The 5 Foot Club
Original Post by lucindadevries:
Yeah! Good for you. I can't leave my white foods for the brown. Maybe later on but it is hard enough adjusting to this. I can easily get in fruit but veggies are not my friend. I am thinking about making a veggie soup that I had from a privious diet. I could blend it so I could just chug it. I know I need them but I really hate them.
I know incorporating lots of vegetables into a diet can be difficult. I found blended soups were a great option for me. I make a butternut squash soup with golden delicious apple. The original recipe called for cream so I nixed that and found that just blending it made the soup creamy and sweet which satisfied me both with taste and texture.
Original Post by cafilmangel:Original Post by lucindadevries:
Yeah! Good for you. I can't leave my white foods for the brown. Maybe later on but it is hard enough adjusting to this. I can easily get in fruit but veggies are not my friend. I am thinking about making a veggie soup that I had from a privious diet. I could blend it so I could just chug it. I know I need them but I really hate them.I know incorporating lots of vegetables into a diet can be difficult. I found blended soups were a great option for me. I make a butternut squash soup with golden delicious apple. The original recipe called for cream so I nixed that and found that just blending it made the soup creamy and sweet which satisfied me both with taste and texture.
Would you mind sharing the receipe? Sounds very interesting.
On a different topic...how many pounds do you all gain when PMS? Becasue we are so short do you think we notice the pounds more than others or is that just wishful thinking?
Original Post by lucindadevries:Original Post by cafilmangel:Original Post by lucindadevries:
Yeah! Good for you. I can't leave my white foods for the brown. Maybe later on but it is hard enough adjusting to this. I can easily get in fruit but veggies are not my friend. I am thinking about making a veggie soup that I had from a privious diet. I could blend it so I could just chug it. I know I need them but I really hate them.I know incorporating lots of vegetables into a diet can be difficult. I found blended soups were a great option for me. I make a butternut squash soup with golden delicious apple. The original recipe called for cream so I nixed that and found that just blending it made the soup creamy and sweet which satisfied me both with taste and texture.
Would you mind sharing the receipe? Sounds very interesting.
On a different topic...how many pounds do you all gain when PMS? Becasue we are so short do you think we notice the pounds more than others or is that just wishful thinking?
Butternut Apple Soup
Below is the full recipe. However, I usually halve it and it still makes 5-6 servings
Ingrediants:
Vegetable Oil
Small Onion chopped
2 Medium Butternut Squash or 1 large (chopped. If you're using a raw, whole butternut squash cutting it up takes the most time)
2 Golden Delicious apples, cored, peeled and chopped (you could try others but it should be a sweet variety)
1 3/4 cups Vegetable or Chicken Broth (I use chicken broth because I find it's a more neutral base for soups, however the original recipe called for vegetable)
1 1/2 Water
Thyme (to taste)
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
(Option: 1 cup half and half or light cream)
What to do:
Heat oil and add onions cooking until tender. Stir in the rest of ingrediants and heat until boiling. Once boiling reduce to low heat and let simmer until squash is tender. Squash and apples need to thoroughly cooked because you'll puree it. I have a hand mixer so I can puree it right in the pot. Otherwise you'll need a blender or food processor. (Make sure when you add the soup that you're able to vent the steam) Puree until smooth. Heat soup on low for 9 to 10 minutes and then done.
(Option: After pureeing the soup add cream and heat 9 to 10 minutes until heated through)
I don't have an exact calorie count for this. The original recipe said 175 calories for each 1 cup. However, I omitted the half-and-half cream so that should reduce the calorie count. I usually make a batch of this (or other soups) on the weekend and will divide it into single serving after it's cooled so I have a whole week's worth of ready made soup for lunch or dinner.
This is the same basic process you can use to make any low calorie creamy vegetable soup, although your measurements would change. To get the desired texture is really about getting the right ratio of vegetable to liquid. I also made a mushroom soup like this using a pound of mushroom which I sauteed with onions in olive oil before adding in broth. But, I'm still trying to figure out the righ amount of liquid to get it right.
Oh man, I am in the same position as you, Jocelyn. I have gained 15 lbs in the past year (less exercise, less healthy eating), and now my fat clothes are tight. Its so hard to get out of sweats when all of your clothes are so tight they make you feel disgusting. For me, I think its that I have no patience. I feel like its hard to get through just ONE good day, and yet its so discouraging when you feel like you are doing so well, and still after a week or two, no progress on the scale. UGH. I guess you just have to keep going and look for little victories...
ps - can someone answer Jocelyn's question, how do you calculate your BMR and calorie deficit?
Original Post by lucindadevries:
I don't exercise at all. Just my daily movement, which isn't much. I work at a desk all day and watch TV when I get home. I did vacuum my house and got a nice little workout this weekend. My calculations are to eat 1460 cals a day! I am actually down more as of this morning to 154.5! Go to this site! Really opened my eyes! I also have been reading a lot about BMR because I was so confused about what CC was telling me versus other sites. CC says for me to eat 1200 and I was doing that, with a up and down result. So far eating more means losing more! Very exciting!
http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/
I can't find Jocelyn's question about BMR but here is the link to calculate. Your deficit should be no more than 1000 cals, but regardless of that you still have to eat you BMR. Mine is 1400+ so I try to eat that every day. I burn aprox. 1700 cals a day doing my sedintary nothing. That gives me about a 300 deficit so if I had the urge to workout I could increase that deficit to the 500 minimum by exercising the other 200 cals. Now, if you already exercise you have to eat more than your BMR. If you don't your body will shut down and start storing that fat. I haven't quite got the whole thing worked out myself yet. I read an article from Jillian and she helps calculate what type of ccal burner you are and tells you what you should eat. I have been doing that all wrong and need to figure out how to do it right. I'll post the article here too. This is me:
Balanced Oxidizers
If you are a balanced oxidizer, your diet is the easiest to follow, since you require an equal percentage of carbs, fats, and proteins. You feel at your best on a diet that incorporates a wide range of foods. Your ideal macronutrient ratio is 40 percent carbs, 30 percent protein, and 30 percent fat.
Proteins
You operate best when you are getting 30 percent of your total calories from protein. Be careful to mix the kinds of protein you eat so that you consume high-fat and high-purine proteins with low-fat and low-purine proteins. Choose from this list of proteins when deciding on a meal or snack.
High Purine: organ meats (pâté, liver, etc.), herring, mussels, sardines, anchovies
Moderate Purine: beef, bacon, dark meat chicken, duck, lamb, spareribs, dark meat turkey, veal, wild game, salmon, shellfish (lobster, shrimp, crab), oysters, scallops, octopus, squid, dark tuna, eggs, regular-fat cheeses
Low Purine: white meat chicken, turkey breast, lean pork, catfish, cod, flounder, perch, sole, trout, white tuna, swordfish, low-fat cheese, low-fat cottage cheese, skim milk, low-fat yogurt, egg whites
Carbohydrates
With regard to carbs, the real significant difference between balanced, fast, and slow oxidizers is not the types of carbs allowed but the quantity. You should get 40 percent of your nutrients from carbs, but like everyone you should avoid simple carbs and foods that are rated high on the glycemic load index, which we get into in the next chapter. Refined sugars like those found in cookies, sweets, and soda and processed grains like white bread or white rice should be shunned whenever possible, especially on a weight-loss regimen. You do best with a mix of fruits and vegetables from both the fast and slow oxidizers’ carb lists.
Vegetables—Low Starch: asparagus, cauliflower, celery, mushrooms, spinach, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, collard greens, cucumbers, garlic, kale, leafy greens, onions, peppers, scallions, sprouts, tomatoes, watercress
Vegetables—Moderate: Starch beets, eggplant, jicama, okra, yellow squash, zucchini
Fruits: apples, berries, cherries, citrus fruits, peaches, pears, apricots, plums, tropical fruits
Grains: barley, brown rice, buckwheat, corn, couscous, kasha, millet, oat, quinoa, rice, rye, spelt
Legumes/Lentils (all fresh, nothing dried), tempeh, tofu, beans, peas
Fats
In order to best support your metabolism, you need to be getting roughly 30 percent of your calories from natural oils and fats. Don’t eat excessive amounts of fat, but don’t specifically restrict your fat intake. You can choose from fats on both the fast and slow oxidizers’ lists of permissible fats.
Nuts/Seeds: (listed in order of protein content) walnuts, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, almonds, cashews, Brazil nuts, filberts, pecans, chestnuts, pistachios, coconut, macadamias
Fats/Oils: butter, cream, almond oil, peanut oil, coconut oil, sesame oil, flaxseed oil, sunflower oil, walnut oil
Copy and paste in a word doc
Winning by Losing
By Jillian Michaels
Metabolic Typing
If you ou may be thinking that as long as you stay within your caloric range for the week, you can eat whatever you want. Although it’s true that at a basic level weight loss is simple math, there is more to losing weight and getting healthy than just numbers. As you restrict your caloric intake, it is absolutely essential that you eat the right kinds of food to build muscle, strengthen your immune system, and stay energized throughout the process. Sounds simple, right? It would be, except that the way to do this is different for everyone.
Determing Your Metabolic Type
For many years nutritional science has taken a generic, overly standardized approach to health and weight loss. This is why there is no one diet that works for everyone. There was all that hype about the Atkins diet, but Kelly, one of my contestants on The Biggest Loser, lost just one pound in a month of sticking to Atkins. Because I know that we are all different and need to diet according to our specific body’s characteristics, I was able to coach her to lose fifty-five pounds in three months. We were working together on the show, and she lost thirty-five more after that.
Why? Inherited genetics make each one of us unique, from the color of our hair right down to the way our organs function. This uniqueness extends to the way our cells convert nutrients into energy. In order to know how to get the most nutritional bang for your calorie buck, you need to understand your unique metabolic type. Once you do, you can begin to custom design your new dietary lifestyle around the foods that will help you achieve and maintain your ideal weight while also optimizing your physical energy, strength, and mental clarity.
Metabolic typing is really just fancy talk for figuring out how your body processes what you eat—more specifically, how your body deals with the three basic macronutrients in food: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Imagine that you are a furnace: your body takes the food you eat and burns it with oxygen to convert its caloric content into energy. This process is known as oxidation, and it’s how the carb content in your food gets turned into glucose and released into the blood. When glucose is released into the blood, the pancreas is cued to release insulin to “clean” your blood of any sugar that is not being used by the body as energy and carry it to your cells, where it gets stored as fat. The fact that we all oxidize the nutrients in our food in different ways is the reason why a particular diet will work for one person and not for another. If you know more about how the nutrients in your food act on your system, you can avoid a lot of unnecessary pitfalls and really maximize your results as you continue on your journey toward total health.
Although rates can vary a lot from one person to the next, most people can be classified according to three basic groups:
1. Fast oxidizers
2. Slow oxidizers
3. Balanced oxidizers
Fast oxidizers burn through the nutrients in their food very rapidly, with the consequence that the carb content is broken down to glucose and released into the blood almost at once. This sudden increase in blood sugar triggers a rapid release of large amounts of insulin to clean away excess sugar, which is stored as fat in your cells. The more carb content in your food, the more energy will be available to your body right away, and the greater the chance that it will not be needed and get stored as fat. Insulin is a quick and effective blood-cleaner, and the dramatic leaps and falls in blood sugar levels that result from fast oxidation lead to the sugar crash effect. For a fast oxidizer, foods with high carb ratios cause fatigue and carb cravings as well as promote fat storage.
Fast oxidizers should eat foods with more proteins and fats in order to slow down their rate of oxidation and insulin release, and to better promote stable blood sugar and sustained energy levels.
Slow oxidizers burn through the nutrients in their food slowly and do not release the glucose from carbohydrates into the blood quickly enough, which means that they do not get converted into glucose, and energy production and availability are delayed.
A slow oxidizer should eat foods with higher ratios of carbs, since protein and fat slow the rate of oxidation and energy production even further.
Balanced oxidizers fall right in between the two. They require foods that have equal quantities of protein, fat, and carbs in order to optimally process, produce, and use the energy from their food.
Now that we have defined the different metabolic types, you’re probably wondering how you’re supposed to know what’s happening in your blood every time you have a snack. Don’t worry—there’s a test, and you can take it right now, and all you need is a pencil and paper. The test is made up of a series of detailed questions that bear on everything from the foods you crave to the dryness of your skin. These questions cover such a wide range of physical attributes because scientists now believe that metabolic type, i.e., the way in which your body processes nutrients, is wired right into a part of your central nervous system that controls a host of other functions within your body. Consequently, if you take a closer look at some of the peripheral functions in your own body, they will shed light on your particular oxidative type and help you pinpoint your specific nutritional needs.
Oxidizer Test
For each of these questions, circle the response that best applies to you. You may not know the answer right off the bat—it may take a couple of days if you have to see a pattern, but really think about these questions and analyze how different foods affect your body and your moods. The better you know yourself, the greater your odds of achieving exactly the results you want.
In the morning, you:
A. Don’t eat breakfast.
B. Have something light like fruit, toast, or cereal.
C. Have something heavy like eggs, bacon or steak, and hash browns.
At a buffet, the foods you choose are:
A. Light meats like fish and chicken, vegetables and salad, a sampling of different desserts.
B. A mixture of A and C.
C. Heavy, fatty foods like steak, ribs, pork chops, cheeses, and cream sauces.
Your appetite at lunch is:
A. Low.
B. Normal.
C. Strong.
Your appetite at dinner is:
A. Low.
B. Normal.
C. Strong.
Caffeine makes you feel:
A. Great—it helps you focus.
B. Neutral—you can take it or leave it.
C. Jittery or nauseous.
The types of foods you crave are (sugar is not listed because everyone craves sugar when they are tired or run-down):
A. Fruits, bread, and crackers.
B. Both A and C.
C. Salty foods, cheeses, and meats.
For dinner, you prefer:
A. Chicken or fish, salad, and rice.
B. No preference—choice varies daily.
C. Heavier, fatty foods like pastas, steak, and potatoes.
After dinner, you:
A. Need to have something sweet.
B. Could take dessert or leave it.
C. Don’t care for sweets and would rather have something salty like popcorn.
The types of sweets you like are:
A. Sugary candies.
B. No preference.
C. Ice cream or cheesecake.
Eating fatty foods like meat and cheese before bed:
A. Interferes with your sleep.
B. Doesn’t bother you.
C. Improves your sleep.
Eating carbs like breads and crackers before your bed:
A. Interferes with your sleep, but they’re better than heavier foods.
B. Doesn’t affect you.
C. Is better than nothing, but you sleep better with heavier foods.
Eating sweets before bed:
A. Doesn’t keep you from sleeping at all.
B. Sometimes makes you feel restless in bed.
C. Keeps you up all night.
Each day, you eat:
A. Two or three meals with no snacks.
B. Three meals with maybe one light snack.
C. Three meals and a lot of snacks.
Your attitude toward food is:
A. You often forget to eat.
B. You enjoy food and rarely miss a meal.
C. You love food and it’s a central part of your life.
When you skip meals, you feel:
A. Fine.
B. You don’t function at your best, but it doesn’t really bother you.
C. Shaky, irritable, weak, and tired.
Your attitude toward fatty foods is:
A. You don’t like them.
B. You like them occasionally.
C. You crave them regularly.
When you eat fruit salad for breakfast or lunch, you feel:
A. Satisfied.
B. Okay, but you usually need a snack in between meals.
C. Unsatisfied and still hungry.
What kind of food drains your energy?
A. Fatty foods.
B. No food affects you this way.
C. Fruit, candy, or confections, which give you a quick boost, then an energy crash.
Your food portions are:
A. Small—less than average.
B. Average—not more or less than other people.
C. Large—usually more than most people.
How do you feel about potatoes?
A. You don’t care for them.
B. You could take them or leave them.
C. You love them.
Red meat makes you feel:
A. Tired.
B. No particular feeling one way or the other.
C. Strong.
A salad for lunch makes you feel:
A. Energized and healthy.
B. Fine, but it isn’t the best type of food for you.
C. Sleepy.
How do you feel about salt?
A. Foods often taste too salty.
B. You don’t notice one way or the other.
C. You crave salt and salt your food regularly.
How do you feel about snacks?
A. You don’t really snack, but you like something sweet if you do.
B. You can snack on anything.
C. You need snacks but prefer meats, cheeses, eggs, or nuts.
How do you feel about sour foods like pickles, lemon juice, or vinegar?
A. You don’t like them.
B. They don’t bother you one way or the other.
C. You like them.
How do you feel about sweets?
A. Sweets alone can satisfy your appetite.
B. They don’t bother you but don’t totally satisfy you.
C. You don’t feel satisfied and often crave more sweets.
When you just eat meat (bacon, sausage, ham) for breakfast, you feel:
A. Sleepy, lethargic, or irritable.
B. It varies day to day.
C. Full until lunch.
When you eat heavy or fatty foods, you feel:
A. Irritable.
B. Neutral—they don’t affect you.
C. Satisfied.
When you feel anxious:
A. Fruits or vegetables calm you down.
B. Eating anything calms you down.
C. Fatty foods calm you down.
You concentrate best when you eat:
A. Fruits and grains.
B. Nothing in particular.
C. Meat and fatty food.
You feel more depressed when you eat:
A. Fatty or heavy foods.
B. Nothing in particular.
C. Fruits, breads, or sweets.
You notice you gain weight when you eat:
A. Fatty foods.
B. No particular food. You gain weight when you overeat.
C. Fruits or carbs.
What type of insomnia, if any, applies to you?
A. You rarely get insomnia from hunger.
B. You rarely get insomnia, but if you do, you often need to eat something in order to fall back asleep.
C. You often wake up during the night and need to eat. If you eat right before bed, it alleviates the insomnia.
Your personality type is:
A. Aloof, withdrawn, or introverted.
B. Neither introverted nor extroverted.
C. Extroverted.
Your mental and physical stamina are better when you eat:
A. Light proteins like egg whites, chicken, or fish and fruits.
B. Any wholesome food.
C. Fatty foods.
Your climate preference is:
A. Warm or hot weather.
B. Doesn’t matter.
C. Cold weather.
You have problems with coughing or chest pressure:
If yes, “C”; if no, move on to the next question.
You have a tendency to get cracked skin or dandruff:
If yes, “C”; if no, move on to the next question.
C
You have a tendency to get light-headed or dizzy:
If yes, “C”; if no, move on to the next question.
C
Your eyes tend to be:
A. Dry.
B. Fine.
C. Teary.
Your facial coloring is:
A. Noticeably pale.
B. Average.
C. Pink or often flushed.
Your fingernails are:
A. Thick.
B. Average.
C. Thin.
Your gag reflex is:
A. Insensitive.
B. Normal.
C. Sensitive.
You get goose bumps:
A. Often.
B. Occasionally.
C. Very rarely.
You are prone to:
A. Constipation.
B. No stomach problems.
C. Diarrhea.
When insects bite you, your reaction is:
A. Mild.
B. Average.
C. Strong.
Your body type is:
A. Short and stocky.
B. Average.
C. Tall and thin.
Your nose is:
A. Dry.
B. Normal.
C. Runny.
Scoring Your Metabolic Typing Test
When you have finished the test, add up the number of A answers, B answers, and C answers you have circled.
A_ B___ C___
If your number of C answers is 5 or more higher than your number of A or B answers, you are a fast oxidizer.
If your number of A answers is 5 or more higher than your number of B or C answers, you are a slow oxidizer.
If your number of B answers is 5 or more higher than your number of A or C answers, or if neither A, B, nor C’s are 5 or more higher than the other two, you are a balanced oxidizer.
If you’ve answered this questionnaire and you are still not clear which category is the right one for you, there are two other tests you can take to help clarify your metabolic type. These tests are a little drastic and provocative, and they are only intended for those who truly cannot type themselves using the questionnaire.
1. Niacin test: Take 50 milligrams of niacin on an empty stomach. If you experience an immediate flush, you are most likely a fast oxidizer. If you experience a moderate flushing effect, you are a balanced oxidizer. If you experience a significantly delayed flushing or nothing at all, you are a slow oxidizer.
2. Vitamin C test: Take 8 grams of vitamin C in equally divided doses over 8 hours. The fast oxidizer will respond by feeling acidic and uncomfortable, and may even experience other symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, or increased intestinal gas. A true balanced oxidizer may find that his or her stomach feels less acidic. A slow oxidizer will have no response at all.
I’m assuming you have now identified yourself somewhere along the fast-slow continuum. Now it’s time to get to know more about your type. Read whichever section applies to you to learn the particular foods and eating habits that are right for your type. If you’re good to your metabolism, it’ll return the favor by working to help you maintain weight loss and good health.
Fast Oxidizers
Fast oxidizers
You require foods with higher percentages of protein and fat than carbohydrates. Make sure there is protein in everything you eat including snacks. Your ideal macronutrient ratio is 20 percent carbs, 50 percent protein, 30 percent fat.
Proteins
All proteins are not created equal. The ones that are best for you are high-purine proteins, which are commonly found in fattier meats. This is not to say that you should cut out chicken or fish, but you need the heavier proteins most because they help slow down your rate of oxidation.
Choose from this list of proteins when deciding on a meal or snack:
High Purine: organ meats (pâté, liver, etc.), herring, mussels, sardines, anchovies
Moderate Purine: beef, bacon, dark meat chicken, duck, lamb, spareribs, dark meat turkey, veal, wild game, salmon, shellfish (lobster, shrimp, crab), oysters, scallops, octopus, squid, dark tuna
Low Purine: cottage cheese, milk, yogurt, eggs, cheese, white meat chicken, turkey, fish
Carbohydrates
Your metabolism thrives when your carb intake is limited, but there are different kinds of carbs. Some aren’t as bad as others. Avoid simple carbs, which convert to sugar quickly in the bloodstream. The carbs you can incorporate into your diet are the complex kind found mostly in nonstarchy vegetables. You can choose from these ideal carbs when deciding on a meal or snack.
Low-Starch vegetables: asparagus, cauliflower, celery, mushrooms, spinach
Fruits: avocado, olives, apples and pears (in limited quantity and never without protein on the side)
Grains: sprouted grain bread only (Ezekiel bread is a well-known brand that is available at supermarkets and health–food stores)
Legumes, tempeh, tofu
Fats
To best support your metabolism, you should be getting roughly 30 percent of your daily caloric intake from natural oils and fats. Choose these ideal fats when deciding on meal or snack preparation.
Nuts/Seeds (listed in order of protein content): waltnuts, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, almonds, cashews, Brazil nuts, filberts, pecans, chestnuts, pistachios, coconut, macadamias
Fat/Oils: butter, cream, almond oil, peanut oil, coconut oil, sesame oil, flaxseed oil, sunflower oil, waltnut oil
Along with knowing the foods that are ideal for you, it is important to know the foods that are worst for you. You don’t always have to eat off the ideal foods list, but the following foods will sabotage your weight-loss efforts.
1. Don’t ever eat a meal that is predominantly carbohydrates.
2. Don’t drink alcohol. It causes an increase in blood sugar and fat storage, and it will lead to a sugar crash as well as an increased appetite for carbs. If you choose to have a drink, avoid sugary cocktails, beer, and wine. Stick to clear alcohols like vodka or rum with calorie-free mixers like diet or club soda, and you can always just do what I do and drink it all straight.
3. Don’t eat carbohydrates that are high on the glycemic load index. The next chapter will tell you everything you need to know about the GLI. For now all you need to know is to stay away from high-GLI foods. It is important for all metabolic types to watch their high-GLI intake, but it is especially crucial for you. If you should happen to eat high-GLI foods, make sure to combine them with a protein in order to slow down the production and release of blood sugar.
4. Don’t drink too much caffeine. It is true that caffeine can be used as a fat burner and a performance enhancer when exercising. This is only effective, however, when the caffeine is taken in pill form in conjunction with aspirin. In the forms of coffee, tea, and soda, caffeine gives you short-term energy but does so by getting your adrenal glands to dump adrenaline into your blood like it’s going out of style. As a result, when the caffeine leaves your system, your adrenal glands will be depleted for a while, which leaves you feeling weak and tired from substandard blood-adrenaline levels. Caffeine also speeds the rate of oxidation, which is the exact opposite of what you want your nutrients to do. Avoid caffeinated beverages whenever possible and keep your overall caffeine consumption to a minimum.
5. Don’t overcook your meat. Avoid overcooked animal products, since heat destroys essential amino acids and valuable enzymes.
You will have less physical ailments and feel energized if you eat the foods that contain the ideal macronutrient ratios for your metabolic type. However, these foods are all very high in calories. You must remember to keep within your caloric allowance in order to lose weight.
Slow Oxidizers
In order to best serve your metabolism and feel energized both physically and mentally, you require foods with a higher percentage of carbohydrates. Your ideal macronutrient ratio is 60 percent carbs, 25 percent protein, and 15 pertcent fat.
Proteins
The best proteins for slow oxidizers are low-purine proteins, which are found in leaner meats. It’s not that you can never have steak again, but high-purine, high-fat proteins slow down the rate at which you convert nutrients into energy, which is what you’re already doing too slowly, so the less the better. In general, you want to stick to this list.
Low Purine: white meat chicken, turkey breast, lean pork, catfish, cod, flounder, perch, sole, trout, white meat tuna, swordfish, low-fat cheese, low-fat cottage cheese, skim milk, low-fat yogurt, egg whites
Carbohydrates
Although your metabolic type is better than the others at processing carbs, you still have to pick and choose carefully. You want to avoid simple carbs, which convert into sugar very quickly in the bloodstream, and choose complex carbs instead. Follow this list of ideal carbohydrates when deciding on a meal or snack.
Vegetables—Low Starch: asparagus, cauliflower, celery, mushrooms, spinach, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, collard greens, cucumbers, garlic, kale, leafy greens, onions, peppers, scallions, sprouts, tomatoes, watercress
Vegetables—Moderate: Starch beets, eggplant, jicama, okra, yellow squash, zucchini
Fruits: apples, berries, cherries, citrus fruits, peaches, pears, apricots, plums, tropical fruits, olives
Grains: barley, brown rice, buckwheat, corn, couscous, kasha, millet, oat, quinoa, rye, spelt
Legumes tempeh, tofu (eat sparingly as they are high in purines) beans, peas (should be eaten fresh, never dried)
Fats
You should be on a low-fat diet to keep your metabolism working smoothly. This does not mean no fat—fat is still an essential part of any healthy diet. You should allow 15 percent of your caloric intake to come from fat. You can go over that percentage if you like, but eating foods that are too high in fat content can make you feel lethargic, anxious, and irritable. Choose from this list of fats when cooking a meal or having a snack.
Nuts/Seeds: raw and unsalted only—be very sparing
Fats/Oils: vegetable or nut oils such as almond, coconut, flaxseed, olive, peanut, sunflower, walnut
It’s not enough to know the foods that are ideal for you—you also have to learn which foods are worst for you. If you find yourself straying from the list of suggestions, remind yourself of these guidelines.
1. Don’t eat foods that are fatty or that contain high-purine proteins, such as organ meats and fish such as herring and sardines. Limit your intake of fats and oils, as they will slow down your ability to convert food into energy even further. Avoid red meat or dark white meats, and stay away from high-fat dairy, nut butters, and avocados.
2. Don’t drink alcohol. This is less of a concern for you than for fast oxidizers, but at the end of the day alcohol still increases your blood sugar and inhibits fat metabolism.
3. Don’t drink too much caffeine. This too is less of a concern for you than it is for fast oxidizers, but caffeine gives you energy by acting on your adrenal glands, causing them to over-produce and flood your system with adrenaline. When the caffeine’s effect has worn off, your adrenals are exhausted and you are left with lower-than-normal levels of adrenaline in your system, which makes you feel tired and sluggish.
4. Don’t exceed one serving per meal of simple or starchy carbs like potato, pasta, or rice, and always eat them with a lean protein to help stabilize your blood sugar.
Remember to consume your ideal foods in accordance with your caloric allowance; otherwise, you will not lose weight.
Balanced Oxidizers
If you are a balanced oxidizer, your diet is the easiest to follow, since you require an equal percentage of carbs, fats, and proteins. You feel at your best on a diet that incorporates a wide range of foods. Your ideal macronutrient ratio is 40 percent carbs, 30 percent protein, and 30 percent fat.
Proteins
You operate best when you are getting 30 percent of your total calories from protein. Be careful to mix the kinds of protein you eat so that you consume high-fat and high-purine proteins with low-fat and low-purine proteins. Choose from this list of proteins when deciding on a meal or snack.
High Purine: organ meats (pâté, liver, etc.), herring, mussels, sardines, anchovies
Moderate Purine: beef, bacon, dark meat chicken, duck, lamb, spareribs, dark meat turkey, veal, wild game, salmon, shellfish (lobster, shrimp, crab), oysters, scallops, octopus, squid, dark tuna, eggs, regular-fat cheeses
Low Purine: white meat chicken, turkey breast, lean pork, catfish, cod, flounder, perch, sole, trout, white tuna, swordfish, low-fat cheese, low-fat cottage cheese, skim milk, low-fat yogurt, egg whites
Carbohydrates
With regard to carbs, the real significant difference between balanced, fast, and slow oxidizers is not the types of carbs allowed but the quantity. You should get 40 percent of your nutrients from carbs, but like everyone you should avoid simple carbs and foods that are rated high on the glycemic load index, which we get into in the next chapter. Refined sugars like those found in cookies, sweets, and soda and processed grains like white bread or white rice should be shunned whenever possible, especially on a weight-loss regimen. You do best with a mix of fruits and vegetables from both the fast and slow oxidizers’ carb lists.
Vegetables—Low Starch: asparagus, cauliflower, celery, mushrooms, spinach, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, collard greens, cucumbers, garlic, kale, leafy greens, onions, peppers, scallions, sprouts, tomatoes, watercress
Vegetables—Moderate: Starch beets, eggplant, jicama, okra, yellow squash, zucchini
Fruits: apples, berries, cherries, citrus fruits, peaches, pears, apricots, plums, tropical fruits
Grains: barley, brown rice, buckwheat, corn, couscous, kasha, millet, oat, quinoa, rice, rye, spelt
Legumes/Lentils (all fresh, nothing dried), tempeh, tofu, beans, peas
Fats
In order to best support your metabolism, you need to be getting roughly 30 percent of your calories from natural oils and fats. Don’t eat excessive amounts of fat, but don’t specifically restrict your fat intake. You can choose from fats on both the fast and slow oxidizers’ lists of permissible fats.
Nuts/Seeds: (listed in order of protein content) walnuts, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, almonds, cashews, Brazil nuts, filberts, pecans, chestnuts, pistachios, coconut, macadamias
Fats/Oils: butter, cream, almond oil, peanut oil, coconut oil, sesame oil, flaxseed oil, sunflower oil, walnut oil
Eat the foods that are ideal for you. Also remember these guidelines of what not to do.
1. Don’t eat meals made up of just one macronutrient. Make sure you adhere to your ideal ratio of 40 percent carbs, 30 percent protein, and 30 percent fat.
2. Don’t drink alcohol. It depletes glycogen storage in the liver, which causes an increase in blood sugar and fat storage. In addition, you will most likely experience a sugar crash, which leads to a heightened appetite for carbs and the nutrients you need to metabolize them. If you do have a drink, choose wisely and avoid sugary cocktails, beer, and wine. Opt instead for clear alcohols such as vodka or rum with calorie-free mixers, like club soda diet, light fruit juices or diet Snapple. And there’s always straight or on the rocks as well.
3. Don’t eat foods that are high on the glycemic load index. (Again, see the next chapter for a full understanding of glycemic load.) If you should happen to eat high-GLI foods, make sure you accompany them with protein in order to show down the rate of oxidation and stabilize blood sugar and energy levels.
4. Don’t drink too much caffeine. Caffeine is only effective as a fat burner or performance enhancer when taken in pill form and combined with aspirin. In the forms of coffee, tea, or soda, caffeine gives you short-term energy but does that by signaling to your adrenal glands to dump all of their store out into your blood. When the caffeine wears off, your adrenal glands are so depleted they have to take a break, which means that you feel tired and weak.
5. Don’t overcook your meat. Avoid overcooked animal products, since heat destroys essential amino acids and valuable enzymes.
Now that you have your list of foods that are ideal for your metabolic type, you will have more energy and feel better if you eat to support your metabolism. However, many of the foods on your list are high in calories. Your diet should incorporate these types of foods in accordance with your caloric allowance.
Hi I am 5'2 and I started cc at 155 lbs now I am between 142 and 139lbs. I have been stuck for the past couple of weeks. My goal is to be at 130lbs before the summer starts and I will evaluate after that transformation.
By the way does anyone has any ideas on how to get passed a plateau? I've been stuck at 139 to 142lbs for two weeks and I want to get passed it. I just started yesterday adding more cardio to my workout. Any other suggestions.
Hi I'm 5'3 202 pounds. I want to get healthy and start eating better. I want to like the way i look in a dressing room mirror. and yes does anyone know how to get passed a plateau? i just started exercising but everybody talks about it and i want to avoid it as much as possible.
Everyone is different and I don't think you can avoid a plateau. It happens to everyone and the way to get passed a plateau varies for everyone. For example, I had to take some time off to get passed my first plateau and then I had to up my strength training (vs. cardio) for my most recent plateau. Unfortunately the second method means the scale doesn't change but I THINK my clothes are fitting looser a tiny tiny bit. We'll see. Sorry I can't be of more help.
Could all the shorties out there give me an idea of their calorie intake per day and exercise output. I currently take in 1400-1800 calories per day and I'm actually gaining weight / size even though I exercise 4-5 days per week (300-600 calories per day). And if you're at 1200 calories per day can you give me an idea of what you're eating b/c I can't seem to get any day to be that low (especially since I try to eat 5 times per day).
Thanks!
Bumping this so I can be part of this 5 foot club. ;)
To answer hhaussler's question... I'm trying to eat between 1,200-1,300 calories a day so I could lose 1 lb a pound. I know it isn't easy but I think what really heps is that I tend to have smaller portions by cutting half of what I should eat. I also try to keep myself filled by drinking a lot of water.
I try to remind myself that the day I am more active - I will eat more for more energy.
hey i'm 5'1! can i join? i'm 120.5 and wanna get down to 110 plus get healthier and eat so much crap
Hey, anyone from 5' club still alive on here?
I'm just wondering how y'all are doing.
When I first came here 3 weeks ago -- and I decided to just input my calories in here.
Guess what, I lost 4 lbs since I joined! I went from 142 on 4/10 (two Thursdays ago) and I just weighed in 138 today! I've been losing nearly 2 lbs a week.
So, the secret is DEFINITELY eating the limit calories based on your weight, activity level, and just subract 500 calories so you'd still lose weight.
This is working. I am very excited. I hope to weigh approx 115-120 by time I get married!
Good luck, everyone!!
Original Post by lilshorty91691:
hey i'm 5'1! can i join? i'm 120.5 and wanna get down to 110 plus get healthier and eat so much crap
Of course you can, sweetie because this topic is mainly for the shorty ladies like us.
How is your progress?
Hey I am 5 1/2 too! I understand how that 1/2 inch is very important! Right now I am 125 lbs and want to get down to 115 by July 1st and then 110 after that. I work out 4-6 days a week and eat pretty healthy but pizza is my weakness! I am sticking to a below 1600 calories per day and feeling great so far! People that are tall don't understand that 5 lbs on a short frame is way different than 5 lbs on a taller one!!! I am so excited to see that there are other shorties out there!!!
Hi
Me too
5 foot nothing. 149 pounds hoping to become 119-120... hopefully before we leave for home in july end....
