Forums / Health & Fitness / Diet & Nutrition

Frozen Yogurt VS. Ice Cream

sallyfred — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 04:14:57 GMT

I am curious...is frozen yogurt a healthier choice than ice cream? Does it have less calories? I usually prefer light ice cream, but lately a self-serve frozen yogurt franchise has caught my attention.

Supplements etc - do you take any?

susanjayneh — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 07:30:01 GMT

Do any of you take vitamin / mineral supplements or any of the others on the market? If so which would you recommend? I tried taking glaucosamine for my joints and its worked wonders. As I'm fast approaching 40 and 2 recent babies seem to have trashed my body - I'm constantly pulling muscles just standing up etc:rolleyes: I'm after suggestions as to what I can take.

I eat very healthily just feel I'm lacking in something...

Any advice appreciated.

Susan:P

Bad evening eating habit - any advice?

susanjayneh — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 05:03:41 GMT

I have no problem eating healthily all day but when it comes to the evening is when my good intentions fall apart. Even just after my evening meal I'm not remotely hungry but alll I can think about is eating some rubbish - and then mostly do.

Any tips for avoiding this?;)

Susan

scale

sinfullysweetass69 — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 11:48:51 GMT

i bought a new scale last week cost 6 dollars probably not a good idea well anyway i weighed myself last week and got a dead on 200 ive cut my caloric intake so im at about a 1000 deficit each day except once and this week the scale is reading 210 i excersize everyday alot of weight lifting and sum daily life aerobics. when i step off of the scale the number stays above 0 but i put it at 0 before stepping on it. im hoping the scale is inaccurate becuse i was really looking forward to being under 200lbs any insight?

Avocados- fattening???

leeni626 — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 12:44:52 GMT

I just need to know if avocados are fattening? I love guacamole---help

Nutrients to a food

Stitchers2 — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 17:33:48 GMT

I AM A NEW USER OF THIS WEBSITE. i SAW A SECTION WHERE IT ALLOWED YOU TO ADD MORE NUTRIENTS TO BE SEEN WITH THE FOODS ON THE FOOD LIST SHOWN FOR THE DAY. i CAN'T SEEM TO FIND HOW TO DO IT NOW. CAN SOMEONE TELL ME HOW THIS IS DONE?

Needs help understanding Cholesterol

mousie_04 — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 08:19:52 GMT

So...I'm a 24 year old female, 5'3" and I have high cholesterol (and yes I did fast before my test). My overall number is 217 (the range is 0-200), and my bad cholesterol is 137 (range is 0-100). I wish I could post my food journal for this post so you could all see that I RARELY have cholesterol in my diet. I only get it from eggs (which I eat one maybe 4 days out of the week). I rarely have cheese, I don't eat take out or fast food, or eat out very often for that matter. I don't eat fatty meats because I just started to learn how to enjoy a good steak and fat grosses me out!! I don't use butter to cook with (I use Pam) and when I want butter, I use Smart Balance products.

I also lift weights about 4 days a week and get some sort of cardio in 3-4 days a week. I also have been taking my dog for walks just about every day for roughly 30-40 minutes.

Basically, I eat relatively healthy and exercise consistently. My only problem is that I have a serious sweet tooth; chocolate, ice cream, cookies you name it. The ice cream occasionally comes from Dairy Queen, other wise it's nonfat yogurt (with chopped up M&Ms on top). The cookies are homemade and of course are chocolate chip, sugar cookies with frosting etc. I also have a huge thing for carbs! I love bread and pasta like no other. I do make my bread/pasta whole wheat for the most part but I do have the occasional white bread.

My mom has always had very low cholesterol counts and my dad has slightly high cholesterol but even the doctor's don't think it's necessary to start him on any medication because it's not overly high. My mom thinks my grandpa's cholesterol may have been high but nothing overly concerning.

So....what in the world is causing my high cholesterol! I know I need to cut down the sweets big time but is that what's causing my cholesterol to be high or are there other things I'm missing? I'm going to talk to a nutritionist next week but I thought I'd send out a post to see what other's think. Thanks in advance for anyone's help!

Help- I hate exercise!

ctbtucker — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 21:21:51 GMT

My goal isn't to lose weight as much as it is to get into better shape and tone up, my problem I HATE EXERCISE- can anyone suggest easy workouts to get a routine started?

Muscle Building Diet

thomas.ladley — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 12:09:00 GMT

I'm already skinny, I just want to start building muscle. Does anyone know how much protein and such is healthy to gain muscle with constant exercise? If anyone knows any good diet websites, please introduce them to me. Thanks! :D

More Calories on a Budget

stephen_f — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 20:41:16 GMT

Hey guys I need some help.

I'm a 19 year old college sophomore and I need tips on how to eat more healthy calories on a pretty strict budget.

I've been quite skinny my entire life (6'4, 160 lbs) and I'm starting a workout plan to help me bulk up some and add lean mass. I already know the in's and out's of dieting and nutrition, I'm just looking for help with fulfilling these on a budget.

Any help is much appreciated :)

Healthy Weight Gain

emailwilllee — Sun, 02 May 2010 21:31:01 GMT

Dear Online Fitness Log Community,

My name is Will Lee. I'm 22, 6'1, and I'm attempting to gain some muscle weight. I'm currently about 185 lbs. My weight doesn't seem to go up, even though my strength is increasing. I have a tendency to eat healthy food, but recently I've even been letting my fat intake increase a bit to try and increase my daily calories. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

My goal weight is roughly 210 pounds. I'd really like to bulk up. The supplements I'm currently taking are N.O. Xplode, CellMass, and plain old fashioned whey protien.

Thank you very much,

Will Lee

I need a legit workout plan with illustrations/instructions

hard2xplain — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:18:17 GMT

This is my first post so i thank all for welcoming me to the site. Im looking for a printable workout plan wiht illustrations and intructions. i never really worked out at agyme but want a plan that on the weekly works all the muscle groups, for example Monday-arms, Tuesday Legs etc.

Thanks in Advance

Foods

Sector179 — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 15:05:11 GMT

Off of the little pie chart that is telling you what percents of what you are eating,(Fat,Protein,Carbs)It's like i am aways eating carbs and fats, maybe i am just trained to eat these things i don't know. What i am asking of you is..... can you give me a meal for a day or days that there is little carbs and little fat. By the way i am new to this Group.I joined a while ago, but i am finally starting to do something about my health.If you have any question's feel free to ask. And that's about it have a great day everyone.

The Only 4 Principles of Weight Loss You Need To Know

trevor — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 09:15:44 GMT

Visit a nearby newsstand and I am sure that you will come across some magazines promoting miraculous weight-loss formulas. Sometimes they turn to the mythic properties of fruit, like with the “Lemon Diet” or with the “Papaya Diet.” Other times they just create special nutritional plans, say the “Low-Carb Diet.” There are also the magic workouts and exercises that are supposed to reduce your belly circumference by 10 centimeters in three days – while toning your muscles….

Come on!

The reality is that there are no shortcuts or easy ways to get in good shape. Sorry, but someone needed to tell you this.

Now, don’t get me wrong, you won’t not need to starve for days or perform some Spartan training activities. As long as you get conscious about what you are doing, you will see the results. Below you will find the four principles that you need to keep in mind in your weight-loss journey.

1. Forget About Diets

People that go from diet to diet never reach a stable weight, let alone a good shape. The reason is quite simple: diets are, by their very nature, temporary. You can’t expect to eat properly for two or three weeks and fix your weight problems for the rest of the year.

I know it is encouraging to read that you could lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks if you were to eat this and that. It is encouraging but not true. They might even work in the short term, but after a couple of months you will recover what you have lost.

Many of these diets are not even targeted at fat loss. They promise that you will lose weight, but the caloric cut is so drastic that you end up losing many pounds of water and muscle mass along the way, and that is not what you should be aiming for.

If diets are not the solution, what is then? Proper nutrition, and we’ll cover this on the next principle.

2. Proper Nutrition

If you want to keep your weight and fat percentage under control, you will need to learn the basics of nutrition. Once you learn them, you will be able to eat healthy throughout the year.

Buy a nutrition book on some library and read it. At the very minimum you want to know how your body works, what sources of energy it uses, what are the roles of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals and vitamins.

You will need to shift your paradigm about food. Many people, especially those with weight problems, tend to see food as a source of pleasure. They eat what they like, when they want to, and in whatever proportions it might take to satiate them.

This is not the correct approach. You should see food first and foremost as something functional. You will eat because food is the fuel for your body. If you adopt this mentality, you will start eating what you need, when you need, and in the correct amount.

It might sound extreme, but even with this approach you will be able to have pleasure while eating. It is just a matter of getting used to it. Once you detox yourself from the junk food you will see that an apple can be just as tasty as a sugar-jammed apple pie.

Needless to say that if you are trying to lose weight you will need to have a caloric deficit in place. That is, you will need to eat less calories than what your body needs to keep his weight. Ideally you want to jot down some numbers and calculate how much you should be eating. There are plenty of resources online that can help you here.

3. Physical Exercise

Eating healthy and having a caloric deficit will only take you half the way. The other key factor is physical exercise.

Low intensity cardio is the corner stone of any weight loss program. That is because the higher the intensity of the exercise, the lower the amount of free fat acids in your bloodstream (free fat acids come from your stored fat through the lipolysis process, and they are burned for energy).

So far so good, but what is considered low intensity cardio? The easiest way to determine is to find your max heart rate (220 – age = max heart rate) and calculate 40% and 60% of it. That is the range you should aim for when doing low intensity cardio. Suppose you are 20 years old. This means that your max heart rate is around 200, so your range for low intensity cardio is from 80 heart beats per minute to 120 heart beats per minute.

Pragmatically speaking, what activities can you do as low intensity cardio? There are many of them, from walking to swimming and riding a bicycle; just find something that you like to do.

Start with two weekly sessions, and build your way up. The same theory goes for the duration, find what you are capable of doing in the beginning (without feeling too tired), and build your way up. It might be 10, 20 or 30 minutes, it doesn’t matter as long as you make progress along the way.

4. Discipline and Perseverance

You can start eating healthy and exercising properly, but unless you stick doing it regularly, the results won’t appear (if they do, they won’t last).

Discipline and perseverance are key here.

You could find a friend to exercise together, a mentor to guide you throughout the way, or even write down your progress day after day. Do whatever it takes to stay on track.

That is pretty much all you need.

It won’t be easy, but very few worth things in life are easy to achieve, right?

Good luck!

http://www.weightlosswand.com/blog/96/the-4-principles-of-weight-loss/

Daily Summary %

RJCimino — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 09:09:06 GMT

Can someone tell me what the correct % of fat, carb and proties should be for the day for the chart in the daily nutrition summary?

I look at sites but they all focus on servings.

Thanks

Picky Eater

keywestguy — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 17:35:47 GMT

Hello from Key West!

I signed up for this site today as I'm tired of looking at the way I look every morning. It makes me sad and I realize that I'm the only one that can change that. I wanted to see if there are other picky eaters out there that can recommend some healthy meals for breakfast and lunch as this tends to be the time that I eat unhealthy as I hate most protein bars.

I have access to a gym and up until a few weeks ago was going 2-3 times a week and also playing tennis and volleyball at least once a week. Because of the holidays that has lasped and I would like to get a support team together to give me motivation. I bought the Wii Fit to also assist in days when I have a few hours at the house.

Any assistance would be much appreciated!

Jose

diet with a binge day?!?

caroline6288 — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 22:21:35 GMT

So, I've been doing this calorie counting thing for about a week now and I have to say I am impressed with how well I've been doing. I get cravings for sweet or greasy stuff, but then I just picture how I look now and how I will look 40 pounds healthier and then I feel much better and no longer want that imaginary bowl of ice cream. But I was talking with a (skinny) friend about this and she suggested that I allow myself to indulge in my food fantasies one day every week, if I want to.

I'm just wondering if anyone has had any success with this? I know it wouldn't be smart to go all out with food and alcohol but will 3 slices of pizza or 4 beers set me far off track?

Thanks :)
-Carol

Foods that are high in calories, low in fat, and high in protein.. Know of any good ones?

Anthony Lea — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 21:09:33 GMT

I was wondering if anyone could name some foods that are high in calories, low in fat, and high in protein.. Thanks to any posters on this thread!

What did everyone eat today?

slimperson — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:12:46 GMT

Supper was great. Skilleted red pepper and chicken breast. A few glasses of Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile for me. :)

i know that YOU will all understand

caroline6288 — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 23:31:04 GMT

So, the diet has been going GREAT! except for one little problem. My friends and I ALWAYS want to eat when we're together. So i get a phonecall Sunday night...chinese food! at first I said no, but then i said, hey i've been doing really good and just because it's a buffet doesn't mean i have to eat like it's a buffet. So i did pretty well but i KNOW that i definitly didn't hit my calorie goal that day. Then again today...i get another call and tonight it's...brownies! Well yipee but dont ya know that i just let myself eat chinese food 3 days ago?!?! I know they just don't get it because none of them are concerned with their weight like I am with mine. It's just frustrating to have your friends tell you that what you've been working soooo hard at just isn't that important. What a downer!:(

Why You Would Rather Enjoy a Pizza Than Stick to an Exercise Plan

trevor — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 15:53:28 GMT

Why You Would Rather Enjoy a Pizza Than Stick to an Exercise Plan

The Real Reason Americans Cannot Stick to Their Diet

By Justin Bowers

Suggestions for low carb fruits/veggies

mousie_04 — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:02:35 GMT

Does anyone have a list or can give me a few suggestions for fruits and veggies that are low in carbs? I'm trying to lower the amount of carbs I take in during the day (I've been going a little overboard I think), but I eat a lot of veggies/fruits and they raise my carb intake to more than I'd like.

Also, is there a way to find out how many grams of carbs a person should be consuming in a day? Is there a percentage or number amount to go by? I've noticed that when I cut back on carbs (don't worry I'm not doing anything extreme) I seem to lose weight around my midsection (which is what I need). However, with the amount of veggies/fruits I eat , my carb intake seems to sky rocket. Since Sept 1st I've probably been consuming around 160-180 grams of carbs a day. Now, to me, that seems like A LOT but I also don't know what a rough estimate as to what I should be consuming in a day.

Can anyone help me out at all or give me a link to a website to review? Thanks!

Not enough Calories?

meneak74 — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 20:17:00 GMT

I just started logging my progress today and was talking about this website to my mom and was reading off some of the information that I had added. I mentioned that I consumed 990 calories. My mom mentioned to me that this may be the reason I haven't seem any results from exercising.

Is this right? Do I need to consume more to lose more? I just always assumed calories were bad and I should eat less if possible.

If this is the case, how many should I be consuming? If I should be consuming more, how do I go about this? Do I eat more of my healthier choices? Do I eat the same amount but look for things that aren't quite as healthy?

HELP!

3 meals / day or more but smaller?

susanjayneh — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 05:08:53 GMT

I keep hearing conflicting information as to which is better - eat 3 times / day with no snacks or to eat little and often. These "change your life" type health programes on at the moment all seem to differ in this.

Any ideas?

Susan

5 steps on "what to Eat to lose weight Fast"

jstandring — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:45:47 GMT

eat only when hungry and to the point of fullness!

eat as much meat and vegetables as you want, and allowed 3 to 5 ounces of cheese and two servings daily of low-glycemic fruits — berries, melons, peaches, plums, apples, oranges, and kiwis.

drink 80 ounces of water daily.

1. Cut Out Fast-Digesting Carbs

For the most part, these are foods that are made with sugar or are high in starch, such as bread, pasta, any other flour-based food, potatoes, and rice. Because they all contain high amounts of glucose, they raise blood sugar quickly. "This is the trigger that signals your body to release a flood of insulin," . Eliminate these foods and insulin levels stay near rock bottom. And that simultaneously improves your health and speeds fat loss. In fact, when University of Connecticut researchers analyzed why low-carb dieters were so successful, they calculated that 70 percent of their weight loss stemmed from low insulin levels. (One note: Because milk has a significant number of carbohydrates, it was also off-limits until my blood profile showed I was healthier.)

2. Eat More Vegetables

This may be the ultimate diet cliche, but there's no question it works. In fact, a study of more than 2,000 low-carb dieters found that, on average, the biggest losers were consuming four servings of nonstarchy vegetables a day. That's virtually any vegetable of your choice other than potatoes (white, sweet, or fried), carrots, and corn. "Eating more produce increases the amount of fiber in your diet, which helps keep you full," For an even greater fiber boost, I added a daily glass of Metamucil (the sugar-free version). If you've never taken Metamucil, its effectiveness in reducing your appetite is nothing short of amazing.

3. Have Protein at Every Meal

This is especially important at breakfast and with snacks, when guys are most likely to skimp on this muscle-building nutrient. (Thanks a lot, cereal.) Case in point: University of Illinois scientists report that, on average, people consume 65 percent of their protein after 6 p.m. More important, the researchers found that to optimally preserve your muscle as you lose weight, you need to take in protein at each meal throughout the day. "Besides nourishing your muscles, the added protein will help keep you from overeating," The best sources are beef, chicken, fish, dairy, and eggs.

4. Don't Be Afraid of Natural Fat

That's right, the kind that's found in a piece of meat, an omelet, an avocado, olives, or olive-oil-based dressing. Because fat alone doesn't raise your insulin levels, it has little to do with making you fat, contrary to popular opinion. High amounts of carbs coupled with high amounts of fat are the real culprit, since they stimulate the release of insulin, causing your body to store fat instead of burn it. But what about heart health? In a review of 13 studies published in the Journal of Nutrition, researchers determined that low-carbohydrate diets — all of which provided at least 50 percent of daily calories from fat — were more effective at reducing heart-disease risk than traditional low-fat diets.

5. Forget About Processed Foods

Prediet, I lived on lunchmeat. But I nixed these packaged meats quickly, because most contain added salt (affecting weight and blood pressure) and sugar, as well as nitrates, which are associated with an increased risk of cancer. Instead, I ate ground turkey. (it takes only a few minutes to cook at night and taste great cold the following day.). If you follow only one rule, make it this: If it comes in a box or a bag, skip it. I guarantee you'll have success.

Online Nutrition Information

hallrobk — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 18:56:38 GMT

http://caloriecount.about.com/

McDonald's - http://www.mcdonalds.com/usa/eat/nutrition_info.html

Wendy's - http://www.wendys.com/food/NutritionLanding.jsp

http://www.nutritiondata.com/

http://www.dietfacts.com/

http://www.thefruitpages.com/contents.shtml

Those are mine. Enjoy!

Hungry!!

sparky2388 — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:21:56 GMT

I had a turkey burger for dinner.. but I'm still hungry!! I dont know what to eat!! lol

Diet Soda

Sacco — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 21:05:28 GMT

I know water is the best for you but how about diet soda? Does anyone know what impact diet soda has on your overall diet? I've tried caffeine free diet coke which really isn't that bad at all.

Thank you,

Jay

Why Eating More Often is Better for You

trevor — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:40:57 GMT

Why Eating More Often is Better for You

The Real Reason America Is Overweight

http://www.onlinefitnesslog.com/Why-Eating-More-Often-is-Better-for-You.aspx

Exercise

lmayo514 — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 11:04:04 GMT

How much exercise is too much exercise? I work out hard (at least 45 minutes to an hour of cardio) daily...plus abs..and weignts every other day or so.

Percentage of carbs/fats/proteins

gilpil — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:16:37 GMT

Hi,

I am new to the forum and wanted some advice on nutrition. I eat pretty healthy most of the time, and I am finding that my nutrition log has me getting about 50% of my calories from carbs, 30% from protein, and 10% from fat. I know that the carbs are a good number, but the percentage of protein and fat is almost reversed according to many recommendations. Is this bad? I try to eat a lot of protein since one of my goals is to build more lean muscle mass. Should I change my diet up a bit?

Vegetarian diet: How to get the best nutrition

trevor — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 08:53:52 GMT

A healthy vegetarian diet consists primarily of plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. Because the emphasis is on nonmeat food sources, a vegetarian diet generally contains less fat and cholesterol, and typically includes more fiber.

Vegetarians fall into groups defined by the types of animal-derived foods they eat:

Vegans eat only plant-based foods. They don't eat foods from animals, including meat, poultry, fish, milk, eggs and cheese.
Lacto-vegetarians consume milk and milk products along with plant-based foods. They omit eggs as well as meat, fish and poultry.
Lacto-ovo vegetarians eat eggs, milk and milk products, such as cheese and yogurt, in addition to plant-based foods. They omit red meat, fish and poultry.
Flexitarians (semivegetarians) primarily follow a plant-based diet but occasionally eat small amounts of meat, poultry or fish.

To keep your vegetarian diet on track, you may find using a vegetarian food pyramid helpful. This pyramid outlines various food groups and food choices that, if eaten in the right quantities, form the foundation of a healthy vegetarian diet.

No matter what your age or situation, a well-planned vegetarian diet can meet your nutritional needs. Even children and teenagers can do well on a plant-based diet, as can older people, and pregnant or breast-feeding women. If you're unsure whether a vegetarian diet is right for you, talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian.

Meat alternatives

Meatless products, such as tofu dogs, soy burgers, nut loaves or texturized vegetable protein, add variety to your vegetarian diet. These products, found in many grocery stores and health food markets, simulate the taste and texture of meat and usually have less fat and fewer calories. Many of the meatless products, such as tofu or tempeh, are made from soybeans.

If you follow a vegan diet, you may need to find alternatives for eggs and dairy products. Try these suggestions when meal planning or cooking:

Milk. Drink fortified soymilk, rice milk or almond milk in place of cow's milk.
Butter. When sauteing, use olive oil, water, vegetable broth, wine or fat-free cooking spray instead of butter. In baked goods, use canola oil.
Cheese. Use soy cheese or nutritional yeast flakes, which are available in health food stores.
Eggs. In baked goods, try commercial egg replacers — a dry product made mostly of potato starch. Or you can use the following to replace one egg: 1/4 cup whipped tofu or 1 tablespoon milled flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons of water. For an egg-free omelet use tofu instead of eggs.

Ensuring adequate nutrition

The more restrictive a diet is, the more difficult it is to get all the nutrients your body needs. A vegan diet, for example, eliminates food sources of vitamin B-12, as well as milk products, which are a good source of calcium. Other nutrients, such as iron and zinc, are available in a meatless diet, but you need to make an extra effort to ensure they're in yours.

Here are nutrients that may be deficient in a vegetarian diet and how you can get these nutrients from nonmeat sources:

Protein. Your body needs protein to maintain healthy skin, bones, muscles and organs. Vegetarians who eat eggs or dairy products have convenient sources of protein. Other sources of protein include soy products, meat substitutes, legumes, lentils, nuts, seeds and whole grains.
Calcium. This mineral helps build and maintain strong teeth and bones. Low-fat dairy foods and dark green vegetables, such as spinach, turnip and collard greens, kale, and broccoli, are good sources of calcium. Tofu enriched with calcium and fortified soy milk and fruit juices are other options.
Vitamin B-12. Your body needs vitamin B-12 to produce red blood cells and prevent anemia. This vitamin is found almost exclusively in animal products, including milk, eggs and cheese. Vegans can get vitamin B-12 from some enriched cereals, fortified soy products or by taking a supplement that contains this vitamin.
Iron. Like vitamin B-12, iron is a crucial component of red blood cells. Dried beans and peas, lentils, enriched cereals, whole-grain products, dark leafy green vegetables, and dried fruit are good sources of iron. To help your body absorb nonanimal sources of iron, eat foods rich in vitamin C — such as strawberries, citrus fruits, tomatoes, cabbage and broccoli — at the same time you consume iron-containing foods.
Zinc. This mineral is an essential component of many enzymes and plays a role in cell division and in the formation of proteins. Good sources of zinc include whole grains, soy products, nuts and wheat germ.

The key to a healthy vegetarian diet — or any diet for that matter — is to enjoy a wide variety of foods. Since no single food provides all of the nutrients that your body needs, eating a wide variety helps ensure that you get the necessary nutrients and other substances that promote good health.

Getting started

If you're thinking of switching to a vegetarian diet but aren't sure where to begin, start with menu planning.

Start with what you know. Make a list of meatless meals you already prepare regularly, such as spaghetti with tomato sauce or vegetable stir-fry.
Make meatless substitutions. Select meals that could easily become meat-free with a couple of substitutions. For example, you can make vegetarian chili by leaving out the ground beef and adding an extra can of black beans or soy crumbles. Or make fajitas using extra-firm tofu rather than chicken. You may be surprised to find that some dishes require only simple substitutions.
Experiment with new meal ideas. Buy or borrow vegetarian cookbooks. Scan the Internet for vegetarian menus or for tips about making meatless substitutions. Check out ethnic restaurants to sample new vegetarian cuisine. The more variety you bring to your vegetarian diet, the better the chance you'll meet all your nutritional needs.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/vegetarian-diet/HQ01596/METHOD=print

Calories

patchrik — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 11:24:20 GMT

I noticed that the Fitness Log uses "kcal" and was wondering if it is using it as most do and that is kcal = calorie. I know the definition of "kcal" but rarely does anyone use it this way. Whenever I precede any notation of measurement with a "k" it means "times 1 thousand".

Weakness

Sacco — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 18:36:12 GMT

Well, I lasted the week and then blew it with a Chinese food dinner with the family on Saturday. Boy was it delicious but after tracking all the nutrition details it was totally depressing!

A 12-Step Program to Eating Healthier Than Ever Before

trevor — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 09:36:50 GMT

As I mentioned recently, I was a junk-food addict in my not-too-distant past, and ballooning alarmingly around the waistline. I was addicted to burgers and sodas and fries and pizzas and sweets and all the fast food you can think of and most especially chocolate.

Today, while I can’t say I only eat wheat germ and fresh veggies picked right from my home garden, I generally eat healthier than I have ever done in my life.

How did I get from Point A (junk food junkie) to Point B (much healthier diet)? I’ll let you in on my secret (and it’s not a secret if you’re one of the many people who discovered this already): I didn’t go from Point A to Point B. It’s more like Point A to Point Z, with lots of points in between.

Actually, that’s the secret to any meaningful improvement, in my experience, but we’ll just talk about eating healthy for now.

Today I’m a vegetarian (mostly vegan) and I try to eat lots of fruits and veggies and whole grains and nuts and beans. I’ll admit that I still have burgers, though they’re veggie burgers instead of fatty meat burgers, and I usually have them with whole grain bread or buns and lots of fresh veggies on them. And I don’t use fatty mayo anymore, but Veganaise, which helps.

I also eat pizza, but it’s not covered in sausages or pepperoni, but veggies. I still eat burritos, but I try to fill them with low-fat beans, veggies, salsa, instead of fatty stuff. I really really enjoy soy yogurt and fresh berries, whole-grain cereal with soy milk, oatmeal with berries and nuts. Mmmmm.

My point is that I don’t deprive myself, but have learned to love foods that are at least a little bit healthier, and in some cases much healthier. I also don’t miss meat at all, but the secret to that is the baby steps we’ll talk about in this post.

The Problem With Most Diet Plans
New fad diets in books and magazines and the Internet are a dime a dozen. Some of them are actually pretty decent, but almost all of them have one single flaw that will make it very difficult for anyone to stick to them.

The flaw? They try to get you to change your entire diet at once.

That just doesn’t work for most people. I’ve tried lots of diets, and for the first week, I’m extremely enthusiastic and determined. But such a drastic change in diet is hard to sustain, and soon you give in to temptation and then it falls apart. We’ve all been there.

The Power of Small Changes
The title of this post is misleading, and I’ll admit that. Most people associate a “12-step program” with alcoholics anonymous or similar program, but this post isn’t about those programs at all.

That it is about is making changes to your diet one small step at a time. Baby steps. The miracle of this is that we adjust to these small changes after a couple weeks, until they seem normal and we don’t feel like we’re depriving ourselves of anything.

Take meat for example. Let’s say you wanted to become a vegetarian, and you cut out all meat from your diet completely. You’d feel very deprived, and you might have a very hard time. Most people wouldn’t last very long — maybe a week or two at most — before caving in and eating meat and feeling guilty.

But let’s say instead that you just started with beef. Well, at dinner tonight, you probably wouldn’t notice much because you could have chicken or fish or turkey or pork — all the stuff you might normally eat. After a few weeks, going without beef would seem normal, and you probably wouldn’t miss it much.

Repeat that process for pork, and soon you’ve cut red meat from your diet (assuming you don’t eat much venison or buffalo or otter or whatnot). Then do chicken — this might be a difficult stage for many — and just eat seafood for awhile. After a few weeks of that, though, you’d get used to it. Next step is dropping seafood, and soon you’re a vegetarian who doesn’t miss meat one bit.

I’m not saying you need to become a vegetarian. I’m saying that small steps, taken a few weeks at a time, makes the process much easier. I’ve done it with meat, with fried foods, with sweets, with eating more fruits and whole grains, and many other food changes, and it’s worked every time.

You get used to it, if you do it a bit at a time.

The 12-Step Program
Actually, what follows is just an example. You can use as many steps as you want, making whatever changes you want. This is just a sample of what can be done, to give you some ideas.

The rules:

Apply these changes, one at a time, until you get used to them. This will probably be 3-4 weeks per step. But in a year’s time, you’ll be eating as healthy as possible.
Focus as much energy as possible on each change for at least a couple weeks. Don’t deviate if you can. Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.
If it seems too difficult, make a smaller step instead. For example, instead of cutting out sweets, just cut out cakes and donuts. Smaller steps make things much easier.
Always replace bad food with healthy food that you enjoy. What I’ve given are just examples — everyone has different tastes.

OK, so here’s an example of how this step-by-step process could work:

Eat fruits for snacks. If you snack on junk food during the day, have some fruits by your side at all times. When you’re feeling hungry for a snack, eat a fruit. One of those bags of small apples is a handy thing — you can’t go wrong with apples.
Drink water instead of soda. The only thing I drink (besides an occasional beer) is water. I’m not saying you need to do that, but try to cut out sugary drinks a bit at a time, replacing them with water.
Eat whole grain bread. If you eat white bread or bagels or whatever, replace them with whole-grain versions. Be sure to look at the ingredients — it shouldn’t say enriched wheat flour, but whole grain. Also try to avoid breads with high-fructose corn syrup (actually, avoid that ingredient in anything).
Add fresh veggies to dinner. If you don’t already, have some steamed greens with dinner. Cut out a less healthy side dish if you usually eat something else.
Cut out red meat. You can still eat poultry and seafood for now. You can later cut those out too if you want.
Make pizza instead of ordering. Homemade pizza is the best, and if you haven’t made it yet, you should. The simple way is to get a ready-made whole-wheat crust, although making your own tastes even better. Start with the simple version, though, as you don’t want to make things too difficult. For the simple version, just add some gourmet spaghetti sauce (not Ragu), cut up some veggies (I like tomatoes and mushrooms and spinach and olives, but you can use anything, even potatoes). Brush the veggies with some olive oil. You can add grated cheese or soy cheese if you want, though it’s not necessary. Bake till it looks cooked. Mmmm.
Nuts instead of chips. If you normally snack on chips, try unsalted peanuts or raw almonds.
Soymilk instead of whole milk. Whole milk is fatty (not to mention the suffering done by the cows in modern dairy factories). Soymilk is much healthier. You get used to it after awhile, like all the changes on this list, but if soymilk is a problem at least drink 1% milk.
Whole grain cereal. If you eat sugary cereal, try a whole-grain cereal instead.
Berries instead of candy. This is a recent change of mine, and it’s actually been much easier than I thought. I used to snack on chocolate candy all the time, but now I try to eat berries to satisfy my sweet cravings and it works!
Scrambled tofu instead of fried eggs. Scrambled tofu is a secret vegan wonder.
Try some great veggie dinners. There are so many good ones out there if you haven’t tried them.

If you implement 12 changes, you’ll probably be eating healthier than you ever have before. A great thing is that once you’ve done this, you’ll probably keep going, to 20 steps and beyond.

“Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.” - Mark Twain

http://zenhabits.net/2008/02/a-12-step-program-to-eating-healthier-than-ever-before/

14 Stress-Free Ways to Kick Weight Loss in the Butt

trevor — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 08:36:53 GMT

Let’s be honest: Losing weight isn’t the easiest thing in the world. All our best intentions end up doing nothing.

And I’ve tried just about every diet plan out there, from the various low-carb diets to Weight Watchers (which isn’t bad, actually) to the Abs Diet to Slim Fast to low-calorie to low-fat and more. I’ve tried a bunch of exercise programs too, believe me.

My weight-loss efforts these last couple of years have been hit-and-miss, as I’ve struggled to find something that works for me. Recently, I think I’ve been hitting upon some pretty simple concepts that really work, for me at least.

You might have read the Zen Habits Meal Plan, which is actually a pretty good plan. But let me take some of those concepts and simplify them a little more, for some (almost) easy ways to beat your weight-loss struggles. These are mostly the same concepts, but I’m reporting what has been working for me as I experiment with the meal plan.

Let me be honest again: even with the concepts below, weight loss isn’t going to be easy. But at least these tools will make it a little easier, a little simpler, and they really do work.

I’ve lost 15 pounds in the last few months, which isn’t rapid weight loss but is actually a very healthy rate of loss. I recommend gradual weight loss for everyone. At the rate I’m going, you can lose 50 pounds a year. I don’t need to lose 50 pounds anymore (I did at one time, but only have about 20 pounds to go), but after I lose the rest of the unwanted bodyfat, I’m going to focus more on building a little muscle (something I’m actually doing now but it’s not my main focus).

Never eat more than you can lift. - Miss Piggy

1. Focus on gradual loss. I mentioned this above, but it’s important. Too many people focus on trying to lose weight fast — 10 pounds in 4 weeks, 20 pounds in 2 months, etc. It’s not healthy, and it doesn’t work, because even if you are able to lose that much weight that fast, you haven’t learned sustainable eating habits that will last you a lifetime. The key is to figure out an eating pattern than will work for you for the rest of your life. Again, if you focus on losing 1-2 pounds per week, you will lose between 50-100 pounds per year. You just have to be willing to wait a year, but trust me, a year goes by pretty fast these days (I think it’s inflation or something).

2. Focus on nutrition. Exercise is important. You have to do it. It has wonderful benefits. But if your focus is on weight loss, the most important factor is what you eat. Don’t ignore exercise, by any means, but if you focus on exercise and think you can eat whatever you want, you’re wrong. You have to focus on nutrition (what you eat) and use exercise as a way to supplement the calorie burn and to get your body looking how you want it to look (not to mention as a key way to get healthy and feel great).

The reason: you can change how many calories you take in to a much greater degree than you can change how many calories you burn. Thirty minutes of exercise, for example, can burn less than a medium McDonald’s fries. Lose the fries, and you’ve done in a few seconds what would take 30 minutes of exercise to accomplish.

3. Become aware of your hunger. This is one of the key things I’ve been learning. Many times we are not conscious of how hungry we are. We ignore our bodies because we’re too busy thinking about other things. As a result, we only eat when we’re famished, and that’s not a good time to eat, because you don’t make healthy eating decisions when you’re super hungry. Your blood-sugar level is too low, and your body just wants a quick sugar fix — a donut or some cookies or white bread or a Coke will be much more appealing than a salad or healthy sandwich on whole grain bread.

Learn to listen to your body, and be aware of your hunger when it’s in its early stages. This is a key skill to weight loss, something the other plans don’t tell you about. They tell you what to eat and when, but don’t teach you how to use your body’s signals to learn to eat healthier.

4. Eat when you’re hungry, not famished. When you first feel the hunger, that’s when to eat. Don’t put it off until the hunger builds into an insatiable monster. When you start to get a little hungry, eat a snack. You don’t need to eat a full-on meal … just some fruit, some crackers, maybe some low-fat dairy (cheese or yogurt or cottage cheese — although I prefer soy yogurt), oatmeal, some nuts, dried fruit, etc. Just something to tide you over until you feel hungry again, or until you can eat a bigger meal. Keep healthy snacks at your desk or in your car or wherever you go. I like to pack some in the morning.

The corollary to this is to also allow yourself to eat what you crave. I know this is contrary to most advice, but I’ve found that it’s important to listen to your body … not only when your body is hungry, but when your body is craving a specific food. I’ve also found that often your body just wants a taste of that food (see No. 13 below) and if you give your body what it wants, and really pay attention to the taste and texture of the food and how you feel after you eat it, you will probably crave that food less and less.

5. Learn to eat until satiated. Again, pay attention to your body as you eat. If you eat mindlessly, you will most likely overeat. You’ll just keep cramming food into yourself until you’ve eaten too much. We’ve all felt the pain of being overstuffed. Don’t allow that to happen — be mindful of your eating, and of your hunger.

A good habit to build is to eat slowly … and take pauses, so you can think about whether you’re really still hungry … and drink lots of water during those pauses. This style of eating will allow you to stop eating when you’re satiated (when your hunger is satisfied, not when you’re stuffed) and allow you to be satiated by eating less. It’s not easy at first, but once you’ve practiced it for a week or two, it will make a huge difference in the amount you eat.

Another thing: before you go back for seconds, stop and take a break for a few minutes. Drink some water, talk to somebody, read, go do something, clean the kitchen a little. Whatever it takes. Often you’ll find that you really didn’t need the seconds. And then you’ve saved yourself a few hundred calories.

6. Drink lots of water. I mentioned this above, but drinking water throughout the day helps you to eat less. Water takes the place of food in your stomach. You’ll still need to eat, but if you stay hydrated you’ll get hungry less. Keep a bottle of water with you at all times.

7. Keep healthy options available. A good trick is to clear your fridge and cabinets of all unhealthy snacks and foods. Just dump them. Then plan some healthy breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, and go shopping. Bring healthy foods to work and wherever you go. Always have some fruits and nuts and other healthy options by your side. If you do this, and eat when you’re hungry, you’ll eat the unhealthy stuff much, much less.

8. You gotta log. This may sound difficult to those of you who hate to log stuff or who only do it for a couple days and then stop … but it’s really not that hard once you get used to it. And if you use a very easy log (and one that’s accountable — see next item), it’s even easier. The reason you need to log is because most people underestimate the amount of calories they’re taking in. They don’t think the sweet drinks or the little snacks make any difference, but they really add up. Log everything that goes into your mouth, and you’ll really see how much you’re taking in. The act of logging makes you more aware, and that awareness, that mindfulness, is what allows you to eat less and be healthier.

9. Be accountable. Perhaps the greatest motivator of all is allowing others to see your log. That’s why I like using PeerTrainer, although other good logs (such as Fit Day, Spark People, Calorie Count, etc.) can also be used this way. PeerTrainer allows a small group of people to log easily and take a look at the other logs in the group. Whatever tool you use, get a partner or a small group that monitors each other’s logs, and you’ll be very motivated to eat well and exercise.

10. Find a workout partner. This is accountability done right. A good workout partner is someone who wants to workout at the same time as you and do a similar workout, and someone whose company you enjoy. Why it works: if you set an appointment with a workout partner, you won’t want to miss it. You’ll make sure you’re there, unlike when you work out by yourself — many people are very tempted just to cancel their workouts if they’re a little tired or busy. Also, a workout partner makes the workout a little more fun, and that’s always a good thing. If you get a workout partner, you will have a stress-free exercise plan that will compliment your healthy eating perfectly. Try for 3-5 workouts per week, giving yourself plenty of rest time after hard workouts.

11. Allow yourself to cheat. A strict diet plan is a bad one. If you are severely restricting yourself, and you feel deprived of good foods, you won’t last long. Trust me, I’ve tried it many times. Instead, relax a little bit, giving yourself a cheat meal or two each week, and allowing yourself to cheat a little on special occasions. It’s still best if you can go for the healthier foods on special occasions, but don’t be too strict.

12. Three-bite rule. A great way to allow for cheats is the Three-bite rule … basically, if you want a sweet or some other sinful food, don’t deny yourself … allow yourself a little indulgence, but just three bites. Allow yourself to enjoy the taste, eat slowly, then move on to healthier foods.

13. Forgive, and move on. If you make a mistake, or cheat more than you should, don’t just give up or beat yourself up. This kind of negative thinking is why people don’t stay on diets for long. They binge and then go back to their unhealthy habits. Instead, just forgive yourself for any indulgences, and get back on your healthy eating plan. Look forward, not backward.

14. Get inspired. Motivation is important … maybe the most important thing. Accountability (mentioned above) is the best motivator … but I’d put inspiration at a close second. Find others who are doing what you want to do, read success stories, read magazines and blogs and books, put up a motivational poster … whatever it takes to get inspired.

http://zenhabits.net/2007/12/14-stress-free-ways-to-kick-weight-loss-in-the-butt/