Exercising is going great. I can tell I’m getting stronger.
I realize I’m good at food tracking when I’m eating well. On days I stray I just skip tracking that day. Need to be more aware of that when it’s happening.
@sabaray not sure where you mentioned the orthopedic dog bed at Costco but I bought it for my 13 year old arthritis lab. He loves it and sleeps on it most nights. He is picky and it usually takes time for him to warm up to a new bed. 80% of the time outside he lays on the concrete even when he has two large cushy beds right next to him.
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Nice job on exercising!
I’ve been quite good on food tracking every meal past few years, but that is mostly because I like to have the nutritional averages over time (especially after some concerns about edging into A1C/pre diabetes range). Have days with zero entries would goof things. Of course sometimes it is with less diligence to precise entries… just try to pick a close food.
We are heading off this week for 7 nights in Hawaii. I really don’t want to take the time and distraction to log food/drink. So my plan is to just en route create a fictional first-day full of nutritional splurge entries…. then on the way home copy it to all the other days. At least that’s my compromise thinking as of now.
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I could use a trip to Hawaii! Do you have room in your suitcase that I could stow away in?
I am the same about tracking - I’m very good at it when I’ve made “good choices” and not so good at it when it’s …oh…Super Bowl Sunday. However, yesterday I did do a lot of meal prep so have no excuses for the week. Grilled some beef bulgogi, plant based hot Italian sausage, peppers and zucchini. I mixed up a batch of cannelini bean salad with the grilled peppers and zucchini. I made a batch of “caponata” - roasted zucchini, eggplant, peppers, tomatoes and celery that can be warmed up and served with a protein this week. Salmon salad, which is canned salmon mixed with quinoa, spinach, cucumber, red bell pepper, red chili flakes, lemon and olive oil. Served over spinach. Another lunch favorite is a low carb whole wheat lavash
spread with avocado, spinach, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and red bell pepper.
I’ve always struggled with having a healthy “overall” meal plan so Mayo has worked well for me. I’m really hoping my cholesterol and A1c are down in a few weeks. I’ve lost 20 pounds and it hasn’t seemed like work. At the end of the day I am always ravenous, so I’ve been working on eating more over the lunch hour. That means it’s critical I have healthy options ready to go!
@mom60, glad your pup likes the bed. Mine love theirs. And good job on the exercise! Exercise is much easier for me than healthy eating. But I’m getting there.
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Enjoy your Hawaii trip, Colorado_mom!! Hopefully you can balance continuation of rough tracking and enjoying all the different and fun foods there!
PS Hawaii is on my dream travel list! Be curious what you think!
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@sabaray that all sounds delicious! I want to eat your lunches!
In terms of feeling ravenous, are you eating enough protein each day? I notice I don’t feel hungry when I eat the right amount of protein.
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Agree with eating enough protein. Even if you don’t want to chart your foods every day, you can sign up for the free version of myfitnesspal to get a reality check of what you’re eating and whether it’s enough for your body.
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I’d be interested to know what formula myfitnesspal uses. In MyNetDiary, target for Protein is 60g (120lb, 1600 maintenance calories target) …… or more based on exercise entries.
Yeah, no idea. I know from working with the trainer and nutritionist where I work out that they want me to have been 80-100g of protein, and myfitnesspal says 90 so that tracks, though thinking about it I may have manually input that as a goal.
My only thought in suggesting tracking is that sometimes we think we know what we are getting when we really don’t. I was getting so little protein until I started tracking it.
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great meal prep!
As far as coming home ravenous - I have found two things about this…first, some of it (for me) became habit. I got used to having a snack as soon as I got home from work and then my body automatically thought it was hungry at that time. I find on days when I come home and immediately do something else (drive my daughter somewhere, take the dogs for a walk…), I seem to forget that I’m hungry.
Second, since I tend to exercise mid-day (2-3pm during the workday), I make a point of having a substantial and satisfying snack as soon as I’m done (even if I don’t feel immediately hungry, I eat it at 3pm). For a while it was apple slices with PB. Lately, I’ve been on a chia pudding kick. The combination of fiber, protein and healthy fat keeps me sated to the point that it also helps me with portion control at dinner.
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First thing I do when I get home is feed and walk the dogs - that’s a non-negotiable, but it just makes me hungrier. I think it might be a blood sugar issue. Adding a snack mid-afternoon might be good. I looked at MyNetDiary and I’m getting between 60 to 75 grams of protein each day - and interesting, my highest protein meal is dinner. Probably should try to get a little more - earlier in the day.
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I was going to mention the mid-afternoon snack. I don’t eat my lunch until about 1-1:30 but usually save something from it - a piece of cheese, an apple or orange, SOMETHING and eat it 3-3:30. That keeps me from raiding the cupboards when I get home an hour later.
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FYI - Protein Calculator
There is quite the wide range of results. Screenshot below is for my example (I’m short, lighter than most folks), light exercise.
My friend suggested that I make sure I’m having some fat along with my protein. Fat I’ve heard helps keep you full longer.
Taking the advice of @Colorado_mom I tracked my food yesterday even though I knew I was going to eat more. I still ended up being pretty close to the calorie count set for me on Mynetdiary.
I agree with this. I would add that fiber is key, too. I try to make sure my meals and snacks are primarily made up of protein, fiber and (good) fat.
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I signed up for a nutrition program offered through Jeff Galloway’s running group. The nutritionist there recommends snacks with at least 8 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber and produce. She’s a big proponent of apples. I am editing to add that I completely agree on the fiber!
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+1 on the fiber. When I started tracking, I was shocked how little fiber I get some days.
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Drinking kale and pineapple smoothie is the best way to add fiber to my eating routine. But I’m down to the lowest weight in more than 25 years. I like simpler method, I’m generally a lazy person, so when I used myfitnesspal app(my daughter suggested the app) I didn’t lose any pounds, plus the effort of keep track of what you eat and such doesn’t work well when I travel.
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Those are huge ranges. My estimates range from a low of 52 grams all the way up to 180. I am taller and heavier than you and moderate exercise. What’s interesting is exercise is classified as raising the heart rate - if I’m doing bodyweight exercise, or functional strength training, my HR doesn’t get that high - but as I understand it, strength training requires more protein for recovery and building muscle. Perhaps that’s why the broad range ?
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I was also disappointed at how low my fiber intake was when I started food tracking, even though I had what seemed a fairly healthy diet. About every other day I try to eat Fiber One Original cereal, high fiber (18g!), low cal, no sugar. I add milk (or almond milk) and usually a half banana or some frozen berries.
Each box has two sealed wax bags of cereal, so I’m bringing one along on our upcoming vacation. We plan a few in-room breakfasts at our hotel, and there is a fridge in the room for milk. This way I’ll know that no matter what I eat (and drink) on those days… there was nutritious start, including some fiber.
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We usually have at least one papaya per person and I cut a pineapple a day when we’re in Hawaii, Hawaii is great for fresh fruit. Can you eat those or are they too much sugar for you.
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