My diet sucks

[RQ]

Well I decided to take note of what I was eating yesterday and never really paid attention or realized that my diet sucks till I saw it written down!


7am
3 eggs
3 strips bacon
2 pieces of sourdough
2 glasses of Naked Juice

10am
1 Snickers

11am
2 Granola bars

2pm
Chicken breast sandwich
Multigrain bread with mayonnaise
? an avocado
? a tomato

5pm
4 granola bars

9pm
3 drumsticks and 3 thighs from El Pollo Loco
? an avocado

1am
Microwave pizza and a corndog

Also drank 4 24oz bottles of water throughout the day, don't drink soda unless it comes with the combo meal

[Giant Killer]

Four granola bars in a row? I'd be sick all day... :( :)

_________________
Giantkiller

[Craig P]

Just replace that 1 am pizza & corndog with a 5th meal from Taco Bell and your good to go

[mara_jade]

Hey RQ!

Don't feel bad. I'm right there too. I've changed some of my habits since I started KM. I used to drink a whole 12 pack of soda a week by myself. Got rid of that quick. I do my best to only eat out on weekends. During the week don't be a lazy a$$ and make my dinner. If I eat nuked stuff, have some sense of nutrition to it.

Latey, I've found chewing each bite at least 15-20 times has helped me from eating more than I should.

As for after workouts, Myoplex Lite :). Other than that, I'm no nutrition guru by any means;)

[MaskedKat]

Damn! You don't get much sleep, either.
Seriously, you might want to consider substituting some fresh fruit for at least a few of the granola bars. Those things tend to be loaded with sugar and fat.

[jjk]

You sir, are a MAN

[garddawg]

Ya'll are just messing with me.

[vwr32]

Originally Posted by garddawg

Ya'll are just messing with me.

rofl

[Paragon]

Nice avatar, RQ. You packin'? :).

[vwr32]

Originally Posted by RQ

Well I decided to take note of what I was eating yesterday and never really paid attention or realized that my diet sucks till I saw it written down!

Out of boredom, and morbid curiosity, I decided to try to plug in those foods to a FitDay calculator and see what it came up with. I had to guess on some things, but tried to keep those guesses on the low end of a serving size. For example, 2 glasses of naked juice is vague, I went with two servings (16oz). One microwave pizza I used the smaller 9" pepperoni rather than the 12" variety etc. Anyway, here's the results according to them:

Total calories: 5558
Fat: 277g (fat calories 2489)
Saturated: 75g (679 cal)
Poly: 67g (599 cal)
Mono 104g (940 cal)
Carbs: 494g (1884 cal)
Fiber: 23g
Protein: 273g (1091 cal)

I've had days like that lol.

[KMCat]

I recently read a very interesting book "Good Calories, Bad Calories" by Gary Taubes.

From Publishers Weekly
Taubes's eye-opening challenge to widely accepted ideas on nutrition and weight loss is as provocative as was his 2001 NewYork Times Magazine article, What if It's All a Big Fat Lie? Taubes (Bad Science), a writer for Science magazine, begins by showing how public health data has been misinterpreted to mark dietary fat and cholesterol as the primary causes of coronary heart disease. Deeper examination, he says, shows that heart disease and other diseases of civilization appear to result from increased consumption of refined carbohydrates: sugar, white flour and white rice. ...

Just before I read this book I had been trying to modify my diet to eat less carbohydrates in favor of more protien. I had actually been loosing weight like I had never lost it before and my diet changes were quite modest.

Following on the heals of that actual result reading this book was quite an eye opener.

[J.R.Cook]

I am like a Labrador Retriever. Given the chance, I would eat myself to death. The Warrior Diet by Ori Hofmeckler has helped me fine tune my genetic drive to eat every meal like it was my last. Ori's basic method is eat light during the day(hunting) and feast at night. The diet has served me well. I can't eat a burger and fries for lunch and teach kettlebells then Krav back to back from 5:30-7:30PM; I'd puke. Warrior Diet-Check it out.

[jjk]

J.R., what is the reasoning behind eating light during the day and feasting at night? Most things I've read say that your metabolism is less active at night, so it's better to taper your meals so that they are smaller towards the end of the day. This is what most body builders do.

[J.R.Cook]

JJK,
You have to read the book to get the full answer. Essentially the diet is based on the premise that we as humans peaked in our dietary evolution about 100,000 years ago. Ori Hofmekler's stance is that ancient warriors ate light during the day to stay sharp. The main meal is eaten at the end of the day when it's time to relax. It is about retraining the way your body metabolizes food. I just wanted to suggest it, it may not work for everyone. It is controversial there is no doubt. One main premise is that controlled undereating sparks a primal instinct to survive, think Tom Hanks in Castaway.
The great thing about the diet is its flexibility and freedom. You can get the book at dragondoor.com.

Jamie

[SkaldGrimnir]

J.R. I am actually going to start the Warrior Diet soon. I was told a revision of his book was due to be released in December. Do you also try his CFT as well as the Kettlebells and Krav Maga?

[veganmark]

Yes, it does suck. That diet is simply telling your body to have a heart attack or stroke. In fact, without starting an argument, Cholesterol is God's answer to eating his children. The body makes all the cholesterol it needs in the liver but most people eat so many animal products that it suppresses the liver's ability to create cholesterol. I'm not saying you should go vegan. That's a choice you have to make of your own free will. However, a balanced omnivore diet that includes lots of fresh fruit, fresh raw vegetables, and grains will help you a lot in the long run. It will also lower your cholesterol and your body will be happy for it. As for the warrior diet, I don't like it. I think there are a lot of problems with it but that's a topic for another day.

[vwr32]

Originally Posted by veganmark

In fact, without starting an argument, Cholesterol is God's answer to eating his children.

I guess cannibals really threw a wrench in that punishment. Biblically speaking, i dont think animals are considered "God's children". If cholesterol is gods answer to "unbalanced" omnivores, pesticides and ecoli is gods answer to vegetarians. We should probably let god handle the judgements and not assign meaning to health issues for the sake of promoting our own moral agenda.

My .02

[garddawg]

vwr32,
Be careful. We are in danger of agreeing.

[vwr32]

Originally Posted by garddawg

vwr32,
Be careful. We are in danger of agreeing.

My "vwr32 is always right" campaign is finally paying off...

[garddawg]

No I think it's my obstinacy finally getting the upper hand.

[vwr32]

Originally Posted by garddawg

No I think it's my obstinacy finally getting the upper hand.

Wow... It's working better than i expected!

[RQ]

hahaha. can't help but laugh.

Anyways, preach away if you want to, my brother is a vegan, tries to push that crap on me whenever he gets a chance. Mom and dad used to be as well but they stopped.

I'm trying to add in more fruits and veggies, but touch my meat and I kill you chair

We'll see how it goes, today not eating much, polished off about 600ml's of Jack yesterday. Been drinking plenty of water though :)

[unstpabl1]

Originally Posted by vwr32

I guess cannibals really threw a wrench in that punishment.
My .02

LMAO Agreeing with V. Gardawg now you see why I'm hiding. Good line though V :)

[RQ]

I took out the bacon yesterday and today! hahaha

0600
3 eggs
banana
2 glasses of naked juice (green machine and blueberry pomegranate )

0930
some melon
1 granola bar

1300
15 slices of honey smoked turkey (samm'ich meat, no samm'ich)
garlic sauce

1600
1 apple
1 granola bar

1900
1 granola bar

2130
beef stew
chicken dumpling thingies

0130
Darn Cheetos!!
Mixed nuts
Strawberry banana juice
__________________________________________________ ________

0700
3 eggs
mashed potatoes
2 glasses naked juice

1000
banana
some melons

1330
salmon
rice
lettuce (not iceburg, some weird really green stuff, wasn't bad)

1600
1 granola bar

1800
1 granola bar

ano right now 2100
stirfry

and for my midnight/post midnight snack ... haven't decided yet ... it's always on the fly.

That is all ... my diet still sucks, I'll get it adjusted slowly though I hope.

[vwr32]

do u get a good deal on granola bars or something?

[KMCat]

It is the carbohydrate that is weighing you down. I've become a true beliver in
the protein diet. Carbohydrates sparingly is ok, but it is the Carbos that make
you fat.

Contrary to conventional wisdom "a calorie is a calorie" is false. There are
complex interactions between your body's hormones and the type of calorie ingested
that make this not as simple.

Carbohydrates make you hungry and make you want to eat more. You've heard that
"old saw" about "eat Chinese food and you be hungry a half an hour later". It
is the rice that does that. Try eating Chinese food and skip the rice entirely.

Read "Good Calories, Bad Calories" by Gary Taubes.

Your diet
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Protein:

3 eggs
3 eggs
15 slices of honey smoked turkey (samm'ich meat, no samm'ich)
beef stew
Mixed nuts
salmon
stirfry

Relatively Carb Neutral:

lettuce (not iceburg, some weird really green stuff, wasn't bad)
some melons
some melon
garlic sauce
1 apple

Carbohydrate:

banana
2 glasses of naked juice (green machine and blueberry pomegranate )
1 granola bar
1 granola bar
1 granola bar
chicken dumpling thingies
Darn Cheetos!!
Strawberry banana juice
mashed potatoes
2 glasses naked juice
banana
rice
1 granola bar
1 granola bar

[RQ]

Howser - I thought just seeing it writen down was bad enough - never thought about breaking it down into catagories like that, makes it look 10x's worse!

Ok, guess I will really be trying to change my diet now.

For the granola bars, I do get a good deal on them, at costco. hah - all kidding aside the reason why I eat the granola's is just because it's easy as heck for me to just lug a bunch of them around with me and eat them when I get a little hungry or need energy real quick, just quick and simple, but quick and simple foods aren't always good for us. I would use protein bars like I used to when I was bodybuilding, but since I'm not lifting weights I just think that they are a waste for me to eat right now.

[MaskedKat]

I've started keeping individually-wrapped, low-fat 1.5-oz cheese thingies in the fridge at work. I also keep almonds and dried berries (I love this blueberry/cherry/cranberry blend) and low-fat Triscuit crackers at work. Great when I'm craving something crunchy, but the little hit of protein goes a long way!

[RQ]

Yeah I've got to figure something that I can take on the go with me, I'm always in the field and hardly at my office, and need a something that can tie me over especially in between classes that isn't too heavy.

Any suggestions? :D

[garddawg]

Here is an interview with Gary Taubes.

http://www.cbc.ca/quirks/media/2007-...7-11-17_01.mp3

[CJs Dad]

My diet was great up until ah yesterday.. and um this afternoon.. then later tonight.. and maybe a little tomorrow. ;)

[downforlife76]

Originally Posted by veganmark

Cholesterol is God's answer to eating his children... I'm not saying you should go vegan. That's a choice you have to make of your own free will. However, a balanced omnivore diet that includes lots of fresh fruit, fresh raw vegetables.

I tried to do that vegan thing and it made me sick. I can't even pull off a balanced omnivore diet. If I eat fresh raw vegetables, I need to plug my nose, drop them down my throat, and chase them down with a thick slab of steak and some country gravy. This is why I never get below 20% bodyfat ;)

[vwr32]

Originally Posted by downforlife76

I tried to do that vegan thing and it made me sick. I can't even pull off a balanced omnivore diet. If I eat fresh raw vegetables, I need to plug my nose, drop them down my throat, and chase them down with a thick slab of steak and some country gravy. This is why I never get below 20% bodyfat ;)

Maybe u could try vegetable shaped hamburger patties.

[HazardousSmoker]

Gary Taubes is a fruitcake. I caught him on Larry King a few weeks ago and the notion that exercise makes you fat is incredible. Yeah sure I know there was more to the story than just that but his accusations are nuts.

Started doing the Zone diet and hoping I can stick to it. Biggest problem I have is eating at night myself. Matter of fact I am hungry right now.

[garddawg]

Yes that was odd. I would like to read the book. In the interview I heard he doesn't sound much different than Sears, Cordain or Wolf in regards to what you should eat.

[Giant Killer]

Exercise makes you fat?? How so?

Hey, we got more smileys!! I like this one: Will come in handy during the next Moni conversation. And this one: Who's Jerry?

Thanks, Sean. The big kids in us really appreciate!!

_________________
Giantkiller

[KMCat]

Originally Posted by Giant Killer

Exercise makes you fat?? How so?

I've read his book, and he does not say that, although some of what he describes can be interpreted that way. Most of the book talks about carbohydrates causing weight gain.

Most times when a typical doctor suggests exercise to an obese person to help them loose weight it is along the lines of "just do some extra walking". He points out that just "extra walking" won't burn more that a couple of hundred calories. That energy expendature can easily be undone by eating a few extra slices of bread.

Also, the extra exercise can cause hunger, if that is not managed correctly it can cause the injestion of more calories that have been burned - thus causing some potential for weight gain. Example, ooo, I've worked so hard to day and went walking for 45 miniutes, I will reward my self with a big ice cream treat.

[garddawg]

Again no expert on the book or man, but from the short interview I heard his ideas on sugar and carbs are right on.

Probably going to sound strange coming from a S and C coach but its pretty common knowledge in our circles that if a person wants to lose bodyfat they will make a great deal more progress adjusting their diet than they will adjusting their workouts.

"In some ways all of this is complex and paradoxical. We can be lean and exercise, all the while we are sick due to high glycemic foods. Similarly we can be overweight, yet we will improve our health to some degree if we exercise. Itís tough to make a sound bite from this but it might look something like ìFor leanness eat a low glycemic load diet built around lean proteins and seasonal vegetables and fruits. For health and vitality exercise most days with varying intensities and activitiesî. Like I said, it sux for a sound bit."
Robb Wolf

[garddawg]

I want to throw this into the mix again from Robb Wolf. Robb is an incredible talented coach and super knowledgeable on diet and nutrition. His website is: http://robbwolf.com/

"Iíve been carving through Gary Taubes book, Good Calories, Bad Calories. It is thick, detailed and amazingly well researched. Dr. Eades and a number of other people have reviewed the book so Iíve been hesitant to reinvent the wheel but I think I might have something to add to the general discussion.

I just wrapped up the chapter that looks at the effects, or lack there of of exercise on weight loss and body composition. In a nutshell, as we increase our activity level we tend to eat more calories and thus tend not to experience body composition shifts (ie. Weight/Fat Loss). Caloric restriction combined with exercise CAN result in short term weight loss that almost inevitably results in a rebound to an even heavier and fatter state, after the ordeal of semi-starvation and exercise. Conventional wisdom posits that we MUST exercise to remain healthy AND LOSE WEIGHT. It is fairly clear that smart amounts of exercise are beneficial for a wide range of health reasons including but not limited to bone density, immune function, mental outlook and digestion to name a few. Paradoxically however, exercise appears to play little or no role in fat loss.

I know this sounds like Orwellian Doublespeak but a perusal of the literature certainly bears this out. For the empiricists out there however, perhaps we should not put too much stock in researchÖwhat happens in the real world? Well, here is my experience:

For the past four, going on five years we have operated a Crossfit strength & conditioning facility. This is an oblique way of saying that we kick-peopleís asses and for some damn reason they pay us for the fanny waxing and even return for additional helpings. What can I say, people are weird! The folks whom we have worked with tend to fall into a few categories:

1-Eat poorly (quality) and not enough.

2-Eat poorly and too much.

3-Eat well, pretty much just right.

The interesting thing is the folks who eat poorly (bad food composition, grains, sugar, legumes and other horrors) make some progress with regards to performance but they see little to no changes in body composition. Pretty much NONE. These folks tend to over train, get sick and generally fall off the program on a frequent basis. By contrast the folks who eat what we tell them to eat, a paleo/zone plan, these folks experience STUNNING bodycomp shifts and almost continuous progress. I experienced almost 4 straight years of improvements every time I trained with CrossFit. The progress has slowed and I suspect I need to increase my body weight to see a real increase in performance but thatís a different topic.

Back to our clients. The folks who do not eat well are frequently VERY active: runners, cyclists (the WORST damn clients I have EVER TRAINEDÖI may never train another) and they are universally chubby and poor performers in the mixed modal activities they PAY us to train them in and interestingly, they are poor performers at their chosen endeavors as well. These folks refuse to alter their nutrition and they progress glacially, if at all.

The folks who comply with the nutrition recommendations, like I said, make amazing body composition shifts and improve performance to a staggering level.

If you have followed what I said you might wonder what the heck Iím talking about. In one line I say exercise does not work for bodycomp and in another I cite research that caloric restriction is also bunk for fat reductionÖso what gives? Super simple: Our nutritional recommendations are focused at insulin control. You could also say that our nutritional recommendations are what we are designed to eat and thrive onÖbut that sounds all hoity-toity. I wish soooo much that simply crushing people during a workout would solve the fat and body comp problem however, it simply does not. There are 168hrss in the week. We can crush folks for 3 of those hours and then they can destroy themselves with bad food choices for the remaining 165hrs. From what we see in the literature and day to day experience, we could exercise people morning, noon and night and if the food composition is poor they will pack in enough insulin spiking food to maintain or even regress. Itís a bummer, but itís true."
Robb Wolf

[KMCat]

Originally Posted by garddawg

... The folks who do not eat well are frequently VERY active: runners, cyclists (the WORST damn clients I have EVER TRAINEDÖI may never train another) and they are universally chubby and poor performers in the mixed modal activities they PAY us to train them in and interestingly, they are poor performers at their chosen endeavors as well. These folks refuse to alter their nutrition and they progress glacially, if at all.
...

Your comments on cyclists are very interesting. I am probably one of those. I have had more weight that I have wanted for quite some time despite a lot of cycling. Late this summer/early-fall I decided to modify my diet and with some overall modest changes I've lost 20 lbs. The changes were fairly simple, I've not been following any specific program just - less carbohydrate, a more protein.

As for cyclists and runners, a lot of the literature and magazinea for those two groups when they talk about diet are all focused on carbs, carbs, carbs. Most runners/cyclists are exposed to a lot "eat/drink carbs" messages. The carbs do help you keep going, but it subverts any fat loss.

I think there is also an effect of what I call "nutritional inertia", basically you are hungry after working out or your are used to eating large amounts at certain times and if you have been exposed to all the "carbs, carbs, carbs" messages and you take that in your insulin spikes and on comes the fat.