tmoneytrav Posted July 19, 2016 Report Share Posted July 19, 2016 So A) Hi folks. B I started the academy the other month, after moving from Maryland to Arizona. I've been making steady progress with the workout section- I am on Bodyweight level 2. However I cannot get the hang of tracking my calories- I can write down what I eat and drink well enough- and have been so far able to stay away from the junk I ate. I even did the water A series of yoga video this morning. I have tried to use My fitness Pal- but can't nail down what my food is as far as what to input. All I can tell is I'm not eating enough- right now I am focused on maintaining weight- and developing my eating habits and learning good cooking/meal habits. I am trying to develop a meditation practice- slowly just doing a bit each day. THough I feel rather discouraged and now that I need to keep up a positive attitude. -Trav Quote Link to comment
Aslan Posted July 19, 2016 Report Share Posted July 19, 2016 I don't really know much about tracking calories, but as for the meditation I do have a few things I can share. My own experience is that developing a meditation practice is, more than anything, a game of patience. At first I would just start with 5 minutes each day or something like that that doesn't seem hard to you, and then go with that for a while before increasing it, so it becomes a habit. (Actually I am doing that myself right now, due to having fallen out of the habit.) Other than that, if you haven't meditated before, or possibly even if you have, there is a good chance that you will suck at it. I certainly did for a long time. For myself it turned out to be a very important turning point when I accepted that I was, currently, not very good at this, and that this was ok. It's very hard to improve at anything at all, if you keep berating yourself for not being perfect at it, but with meditation it's not just hard, it's impossible! So trying to accept that this is where you are at right now, and just going with it, will probably help you get a lot further in the long run. This last part is a LOT easier said than done, and if it sounds like I have it all figured out, trust me, this is not the case. But at times, when it does work for me, it really helps a lot. -Your friendly neighbourhood lion Quote I already am the lion, so I don't need to roar! Aslan's Respawn/Qarantine Challenge Link to comment
mikeleesyd Posted July 19, 2016 Report Share Posted July 19, 2016 Hi trav, can you give me an example of what you eat that's difficult to track calorie wise? It's great that you're trying to develop healthy eating habits with food prep etc, well done. Another way to look at meditation is not as something that can be graded like a maths test, but something to experience like, dreams maybe. I think everyone's experience of meditation is going to be different and the focus of it should be about understanding things like the quality of your thoughts; Are they racing? Are they ruminating on a particular topic? Or is it fairly easy to focus on your breathing? And of course it's about being present and mindful of your bodily sensations, sounds around you etc. Quote Link to comment
tmoneytrav Posted July 20, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 Well I am tending to eat eggs and bacon, some stir fry- which was some steak, broccoli and white rice. Well that was the other day. Today's food so far. I had 2 eggs scrambled in bacon, that would be 6 peices of Oscar Mayer bacon I had a few slices of melon. Had 6 small little carrots for a snack then for lunch I made myself a sandwhich using cheddar cheese from walgreens, rotisserie chicken from Costco and mayo. Havent ate dinner and work till ten may not have anything. Sorry if this is a bit disjointed since I'm at work. Aslan, thank you for the comments regarding meditation. I liked headspace but it seems steep cost wise? I dug out a mindfulness book my ex got me, I enjoyed working through that perhaps I should continue again with it. -Trav Quote Link to comment
mikeleesyd Posted July 20, 2016 Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 That sounds pretty tasty! I don't use myfitnesspal anymore but I do remember now, the initial pain in using it because as you're finding, your home cooked meals aren't neatly found in their database. I do recall that there was a tipping point because I probably spent two or 3 weeks diligently entering the food I ate almost ingredient by ingredient to come up with the meal I just made, but then after that, my meals were just repeats of what I had entered previously or slight variations which made it easier. For me, it wasn't so much needing to know exactly what I ate down to the calorie, but it was knowing I had a controlled diet. I then would take measurements of my body, not just weight, to see the correlation between what I fed into my body and then how it was affected in terms of fat loss, muscle gain etc. On 20 July 2016 at 6:08 AM, tmoneytrav said: I have tried to use My fitness Pal- but can't nail down what my food is as far as what to input. Are those two meals examples of what is difficult to input? On 20 July 2016 at 6:08 AM, tmoneytrav said: Right now I am focused on maintaining weight- and developing my eating habits and learning good cooking/meal habits. Tell me more about this bit. Are you still finding that you're gaining /losing weight despite what your calorie tracking is telling you? Quote Link to comment
fitnessgurl Posted July 21, 2016 Report Share Posted July 21, 2016 I used My Net Diary because I could customize it by adding food that I made. Quote L3 Human Ranger/Assassin Str. 6 Dex. 2 Sta. 1 Con. 12 Wis. 8 Cha. 3 https://www.nerdfitness.com/character/58014 Motto: Where there is life, there is hope. Soli Deo Gloria Link to comment
TheGreyJedi-Ranger Posted July 21, 2016 Report Share Posted July 21, 2016 On 7/19/2016 at 8:29 PM, tmoneytrav said: Well I am tending to eat eggs and bacon, some stir fry- which was some steak, broccoli and white rice. Well that was the other day. Today's food so far. I had 2 eggs scrambled in bacon, that would be 6 peices of Oscar Mayer bacon I had a few slices of melon. Had 6 small little carrots for a snack then for lunch I made myself a sandwhich using cheddar cheese from walgreens, rotisserie chicken from Costco and mayo. Havent ate dinner and work till ten may not have anything. Sorry if this is a bit disjointed since I'm at work. Are you feeling like you're not eating enough because you're hungry? Also, not eating dinner sounds like it could be problematic considering that you're not eating a whole lot to begin with. Eating all of your calories in two meals is fine as long as there are enough calories in the two meals. As a 21 yr old female with a 500 calorie daily deficit, I'm eating around 1600 cals a day which in two meals would be 800 cals apiece. So you'll need to get more healthy fats and since you don't seem to be paleo, some healthy carbs in your diet I think. Also protein. Here are a few healthy additions to what you've got already: - Adding hummus to your carrots (you could also sub the carrots out for peppers) - Eating cheese sticks and fruit/veggies with lunch as well - Bringing some nuts to for a snack- peanuts or almonds are good, just watch how many you have - Personally I love Clif bars and Kind bars. Kind bars are better for me because my calorie needs are lower. But my fiance loves Clif bars because they're super high in protein and keep him from being hungry between meals - Greek Yoghurt is also a good snack, especially with fruit in it. If you add granola to it as well, that's almost a meal by itself Quote Grey Jedi Ranger Jedi Becomes Her Own Hero Jedi Battle Log “Keep Calm, Carry On, and Don't Freeze Up!” - Oboro Shirakumo (Loud Cloud), My Hero Academia Vigilantes Challenges: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12. #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26, #27, #28, #29, #30, #31, #32, #33, #34, #35, #36, #37, #38, #39, #40, #41, #42, #43, #44, #45, #46, #47, #48, #49, #50, #51, #52, #53, #54, #55, #56, #57, #58, #59, #60, #61, #62, #63 Link to comment
Evicious Posted July 21, 2016 Report Share Posted July 21, 2016 I use MFP to track my calories, so I feel your pain when it comes to abstract amounts like "some rotisserie chicken" (on your sandwich). There are 2 ways you can track those kinds of portions. The first is with measuring cups; shredded chicken, cantaloupe cubes, rice... MFP almost always has a generic option measured in cups that you can use. Keep in mind that depending on the food item, the actual number of calories may not be exact. Cups are meant to measure either dense or fine dry foods (think anything packable, like flour or peanut butter). Items such as grapes may measure out to far fewer calories in real life; this is because you may only be able to fit 6 whole grapes in a measuring cup, but you could fit 10 grapes that were cut in half because they will fit together more closely in the same space. For awkward items like that it's best to use a measuring scale. I picked this one up from Walmart for 15$. I like this particular model because it allows you to specify grams or ounces, and the size makes it easy to store. I slip a sandwich baggie over it to keep it clean while I'm measuring (which makes clean up a breeze, since all you have to do when you're done is toss the baggie), and store it on its side in an out-of-the-way part of the cupboard. Be advised, it is very sensitive to pressure and will turn on - and stay on - if you leave anything sitting on it when you're not actively using it. I haven't had any problems with it since I bought it, and I've only had to change the battery once in those two years. But any food scale will help you track your food more accurately than just guessing. I second Mikeleesyd's mention of the MFP recipe tipping point. Tracking became much simpler after I bit the bullet and entered in my more frequently-used recipes. 2 Quote Evicious, Khajjit Ranger STR 7 | DEX 13 | STA 3 | CON 6 | WIS 16 | CHA 4 Current 4WC: Evicious: The Unburdening II + Blitz Week! Fitocracy! I Play To Win! Keep up the momentum! Link to comment
TheGreyJedi-Ranger Posted July 21, 2016 Report Share Posted July 21, 2016 1 minute ago, Evicious said: I second Mikeleesyd's mention of the MFP recipe tipping point. Tracking became much simpler after I bit the bullet and entered in my more frequently-used recipes. I have some weirdly named things in there let me tell you xD I have a sandwich mix that I use for the sandwich I take to work every day. I started buying sandwich thins so my sandwich is just called 'flat sandwich' hahahaha I also use a ton of recipes from online, which they track. I can just make the changes I make (though it's usually spice based and I don't bother with that) and it's even easier. 2 Quote Grey Jedi Ranger Jedi Becomes Her Own Hero Jedi Battle Log “Keep Calm, Carry On, and Don't Freeze Up!” - Oboro Shirakumo (Loud Cloud), My Hero Academia Vigilantes Challenges: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12. #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26, #27, #28, #29, #30, #31, #32, #33, #34, #35, #36, #37, #38, #39, #40, #41, #42, #43, #44, #45, #46, #47, #48, #49, #50, #51, #52, #53, #54, #55, #56, #57, #58, #59, #60, #61, #62, #63 Link to comment
tmoneytrav Posted July 29, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2016 On 7/21/2016 at 7:18 AM, TheGreyJedi-Ranger said: Are you feeling like you're not eating enough because you're hungry? Also, not eating dinner sounds like it could be problematic considering that you're not eating a whole lot to begin with. Eating all of your calories in two meals is fine as long as there are enough calories in the two meals. As a 21 yr old female with a 500 calorie daily deficit, I'm eating around 1600 cals a day which in two meals would be 800 cals apiece. So you'll need to get more healthy fats and since you don't seem to be paleo, some healthy carbs in your diet I think. Also protein. Here are a few healthy additions to what you've got already: - Adding hummus to your carrots (you could also sub the carrots out for peppers) - Eating cheese sticks and fruit/veggies with lunch as well - Bringing some nuts to for a snack- peanuts or almonds are good, just watch how many you have - Personally I love Clif bars and Kind bars. Kind bars are better for me because my calorie needs are lower. But my fiance loves Clif bars because they're super high in protein and keep him from being hungry between meals - Greek Yoghurt is also a good snack, especially with fruit in it. If you add granola to it as well, that's almost a meal by itself Sorry this took a bit to get back to, I had a busy day at work, getting ready for inventory. Which was yesterday. To answer the part I bolded- I don't seem to get hungry, until all at once, so I try to set reminders to eat, to snack a bit so that I do not end up at 8 or so in the evening feeling like I am going to fall over. I would like to do more paleo, I have been trying to have eggs, some bacon and chicken etc. I am not big on fruits and veggies, with the exception of the carrots. Are cheesesticks good- I mean if I get the kind from the grocer or the drugstore- does it make a difference? I got a bag of trail mix: the type with raisins, m and m's and some peanuts: those were tasty. When you say Greek yogurt- with granola, would Chobani, or Dannon, or various other brands I find, I assume thoes work then I can just get granola and add it on top, I have a few yogurt flavors, the coffee, strawberry ones I tend to like. Sorry this took so long getting back -Trav Quote Link to comment
tmoneytrav Posted July 29, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2016 On 7/20/2016 at 3:25 PM, mikeleesyd said: That sounds pretty tasty! I don't use myfitnesspal anymore but I do remember now, the initial pain in using it because as you're finding, your home cooked meals aren't neatly found in their database. I do recall that there was a tipping point because I probably spent two or 3 weeks diligently entering the food I ate almost ingredient by ingredient to come up with the meal I just made, but then after that, my meals were just repeats of what I had entered previously or slight variations which made it easier. For me, it wasn't so much needing to know exactly what I ate down to the calorie, but it was knowing I had a controlled diet. I then would take measurements of my body, not just weight, to see the correlation between what I fed into my body and then how it was affected in terms of fat loss, muscle gain etc. Are those two meals examples of what is difficult to input? Tell me more about this bit. Are you still finding that you're gaining /losing weight despite what your calorie tracking is telling you? I think I'm maintaining, but I see a little bulge in arm muscle, but I can't be definitive. Fallen of the tracking wagon, with inventory prep this last week at work. I want to start tracking what I make, well and making the food in the first place. Tomorrow will be meatloaf. Quote Link to comment
tmoneytrav Posted July 29, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2016 On 7/21/2016 at 7:43 AM, Evicious said: I use MFP to track my calories, so I feel your pain when it comes to abstract amounts like "some rotisserie chicken" (on your sandwich). There are 2 ways you can track those kinds of portions. The first is with measuring cups; shredded chicken, cantaloupe cubes, rice... MFP almost always has a generic option measured in cups that you can use. Keep in mind that depending on the food item, the actual number of calories may not be exact. Cups are meant to measure either dense or fine dry foods (think anything packable, like flour or peanut butter). Items such as grapes may measure out to far fewer calories in real life; this is because you may only be able to fit 6 whole grapes in a measuring cup, but you could fit 10 grapes that were cut in half because they will fit together more closely in the same space. For awkward items like that it's best to use a measuring scale. I picked this one up from Walmart for 15$. I like this particular model because it allows you to specify grams or ounces, and the size makes it easy to store. I slip a sandwich baggie over it to keep it clean while I'm measuring (which makes clean up a breeze, since all you have to do when you're done is toss the baggie), and store it on its side in an out-of-the-way part of the cupboard. Be advised, it is very sensitive to pressure and will turn on - and stay on - if you leave anything sitting on it when you're not actively using it. I haven't had any problems with it since I bought it, and I've only had to change the battery once in those two years. But any food scale will help you track your food more accurately than just guessing. I second Mikeleesyd's mention of the MFP recipe tipping point. Tracking became much simpler after I bit the bullet and entered in my more frequently-used recipes. That looks awesome- so would just put the ten grapes, as an example on the scale? then input how many cups or ounces it tells you those ten grapes equal out to? 1 Quote Link to comment
Evicious Posted July 29, 2016 Report Share Posted July 29, 2016 Yes, that is exactly how to do it. The scale will tell you how many ounces the grapes equal, which you can then input into MFP for a more accurate calorie assessment. Quote Evicious, Khajjit Ranger STR 7 | DEX 13 | STA 3 | CON 6 | WIS 16 | CHA 4 Current 4WC: Evicious: The Unburdening II + Blitz Week! Fitocracy! I Play To Win! Keep up the momentum! Link to comment
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