Archived Ask a Dietitian 4/24/14 - 10/21/14 Topic


Hi Folks - I'll be answering questions later on Thursday!
Best,
Kathy Isacks, MPS, RD, CDE


Hi Kathy
Thanks for the advice . I understand that I should continue taking my vitamins while breastfeeding but am not sure if it's ok to continue with my omega3,6,9 . And also is CLA safe when breastfeeding ? Just wondering . Thanks


Hi U6075798, unless the supplement itself contains contaminants, I do not know of a reason why Omega-3,6,and 9 supplements wouldn't be safe. (DHA, which is omega-3, is beneficial during pregnancy and lactation). We get plenty of omega-6 and 9 from food.

You might want to avoid CLA while breastfeeding. There is some research that shows a reduction in the amount of fat in breastmilk -and that is not good for your baby. From NYU medical center (copy & paste):

Concerns have also been raised regarding use of CLA by nursing mothers. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study indicates that use of CLA reduces the fat content of human breast milk. 12 Since infants depend on the fat in breast milk to provide adequate calories and on certain fats to aid proper growth and development, it is probably prudent for nursing mothers to avoid CLA supplements. http://www.med.nyu.edu/content?ChunkIID=21676

Best,
Kathy Isacks, MPS, RD, CDE


How can I reduce my daily calories from 1600 to 1400


I'm trying to lose some more weight (roughly 18-20lbs). I set my target weight to 135 and weight loss of about 1.5lbs a week. It gave me a calorie amount of 1450. I have been doing this and exercising but haven't seemed to lose weight should I decrease my calories more and increase my exercising or maybe increase my calories? I eat pretty healthy and had this issue when I was breastfeeding where I wasn't losing weight I was actually gaining it. I increased my calories by about 200 and then started losing. I'm not breastfeeding anymore but is it possible I'm not consuming enough calories for how much I exercise (c25k 4 times a week and maybe 10min of arms, legs and abs 6 or 7 days a week and 30min of aerobic movement a day).


Reducing calories: Hi U6058352, first, look at your food report. Are their calories coming from foods/beverages that are not particularly worth it to you? As a general rule, I recommend not drinking calories. I also look for higher caloric snacks and challenge myself to replace processed convenience foods for more whole foods that are lower in calories. I also look at condiments and how much oil/dressing I use on foods.

I would try to keep protein intake at least to 60 grams daily so I wouldn't cut calories there. If you choose a full-fat protein and can find a naturally leaner choice, then great, you can save calories there (e.g. lean pork tenderloin vs. sausage, etc).

If you want me to look at your data and give you more specific recommendatinos, you can share it with me by:

- Logging into the web program
- Community tab
- Forum link
- Click my nickname "Dietitian" at the top of this post
- Scroll down to the bottom of my Person Page
- Change your attitude from "neutral" to "friendly"
- Go to your "My Community Profile"
- Go to Information Sharing settings
- Find "Dietitian" row and checkmark all the data boxes. Save.
- Let me know when you want me to view your data!

If you were asking how to change your target calories (and also Daily Analysis), then be sure to read the article on calories (also accessible via Library in apps): http://www.mynetdiary.com/customizing-calorie-goals.html

Best,
Kathy Isacks, MPS, RD, CDE


Not losing wt - Hi U5498356, I can't tell you much since I can't see your data. Read the post above to learn how you can share data with me.

If the weight stall is short term, I would just be patient and keep up your program. Weight can go up and down a lot just from change in hydration. You can minimize this up & down by weighing yourself in the morning before breakfast.

But if the weight loss continues to stall after a few weeks, then identify where the error lurks. It is either in estimated calories consumed or estimated total calories burned. Here are some links to help you troubleshoot:

http://www.mynetdiary.com/customizing-calorie-goals.html

http://www.mynetdiary.com/weight-plateau.html

http://www.mynetdiary.com/tips-and-tricks-for-entering-and-correcting-foods-in-mynetdiary.html

http://www.mynetdiary.com/basic-tips-for-losing-weight.html

Let me know if you need more assistance.

Best,
Kathy Isacks, MPS, RD, CDE


Hi Kathy,


Is it possible to look at the weight chart into the future to forecast when I should hit future milestones? Thanks in advance, Mary.


From: U5867692 Oct 19 Hello, I need a meal plan for 3852 kcal a day. I have the possibility to eat 5 meals daily. I sport 3 times a week (8-8-16 protocol from Vince Del Monte). My goal is to gain 7 kilo's (83 kilo is my current situation and i want to become 90 kilo). My target date of reaching 90 kilo is 20.02.2015. 116 gram fat, 501 gram carbs and 202 grams protein. Can you please help me further, because there's one big problem: as i am a student i don't have much money to spend on food and meat is pretty expensive.

Hi U5867692, part of the benefit of using a food/exercise tracker is that you can decide what to eat to meet your nutrient goals. There are many affordable proteins, fats, and healthier carbs in the food supply - but it does take some practice shopping on sale, preparing foods yourself, etc.

Here's a short and useful post on gaining weight: http://www.mynetdiary.com/trying_to_gain_weigth.html

You might find a good sports nutrition book a very cost-effective way to guide you. Here are some books you might want to explore:

Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook (5th edition or later)

Bob Seebohar's Nutrition Periodization for Athletes (or you can also try his Metabolic Efficiency Trainining). Bob also has a website with recipes and info - you can sign up for the nutrition newsletter here: http://www.fuel4mance.com/

Sports Nutrition Fact Sheets: http://www.scandpg.org/sports-nutrition/sports-nutrition-fact-sheets/

Advanced Sports Nutrition by D. Benardot

Also, if your college/university has a sports medicine or phys educ dept, then go find out what services they offer. Oftentimes, you can get a lot of free info from their dept.

Basic info about MND to help you meet your goals:
calories http://www.mynetdiary.com/customizing-calorie-goals.html

Proteins http://www.mynetdiary.com/protein-foods-in-diet.html

Fats http://www.mynetdiary.com/dietary-fats.html

Carbs http://www.mynetdiary.com/carbs-in-weight-loss.html

Foods to meet nutrient needs http://www.mynetdiary.com/foods-nutrient-needs.html

Best,
Kathy Isacks, MPS, RD, CDE


Determining expected weights over time - Hi Mary (U5526568), you can determine your target date by looking at your settings, but I realize that is the ultimate goal weight. The Daily Analysis has a little summary about based upon what happened today, how much you will lose in a day, week, and month given that calories deficit at that point in time.

But to answer your question - no, there is no chart of expected future weights at specific dates, based upon an estimated calories deficit from just planning alone. Each day, you may or may not accrue the same amount of calories deficit based upon the Plan and that will affect your weight and therefore, expected weight at any given date.

But if you want something like that as a feature, then you can send Support a request: Support@mynetdiary.com

Best,
Kathy Isacks, MPS, RD, CDE

Archived Ask a Dietitian 4/24/14 - 10/21/14