Worried about nuts and seeds

hcass

After years of going to weight watchers and doing every fad diet I am finally beginning to realise that although these diets work and i lose weight, I am still quite fat, iykwim. I am 5 feet 7 and usually weigh between 10st 2lbs - 10st 8lbs. I am a size ten but I am quite flabby. I DO exercise, at least 4 times a week for half an hour, just running on an air walker. I do push myself though and work hard.

So after a lot of research I have decided to change my diet completely and am purchasing a copy of "The Primal Blueprint" and going to follow this plan instead. My big worry though, is that this IS just another faddy diet. I am so scared to eat nuts and seeds and fatty cuts of meat. After years of being told how calorific these foodstufffs are I cannot get over what I have been taught - foods high in calories are BAD whether its chocolate cake or macadamia nuts.

Al ot of people on this site seem to follow this plan or at least some sort of lower carb and higher protein diet as apposed to low calorie/fat diets. So I suppose what i want to know is - Can you really eat as many of these healthy foods as you like without putting on weight, will they really help me to tone up, and can I snack on high calorie foods like nuts and seeds without worrying? I know this is a long winded post and kind of vague but i am just looking for some kind of support, I suppose or proof even before I set out on this whole new lifestyle.

Thank you for any help and/or reassurance you can give me...

jdivision

hcass wrote: »

Can you really eat as many of these healthy foods as you like without putting on weight, will they really help me to tone up, and can I snack on high calorie foods like nuts and seeds without worrying? I know this is a long winded post and kind of vague but i am just looking for some kind of support, I suppose or proof even before I set out on this whole new lifestyle.

No, moderation applies as to most things. But the idea of what makes you fat is gradually training. TBH you'd be far better off taking the advice on here on what to eat - by posting your typical day's food with alcohol and people will chip in. I lost 5.5 stone over a couple of years (had nearly lost 6 at one stage) but have found it easy to keep it off. i still overeat on occasion and eat the odd bit of junk - again the trick is moderation.
The thing is if the nuts are replacing lots of sugar you'll probably still lose weight but will you keep it off? I think this forum's great for helping people doing that.
If you can find the link to transform's advice on what to eat it's good advice

hcass

It's not so much that I want to lose weight - I could do with losing maybe a stone. Its more fat that I want to get rid of. I read so much on these threads about diets like WW helping you to lose weight but by decreasing muscle mass leaving you skinny but flabby. Is this achieved through weight training or do the types of food I eat have more influence on my fat percentage / muscle mass? I don't want to be Madonna! Just a bit more toned and less wobbly!

DULLAHAN2

hcass wrote: »

, I am still quite fat, iykwim. I am 5 feet 7 and usually weigh between 10st 2lbs - 10st 8lbs. I am a size ten but I am quite flabby. I DO exercise, at least 4 times a week for half an hour, just running on an air walker. I do push myself though and work hard.

You have a healthy weight for someone your height and weight. I think You should add some weights to your workouts this will help tone you up and you will loose weight easily enough this way. Eat a healthy diet cut out sweets, add more fruit and veg to your diet. Eat fruit as snacks. I think if you do this then you wont have to go on anymore fad diets.

I have lost 2.5 stone this year by doing what i said above.

El_Dangeroso

I think the best definition of a fad diet is one where you go on the diet to lose the weight and go 'off' the diet when you're done. See slimfast, special k challenge etc.

Any good eating plan is one where you make a lifetime commitment to stay on that way of healthy eating forever, maybe a little less strictly and with the odd deviation thrown in.

I believe the primal blueprint fits into that mould. It also has the added bonus of emphasising low stress, good sleep and other important components to good health.

Some people find nuts easy to overeat, but nuts are supposed to be a snack not a main source of calories, the main source of calories on the primal blueprint are really good quality freah meat, fruit and vegetables. It's a healthy plan but it isn't the type of diet that you go 'on' and then 'off' again when you're done. If you think you can't resolve to eating the maintenance plan long term maybe find something that suits you a little better.

Wonkagirl

DULLAHAN2 wrote: »

You have a healthy weight for someone your height and weight. I think You should add some weights to your workouts this will help tone you up and you will loose weight easily enough this way. Eat a healthy diet cut out sweets, add more fruit and veg to your diet. Eat fruit as snacks. I think if you do this then you wont have to go on anymore fad diets.

I have lost 2.5 stone this year by doing what i said above.

Not necessarily. I'm 5'7 too, and at 10 stone i'm FAT. honestly.

I was 10 stone a yr ago, and had a body fat % of 32% which is a bit vile. lost a stone and got down to 20% or so body fat..

i think more people should use body fat as well as weight on scales.. for some people, 10 st 2 at that height is fine- for others, like me for instance, it's not.

Agree with your 2nd point tho- weight training is the way forward for the poster imo too.

DULLAHAN2

Wonkagirl wrote: »

Not necessarily. I'm 5'7 too, and at 10 stone i'm FAT. honestly.

I was 10 stone a yr ago, and had a body fat % of 32% which is a bit vile. lost a stone and got down to 20% or so body fat..

i think more people should use body fat as well as weight on scales.. for some people, 10 st 2 at that height is fine- for others, like me for instance, it's not.

Agree with your 2nd point tho- weight training is the way forward for the poster imo too.

How did you calculate your BF%? The best way is to use a capplipers.

--Kaiser--

hcass wrote: »

After years of going to weight watchers and doing every fad diet I am finally beginning to realise that although these diets work and i lose weight, I am still quite fat, iykwim. I am 5 feet 7 and usually weigh between 10st 2lbs - 10st 8lbs. I am a size ten but I am quite flabby. I DO exercise, at least 4 times a week for half an hour, just running on an air walker. I do push myself though and work hard.

So after a lot of research I have decided to change my diet completely and am purchasing a copy of "The Primal Blueprint" and going to follow this plan instead. My big worry though, is that this IS just another faddy diet. I am so scared to eat nuts and seeds and fatty cuts of meat. After years of being told how calorific these foodstufffs are I cannot get over what I have been taught - foods high in calories are BAD whether its chocolate cake or macadamia nuts.

Al ot of people on this site seem to follow this plan or at least some sort of lower carb and higher protein diet as apposed to low calorie/fat diets. So I suppose what i want to know is - Can you really eat as many of these healthy foods as you like without putting on weight, will they really help me to tone up, and can I snack on high calorie foods like nuts and seeds without worrying? I know this is a long winded post and kind of vague but i am just looking for some kind of support, I suppose or proof even before I set out on this whole new lifestyle.

Thank you for any help and/or reassurance you can give me...

It's important to realise that 'The Primal Blueprint' is not just about diet, it takes into consideration many aspects of living including exercise, sleep, work, play, exposure to sunlight etc..... It's not a 'faddy diet', it's aim is not to temporarily lose you a few pounds, it's basically a new way of living.

neuro-praxis

Perhaps practicing a little body acceptance here might be a good idea.

By all means nourish yourself to the best of your ability with good quality foods and take regular exercise. But it is actually a fantasy if you believe you are fat at 5'7" and a size 10.

You've only got one body, you're stuck with it, and you're at a healthy weight. Why not enjoy it instead of punishing it or whipping it into shape?

Wonkagirl

DULLAHAN2 wrote: »

How did you calculate your BF%? The best way is to use a capplipers.

Yep, used the calipers method. Or at least, got the trainer in the gym to do it. as it happens, I also used their scale- and it came in the same.. even though I had heard it was less accurate, but it came in as 31.8%, and the trainer had it as 32.1%.. then a few months later he re-did it and again, it was the same(ish) on the scales 2nd time around too.. 20.3 V 19.9 or something like that. I am definitely better at 9 stone rather than 10. and im not skinny looking either.

I’m not convinced neuro-praxis that she’s ‘living in a fantasy’ if she believes she’s overweight- i'm telling you now, when i was 10 stone i was overweight- not using the BMI method, but certainly for my small frame i was carrying way too much fat (32% is too high). You could be 11 stone at 5'7 and perfect, or 10 stone and actually fat if you have a small frame. i think she should definitely get her body fat checked.

rubadub

hcass wrote: »

After years of being told how calorific these foodstufffs are I cannot get over what I have been taught - foods high in calories are BAD whether its chocolate cake or macadamia nuts.

WW might have skewed your view of how calorific fatty foods really are, I think many people see WW points as rounded down calorie figures and forget how they (inexplicably) demonise sat fat in their points system.

600kcal portion of coconut is 21.5 WW points
600kcal portion of sugar/sweets is 8.5 WW points

My money is definitely on the 8.5 points of sugar making you fatter than the 21.5points of coconut.

Calorie dense does not make it bad, you just need less. You will not go out and drink 6 pints of whiskey like you might beer, you adjust sizes accordingly, many would say vodka is worse for you than beer but if it is diluted to the same alcohol level it is probably going to cause less of a hangover as there are fewer toxins in it.

If food is more calorie dense you still get plenty of energy, I find my stomach shrank from eating more calorie dense food, and snacking all during the day.

If I want something more filling I eat say mince with a load of iceberg lettuce to bulk it out.