Food Question

markolas · #1 08-13-2006, 01:54 PM

This is a question for our resident nutrition experts (i.e., amber).

I decided that I'm going to start eating more fruits and vegetables and less red meat in an endeavor to help me lose weight and feel healthier. So, the first day of this (last week), I ate a yogurt, blueberry, whole grain cereal concoction for breakfast, then I made a tomato sandwich for lunch, which I ate at about 11am.

By 2pm, I was about ready to pass out. I made it to 5:30, when I hightailed it to Wendy's and had one of their double-meat cheeseburger value meals.

So, the next day I decided to pack a couple of things. I made an eggplant burger, and then a bagel sandwich with various veggies on it (romaine lettuce, tomato, bell pepper, etc.) but no meat. I ate the eggplant burger at about 11am (my regular lunch time) and the veggie sandwich at about 2pm. But by 5pm, I was starving again and ended up having McDonald's as soon as I got off work.

What's up with this? Do I just need to get used to being hungry all the time, or am I not doing something right?

carrie721 · #2 08-13-2006, 02:05 PM

it sounds like you're eating way too much sugar and carbs, and not enough protein.

protein will give you long-lasting energy & satiety. what i do is pair a carb with a protein for my meals. for lunch today, i had cheese & crackers and blueberries. also, i eat about 300 calories every 3-4 hours, which has given me a ton more energy than eating fewer, larger meals. do you exercise? while you're at work, try snacking on protein, like nuts. i always take a little bag of almonds with me to work, or cheese & crackers.

markolas · #3 08-13-2006, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carrie721

it sounds like you're eating way too much sugar and carbs, and not enough protein.

protein will give you long-lasting energy & satiety. what i do is pair a carb with a protein for my meals. for lunch today, i had cheese & crackers and blueberries. also, i eat about 300 calories every 3-4 hours, which has given me a ton more energy than eating fewer, larger meals. do you exercise? while you're at work, try snacking on protein, like nuts. i always take a little bag of almonds with me to work, or cheese & crackers.

I was thinking that maybe I wasn't getting enough protein, since I was craving things like meat and peanut butter. I thought about taking some peanut butter and crackers to snack on, or putting some tuna on the veggie bagel sandwich.

As for exercise, well...I'm starting to.

carrie721 · #4 08-13-2006, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markolas

I was thinking that maybe I wasn't getting enough protein, since I was craving things like meat and peanut butter. I thought about taking some peanut butter and crackers to snack on, or putting some tuna on the veggie bagel sandwich.

As for exercise, well...I'm starting to.

peanut butter is great! i forgot to mention it. i do that with crackers, too. go for the all-natural stuff - the oil in it is much better for you than what's in jif or skippy, and it doesn't have any sugar added. tuna is also great because it's so lean. sometimes i get those heat-and-serve tuna steaks from the grocery store - you just nuke 'em and they're ready to go. the only downside is they're high in sodium, so i don't eat them very often.

the hardest part about exercising is starting, i think. once you get into a regimen, it becomes much easier & more enjoyable. good luck!

foxyluva · #5 08-13-2006, 04:18 PM

Im no nutritionist, but I personally believe that if you eat the healthy meals that you are eating, and have healthy snacks when you get the urge to eat (i.e. peanuts, dried fruit etc...) that should tide you over until the next big meal

David · #6 08-13-2006, 05:30 PM

Carrie's right. Eat more protein. Take hardboiled eggs with you, take tuna, take chicken breasts, steak, etc. Cook stuff the night before & take it with you the following morning. Cook steak, cook chicken, cook pasta & marinara, cook shepherd's pie, etc., & take it with you to work.

Your plan to lose weight long term will be for naught if you don't start working out. And when you're working out, you need more protein & you need complex carbs instead of simple sugars. Drink a gallon of water every day--not all at once but throughout the day.

Don't go to Wendy's or McDonald's. There is practically nothing your body needs there. If you want a fast-food run, you're better off going to Baja Fresh for a Baja burrito or a tri-tip salad.

Don't starve yourself. Dieting doesn't get rid of body fat; it gets rid of water. Eating good food & working out gets rid of fat via your increased metabolism. It's your very own metabolism--not some stupid frozen food in a diet box--that gets rid of your fat.

AliceLover · #7 08-13-2006, 08:33 PM

So are peanut butter crackers a good snack to have?? I bring them to work with me and I think they are great, but I wasn't sure if they were ok to have.

David · #8 08-13-2006, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AliceLover

So are peanut butter crackers a good snack to have?? I bring them to work with me and I think they are great, but I wasn't sure if they were ok to have.

If you like them, they're good, I guess.

Personally, I don't like the taste of peanut butter, so I don't go for peanut butter-flavored stuff. I prefer the flavor of white chocolate, which isn't chocolate at all. I also like cilantro in everything.

carrie721 · #9 08-13-2006, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

I also like cilantro in everything.

yikes, really? cilantro makes me ill.

David · #10 08-13-2006, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carrie721

yikes, really? cilantro makes me ill.

How terrible!

Yes, I love cilantro. I especially love it in soups, especially albondigas soup, chicken soup & minestrone soup. Plus I love it in sandwiches & in roasts. I like to nibble on it raw.

markolas · #11 08-13-2006, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carrie721

yikes, really? cilantro makes me ill.

I'm not even sure what cilantro is.

carrie721 · #12 08-13-2006, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

How terrible!

Yes, I love cilantro. I especially love it in soups, especially albondigas soup, chicken soup & minestrone soup. Plus I love it in sandwiches & in roasts. I like to nibble on it raw.

wow. i'm surprised - i've never known anyone who loved cilantro. learn something new every day! i'm very picky about mexican restaurants because cilantro is used so heavily in mexican cuisine.

Quote:

Originally Posted by markolas

I'm not even sure what cilantro is.

cilantro is an herb ... its seed is called coriander. i think it has a terrible taste, but apparently david loves it!

EDIT: according to wikipedia's coriander page, dislike of cilantro may be genetic! interesting.

HomerMcvie · #13 08-13-2006, 11:22 PM

I too, love cilantro. I grow my own, and collect the coriander seed in the fall, with which to grow the next year's batch.
Cilantro MAKES for great salsa!

_Modern_Hippie · #14 08-14-2006, 01:51 AM

Here's my take: during the four years I stayed home, I was able to eat healthy with absolutely no fast/junk food cravings whatsoever. But, then, as soon as I started working, I've been going to Subway, Burger King, McDonalds or eating chips almost every night! Maybe you're eating this way, because of stress? That's what I think mine is...

skcin · #15 08-14-2006, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

Don't go to Wendy's or McDonald's. There is practically nothing your body needs there.

I will repeat this mantra to myself whenever I feel the craving.

Thanks David!