The American Dietary Standards

[mm1970]

http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/24/health/dietary-guidelines-science/index.html

I found this an interesting read.  I've always been interested in diet/ health, and as the years go on, read more and more.

Last summer I read "What to Eat" by Luise Light, and it was an eye-opener.  She was charged with coming up with the Food Pyramid back in the 80s/90s.  Let's just say that the one that was released bore little resemblance to the one created by her team based on the evidence.

So now I have to look at US dietary guidelines with skepticism.  For example, I downloaded the 2010 guidelines (which are long, and confusing).

At one point last year, I used the online calculator that said I need to "lose weight" and eat "about 1500 calories" to do so.
I then took their recommendations (5 ounces of grain, etc. etc.) and plugged it into MyFitnessPal.  Lo and behold, their recommendations for each individual food type for a day added up to a MINIMUM of 1950 calories, not 1500.

It's no wonder people are confused.  So pretty much any recommendations that say "eat 5-11 servings of grain per day" is going to make me roll my eyes.  Unless you are a distance athlete or teenage boy, you don't need that many carbs.

[AllieVaulter]

I'm always a bit skeptical of the government telling me how to eat.  There's so many conflicts of interest between subsidies and special interest groups...  Plus, as the article mentions, when people attempted to follow the government's guidelines we saw an increase in obesity and diabetes! 

[GuitarStv]

I've looked them over as well, and found that the guidelines are confusing and difficult to follow.  My approach - there are three macro classifications of food.  Fat, Protein, and Carb.  They are all essential parts of your diet to be healthy.  Aiming for about 30:30:40 ratio (by calorie breakdown) daily works well for most people.  Add carbs and protein while reducing fat if you want to gain muscle, add fat and protein while reducing carbs if you want to cut weight.

Notice that carbs make up the biggest part of this diet?  There are plenty of great high carb foods that you should be eating every day . . . fruit, vegetables, berries, whole grains, most beans and legumes are around 70% carb, etc.  Choosing refined grains isn't a good recommendation to use for carbohydrates . . . but you certainly should have a significant intake of carbs every day.

As you've discovered, most online calorie calculators are useless.  There's too much variation between individual activity level and body composition.  The best approach that I've found to counting calories is to strictly record everything that goes in your mouth for at least a week, then figure out what your current caloric intake is for your average exercise routine.  Once you know that you can either cut a small amount each day (I wouldn't recommend more than 300 calories at most), or increase your amount of daily exercise to lose weight.  It's more work, but much more accurate.

[gooki]

Eating a variety of real food in modest amounts is the dietary standards my parents instilled in me. Simple, easy to understand and effective.

If you follow this and still have weight issues, do more exercise.

[kofasetic]

Eating a variety of real food in modest amounts is the dietary standards my parents instilled in me. Simple, easy to understand and effective.

I agree.

Consuming a variety of whole foods, regular activity (esp. resistance training), adequate sleep & recovery, stress management, a support system (family/friends), healthy ego (acceptance of body/mind/emotion; all internal feedback) goes a long way to weight management without the need to count calories or bog oneself in minutia.

For those who are interested in the numbers this is how I prep my clients for weight management:

1) weight x 10-12 (depending on age, body surface, activity level. This gives one a daily relative caloric deficit)
2) a biofeedback journal (record food, eat times, sleep/wake times, bathroom breaks, sleep patterns, energy levels)
3) weight training program for the next 30-90 days (always fluid. Not set in stone. While on a diet, the key is to maintain as   much lean tissue as possible and this only works with adequate amount of protein sparing nutrients: carbs/fat (no omissions))
basic body assessment (compostion, vitals, etc).
4) follow-up every 4 weeks

The journey is of utter importance, not the goal. Understanding ones biofeedback and ones relationship with food is also key.
Hunger is inevitable in a caloric deficit state. It isn't about willpower. Its about understanding the hunger cues and forging a strategy to satiate ones hunger without tipping the scales.
It is what to eat or not. It's WHY & HOW one eats.

[AllieVaulter]

Eating a variety of real food in modest amounts is the dietary standards my parents instilled in me. Simple, easy to understand and effective.

Yup.  That's pretty much how I decide my diet.  ;)  I don't track or count or anything.  But, I do have a couple things going for me:

1.  I was raised by a talkative mom that insisted we talk during dinner.  Now I eat slowly.  Seriously, I'm always the last one done.  It makes a huge difference when you realize your full BEFORE you go for seconds.

2.  My parents were also supportive of playing sports/doing active things.  It got me to adulthood w/o being overweight.  My dad's family in particular struggles with weight.  Before I went to college dad also gave me the "be careful what/how you eat or you'll end up looking like your aunts speech".  It sounds weird, but it was said very lovingly.  :)

3.  My mom cooked all the time.  We hardly ever ate out and mom cooked most everything from scratch.  I love home cooked food, so I (eventually) learned to cook myself. 

[iamlittlehedgehog]

A modest diet that is low in sugar (both naturally occurring and added) has worked best for me. This sometimes turns into a low-carb diet but nothing intentional, I'll still eat beans and legumes.

Every time I've eaten according to the food pyramid or the online calculators my blood sugar shoots up, and coming from a family of diabetics and those prone to heart disease this is a huge concern.

[Zikoris]

I don't know how many "servings" of each thing I eat in a day since I just don't think like that, but according to Myfitnesspal, I seem to average:

1600-2000 calories/day, depending on activity level
~ 50% carbs, 30% fat, 20% protein
20-25g fibre

My "system" is cook everything from scratch, don't go crazy on baked goods, have fruit or nuts for most of your snacks, and eat sensible portion sizes.

[vern]

[Sailor Sam]

I've watched several documentaries, and read a few books that all say the American Dietary Standards are bunk. Too many lobbyist funding studies, etc. Too much noise, not much signal. Lots of people swear by the China Study. An equal number of people find the paleo studies more compelling.

In the end, I think modern eating is a lot personal finance; every person has to find their own distinct approach. Find out what makes you feel good, and go with that. It takes thought, but the people 'round here are pretty thoughtful.

[yuka]

I was sort of thinking about what a funny diet I have just this morning. I go immediately left when I shop. I pick up some fruit and veggies, as well as all the produce needed for the week's recipes. Then it's to the cans section (mostly beans and diced tomatoes) and maybe restocking on spices (although I normally do this at Whole Foods, it's cheapest.) Then I go to meat on the back wall, then dairy/fridge section for my eggs, cheese, milk, and yogurt. Then I get some bread because it has a huge convenience factor (english muffins for breakfast/lunch sandwiches.) Last time I looked at how many aisles I was skipping in the middle of the store, and I could barely believe it! The colorful cardboard section, as far as I'm concerned.. it's where you pay for processing and flashy advertising, but go light on nutrition.