Trying a new diet..need a little advice?

Question

I am attempting a strict diet for a month...it basically goes like this:
Breakfast: Oatmeal with berries, egg whites, whole grain toast
Lunch: Turkey sandwich, baked chips, apple.
Dinner:Lean meat (chicken, turkey,) with brown rice/baked potato.
This is basically what i'm going to by, while i incorporate running 3 miles 4 times a week and a weight lifting program done 3 times a week.
I need to know little details concerning my diet
-Is it okay to put a little sugar into my oatmeal, and butter on my toast, salt/pepper on my eggs
-For dinner, i need some ideas for lean protein.
-What is something good to drink, besides water. Will tea work or diet soda.

Answer 1

your diet is not one anybody should follow - when body gets more calories at once than it needs it stores them in fat reserves and then doesnt get any soon again and uses muscle for energy. you dont have any veggies in your diet. also you dont have to count miles you run but minutes doing it (cardio).
find daily calorie intake calculator on the net, enter all your stats and it will tell you how many calories you need a day to maintain, take off 300-400cal off that number and thats how much you need to lose.
eat 5-6 small meals a day (eat every 2-3 hours - it optimizes your metabolism)
5-8 servings of fruit and veggies a day
8 glasses of water
have complex carbs for breakfast - they give you energy
have protein (lean meat, legumes etc) for dinner - repairs muscle
cardio exercise (running, jogging, swimming, spinning, elliptical etc) 4-6 times a week for 30-50min (ideally 45min because the first 20-30min body burns carbs and only then starts burning fat), light weight training (more muscle=faster metabolism)
dont consume foods that are made of white flour (white bread, cakes, pasta etc.), sugar loaded foods (cookies, icecream, candy etc) and nothing fried, oily.
ofcourse you can spoil yourself once in a while with a little treat:)

Answer 2

First of all, you need to eat more. Eating 3 meals a day is a no no. Here's why. If you eat 3 meals far apart your body will begin to store more of those meals away out of fear that you may not eat again for a while. However if you eat 5-6 smaller meals 2-3 hours apart your body will begin to burn the meals more efficiently because it knows it will eat again shortly. Basically you are speeding up your metabolism. Secondly you need to identify your goals. Are you looking to lose weight, gain muscle, or both? I feel that your trying to do both so I will advise you as such. To gain muscle you need to provide the body with the nutrients it needs. Protein is the most important. You should strive to consume 1g of protein per 1lb of body weight. Using a whey protein supplement will help you. Also make sure that you consume 30-40g of protein within 30 minute of you workout. As for the small details. 1 tbsp brown sugar on the oatmeal. Use a butter spray as a replacement to butter. Pepper yes, salt no. Salt retains water and therfore weight. For lean protein stick with egg whites, chicken, turkey, and fish. Canned tuna is a great protein snack. Lean red meat is fine once or twice a week. Do not drink soda, stick with water or tea. Crystal lite is also a good 5 low cal drink.

Answer 3

You did not mention a single green food in this diet. Very little fruit. And no dairy either! The vitamins gained from eating vegetables and fruit are needed for a healthy body, whether you want to lose weight or just keep fit. Your body needs calcium and vitamin D for skin, bones, hair and general health.
Your diet includes some excess carbohydrates, chips and potato.
Avoid the sugar, better a tiny amount of butter than margarine, salt is okay in moderation, pepper is always okay. You can also use flavored Hummus (a protein souce!), to pep up your sandwiches and meats. Lemon and other fruit add flavor to water and have been credited with burning calories
Please go to MyPyramid.gov and add fruits and veggies and dairy to balance this diet.
No soda. Even diet soda has been attributed to increased hunger. Tea is okay, but research some herbal varieties that are beneficial to you.
Protein....
This diet has more than enough. It's in the oatmeal, egg whites, (unless you are a cholesterol case - then eat the whole egg!) turkey, chicken/turkey. You have spread is though the day okay. Consider fish, tuna, salmon, swordfish, all are lean and good sources of protein and Omega 3 EFA's. Nuts and seeds are a good source, but I sense you don't want the calories.

Answer 4

I would put Splenda in your oatmeal....fat free spray margarine on your toast and use salt in moderation...pepper should be ok. Lean protein would include chicken breast, turkey (ground turkey is a good replacement for ground beef), lean beef or pork, fish...in addition, any low fat/fat free milk products would have protein.

A good something to drink is Crystal Light. It is better for you than diet soda and comes in a lot of flavors. Diet soda has a lot of sodium and might make you retain water.

Answer 5

My advice is that as long as your eating good foods 80% of the time and you are balancing it with routine exercise your good to go. As for lean protein, chicken isn't always the best anymore because they're so over fed to the point where their own legs an feet can't support them. I would sugest fish, especially tuna, because it contains no trans or saturated fats only good fats. When it comes to puting sugar in your oatmeal use brown sugar or honey instead and try to stay away from margerine (lots of bad trans fats). Water is the best. Juices are high in sucrose sugars, but promegrande juice is a good alternative because it has lots and lots of antioxidants. Try to stay away from pop, event the diet ones because the aspartame is really bad for you. MIlk is good to drink even though it has fats in it, and as for tea Green tea is the best or pepermint. And a new tea discovery of mine that is really good is chai or bangle spice. And one more thing, because your working out eat lots of bananas. They are like an energy bar jammed packed with potassium and nutrients.