I have been reading threads on this forum about how important it is to keep accurate track of how much you are eating in order to get the results you want. I just started the NROL4W program on Sunday (today will be my second workout), and I FELT like I had a good idea of how much I was eating. But to be sure I wasn't eating TOO MUCH, I went to the Daily Plate to track my foods for the day.
SHOCKING.
The food I have eaten today/was planning to eat today only totaled around 900 calories. HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE! I admit, I am one of those people who does the "Trader Joe's thing." I try to eat whole foods, stay away from pop, excess sugar, etc. But that is really low. According to NROL4W, since today is a workout day, I should consume around 1990 calories - almost a full 1,000 more calories than I would have eaten had I not checked!
I went through and added things here and there, some granola, a cup of cottage cheese, more protein at dinner - but honestly. How do people eat so much? The list of food I am supposed to eat today seems to go on forever. Have I been sabotaging myself and not even noticed? Should I be eating more full-fat or higher calorie items? Obviously I have been going about my diet the entirely wrong way.
And if I HAVEN'T been eating anything, why the heck is my BMI at 23??? (I sort of know the answer to that question. Boo.)
Are you weighing, or measuring? Weighing will more accurately reflect what your actual intake is, so if you're measuring only, you're prolly eating more than it seems upon entry into Daily Plate, esp if you thought you were eating more than you seem to be.
I don't get what you mean by the "Trader Joe's Thing". I find that most of their prepared foods and snacks are actually quite high in calories, even if they are all-natural. I shop there for cheeses, some grains, chicken sausages, oils, vinegars, and some jarred stuff like artichokes and red peppers. But there's a ton of stuff in that store I avoid.
But to give a more helpful response, yes, it is a bit of an adjustment to eat that much if you have been eating less. I was typically eating 1300-1500 calories and at first I couldn't mentally grasp going up in calories, never mind just figuring out what MORE I wanted to eat. One thing I changed was eating a breakfast at home plus a mid-morning snack at work, whereas previously I was bringing breakfast to work and eating around 9:30. Another thing I did was figure out how to bulk up my lunch with some extra calories, as opposed to adding extra snacks that I didn't necessarily want. For example, I was eating pretty bare sandwiches (on low-carb wraps) before, so I now add some hummus or avocado to that.
I actually tend to think I eat less in calories when I DON'T track, but of course my macro ratios would be hideous (high fat, low protein etc.).
In the past when I've gotten my body fat down and then really heavied up on the weights, I found it MORE difficult to eat more, than I did when I was eating to lose. You feel like you're eating all the time!! But really, I find your menu goes through a transition period and then you get used to what meals pack the most punch for what you need.
I really think it's just a matter of tweaking until it becomes your new normal. You will get used to it!!
Thanks for the replies and feedback everyone! Great suggestions. I think instead of adding MORE snack items, I will probably try to "bulk up" the foods I eat during the day.
Here is what today's menu is looking like:
Breakfast, coffee with 1% and sugar. Peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat (but I am still hungry as of 3 minutea go). Mid-morning snack, apple and low fat cheese. Lunch is a salad with chicken and blue cheese and maybe a fat-free yogurt cup (the maybe is if I am hungry for it). Afternoon snack is a hardboiled egg and maybe some almonds. Dinner will be turkey chilli with lowfat sour cream and a salad. I usually have a glass of wine at night, too. On workout days I throw in a protein shake. I haven't added this up yet.
I have never weighed my food, but I like the idea. Also, I've never analyzed my diet by fat, carbs and protein. I'm going to have to learn.
I finished my second workout on Tuesday and I am SO SORE today (don't you love how you get more sore the longer after your workout). I can barely bend over to pick things up. Also, I woke up STARVING this morning. So maybe working out harder was the answer, Natalia.
Thanks for the replies and feedback everyone! Great suggestions. I think instead of adding MORE snack items, I will probably try to "bulk up" the foods I eat during the day.
Here is what today's menu is looking like:
Breakfast, coffee with 1% and sugar. Peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat (but I am still hungry as of 3 minutea go). Mid-morning snack, apple and low fat cheese. Lunch is a salad with chicken and blue cheese and maybe a fat-free yogurt cup (the maybe is if I am hungry for it). Afternoon snack is a hardboiled egg and maybe some almonds. Dinner will be turkey chilli with lowfat sour cream and a salad. I usually have a glass of wine at night, too. On workout days I throw in a protein shake. I haven't added this up yet.
I have never weighed my food, but I like the idea. Also, I've never analyzed my diet by fat, carbs and protein. I'm going to have to learn.
I finished my second workout on Tuesday and I am SO SORE today (don't you love how you get more sore the longer after your workout). I can barely bend over to pick things up. Also, I woke up STARVING this morning. So maybe working out harder was the answer, Natalia.
Your menu looks better to me - less empty calories, more nutrition and protein. Most programs will calculate macros for you - spark people, fitday, dailyplate (the one I use), etc... check out a few and see which you like best. Also know that once you've personalized it (started to enter foods you eat most often) it'll go a lot quicker.
2nd day soreness is normal and good - DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) is usually worst on the 2nd day after. On the other hand, if you don't get it, that doesn't mean you didn't work hard. I usually get DOMS worst when I've changed up my workout or tried a new exercise...
How can I eat this much?!?!?
(I sort of know the answer to that question. Boo.)
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