Diet "rules"

rubadub

I could never stick to a diet but could stick better to rules. Are there any "rules" out there, not about foods but regarding eating habits, such as...

-Don't eat unless you are hungry, and stop eating when you are no longer hungry

-Don't eat after 8pm

c - 13

If you feel hungry drink something instead and see if that stops you feeling hungry. Works for me 9 times out of 10.

Also try drink 2 Litres of water or so a day.

Stark

Don't skip meals.

Eat protein at every meal including breakfast. (balance out your blood sugar)

Eat high fibre varieties of foods when possible. (again to balance out your blood sugar)

Don't eat after 8pm

I don't think this is a hard and fast rule. If it's uncomfortable for you don't do it. In fact a light carbohydrate snack before bedtime will help you sleep and up your serotonin level giving you more staying power.

Try drinking green tea instead of coffee, it aids fat burning metabolism.

Take vitamin tablets.

rubadub

Stark wrote:

I don't think this is a hard and fast rule.

No, it was just one I heard, you could change it to a later time, but it is one that would work for me. I always end up eating just for something to do, look at the TV page, nothing on, look in the fridge, I'll cook that. I enjoy cooking, so it is like it is something to do.

The skipping meals is a good one, I really notice that I eat less if I have a good breakfast, and have protein shakes early too which certainly help.

I drink at least 3l of water a day

Transform

In regards to the language of this thread its better to phrase it in the positive i.e. list what you must do rather than what you do not want to happen.

E.g. don't think of a pink elephant - response - dammmmm those bloody pink elephants

Weight watchers do this brain washing all the time by giving people do and don't lists

Here is a list of foods i think should be in everyone's presses as a more practical tip


Fresh Herbs – Basil for great pesto, coriander for all your Thai dishes, sprigs of rosemary for roasting vegetables etc The dried herbs should only be used in emergencies
Sea/rock salt and pepper corns – Two absolute must’s, vital for all meals and use a salt and pepper grinder
Fresh and dried fruit – Get the dried in a health food shop and never a supermarket (they add too much vegetable oil). Buy organic as much as possible
Eggs – Free range or organic only. They will NOT increase your cholesterol levels (unless you are frying them all the time) and you may have them as often as you like
Porridge oats – Make your own flapjacks, have porridge with raisins or make your own muesli
Oat Cakes – Full of fibre, great with dips or tinned tuna and wheat free (buy in health food shop)
Chicken/turkey breasts, a little red meat – Cook and keep for lunches throughout the week
Tamari – This tastes like soy sauce and its wheat free
Natural Yoghurt – all flavoured yoghurts are loaded with sugar or artificial sweeteners. Add some dried fruit and toasted nuts are great with yoghurt
Tinned and fresh fish – tuna, mackerel, anchovies etc
Tinned/sun dried or sieved tomatoes – perfect for sauces and salads
Nuts and seeds – Place on a baking tray and roast in oven for 30mins (180-160°C). Toss frequently to prevent burning. Amazing in salads, soups and yoghurt
Extra virgin olive oil - Should be dark green in colour and vital for dressings and cooking in general
Clean bottled water or just buy a filter – A filter fitted to your sink will last a lifetime and cheaper
Cod liver oil – capsules or preferably the oil itself. Essential for skin, hormones and energy
Whole and natural grains - brown rice, bulgar, millet, pearl barley, quinoa, couscous
Herbal Teas – Most of the time people just want something warm so get some good quality herbal teas from health food store (supermarket ones are awful), yogi tea and Dr Stuarts are excellent
Olives – With so many to choose from and the various stuffing’s you can’t afford not to try them
Wholegrain mustard – Essential for dressings and homemade mayonnaise
Organic honey and maple syrup – Both are great for adding a natural sweetness to various dishes and deserts e.g. baked apples, yoghurt, porridge, dressings etc
Red/white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar – Again dressings are the key to an amazing salad so experiment and always combine at least double the oil to vinegar
Fish Sauce – Thai dishes are just not the same without this smelly addition
Butter – Throw out that flora and other margarines and stick to this essential nutrient
Creamed coconut – Bought in an Asian or Indian shop. Avoid the liquid cans and buy this much superior, cheaper and better tasting block that you reconstitute with hot water.
Sugar free jam – Available in supermarkets now. Just ensure that you are not having it all the time
70% Dark Chocolate – Green & Blacks, O’Connells, Lindt, they taste amazing. Good chocolate is digested very slowly and it is hard to eat lots of it. Regular chocolate is full of sugar and very little chocolate
Tahini – This is creamed sesame seeds. Bought in health food stores and used in making hummus and other dips and dressings
Linseeds – Loaded with omega 3 fats and fibre to keep your system energised and keeps the bowels moving
Sugar free canned beans and pulses – Avoid the ones with sugar and salt.
Cheese – Pop along to any of the farmers markets or Sheridan’s cheese shop to pick up any number of hard and soft goats or sheep’s cheese. They are easier to digest than cow’s milk

rasherboy

rubadub wrote:

No, it was just one I heard, you could change it to a later time, but it is one that would work for me. I always end up eating just for something to do, look at the TV page, nothing on, look in the fridge, I'll cook that. I enjoy cooking, so it is like it is something to do.

The skipping meals is a good one, I really notice that I eat less if I have a good breakfast, and have protein shakes early too which certainly help.

I drink at least 3l of water a day

look all ya have to do realy is eat the same amount of meals but make them smaller! ar less carbohydrates! and make sure to get pleatny of simple sugars!

Stark

rasherboy wrote:

and make sure to get pleatny of simple sugars!

Uhm, simple sugars will totally overthrow a diet by going straight to your waist, making you hungry and having an addictive effect for many people.

logic1

rasherboy wrote:

look all ya have to do realy is eat the same amount of meals but make them smaller! ar less carbohydrates! and make sure to get pleatny of simple sugars!

Less carbs but plenty simple sugars eh? hahahaha jesus.

.logic.

Ajnag

Just a quick question,
Some go purely by calories alone, whereas I try to avoid Oils and fats altogether.
Isnt it a case that sugers and carbohydrates will be burnt quicker wheras fats dont get metabolised as quickly?.

rasherboy

logic1 wrote:

Less carbs but plenty simple sugars eh? hahahaha jesus.

.logic.

well thats what i was told by a professional! so take it up with him although mine is a muscle building diet...suppose ther is a difference...

logic1

Ajnag wrote:

Just a quick question,
Some go purely by calories alone, whereas I try to avoid Oils and fats altogether.
Isnt it a case that sugers and carbohydrates will be burnt quicker wheras fats dont get metabolised as quickly?.

Going by calories alone is an absolutely horrible way to diet and I see so many people doing it. Usually people who take the "Just eat 1700kcals a day and you'll lose weight" ads seriously.

They then proceed to take 1000 of these kcals from mars bars and the rest from deep fried chips.

Calorie intake is only a part of dieting you must also keep a fairly sensible macronutrient ratio. Hence not more than 15 to 20% of your diet from fats the rest from protein and carbs, usually with carbs taking up the greater portion (50% for example and 30% to proteins)

.logic.

logic1

rasherboy wrote:

well thats what i was told by a professional! so take it up with him although mine is a muscle building diet...suppose ther is a difference...

You're taking in less carbs and plenty of simple sugars on a muscle building diet? How's that working out for you?

You haven't even a basic understanding of nutrients and their constituent parts. If you're paying this professional you're wasting your time, and you're the one posting this rubbish on boards not him so I think it's you I have the issue with here.

Little tip I'll give you for free, simple carbs ARE simple sugars also known as onosaccharides and disaccharides.

.logic.

rasherboy

em yeh simple sugars for creatine to get to your muscles quicker! as for how is it going wel guess what it is going very well!

logic1

rasherboy wrote:

em yeh simple sugars for creatine to get to your muscles quicker! as for how is it going wel guess what it is going very well!

Who said anything about creatine? You said a diet rule is to eat less carbs (which are simple sugars) and to eat more simple sugars (which are carbs), you never stated a golden diet rule is to eat creatine with your simple sugars.

I guess you had a change of mind about creatine aswell yeah?

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=2647828&postcount=13

.logic.

rasherboy

logic1 wrote:

Who said anything about creatine? You said a diet rule is to eat less carbs (which are simple sugars) and to eat more simple sugars (which are carbs), you never stated a golden diet rule is to eat creatine with your simple sugars.

I guess you had a change of mind about creatine aswell yeah?

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=2647828&postcount=13

.logic.

creatine yeh i only started on it! wasnt left much choice! people i compete with in sports are all on it and to keep up with them ill do what i gotta do!
and i dont believe creatine is a golden rule to a diet! i posted my diet to lose fat(and build muscle) without thinking! its my own personal diet! i never took any1 elses considerations into account!(mistake i no!) what i was told to do(along wit alot of protein)

Stark

Ajnag wrote:

Isnt it a case that sugers and carbohydrates will be burnt quicker wheras fats dont get metabolised as quickly?.

Sugars and Carbohydrates are absorbed into the blood stream a lot quicker, so the body burns a little and stores most of them as fat. Eating high-fibre version of carbohydrate foods like brown bread, jacket potatoes, brown rice, brown pasta etc. slows down this process, so you get more energy and store less fat.

Proteins and fats get absorbed so slowly that the body burns them as they're absorbed and hardly any get stored as fat.

As for appetite control, high-fibre carbohydrates actually help satiate the appetite more effectively than fat. They also help your brain produce serotonin, so they're an important part of a weight-loss plan.

30% protein, 20% fats/oils, 50% carbohydrates seems to do it for most people.

nesf

I have never gotten along well with dieting. Although my opinion could be coloured by seeing friends of mine going on and off fad diets.

Personally I'd prefer to be taking a dietician's opinion on the matter and not some generic "one size fit's all" diet from a book or website.

Although suggesting that people increase their simple carb intake in order to lose weight really makes my mind boggle.... :rolleyes:

Attol

Try switching red meat to alternatives like Quorn. It's easier to digest. I always feel really heavy and bloated after red meat but with alternatives I'm still getting protein but feel better afterwards.

I bring my own lunch to college most days which will be a few Ryvita, some fruit and a thermos of soup accompanied by a litre bottle of water. That way I avoid junk food and save money. Liquids fill you up so you feel like you've eaten more.

If you drink fizzy drinks always go for diet, eg. a diet Coke will have like 6 calories a can whereas a normal Coke will have more than 100. Actually, just always choose the healthier lowered fat, lowered sugar, lowered salt alternatives but make sure not to have more of them just for the sake of it and sometimes labels can be deceptive. Lower fat can mean higher levels of sugar so always read the labels carefully.

Eat fruit and vegetables. Eat a few eggs each week and drink plenty of skimmed milk. Calcium and nutrients can be gotten from these. A balanced diet will help you feel healthier. Vitamin pills just aren't as good.

Make sure all your new rules fit in with your lifestyle. That way they work best and it's easier to keep it up.

Try do some exercise before large meals.

Always have breakfast. I have breakfast bars for those days when I just don't have time for anything else. Even if you don't feel like it have something. It'll start off your metabolism.

If you crave something think of how you'll feel when you've eaten it. A big binge may seem tempting but just think of the consequences and it's likely that you'll be put off and go for a healthy snack instead.

If you really want junk food treat yourself, just try keep it to a maximum of once a week.

Have little healthy snacks with you. They'll be handy for keeping your blood sugar levels even and you'll avoid sweets and crisps.

Don't go on fad or crash diets. You'll just put any weight lost straight back on and then some. Eating sensibly and having a sustainable eating plan may take longer but it works because you're changing your eating habits to healthy ones that can be lept up to maintain the weight loss.

rasherboy

nesf wrote:

I have never gotten along well with dieting. Although my opinion could be coloured by seeing friends of mine going on and off fad diets.

Personally I'd prefer to be taking a dietician's opinion on the matter and not some generic "one size fit's all" diet from a book or website.

Although suggesting that people increase their simple carb intake in order to lose weight really makes my mind boggle.... :rolleyes:

my diet was auctually only the one i take and its for if you are training about times a day! the simple sugars are a very good and fast source of energy but you have to be exercising throughout the day for them not to be converteed to fat! pastas and soda bread and such are mors effective do!

zervi2003

Some good ideas there on how to eat more healthily!

Have to say myself, I was a fizzy drink addict! More so, fizzy drinks can make you bloated, hinders calcium absorbtion, most have caffine, can be expensive, and although yes you can get diet drinks, the aspartame substitute (for sugar) can make you feel unwell and is not good for you.

So I stopped buying them in the weekly shop and filled up a few jugs of water for the fridge. Still have the odd can or bottle if im out but have cut way down and I notice a big difference.

I say have a little of everything, in moderation. Moderation and water!

Dizzyblabla

Weightwatchers!!! (am I allowed to say that??) - but I've lost 3 stone with them, and whenever I feel myself going back up, then back I go again...

The first stone was lost giving up bread!! (just white sliced pan)
Bread, cheese and peanuts are the enemy... stay away!! (well, ww pointswise anyway!)

rasherboy

auctually a very good idea! iv found i auctually like most of the preprepared weight watchers foods and some of the meals they advise are uite nice! and it allows for people who do alot of sports etc!

Attol

Yeah, Weight Watchers do kick as$. I usually either make myself a big veggie dish or have a Weight Watchers meal for dinner. They do wonders although can be pricy. I'd say just learn to cook. I can't really but I cheat with those sauces that come in packets. It tells you what to do on the pack. Basic jist : meat, veg, sachet and milk. So handy. Weight Watchers soups make great snacks though. Far nicer than the packet soups.

Ajnag

Cheers stark, Tho I am still kind of curious about the whole situation. Can lipids be exclusively created from sugers? I know carbohydrates can be converted, but all along given my experiance staying away from fats and oil's while eating fruits, drinking juices and eating mainly carbohydrates seems to work.

rubadub

rasherboy wrote:

look all ya have to do realy is eat the same amount of meals but make them smaller!

I think that is my main problem, I always cook large amounts. Now I have stopped when I am no longer hungry, and heat it up later on. I always try to finish the plate, at the end I could be even forcing it down since I didn't want to throw it out and it wasn't enough to be bothered saving. So basically my eyes were bigger than my belly (christ they must be huge cow eyes!), so I am copping on and cooking smaller portions to begin with.

Sangre

rasherboy wrote:

look all ya have to do realy is eat the same amount of meals but make them smaller! ar less carbohydrates! and make sure to get pleatny of simple sugars!

Eating less is a terrible, terrible way to diet which is practically bound to failure imo. The only reason you should do it is if you're trying to cut for some specific reason.

Longer term life style change is the only thing that will work

Phil_321

Sangre wrote:

Eating less is a terrible, terrible way to diet which is practically bound to failure imo.

Yeah, surely everyone knows by now that the best way to diet is to eat more. Try exercising less too.

Attol

Phil_321 wrote:

Yeah, surely everyone knows by now that the best way to diet is to eat more. Try exercising less too.

You're twisting Sangre's words. It's about changing what you eat, like instead of full fat milk having skimmed and instead of a chocolate bar having fruit, that kind of thing. It's about lifestyle change, like Sangre said. Just think before you eat, go food shopping or prepare a meal. Get more active, like walk to the shop instead of driving. It's all the little things that add up. My legs would agree. I'm willing to wear a mini skirt in public these days! I don't run marathons or anything. I walk everywhere, other than when it's raining and bounce on my brother's trampoline when I feel like it.

Transform

Oh my god rasherboy please stop now before you really put your foot in it!!

rubadub

here's some of what I was looking for, note the reply to the post!

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=71038

Sangre

That generally reads like a housewive's guide to going down a dress size with a lot of filler material rather than genuine lifestyle advice. I personally wouldn't give it any credit.

voxpop

Eggs – Free range or organic only. They will NOT increase your cholesterol levels (unless you are frying them all the time) and you may have them as often as you like

Yeah I always wondered about that - so eating 6 eggs a week is not bad for you . I aways thought you could only have 2/3 eggs a week for health reasons. Is an omlette considered frying ??

rubadub

Angry_Penguin wrote:

Is an omlette considered frying ??

If you are using oil or butter, yes. I can "fry" eggs with no oil on a nonstick pan.

Attol

That list is awful. There are no links to specific research, everything is so ambiguous. "Researchers have found..." And it tells you not to eat ice-cream cones then tells you a good alternative snack is a McDonald's ice-cream cone. Hmm.... Also a lot of repetition.

4Xcut

In all honesty none of this will be any good unless you exercise. The body will get used to a new diet over time, hence the law of diminishing returns. You should even cycle/walk to work. Try to get half an hour good exercise everyday. If you do not only will you loose weight bt you will have a healthier appetite, i.e. one for energy as opposed to taste.

oxygen_old

Angry_Penguin wrote:

Eggs – Free range or organic only. They will NOT increase your cholesterol levels (unless you are frying them all the time) and you may have them as often as you like

That bit of advice is disastrous, a quick search on the internet will tell you otherwise. Free range eggs are so that chickens wont be rare in battery cages (which is worth the bit of extra expense if you ask me). but nutritionally they are no different from regular eggs. Sorry to disappoint but recommended amount of eggs is one egg a day, regardless of what type it is (excl duck eggs etc, which are even worse).

healthcastle.com wrote:

Free Range eggs are produced in a similar environment as free run eggs but hens have access to outdoor runs as well. The nutrient content of these eggs is the same as that of classic eggs

http://www.healthcastle.com/egg.shtml

Attol

Organic eggs however are proved to be better for you than battery farm reared chickens' eggs.


Source

Surprisingly little research has compared the nutritional value of organic and non-organic eggs. But one recent study showed that organic eggs have up to 100 times as much vitamin E as conventional eggs, including free-range eggs. "Organic eggs come from chickens with a much higher fresh forage intake, particularly when they have Soil Association certification," says Carlo Leifert, professor of ecological farming at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. "Free-range does not necessarily mean that chickens range freely. It is only organic chickens that are able to nibble grass and scratch in the soil."


Source

No Drugs, Hormones, Antibiotics, or Animal By-Products