KAZINMICH   8,204
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So Confused About Nutrition!

Tuesday, June 05, 2012

Well, I'm super confused about nutrition, so i've done mroe researching, and that made me even more confused. How much should I eat? Should I focus on Calories, or the type of food, or both? Do I omit certain things or eat a lower carb diet? if I do track my calories, do I listen to the spark people range, or the range the gym lady or my doctor said was "good" to stay in? I'm so lost! I know that some things are good for some people maybe not good for others. But I'm so lost. Is it best to use Olive or Coconut to cook in, and why do some places say never use Canola, while others even say use lard because eating fat doesn't make you fat? Maybe I've reasearched too much? I just want to eat healthy and feel energy and enjoy exercising - whether at the gym, tennis court, or learning to run. I didn't know it would be so complicated. And then there is Spark telling me that I need to adjust my goals again because I'm exercing more than I originally thought. I haven't seen that message yet when I don't exercise enough though. .

So what i've taken away so far is:
Throw out all the prepackaged processed foods - things like whole grain hamberger helpeer, mac & cheese, etc. That was easy. Also gave away all my canned soups and anything in a can that wasn't salt free. Kept salt free diced tomatoes. Kept tuna in water. Kept 100% whole grain pasta

So then I go out and buy all sorts of healthy veggies & apples & bananas. Then one place says to avoid fruits because of the sugar, or eat small amounts not regularly. Ok, I love my apples & bananas, so skip that site... lol.. I look at my salad dressing and it's not too bad on calories, but there are ingredients in it I don't understand, so I am going to make my own salad dressing, which I love olive oil & vinegar with greek spicing. Ok, so far that seems safe. . .

Then I found beyonddiet - where they say five foods to never eat are:
Orange juice – contains very high sugar content which will disrupt your body’s blood sugar and insulin levels.
Artificial sweeteners – cause weight gain as they are perceived as a toxin to the body.
Whole wheat bread – wheat products have been shown to quickly turn into sugar in the body.
Fake butters – are made from unhealthy, unnatural ingredients perceived as toxins in the body.
Soy products – have been shown to disrupt hormone levels and negatively affect the thyroid.

Ok, I'm so confused now. . I just want to lose weight and feel great! I don't want to do weight watchers again, I don't want something like Jenny Craig. I want to know what I'm feeding myself and my family is good for all of us, and I want all of us to no longer be Obese!

  
  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

VHALKYRIE 6/25/2012 7:18PM

    Getting rid of processed foods is a really great start. I suspect you'll lose weight and feel better with just that alone. I agree with the OJ, and with juice in general. Eat a whole orange instead. I don't eat as much bread as I used to because it does seem to prevent me from losing weight.

There is a lot of conflicting info, for sure. I'd say give a few things a try and see how you feel. Your body will let you know if it likes what you're doing!

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DDOORN 6/25/2012 2:38PM

    You sound like you're on the right track! The key to all of this are the results you get: How do you feel while eating these foods? What does the scale say? Other measures...inches, blood pressure, cholesterol, etc...? Do any of those foods make you want to eat more than you should? Apples & bananas can be fine if you don't find yourself overdoing them. I would agree with the caution about OJ and whole wheat bread...ANY bread product for me is risky business...but that's ME, not YOU!

Keep at it and you'll find what works best for YOU!

I love Michael Pollan: Eat food, mostly plants, not too much.

Don

Comment edited on: 6/25/2012 2:39:26 PM

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HIKETOHEIGHTS 6/7/2012 8:25PM

    I am glad you said it because it is true. The experts don't even agree. Exercise, don't exercise. Eat wheat, don't eat wheat. It is fricken nuts! I try to stick to the spark plan as best as I can, but I hear you on all of your points. The confusion is completely out there.

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KAPELAKIN 6/6/2012 12:57AM

    You might enjoy The Omnivores Dilemma by Michael Pollan. He suggest: Eat food, not too much, mostly plants. Getting rid of the processed junk and sugar is a great step. So long as you're eating real food, try not to stress too much about the rest. Your habits and preferences will evolve as you go along. Diet is not one size fits all.

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SLIMMERKIWI 6/5/2012 6:58PM

    Forget the Gym lady - more often than not they have very little training in nutrition other than just weight-loss. What range did your Dr say, and what range does SP say? Remember, SP doesn't take into account your medical or personal history!

Olive Oil is GREAT for dressings etc. or LOW temperature cooking - but it doesn't have a high smoking point. My preference is Rice Bran Oil. It has a very high smoking point, and is also excellent in dressings. It is very heart-healthy, too!

I can understand your being confused about calories/nutrition balance. It is possible to balance them. It sounds like perhaps your nutrition needs tweaking. Use the Pie Chart on the "See Today's Full Report" page (tab near the bottom right of the main Nutrition Page) and look at the carbs/fats/protein that is recommended, then look at what you consumed. You can tweak your diet from this. Eating the calories is one thing, but if they are empty calories (i.e. processed foods like cakes, ice-cream, biscuits (cookies) etc., then you aren't eating wisely. DO allow yourself the occasional treat. I usually suggest one day per every two weeks to eat whatever you want because that will help prevent you from getting bored or feeling deprived!

With that beyonddiet, chuck it in the bin ........... like REALLY forget it! You are better off to either go to the Healthy Lifestyle articles on Nutrition, written by well qualified people including Dietitians, OR asking your Dr for a referral to a Dietitian. Take some print-outs from your Printable Nutrition Report (the page with the pie charts) for the Dietitian to see, and from that you will get the best advice.

Good luck,
Kris



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KAZINMICH 6/5/2012 4:03PM

    Thank you all! That's kinda where I am at mentally - buying my food from the whole food market, eating as much fresh fruit & veggies, creating my own meals from scratch, etc. We did this last year but not quite as drastic. Last year I still allowed the hamburger helper that was 100% whole grain. To transition I did buy a few of the frozen healthy choice whole grain lunch portions for work, only two more left and those are gone for good too. I'm also no longer buying skinny cow ice creams, flavored water packets, and chips and all that. Although I do still love wheat thins, i haven't found a substitute for those, but I only allow them 1-2 times per week. I know my taste buds are already changing. I tried one Lays Cheddar & Sour Cream chip on Sunday and it was gross! :) those were my favorite. My poor body is so overweight, I feel so bad for what I've done for it, and I'm trying to really make it up.

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CHEETARA79 6/5/2012 3:52PM

    Stick to a few simple rules:
#1 Eat mostly plants.
#2 Track your calories and stick to your Spark ranges.
#3 Less processed food, more whole food.

Veggies, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, lean meats, dairy - that's what I try to stick with.

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DESERTJULZ 6/5/2012 2:42PM

    It does become frustrating. The best advice that I could give you is focus on a whole foods based diet. If you are choosing fresh, preferably organic, and preparing most of your meals from scratch, you should do fine.

Re: fruit -- fruit is incredibly healthy - just don't substitute it for fresh vegetables. And if you happen to be diabetic, then you should worry about the sugar level in fruit.

Re: calories -- I've been using the SparkPeople calorie & exercise recommendations and it is working for me. 9.2 pounds in my first four weeks.

Good luck!

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HARLOW10 6/5/2012 2:32PM

    Tell me about it. I saw Forks Over Knives, bought the book, and then bought How To Prevent Heart Disease by the same doctors in the movie. Basically, a whole foods, vegan diet, no oils. Then I found out about Wheat Belly, a book from another doctor that says not to eat gluten, meat is good for you, sugar is bad for you...you get the picture. I was so dang confused, I have no idea what I am doing. What I personally took away from both is: stop eating processed foods. Make your stuff from scratch, don't eat it if you can't pronounce the ingredients, etc. I don't know which is better, but as a massage therapist, I burn a lot of energy, so going low carb no carb is next to impossible for me. I eat butter instead of margarine, homemade buckwheat pancakes, natural peanut butter and maple syrup...I went back to my old ways the other day, and the stuff tasted like garbage. I'm starting with going from processed crap to real food and adding as much of the healthy as I can.

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It's been a while.. general update w/puppy pics

Friday, May 25, 2012


Time is flying by & my boy will be 7 months old next week. He is now 95 lbs and all muscle. Such a sweetheart that brings my life so much happiness. Wendle is doing much better now and is having fun playing with the pup. I gained too much weight over the winter so two months ago I started our gym membership back up. I'm finally back down to my "normal" heavy weight - about 15 lbs less that my "heavy" weight. I am loving the elliptical at the gym. I just wish I could find the right shoes. Some of them feel great but my toes go numb. Others my toes don't go numb but when i get off the elliptical it hurts. I am doing the "basic 8" at snap fitness for my strength training. I'm a tad bit sore from the past few days. I'm also doing yard work and playing outside with the puppy to get extra exercise in. I bought an easy fit counter. If I earn over 30 lbs in a day it means I am losing weight. Hopefully that will help inspire me and it is a nice reminder.

Here's my 8 yr old boy with the pups toy:


I love this pups heart on his chest!!


Hope you have a wonderful memorial day weekend!

  
  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

LOVELYWOLFIE 6/1/2012 8:51AM

    LOLL I took that picture of Wendle...it is definitely one of my favorites. That first pic of Klaus is awesome (:

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PJC19671 5/29/2012 10:35AM

    The dogs are so sweet. I hear you on the sneakers I cant ever find the right ones either, they will feel comfy in the store then when I get them home and wer them for awhile they hurt and I dont like them, I guess because I have a wide foot. So glad to see you back on here. Good luck with your weight loss. emoticon

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HIKETOHEIGHTS 5/26/2012 9:29PM

    Nice to hear from you!!! I was wondering how u r. The dog is adorable, much heavier than Baily who ranges between 17-20 lbs. Keep up the great work on the work out. I use a cross trainer on the elliptical, Brooks is my favorite.

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TIDESONG 5/26/2012 11:12AM

    Aww, what a cutie!

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MJ7DM33 5/25/2012 11:28PM

  Thx for sharing! Nice pics!

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0309COOKIE 5/25/2012 11:23PM

    Cute pics.

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insomnia!

Monday, February 13, 2012

Every other week im dealing with insomnia since my last fall. Its driving me insane! If hubby is out of town I will get up and clean or do something ive been procrastinating on. He is home so im lying here tossing and turning and listening to the peaceful sounds of the bedroom. Both dogs have the cutest light snoring, and my husband too. Lol. Then there is the fan. I feel peaceful lying here but cant sleep.

  
  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

DDOORN 2/17/2012 9:53AM

    Here's something I try which helps on nights like those: foam ear plugs! Works for me...

Don

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MCDOWN75 2/13/2012 6:20AM

    Camomile tea

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Making Myself Do It

Friday, February 10, 2012

I am going to make myself do it, with or without the motivation. I now have a lifestyle coach that is going to call me once a week (up to 24x per year) to help keep me on track (through a work thing) and I am making myself enter the food in the tracker even though I dont want to see what I really am eating. Depression can kiss my booty. I don't have time or energy to be depressed, I have a life to live and I'm letting it slip away. In two years or more, I do want to move somewhere warm where I can be outdoors all year. I hate winters, and each year I hate them more. I used to love them, but now the cold literally hurts, and it's so hard to do things outside when walking is hard! But no more excuses. No more procrastinating. I need to do this before I have no choice.

  
  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

DDOORN 2/12/2012 10:31AM

    Welcome BACK! Wonderful to hear of your SPARKIN'!

Don

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HIKETOHEIGHTS 2/10/2012 4:54PM

    You can do it, Keep working at it and you will realize your dreams! Victoria

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MISSB8604 2/10/2012 2:43PM

    You can do this!

I have no doubt you'll be successful!

Keep us posted.

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why cant i stay motivated.. ugh!?

Sunday, February 05, 2012

I dont know how to explain what is going on with me except i cant stay focused or moticated on anything. I am just feeling blah most of the time. Im enjoying jogging a bit with the new pup, but thats about it for exercise other than many 15 min walks. As for food im not sure.. im halff doing well. I dont like being this big again but i can discipline myself i am not sure why.

  
  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

KAZINMICH 2/10/2012 2:07PM

    Thank you all for the comment on my blog. I'm trying some of your suggested things.

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DDOORN 2/6/2012 9:51AM

    Try mixing things up...get out for something new & different. Look into some of the low-cost dance groups in your area like the one I've blogged about. Gotta shake things up by going after some activity you always coulda, shoulda, woulda but HAVEN'T....GO FOR IT!!

Don

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LUVPOETESS 2/5/2012 3:55PM

    What's your goal? Let that be motivation for you. What keeps me going is my reflection of where I was vs where I am now. Every time I think about what I want, I put the music on and go with it.

While you still have the energy after walking the pup, consider putting on a video or some music. Don't focus on doing much. But do something. emoticon

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SWARE038 2/5/2012 1:12PM

    I understand I face the same thing everyday. I joined sparkpeople to help me. When u dont feel motivated log on and read some success stories and it keeps me going.... if they can do it I can....Good Luck on your journey.

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JAZZEJR 2/5/2012 11:47AM

    Staying motivated is hard--you're human. That's why I love the challenges. Next time you see an announcement for the Spring 5% Challenge (in about a month), sign up. It helps to keep me motivated.

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