As was foretold, we've added advertisements to the forums! If you have questions, or if you encounter any bugs, please visit this thread: https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/240191/forum-advertisement-faq-and-reports-thread/
Options
Diet plan questions
Lardalish
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Ok so I have finally decided I would like to stop being the fatty that I am so I joined this diet plan thing someone suggested to me, dailyburn.com. Well, Ive got a huge BBQ Im going to in a week so I decided I would just get into the habit of recording what I ate and worry about making it healthier after my last hurrah and such.
Well, today was my first day recording it and since Im not trying to be healthy just yet, I didn't do anything special other than actually measure what I ate. At the end of the day I had only eaten about half of the recommended fat and calories, and a quarter of the recommended protein. My carbs fell into the range they were looking for though. To be fair, I only ate a bowl of cereal around 10am and then some Panda Express around 8pm, but that is pretty much normal for me when I don't work. I work in a restaurant so I tend to graze a lot, but outside the workplace that right there is pretty normal. Well, throw in a cook-out milkshake here and there, but still. I thought it might be because I estimated my weight (havent gotten a scale yet) but when I dropped my estimate from 270 to 200, I was still coming in under in all those categories, though the carbs was over.
What I would like to know is, should I try to eat more protein and food in general since I'm coming so far below what this site says? Is this site reputable? Is there something I perhaps did incredibly wrong?
Im totally new to trying to eat healthy so I don't know what I'm doing. Can you guys offer any suggestions?
Well, today was my first day recording it and since Im not trying to be healthy just yet, I didn't do anything special other than actually measure what I ate. At the end of the day I had only eaten about half of the recommended fat and calories, and a quarter of the recommended protein. My carbs fell into the range they were looking for though. To be fair, I only ate a bowl of cereal around 10am and then some Panda Express around 8pm, but that is pretty much normal for me when I don't work. I work in a restaurant so I tend to graze a lot, but outside the workplace that right there is pretty normal. Well, throw in a cook-out milkshake here and there, but still. I thought it might be because I estimated my weight (havent gotten a scale yet) but when I dropped my estimate from 270 to 200, I was still coming in under in all those categories, though the carbs was over.
What I would like to know is, should I try to eat more protein and food in general since I'm coming so far below what this site says? Is this site reputable? Is there something I perhaps did incredibly wrong?
Im totally new to trying to eat healthy so I don't know what I'm doing. Can you guys offer any suggestions?
Lardalish on
0
Posts
Your sample daily menu was pretty awful, cereal is generally always terrible and panda express is likely awful since I doubt you got vegetables and beef + broccoli.
Drink water, eat meat/vegetables/some fruits and you really can't fail.
Whole grains/bread/etc is debatable, I definitely fall more in line with the primal/paleo line of thinking but I know plenty of people that lose weight just fine while consuming some whole grain style food also.
Basically just avoid sugar and refined carbs like the plague.
Additionally, don't obsess about the calories. Eat more meat, since it makes you full faster and keeps you full longer. Eat until you are somewhat filled, then wait a while. Food usually takes some time to settle. Eat enough to feel satisfied.
Do look at labels to know what goes into your food, and avoid anything that says "Low Fat!" but replaces the fat with sugar.
If in doubt, eat anything that looks like it came from part of an actual animal/vegetable/fruit, and not things like nuggets or juices. Processed food usually contains more sugar than the taste lets on.
As previously mentioned, avoid sugars. Especially avoid high fructose corn syrup; despite what the commercials say, it is actually worse for you than table sugar.
Don't be afraid of fat. A lot of really important things in the body are made from fat. Even saturated fat isn't bad for you in moderation.
Eat more protein. A lot more protein. Preferably from whole food sources such as meats, but if need be, from protein shakes. For every important thing in your body made from fat, there are three important things made from protein. A full 40% of the amino acids utilized by the body have to be consumed, as the body is unable to synthesize them, and that number goes up if you're nutritionally challenged (as you appear to be).
To simplify things, if you limit yourself to these categories of food, you should be fine
Meats
Fruits
Vegetables
Nuts
Legumes
And it doesn't matter how meaty, fruity, etc. it may sound, fast food menu items don't fall into any of those categories.
As insane as it sounds, if you eat *NOTHING* but meat/eggs and vegetables for the vast majority of your calories with sparing fruits supplementing it, you can literally eat all you want and lose plenty of weight.
This doesn't mean if you were force fed enormous amounts of calories that you will magically lose weight - it is extremely complex, but the simplest explanation is that I PROMISE you that you won't WANT to eat all that much food - and not because it isn't delicious, because it is, but rather just because your body will start desiring food at the rate that it is supposed to once the awful sugar and carb cravings and crashes exit your system.
Add in the reality of how much better your body will burn and process your fat stores once you aren't producing excess insulin, and you really can't fail.
I dropped from 310 lbs to 200 lbs in about 6 months doing this, without exercising at all. I've since been doing the exercise thing to really get in shape but I promise you I did this WITHOUT EVER telling myself to not eat, even when I was hungry, because I wanted to lose weight. I ate whenever I wanted, however much I wanted.
It just didn't involve me going to Jack in the Box and getting two shakes, a large coke, a meal, and two sides (jalapeno poppers and curly fries, please). The above meal is not a joke, I did this plenty. Pure trashy carbs and sugar.
(and I get doctor checkups and blood work and my cholesterol levels are incredible, even though I eat an average of three or four eggs per day, bacon every morning, and a lot of beef as almost all of my calories besides veggies)
also, see this website, I am a big fan:
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/
It's not always easy, because you need to get creative sometimes to make some of the more boring proteins and grains really pop, and it can be an expensive habit once you get used to eating whole and fresh, but I can't tell you how worth it it is. For instance, I've taken to replacing my urge for a beef hamburger with an urge for a beefalo hamburger. Buffalo/Bison meat is becoming more and more available and not only is it delicious, but it's stupidly lean for red meat, just wonderful stuff and really not terribly more expensive than quality beef.
Personally, I still eat a ton of fruit, but there is a burgeoning school that advises getting what you need but not overdoing it on the fruit sugars. I'm not scientist, so I can only mention it, not comment on it.
Oh, and obviously, get up off your a few times a week and kick a ball around or hit something or move from point A to point B in a manner faster than your default speed. :P
i read that lots
i'm not strict about anything though but i try my best and it works out pretty well
Yeah I know my diet at the moment is awful, I don't try to hide it. I knew when I started this that I was going to be dropping all the fast food, but like I said I haven't tried to fix it yet, Im going to start that after this big BBQ Im going to where I plan to just fuck it all and eat whatever I want. After that I will get started on this meat, veggies, nuts, and beans deal. Buying all that meat sounds expensive, but I guess I can afford it now and its better than havin a heart attack at 30.
As for Sentry, Im pretty sure I did it right, I measured the cereal and milk, and then the Panda was from the items in the database. I guess its possible that what they have down as a serving is not what they give you in the box.
Im going to assume that keeping track of my calories and such with that site is still a good idea, so how do I calculate more complicated foods that I make myself? Like a lasagna or something? (even though thats pasta and Ill have to cut it out)
In that list the Wook posted I dont see Dairy, was it forgotten? Or do I really need to lay off all that delicious cheese?
Jordan of Elienor, Human Shaman
What everyone has said previously is great, the only thing I will say is that if you haven't been to a check-up with your doctor in a while - do that soon. High protein/low calories is great unless you have any kind of kidney problems. You will want to make sure you don't have any other health factors working against you (hypothyroidism, Diabetes, etc.) not only because they need to be evaluated/treated, but they may impede your weight loss as well. It's also great to have a baseline of your labs/vitals so that you can see how much you've improved.
As far as dairy: there's not many benefits to it other than it's practically the only way we get calcium/vit D and it's loaded in sat. fat and cholesterol. It's probably best to drink skim to 1% milk (with Vit D) or eat some of the mozzarella sticks made from skim or some low fat yogurt. I love cheese, but it really needs to be moderated in a healthy diet.
Fruits are also increasingly villified, because of their fructose content. Fructose is apparently worse for you than sucrose (or table sugar), since it encourages fat storage more readily. Unfortunately for me, I love me some grapes (which is one of the fruits with the highest sugar content); but fortunately for me, in the grand scheme of unhealthy things to eat, it still ranks as a healthy option.
So for now, work towards cutting out what is commonly-accepted as unhealthy (processed, high-sugar stuff) and inculcate good habits (eating real food). You can worry about the nitty-gritty later.
Im trying to make some small changes now with what food I have before I do my giant cleansing of the pantry after the BBQ. I managed to not eat any fries at work, Ive got some eggs boiled off for breakfast in the morning and Imma try my damndest to keep outta the fast food.
Oh, also: if I get whole grain things am I allowed more carbs? I do have a soft spot for rice and pasta.
Anyway, thanks for all the info and positive words so far!
Jordan of Elienor, Human Shaman
If you want to eat healthier (as opposed to just losing weight), the old saying "everything in moderation" does hold pretty true. Eat a balanced diet with plenty of whole-grains, fruit, and vegetables and you're off to a good start.
In terms of losing weight, it's really about finding lifestyle changes you can maintain long-term. While there are certainly healthier choices, any diet that lowers your calorie intake significantly is going to result in weight loss. It's about whether it's something you can maintain. With that said, learning portion control is key. You can always change the kinds of foods you're eating, but weight loss often starts with portion control. Grazing less and eating regular meals makes things easier for some people as well.
When it comes to eating out, keep in mind that you'll often be given a very large portion (often enough for 2-3 people). You also can't really rely on the nutrition info from a fast food outlet's website, since your order was probably packed well beyond the "serving size" they list on the website. Some places (and employees) will adhere more strictly to guidelines and then it will be a closer estimate...but still an estimate. For example, Subway seems to have very strict amounts of meat/cheese they provide (x number of slices for everyone), as opposed to Panda Express where employees will generally pack as much as possible into the containers. You may have been eating a lot more than you expected.
In terms of estimating portion sizes (esp. with the hard to measure things, like your lasanga), try to find a good guide from a diabetic website. It doesn't matter that you're not diabetic, but diabetic patients are often provided with tips to calculate serving sizes more easily. It will make things easier, since you don't want to measure things for the rest of your life. For example:
3 oz. serving of meat - about the size of a deck of cards
1 cup - about the size of a baseball (or a closed fist)
A thumb to estimate a serving of cheese and peanut butter.
One piece of advice I haven't seen yet: make sure you're eating enough dietary fiber. Most people aren't. It's one of the few nutrients with lots of evidence to support a number of health benefits. In addition, it helps satiate you faster and control your hunger, so it might aid you in weight loss. Make sure you're drinking lots of water too (more than usual if you're upping your fiber intake significantly). If you're eating legumes, whole-grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables...you'll pretty much have this covered.
Whatever you end up doing, good luck! And don't get discouraged if you encounter difficulties along the way, as that will happen with any major lifestyle change.
Two pounds a week is generally good for most people. However, I'd recommend seeing your doctor for a check-up (and to discuss your weight loss plans). It can be unhealthy to lose weight too quickly, though it may also be acceptable (sometimes people lose at a faster rate early on, especially if they're quite overweight). You'll have to talk to your doctor if you want more specific advice.
Yes on whole-grains. Always substitute whole grain pasta and bread. You lose nutrients with the processed stuff. As much as the low-carb craze has taken hold of America, it's not the only way to lose weight and you don't need to cut carbs completely. Eliminate *added* carbs whenever possible (sugar added to soft drinks or juices, for example). Still don't overload on grains though. Eat a balanced diet if possible.
Agree with Rusk.
When I was at my heaviest some years back, I lost weight REALLY fast for the first 8 weeks or so - anywhere from 3-5 pounds a week. I went from about 240 to 205 in fairly short order. Going from 205 to 190 took about another two months, though. No change in my diet or the amount of exercise I was doing, it just becomes harder to lose weight as you become more fit.
Doctor's advice trumps anecdotes, though.
Weight loss is very hard to estimate, and depends on a lot of factors - particularly how much you weigh currently, how tall you are, and how much muscle mass you may have developed naturally even while being sedentary (you'd be surprised how muscular your legs and such can get).
As I noted, I dropped from about 310 to 200 in ~6 or so months. I did this without exercising, and I ate whenever I genuinely felt like eating. I also generally ate a lot of food, particularly having epic breakfasts (many eggs, polska sausages, and a lot of bacon).
I was losing probably an average of 4 pounds per week, with the first 2 months being far higher. The first two weeks, particularly, dropped me into the 280s.
I'm not advocating you utilize my eating style (it's not a diet, it's a permanent way of life, basically paleo/primal eating) but I am saying as an anecdotal case that purely changing my eating methods, without any exercise, I lost a *LOT* of weight very fast. And yes, it was all fat pretty much, and yes my cholesterol and heart health is without a doubt enormously better than it has ever been. I've kept this weight off for a while now and have been doing the gym thing to try to get as cut as I can.
2 pounds per week is the normal weight loss standard if you're on a typical low calorie, low fat whole grain style diet. This approach is perfectly acceptable too, and you will see plenty of results if you stick to it. I utilized it to great success before in my life but was never able to stay with it for more than a few months so I always failed, but it's up to you to find what style and approach works best.
I still HIGHLY suggest you give up all bad carbs / bad food in general completely and don't have a single "cheat day" or "cheat meal" for at least a couple months. That is one of the biggest recipes for failure, just in my opinion.
Just want to emphasize this. It's not just anecdotal. Losing weight is probably 80% diet. Exercise important, but is more important for your cardiovascular health. Calculate how much exercise you'd need to do to work off a can of Coke sometime.
Though I wouldn't encourage any diets dominated by meats high in saturated fats, because this is something you should be maintaining long-term. The American Heart Association recommends replacing saturated fats with polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats whenever possible (e.g. fish or legumes instead of a meat higher in saturated fat). At the same time, losing the weight anyway that you can is going to improve your health in a number of ways...so it's a matter of finding what works for you (and maybe making adjustments later). But don't neglect *what* you're eating if you're concerned about your cardiovascular health too.
But here's the thing... there is no magic bullet. No advice here is really better or worse then what you already know. It's really easy to get hung up on the "perfect" way to do something, then you get so blinded by making sure you're doing it right that you end up not doing it at all. It's another way your mind finds an excuse not to eat healthy.
I subscribe to the 40-30-30. 40% of your calories should come from protein, 30 from carbs, and 30 from fats. As you can see it has worked pretty well for me in the past year. But once you get used to eating right, you don't have to be a slave to the rules. You'll know what's good for you and whats bad for you. You'll know how to measure out a portion without a measuring cup, but that shit takes time.
End result though is, just freaking do it. Don't play Hamlet agonizing about every decision. Make the choice to eat better and then just do it.
http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-carbs-20101220,0,5893431,full.story
not to start a debate or anything, but, recent article above states:
i think the overall takeaway though, is if you stick to food that is real and not processed, you will be fine
the details are for later
I've tried eating as much bacon as I could, and I couldn't get over about 900 calories worth without feeling so full I wanted to puke. On the contrary, my previous normal carb/sugar loaded fast food meals would easily top 4000 or more in one sitting.
(I usually got two large shakes and a large coke. I was bad.)
This doesn't necessarily mean that just drinking olive oil will make you full (it might) but that is a reasonably dumb example. Eating fattier meats WILL make you feel very full, though.
And saturated fat isn't bad for you, and the AHA has been touting some very wrong and terrible advice for decades.
Not compared to protein. Hell, there were a ton of stories all over the news just a few years back about findings that immediate satiety is based on mass (even drinking water before a meal works if you're more than 35). As anyone will tell you, fat is extremely calorie-dense.
Just for example, 900 calories would be ten eggs or five cod fillets.
I guess a more accurate statement is if you're going with the "low fat low calorie" style diet, then yes, you should avoid fat. Stick with a turkey sandwhich.
If you're low carb / paleo style, you have to consume quite a bit of fat as you aren't consuming any significant amount of carbohydrates. You won't really feel full or normal without doing so.
That's what protein is for. Protein has calories, and is very filling.
Just avoiding fast food, soda, and restaurant food helps a lot. Having small meals throughout the day also can help people with the SNACKS!!!! issue.
If you're on a very low carb diet and not eating fat you will run into a very large amount of problems. It is one of the major reasons people tend to either fail on low carb diets or claim it causes them issues and give up on it.
I lived on oatmeal for breakfast for a while, but wasn't impressed and gained a few pounds (which could have been due to a number of other factors, but the oatmeal was certainly the biggest most consistent change in my diet over the winter). I just don't feel that great after having a bowl, and I tried several different brands / styles of cut.
I mean I suppose a general feeling isn't necessarily the perfect metric, but I feel terrible after eating most of the stuff vilified in this thread.
Clearly you were not cutting and/or rolling them correctly.
Oats may just not agree with you, which is the takeaway the OP should takeaway from this - planning a diet is a very individual affair.
(I also ride my bike nine miles to work, and I've discovered that I need a large volume and high protein breakfast to not feel like I'm crashing)
Find what works for you, don't be afraid to try something but don't feel like you have to stick with something if ou don't like it. There are a LOT of options.
There is not one clear way to lose weight.
Try different things and find out what works for you. Be patient; the body needs time to adjust to changes.
Im trying to tell as many people as I can, the logic being that if I know a lot of people know about what Im doing Ill be more inclined to keep up with it.
Jordan of Elienor, Human Shaman
I hate to quote Yoda but the thing about dieting is that it really is do or do not. You can start any day you like, but the only day that matters is today. Having "one last week" or "one last hurrah" is just the death knell of any lifestyle change.
indeed, the details can be so overwhelming to process that a lot of people give up. it's significantly simpler to just stick to a few basic categories of 'good' foods and consume foods from those categories in moderation. hence the list i and others posted earlier
Meats
Fruits
Vegetables
Nuts
Legumes
the goal here is to consume foods from all of those categories, not letting any one category dominate your diet or fall by the wayside.
in regards to the earlier question about dairy, the best answer i can give you is 'it depends.' obviously, lactose intolerance should contraindicate the consumption of dairy. in regards to milk, for the purposes of weight loss, i would stick to non-fat, simply for caloric density reasons. Milk is loaded with vitamins and minerals, which is beneficial but not necessary if you're consuming adequate levels of fruits and vegetables. there are scientific articles which have shown that chronically elevated levels of galactose (a metabolite of lactose) in mammalian cells can cause cells to exhibit symptoms similar to aged cells. i don't know if you can achieve levels of galactose necessary to cause such symptoms simply through drinking milk, and there's evidence that effect can be mitigated by antioxidants.
short answer for dairy, i would say yes, in moderation.
Anyway, thanks for all the suggestions guys! Onward and slim-ward!
Jordan of Elienor, Human Shaman