Please Critique Meal Plan

[nica]

Hi there,

I wasn't sure whether to post this here or in the Diet and Nutrition section but I decided to post it here since I thought it would be more appropriate. Just in case:

Age: 16 (female)
Height: 5'1
Weight: 115
Weight-loss goal: 100 to 105

April 14,2007

Breakfast: Oatmeal

Mid-morning Snack: Banana

Lunch: Turkey,Ham Sandwhich with pineapple chutney on wheat bread

Mid-Afternoon Snack: Apple

Dinner: Grilled Chicken Breast (skinless) with one piece wheat bread


April 15,2007

Breakfast: Oatmeal

Mid-morning Snack: 1 egg white (boiled)

Lunch: Chicken and fish (didn't get to eat rice since)

Dinner: Pita with chicken, vegetables and dressing


Please let me know what you think about meal plan and feel free to criticize it.

[Boss Man]

Breakfast: Oatmeal, (Needs more Protein and Carbs)

Mid-morning Snack: Banana, (needs more Protein)

Lunch: Turkey,Ham Sandwhich with pineapple chutney on wheat bread. (Not bad).

Mid-Afternoon Snack: Apple, (Needs more Protein and Carbs, Carbs is only about 19g)

Dinner: Grilled Chicken Breast (skinless) with one piece wheat bread, (Not Enough Carbs).


April 15,2007

Breakfast: Oatmeal (Not enough Protein or Carbs).

Mid-morning Snack: 1 egg white (boiled), (14 calories of Egg, is woefully low, more Proteinneeded, Carbs non-existant, you need more).

Lunch: Chicken and fish (didn't get to eat rice since), (Should have had the Rice, no Carbs).

Dinner: Pita with chicken, vegetables and dressing, (Not bad).


Your problem is your calories are too low, and your meals are often not giving you adequte levels of Macronutrients.

Assuming for example, Lunch is 5 hours after Breakfast. A snack about 2.5-3 hours post-breakfast is good, as it would stop your body burning muscle for energy, (Catabolism), after 3 hours, as having that happen for a couple of hours is not good.

However 3.5 grams of Egg White protein wouldn't be enough to stop it happening, as there's no Carbs in an Egg White, and 14 calories is seriously not good as a snack, you might as well not eat the Egg white for all the good it does you.

Same with the Chicken Breast, no Carbs, no protection from Catabolism. Bearing in mind Catabolism will happen during sleep, you risk losing some muscle on a diet like yours for about 16 hours a day, instead of about 8 hours a day, mostly during sleep.

Same with an Apple, half decent Carbs, at around 19g, but a bit low, and Protein virtually non-existant.

The 2nd day is bad. You get nearly 100 calories from about 100g Oatmeal, so your first 3 meals would be about 234 calories

You should be eating nearly that in one meal. 250 minimum I think, preferably nearer to 300.

Your intake is looking to be around 1/3 - 1/4 of your required daily calories.

You're daily intake is around 500-600 calories, where it should be around 1,800-2,000.

The first thing you're going to have to do is readjust your Metabolism to more calories.

if you have too many you're in danger of converting some to Fat, as the bodies Metabolism will think they're excess calories and not want them, initially.

This is what I think you'll have to do.

1. Any meals less than 150 calories e.g. Chicken Breast, Egg White, Apple, Oatmeal, etc etc, will beed bumping up to 150.

This might stop your Metabolism, converting a lot of Calories to Fat, which might happen if I said eat 300 calories a meal, and also have a 6th meal, to avoid more musle losses.

Then in about 2-3 weeks, when hopefully your Metabolism is recitified, bump them up again.

I will try to sort this out for you, so be patient okay.

[Boss Man]

This is your revised diet for now.

Breakfast: Oatmeal, (100g serving) with a Bit of Skimmed milk, (+ 4 Scrambled Egg Whites, Protein 20g (approx), Carbs 19g, (approx), calories 156, (approx)

Mid-morning Snack: Apple, (19g Carbs approx 76 calories approx), 2 slices Low Fat Cheddar, (13.5g Protein 1g Carb, 4g Fat, 96 calories approx) Calories 172, (approx)

Lunch: Turkey, sliced 65 grams approx, 20g Protein (80 calories), 1 Medium Ear of Corn, (3 grams Protein approx, 17 grams Carbs approx, 80 calories approx) Calories 160 (approx).

Mid-Afternoon Snack: 2 chopped thick Pineapple slices (20g Carbs, 80
calories), 2 slices Low Fat Cheddar, (13.5g Protein 1g Carb, 4g Fat, 96 calories approx). Calories 176, (approx).

Dinner: Sliced Skinless Chicken 65 grams approx, 20g Protein (80 calories)
+6 Broccoli Spears, (6g Protein, 16g Carbs, 88 calories approx),
20 Grapes for after, (8 grams Carb, 32 calories approx)
200 calories, (about the same amount of calories, as you already have in this meal.)

Snack: Turkey, sliced 50 grams approx, (15g Protein, 60 calories), 4fl OZ Yoghurt (4g Protein approx, 11.5g Carbs approx 2.5g Fat approx 84.5 calories approx) 145 calories approx.

This gives you just over 1,000 calories a day.

After about 3 weeks on this, you could then increase portion sizes again, to get you up to about 1,800-2,000 a day, but at the moment, that means increasing by about 1,200-1,500 calories a day, which I don't want to do.

You need to eat like this, as the low Carbs could affect Blood Sugar, leading to Diabetes and poor Intestinal / bowel functions, and the low Protein could stop you doing things like protetion of the Internal Organs, possible impaired brain functions, low ability to heal from injuries, low muscle and Bone development, from low Calcium.

Hopefully for now, this will help you, then in 3 weeks time, we can increase portion sizes a bit more maybe alter one or two foods.

Hopefully you see how your eating was not every beneficial, a lot of the time. You were eating healthy foods, but your potions are unhealthy and counter-productive, and givne you do fencing, and burn calories quite a bit like that, your diet is compunding the problem.

Please be aware with any kind of caloric increase like this, your body may convert some calories to Fat, by assuming them to be excess, so some minor weight gain is possible, but hopefully as the body adjusts to them, it'll use them better and you'll be better.

I's taken me some time to get this right for you, but I think it's as balanced as I can make it, given your current restrictions, and the fact I don't know the macronutrient content of every single food, means I can't spend 10 hours on this

I've managed nearly 3 already

Not trying to guilt trip you there, but your diet needed that time and attention.

Good luck, and I know you want to do well with your health, and your sport, so don't feel badly about the things I said regards your diet, you should be proud of what you're trying to do, you come across as a smart young woman, so if you keep trying to give your diet and sport 100%, this site will keep giving you 100% support and encouragement when you need it.

Hopefully you understand everything I've written, let me know if you don't, and I'll explain anything you're confused about .

I think after 3 weeks, your body will be nicely adjusted, and ready to have your diet tweaked again.