I need diet tips please!?

Question

Hey everyone!
I am 19 5'6 and around 132 lbs, I do not think I need to loose much weight but before recently I would eat anything and everything. I love fast food and would get several double cheeseburgers, french fries and snack wraps. Overall these foods did not make me feel good, I am eating much healthier now trying to spread my eating through out the day. I do not go to the gym (no time!) but get some exercise from being with my puppy. I would like to loose a couple of pounds or just tighten up.
My question is do I want to eat foods with low calories or carbs?
I have been counting calories and the chart says I should not go over 1,488
Should I count carbs instead?

Thanks so much for anyone who can help me out!

ok well the little exercise I get is from my 5 month old rottweiler, his walks probably add up to about 45 minutes a day, and we go on extended walks or hikes once a week.

Answer 1

First lets get something straight. Burning calories and burning carbohydrates is the same thing. The question is do you want to burn calories from fat or calories from carbohydrates. The difference isn't in how the calories are "burned" so much as in how excess calories are stored.

Excess carbohydrate calories must be converted to triglycerides before they can be stored as body fat. This process requires over 25% of the energy stored in the food. Thus, if you took in 100 Calories of pure carbohydrate in excess of your body's needs, you'd only store about 75 Calories worth of fat, since you used up some of the energy in the conversion process.

Fat, on the other hand, is fat to begin with. It only takes about 3% of the energy in it to put it up on the larder shelf, as it were. Thus, 100 Calories from fat in excess of your body's needs can end up as 97 Calories worth of saddlebag.

Remember that we take in nutrients of all sorts together, though - fats, carbs, and proteins. Thus, the most important factor over time is generally the total number of calories. However, if you keep the number of calories in your diet exactly the same and switch from a high-fat to a lower-fat diet you will generally notice a reduction in weight (assuming you were in caloric balance beforehand).

There are two types of carbohydrates - simple and complex. Both exist in either a refined or natural form.

Simple carbohydrates - The best source should come from seasonal fruits. Although these also digest quickly and cause the same reaction as the refined form, they contain essential vitamins and minerals. In their natural state, fruits quench thirst and have a cooling effect on hot summer days. Cooking seasonal fruit with a pinch of sea salt in cold weather adds a warming quality, produces a sweeter flavor and is more digestible.

Complex carbohydrate-These take longer to digest providing the energy needed for our daily activity and contain fiber, vitamins and minerals. Most experts recommend that 50 to 60 per cent of the total calories in our diet should come from complex carbohydrates in the form of whole grains, legumes, vegetables, whole grain breads and whole grain pasta.

Quite simply, a low carb, any carb diet is not a maintainable lifestyle. Reduce the amount of simple carbs, increase the protein intake and take in 4 to 5 much smaller meals a day and you will lose the few pounds you want. Reduce or avoid most dairy products and at least try and do some exercise program.

You are right, you don't need to lose much weight, if any. You are young and your metabolism is still very high. Don't so much try to reduce carbs but rather watch what type of carbs you are eating. Keep the protein up, about a half a gram per pound of body weight and as I said, many small meals a day and the calories will take care of themselves.

Answer 2

You're near your ideal weight and you've made good strides in terms of the junk food. Why would you torture yourself with some oddball diet? If you need to lose a few pounds of fat still, just a little more adjustment in limiting your dense-calorie foods (fatty/greasy and simple sweets) should do. You didn't say much about your puppy, but if it's a medium or large breed, soon it'll help with the basic place to start with exercise: a fifteen or twenty minute brisk walk 3 times a week.

Answer 3

Hi, Amanda. I'm Sean Toh from Singapore. If you are trying to lose some weight, counting your carbs is crucial because you don't want the excess calaries to add up. If you are having lots of physical activities, you will be consuming more calories. Hence, on those days when your daily activities are more, you can increase your carbs intake or else you will find that you will be lacking in energy. Just remember, if your daily activities are less, reduce your carbs. As long as you are utilising the calories, chances are you will not store the excess calories as fat. Click the links below for more information

Yours Sincerely
Sean Toh
Experienced Bodybuilder

Answer 4

Honestly, I would say to a girl that 132 at that height isn't bad at all. It's good. But carb-counting is the worst way to go. Go for low fat/low calories/low sugar. Low sugar, but NOT low carbs. Carbs are the main fuel, and at your size, you wouldn't have much fat to burn through. Your body would soon get to burning muscle and that's bad.

"try high protein babe, no carbs, protein and vegetables instead, green vegetables, steamed okra would be nice, reward yourself with your favorite food once a week but not everyday, not too much beef, can have chicken or seafood often, especially deep sea fishes, the big scaley fishes and hot tea before and after eating."

*snort* Here's what I love about the "low carb" diet. A high protein diet would actually cause you to gain a pound or two. And with "no carbs" you would lose your muscle, not your fat. And if steamed okra sickens you, don't eat it. There's plenty of stuff tasty but healthy as well. And fish may be good, but remember: omega-3 fatty acids still are what their name suggests: FAT

Answer 5

I tend to park further away from the stores than I need to for the walking, and I take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walking the dog is good especially if you have a wayward puppy on a leash!
Keep drinking a lot of water, and do wacky things like doing what I call counter-pushups. Stand 3 feet away from a kitchen counter, with your hands 2 feet apart on the edge of the counter, fingers pointing in and elbows pointing out. Keep your back straight and do pushups. Believe it or not, it works! My arms used to look really toned by doing 40 of them a day.

Answer 6

...what kind of exercise do you get from your puppy?... try high protein babe, no carbs, protein and vegetables instead, green vegetables, steamed okra would be nice, reward yourself with your favorite food once a week but not everyday, not too much beef, can have chicken or seafood often, especially deep sea fishes, the big scaley fishes and hot tea before and after eating.

Answer 7

Get tips from weight loss community

Answer 8

if you re having trouble getting started make a small move such as starting an eating log or buying walking shoes you re three times more likely to follow through if you start with small gestures such as these

Answer 9

swap out brown rice or quinoa yes even the new super food which both add up to about 220 calories per cup for cauliflower or roasted peppers that are only about 30 calories per cup

Answer 10

Not eating or skipping meals is not dieting If you do you may get more weight