Posts by gcbragg

My usual lunch includes 8 cups of "baby salad greens" with 1/4 cup of grated cheese (mozzarella or feta preferably), half a can of chunk tuna in water (drained), and a dressing consisting of 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon of walnut oil.  (Walnut oil is VERY high in omega-3 fatty acid, which is why I use it instead of olive oil!)

I have that for lunch just about every work-day, along with some more fruits and veggies and a no-sugar-added chocolate pudding (my one indulgence). 

Actually, not all alcohol is "nutritionally void" - as harleymamma mentions, wine does contain some benefits. I should also point out that beer (especially dark beer, such as porter and stout) contains minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium, as well as niacin and folate (B-complex vitamins), and NO fat.

Disclaimer - I never touch the stuff, myself. Sadly, scotch appears to be nutritionally useless.

Edit - see the following link for more information about the nutritional value of beer (in case you doubt me):  http://nutrition.about.com/od/hydrationwater/ a/beer_Nutrition.htm

I think the CC website adjusts your calorie targets for you, so long as you are updating your weight regularly in the weight logs.  So I don't think you need to worry about reseting everything yourself.

With regards to sodium, the main key is to eat fresh foods, and avoid anything in cans, bottles, etc.  If you eat a healthy diet that's full of fruit, vegetables, and whole grains, the fiber should take care of itself for you.

Above all, if you have questions, feel free to ask anyone here.  We don't have all the answers (at least, I don't - if I did I'd be rich), but we're all on the same path anyway. 

If I had to "guess-timate", I'd ballpark the foods you identified as 400 to 500 calories, not 800.

Patience is a virtue, or so I'm told.  I never really got the hang of that myself. I think you're doing just fine!

What sort of salad is this?  I usually eat 8 cups of "spring mix" salad greens at lunch, and it only comes out to 40 calories.  And that's a lot of salad....

(I also eat a lot of fruits and veggies!)

Well, the best way to get in shape for the hike would probably be to hike.  Go on shorter walks around your area, a little longer every few days.  Maybe even carry some extra weight (in a backpack or as ankle weights)?

Failing that, just walking everywhere will probably also help. 

The published "RDA" figures for adult females are 50 grams of protein a day (approximately 2 ounces).  Another rule of thumb says 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body mass per day, up to 1.2 grams per kilogram if you work out a lot and are trying to build muscle mass.

With regards to the calories, all proteins have the same calories - 4 calories per gram, after adjusting for water content.  (So do all carbs, oddly enough.)

Most animal and nut sources of protein are going to have varying amounts of fat, but fat isn't necessarily bad for you.  A certain minimum level of fat intake is required for healthy living.  Lower-fat protein choices include fish, poultry, and low-fat milk products.

Also note that tofu isn't necessarily low-fat.  About 50% of the calories in "normal" tofu come from fat, it's just that tofu is mostly water so it's lower-calorie in general.  There are lower-fat tofu products available, but since I never touch the stuff I can't tell you much about them. 

On average, once a day.  I say "on average" because some days I don't go at all, and some days I go two or even three times.

My wife, on the other hand, goes "number two" at least twice a day, and sometimes three or four times.

Original Post by amydoll221:

First of all, I don't believe in evolution. Second, watch your tone. You are coming off as rude.

I know what I'm talking about. I get sick if I try to get all my carbs from vegetables. Without whole grains I start getting nausea. Thats just how my body is. If you can go without them, good for you. I wouldn't want to do that. I like my bread and oatmeal and pasta.

My apologies, I didn't mean to come off as rude.  I get a lot of people telling me that the way I eat isn't "natural", so I tend to get a bit defensive and pre-emptive.  But I did want to point out that vegetables are indeed carbs - people tend to forget that fact.

It's interesting that you get nausea without grains - after a couple of weeks without them, I get the same way if I *do* eat grains intentionally or by accident.   (Every so often, for one reason or another, I find I have to eat grains for a while, usually with bad results for me.)

I won't get into the evolution debate with you, here or anywhere else.  Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. 

I eat approximately 50% carbs in my diet, and I've lost 10 pounds since December 20th (even allowing for Christmas, New Years Eve, and my wife's birthday!).  The only reason I've lost is because I've been tracking my calories - in fact, studies have shown time and again that the most effective way to lose weight is to keep a food diary or calorie count of some kind.

And the rule of thumb is 3500 calories == 1 pound of fat, so if you have a 500 calorie deficiency per day you'll lose 1 pound a week.

Original Post by lilsmiter:

it is possible to drink so much that you rupture your bladder... but you would also have to be holding your pee. This happened and killed someone in california who was trying to win a VW bug.

However, Barring odd behavior like that it is pretty hard to Overhydrate. But there is a risk of washing out water soluble nutrients. I would keep an eye on the color of your urine, if you start peeing clear it might be time to set the water a side for a bit. :)

Actually, "water intoxication" is more likely than rupturing your bladder - basically, you drink so much water that you dilute your electrolyte level and body systems just shut down. A woman died this way last year in a "Hold your wee for a Wii" contest held by a radio station. I believe the wrongful-death suit is still pending.

(Edit)  Interestingly, Andy Warhol also apparently died of water intoxication. 

For more information about water intoxication, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxicati on

Original Post by joellejello:

I got my wisdom teeth pulled last summer, and I wasn't allowed to suck anything through a straw for a week, not sure if a root canal is the same, but it was something about not putting negative pressure on the blood clot that was forming.

Anyway, I ate a lot of mashed potatoes, and soups, just didn't suck off the spoon, pretty much just poured it into my mouth. Hehe, it sounds so weird now, but my jaw was so sore too, I just tried to use my tongue a lot more and not open and close my mouth as much as possible.

 Actually, having had both done (one wisdom tooth out and 3 root canals), they are different.  A wisdom tooth removal leaves a gaping hole in your mouth, while a root canal means they basically take the top off the tooth, remove the "root" (nerve) inside, then put a new filling in.  So she still has the tooth, and (not to be crude here, but...) she can still suck straws - no danger of putting negative pressure on the tooth, it's just like any other new filling.

There actually isn't a whole lot of hard medical evidence for "you must drink eight glasses of water a day", and in fact there is evidence that too MUCH water can damage your kidneys.  If you're eating fresh fruits and veggies, they are full of water.  Most competent medical professionals agree that people already get enough water through their daily life without being slaves to a water bottle.

The other thing to remember is that your "thirst mechanism" kicks in when you are down 2% in terms of water, while dehydration (from a medical standpoint) isn't a risk until you're down 5%.  So, if you're listening to your body, it will tell you when you need water.

One last thing, and I know there will be some people who disagree with this, but there is no increased benefit from drinking fancy bottled water versus plain old tap water.  In fact, a lot of those fancy bottled waters are just tap water with a fancy label.  So save your $$$ and hit the tap, but only when you're thirsty.