Low CAL VS. Low CARB

ok..ive recently just had surgery so I am unable to workout for awhile. I have always been horrible about knowing what to eat and I am guilty of yo yo dieting. It hasnt affected my weight since I regularly workout but now that I cant my weight has sky rocketed. Being 5'3 it really shows. 

So instead of panicking I just wanted some advice on if I should focus on things that are low in calorie or low in carb? or low in fat? And if you have any quick meal plans that I could follow.

 

Any advice would be extremely helpful!

Thanks!

I am no expert in these things, but I have always thought about calories as energy.  So since your body is not expending a lot of energy right now, it doesn't need a whole lot of calories. I would say that until you are healed from your surgery that you should portion yourself off.  Instead of restricting the foods you eat restrict the amount of food you eat.  When the body is not moving around very much, it doesn't need much to sustain its self.  Thus, if you section your meals off into smaller portions you will consume less.  But this is not to say you should go hungry.  Quite the contrary, your body is healing right now and your immune system needs all the support you can give.  Just have four small meals a day with minimal snacking until you are able to move around again.  It also helps to gave a bag of salad around instead of chips or something else you just grab from the kitchen.  Spring mix is really good for just a grab and go type thing.  Don't eat until your full, but don't go hungry either.  Find a happy medium.  =^_^=

Hope this helps!
~Lillian

Just be aware of how many calories you burn while sedentary, and try to keep a balanced diet. What's best is different for everyone, but something like 50% carbs, 25% fat and 25% protein usually works for me.

thanks so much lillianharmony and oxsunrisesunset for your posts. Im horrible when it comes to knowing what to eat but this makes sense!

From a biological stand point low-cal with a smooth food ratio.

What the heck is a smooth food ratio? That's the first time I've ever heard of that.

Carbs are essential to the human body and less than 40% has been shown to increase fatigue, irritability, depression and insomnia. Not only that, plenty of carbs are nutritious, so just pick wholegrain options.

I will say go with lower calorie, not low-cal. Don't crash diet - take things slowly and you are more likely to see lasting results.

And remember that low-cal is not the same as healthy. You should aim to eat healthy 80%-90% of the time - by that I mean natural, unprocessed, nutrient loaded food; lots of fresh fruits and veges; moderate sodium and portion sizes, and home-cooked or home-prepared food rather than processed food out of packets. Don't forget those fats, either; aim for 20-30% fat from olive oil, rice bran oil, meat, butter, nuts, seeds and avocado. Try not to get all of your fat from saturated sources, but saturated fats are actually necessary in moderation, so don't feel you have to exclude those either.

what is the healthiest way of preparing veggies bc i loove to sauté but i dont think its the healthiest

Sauteeing and stir-frying aren't bad methods of cooking vegetables provided you are using just minimal amounts of oil or fat... a teaspoon, max.  You can roast quite a lot of vegetables.  Things like carrots, red peppers, onions can be tossed in a tiny amount of oil and roasted in the oven ... very tasty

Steaming is generally regarded as the healthiest method of cooking because vegetables cooked that way retain more vitamins and keep their colour better.  If you want to add flavour to vegetables, try a little lemon juice rather than butter. 

Also remember that vegetables do not have to be relegated to side dishes. Make vegetable soups, curries and frittatas, add vegetables to pasta, stews, casseroles; make main-dish salads... Adding vegetables to the main element of your meal means they pick up the flavour of whatever you're eating and often means less extra butter or oil is used preparing separate vegetable dishes.

thanks for the advice all...yea those are great ideas..ive been experimenting with healthier ways of flavoring my veggies...i usually just load it with garlic