Critique my diet plus another fiber question

[mikah]

So- I see everyone doesnt count fiber..

Ive been eating similar to this because I find myslef less bloated.

meal 1
1/2 c whites
1 cup strwberries
avocado slice

meal 2
1/2 cup all bran
1 low carb yogurt
1 T PB

meal 3
same as meal 2

meal 4
2/3 cup soy crumbles
1 Low carb tortilla (19grams * 14 from fiber)
vegis raw
avocado slice

meal 5
1/2 cup brown rice
chickn breast 2 oz cooked
vegis 2 cups
5grm fats added

meal 6 similar to one of these meals

this is a 40carb/30/30 ratio...I do feel rundown.
Do you think its because of my carb choices??
I usually avg 1300-1500 cals a day
5'3 115 lb
looking to be 13% year round.
Oh I have a high cal day on Sunday.
2000-2500

 

[ncgirl21]

I honestly think your diet looks fine. I think the reason why you feel so run down is because you've been dieting for such a long time. IMO, I'd say- take a week off and then go back to your diet but have two higher calorie days.


You may also want too add in how much cardio you do and your weights schedule. Your very active and that's why I think you need two higher days.


Good Luck Babe!!! Your smoking hot as is

 

[Jodi]

I think its a mix of your carb choice AND your protein choices.

Your diet really lacks quality protein.

 

[Emma-Leigh]

Hey Mikah!

Your diet really lacks quality protein.

Bump on this! Yoghurt in meals 2 and 3 is not really going to offer you enough quality protein for those meal. I can't really comment on the next meal as I am not sure what soy crumbles are?? (Is it like TVP??)

But your diet is severely lacking in good quality carbs. The only really good carb I see in there is in meal 5 (rice) - none of the other carb sources are going to be efficient enough in giving you energy (the all bran, strawberries, yoghurt and low-carb products are not going to do anything for your energy levels).

You are also not really fueling your body appropriately in the morning - some egg whites, strawberries and a bit of avocado is not a good enough breakfast, especially if you are still doing 40min of fasted cardio!!

Are you still taking fishies?? Because if you are not then I would also throw in the advice to increase your omega-3 fats. At the moment you have lots of avocado and PB which will offer you healthy fats (both mono and polyunsaturated fats) but they are not going to be giving you omega-3 fats.

Anyway - You are WAAYYyyy too active to be living on fibre Mikah!

 

[mikah]

Thanks for the advice...

I dont understand though - I am getting at least 100 grams protein a day??

 

[angelpaws]

I think there are different qualities of protein though. Your body might not absorb some as readily as others. Try to add in some cottage cheese; I hear that the whey form of protien is very readily absorbed by the body.

 

[Emma-Leigh]

Thanks for the advice...

I dont understand though - I am getting at least 100 grams protein a day??

Is that counting complete proteins only, or the proteins you are also getting from other things?

You have to remember that the quality of protein does count to some extent. It is not just the number! Different proteins have different digestability and conversion ratings in the body - meaning some proteins are more useful to your body! Although you should count the incomplete proteins (your body can still use the amino acids) you need to make sure you are also getting enough of your complete, highly digestable/highly effective proteins.

Also, with how active you are, and the fact that you are trying to maintain your lean muscle mass, you should be getting a minimum of about 115g of protein.

 

[sara]

May I ask why you start the day without any complex carbs and have your main carb in your 5'th meal?

 

[Jodi]

What Emma said!

Not all proteins are created equal.

Proteins come from meats, cottage cheese and whey. We don't count the protein from a cup of yogurt or from the oats or anything else unless it is strictly protein.

 

[sara]

we don't count the protein from yogurt? not even the high protein yogurt? 12 Grams?

 

[Vieope]

What is it with everyone and this fiber insanity?

 

[Emma-Leigh]

we don't count the protein from yogurt? not even the high protein yogurt? 12 Grams?

I do.

I count protein from everything in my totals for the day (beans, grains, vegetables, yoghurt etc). Whether the amino acids you digest are from a source that is complete or incomplete, the body will use them, so it doesn't matter if it is from a kidney bean or a king-fish.

BUT, due to the differences in the digestability, bioavailability and efficiency of the different proteins you will get different uptakes from your intestines AND you will get differences in the ability of your body to use those amino acids for productive growth. So this means you should aim to get an absolute minimum of 1.0g/pound of the highly digestable proteins (such as those in meats, eggs, lean dairy, protein powders etc) and then count the extra stuff as a bonus.

Sure, problems occur when you start relying on incomplete proteins for your major proteins sources - however, for most people these only really occurs if the diet is severely limited in your sources of protein (eg: You live off rice and rice alone) which will lead you to be deficient in some of your essential amino acids... or if your overall intake of protein is insufficient to meet a bodies obligate requirements (the protein needed for basal body functions). Otherwise, most will get all of their essential amino acids through the different foods they eat and will not suffer from protein deficiency.

BUT, that is for the average, non-active person who wants to remain sloathful and non-muscular. For anything more (eg: from the somewhat active everyday individual right through to your bodybuilder), relying on incomplete proteins as a major protein source adds a 'rate limiting step' to your bodies athletic and anabolic potential. Anything that increases the rate of protein turnover in your muscles will increase your requirements, and if you do not fill this requirement your body will not have all those amino acids readily available to help with muscle development and recovery. So it means that you are not going to be able to maintain or build muscle as efficiently or perform althletically as efficiently.


Anyway - in my opinion, there is no reason not to count that protein from your yoghurt. The protein in yoghurt is complete, and is pretty good in terms of conversion/efficiency (as it is a milk product - and is therefore whey & casein). But I would not rely on it as a sole source of protein in a meal... It just is not going to offer you enough. So, my problem with Mikah counting the yoghurt in her diet as a protein was that it was the ONLY source of complete protein for two of her meals. She would be MUCH better off combining it with something such as cottage cheese, so she got most of her protein from a much better source, and counted the yoghurt protein on top of this.

 

[Jodi]

So this means you should aim to get an absolute minimum of 1.0g/pound of the highly digestable proteins (such as those in meats, eggs, lean dairy, protein powders etc) and then count the extra stuff as a bonus.

Exactly how I feel too. I count my daily requirements of protein from lean meats and whey and everything else is a bonus

 

[sara]

Milk, Cottage cheese, and high protein yogurt are bonus?

 

[Jodi]

Cottage cheese I count as a protein but milk and yogurt I do not.

 

[sara]

I still count it.. is that ok? since I'm supposed to limit my protein intake from what the doctor has recommended

 

[Jodi]

I'd prefer if you didn't count it.

 

[sara]

I don't know I need to be real careful with protein

 

[Emma-Leigh]

I don't know I need to be real careful with protein

I am halfway... I do count milk and yoghurt, but I never rely on them as my only source of protein in a meal. So I would make sure when you do have them you are also getting some protein from another source (eggs, meats/seafood, cottage cheese).

 

[sara]

Thats what I've been doing.. adding whey protein to the milk, chicken to the cheese