Nutritional Info- This simple?

[JEDI]

I, like most Americans, am clueless about Nutrition.

Then I created this thread about getting a 6pack abs:
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2444830

Which lead me to iifym (donut diet).
which told me that calories come from 3 main sources: carbs, fat, and protein.
(This in and of itself was 1000% more than I knew about Nutrition.)


after 30min googling, I found out:
1) Recommended carbs = 45% to 65% of total daily calories
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-l...ting/in-depth/carbohydrates/art-20045705?pg=2

2) Recommended fat = 20% to 35% of total calories
http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/many-grams-fat-should-eat-day-lose-weight-5597.html

3) Recommended protein = 10% to 35% of total calories
http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthy-kitchen-11/how-much-protein

also, carbs and protein = 4 calories/gram, and fat = 9calories/gram
https://www.google.com/search?sourc...m+protein&gs_l=hp....0.0.1.275793...........0.

This simple? (and only took an hr, including the donut diet)


btw:
Donut diet is 40% carbs, 30% fat, 30% protein and is supposed to keep up your energy and strength while dieting.

and by definition, diet = consuming less calories in a day

 

[blackdogdeek]

Yes, it's that simple.

To lose weight, eat in a deficit. To gain weight, eat in a surplus.

 

[Kaido]

Yes, it's that simple.

To lose weight, eat in a deficit. To gain weight, eat in a surplus.

It took me a long time to accept that. I was convinced "healthy" foods were the only way to go. I still think that nature's food is the optimal diet, but that it's not the only way to get results. It's okay to eat sugar, in moderation. And if you want better results, start tracking what goes into your body.

 

[Kaido]

Yeah OP, once the nutrition bug bites you, it's actually pretty fun. I appreciate & care more about food now than I ever did in the past. My latest hobby for the past few years has been making healthier versions of tasty treats. For example, give this Snickers bar recipe a try:

http://detoxinista.com/2013/09/healthy-snickers-bars-vegan/

 

[smackababy]

Yes, it's that simple.

To lose weight, eat in a deficit. To gain weight, eat in a surplus.

Simple in principle, much harder in practice for most people.

We train ourselves to be rewarded with food and continuous overeating inflates the feeling of discomfort we experience when slightly hungry.

Plus, even though technology has helped with this, it is still tedious (at best) to track everything you eat.

And, then we have the instant gratification lifestyles that don't really mesh with the "lose 1lb a week until you're fit" methods that actually work the best. We want a "go to sleep and wake up with a six pack" quick fix that simply doesn't exist.

 

[JEDI]

Yeah OP, once the nutrition bug bites you, it's actually pretty fun. I appreciate & care more about food now than I ever did in the past. My latest hobby for the past few years has been making healthier versions of tasty treats. For example, give this Snickers bar recipe a try:

http://detoxinista.com/2013/09/healthy-snickers-bars-vegan/

ate a personal sized pizza and salad from a pizza chain for lunch.
then entered the info at my fitness pal.

holy crap! I've already reached my caloric goal for the day already and I went OVER the amount of Fat by 30%.

that means I have to skip dinner.

 

[smackababy]

Every pizza is a personal pizza if you have enough willpower and fortitude.

Also, don't skip dinner. While you may be over your daily "limit", not eating is likely to cause binge eating and then you'll be really over. Just have something light and try and even it out over the week.

Being over one day won't kill you, as losing weight is about the long haul.

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

It took me a long time to accept that. I was convinced "healthy" foods were the only way to go. I still think that nature's food is the optimal diet, but that it's not the only way to get results. It's okay to eat sugar, in moderation. And if you want better results, start tracking what goes into your body.

I'd say the majority of people waaaaay over complicate this sh*t.
It's nothing more than a few simple guidelines, and having the discipline to stick with it.

 

[Pantlegz]

Also, don't skip dinner. While you may be over your daily "limit", not eating is likely to cause binge eating and then you'll be really over. Just have something light and try and even it out over the week.

Either plan better or deal with it. I have terrible self control when it comes to food and I've been able to maintain Intermittent fasting diets for long periods of time without bingeing. Typically I would go without breakfast but its the same concept, you have so many calories per day once you hit that limit you stop. I think one of the main reasons diets fail is because people give themselves this leeway and fail to maintain their original guidelines thus don't make the progress they're expecting and fail.

I'd say the majority of people waaaaay over complicate this sh*t.
It's nothing more than a few simple guidelines, and having the discipline to stick with it.

Pretty much this. It's easy to go overboard or making it way more difficult that it needs to be. Set daily limits for macro's and calories wait a week or 2 and reevaluate, if you're happy with the progress keep going if not, make changes up or down and continue for a couple weeks and repeat. BUT tracking absolutely everything you intake is 100% necessary for a diet to work. And not tracking what you think is going in, weigh everything out and record exactly what you're eating, not logging that row of oreo's doesn't mean it didn't happen, it needs to be included as a reminder...

 

[rima]

We need you to have some good times, appreciate the sustenance you adore, and, in case you're viewing your calories or have other eating routine related concerns, stay inside of your objectives for the day. We've concoct a few approaches to switch it up, switch it out, and appreciate the assortment of our menu.

 

[smackababy]

Either plan better or deal with it. I have terrible self control when it comes to food and I've been able to maintain Intermittent fasting diets for long periods of time without bingeing. Typically I would go without breakfast but its the same concept, you have so many calories per day once you hit that limit you stop. I think one of the main reasons diets fail is because people give themselves this leeway and fail to maintain their original guidelines thus don't make the progress they're expecting and fail.

Your entire post is "I have willpower to endure some discomfort", which is the exact opposite of why most diets fail.

 

[Ancalagon44]

Every pizza is a personal pizza if you have enough willpower and fortitude.

Also, don't skip dinner. While you may be over your daily "limit", not eating is likely to cause binge eating and then you'll be really over. Just have something light and try and even it out over the week.

Being over one day won't kill you, as losing weight is about the long haul.

Incorrect. I haven't eaten breakfast or lunch in 2 weeks, and I haven't binge eaten either.

If you're overweight, and skip meals, you find that when you eat again, you can't eat more than you normally would.

 

[smackababy]

Incorrect. I haven't eaten breakfast or lunch in 2 weeks, and I haven't binge eaten either.

If you're overweight, and skip meals, you find that when you eat again, you can't eat more than you normally would.

You are an exception, especially for someone just starting out. If you regularly skip meals (intermittent fasting, maybe), you are conditioned to that and likely have the willpower to not overeat when you do eat.

However, most people are weak (that is why people constantly complain how hard it is to lose weight). Most people don't understand your mind will quit long before your body does.

 

[Ancalagon44]

You are an exception, especially for someone just starting out. If you regularly skip meals (intermittent fasting, maybe), you are conditioned to that and likely have the willpower to not overeat when you do eat.

However, most people are weak (that is why people constantly complain how hard it is to lose weight). Most people don't understand your mind will quit long before your body does.

Look certainly part of it is due to willpower, but from my experience, if you can stick to your fast, you just won't feel like eating that much when you're not fasting.

What I mean is that, lets say you fast for 20 hours, and come home with a pizza, soda and ice cream. You'll get through the pizza and soda no problem, but most people won't feel like eating the ice cream. Your stomach just doesn't have the space.

Of course, you could just break your fast and eat the ice cream the next morning when you're not supposed to. So I think the willpower is not important in avoiding binge eating, the willpower is important in not breaking your fast.