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What should I be eating?

krystyleee
krystyleee Posts: 219
edited December 2024 in Food and Nutrition
I am 174lbs (down from 190)
I am 5'2.
I want to lose 1-2 lbs a week and I exercise anywhere from 3-5 days a week (more like 5 now).
I need to know what I should be eating to burn fat and gain muscle.
TUMMY fat in particular, but fat in general. And I know proteins help with muscle,
but for those of you who are on a life style change that is working for you, what are
some of your favorite foods that you've been eating that help with your continuous weight loss?
[ and what are some things you don't eat that you feel have helped you lose weight, too? ]

Replies

  • krystyleee
    krystyleee Posts: 219
    What should I be eating or NOT eating is a better title lol.
  • woodsy0912
    woodsy0912 Posts: 323
    I find myself eating a lot of salads. Just enough light dressing, a pinch of cheese, and 4 croutons. That sort of thing.

    Also another favorite meal of mine is to saute (in pam) frozen chicken breast strips (I season it with a lot), 2 frozen fish fillets, and pop a bag of frozen veggies in the microwave (which I also season). This meal for me is a lot of protein, and under 350 calories.
    To change it up, I will use a different veggie, of a different kind of fish.

    Just make sure you measure everything honestly.
  • Spanaval
    Spanaval Posts: 1,200 Member
    Two things have changed in my diet.

    1. I eat more protein than I used to.
    2. I eat less of everything than I used to.

    That's pretty much it. I can't say I've cut out anything from my diet, just reduced the amounts I eat.
  • Lisascherer1
    Lisascherer1 Posts: 24 Member
    I have the same issue with belly fat and I have been told that things with good fat help. Like avocados, nuts, beans. I also try to drink a lot of water.....carbonated beverages bring on the bloat. Good luck and great job with your current weight loss.
  • krystyleee
    krystyleee Posts: 219
    I find myself eating a lot of salads. Just enough light dressing, a pinch of cheese, and 4 croutons. That sort of thing.

    Also another favorite meal of mine is to saute (in pam) frozen chicken breast strips (I season it with a lot), 2 frozen fish fillets, and pop a bag of frozen veggies in the microwave (which I also season). This meal for me is a lot of protein, and under 350 calories.
    To change it up, I will use a different veggie, of a different kind of fish.

    Just make sure you measure everything honestly.

    Love the chicken and fish idea. I will try that. I do make chicken sometimes, but I have to get more into fish. The only kind I really like is salmon so maybe I need to try different kinds.
  • krystyleee
    krystyleee Posts: 219
    Two things have changed in my diet.

    1. I eat more protein than I used to.
    2. I eat less of everything than I used to.

    That's pretty much it. I can't say I've cut out anything from my diet, just reduced the amounts I eat.

    Well said. Thank you! I think I need to increase my protein, as well!
  • krystyleee
    krystyleee Posts: 219
    I have the same issue with belly fat and I have been told that things with good fat help. Like avocados, nuts, beans. I also try to drink a lot of water.....carbonated beverages bring on the bloat. Good luck and great job with your current weight loss.

    I love avocados but it's hard to tell how much to eat because they're so high in calories, even though I know they are good for helping with belly fat. I love them, though. Especially guacamole. I don't drink much soda at all though, I'm good on the water part. Thank you so much!
  • delilah47
    delilah47 Posts: 1,658
    Sorry, girls. Nothing specifically burns belly fat. Use your meal planner and you will see what you can and shouldn't be eating, just by the way your calories fill up. Spot reducing is not possible, no matter what the junk ads tell you. You can tone the muscles beneath the fat in certain areas which will help firm up those areas while you eat healthy to lose weight.
  • kariebo
    kariebo Posts: 101
    I pretty much broil nearly all of my meat... never use salt for seasoning-- i generally use garlic powder, but I like garlic. I also steam vegetables or grill them --- kabobs are awesome. I try to not eat any fried foods at all... watch my carbs and my sodium intake. I exercise 3-4 times a week in the gym, and 4-5 times a week during lunch at work. Have a good balance of strength training and cardio... for my tummy I do planks, pushups, ab work (most of that actually comes during my Body Pump class, which is weights)... Limit the butter and oils...I cook everything pretty much in its own juices if i can and then drain it ... steam the rest. Also eat lots of salad with fat free dressings... usually spinach salads or romaine hearts and fresh veggies.
  • Mbishop7684
    Mbishop7684 Posts: 171 Member
    I love veggie wraps! I find that loading up on the green veggies really helps me feel full and its low in calories.
    Here's what mine typically looks like:

    Whole Wheat or Spinach Tortilla
    Kale or Spinach (this makes up about half the the tortilla)
    Onion
    Cucumber
    Tomato
    Tofu- grilled (or chicken or whatever meat you want)
    Hummus or Goat Cheese as a spread ( approx 1-2 oz)
    And fresh lemon juice

    I also have begun to really like "green" smoothies in the morning. They fill you up and are great for summer. Very light and refreshing and its a great way to get your avocoado's in- here's a link to my favorite recipe

    http://www.incrediblesmoothies.com/recipes/big-blend-fruit-vegetable-smoothie-recipe/

    Hope this helps.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I use the link below as a general guideline for eating because my goal is health, not just weight loss. Though undoubtedly getting to a healthy weight and maintaining it is part of being healthy overal;.

    http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/

    For weight loss, your best bet is a healthy diet along with a mix of aerobic exercise and strength training. Aerobic exercise is good for your cardiovascular system and burns more calories than strength training. But muscle burns more than 7 times as many calories per pound at rest as does fat, so it's imporant to include strength training to keep as much muscle as possible while you lose. A mix of the two types is your best bet for losing more fat than muscle.
  • krystyleee
    krystyleee Posts: 219
    I pretty much broil nearly all of my meat... never use salt for seasoning-- i generally use garlic powder, but I like garlic. I also steam vegetables or grill them --- kabobs are awesome. I try to not eat any fried foods at all... watch my carbs and my sodium intake. I exercise 3-4 times a week in the gym, and 4-5 times a week during lunch at work. Have a good balance of strength training and cardio... for my tummy I do planks, pushups, ab work (most of that actually comes during my Body Pump class, which is weights)... Limit the butter and oils...I cook everything pretty much in its own juices if i can and then drain it ... steam the rest. Also eat lots of salad with fat free dressings... usually spinach salads or romaine hearts and fresh veggies.

    Thank you for being so specific this is what I was looking for! Will keep this in mind!
  • krystyleee
    krystyleee Posts: 219
    I love veggie wraps! I find that loading up on the green veggies really helps me feel full and its low in calories.
    Here's what mine typically looks like:

    Whole Wheat or Spinach Tortilla
    Kale or Spinach (this makes up about half the the tortilla)
    Onion
    Cucumber
    Tomato
    Tofu- grilled (or chicken or whatever meat you want)
    Hummus or Goat Cheese as a spread ( approx 1-2 oz)
    And fresh lemon juice

    I also have begun to really like "green" smoothies in the morning. They fill you up and are great for summer. Very light and refreshing and its a great way to get your avocoado's in- here's a link to my favorite recipe

    http://www.incrediblesmoothies.com/recipes/big-blend-fruit-vegetable-smoothie-recipe/

    Hope this helps.

    I love green smoothies! Although I got out of the habit of making them. I need to get back into it! Thanks, I will try those wraps. They sound super yummy!
  • krystyleee
    krystyleee Posts: 219
    I use the link below as a general guideline for eating because my goal is health, not just weight loss. Though undoubtedly getting to a healthy weight and maintaining it is part of being healthy overal;.

    http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/

    For weight loss, your best bet is a healthy diet along with a mix of aerobic exercise and strength training. Aerobic exercise is good for your cardiovascular system and burns more calories than strength training. But muscle burns more than 7 times as many calories per pound at rest as does fat, so it's imporant to include strength training to keep as much muscle as possible while you lose. A mix of the two types is your best bet for losing more fat than muscle.

    Thank you! Yes, I think my problem before was that I would only do cardio at the gym. Then I had a free appointment when a physical trainer who said that strength training is just as important so I am definitely starting to get into that more. Thank you for the advice and I will definitely take a look at the website you sent.
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