low-fat, low starch vs meals and weight?

[Nina]

It is my understanding that in order to control weight, or lose weight, one should eat low-fat, low starch, and at the same time maintain a high number of calories, a lot of protein, and take coconut oil and sugar to boost metabolism.

Did I get it right?

I am trying to eat 30-50g max of fat/day
2500-3500 calories
80-100 g proteins
4g PUFA (trying)
about 200 carbs
Edit to add: I'm 5'3", 133 pounds

I was NEVER able to do that in a day! why?

Here in Canada, I don't have easy access to gelatin (only porcine for jello. making bone broth)
and low-fat milk contains added stuff

When I limit fat AND starches, I have to eat a ton of fruits and juices to get enough calories, and I barely have enough protein.

I'm trying to prepare family meals in that context...

should I:
- live on jello?
- move to the US?
- spend less time on cronometer?
- limit fat and forget about starches?
How much is low starch really? :-?

 

[Giraffe]

Pina , do you have problems to maintain your weight? You do not need to lose any, do you? :)

What sources of starch are you talking about? Do you or other family members have (digestive) issues with starches?

 

[Nina]

The starches I eat are rice, masa harina, gluten-free mixes, potatoes, some corn, usually organic. No digestive issue that I know of.

The weight is a delicate issue for me.
I gained a few pounds (3?) since peating, but in the last 4 years, I must have gained 10 (right when I turned 40). I'm okay with my weight now, it seems to have stabilized. I think I'm okay with it.
As a women, I feel a lot of pressure to be skinny.
Before peating, I had a big belly full of food hanging there for hours. Now my waist is smaller and more stable and the weight is distributed quite evenly. Anyway, big butts are the rage right now, aren't they?

I was anorexic for many, many, many years, I definitely have had body image issues for a long time. As a child, I was VERY skinny, and I truly believed I was big compared to others. I'm surrounded by skinny women. Or am I ???

The other day I was shocked to realize a friend I've know for years is the same height as me. She's very skinny (for real), I thought she was much taller than me.

I'm bringing the weight subject mostly because my boyfriend and our daughter both gained weight.
Sorry for the bad pun, but it's weight on my shoulders.
In the case of the boyfriend, it's abdominal fat, so I don't like it. (for health reasons!)
However it feels like it's slowly getting better overall for him. So no worry (she says, trying to stay convinced).

My daughter gained some weight and got mild acne as we started peating, but she's almost 12, she's not going to be a child forever, right?

It's very hard for me to see which part is ME WORRYING FOR NOTHING, and when there is a real concern, on the topic of weight and health.

My sister is overweight, had depression, cancer, a hysterectomy, osteoporosis, losing hair, etc. She is very ill. There is nothing I can do. I can't change that. It's just so sad.

My daughter IS NOT my sister.

(was that too dramatic? My therapist said that. Well, she said: "YOUR daughter is not your sister" of course. Haaaaa I gotta do some bag-breathing)

There is a hilarious movie to be made about struggling peatarians. I totally see it in my head.
This guy would be constantly checking his poop chart, and this girl would be eating a ton of butter, then weighing herself, and then bag-breathing, then having ice cream, and then feeling awesome.
No one would understand!!!!

haaaa I gotta work. I can't concentrate. Work brings me serenity. I don't work in the summer, and it drives me crazy.

 

[tara]

https://raypeatforum.com/forums/posts/98001/ I'm trying to eat 30-50g max of fat/day
2500-3500 calories
80-100 g proteins
4g PUFA (trying)
about 200 carbs
Edit to add: I'm 5'3", 133 pounds

I was NEVER able to do that in a day! why?

100g protein ~400cal
50g fat ~450kcal
200g carb ~800kcal
If you had been able to make that add up to more than 2500 cals, I'd be flummoxed. :)

 

[tara]

https://raypeatforum.com/forums/posts/98029/ My daughter gained some weight and got mild acne as we started peating, but she's almost 12, she's not going to be a child forever, right?

If she had not gained weight, that would be a real worry. She is definitely supposed to be growing. Probably including gaining some fat.

I can't remember the approximate calorie needs of a 12 yr old girl. But by the time she's in late teens, she will probably need about 3000kcals. I wish someone had told me that when I was a teenager.

Remember that restricting food to control weight while growing can: interfere with full growth (including the deposition of lots of calcium to form strong bones - a lot of this happens before hitting 20 yrs, and I don't know if it's possible to fully catch up after that), interfere with healthy development of the reproductive system, slow metabolism (with consequent increased likelihood of increased fat stores later), mess with one's head and make it harder to learn to trust one's body and to take care of it, add a component of fear to one's attitude to food. And that's assuming one avoids anorexia and the other dangerous eating disorder variants.

 

[tara]

My understanding is that in order to avoid the risk of relapsing into anorexia (which as you know is very dangerous), it is safest not to try to control one's weight, or restrict food to lose weight. Unless there is some specific food that you know causes you particular distress. (I tend not to count paint and varnish substrates as food in this context - by all means restrict PUFA oils.)

Gaining 10 pounds doesn't sound like a serious health problem to me (though it may require adapting the wardrobe.)

Women with a history of dieting and/or anorexia are apparently in danger of underfeeding their children.

 

[tara]

https://raypeatforum.com/forums/posts/98001/ should I:
- live on jello?

Eat lots of fruity jelly (and jellied milk puddings) if you like them, but don't live on it alone - eat other food too.

https://raypeatforum.com/forums/posts/98001/ - move to the US?

Only if you have better reasons that this.

https://raypeatforum.com/forums/posts/98001/ - spend less time on cronometer?

Maybe, if you can rely on yourself to eat enough each day by some other means.

https://raypeatforum.com/forums/posts/98001/ - limit fat?

Only if you can get enough food by other means. Does the low fat milk actually bother you, or are you concerned because it bothers some people? (Gwyneth might say to drink whole milk and not to allow any low fat versions in the house.)

https://raypeatforum.com/forums/posts/98001/ and forget about starches?

Eat starches if they don't give you trouble. Favour potatoes over grains. Check that the gluten-free mixes don't contain guar gum etc if you are using them a lot. Limit starches only if you can get enough food in other ways, and if you can tell that it is helpful to you personally, not just theoretically (a trial to check this might make sense, as long as you have lots of replacement foods during this phase).
Some people seem to react badly to any starch. Some are OK with it as long as it is just one smallish helping a day. Some do great on multiple large servings of potato a day. Depends on your system.

https://raypeatforum.com/forums/posts/98029/ As a women, I feel a lot of pressure to be skinny.

I know. It's very strong, isn't it? But no corsets, thank goodness, and no 3 inch long shoes.

 

[Tarmander]

I read about your daughter and my heart really went out to you. Despite all your own issues with food, please please please make sure she eats enough. The one thing I wish I never did was diet in my teenage years. It is so debilitating and can really set her up for health problems for the rest of her life. Nothing is irreversable but once most people get on that roller coaster, they don't get off.

 

[Nina]

https://raypeatforum.com/forums/posts/98146/ 100g protein ~400cal
50g fat ~450kcal
200g carb ~800kcal
If you had been able to make that add up to more than 2500 cals, I'd be flummoxed.

Yeah, it doesn't make any sense!
In my case, I understand it's better for me not to log what I eat on cronometer anymore. At least not daily... I get obsessed about what I eat, I become orthorexic.
It's still difficult to eat intuitively after years of limiting sugar and other foods I thought were evil. I'm slowly building my peaty-food repertoire. Trying to concentrate on taste and nutrients. Or just taste. Good taste, having a nice craving and satisfying it. I didn't realize I had so much recovering to do.

 

[Nina]

https://raypeatforum.com/forums/posts/98148/ My understanding is that in order to avoid the risk of relapsing into anorexia (which as you know is very dangerous), it is safest not to try to control one's weight, or restrict food to lose weight. Unless there is some specific food that you know causes you particular distress. (I tend not to count paint and varnish substrates as food in this context - by all means restrict PUFA oils.)

Gaining 10 pounds doesn't sound like a serious health problem to me (though it may require adapting the wardrobe.)

Women with a history of dieting and/or anorexia are apparently in danger of underfeeding their children.

Having this conversation about anorexia is such a breakthrough for me, I can't believe it.
The thing is, I forgot everything about anorexia for many years, while I was focusing on my career. I had so much fun the first years, but then I worked too much, difficult events happened, and I fell into a major depression. Went back to work after 5 months, underweight, on antidepressants, I was clearly not ready. I thought I was ok though, and went back to working too much very quickly. After a year I got pregnant. I was very tired and had no idea what I was getting into. I'm convinced now I also had post-partum.

Anyway long story short: many years with a depression that wouldn't leave. Bad nutrition, too much red wine. Anorexia/orthorexia/body image issues totally in a blind spot.

My point is, seeing my daughter getting into her teens is bringing back awful memories of my own teenage years. I find myself wondering, what if she goes through what I've been through? and hyperventilate.

But she is not like I was! (and "she is not me", would add my dear therapist/spiritual mother)

She is not depressed, she has many friends, she has personality, she is in a great school, she sleeps well, she's very creative, and we do a lot of art stuff together.

I get the concept of anorexic mothers underfeeding their children. I might have done it unconsciously, or because I had no appetite or inspiration. I'll pay attention.

Thank you Tara

 

[Nina]

https://raypeatforum.com/forums/posts/98154/ I read about your daughter and my heart really went out to you. Despite all your own issues with food, please please please make sure she eats enough. The one thing I wish I never did was diet in my teenage years. It is so debilitating and can really set her up for health problems for the rest of her life. Nothing is irreversable but once most people get on that roller coaster, they don't get off.

Thanks, Tarmander,
I never forced my kids to eat, or to stop eating, like a lot of parents do. I always believed they knew their appetite. My sister's troubles began with dieting. In fact, I think my daughter gets cranky when she doesn't eat enough. So no, no restricting food, ever.

 

[Giraffe]

Pina, don't move to the US. Learn Spanish or Portuguese and move somewhere where you get all sorts of ripe fruit, milk that is not fortified with vitamins, tap water without fluoride and sunshine minimum eight months per year. Can I come and spend a month or two at your place next summer?

Is there anything wrong with porcine gelatin?

I am trying to eat 30-50g max of fat/day
2500-3500 calories
80-100 g proteins
4g PUFA (trying)
about 200 carbs
Edit to add: I'm 5'3", 133 pounds
I was NEVER able to do that in a day! why?

I am around your age, height and weight. I make sure I get enough proteins, and I limit PUFA. My targets are: 80 g proteins (I couldn't manage more) and < 4 g PUFA (this is not so difficult). Total fat is 30-50 g (result of limiting PUFA). I count neither carbs nor calories.

https://raypeatforum.com/forums/posts/98001/ When I limit fat AND starches, I have to eat a ton of fruits and juices to get enough calories, and I barely have enough protein.

I disagree about the proteins. My proteins come from milk (34 g), curd/yoghurt/cottage cheese (10-15 g), gelatin (20-30 g), plus smaller amounts from eggs, meat, shellfish and fruits.

I agree about the calories. I doubt I get more than 1,000 kcal from fruits and juices, and I can't consume more than I do. Maybe lot's of dried fruits?

It's sad to see close ones in a bad state and to think that they could do much better. And it's sad what people accept as normal, inevitable part of "aging"... and what you wrote about the height of your friend... This is something I have also noticed a couple of times. I am talking about females in their 40th, early 50th that have shrunken...

Are you sure that your boyfriend has gained weight? I am asking because my ex got a belly around age 40, but his weight has not changed.

This guy would be constantly checking his poop chart, and this girl would be eating a ton of butter, then weighing herself, and then bag-breathing, then having ice cream, and then feeling awesome.

When eating out they would sprinkle their dishes with liquid vitamin E, and pretend this are enzymes to help with digestion.

 

[Nina]

post 98218 Pina, don't move to the US. Learn Spanish or Portuguese and move somewhere where you get all sorts of ripe fruit, milk that is not fortified with vitamins, tap water without fluoride and sunshine minimum eight months per year. Can I come and spend a month or two at your place next summer?

Let's all move to Mexico! :-P

post 98218Is there anything wrong with porcine gelatin?

I'm probably making things too complicated, I do that a lot. I only have jello gelatin, so I'm trying to get used to make jello and eat jello on the days when I don't eat bone broth or gelatinous meat.

post 98218 My proteins come from milk (34 g), curd/yoghurt/cottage cheese (10-15 g), gelatin (20-30 g)

I'm trying to limit milk in favor of cheese because of my eczema (i'm still not sure it's necessary). Most cheeses have more fat. Cottage cheese here has gums. I recently found a brand of greek yoghurt without gums. I think my jello contains only 20g of gelatin for 4 cups (?). Also, I'm still trying to eat "real meals", you know? Unlike Danny Roddy (love you Danny!). Family context.

Gotta go! Spanish lessons !