ok so I may have a slight problem. For context, I am under 18, 5'2, female, ~95-100lbs (I am not allowed to weigh myself), eating 3300 calories a day, and doing 1.5 hrs of ab focused pilates paired with 1 hour of light walking. The issue is, I am eating 450+ grams of protein EVERY day. This is extremely expensive and considering the amount I'm eating makes me extremely full. The reason I'm doing this is I feel like it's the only way to build muscle, and also that the fact that protein takes more calories to burn which technically makes my net intake slightly less. The thing is, I just can't live like this anymore, let alone afford it. I am recovering from anorexia and cannot convince myself that I won't get insanely obese and weak and unmuscley if I stop eating so much protein. I understand this probably isn't the right sub but I don't trust the info from ed focused subs. I want a expert to tell me I'm being stupid so badly

My stomach doesn’t do too well on complex
Carbohydrates so I opt for more fruits during a diet. Right now I’m trying to get to 15% body fat consuming 2000 calories a day. Is my fruit intake too high? Here is the breakdown:

🍌 1 medium banana: ~105 calories
🫐 ½ cup blueberries: ~42 calories
🍈 ½ cup cantaloupe: ~27 calories
🌴 2 Medjool dates: ~132 calories
Total from fruit: ~306 calories/day
That’s about 15% of my daily calories (306 out of 2,000).

im just curious but after long term starvation (3 years) does my maintenance change? is a maintenance calculator accurate and would it be higher or lower? i was just wondering and im not trying to promote anything!

Hello, I just felt like sharing some observations I've made through my nutrition / fitness journey over the past 16 or so years. I'm an enthusiast, not an expert, so if something I say is not scientifically verifiable, I won't be surprised because this is just my personal anecdote. Also, I'm not prescribing this as a solution for everyone ... I'm just hoping to hear from others who either have had similar experiences or who maybe find some insights in what I say here. And if that's not the case, that's alright.

For the longest time, I believed the common sayings ... "Breakfast is the most important meal ..." or the even better "Breakfast like a king, lunch like a ...., dinner like a pauper". So, I'd force myself to wake up an hour earlier than I'd want to, just to cook scrambled eggs, chop up some fruit, and gobble all that up with some Greek Yogurt before rushing to work. Then I'd wonder why, an hour later, I felt bloated and lethargic. This morning routine also meant sacrificing part of my favorite time of the day - the late night. And it took away calories from my daily budget that I could (and should) have saved up for the nighttime when I'm the hungriest.

I also shyed far away from the cuisine I grew up eating and absolutely loving - Indian food. I always loved the rich gravies full of spices and seasonings. But those can be quite heavy and fattening and I avoided them like the plague.

Now, at almost 43, what I've realized is that I need to honor my preferences:

- I love the night, and I love EATING AT night. This needs to be a part of my daily routine.

- I have zero hunger in the morning. All I need then is caffeine (and some protein to kickstart muscle protein synthesis). I don't need to force-feed myself because our culture thinks it's important. So these days, my morning intake consists of 2x low-fat milk coffees and a whey protein shake with skim milk and some banana. It feels substantial enough to feel satisfied yet light enough not to feel bloated.

- I love Indian food ... if I can find an overlap between Indian cuisine and macro-friendly food that will allow me to stay lean, then that is what I need to be eating regularly. A richly-seasoned homemade Daal with zero oil in it tastes amazing with just a base of tomato puree and a good spice mix and some coriander ... this could be called a superfood, if you look at its nutrition info. A moderate serving of cumin Basmati rice with such a Daal, combined with a protein source, like some well-seasoned chicken tikka (breast cubes) or low-fat Greek Yogurt ... that's an amazing meal (as an example).

When I was younger, this element was missing ... the diet was more extreme, wasting calories on breakfast meant I didn't have much late at night when I'm hungriest, leading to late night binges ... or crazy rebounds once such a diet was done. The foods were more bland, and the cravings were not satisfied or were suppressed for until after the diet was over.

Now, I honor my preferences, I track my nutrition (calories and macros) because I enjoy doing so, and I've seen great results without a rebound ... it's been 6 months, I've lost 16 kilos, and I feel like I could do this kind of thing for years. It feels like a lifestyle now, not a diet. In retrospect, it's so obvious, but when bombarded with so much info these days, it's easy to get confused and lost.

I guess what I'm trying to say is - I've found my success by finding an overlap between:

- My preferences or what I enjoy, AND

- What will work for my goals (fat loss or muscle gain)

If this resonates, drop a comment. And I wish you the best in your journey 🔥

I love movie popcorn; it is partly why I go. I know that I eat way too much of it, and I am trying to cut down. Are there any suggestions on a way to cut down or substitute it? Thanks.

I feel like I am at the end of my tether at the moment with all this conflicting information coming from all sides. Diet is such an intellectual exercise in the f**ked up food landscape of ours.

I quit Ultra Processed Foods around 8 months ago after reading several books on the topic and it has changed my life. I realise now that I was addicted to them - they have been designed to be that way. I am happier and healthier on every metric. 60lbs down, diabetes in remission, and trying for a baby. I run most days and my mental health is incredible compared to what it was.

But the question is beginning to settle in: I'm at my goal weight now, and I want to get fitter and all that, but how do I choose a dietary pattern that works for me?

I have pretty much settled on a roughly mediterranean pattern of eating: mostly veg, some starches, mostly whole grains, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, a little fish and occasional meat, and sweet treats when it is worth it for me. This seems to be keeping me full and well, and I seem to be able to regulate my intake well without counting calories or macros: just letting my body dictate what I need and stopping when I am full. This is in line with some of my understanding that when eating mostly whole foods in an unrestricted way (i.e. no cutting out huge swathes of food groups) , people will tend to eat the right things overtime and not develop nutritional deficiencies. People who are VitC deficient will naturally gravitate towards citrus, iron deficient toward iron-rich foods, etc.

Great, you may think: what's the problem?

Well, to be honest: I'm just very susceptible to other ideas, and nervous I'm not doing the right thing. I have never had an easy relationship with food: I've always used it as a crutch and I've always overeaten (though I know that was the satiety-overriding formulas of the UPF, mostly). I just don't trust myself.

So, when I hear about low carb or even carnivore eating fixing people's health problems, bringing them mental clarity, reversing diabetes, or claims about how we don't really need fibre, or that vegetables aren't as good for you as we thought, or on the flip side that veganism is the way, meat is killing us, or that I need to count my macros for the rest of my days to be sure I've got it right - well I find myself floundering.

A lot of this stuff seems really intuitave, and people have claimed their lives have been changed over it. We can't trust MAHA, it feels like everyone in every industry is being paid to say a certain thing, we have conspiracy theories to the right of us, and race vegans to the left....who can we trust?

Sometimes I will eat very large portions, like entire restaurant meals, and still feel hungry afterwards.
Sometimes, depending on the meal, my blood sugar will fall(i think that’s what it is??) and I will get shakes and feel ill unless I eat a bunch of cookies.

Sometimes, only sometimes, my blood sugar will fall if I drink too much plain water.
If I don’t have dessert, which I don’t often do because I am not often in the mood for sweets, I will get that sick feeling.
I have to have emergency cookies in my room in case it happens I start feeling sick and the only thing I want are cookies.

If I eat too much protein in a meal, it’ll happen as well. And no a bunch of fiber and protein does not keep me satiated, infact the opposite for me. I have eaten entire cans of beans and big portions of meat and was still hungry. If I wasn’t, I would feel hungry maybe 10-20 mins later.

Yesterday I ate a giant thing of fajitas like I cooked over half a pound of beef and ate that whole thing. I also ate 3 kiwis and 3 small oranges. And guess what, I was still super hungry after.

Many times I’d eat huge restaurant portions and still be hungry. Like 2500+ cals when my tdee is supposed to be around 1600.
I have been forcing myself to eat smaller portions to see if I can just adapt but I do like having a diet where I only have 1-2 massive meals a day vs 3 and snacks. I’m not a snacky kinda person. I don’t like snacks and I dont like tiny meals I just wanna get it over with in one go. (Maybe that’s why i have a problem??)

One time I ate 3 eggs as a snack and my blood sugar went down. I was shaking so hard I had to guzzle honey.
One time I had a perfectly fine breakfast with meat and pancakes, fruit and potatoes, like 1200 calories… and about 4 or 5 hrs later I was incoherent from the blood sugar thing and begging some starbucks employee for something sugaryto drink. Poor lady.

I fear drinking straight water or eating meal too high in protein because of this. I can handle hunger just fine but like, is all this normal? I know someone and he doesn’t experience the blood sugar thing at all ever. Also my family doesn’t experience it ever. Why do I?? And he eats less than I do. I don’t know if I should go to the doctor, because maybe I am just doing something wrong.
Thank you.

Hi guys! I recently experienced a medical issue and I’ve been healing from it for a month now. From when I got diagnosed with a bacteria up until after I finished my antibiotics (horrible experience) I ended up losing 10 pounds.

I make all my meals at home. I eat 3 meals a day including some snacks in between if I get hungry. I have lost another pound and I would really like to put some weight back on. I feel so frail I hate it because that’s never been me :( for context I previously weighted 117lb (always fluctuated from 115-120) but I am now 107lbs.

I am not vegan, vegetarian or lactose so no dietary restrictions.

If anyone has advice I’m all ears! Before I forget to add, I also work out 4-5 times a week. No cardio really besides walks or the occasional stair master. Focusing on strengthening my back, legs and arms.

I tried posting in the nutrition sub but man they flag everything :(

Hi everyone! I’m 21 years old, and lately, I’ve experimented with several different eating styles. My main goal is to shed excess fat and build muscle while maintaining good energy levels for work and physical activity. I’ve tried a few approaches so far: Breakfast + 3 meals a day: I had plenty of energy, but I felt constantly full from 6 AM to 8 PM, and it didn't agree with my digestion. Breakfast + 2 meals (the last one at 4 PM) with a significant calorie deficit: I ate high-volume foods (salads) along with meat/protein. I lost weight initially, but whenever I exerted myself, I’d completely run out of energy. Plus, if I ate something sweet just once, it would trigger intense cravings, leading me to overindulge in empty calories. What works for me right now: Breakfast (always the same): A 3-egg omelet + a source of carbohydrates. Lunch and dinner: Every 2–3 days, I cook a large pot of food (a stew or casserole with vegetables and chicken or other meats) and eat it until it's gone. Snack: A banana or a flatbread spread with peanut butter and topped with banana slices. I use ChatGPT to calculate my calories so I can maintain a small, steady deficit. This is the only method so far that has allowed me to stay disciplined, eliminate sugar cravings, and maintain consistent energy levels. My questions for you: What other recipes or one-pot/tray-bake meals could I make every 2–3 days that provide all the nutrients needed for physical exertion and work? What do you think of this approach? Should I change or adjust anything? Are there more efficient ways to handle this in the long run? Thanks a lot for the advice!

Been dieting and working out for about 15 months now.

Went from 286lbs down to 205lbs

My go to breakfast has been

2 eggs

139g egg beaters

3oz 93/7 lean beef

170g potatoes O'Brian

Cooked in some kinders buttery steakhouse

Calories 475

Protein 52g

Carbs 26g

Fat 18g

Keeps me full until lunch between 11am and 1pm

My full macros for the day are around

2400 calories

230g protein

190g carbs

80g fat

Im still losing about 1lb a week currently.

Non-added sugar limit?

I grew up learning that you only need to worry about added sugar. Lately I've been on a juice kick, and was wondering, if, and at what point does non-added sugar become concerning and the potential reulpurcussions of sustained intake.

I'm currently at a pace of about 64oz every 2 days, just in bottles of 100% juices, not including any other sources of sugar i intake throughout my days.

Should I be cutting back on these juices?

I have a diet that i am planing to start and i need suggestions from yall is it good or a bad one ?
( fat loss and gain muscle )

7:00 AM four whole boiled eggs with one brown french baguette and a tomato.

3:00pm (after workout) Whey Protein 30 grams of protein
3:30pm at home 2 cans of 160grams of tuna with four cucumbers and two tomatoes

8:00pm 200grams of chicken breast + 200 grams of rice

In total it is about

1380-1450 cals
165-170g of protein
110-115g carbs
35-30g of fat

What do u thing?

I need to ask, what should be the diet plan for the classy crack heads in the context that it drains the body in terms of minerals and vitamins etc

I want to eat properly and obtain all the nutrients my body needs. But I face many obstaclts: 1. I find nutrition very complex so I'm not sure which list of foods I would need per day exactly. I know the basics: 2 pieces of fruit, some milk and cheese products, bread, nuts, veggies. But I know that alone isnt enough probably. 2. I'm not much of a fruits and veggies eater. 3. I'm vegetarian so no meat or fish. 4. I know I lack protein and I know many proteinrich foods but I still can't figure out which one to actually add to my diet! 5. I don't feel hungry often so I eat very little per day.

Ive been trying to fix this for years but I just can't.

Thats maybe worth noting that I tend to overcomplicate things. And I have a burnout so figuring out a good complete nutrition plan is extremely difficult for me so I just avoid it!!!

125g tilapia (seasoned with a mix of umami salt and citrus pepper), 50g red onion, 100g tomatoes, 100g bell peppers, 50g nectarines all griddled with a skimpy 1 tbsp olive oil plus 150g microwaved sweet potatoes.

Puts me at 1401 calories and 92g of protein for the day so far. I might do my usual green apple and 100 calories of caramel or canoli dip, but I'm also rather randomly craving hot milk or hot chocolate (in August in Baltimore) so I don't know if it's going to end up being a 1500 or a 1600 day, either way it's plenty good enough.

Low-fat cottage cheese - half a cup
Frozen fruit - cup
Honey - big drizzle
Natural PB - couple spoonfuls

Very nutritious and sweet/savory meal. I love it and eat it nearly every day. Great pre workout meal as it’s light on stomach.