[jacksonpt]

As part of my efforts to get back in shape, I'm trying to make some changes in my diet. This is very, very difficult for me, but I'm trying.

I wanted an easy way to track what I eat in a given day, then see totals for thing like calories, fat, etc.. I signed up with FitDay.com. The site tracks what I eat and how I exercise, and I can get reports on a variety of things. Anyways, one of the things it tracks in where my calories are coming from (fat, protein, carbs, or alcohol). Where should the bulk of my calories be coming from? Today, I took in about 2200 calories: 63% from carbs, 26% from protien, and 12% from fat (no alcohol).

I've read that lean meats are very good, especially pork, chicken and lean beef. What about ham?

I made an omlet tonight for dinner (3 large eggs, 1 slice of american cheese), and according FitDay.com, there is very little fat or carbs, but a fair amount of protien in that omlet. Looks like this could become a staple for me.

I've read that complex carbs are good - is there a difference between a complex carb and a regular carb? What types of foods fall into which group?

I'm going pretty slow with my dietary changes because I don't want to get frustrated and quit all together. To get started, my philosophy is to eat better as much as possible - more eggs, meats, and fruits, less starch (pasta and breads), fried foods, and pre-prepared foods (tv dinners and the like). When I can't eat better, eat in moderation (something I not good at in the least).

 

[geargrrl]

a complex carb is soemthing like 100% whole grain bread or brown rice. A donut is not a complex carb. Ane then there are what are called simple carbs, which **I think** are fruits and things. A donut is not a simple carb either, it's just a bad carb

there's more to it than that, of course.

I"m sure google must be your friend for lists of complex carbs, recommended %'s of different food categories and so on.

geargrrl

 

[bbmj]

as far as the omelet goes, did you use egg whites, or whole eggs? A whole egg is 6 grams protein, 1 or 2 grams carbs, and i think 6 or 7 grams fat, and the cheese unless it was fat free, is basically fat, and protein. Check out this site for nutriton content http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/cgi-bin/nut_search.pl Lean meats are good, but getting healthy fats are also good, ie the fats in fish omega 3's, and fats in flaxseed oil, olive oil. Lean meats are good sources of protein though. I also reccommend you check out www.johnberardi.com and read the nutrition artilces there. Also as far as the simple vs. complex carbs, this refers to the carbohydrate chain (i think) it was thouhg that simple carbs/sugars were broke down quickly and therefore less healthy, but it has been found that it is not whether a carb is simple or complex that determines how it reacts in the body, but things like its GI (glucose index). Read the articles on john berardi's site. That should give you an excellent start as far as nutrition goes.

 

[JeffD]

Don't worry too much about the biochemistry of carb definitions. Simplest way to pick your carb foods is go for the least refined and most fibrous foods on the shelf. Examples of such foods include:

-Oatmeal/oat bran (try not to get the flavored ones due to sugar content, get the plain and mix in fruit or artificial sweetener for taste)

-Veggies/fruits (not fruit juice)

-Coarse grain breads

-Beans

-High fiber cereals (Fiber One, several flax cereal offerings by organic health food brands)