all the studies go both ways).

    Protein is a constant here. I will put my vote in for more protein also, esp that time of the month red meat (beef) helps with iron.
    If you have a stall in weight loss I would up the protein and lower the carbs .

    It seams like you may be avoiding fat. Read up on it. Butter comes from animals naturally margarine is created by man originally to fatten turkeys. Do not be afraid of natural sources of fat.

    Good luck and good health- By the way it looks like you have a bunch of healthy foods in your diary- nice
  • jldunn713
    jldunn713 Posts: 41 Member
    If you make some hummus with those chickpeas, pump up the veggies (fresh or frozen is fine), and snack on a few nuts, you'll be good to go and won't need to stock up on eggs or meat. Another suggestion is to eat more grains at breakfast, more greens at lunch, and save that Greek yogurt for a treat later on in the day/night. I love a good yogurt parfait before bed!
  • DinahKyle
    DinahKyle Posts: 186 Member
    If you make some hummus with those chickpeas, pump up the veggies (fresh or frozen is fine), and snack on a few nuts, you'll be good to go and won't need to stock up on eggs or meat. Another suggestion is to eat more grains at breakfast, more greens at lunch, and save that Greek yogurt for a treat later on in the day/night. I love a good yogurt parfait before bed!

    I actually bought some hummus the other day! These are ideas I am down with lol.

    Thanks!
  • DinahKyle
    DinahKyle Posts: 186 Member
    I see allot of calorie bashing here. Everybody has the right to their own diet and opinions. But I would let your body speak for itself if you feel tired or sluggish then up your calories. If you operate just fine on your calories then do your own thing ( all the studies go both ways).

    Protein is a constant here. I will put my vote in for more protein also, esp that time of the month red meat (beef) helps with iron.
    If you have a stall in weight loss I would up the protein and lower the carbs .

    It seams like you may be avoiding fat. Read up on it. Butter comes from animals naturally margarine is created by man originally to fatten turkeys. Do not be afraid of natural sources of fat.

    Good luck and good health- By the way it looks like you have a bunch of healthy foods in your diary- nice

    Thank you, for all of that! - I agree I need more protein, and I do eat more later in the night - it depends what I have access to and where I am - that's why I don't log it ahead of time.

    Red meat is something I should probably get back into - and I always try to keep the carbs on the lower end...
  • redirg9
    redirg9 Posts: 3
    I'd say try going for things like nuts, beans, or even yogurt (I'd go for Greek because it's low in sugar and more protien than regular yogurt). I'm not a pro when it comes to protien, but my grandmom is a vegetarian and I see her eat these to replace heavy meats like beef. But, if you aren't vegetarian, you could always try grilled chicken on salads or baked fish. :smile:
  • Josie_lifting_cats
    Josie_lifting_cats Posts: 949 Member
    My opinion would be to eat more. You are eating too few calories in general. And up the protein. But with more protein will come more calories.
  • dalissalee
    dalissalee Posts: 289 Member
    By not eating enough calories, you may be putting your body into starvation mode and causing your metabolism to slow down. Trust me, you do not want to slow down your metabolism.
  • RenitaDeShanne
    RenitaDeShanne Posts: 20 Member
    Your diary looks fine to me. Definitely better than mine. Eating like that you'll be thin in no time.
  • graelwyn
    graelwyn Posts: 1,340 Member
    I suggest investing in a heart rate monitor to wear during exercise, then you will have a far more accurate idea of what you are burning and can eat back. I would say even netting only 1200 is too low for someone of your height and weight, you are already within the healthy weight range anyway. You can really set your body up for failure as soon as you make any attempt to eat normal amounts, if you do things this way, as opposed to making it a change of lifestyle. You could afford to net 1400 and still lose weight. I suggest going to one of the many sites that give you your TDEE, subtract 500 from that, and eat that number of calories a day. Many here seem to have a lot of success doing things this way (although no doubt there are some who did not).

    I don't eat meat, so I get my protein from eggs, fish, cottage cheese, feta cheese, nuts, beans, seeds, greek yoghurt, protein powder and such things. In fact, I often go over on protein quite easily eating those things. 0% fage greek yoghurt is good as it only has 57 calories per 100g, so you can have a decent bowl full, throw in some seeds and protein powder, stir it all up, and have a protein rich dessert.

    I also eat over 2000 calories a day to maintain with my hour or two of exercise each day.
  • DinahKyle
    DinahKyle Posts: 186 Member
    Alright. - I am definitely looking into a HRM. Tomorrow I have a doctors appointment and I am going to ask him to refer me to a nutritionist :).

    What I have planned so far today seems alright. I am at work all day so I try to keep it simple.

    I again haven't put in a lot of snacks because I eat after I workout at night. Also, dinner isn't listed because I may be at my parents or fending for myself after the boyfriend gets off of work, so I am not sure what will be available.

    Have a good sized grocery list for my days off though - so thank you all :)