When you are on your own diet?

[TheBedroomDiary]

Okay, when you are training to get into something. A sport, military, law enforcement, fire fighting, anything you KNOW will be physically demanding, and you are required to change your exercise and eating habits ... What foods do you eliminate completely;y?

What foods do you moderate?

What foods do you keep all together?

Is it truly about portions or is that for certain types of food?

I need some help in this area. This is my first time really taking ll this seriously. I am doing this for a certain branch I am joining.

[rachiee]

Eliminated completely; most bread, pasta, cheese, most dairy products, sugary foods (ice cream, dessert, etc), anything fried, any meats other than chicken or fish or turkey, processed foods. Read labels! If sugar is listed early in the ingredients then you don't want it. You should aim for 1200 calories a day as well.

Foods I moderated; sodium levels in food, calories, anything I didn't make myself (I'd go out to dinner maybe once every two weeks and even then I'd still eat healthy there), whole eggs (with egg yolks), nuts, jasmine rice

Foods I kept; whole grains, fruits, veggies, lots of spinach, salads, chicken and fish (baked or grilled sometimes), sliced turkey (for sandwiches), low fat/calorie mayo (I couldn't give this up lol), yogurt, low calorie/fat and no sugary salad dressing (hard to find but read the labels! If sugar is listed as one of the first ingredients, put it down), hummus, hot sauce, veggie burgers, tofu, almond/coconut milk

Basically you want to try to make your meals as much as possible. Use common sense as to what you should eat and what you shouldn't. Its about portions AND types of foods. You want the right portions of the right food. You don't want to overeat even if its healthy food. Healthier foods are harder to overeat and rack up in calories but its food still so definitely possible.

Its funny because when you go to MEPS and most other military functions, the food they serve is incredibly unhealthy. My first night at MEPS they gave us a choice of fried chicken and fries or chicken alfredo. And then when I got to MEPS they served us nasty meatloaf and potatoes with butter. I highly suggest you pack your own food for MEPS, I did and was definitely glad about that.

If you have any questions feel free to ask me! Training/preparing/military questions are definitely my area of expertise lol

[TheBedroomDiary]

Ahhhh ... not ice cream.

[rachiee]

Nope. Definitely sucks lol but its worth it!

[TheBedroomDiary]

When you say most bread, what do you mean...

[rachiee]

Non-wheat/whole grain breads is what you should stay away from. It really depends on the bread but most of the time its not a good thing to have in your diet.

[rachiee]

I meant bread that isn't wheat and whole grained, my comment below seems confusing.

[TheBedroomDiary]

Oh, okay, that is fine. And when you say most dairy products what do you mean.

I drink whole milk. Do artificial sweeteners help. I eat pure cane sugar.

Yeah, I am a junk food junky.

[rachiee]

I'd switch to skim milk or 2%. Whole milk can be fatty with a lot of calories. And pure cane sugar is sugar lol. Its usually refined white sugar that is stripped of all of its nutrients and high in calories and on the glycemic scale (mean it leads to health problems like obesity, diabetes, etc.). The artificial sweeteners aren't good either. They're made with all sorts of chemicals and are thought to increase your appetite. What do you need the sugar and artificial sweeteners for?

[TheBedroomDiary]

Um, well.. you see.. I like cookies! And Milk... and I was wondering if I could make them healthier?

[rachiee]

Soy, 2%, or skim milk aren't bad substitutes. But as for the cookies, I can't really think of substitutes for that. Maybe special k has something but I couldn't tell you what it is. The best thing to do is to research products and their labels before making a choice.

[WoIIie]

Eliminate the obvious bad foods that are high in fats and sodium, high in sugars, as well as enriched flours(in favor of whole wheats).

The idea of avoiding things like fat completely is a bit impractical. A chicken breast might have some fat and sodium but that doesn't make it unhealthy. Try to master the ratios. If a food has 200 calories with 100 calories from fat and 30% of your daily sodium, avoid that. That's a bad ratio of calories per nutrient. If a "healthy" beverage has 45g+ of sugar per serving, avoid that and have a fruit with water instead.

[TheBedroomDiary]

Wow, that is GOOD!

[WoIIie]

:P

[KERMlT]

Well if I make love my strength is drained. So I wouldn't do that 1-2 days prior to an event where my strength is needed.

Carbs (starches mainly) store fuel for the following day. Eating a power bar and drinking gatorade does help.

Funny thing is that in the military, I was almost put in a weight gaining program. I was on the border and only gained 5 lbs in the first year of duty.

[rachiee]

What branch are/were you in?

[KERMlT]

I was in the U.S. Army.

[TheBedroomDiary]

Okay, I see. I am joining the Air Force. I want to go in at my best!

Wow, you make that good love! lol!

[KERMlT]

The best thing I would do is to get with a physical therapist or personal trainer to go over how to do exercises the right way. That will prevent injury and get the most out of the workout. You might even ask what would be the best ones to do now before you go in to condition yourself.

[TheBedroomDiary]

I see, thanks!

[WeaponZero]

Eliminate anything greasy and high in saturated fat. Cheeses must be kept to a minimum. Fatty condiments like mayo and butter have got to go. Focus on whole grains, lean meats, high protein, lots of fruits and veggies.

[TheBedroomDiary]

Okay, is cereal and milk good?

[WeaponZero]

Depends on the cereal and when you time it.

[TheBedroomDiary]

When I time it? Do you mean late at night or early in the morning?