calorie counting website?

aFlabbyPanda

I know there are loads for tracking calories of foods etc but I've a friend who's just starting out and was trying to find a site that would suggest foods.

For example they select the daily calories intake that want, with protein, etc and the site would suggest which foods to eat?

MegaWattKungFu

If there was a site like that.. it seems like you would either get too many options or not enough. IMO, it is more beneficial to learn about food and understand it.

(but to answer your question, I don't know of a site like that).

What is your friend starting out with?

aFlabbyPanda

He's carrying around 20+kg, health isn't great and he is finding it very hard to get motivated. I've sent him here and a few other sites but hes finding it all a bit confusing at the moment.

I was thinking of suggesting that he follow paleo as its the simplest that I can think of. It gives him a list of allowed foods, etc.

MegaWattKungFu

I've no experience with paleo but I am sure someone here will and they can comment on that.

Do you know what he eats now? It sounds like he needs a lifestyle change. Diets are too hard to maintain if you cut out everything you like and force yourself to eat stuff you hate. It might work for awhile but you will probably fail.

Start with the obvious bad foods. Cut out on takeaways, takeaway pizza and fast food. If this is a big problem, limit it to once every 3 weeks or something.

Change soft drinks to diet versions. (People will probably get mad at this . I think it is a good stepping stone though).

Then try cut bad snacks. Minimize biscuits and crisps.

Try minimize white bread and cut out cereal, pastries and breakfast bars.

Here's some example food that is good:
Drink plenty of water
Green tea
Eggs
Tins of tuna
Cottage Cheese (low fat)
Chicken fillets
Steaks
Fish
Lots of veg instead of chips
fruit
beans

This might be obvious but I hope it is of some help to you.

banshee_bones

OP I would suggest you direct your friend to the stickies on nutrition in the forum here.

And from there he could use this site (swole me) as it is an automatic diet planner, but as someone already mentioned getting a basic grip on nutrition first would be of better benefit when he is trying to make healthy choices. And it is hard to go from all junk to eating clean, trying to phase out bad foods is a slow process.

A first step would be perhaps trying to cut out all grains and concentrate on upping his protein intake.

Dotcomdolly

There was a great post on sumptuous re paleo for beginners.
http://www.stumptuous.com/how-to-go-primal-without-really-trying

Dotcomdolly

There was a great post on sumptuous re paleo for beginners.
http://www.stumptuous.com/how-to-go-primal-without-really-trying

aFlabbyPanda

As I mentioned I've already sent him to the stickies here but it just confused him. If I simply tell him to up his protein intake he wont know what is a good source of protein to begin with. the site you suggested though it what i was looking for, thanks.

Hanley

BrianjG wrote: »

As I mentioned I've already sent him to the stickies here but it just confused him. If I simply tell him to up his protein intake he wont know what is a good source of protein to begin with. the site you suggested though it what i was looking for, thanks.

"Eat meat and veg, nuts and seeds, fruit, a small bit of starch and no sugar.

In the context of the above, starch = pasta, bread and rice. And sugar = sweets, chocolate and similar"

There ya go, simples!!