Healthy Eating Thread

[Steve9347]

And most importantly LOTS of Water...

This is very big - I keep a 42oz cup at my desk at work at all-times. A lot of people mistake being thirsty at work for being tired, because the symptoms of slight dehydration can cause irritated eyes and lethargy - then said people go for a 5 hour energy or a cup of coffee, things that can make the dehydration worse.

 

I'd love if everyone here, the next time you're feeling groggy at work, chugged a glass of water instead of grabbing coffee or some other caffeinated beverage. It'll blow your mind how much you wake up.

[Jake]

I stay away from Meat and Dairy (sans the occasional Pizza and Fish -- I'm not a hardcore Vegan by any stretch haha)

No refined sugars (or HFCS obviously)

No GMO's

I try to stay away from Oil's and only cook with Coconut Oil if It's needed for a recipe

Cut out bread and pasta... bread is the worst one for me haha

Try and make all my meals at home and on rare occasions dine out -- It saves $$$ and you know exactly what is going into your food.

 

I do eat lots of greens, and fruits. Fresh nut butters (Almond and Cashew in particular). Make lots of hearty vegetable based soups/chili. Whole grains and brown rice. And most importantly LOTS of Water...

 

Make sure you get enough fats -- I know you are into nut butters, which is a good thing. I'd hate to see you have too low a fat take due to your low intake of oils. You do need fats of all kinds (minus trans fat, more or less) for a fully functioning body. Saturated fat in particular plays a crucial role in testosterone production. Some steak here and there will help you with that, though there are other ways. The MCTs in coconut oil, while AWESOME, do not serve this role btw despite being classified as saturated fats.

[RockRaines]

I'm big on olive oil and grape seed oil for cooking. There are health advantages to having those substances in your body. Dont get too caught up on calories.

[Reddy]

At 212, especially if you were doing a lot of work in the gym, you may have been burning over 4000 calories a day. That would make your big weight loss make sense. A lot of 200 pounders will have a BMR of 3000+. When I was at my best physique, before injuries etc etc I was a lean 190 and had to eat 3500 cals to maintain weight. I was doing zero cardio at this point as well.

 

Also, the best way to "awake" a metabolism is resistance training! Steady state cardio is great and something I will always do, but doesn't touch the body composition and metabolic effects of resistance training or interval training. Some mixture of course will probably work best.

 

i think you're confusing TDEE with BMR

[chw42]

I resort to the all-Chipotle diet.

 

Chicken bowl, no tortilla, no dairy. Gets you full and around 600 calories. Somewhat healthy too, I'd like to think.

[Reddy]

One reason why I cant in the morning. I've tried to run without digesting a meal and I barely made it home before seeing stars. I wish I could, it would be really helpful, im up for suggestions.

I don't do a full meal, this morning I did a homemade energy bar and a pear (250 cal total), waited about 30-45 minutes, then hit the workout. Your body can't digest food AND exercise at the same time very efficiently, because you're splitting your blood flow between the two, that's why it's best to work out on an empty stomach so all your blood is available for that task. I never used to be a morning workout person till I learned that.

[chw42]

This is very big - I keep a 42oz cup at my desk at work at all-times. A lot of people mistake being thirsty at work for being tired, because the symptoms of slight dehydration can cause irritated eyes and lethargy - then said people go for a 5 hour energy or a cup of coffee, things that can make the dehydration worse.

 

I'd love if everyone here, the next time you're feeling groggy at work, chugged a glass of water instead of grabbing coffee or some other caffeinated beverage. It'll blow your mind how much you wake up.

 

There's a great app on the Play Store called Water Your Body that helps you keep track of how much water you drink, reminds you to drink water, and also gives you a daily goal based on your weight. Great app for keeping hydrated.

[Reddy]

I resort to the all-Chipotle diet.

 

Chicken bowl, no tortilla, no dairy. Gets you full and around 600 calories. Somewhat healthy too, I'd like to think.

 

Chipotle is the healthiest fast food there is. Free range chicken, grass fed beef, organic local veggies. Good stuff.

 

only problem is that sodium content so... ya know... going ALL chipotle may not be the best idea.

[Cali]

Make sure you get enough fats -- I know you are into nut butters, which is a good thing. I'd hate to see you have too low a fat take due to your low intake of oils. You do need fats of all kinds (minus trans fat, more or less) for a fully functioning body. Saturated fat in particular plays a crucial role in testosterone production. Some steak here and there will help you with that, though there are other ways. The MCTs in coconut oil, while AWESOME, do not serve this role btw despite being classified as saturated fats.

 

I get my fats from Avacado's and Nuts.

 

Not gonna be having any steak anytime soon

 

I'm approaching a year since having any chicken, pork, or red meat and I feel awesome about it. The craving for it is completely gone. I was surprised about that one in particular haha

[RockRaines]

I resort to the all-Chipotle diet.

 

Chicken bowl, no tortilla, no dairy. Gets you full and around 600 calories. Somewhat healthy too, I'd like to think.

You could always make your own and put even better things in there for nutritional value.

 

I'm a big order/eat out person since I live near alot and I am busy. Tonight is for sure a Protein Bar kind of night.

[chw42]

Chipotle is the healthiest fast food there is. Free range chicken, grass fed beef, organic local veggies. Good stuff.

 

only problem is that sodium content so... ya know... going ALL chipotle may not be the best idea.

 

I'm aware. I usually have Chipotle once a day. I'd love to have it twice, but then it feels kind of forced.

[Reddy]

I stay away from Meat and Dairy (sans the occasional Pizza and Fish -- I'm not a hardcore Vegan by any stretch haha)

No refined sugars (or HFCS obviously)

No GMO's

I try to stay away from Oil's and only cook with Coconut Oil if It's needed for a recipe

Cut out bread and pasta... bread is the worst one for me haha

Try and make all my meals at home and on rare occasions dine out -- It saves $$$ and you know exactly what is going into your food.

 

I do eat lots of greens, and fruits. Fresh nut butters (Almond and Cashew in particular). Make lots of hearty vegetable based soups/chili. Whole grains and brown rice. And most importantly LOTS of Water...

 

out of curiosity, what do you cook with if not oil? most, if not all, cooking sprays are a lot worse for you than just using real EVOO, coconut, or other good oils (hemp, pumpkin, grapeseed, etc, etc)

[Reddy]

I'm aware. I usually have Chipotle once a day. I'd love to have it twice, but then it feels kind of forced.

 

just for s***s and giggles, i'd be interested to hear what your daily sodium intake is like. might be a fun experiment to track your food for a couple days. can be eye opening.

[Steve9347]

Chipotle is the healthiest fast food there is. Free range chicken, grass fed beef, organic local veggies. Good stuff.

 

only problem is that sodium content so... ya know... going ALL chipotle may not be the best idea.

They just announced a test market (San Fran) for a tofu alternative... get to Chicagoland already.

[chw42]

just for s***s and giggles, i'd be interested to hear what your daily sodium intake is like. might be a fun experiment to track your food for a couple days. can be eye opening.

 

I already do, fortunately. I take in anywhere from 3000 to 4500 (3500 on avg) mg in sodium, which is a lot.

[Steve9347]

just for s***s and giggles, i'd be interested to hear what your daily sodium intake is like. might be a fun experiment to track your food for a couple days. can be eye opening.

Super Burrito Bowl Me

[Cali]

out of curiosity, what do you cook with if not oil? most, if not all, cooking sprays are a lot worse for you than just using real EVOO, coconut, or other good oils (hemp, pumpkin, grapeseed, etc, etc)

 

I try not to use oil whenever I can, but if I do use it, I use Coconut Oil I sub it for whatever oil a recipe suggests. If I'm making veggies, like kale or broccoli ill usually fill the sauce pan with just a little water and steam them that way instead of using oils at all.

[Reddy]

I try not to use oil whenever I can, but if I do use it, I use Coconut Oil I sub it for whatever oil a recipe suggests. If I'm making veggies, like kale or broccoli ill usually fill the sauce pan with just a little water and steam them that way instead of using oils at all.

oooh nice.

[Reddy]

They just announced a test market (San Fran) for a tofu alternative... get to Chicagoland already.

me want.

[Marky Mark]

yeah nobody's BMR is 2000. but more or less the right idea

 

 

Sure seems like mine is.

[Y2HH]

I try not to use oil whenever I can, but if I do use it, I use Coconut Oil I sub it for whatever oil a recipe suggests. If I'm making veggies, like kale or broccoli ill usually fill the sauce pan with just a little water and steam them that way instead of using oils at all.

 

Coconut oil is one of the worst oils you can use...it's so high in saturated fat that the American Heart Association says it's pretty much just as bad as butter is.

 

Per Tablespoon:

Coconut oil: 117 calories, 14 grams total fat, 12 grams saturated fat

Unsalted butter: 102 calories, 12 grams total fat, 7 grams saturated fat

 

The only thing Coconut oil does that butter doesn't do is raise your HDL (good) cholesterol...however, it raises your LDL (bad) just as much.

 

...but that's also why Coconut oil tastes the best.

 

More info for anyone that cares to actually do some reading: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/coconut-oil-and-health

Edited January 22, 2013 by Y2HH

[Reddy]

Sure seems like mine is.

 

how did you come to that conclusion?

[Reddy]

Coconut oil is one of the worst oils you can use...it's so high in saturated fat that the American Heart Association says it's pretty much just as bad as butter is.

 

Per Tablespoon:

Coconut oil: 117 calories, 14 grams total fat, 12 grams saturated fat

Unsalted butter: 102 calories, 12 grams total fat, 7 grams saturated fat

 

The only thing Coconut oil does that butter doesn't do is raise your HDL (good) cholesterol...however, it raises your LDL (bad) just as much.

 

...but that's also why Coconut oil tastes the best.

 

More info for anyone that cares to actually do some reading: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/coconut-oil-and-health

 

coconut oil is high in saturated fat but it's GOOD saturated fat. I use it every day. WebMD isn't really the greatest source of information. (see the thread in the buster about the gov't and major medical not understanding nutrition)

[Y2HH]

coconut oil is high in saturated fat but it's GOOD saturated fat. I use it every day. WebMD isn't really the greatest source of information. (see the thread in the buster about the gov't and major medical not understanding nutrition)

 

While it's not as bad for you as some alternatives, it's still NOT nearly as good for you as others. And WebMD is probably more credible than whatever pro natural foods website, backed by no scientific data, tells you about Coconut oil. Then again, I don't really need WebMD to show you the facts:

 

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/coconut-o...ht-loss/AN01899

 

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealt...375_Article.jsp

 

http://blog.heartsecrets.org/?p=629

 

"The jury is still very much out on coconut oil. Multi-centric large randomized trials should be conducted with coconut oil to confirm or discard the suggestion that it can reduce body weight and cholesterol levels."

 

"There are very few studies that actually look at the effect of coconut oil on the human heart. Here’s a rundown on three scientific studies on coconut oil.

 

First, Brazilian researchers found women who used coconut oil had higher HDL (good cholesterol) levels than women who used soybean oil. Also, British researchers studies hamsters with clogged arteries and found that those fed olive oil had cleaner arteries than those fed coconut oil. Finally, New Zealand researchers fed volunteers with high cholesterol three test diets rich in butter, coconut oil and safflower oil. They found LDL, or “bad” cholesterol levels, were lowest in folks eating safflower oil, moderate in those eating coconut oil, and highest in those eating butter."

 

Any/all current science claiming Coconut Oil is somehow good for you is backed by scant, if any evidence. Also, and most importantly, only virgin Coconut Oil meets these hardly studied conclusions.

 

...and last but not least, from Wiki, with references: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut_oil

 

"As with dairy and meat products, the United States Food and Drug Administration,[2] World Health Organization,[3] International College of Nutrition,[4] United States Department of Health and Human Services,[5] American Dietetic Association,[6] American Heart Association,[7] British National Health Service,[8] and Dietitians of Canada[6] recommend limiting the consumption of significant amounts of coconut oil due to its high levels of saturated fat."

 

While I agree that the US Government isn't always correct about what's good or bad, they do have some evidence backing their claims. But when it comes to this, you're also ignoring Canadian, British, WHO and ICoN recommendations. Not to mention the fact that a single tablespoon of it contains almost 120 calories.

Edited January 23, 2013 by Y2HH

[IlliniKrush]

It's kind of a no-brainer, yo. Avoid fast food, eat things that fill you up - no empty calories. The best thing you can do is get your metabolism going again, which is rather easy to do. I don't know your work situation, but wherever you work you can pack food for the day... it really is true that you should eat little things all day long vs two or three big meals.

 

Breakfast is a must. Here's an example of a weekday's eating for me:

 

6:30 Protein shake at gym

8:30 Overnight oats - these are f***ing delicious (150g greek yogurt, 13g chocolate protein powder, packet strawberries/cream oatmeal, 6 frozen strawberries, almond milk - let sit overnight)

10:30 protein bar

noon sandwich, cheese stick, almonds

2:00 greek yogurt

3:30 apple, protein bar

5:30 dinner

 

Once you get your metabolism going (ie, eating like this on weekdays), you burn calories much more efficiently - and that's the key... calories out > calories in to lose weight. It'll fall off of you. Once you get to the weight you want, you can really eat/drink what you want within reason and moderation while doing this and you won't gain any weight back. Then you can even ramp it up to add muscle.

 

Oh, and I repeat, overnight oats are the f***ing s***. I look forward to them every day.

Enough already, if I have to read you talking about your overnight oats one more time...well, I'm probably going to have to make them. Now I'm intrigued.