Meal from my nutritionist...what do you think?

So I saw her again for the second time and this is the meal plan she gave me:

 

1/2 hr after waking up have breakfast: either 1 banana or 1 cup yogurt with fruit

2 hrs later: 2 slices of bread, few slices of meat, 1 piece of fruit, 1 cup of raw veggies

2 and a 1/2 hrs later: handful of nuts or 1/4 of an avocado with 4 crackers

2 and a 1/2 hrs later (dinner): 1 cup of brown rice or whole wheat pasta, 4 oz piece of meat, 1/2 cup of steamed veggies, 1 piece of fruit

Snack: 1 cup milk and 1 cup cereal or 1 slice of bread with 1 spoon of peanut butter

What's the objective of the meal plan.... lose weight? gain weight?  Fix a health problem?  There's not much fruit and veg in that plan.   And breakfast seems rather inadequate.

I know that is why I am skeptical but then again who knows. Her goal was for me to get my appetite back. At this point I am never really hungry and don't know when to eat/when to stop, etc. I could have nothing but one apple in the morning and not be hungry five hours later. I mean I still make myself eat.  And I need to get my period back. I just thought I would need more than 4 oz of protein? My muscles have slowly continuously begun to break down. She also told me no more than 2o min of exercise. :/ this is hard for me. I am used to running at least 3 miles a day outside, 5-6 days a week. 20 min barely even breaks a sweat for me!

I feel bad today was supposed to be my first day. I woke up super late though and ran 3 miles and just had breakfast right now which included 1/2cup kashi Go Lean and 1/2 cup Kashi Oats n Honey cereal with 4 strawberries and 1/2 skim milk. It is now noon time.

 

Oh and she also told me to lay out on the fiber. I guess its stuff that will take my body a long time to digest since it digests slow????? I don't know sometimes I will get super hungry and sometimes not at all it is weird. I guess my body is just really confused just as much as my mind is at this point.

Oh and something that I did not like was the fact that she told me it was ok to have regular peanut butter and it didn't matter. I told her what about all the hydrogenated oils and I forgot exactly what she said. But she said it didn't matter if it was the organic or regular store bought. I thought this was kind of fishy. She also wanted me to have nuts for "brain food" to help nourish my mind I guess but I asked her what if I have say salmon instead those have good fats that I heard was good for your brain. She said it was unsure of whether most of these properties are broken down when they are heated up and really the only way to be sure you are getting them is to eat them raw. Has anyone heard of this? Do you think it sounds like good advice? Just wondering because she is the nutritionist from my University. Sometimes people say don't trust them!

I know that when nuts are roasted for flavor, they lose some of their oils because the high temperature causes the oils to evaporate. I'm not sure if it is the same with fish, though.

I think your nutritionist just wants you to include fats in your diet, even if it isn't completely "organic" peanut butter and has some not so good oils. If peanut butter is the only food you eat that has hydrogenated oils, don't worry about it. Health experts advise people to cut down on it because many people eat a diet mostly made up of pre-packaged foods and therefore eat a LOT of the hydrogenated oils. If you get a bit, it's fine.

As far as the meal plan, what was your menu the first time you saw her? Is this second menu larger than the first? If so, then she is gradually working you up to regular portions. Right now, this is not enough; however, her plan is probably to upgrade your portions in increments.

this is the first meal plan that she gave me. this doesnt seem like much food either its just very calorie dense. i was eating tons and tons of fruits before and lots of veggies with salmon/chicken as protein. and then some cereal in the morning and sometimes sandwhiches or something. i dont know im scared of the peanut butter and the nuts. do you think the peanut butter or nuts would be better as she gave me the choice of getting one or the other?

also, do you guys know if it really matters that much if the nuts are salted or unsalted? i got the planters mixed heart healthy nuts which it claims has 50% less sodium.

i don't know the peanut butter/nuts is freaking me out. i'd rather use those calories on something else. i am worried that all that saturated/trans fat will go to my stomach although I realize that it is the "good" fats but i would regularly eat salmon sometimes every day a week.

That only plans for 7.5 hours.. unless you're going to have 7 hours of no eating after dinner or sleep a lot you had better spread those meals out more or divide them up more!

i sleep in really late cus i got to bed so late. i don't know how i will really follow that meal plan.

 

today i definitely dont think i followed it.

i had 1/2 kashi go lean, 1/2 kashi oats n honey, 1/3 skim milk, four strawberries

carrots/red peppers/ celery mixed in with diced tomatoes and chicken for lunch with some kiwi

a small handful of mixed nuts and a couple of almond

then had baked salmon, asparagus/red peppers, little bit more of chicken for dinner

later had big glass of warm milk and a mango

 

i dont know the peanut butter and nuts are freaking me out. anyone know what peanut butter is best? i ended up going to natural foods market and bought tree of life crunchy peanut butter. i wonder if that is better than just buying the one they make at the store with just peanuts.

It's a good diet that you've been recommended.   As the other poster says... she's starting you small and building up.   Look for peanut butters that only contain, say, peanuts and salt on the ingredients label.   If the store makes their own that sounds perfect.  And find unsalted or 'raw' nuts to snack on.  Often they're in the cookery ingredients section of a grocery store rather than the snack section.  Nuts are great for fibre, protein, essential fatty acids and energy so they're a perfect food for you.  The fat in nuts is an unsaturated vegetable fat.  And it's the fats that will help your periods come back, as well as the protein. 

The reason you've been told to cut down on the fibre is because vegetables and fruit are high bulk and low calorie.  They fill you up long before you get the right amount of energy.  The opposite of what you want if you're trying to build your appetite back up...  You've been recommended foods that are low-bulk and calorie dense.  If you want to eat more protein that wouldn't be a problem but not if it means you skip on the brown rice/pasta and the wholemeal bread again.  You really need the nutrition in those wholegrains.

Try getting to bed a little earlier tonight and setting your alarm so that you get up at a reasonable time tomorrow.  Part of this process is replacing unhealthy routines like irregular eating and over-exercising with healthier ones like regular meals and a better balanced diet.   Don't worry that you didn't get it 100% right today.  Tomorrow is a chance to do even better.

yeah the one i got has roasted valencia peanuts and salt on it. i should have gone for the whole foods version though. i just didnt like the fact there was no nutrition label on it but really it is just peanuts and they had the unsalted kind. it was also only a dollar versus the six dollar one i bought. :/ maybe i should go back and exchange it. i feel bad for getting the mixed nuts one. i went to bjs and spent 10 dollars on a big tub of mixed nuts with says lightly salted i havent opened it yet though. maybe i should return that haha and go to publix and get their nuts.

as for the bread i am buying nature's own 100% whole wheat bread (50 cal per slice). and i also went ahead and bought quinoa do you think this is a healthy alternative to pasta or bread? i kept hearing about it and saw it so i went ahead and bought some.

today was a bad start again. i started with having a taste of some cottage cheese i bought which was wayyy too salty and a small handful of blueberries. then i had some yogurt and cut up a mango and sprinkled some cinnanom and kashi go lean on it and just a few of the fiber one caramel delight sample. after that though i was feeling bored/tired/low energy so i went ahead and had a peach. i wanted somethign sweet after so i had some of this little brazilian chocolate called "brigadeiro" which is really made out of condensed mlk and chocolate sprinkles on the outside and a cup of milk. see i can eat normally i dont know if i need to go with this light nutrition thing she gave me. and having one cup of cereal at night will surely fill me up like that. the problem with peanut butter is im scared ill binge on it which is also what i afraid of when it comes to the nuts. gosh i dont really even like nuts :/

after becoming underweight myself, my body didnt know when it was honestly hungry, or starving, i was losing weight and not feeling hungry. i think your nutritionist is doing the refeeding process slowly, i unfortuntely hit it head first and for a while i was terribly stuffed and sick, i wish i had a nutritionist early on. So i would try your best to follow her plan, please, also lay off the exersize the best you can, you need the reserves back. i have since gained 14 pounds back, and my appetite is slowly returning as well.

your body takes time to readjust after starving for so long, your perceptions will be a little messed up, just be pacient.

your nutritionist is try8ing to reporgram your appetitie, your body will get used to the meal times, and then you probably will be asked to expand the meals, etc. 

the hunger comes on/off for me or i guess it just depends on what i ate as i am assuming my stomache takes longer to digest. today for instance i was constantly snacking on little things.

the nuts i had though are really making my stomache feel weird. i think i had too much cheese/dairy today as well.

also how the heck do i measure one cup of whole wheat pasta?? that seems like a lot as well?! although i admit i have definitely missed the taste of pasta i wouldn't mind making some...

 

at what weight did you start/end at?

Hi,

Honestly, if your period is gone (mine is too) I have been told it's from a lack of fat; both your body and your diet. I don't see a problem with Salmon, but I would say the best way to get fats back into your diet is to incorporate them slow. I have heard that fat is best when it's cold... like how you can get flax seed oil (best is cold pressed and kept in the frig). I take Omega 3's... and add flax seed oil and olive oil w/ balsalmic to my salads. Maybe that will help you? Also a great breakfast is Quinoa... it's high in fat and protein and has all the fiber you still need to keep you powered up while you run. And yeah I can understand not being hungry... with me it's starving for food or not wanting any at all... lol. Peanut butter is a GREAT way to add fat to your diet but if you are worried about additives, then make it yourself... it's just like Mayonaise... it's super easy to make and you need two ingredients: peanuts & salt. :)

Hope that helps!

 

Original Post by 2loveandbeloved:

Oh and something that I did not like was the fact that she told me it was ok to have regular peanut butter and it didn't matter. I told her what about all the hydrogenated oils and I forgot exactly what she said. But she said it didn't matter if it was the organic or regular store bought. I thought this was kind of fishy. She also wanted me to have nuts for "brain food" to help nourish my mind I guess but I asked her what if I have say salmon instead those have good fats that I heard was good for your brain. She said it was unsure of whether most of these properties are broken down when they are heated up and really the only way to be sure you are getting them is to eat them raw. Has anyone heard of this? Do you think it sounds like good advice? Just wondering because she is the nutritionist from my University. Sometimes people say don't trust them!

 

im probably going to study nutrition in college, and see if its right for me, i personally love the field. However it is true that short chain omega 3 fatty acids breakdown when they come into contact with sunlight, oxygen, and heat. However i doubt they are broken down as much as she says, thats up for debate.

still some of the best sources of omega 3 fatty acids come from salmon, cold water fish like anchovies, and seeds/nuts like walnuts, ground flaxseed meal, and shelled raw hempseed ( get this at a healthfood store probably)

organic whole milk has a good ratio of omega 3 fatty acids, as long as the cows are fed a good diet, like grass fed.

oh now that i think about it i have some fish oil omega 3 pills. do you think that would work good enough? i think i'd rather do that than shove pb/mixed nuts down my throat which i don't really even like and may end up eating too much of one night haha.

yeah, i take omega 3 fish pills too, you have to keep them in a cold dark place though.