Any advice for this diet plan?

[skinnyninja]

Here is my quick background: I’m 30 years old, male, and I quit smoking a year ago and I also exercise regularly. I’m tall and skinny. My diet is terrible and consists mainly of junk food, red meat, and mayonnaise. Therefore, I'm going to try some dietary changes.

Here is what I bought at the store today:

bananas
red grapes
pears
kiwi
carrots
raisins
apples

It cost 20 bucks and felt like it weighed about a million pounds. I have never bought any fruits or vegetables before in my entire life.

I'm not even sure which stuff goes in the fridge and what can sit on the counter. Any help there would be appreciated. Right now, I've got the bananas on the counter and the rest in the fridge.

My strategy at this point is to try and do a "regular" dinner (bacon cheeseburgers) but have all those fruits and veggies and maybe some rice or noodles for lunch/breakfast. I just can't give up meat entirely....at least not yet. (please note: I'm also allergic to nuts, beans, and seafood). Note also that when I exercise (jog 4 to 6 miles) I get extremely hungry and feel like I need to eat a lot of meat in order to feel anywhere near full. That's why I'm thinking to keep meat in my dinners.

Any thoughts on this as a plan for healthier eating?

[elainevdw]

I know how you feel -- I never learned how to cook and only recently started buying fresh produce instead of prepackaged stuff! It's amazing how much it's cut my grocery bill, too.

Here are a few suggestions:

Buy more veggies! You've only got one (carrots) on that list. They're important because fruits are mostly fructose, water and fiber, which never really fill me up (except for bananas). Veggies can be hard to figure out how to eat and cook, if you're like me... I learned some great, simple recipes for stuff like kale and beets on Planet Organics. It's a San Francisco company that delivers fresh, local produce to your door every or every other week. I subscribed to the service for a few months and it really helped me learn how to cook new vegetables. Now kale and beets are some of my favorites! Most areas have a similar service if you're interested. Just Google "produce delivery."

Also, I've been on a big mushroom fix lately. They taste really, really good when you're craving something meaty but don't want any meat, and they're super easy to cook (or eat raw). There are also about a million different kinds. I'm lazy, and have been tossing creminis in a skillet with olive oil and frozen, prepared packages of veggies (chopped onion, bell pepper strips, sliced zuchini) and jarred, minced garlic and ginger. That's a fun way to experiment with spices, but the cool thing about fresh produce is that it doesn't really need a lot added to taste really good.

And get yourself a couple potatos and a potato masher. White potatos are a high-GI item, so they can make you hungry if you don't eat them with lots of veggies and low-GI items, but it's super easy to wash a potato, boil it, drain it, add some milk (or soy milk) and olive oil (or butter/margarine), mash it with the masher (integral!! forks don't work very well for potato mashing) and mix some steamed veggies in with it. I don't buy the bags of potatos anymore becuase they always sprout before I get the chance to eat them. Oh, another great potato recipe -- cut them into wedges, toss them in a ziplock baggie with two tablespoons of a mix of olive oil, lemon juice, pepper, cumin, salt, and a pinch of sugar, and bake them. Tastes great with salsa.

Here's a link about storing produce: How should I store Produce?

A lot of stuff you can leave out for a short time, refrigerate for a longer time, and freeze for a very long time.

One thing I do with bananas is leave them out when they're partially ripened because I like the tangy taste of a fresh banana. Then, when the skin turns black and they start to ripen, I peel them and stick them in the freezer. My boyfriend loves frozen ripe bananas more than ice cream. If you bake, you can wait until the bananas are all black on the outside and make banana bread with them.

Sorry for rambling, this is something I've been trying to figure out lately too. I'm starting to think that the biggest plus of going vegetarian isn't so much cutting out meat but being forced to eat more veggies, something that too many people just don't get enough of (me included).

[Athena]

make sure your diet is balanced in macronutrients-- protein, fat, carbohydrates.

fruit is great, in moderation. for some people, the sugar is too much, so it's sometimes best to leave it at 2 or 3 pieces / 200-300 calories per day of fruit.

start with some books, like oz garcia, perricone, bill phillips, etc. all basically the same principles, of balance, timing, quantity, quality.

good luck!!

[Strangemagik]

When you are gonna be exercising is the time for the carbs that is what our bodies easily gives up to burn during exercise from what I've read.

Fruits and veggies are quite filling when you start to notice. I love to eat a bunch of veggies with my dinner sometimes heated stuff and other times cold stuff like cucumbers, red or green bell peppers, carrots(usually I prefer these lightly steamed though) brocolli and cauliflower are also a favorite though I like them with ranch dressing. You'll be surprised how full you can feel off just veggies after you are eating them for awhile. Its a different kind of fullness though I think because I know so many omni friends that really don't eat veggies often or enough and they claim they don't fill them up.

[skinnyninja]

I've been slowly but surely incorporating fruits and veggies into my diet. I still feel like I need to eat a HUGE meal of meat and fat right before going to sleep. Not sure how to change that.

I switched from ground chuck to "Extra lean beef" for my daily burgers, and I switched from Mayo to Ketchup.

Anyone tried V8 Fusion Juice? It's 100% Juice, no sugar added, and it's supposedly half veggies/half fruit. Tastes pretty good.

[escapee]

If you cant leave meat off the table , many studies suggest eating suitable amount of fish or taking purified form of fish oil supplement(to avoid dioxin , mercury and other chemical contaminants ) for optimal health . You may not want to go for 100% on fish like the eskimo due to the risk of osteoporosis ( a disease that is extremely rare in Asia )


European uses Fish oil to treat heart attack but not in US?

Fish oil or Soy oil ?

Fish oils saved babies

[Rosi]

I would suggest wholemeal pasta or brown rice to give you a full up feeling. It is very good for sports as it gives its energy slowly and consistantly, not just a quick burst.

On the question of what to put in the fridge, you don't need to put bananas, kiwis or raisins in the fridge.

If you can't eat fish or nuts you could try adding some seeds to your diet. Pumkin seeds, sunflower seed, flax seed etc. have good oils in them. They can (in some ways) replace the oils you would otherwise get from fish. Your body does need some fats but the fats in seeds or avodado for example are much better for you than the fats in meat or cheese.

Hope that helps a bit.

[Ali]

Hello

This is my first post outside the general introduction thread. skinnyninja I would like to congratulate you in making such a decision because health is a precious thing and if we do not look after it we will regret it later. Trust me, I know.. I used to be Obese and I went on a diet and lost about 25 Kilograms. My diet was low fat, carbohydrates and sugar. It will work if you stick to it. I did not deprive myself completely of all food groups, I did have fat, carbohydrates and sugar however moderately and in low amounts. I did exercises with it, I did 45 minutes of weights and 45 minutes of cardio exercises 3 to 4 days a week.

I used to eat crazy but I had to make that decision and change my mentality. So I suggest low fat, carbohydrates and sugar. If you really want eat heavy food do not do that at night time. Leave about 3-4 hour break before you go to sleep, for instance if you sleep at 11 pm your last meal should be at about 7 and that’s it. You can eat fruit and vegetables before you sleep if you get hungry. That’s because the body is not really active at night as it is during the day and it goes on its “relaxed mode” if you want to call it that , when you sleep. Really there won’t be much digestion and any food you eat will be stored as fat over night.

Well I can really go on about this without stopping as 25 kgs

thank you

Ali

[Ali]

P.S the other members made brilliant suggestions

[Andrew Brunelle]

I have this new diet which I eat a lot of celery and apples/pears, along with other fruits and vegetables, like carrots, and I've been eating lentil soup as well, which contains lentils, onions, carrots, celery, and some spices like bay leaves. I find that it is excruciatingly hard to eat vegetables raw, especially carrots. I can always put peanut butter on celery, and mushrooms are fine raw, but I would rather cook them to soften them up a bit. And if I ever eat raw, I leave the veggies and fruits out for awhile as I hate cold food. I'd rather have it at room temp. I've been wanting to go raw, and I think maybe if I juice my veggies and then eat the pulp, which should be easy to swallow and chew, it will be better for me to get down. But I still havne't tried it yet. Maybe this week...?

[Rosi]

I don't want to sound patronising Andrew but I feel it would be a shame to go raw and then view food as simply something which you have to get down you because it's good for you. It can be much more enjoyable if you take the time to make it so. There are all sorts of interesting ways of preparing raw foods to keep them interesting. I would definitely get bored eating raw food simply as it is or just juiced.

For example grated carrot with orange pieces, cut smallish so as to release the juice, add chopped fresh coriander leaves and a handful of pine nuts, maybe a finely chopped apple. It makes a lovely salad.

Here are some tips:
• Vary the texture of your foods. Chopped, finely sliced, grated or juiced, the same food can taste quite different and it keeps it interesting
• Use fresh herbs such as coriander or parsley. they can make a huge difference to the taste of raw foods.
• Add seeds or nuts to food. Nuts can be chopped or ground to add different texture
• Virgin olive oil can be mixed with lots of ingredients to give a different effect. E.g. Olive oil, mixed with fresh basil and chopped pine nut can be used as a sauce for a tomato olive and fennel salad.

Good luck if you do try to go raw for a trial and I hope some of these ideas help if you do.

[madgeylou]

skinnyninja, it sounds like you have a really fast metabolism. if you are going to fill up on fruits and veggies, you are going to have to eat a ton of them. like, a whole head of lettuce with nuts and other veggies on top. or a pound of green beans.

are you allergic to all beans, or just soy? i've never heard of an allergy to all beans! beans are the most filling, most wonderful food in my opinion so if you can find a way to include at least some varieties in your diet, you will feel a lot fuller.

and i agree with the poster up thread who suggested that if you are going to eat a heavy meal, do it earlier in the day. for instance, have your bacon cheeseburger for lunch so you have a chance of burning off some of those calories before you get to bed. then have a lighter dinner like a chicken stir fry with brown rice and veggies, salmon with broccoli on the side, etc.

this has the added benefit of helping you be really hungry for your breakfast the next morning, which is a good thing.

[skinnyninja]

Hey, thank you everyone for your suggestions. I have really been changing my diet a lot! The three big changes I've made so far:

1) I drink a TON of veggie/fruit juice, hence eating less
2) I have incorporated raw fruits and veggies into each meal
3) I have reduced my burger and red meat intake to maybe 3 to 5 meals per week, instead of 10+ meals per week

As a result of these changes, I have lost weight--although that was not my goal in trying to eat healthier.

My new goals:
1) Think about eliminating caffeine (yikes!)
2) Find a way to incorporate brown rice into diet (learn how to cook it)
3) Eat more dark green veggies and less fruit

Thanks everyone for all your help. I am so new to all this.

[thadroe]

Originally Posted by skinnyninja

Hey, thank you everyone for your suggestions. I have really been changing my diet a lot! The three big changes I've made so far:

1) I drink a TON of veggie/fruit juice, hence eating less
2) I have incorporated raw fruits and veggies into each meal
3) I have reduced my burger and red meat intake to maybe 3 to 5 meals per week, instead of 10+ meals per week

As a result of these changes, I have lost weight--although that was not my goal in trying to eat healthier.

My new goals:
1) Think about eliminating caffeine (yikes!)
2) Find a way to incorporate brown rice into diet (learn how to cook it)
3) Eat more dark green veggies and less fruit

Thanks everyone for all your help. I am so new to all this.

Damn Skinny....that is AWESOME! Looks like you're already made more changes than you originally planned.

A couple tips on your new goals.

1. Brown rice is a little more time consuming to cook than white rice, so for things like that I usually cook larger quantities, break up the leftovers into some manageable serving sizes, and freeze it. Then when you want some brown rice with a meal, you can just whip out a container from the freezer and heat it up.

2. In regards to the dark green veggies...that is one of the best things you can do! One piece of advice is to try and modify some Indian food recipes...they work very well with dark green veggies. I will usually replace the base ingredient with green veggies. Also, for a quick meal, mixing some good simmer sauces out of a jar with green veggies is a good way to make sure you incorporate the greens when you are crunched for time.

Thad

[DQueens]

skinnyninja:
good for you for taking responsibility for your health and well-being and for doing a complete diet overhaul. There is just one thing i noticed about your diet: why do much juice? It is actually more beneficial to eat the actual vegetable or fruit rather than the juice it is made from. That way you ingest fibre, all the nutrients pf the food and less sugar than if you were just drinking the juice. This will result in your feeling fuller. Juice is good for you, but remember that the more natural and less processed a food is, the better for you it is, because food loses nutrients when being processed.

Brown rice is good. Also, have you tried couscous, whole wheat pasta, quinoa and oatmeal? I swear you'll never go back to white again.

congradulations on finding the willpower and drive to take those first few steps!

[thadroe]

I swear you'll never go back to white again.

Reminds me of....ummm, errrr.....cancel that...mind in gutter.

Thad

[skinnyninja]

I feel like I have made progress with my dietary changes so far. Here is how my eating habits are going:

I basically skip breakfast. Maybe a banana. I don't see why a big breakfast is so important. I'm never hungry in the morning!

Also, I drink diet Mt. Dew in the mornings.

For lunch I have the following: raw broccolli and carrots with Veggie dip. Also a tomato and some raspberries and a little bit of cheese and some "dry roasted sunflower seeds" (no oils used in processing). That's it for lunch. The veggie dip is not "light" but it is the only way I can eat all those raw veggies. Is this still okay you think?

Then for dinner I have a banana and a TV dinner. The TV dinner is usually like a "Healthy Choice" that has chicken in it instead of beef.

Throughout the day I drink fruit/veggie juice.

I know some would suggest cutting the caffeinne but that would be really tough because I work third shift twice a week.

Any thoughts on the TV dinner for dinner? How to do something healthier with that? I can't go to sleep with a stomach full of veggies or I'll wake up hungry.

Keep in mind I am allergic to beans, nuts, and seafood.

[DQueens]

hey there,
well it seems that you have made some pretty good changes in your diet. However, there are some things i've noticed.

Breakfast:
the most important meal of the day. Eating breakfast in the morning gets your metabolism going for the day, it fuels your morning activities. If you do not eat breakfast, your metabolic rate will slow down, causing you to feel tired, hungry and to eat more later on in the day (which might result in unhealthy snacking). If you are not hungry in the morning try and eat some whole grain cereal with 4 or more grams of fibre per serving with a piece of fruit. I would suggest substituting that moutain dew with orange juice, fruit, milk or herbal or green tea.

lunch:
do you feel hungry at all during the day, skinny ninja? While it is good that your lunch is high in fruits and vegetables, it seems to me that you could use some carbohydrates and proteins. Also, you asked if it was alright if your salad dressing was not light. this depends on a few things. how many calories per serving is it and how many fat grams? And secondly, how much veggie dip are you eating? Most white veggie dips, are high in saturated (the bad kind) of fat because they are mayonaise based. However, some fat is good for you and even needed for your body to absorb the nutrients from the vegetables you are eating. I would suggest making sure you dont eat more than a tablespoon of that veggie dip. For lunch why dont you try a sandwich to add to your veggies and perhaps adding a salad instead of the dipp? One of my favourites is two slices of whole grain bread with lean shaved turkey or chicken or roast beef, with lettuce, tomatoes and mustard (or low fat mayo). For salad dressing choose something clear like italian dressing or balsamic vinagreet and make sure you measure how much you are adding (the caps on top of the bottles are roughly one tablespoon, so pour the dressing into the cap before adding to your salad).

dinner:
those healthy dinners are good when it comes to convenience and low calories/fat, but what about cost? Why dont you try making some of those dinners yourself? A dinner can be as simple as boiling water, and adding rice or pasta, with a piece of grilled chicken or fish and some vegetables (brocolli, green beans, a salad).

Also, instead of eating so many fruit and vegetables juices, i would reccomend drinking water or skim milk and eating the whole fruit. The extra fibre and less added sugar is more beneficial to your health, gives you more nutrients and should fill you up more.

Eating before bed. Most people recommend not eating 3-4 hours before bed. The extra food sits in your stomach and is not burned since you are only sleeping, and not using the food to fuel any activity. You say that if you dont eat before bed you are hungry in the morning? Being hungry in the morning is a completely normal thing! It indicates that your metabolism is in an optimal condition. Keep in mind, that you have not eaten anything for the past 8-10 hours! And furthermore, you can use this hungry to motivate you to eat something in the morning for breakfast.

i hope this helps, skinny ninja. another thing i can reccommend to you is to visit a nutritionist or dietician (you said you knew someone who was one)? Diet and nutritian comes with a sometimes confusing and always abundant amount of information that can be difficult to sort through and make sense of for someone who has only recently become interested in it. A professional can help to make sense of it all for you. Keep up the good work!

[bodhiavttas]

Hey Skinnyninja,

Awesome plan and really good changes you're making!

It doesn't seem like you're eating all that much, but if you do keep on the intake of fruit/vegetable juices, which unlike DQueens I suggest you do, I think you'll have enough energy (as in calories).

Check out this website, in which they advocate drinking tons of fruit juices as your main energy supply:
Wai Says
(through their forums I actually found Stevepavlina.com! It's not just about eliminating acne and weight problems but also about maximizing energy, etc. Of course you don't have to be that extreme but you could try it for two weeks as they suggest--it is very strict though)

Any thoughts on the TV dinner for dinner? How to do something healthier with that? I can't go to sleep with a stomach full of veggies or I'll wake up hungry.

For dinners you could try adding this simple recipe (it really doesn't take much esp. if you don't use all those spices or if you measure them in advance and mix them up; they're great even by themselves, without the rice or buns):
Jerk-Spiced Portobello Burgers - Recipe (I think it's pretty much from Robin Robertson's Vegan Planet awesome cookbook).

Also you could add to your TV dinners some pre-cut butternut squash or similar things that you can just microwave in the bag (you can find them --cheap--at Trader Joe's)?

Another suggestion:
Have you tried Veggie Ribs/Burgers/Sausages? The Tofurky Italian Sausage and others are very good. There also are Gardenburger Riblets that are really awesome but I don't think they can be THAT healthy.

Also as someone suggested you could cook some pasta, whole-wheat with yummy store-bought sauces.

Good luck and keep us posted!

[HolisticWellness.com]

Honestly, you really should be under the guidance of a holistic health counselor or holistic nutritionist. The world of nutrition and eating strategy is vast and confusing. Working with someone who is up on the latest research and who can tailor a plan just for you is crucial. Also, it can be a bit tough to go through these changes alone. Better to have someone there you can call/email with and who is routing for you. Good luck! And congrats on quitting smoking!!!
Kristin
Holistic Wellness - Your Virtual Wellness Center