[Emor]

Hey, I'm on a high carb low fat vegetarian(aspiring to veganism but so much random crap has dairy in it) diet and trying to cycle 8 miles 5 days a week. I'm currently at a BMI of 23 but want to get it down to 20 at least(since I don't think BMI is accurate for me and I certainly don't feel like I'm with-in the normal range).

I'm eating atm around 1,500 calories a day(mainly fruits[around 10 a day], wholemeal toast[breakfast], malt loaf[alternative breakfast for when I'm in a rush] and spaghetti[tinned, heinz, processed, trying to cut down on it]).

Just wondering whether it could back fire. I've done a fair amount of research into 80/10/10 diet(80% carbs, 10% fats, 10% protein), but it feels a bit risky since everyone who advocates it seems to be sort of, 'extremist' or at least highly opinionated and doesn't really go much into it, and virtually every other diet I see says you should go low-carb.

I've been on it off and on for around a month but last week fully stuck to it(it's quite an adaptation since I was eating so much junk food) and I can't tell much of a difference. The first week I did but that was because I was under-eating a lot, around 1,000 calories a day if that, and had no energy to do any exercise or even focus much in class etc.

Thanks.

[ch0c0h01ic]

(Original post by Emor)
Hey, I'm on a high carb low fat vegetarian(aspiring to veganism but so much random crap has dairy in it) diet and trying to cycle 8 miles 5 days a week. I'm currently at a BMI of 23 but want to get it down to 20 at least(since I don't think BMI is accurate for me and I certainly don't feel like I'm with-in the normal range).

I'm eating atm around 1,500 calories a day(mainly fruits[around 10 a day], wholemeal toast[breakfast], malt loaf[alternative breakfast for when I'm in a rush] and spaghetti[tinned, heinz, processed, trying to cut down on it]).

Just wondering whether it could back fire. I've done a fair amount of research into 80/10/10 diet(80% carbs, 10% fats, 10% protein), but it feels a bit risky since everyone who advocates it seems to be sort of, 'extremist' or at least highly opinionated and doesn't really go much into it, and virtually every other diet I see says you should go low-carb.

I've been on it off and on for around a month but last week fully stuck to it(it's quite an adaptation since I was eating so much junk food) and I can't tell much of a difference. The first week I did but that was because I was under-eating a lot, around 1,000 calories a day if that, and had no energy to do any exercise or even focus much in class etc.

Thanks.

Frankly I feel that your diet is pretty poor. Toast is not a good breakfast, malt loaf even less so and the same can be said about tinned spaghetti. The fact that you eat plenty of fruit is the only redeeming feature but it isn't perfect (ie; you should be eating far more vegetables than fruits). If you want to prevent malnourishment (which is a significant prospect at the moment) nuts, seeds, beans and pulses need to be the staple of your diet, especially if you plan on being a (healthy) vegan or vegetarian.

As for an 80/10/10 diet it is only really recommended for long distance endurance athletes. Most (if not all) people would benefit from eating more fats and protein (*HINT* This is where the nuts, seeds, beans and pulses come in).

As for weight loss it doesn't really matter too much what diet you eat as long as you meet your basic nutritional requirements (ie; protein, fat, vitamins and minerals). At the moment you almost certainly aren't achieving that and an 80/10/10 style diet probably isn't the best means of achieving that (or weight loss).

[Antiaris]

First, why Veganism? Is it moral issues or health issues?

On a health perspective animal products aren't really that bad, low fat dairy for one has been found to increase the fat to protein ratio of energy burned over time (We constantly burn a proportion of each, nigh on never purely carbs or purely fat.)

Your diet is gonna need a bit more protein, as 8 miles 5 times a week is still gonna burn your muscle out. If you don't turn Vegan I'd say try some Greek Yogurt. The right brands tend to be high protein, low fat and moderate carb. (Personal recommendation is FAGE (2%) or M&S's plain low fat (not no fat) yogurts.)

You need a few more balanced meals in there, things like maybe stir frys (with tofu), omelettes (Egg is the most complete protein source available apart from breast milk), Quorn (High carb, high protein), etc.

[Friends-Addict]

Remember BMI is not a way of calculating weight, as it counts muscle as well.
Most national and international sportsmen and women are considered obese according to BMI measurements, so don't be disheartened if your BMI doesn't fall.
Healthy eating, and exercising should be fine, just eat three square meals a day and don't eat junk food and you should be perfectly fit and healthy.