Nutrition seems difficult

[MarkKol]

I used this tool https://cronometer.com/#diary to calculate how much vitamins, lipids, minerals and proteins each food has.

And I was surprised at how much food it actually takes to meet all of your nutritional needs.

I made 2 experimental diets just to see which foods contain the most nutrients.

Despite these 2 insanely big diets that nobody would actually eat, they still wouldn't provide enough nutrients necessary.

Everything encircled in red is IMO lacking, everything outlined with blue seems way too high

What am I doing wrong? should I just up all my vegetable intake past to 150-200g ??? up my intake overall? 

Diet #1

Nutrients from diet #1

 

Diet #2

Nutrients from diet #2

 

[Michael569]

The second day is not bad. Don't worry about Vit D just supplement that. The rest can be pimped with some modifications and addition of new foods -for that calcium either throw in some dairy or tofu and sesame seeds. For vit E a couple of almonds should cover that.

Vit B12 either animal products or supplement

The first one needs more carbs and more protein - this will also bulk up the calories and probably cover the micros as well

I love playing around with Cronometer, everytime i do i discover some new micronutrients superfoods i didn't know about. It's a good way to build a functional diet and cover micro deficiencies although not ideal if you're a foodie who's all about pleasure.

Edited July 27, 2023 by Michael569

[Leo Gura]

It is silly to micro-manage your diet like that.

Just eat minimially processed organic whole foods.

[DanTheLurker]

+ 1 to what Leo said. Your intentions are good though.

I did exactly what you're doing right now, but I found that level of strictness would only benefit a bodybuilder getting stage ready.

You will get 90% percent of the same results (I speak from experience and yearly bloodwork) by just focusing on hitting your protein intake and calories everyday while eating 80% healthy food and leaving 20% for whatever else you want.

While the current approach may get you results, it will also get you stressed out, unable to enjoy social activities, or give in to the occasional craving.

If you follow the 80/20 approach and watch out for your protein and calorie intake, the rest will take care of itself.

Edited July 27, 2023 by DanTheLurker

[MarkKol]

5 hours ago, Michael569 said:

I love playing around with Cronometer, everytime i do i discover some new micronutrients superfoods i didn't know about. It's a good way to build a functional diet and cover micro deficiencies although not ideal if you're a foodie who's all about pleasure.

Chia seeds seem to be one such food, is it safe to it 30g of it daily? It has a lot of omega 3s & vitamin K.

I heard that over eating nutrients from food is less toxic than over doing a supplement e.x omega 3 supplement.

Sometimes chronometer gives me the color red to highlight that I'm over doing it with a specific nutrient

Edited July 27, 2023 by MarkKol

[Michael569]

@MarkKol yeah , chia's safe to eat daily.

Make sure to adjust your profile based on your age, weight, height and goals + those numbers will adjust accordingly

The only ones I'd be worried about in excess the most is sodium, saturated fats and maybe vitamin D & A (if you supplement) everything else is fine

[CARDOZZO]

After seeing this post, I perceive that I want to be more educated about health/nutrition.

Edited July 27, 2023 by CARDOZZO

[Bufo Alvarius]

@MarkKol I work with Chronometer daily. If u supplement Vit A, B12 and D, you get all targets mached, as the other vitamins and minerals are easy to catch with a standard healthy diet. 

That way, you also avoid having to eat tons of certain foods, just to match you micros, which might also not lie easy in your stomach.

I use all 3 vitamins as a oil/liquids, with the benefit of it not running out for a long time, as you just need a couple drops every day. So the cost factor is rather low/minimal.

[Michael569]

23 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

It is silly to micro-manage your diet like that.

Just eat minimially processed organic whole foods

on a daily basis for months and years? yes it turns you into a food slave

But to do this as a one-off experience, especially for someone trying to sort out a bunch of health problems or oprimise for energy and mental performance it may (or may not) give some hints. For a person confused about nutrition and trying to make sense of it all, tracking is an incredible tool shedding a lot of light and clarity. 

Also if you're interested in long-term health preservation, things like Cronometer can help you calibrate things - such as doing ad hoc tracking, say once every 3 or 6 months. 

But yes, it shouldn't become toxic and cause anxiety about micro deficiencies etc. I think any tool you use can become both useful and toxic - its all about balance isn't it 

Edited July 28, 2023 by Michael569

[MarkKol]

I tried Implementing a high calorie breakfast (overnight oats) to eat daily so that I can gain more weight and optimally reach 70kg. But It didn't work out, my body felt fine including my stomach, I wasn't bloated but I did experience minor head discomfort and brain fog (not necessary a headache) I experienced the same thing on peanut butter. I think my body has a hard time processing all this combined food instantly. I'm definitely going to cut out the oats entirely and keep the chia seeds and nuts.

- 350ml Water
- 100g greek yogurt
- 100g rolled oats
- 30g / 1 oz almonds / hazelnuts / walnuts
- 30g / 1 oz chia seeds
- 30g / 1 oz vivo life protein powder
- 1 big banana (added after)

comes to around 1000 calories, a very dense cereal.

I have to say I have an extremely hard time hitting my caloric intake and especially my carbs, I have to eat 2230 calories daily to reach my ideal weight and I just find it insane. I can barely get to 1000

 

Edited July 30, 2023 by MarkKol

[Schizophonia]

3 hours ago, MarkKol said:

I tried Implementing a high calorie breakfast (overnight oats) to eat daily so that I can gain more weight and optimally reach 70kg. But It didn't work out, my body felt fine including my stomach, I wasn't bloated but I did experience minor head discomfort and brain fog (not necessary a headache) I experienced the same thing on peanut butter. I think my body has a hard time processing all this combined food instantly. I'm definitely going to cut out the oats entirely and keep the chia seeds and nuts.

- 350ml Water
- 100g greek yogurt
- 100g rolled oats
- 30g / 1 oz almonds / hazelnuts / walnuts
- 30g / 1 oz chia seeds
- 30g / 1 oz vivo life protein powder
- 1 big banana (added after)

comes to around 1000 calories, a very dense cereal.

I have to say I have an extremely hard time hitting my caloric intake and especially my carbs, I have to eat 2230 calories daily to reach my ideal weight and I just find it insane. I can barely get to 1000

 

The more you eat the more you have to pay attention to possible problematic elements.

If I listen to my instincts, I no longer want oats, a number of very fibrous plants, unripe bananas, etc. The same goes for "healthy" animal products such as raw milk or liver.

If I eat what I really like (rice/white pasta and tubers with butter, fake vegetables like tomatoes, carrots or cucumbers, muscle meat, cheese, well-cooked vegetable soup, eggs...) my brain fog disappears fast.

Just my two cents.

[Michael569]

4 hours ago, MarkKol said:

I tried Implementing a high calorie breakfast (overnight oats) to eat daily so that I can gain more weight and optimally reach 70kg. But It didn't work out, my body felt fine including my stomach, I wasn't bloated but I did experience minor head discomfort and brain fog (not necessary a headache) I experienced the same thing on peanut butter. I think my body has a hard time processing all this combined food instantly. I'm definitely going to cut out the oats entirely and keep the chia seeds and nuts.

- 350ml Water
- 100g greek yogurt
- 100g rolled oats
- 30g / 1 oz almonds / hazelnuts / walnuts
- 30g / 1 oz chia seeds
- 30g / 1 oz vivo life protein powder
- 1 big banana (added after)

comes to around 1000 calories, a very dense cereal.

I have to say I have an extremely hard time hitting my caloric intake and especially my carbs, I have to eat 2230 calories daily to reach my ideal weight and I just find it insane. I can barely get to 1000

This might be pushing it a bit too far. I'd try to cut it down by 20-30% and see if that works better. I think high-carb breakfast work really well for most people, but there is a threshold, which once crossed can lead to a bit of a brain fog. 

Alternatively, try cooking the oats rather than eating the dry and replace the yoghurt with some raspberries or strawberries - it might help balance it all out a bit better. If your current weight is < 70 kilos, you can probably make do with fewer calories. I weight 86 kilos and would not be able to stomach that quantity of food either, pretty sure. 

If your stomach is full to burst it defeats the purpose of energising meal. 

Another tip that I've been doing lately is to make a smoothie bowl from 2 bananas, cup of berries and some greens and flax and then I grind about 80 grams of oats into that with some prot.powder I find if I exercise within 90 minutes of this type of meal, I can lift more, I'm more explosive and  I can extend the reps-till -fatigue- by up to 3. Its an anecdotal report so take it as such. I don't get the same boost from oatmeal tho. Only works in summer, I hate cold breakfast in winter  

Edited July 30, 2023 by Michael569

[MarkKol]

6 hours ago, Michael569 said:

This might be pushing it a bit too far. I'd try to cut it down by 20-30% and see if that works better. I think high-carb breakfast work really well for most people, but there is a threshold, which once crossed can lead to a bit of a brain fog. 

Alternatively, try cooking the oats rather than eating the dry and replace the yoghurt with some raspberries or strawberries - it might help balance it all out a bit better. If your current weight is < 70 kilos, you can probably make do with fewer calories. I weight 86 kilos and would not be able to stomach that quantity of food either, pretty sure. 

If your stomach is full to burst it defeats the purpose of energising meal. 

Another tip that I've been doing lately is to make a smoothie bowl from 2 bananas, cup of berries and some greens and flax and then I grind about 80 grams of oats into that with some prot.powder I find if I exercise within 90 minutes of this type of meal, I can lift more, I'm more explosive and  I can extend the reps-till -fatigue- by up to 3. Its an anecdotal report so take it as such. I don't get the same boost from oatmeal tho. Only works in summer, I hate cold breakfast in winter  

Alright, I'll try to make a shake, cut the oats to 50g, and throw out the greek yogurt.

I'll try to improve with including Quinoa, buckwheat, millet, couscous, lentils, beans, chickpeas