All of us at times have questions concerning nutrition, eating habits, and discipline... All are welcome, and are encouraged to participate. Come join us and let's get healthy together!!!!
i have been reading everyones posts to get some ideas i copied the websites to look at later. thanks everyone for posting i buy ww for snacks and i eat jello no sugar pudding its delicious and utz pretzel sticks you can have 3 for 130 calories i try to think of others wanted to join the group good luck to everyone,
I'm building up the discipline to refrain from fast foods and eating out, it's how I treat myself. I've started to create guidelines on what I can eat when I want to splurge and "treat myself" so I don't go over my calorie goal for the day. For example instead of getting a meal, I'll opt for a candy bar. Candy bars are still not healthy. However 250 calories is better than 800-1,000. Another one is skip the fries and just order the sandwich. Is anyone else doing this? What are your "splurge guidelines"?
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Anyone want to "soud off" concerning how your week is going?
My exercise and eating are right on track this week, and look to continue the rest of this
week!
I've had several people ask me about if they should eat prior/post to working out.
Here's a couple of articles, curious to see other thoughts on the issue
http://www.wcs.edu/ihs/athletics/Volleyball/EatingExercise.pdf
To Eat or Not to Eat Pre-Workout? | Active.com
Should you eat before working out? Or is it better to exercise on an empty stomach? Should it be carbs or protein or both? Here's the scoop on what to eat befor
Good info Konvinced...
Personally, I usually don't eat pre-cardio, but eat post cardio.
Strength training I eat pre and post workout..
Are you glad it's Friday?????
Do you build a cheat meal into your eating program?
Yes, I usually plan a cheat meal or dinner out on the day that I workout the longest. For me it's usually Saturday or Sunday because those are the days I get out for long rides of 3-4 hours. On those days, I feel it's more than ok to eat a bit more than usual. It seems to work out ok.
I plan my cheat meals usually once a month... as a reward for clean eating and maintaining my fitness routine. I will usually have a nice steak dinner out with all the fixin's and new york cheese cake for dessert!
I go on a week to week basis simply because it all depends on what's going on. My fiance (just using wifey as an excuse) loves to have or go to gatherings so I would accomodate how I eat for the other days to allow myself to be in OK condition to cheat that day or meal. Base on how my body reacts to how silly I ate (and/or drunk) determines how I eat post that day/meal.
What's your plans for the weekend?
Had a good weekend but rough (eating wise) weekend ... Had family come in town so BBQ'd enough food for the whole weekend and wifey made sweets galore. I won't even mention the all the alcohol that went into play lol ... Hope all had a good weekend rather good or back be able to get back on track.
Nice blog. This couldn't be any more true. Here's a tool I like to use to set/create, keep track, & accomplish my goals as well as set habits and more. I sync it with my Outlook & my phone.
http://www.goal-buddy.com
There's a lot of different tools and methods but picking one that best fits your personal preference is key in order to do it long term. *just my 2 cents
Edited by konvinced, on August 03rd, 2011 at 7:09 am.
Good point konvinced,
The key is to take action and not just have intentions. I like goal-buddy also....
Here's a couple of articles I recently read on sodium. Opinions, what do you all
feel is the best way to get a grip on sodium? I cut back on can foods & lunch
meats that I would put in my salads which was my major sources but my sodium still
seem to average around 2500 - 2700. Any thoughts or techniques
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sodium/NU00284
http://www.weightlossforall.com/sodium-intake-weight.htm
I recommend not eating anything processed. I know it is hard, but processed can be translated "Full of Salt!" I try to eat whole foods as much as possible. Also, pastas and bread are full of salt. I try to buy whole wheat breads and pasta from Whole Foods that are low sodium. My go to bread is Ezekiel 4:9 sprouted low sodium bread.
I have a problem with Sodium too. I try very hard to control my sodium under 2000 but being a vegetarian and wheat being the main food source for us, its very hard to control sodium Everything adds up to a lot of sodium. Even though I eat whole grain breads, they have a lot of sodium in them. I think I should also start buying breads from Whole foods.....
shvel
What do you do to stay motivated with healthy eating and fitness?
helpingotherscrea
tesuccess.weebly.com/health--fitness.html
For me, tracking what I eat & weighing myself daily. I know it's not recommended for most to weigh daily due to the influctuation and all but seeing the graph charts of days I eat bad and the results showing the next day or two keeps me in gear to eat right long term.
Welcome to the group konvinced...
Nice topic kbrown.. I was looking forward for this type of group which gives you ideas about how to keep yourseft motivated to eat healthy.
BTW, Just like you, I do the same. I weigh myself everyday. So I know the days when I had a bad eating graph. And That night I decide to cover it well the next day by eating right and healthy.... Also, I have one my old cotton pent, I love the most. So, whenever I get bored of this weight loss journey, ?I will reach to my closet, take that trouser out and try it and if it doesn't fit then I need to stay focused on working on it. My ultimate goal is to be able to fit into that trouser comfortably.......
shvel
Ok, so I'm trying to lean towards a more vegetarian diet and trying to include organic foods where possible. I'm trying to figure out how best to do this. I'm thinking of limiting my intake to one meal a day to start with. I'm trying to sort through the differences between range free, cage free and all natural chicken breasts. Anybody have any experience in this realm that could offer some tips and guidance?
What goals are you trying to accomplish by adjusting your diet?
Good question. My diet goals in general are to eat whole foods. I've been reading about the excess hormones, antibiotics and pesticides in our food supply and that has me considering organic. The higher cost of organic food has me considering limiting meat consumption to compensate for the cost. So that would mean more vegetarian meals. I also eat fish a few times a week and will increase that if I can manage the mercury exposure. So in a nut shell just trying to be healthier and eliminate the extra garbage as much as possible.
My experience with organic/ all natural whole foods is that the costs are worth the benefit, but like anything else you have to prepare, budget, and have the discipline to maintain healthy natural eating. Fortunately, many major stores like walmart are carrying more and more organic items at more reasonable prices. Of course Whole Foods and Trader Joes are the go to for most of what you will be purchasing. Another thing to consider is hitting the farmers markets, many farmers are raising organic items for reasonable costs. Concerning free range, cage free, all natural chickens, they feed on the things that nature provides them such as bugs and seeds, which means no antibiotics or hormones, and increased Omega 3's. I would caution that less meat and protein in your diet may need to be supplemented through Whey protein powder. There are a few all nature portein powders out there that are not full of salt and sugar. You should try to maintain 40% of your total calories through protein and a good rule of thumb would be 1gm of protein per pound of your target weight. I hope this helps..
Edited by kbrown7024, on July 15th, 2011 at 1:38 pm.
I love fruit and worry sometimes I overeat my calories because of this, what is a suitable amount of fruit to eat daily to avoid gaining weight
I always to defer to the macros recommendations on "The Daily Plate" The pie chart. Fruit is considered a carb, and the recommended ratio for the major food nutrients are Protein 40%, Carbs 40%, and healthy fats 20%. So you want to moderate your fruit and carb intake to 40% of your overall calories for the day.
Edited by kbrown7024, on July 13th, 2011 at 3:17 pm.
posted on the wrong thread
Edited by samaral7, on July 15th, 2011 at 7:49 am.
why was it?
Interesting... I have seen this supplement and thought about getting some but the price is a bit high. Thanks for posting the info though.
I think eventually as the demand and use increase that the prices will eventually moderate... we can keep our fingers crossed.
Mix up a DIY salt substitute. Australian scientists determined that diluting regular salt with potassium salt and Epsom salt lowers arterial blood pressure by six points. Cooking with the concoction reduces overall sodium intake and boosts blood levels of potassium, a nutrient that naturally regulates blood pressure. Pour 65 percent table salt, 25 percent Morton Salt Substitute (potassium chloride), and 10 percent Epsom salt into a small bowl, mix well, and funnel into a saltshaker. You won't taste the difference.
just checking...
I'm on a mission to continue eating healthy over the holidays....but I need some
inspiration. Can you post your favorite healthy holiday dishes?
thanks
(This is meant to be for discussion, so feel free to give me feedback on what works and
what doesn't work)
We do a lot of holiday baking in our house. I love the tips. I'd add....don't drink and cook. If you get tipsy, it is easier to taste test a lot.
Also, remember you can substitute healthier things....for example, grind up oatmeal and use it instead of your regular flour. Use applesauce instead of butter. If you aren't sure, try substituting a 1/4 of the ingredient for something healthier. I bet you never notice.
So sometimes you want the soul food but still feel alright about it.. and I just made a
great grilled cheese knock off ...
NEED:
cheese of choice
nonstick spray
whole grain bread
tuna
break up the tuna and grate cheese into a bowl... microwave shortly... 30 seconds at
most
put mixture on the bread and using a dry frying pan with the nonstick spray...
viola! short of the nonstick spray...no oils, with good amounts of protein... and soul
good
A friend of mine is trying them and she is only eating 500 calories a day. I am very worried about her. This can't be good for your body...anyone heard of this method?
Haven't heard of it, but anything that causes you to eat only 500 calories a day, cannot be healthy. I would be very concerned...
Dr. Oz recently said that HCG would mess up your metabolism. He talks about it on one of the videos that you can access from his web page.
I read something about it not long ago....apperantly you use an ultra low diet and get shots that are supposed to affect your hormones in a way that will prevent you from going into starvation mode....so you drop a lot of weight fast. Sounds just horrible for you.
http://www.cleaneatingmag.co
m/shoppinglists/index.html
clean eating on a budget shopping lists by month
Does anyone have any idea why Fage Yogurt has twice as much protein and other plain yogurts?
it is because it is greek yogurt. I believe the way they strain it and make it is the difference. if you check out chobani.com it explains it a little.
I LOVE Fage yogurt. Not only is a good yogurt, but it actually is a great sub. for sour cream. I use it with perogies, on taco salad, and on my eggs with salsa
I just bought chickpeas for the first... dried not canned
Give me some good clean eating chickpeas recipes
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=56251#ixzz12xZ85oyE<
/span>
I joined a food coop and now get organic fruits and veggies delivered every week. However, I also get wheat grass and sunflower sprouts delivered. My question is what do you do with these? And why? What are the benefits I'm supposed to look for? Right now I'm putting about an ounce of the wheat grass in my protein smoothie once per day and I'll add the sprouts to my sandwiches (these are yummy btw). Anyone have other ideas? I'm still tweaking the diet and I'm wondering how these fit in.
don't know about the sprouts, but you can use wheatgrass in smoothies, which I do. I get a hankering for a wheatgrass smoothie every now and then, so after trimming off what I want from the top, I give the rest to my cat. she LOVES it.
hah...may have to try feeding it to the cat. I'm adding some to my smoothies every day, but the coop must have a ton of it because I'm seriously getting a shoe box worth a week. I'm out of freezer space. I have a shoe box worth in my frig and another shoe box worth that I just pawned off of my niece.
I like to make homemade french fries with red potatoes but 150 grams=100 calories. When
do you weight that? Do you weigh it before or after you cook it? What about
meat...before or after? Seems like if I weigh the potatoes after I cook it that there is
way more than I think I should eat.
Help!
I'm not sure about the potatoes, but I weigh meat before I cook it. Just in general, it's easier to weigh and measure food before it gets cooked. Good question!
i belive you are supposed to weigh food before you cook it. I'm positive for meat, but belive you should do the same for all foods. The calorie count by weight is usually based on precooked weight, and the foods usually lose weight as cooked because you lose moisture.
Has anyone used Chia seeds (yep the ones for the Chia pets) for health benefits? Or has knowledge on the subject?
I found this on the Dr. Weil site:
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA365093/Chia-for-Health.html
I think it sounds pretty cool. I've seen them available at my local co-op but haven't tried them. I say, go for it! It sounds way better than taking a supplement! It's also cool that they have a much longer shelf life than flax seed. It's supposed to taste "nutty." Report back if you try them! Also, take pictures if you grow a green afro.
Thanks for your feedback princess...maybe I'll wait til my hair completely recedes before I try it. That way I'll actually appreciate the green afro.
I have a question about the 40% / 40% / 20% ratios. For those of you who eat this ratio regularly, how much fiber are you averaging in a day? I am having an imposible time hitting these numbers and getting enough fiber, all while staying in my calorie range. I have to have a pretty darn high fiber diet because of medical issues and fiber suplements do not cut it, i need the real food. I have been lucky to get 30% / 50%/ 20%. My goal is fatloss and muscle preservation. Thanks.
for most women you should be getting about 20-25 grams of fiber per day... for men 25 - 30 grams per day.... for your carbs I would target food that has a higher fiber content- fruits, veggies, and beans and legumes, whole wheat ... the trick for you would be to try to up your fiber intake, by still using low glycemic carbs...
It's hard to hit those macros! Most days, I hit 25%, 25%, 50%, so I'm working on improving, too. It seems like if you can get most of your carbs from veg, beans, and grains, those all contribute to fiber and a little to protein. My fiber goal is usually 25-30 grams. Have you tried quinoa, wheat berries, brown rice, or steel-cut oats? Maybe try replacing some bread with grains? (You're right - fiber supplements don't work. Real food works!)
I am also having a hard time with the macros.
Protein 40%? not sure how I can get to that number. Any advice?
Sometimes I plan my meals, thinking that certain things are rich in protein, but ends up not being like I thought.
I always have whey protein with milk after workouts and lately I have been adding another shake in the afternoons, but I don't seem to meet those numbers yet. Any advice?
You may want to try adding something to your protein shakes like flax seed or wheat grass to up your fiber. I've had to do that...and yup on the micros. I call it a great day when I hit 33/33/33.
Interesting site for those looking for some extra help understanding calories whether
you're trying to lose or gain wait.
http://www.caloriesaday.com/
oops..thats lose or gain "weight"!
I have just discovered tofu shirataki noodles and I have been eating a TON of them.
Totally curbs my craving for carbs, and at 40 calories per BAG of the stuff, I think I'm
in love. I've been using it in stir frys and spaghetti, and it works brilliantly. I cut
anywhere from 200-300 calories from every pasta meal by using these. Going to try to make
cucumber cakes with them next.
I have been hearing good things about them... sounds yummy.
Did you have to order them online? I've heard a lot about them, but being in rural Kansas, there's no place for me to buy them.
What are Cucumber cakes?
Thank you so much for sharing this!!! I have really had a rough time nixing a lot of carbs (definitely including pasta). I know this is going to help so much. Fantastic!!
Yeah, I grabbed some of these at the store the other day. I thought they would fall apart but I decided to put them in a thai soup anyway. I was super surprised by how resilient and dense they were. I'm definitely going to eat them a lot.
cucumber cakes are ground cucumber, mixed with pancake mix, mixed with egg replace or egg white, then thrown on a pan like a pancake. Makes great finger food. With the noodles you just have to make sure you drain them well and wash them first because they smell like feet if you don't. :)
Edited by metallipanda, on August 18th, 2010 at 6:55 pm.
Somewhere in one of thegroups I belong to someone said they could get Yoga and/or exercise vedios on netflix through their Wii. I can't find them and would like to know how it is done - anyone know anything along these lines?
First you have to be a member of Netflix. If so they should've sent you a cd for your Wii. (if didn't get cd will need to request via netflix webiste) Use the netflix website to update your "instantly watch queue" Search for yoga or any other fitness name. I searched yoga and found a couple. One is called Yoga For Health. DVD's that you can watch instantly should have a play button below them. Move your mouse over the play button and it will show you an option to add to your instant queue. Choose to add. Now go on the Wii with the Netflix cd in the game. Go to instant queue and find what you just added and hit play.
Good luck.
What nagging nutritional questions do you have? Let's get them out there so
the group can learn from them.
Does anyone know anything about the DNA diet talked about on the Dr. Oz show recently? Is it the same stuff that Jillian Michaels talks about when she says you are a fast or slow oxidizer? Has anyone tried eating according to any of these ideas?
I don't know a whole lot about it, but have done some research on it... Some of the key points are;
your diet is built around where you are deficient.. Blood tests are usually taken to determine deficiencies.. Pro athletes usually go under this level of scrutinization.
Your diet is also catered around your metabolism levels (whether you are a fast or slow oxidizer.)
Since it is based on your particular DNA every person's diet is unique to them based on their DNA results...
Claims of 15% to 35% fat loss...
My personal opinion: Jury is still out. It is a specialized way of creating your diet that at this point is very expensive. The chances of someone maintaining this for very long is very low...
Anyone else have input on this?
I"m starting to read Geneen Roth's "Woman, Food and God" about eating whatever you want, but only when you are hungry and stop when you are full. I think I'm falling in love with it! I've been so obsessed with either Weight Watchers points or counting calories the last 5 years of my life, it's so nice to eat small portions of REAL food that I love. I tend to binge eat on the weekends and it's really helped to keep me in check. I can eat my fav foods whenever now instead of keeping myself from them and I just go crazy when they are put in front of me. So far so good!!!
I have cut carbs dramamtically from my diet due to paleo eating. Therefore, my daily macros are about 50/40/10 P/F/C. I have found it really hard to get in all the calories i need. I am just not hungry. Is this good/bad? The only time I find myself very hungry is between when I wake up and lunch. Should I try to load the front part of my day with the majority of my calories?
For myself, I eat based on time and not necessarily hunger level... 6:00am breakfast, 9:00 snack, 12 lunch, 3:00 snack, 6:00 dinner, then pre and post workout snacks. This is the best way to maintain overall energy throughout the day, and moderate blood sugar levels. I would just keep the portion sizes manageable and see how that works...
So I've done a few longer bike rides latley (50+ miles) and tended to want to eat everything and the kitchen sink afterward. Today I did my first triathlon and I just want to eat EVERYTHING! My instinct is to eat all the junk I haven't been allowing myself since I have at least a couple thousand calories extra to eat back, but that is really counter productive. What is best to eat after an endurance sport? Mostly protein? I need something that will stop the crazy hunger and help my body to properly recover. Any thoughts?
Your body needs the protein for recovery, and the carbs to expedite that recovery, so I would consume both at a proportionate amounts...
I do a lot of long-distance cycling, so I may be able to speak to this one...
The trick in riding successfully is to eat more before and *during* the ride. If you do this, you should not be ridiculously hungry afterwards; and your performance will be better. I usually have a gel every hour or so. The standard advice for cycling recovery (post-ride) is 80% carb and 20% protein.
If you don't eat enough before/during the ride, you will be so hungry later that you can end up *gaining* weight by gorging afterwards. I have seen this happen to people.
I usually eat 500-800 calories before an extended workout like long distance cycling, then a gel every 45-60 minutes and probably a peanut butter and banana on whole wheat in the middle of the ride if i'm going more than four hours...and maybe even a cliff bar thrown in at some point. I am still starving for a good couple days after the ride. Maybe it's just mental.
I'm eating jelly belly's right now-MY FAVORITE! But ugh! Friday's bring out the bad eating in me...
Where do you find your recipies
You can find a ton online, Self.com has a BUNCH of recipes and I can honestly say I haven't tried one yet that I don't like. They are all light, healthy recipes. I also have been using the Master Your Metabolism Cookbook, and it defnitely makes me branch out -- the recipes incorporate as many 'superfoods' and high-nutrient type stuff that will help rebalance your hormones, etc... so not only are they ultra-healthy, but they end up making me incorporate a bigger variety of foods into my diet.
thank you
So I just got back my yearly physical results and my total colesterol is down from 177 to 152 and my LDL is down from 107 to 97. My good colesterol however dropped to 38, which is just below the "healthy range"...I can't remember what it was before but it dropped about 20 points! I have been exercising a consistant 5-6 times a week mostly running and biking and eating an 1800 net calorie diet with a macro of 40/40/20. I try to add nuts and some olive oil to my diet each day to help with healthy fats but my healthy colesterol still dropped a lot. My DR. didn't seem worried about the drop in good colesterol, should I be? Should I alter my diet to add more healthy fats? They are usually calorie dense foods that contain the healthy fats so I don't want to add too many if i don't need to. Also, my goal is to drop another 30 pounds and then start to bulk, so adding more healthy fats in the future would be eaiser....So what are your thoughts, am I ok with my current diet for now?
I would say you are okay for now... Eggs, olive oil, and nuts will help with overall choleterol...
Just a quick clarification: Most sites list the macro ratios as Carb/Protein/Fat, but
I noticed when you explained the 40/40/20 you wrote Protein/carb/fat, so when you say
50/30/20 is optimum fat burning do you mean 50%Protein/30%Carb/20%Fat? I'm sure you don't
mean 50% Carb, so I just wanted to clarify.
Thanks!
Nevermind! I read through old posts and found the answer: P/C/F! I did good yesterday, trying again today! You say to stick with it for around 3 weeks? Then should you go back to 40/40/20? Also, in one of your early posts, someone recommended not eating in deficit for more than 2 months--what is your take on that?
I think how long you go on the 50/30/20 depends on your body. Listen to it: if your workouts get harder and it's tough to finish them, you need more carbs to give you the strength and stamina to finish. Then it's time to go to 40/40/20. I don't think there is a hard and fast rule about how long you should do it. Your body will tell you!
Do you use a protein powder or something to get to 50%? I find it hard to get there. Just wondered if there is a trick to it that I haven't found.
Yes, I try to get most of my protein through food: chicken, tuna, eggs, but I have one shake when I wake up to "break the fast" and another one right after my workout to start repairing my muscles, so those bring me to about 50g right away. One can of tuna is 33 g of protein. so I usually have that mixed into something for a snack sometime throughout the day.
I eat a lot of Salmon, chicken ,eggs and grass fed beef. I get Albacore tuna from Costco which gives me 45 gms of protein a can. Over the years, I have used Spiru-Tein as a multiple vitamin and a protein boost. But it is 96 calories and only has 14 grams of protein per serving. Do you have any suggestions as to a protein powder that has a denser protein to calorie ratio? I think if I could solve the protein essue, I could step up the weight loss. For the longest time I have been lucky to lose 5 lbs pounds a month. I am eating clean so I don't want any sugar substitutes etc. I would be perfectly happy with this slow steady loss except I am having a lot of trouble with my Knees and could really use a better loss.
I like the Syntrax Nectar,90 calories, 23g Protein, no Carbs, no Sugar (no aspertame, but ingredients say sucralose). I have the Cherry, the flavor is strong, so I mix it with more water than it says and get it really cold then it tastes like cherry kool-aid :)
Thanks, I guess I better head to the health food store and see what I can find. Sucralose is "Splenda" one of the no nos in what I am trying to do.
Hi Guys,
I've been working on my weight loss since late March, and I've lost 15 lbs which, though
it's still a downward trend, isn't the number I'd like to see. I started at about
40-50 lbs overweight, and am now about 25-35 lbs overweight (5'5" 184 starting,
169 currently). With all that extra weight to lose, I know that I can safely lose at
least 2 lbs per week.
My problem is conflicting information -- I read the posts on the "Free and
Practical Exercise..." and all everyone says is "eat more, eat more!"
I eat about 1400 in a day and workout about 4-5 times per week burning approx. 500 cals
each workout, some more some less. I wear a bodybugg, which has me burning
anywhere from 2700 - 3300 cals total in a day.
JUST TO KEEP A 1000 CAL deficit, I was supposed to be eating 1700 -
2300 per day. Needless to say, I did NOT lose weight when I was eating that
amount. I simply maintained.
Later, I dropped to 1600, which to be honest was still putting my 'net calories' at around
1100, not 1200... and I would slowwwwwly lose a pound here and there. I
finally dropped down to 1400 and began losing a little more consistently, even if it's not
quite at the rate that I want.
I listen to / read alot of Jillian Michaels, and she is pretty adament that if you have
alot of weight to lose (more than 5-10 lbs) you can have a pretty dramatic calorie deficit
safely, a girl can even eat 1200 on non-workout days and 1400 on workout days and be fine.
So--.... :-( Which is it?? Keeping in mind I have alot of stored fuel
(25-35 lbs of extra weight), and keeping in mind my results when I WAS eating more, what
the heck is it? Eat more, or eat less??
Mark and I both subscribe to and practice the concept of "Improving Body Composition" over just losing weight. When your goal is just losing weight, my experience is that most people will go to extreme ends to make the scale move in their favor, which usually means sacrificing lean body mass in order to lose weight, which is unhealthy. You are not maintaining a base level of nutrition in order to change your body. The goal should be to become lean and fit. The concept we subscribe to doesn't lend to a super speedy weight loss, but it does lend to your body changing for the better, replacing fat with lean muscle, which in turn will make you healthier and make you look better, feel better... regardless of what the scale says. My experience has been that focusing more on body composition rather just weight loss has a more lasting effect, you are able to maintain an improved level of fitness without the inevitable rebound in fat gain at some point, because you will not be able to maintain the improper regimen that weight loss demands. It is too restrictive and unhealthy and you and your body will at some point rebel. So my advice is to replace fat with lean muscle regardless of weight gain or loss...
I don't think it is" either or". It is what works for you. If you find a calorie level that lets you lose weight, thats whats righ tfor you. A lot of things are going on here and we are all so different. I really like Jillian and her book Mastering Your Metabolism was a turning point for me. BUT, since we are so complicated, I would also recommend "The Schwarzbein Principle" because Diana has a lot to say about the different ways we may have damaged our metabolism and what to do about it based on whether it is yhour Insulin or Adrenals that are damaged.
Cut your calories if that is what works and if you are worried about nutrition take some good supplements
I wholeheartedly agree with Mark and Kbrown. You need to fuel the machine! When I started my journey 3 yrs ago, I got down to the weight I wanted but didn't "look" the way I though I would look. I still had a muffin top and felt soft. Once I changed my nutrition and really started to lift weights, my body changed. I increased my lean muscle mass, reduced my body fat and I now feel fabulous!! I stayed about the same weight, but I lost inches and dress sizes! I know the number on the scale can play games with your head, but measure yourself and you may see changes there when you don't on the scale! Good luck!
Haven't posted this in awhile,
Some basics:
1.) For an active person you want to start your Macro nutrients, (that is the pie chart on your LS food diary) at a 40/40/20 split. That is 40% protein, 40% carbs, 20% healthy fats, and then tweak as necessary to fine tune your results. 50/30/20 is most conducive to fat loss.
2.) Protein: generally for an active person you want to consume approximately 1 gram of protein per 1 pound of your body weight. So if you weigh 150lbs. then you want to eat around 150 grams of protein.
3.) You want to ensure that you are eating enough food to facilitate fat loss and gain lean muscle mass. So, eating 5 to 6 small meals per day of approximately 200 to 300 calories per meal. You want to make sure your overall net calories do not go below 1200 calories for a woman, and 1800 calories for a man that is the calories left over after at the end of the day after expending energy through living, workouts, etc. If you go below those minimums, your body will stop burning fat, and will actually start storing fat, and will also start eating into the lean muscle that you have developed.
It is my understanding that net calories do not take into account your daily living expenditure, only your workouts. Otherwise, if I had a balance of at least 1200 at the end of the day AFTER subtracting living expendituture and workouts, I'd be eating 3000 + calories!
Don't worry guys, I'm not more concerned with numbers than with body composition, but I'm simply asking if you have more stored fat, is a larger deficit still healthy? Like I said, I am about 35 lbs overweight still. I workout, do intense resistance training, and am taking my measurements. But the truth is, without burning the excess fat, all that lovely muscle won't even show. So my question was not how to make the numbers go down whatever the cost, but simply....if you are overweight by more than 5-10 lbs, does your body need as much to fuel it?
Netting 1200 cal/day is a deficit... and yes, I would agree the net is basically after workouts only. I would suggest focusing in on your macros, and trying to achieve a 50/30/20 ratio for about three weeks and see if that helps or not...
K. I'll fine-tune it and see what happens. Have lost 4.5 inches in waist and 15 lbs, even if it has taken me a long time. Can do more pushups and run longer / further, so good things are happening, I know at least that much! ;-)
Look at your body measurements -- if those are going down, you are losing fat and don't worry. If you are weight lifting heavily that is the most likely explanation.
Otherwise, you might want to take a hard look at calorie consumption and consider that most of us underestimate what we eat. Unless one has a scale and measuring cups on hand, it's easy to make mistakes -- and a couple hundred cals off make the difference between maintaining and losing. If you find, personally, that you need to take a little extra off to keep losing...sounds reasonable to me. Everyone is different.
I've never been much of an endurance sport person, but I'm starting to get into longer bike rides that have signifigant calorie demands. Last weekend I did a 50+ mile ride that burned 4800 calories. I took a few Gu gels, a couple bottles of gatorade, a cliff bar and a peanutbutter and banana sandwich on whole wheat. I ate eggs, whole wheat bread, and turkey bacon before the ride. I was still about 3000 calories negative by the end of the ride. Did i eat enough and the right stuff?
What you ate during the ride sounds good, plenty of carbs and protein... The trick is to ensure you eat enough the day before and the day after. The day before's food intake is for the reserve energy you will need for the ride, the snacks help to maintain the energy, and then the food intake afterwards will be strictly for recovery... I would try to maintain a three day total intake goal rather than just a one day calorie goal. So if your minimum is 1800 net/day, then I would try to net 5400 in a three day window... usually heavy eating the day before and after, and not much the day of due to the ride itself...
ok, thanks for the info! I plan to start doing more long rides and knowing how to provide myself with enough energy is really going to make a difference. Should I be loading with carbs the day before? Or am I ok keeping with my typical 40/40/20 carbs/protein/fat macronutrition?
I would stay with the 40/40/20...
I'm a cyclist. What you eat is going to depend on your goals. If athletic performance is the biggest thing, and you are doing long rides -- you will need more carbs. If you are more interested in a muscular / cut look, then less carbs.
What are the health benefits of Dark Chocolate????
Chocolate is made from plants, which means it contains many of the health benefits of dark vegetables. These benefits are from flavonoids, which act as antioxidants. Antioxidants protect the body from aging caused by free radicals, which can cause damage that leads to heart disease. Dark chocolate contains a large number of antioxidants (nearly 8 times the number found in strawberries). Flavonoids also help relax blood pressure through the production of nitric oxide, and balance certain hormones in the body.
courtesy of:
http://longevity.about.com/od/lifelongnutrition/p/chocolate.htm
I cheated...cut and paste, gotta love the internet ;-)
You forgot to mention that eating chocolate tastes good!!!! In particular "Dark" Chocolate, which is made from Cocoa. You want to ensure that you are choosing chocolate that is at least 75% cocoa, this has the highest level of nutrional benefit....
Monday morning!!! Everyone bright eyed and bushy tailed? How did you weekend
go?
weekend went well. Did a 50 mile bike ride along the shore. Spent the rest of my time at BBQs. All in all a good weekend.
Excellent!! Sounds like a good time.
The end of the week and the weekend is definitely going to be spectacular!!!
Let's get out there and make it a good one!!
How is everyone doing this week? Any interesting things going on?
I'm giving myself a challenge in the next 2 days to not eat meat or dairy but still get my normal amount of protein in, just to see how I feel. I need to lower my dairy, that's for sure! I LLOOOOOVEEEE cheese!
Sounds like you are mixing it up some... A change every once in a while is good!!!
I passed on a piece of Apple Dapple Cake this morning in our office. If you don't know what this is (I didn't!) it's basically an apple & walnut cake with a THICK layer of butter, brown sugar and sweetened condensed milk-SO GOOD! But I broke down this afternoon and had about a 1/3 of a piece-SO WORTH IT! The craving is gone and I just had a few bites! This is my Friday splurge! We all have to eat a few bites of the sinful foods every once in awhile;) Happy Friday!
by konvinced on Sep 22, 2011 at 3:22 am
Alcohol & laziness!