dfargher Member

Are you familiar with the term "straw man"? The article didn't say that raw spinach had too many calories to justify. Yes, if an apple and a Twinkie are both labeled 100 calories it is absolutely understandable that someone who thought "well, a calorie is a calorie" would choose the Twinkie. If 100% of the Twinkie's…

Does the chocolate powder you're adding have added sugar? If so, you could switch to a powder that doesn't. Other than that, it looks like all the sugar is from fruits and veggies, and I wouldn't cut those just to get the sugar number down unless there was a medical reason to do so.

I don't usually care for sweet things - unless I am dieting. I expect what happens is that you restrict calories, your body/mind/whatever thinks we've entered a time of limited food supply, and it starts issuing cravings for very calorie dense fare. Sweets also trigger the release of feel-good neurochemicals, so maybe that…

Here is what I would do in that case: I would find out what my calorie level should be for maintenance (not weight loss) and set my MFP goal to that. Then I would track everything I ate for a month, with no weight loss goal at all. The idea would be to 1) Get a really good idea of what I actually eat (as opposed to what I…

With Stevia it depends on what kind you get. I use Stevia sometimes - it is the only zero calorie sweetener that (in it's unprocessed form) is not "artificial". The biggest issue is just that adding sweeteners in general changes your palette to like overly sweet things rather than being able to enjoy the natural sweetness…

100% this. Two different doctors recommended the same thing, I would say try that first and re-evaluate in a few months.

Probably this. I gain weight when I restrict too far as well - because it causes so much hunger that I binge after a few days and eat back everything I restricted and then some.

It might not matter for weight loss, but it will matter for your blood pressure. If your blood pressure is normal, it probably isn't so bad. FWIW, I tend to go over when eating processed foods, and being way under when preparing foods at home.

There's a lot more to Paleo than just tossing processed foods - and not eating processed foods is hardly unique to Paleo. I tend to agree that a diet that forbids whole grains, legumes, and all but a small amount of fruit seems pretty fad-y. It gets points for getting people onto whole food, but the basis of it (that we…

OP - 319 grams of protein and 3190 calories a day means you're shooting for 40% of your calories from protein. Not only is that unnecessary (and possibly unhealthy) but no one hits 40% protein without supplementing isolated protein, regardless of their vegetarian/omnivore preference. FWIW - As a vegetarian I am not at all…

A few things: 1. You will be hungry sometimes when dieting, more so than you will at maintenance because you're eating fewer calories than your body needs. Restricting too far will backfire, but it isn't bad to feel hungry between meals, especially as you near mealtime. 2. Looking at your food diary, I don't think I would…

Baked chickpeas - they aren't low calorie, but they are a lot more filling than chips.

Vegetarian, transitioning (back) to vegan.

Munchies are part of the fun! I plan for it, make sure most of my snacks are low-cal (spicy pickles, my favorite fruits, popcorn, etc.), and only have a couple higher-cal items in small quantities (like candy from the bulk bins so I can only buy the amount I will eat that night). Also, try items that are "treats" in ways…

Beans, peas, and lentils are great for protein and fiber. Nut and seeds have protein and fat. Tempeh, seitan, and tofu are all good sources as well, once you learn how to prepare them right (there is nothing worse than poorly prepared tofu :P) But unless you're under-eating, doing competitive bodybuilding, or subsisting on…

Does your produce go bad in a week? Mine usually lasts at least that long, so we just go shopping once a week. You could try eating all the fresh stuff at the start of the week and rely on frozen and "shelf-stable" produce (like apples, potatoes, squash, onions, etc.) for the last couple days.

I log every day regardless. I don't sweat the small fluctuations, but logging every day keep me accountable.

I try to always have a mug of hot tea with me (green tea if early, peppermint later in the day). The warm liquid is an appetite suppressant, as is the caffeine in the green tea, and peppermint settles your stomach. Plus it is hydrating, and the green tea is good for you. You could also try soup broth for something more…

Um, no. Sugar may not be toxic, but the idea that something can't be bad for you or it would be regulated is absurd. Minors could still buy cigarettes in some states until the 90s, despite loads of evidence that they were addictive and carcinogenic. Trans fats are still legal despite evidence that they are harmful. There…

I second this! We use ACV almost exclusively as hair conditioner.

On a budget I would say dried beans and brown rice. Lentils+an onion+a carrot+frozen spinach+broth = a large batch of healthy, filling lentil soup for very little money. Also, maybe some whole wheat flour and yeast to make a healthy loaf of bread. That and a jar of peanut butter would be some very filling lunches. Hummus…

I weigh every day, but I also track my 10-day moving average, which smooths out the water-weight fluctuations. I don't sweat any daily fluctuations as long as the 10-day average is moving in the right direction.

I'm in :) 10 lbs may be a bit of a stretch, since that would put me right at my goal weight, but it sounds motivating! Starting weight: 118.3

It's easy for most people to like pizza and mac&cheese. Most people have a harder time learning to like veggies and leafy greens. OP - if you want to put out effort to "learn to like" healthy foods, you should focus on adjusting your palette to enjoy non-starchy veggies. Those are universally considered healthy. Spinach,…

What works for me is to eat several servings of fruit first, until I'm full and not at all actually hungry. Then if I still crave sweets, I eat them. Usually I don't want them after all that fruit, and when I do it is easier to be satisfied on a small portion.

I'm also curious about the female equivalent, if anyone knows...

I would second this suggestion. If you have self-control during the day, can you adjust your other meals to leave yourself a substantial portion of your calories for this time of day? Maybe have a light lunch and dinner, then plan for a 4th full meal after 10:30. Make sure to include carbs in it (IME, carb-less meals don't…

No doubt! I browsed through your food logs and it looks like your goal is in the neighborhood of 2000-2200 calories a day. I'll trust you that that is a healthy level - but I personally would not be able to eat that many calories from non-junk food in a day. Try adding more healthy fats to your meals, or maybe fruit juice…