Need diet advice! (Question for Leigh)

[WeightLossChick]

Hey everyone, I just want to make sure I am eating the right way here....I am 17 years old , 5'2, and currently weigh 145 pounds, I want to get down to 115 pounds, I am currently going to Bally Total Fitness for my exercise and doing the elliptical machine for 30 minutes, then running 2 miles on the track, I am also currently working with a personal trainier who is teaching me alot about how to exercise properly and the right way to eat. I just want to make sur emy diet is as healthy as possible This question is mainly for Leigh but for anyone else who wants to give me some advice I would highly appreciate it!
Weekdays:
Breakfast: (6:00) Usually a bowl of regular quaker oatmeal with almonds and strawberries mixed in, some vanilla soymilk, splenda, and green tea with splenda, or I will have a bowl of honey bunches of oats (my fav cereal) with strawberries with 1% milk or vanilla soymilk and green tea with splenda

Lunch: (10:30) I either have a veggie burger from the school cafe on a whole wheat bun with mustard, lettuce, and tomato with about 15 baby carrots, or I will buy a big salad with white meat chicken with litehouse blue cheese dressing (I always take my own dressing) or I will make a sandwhich with double fiber whole wheat bread, hormel natural choice turkey and ham, mustard, lettuce, onion, and tomato with 15 baby carrots
Snack" (1:45) either a banana or an apple
2:45 is when my dad and I go to the gym
Dinner (usually at 6:00 it always varies, but dinner is usually mixed with vegatables, protein, carbohydrates, and I usually have a fruit on the side

Any advice is most appreciated!

 

[theleip]

Hi WeightLossChick,

First off congratulations on getting a trainer and working towards your goal. Keep that trainer in check though and don't let them get away with not giving you their all

As for your nutrition lets first take a look at ROUGHLY what you should be taking in to lose fat. With your stats you should be taking in roughly 1400-1700 calories a day depending on activity. Some days you push harder up the calories a little, days you rest, lower them a little. Remember the goal is to burn it off, not starve it off. The longer you keep that metabolism up, the less likely you are to hit plateaus.

Now let's look at your meal/food choices.

To me this isn't looking like enough Protein, calories, or good fats. Your food choices do not have to be perfect, but there are some specific guidelines you need to follow.

-Complete Protein, every meal, every snack, period. Protein in cereal doesn't really count. The protein in the milk with all the sugar...not enough. Add some eggs/egg whites to that breakfast The protein is not because you need to eat no carbs, the protein is a natural thermogenic, is going to keep your insulin levels lower and keep you fuller longer.
-No little of this or that, KNOW what and how much is going in your body.
-Get some more good fats! Like peanut butter? Eat Some! Like a little olive oil on your salad, have some (but measure as 1 tbsp is 120 calories!). Find a way to get those good fats in, you need at least 20% in your diet.

So lets switch around your meals a little to see how they could be a little better here.

Breakfast- 1/2 cup Oatmeal with 1 cup strawberries 2 tbsp almonds and 1 egg with 2 egg whites omelet with spinach/tomato/onion. (450 calories)
Lunch-4 ounce turkey sandwich on Whole Grain Bread with 2% cheese, lettuce tomato and light mayo with an Orange. (400 calories)
Snack-Peanut Butter on Celery (120 calories)
Dinner-4 ounces of chicken with 1/2 cup of rice and veggies sauted lightly in olive oil (500 calories)

Grand Total 1470 calories.

And there you go, a great start. Yeah you could break up into more meals if you wanted, at some point I would really look into post workout nutrition but bottom line will this diet help you lose weight, be healthier and give you energy you need for a day? Yes.

Good luck, hope this helps and ask if you have anymore questions.

 

[WeightLossChick]

Thanks Leigh!

Thanks alot for the adive Leigh! You have no idea how much I appreciate it..I will try to incorporate alot more protein and good fats into my diet as much as possible. I absolutly LOVE peanut butter, it's actually one of my biggest weaknesses (I have a very hard time eating it in moderation LOL), but i guess it doesn't have to be a weakness anymore since it's good for me (in moderation) lol. I actually just had an apple with 1 tablesppon of natural peanut butter, it was awesome!!!! Peanut butter and apples go insanlely good together! My personal trainier also mentioned getting more calories and protein in my diet so I'm gonna take yours and his advice and try harder with that. I absolutly love my personal trainier, his name is Peter and he is just the most nicest guy ever! He always makes sure I'm working up to my potential and he's always pushing me to be better at whatever I do, not just working out and eating right. I'll be so sad when I'm not working with him anymore! But anyways thanks again for the advice Leigh, you are always giving wonderful advice on this forum, I think alot of people would be lost without you!