Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Tracking Ingestion

Several people wanted more info about the web site which allows you to track your eating- specifically the balance of protein/carbohydrates/fats.

There are two main ones:
FitDay and Calorie King. Try signing up for (free) accounts and try each for a day; to see which is easier for you to use and tracks more of the foods you eat (I shop a lot at Trader Joe's, and Calorie King has almost all their items in its database, so that's my choice).

You do want at least 30-40% carbs in your diet. And it's essential to have some form of protein at every meal. And the big trick is to find ways to have healthful carbs and proteins - what athletes call "clean" carbs and proteins. Tortilla chips (even lowfat ones) and french fries are not clean carbs. Burgers and bologna slices are not clean protein. Go for less processed, fresher, more from-scratch "whole" foods with little added sugar, salt, etc. And reinvest the money you save (from dining out less and buying simpler foods) by springing for organics.

One advantage of including (clean) protein at every meal is that it will help keep you from burning muscle as you lose weight...a big problem with many diets (and one we'll discuss here next week).

Updated correction: Calorie King is now charging...$9 per month. Not bad, considering that you probably won't be using the service for more than six months (by which time you'll have lost your weight and/or developed a knack for gauging meal balance).

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