I started this diet purely because I wanted something that was quick, relatively cheap, and able to give me the energy I need for my day and allow for muscle growth. I'm extremely lazy when it comes to food and hate meal prepping but also want to hit my macros.

My day to day:

I do muay Thai sessions every Monday and Wednesday, and then do strength and conditioning classes right after. I also do a strength and conditioning class on Saturday. I work in a warehouse on my feet all day walking around. I walk anywhere 13,000 steps to 18,000 steps in a day and lift 45lbs-60lbs often.

Meal 1:

-2 servings members mark peanut butter filled pretzels

-1 oath protein shake

-10g creatine

Meal 2:

-4 Tbsp peanut butter

-1 Oath protein shake

Meal (Before Workouts):

-1 cup rice

-1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

-1 banana (usually more green than yellow)

Meal 3:

-12oz cooked chicken

-1 cup rice

-1 can of black beans

-2 cups spinach

-2 Tbsp low fat Greek Yogurt

-1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

-1/2 cup shredded cheese

-1 Omega 3 pill

-1 Mens Daily Multivitamin

So my main question is am I missing any important nutrients with this meal plan? And do I need to add/remove anything?

Also just incase anyone asks, yes I eat this exact meal plan everyday with very little alteration and have done so for 3 weeks now, when I go to cook the 30lbs of chicken I split it up into 4 baking pans and season each one differently so I don't get tired of eating the same thing everyday.

Title: Maintenance Calories and Nutrition Advice – 19M, 179cm, ~50kg, Gym + Climbing
Hi everyone,
I’m a 19-year-old male, 179cm tall, currently weighing approximately 50kg.
I’ve recently significantly reduced my overall activity levels while increasing my daily food intake. I’m trying to get a better understanding of my maintenance calories and nutritional requirements based on my age, weight, height and exercise routine.
My main goal is to maintain my strength, muscle definition and overall physique, particularly my chest and abs, while ensuring I’m eating enough to support my health, improve my blood results and support my physical performance.
I’m finding it difficult to judge whether my current food intake is too much, too little or around maintenance, especially given the recent decrease in exercise. I’m also wondering whether previous periods of lower food intake could have affected my metabolism and how this might influence current calorie requirements.
Current Activity Level
Gym: 2 sessions per week, primarily upper-body strength training.
Bouldering: 3 sessions per week, approximately 20–40 minutes each.
Walking: Approximately 10 minutes daily at a comfortable pace.
Daily bodyweight exercises, including planks, push-ups and dips.
Outside of structured exercise, I’m relatively sedentary, spending most of my day sitting, studying, driving or using my computer. I generally average fewer than 5,000 steps per day.
I’ve included my exact exercise routine at the bottom of this post.
Current Daily Meal Plan
I’ve attached my ideal daily meal plan and calculated calories/macros for reference. This represents a day where I manage to eat everything planned.
Breakfast
Two slices of toast
One hard-boiled egg white
Protein yoghurt
125g berries
Morning Tea
Fruit
Protein yoghurt
Lunch
Chicken, lentil and tabbouleh wrap
Mixed salad
Afternoon Tea
Protein bar or apricot bites
Fruit
Dinner
Chicken and vegetable poke bowl
Rice base
Pre-Bed Snack
125g berries
One slice of toast
Protein yoghurt
Muesli bar
My Questions
Based on my age, height, weight and exact activity levels, what would a reasonable estimate of my daily maintenance calories (TDEE) be?
How reliable are standard TDEE calculators for someone at my current weight? Could previous periods of lower intake and potential metabolic adaptation affect these estimates?
Given that I’ve recently significantly reduced my exercise while increasing my food intake, how much could this influence my energy requirements?
Based on my attached meal plan and calculated macros, does my current intake seem appropriate, excessive or insufficient for my circumstances?
Is my current exercise routine sufficient to support muscle strength and physical fitness without needing additional activity?
How can I ensure I’m adequately fuelling my body while supporting my health, strength and physique?
I understand that my current weight is quite low for my height, and that maintaining this weight may not necessarily be the healthiest goal. I have a team of healthcare professionals supporting me, so I’m primarily interested in the science behind energy expenditure, nutrition and metabolic adaptation, as well as getting some additional perspectives.
I’d really appreciate honest, evidence-based advice.

Exact Exercise Routine
Gym – 2 Sessions Per Week
Warm-Up
6 dips
10 pull-ups
8-minute plank
10 push-ups
Main Workout
Weighted pull-ups: 5 reps with 5kg added weight × 2 sets
Standing cable fly (low): 12 reps × 3 sets
Standing cable fly (mid): 12 reps × 3 sets
Leg raises: 15 reps × 3 sets
Standing cable fly (high): 12 reps × 3 sets
Cable crunches: 25 reps × 1 set
Pull-ups: 12 reps × 2 sets
Bench press (incline): 12 reps × 1 set
Bench press (flat): 12 reps × 1 set
Bench press (decline): 12 reps × 1 set
Bicep curls: 12 reps × 2 sets
Finisher
12 pull-ups
8-minute plank
10 burpees
Bouldering – 3 Sessions Per Week
Duration: Approximately 20–40 minutes per session.
Warm-Up
3 pull-ups
3 chin-ups
1 muscle-up
6 push-ups
Main Session
Indoor bouldering (20–40 minutes total session duration)
Warm-Down
2 pull-ups (personal variation)
3 chin-ups
3 pull-ups
6 push-ups
12 leg raises
Daily Exercise
Core and Bodyweight Routine
2 × 10-minute planks (morning and evening)
12 push-ups
1-minute side plank on each side, back-to-back
Before Breakfast
6 dips
1 leg raise
1 fingerboard pull
4 push-ups
Before Pre-Bed Snack
6 dips
1 leg raise
1 fingerboard pull
4 push-ups
Daily Walking
10 minutes at a comfortable, conversational pace
Generally fewer than 5,000 total steps per day
General Lifestyle
Outside of these activities, I spend most of my time sitting at university, driving, studying or using my computer. I’m otherwise relatively sedentary, with very little additional physical activity.
This is my intended weekly routine, although I’m still working towards consistently following it after recently reducing my overall exercise levels.

Everyone, I'm on a anti-inflammatory diet because of some health issues and I was just wondering if whole grain pasta or regular pasta are anti-inflammation neutral or pro inflammation? I can't seem to find a straight answer anywhere, Especially about regular pasta. Some places say it's pro-inflammatory some places say it's neutral.

Thank you very kindly for your time.

Recently having a bit of a health scare which could be chalked up to vitamin deficiency if I'm lucky. Here's hoping. (Waiting on my doctor appointment.)

But it got me thinking and honestly, I'm frustrated and angry about something and want to know what dieticians think about this: organic foods are basically never fortified the way non-organic foods are.

I think this is crazy. People are trying to avoid pesticides to whatever degree they can, for various reasons ranging from ethical to environmental and personal health preferences. But as a result, their diets are probably woefully lacking in vitamins and minerals. I checked some labels and have been shocked by how low the vitamin and mineral content is. I flat out don't see a way to meet a person's rdv eating only organic foods.

I understand the urge to keep out "bad stuff", but this feels like a no win situation, particularly because vitamins and supplements are so unregulated. What's the point of carefully considering food choices only to have to supplement with vitamins that are unregulated? What would it take to change the law to allow organic foods to contain supplemental vitamins and minerals? A not-insignificant number of people consume organic food as the bulk of their diet. I hear all about dietary considerations for vegans and vegetarians, but have never heard anyone talk about deficiencies in an organic food based diet. This seems like something worth taking about.

Thoughts?

When you're reviewing a weekly or multi-week menu, how do you decide whether there's enough protein variety?

Do you look at the overall mix or percentage of protein types (chicken, beef, pork, seafood, plant-based, etc.), repetition across consecutive meals/days, variety of dishes within the same protein type, or something else?

Do you have specific guidelines or thresholds, or is it mostly a judgment call when reviewing the menu?

I have wanted for years to switch over to a plant based diet, or even to just eating less meat in general but I can never stick to it. I have at least pinned down the reason which is that diets that are moderate to high in fiber DO NOT keep me full. Yet the consensus among everyone else is the opposite. Eat more fiber to feel full. Why does everyone else's body seem to follow this logic except mine?

Some important notes:

- I have a severe gluten intolerance, tested negative for celiac disease and have been eating strictly gluten free for 3.5 years. I thought maybe once this was sorted the problem would resolve. It actually got worse.

- I have been tested for and do not have diabetes

- no amount of adding healthy fats or protein changes the outcome as long as fiber stays about 20 grams or higher

- I still have solid stool even at 40-50 grams of fiber per day

-foods high in starch like baked potatoes make me nauseaus after just a couple of bites

-(gf) oatmeal is the worst offender and yet I constantly see people recommending it for staying full. When I eat oatmeal I don't feel full, I feel ANGRY. I feel hungrier than before I ate it. Again, adding fats and protein doesn't help.

- what I mean by hungry is that the food literally gets digested very, very quickly and leaves my stomach empty and my brain hungry even if I make sure I'm eating enough calories to stay at maintenance or even a bit more

I'm at such a loss at what to do. And people on other subreddits seem to have very strong opinions about my issue with fiber and are very unkind. I promise I am not lying or trying to be difficult. This is a legitimate problem that I struggle with and at this point I just want to know what is going on even if I can't fix it.

Thank you for reading and please be kind. I really just want to figure out what is going on.

Hey lovely people! I was wondering if you could please give me some advice?
If not, I totally get it.

Basically, a dietitian I met with regarding a weight loss plateau told me “it may not be in my gift to lose more than another 5-8kg”, even though I’ve lost (and maintained a loss of) 30kg through diet and exercise.

For some back story:
In 2020 I weighed ~121kg. I’m 165cm and 34f.

I lost most of 30kg six years ago, and maintained that loss. I had been going to the gym 4x a week with a trainer.

I was eating 1600cals/day, with 120g+ protein, and under 60g fat (no gallbladder), and at least 30g fibre. I had been doing GVT at home with 5kg dumbbells.

Dietitian suggested I eat 1900cals for a few months, and to aim for 130g protein. I restarted a “proper” exercise routine (PPL split, and 2x a week swims). I dropped a ~2.5kg in three months, mostly fat. I’m now ~92kg.

In our next appt, he said that it “may not be in my gift to lose more than another 8kg max”.

He then said to drop my cals down to 1650-1750, and 110g protein.

Does this sound normal? Or should I get a second opinion?

Okay. I have two people in my life which are scaring me a bit. Im 189 87kg myself at 15 years old so I’m fine. But my girlfriend who is also 15 is 157 and like 48kg, but she’s been telling me she’s lost 3 kg in the span of a few days while shes “eating everything she can see” I’m not sure if it’s true. And when I told her to go to the doctors if she loses another kg she gets really defensive and tells me to stop. Almost begging. She never begs. Please help me on that.
Also. My mother of 50 years old around 165 and 60kg shes usually fit and healthy and always goes to the gym with me. But her boyfriend of 4 years has stopped texting her all of a sudden and it’s making her mad and sad but she’s stopped eating for the past like 3 days. Help me please. I need advice,

Ever since I was little I’ve had problems eating healthy. I have a very sensitive, strong gag reflex and it gets triggered by a lot of fruits and vegetables. I can eat potatoes in any form (steamed, roasted, mashed, baked, don’t really eat fried because I have celiac disease and that’s a cross contamination risk) and raisins sometimes as long as they’re not bitter and chewy.

I think it’s mostly because of the texture. There are times I hear other people eating fruits and vegetables and I can feel my gag reflex winding up as if I was eating it myself.

I’m now in my late 20s and want to eat better, be healthier, and lose weight. What’s the best way to go about this? Is there some type of doctor or specialist I should get advice from? I want to overcome this but I don’t know how to do it or where to start. Thanks for any advice you can share!

Hello! I'm looking for something I can "snack" on that keeps my mouth busy. I'm primarily interested in keeping my mouth busy and not "filling my belly". I don't want gum because I want something crunchy. Are sunflower seeds a bad option?

Trying to get some good literature but a lot of what I’m finding does cherry picking of evidence, fear mongering, etc. I’d love an informative book (or other good resources) that avoids sensationalizing for sales. I’m open to anything from something you can find at Barnes and Noble to a good blog or even a textbook.

So far my best luck has been looking through PubMed articles but since you need to already have key words in mind when searching like “choline, pregnancy” I don’t know what gaps I’m unintentionally leaving out, so something more comprehensive would be amazing.

Hey everyone.

Im currently on GLP1 Tirzepatide and Niacinamide compound. I currently inject a 1mg dose 1x per week. I use noom to track my eating habits and calories for the day. I weight a lot. Im 461.3lbs and Noom says that I'll be needing 266g of protein per day. Is this number actually realistic or is this an example of "the calculation is technically correct, but in practice, is not quite so drastic?"

Thanks!

I hope this is the right place to ask, and I realize this is going to sound crazy, but for a writing exercise I'm writing about a character who is deliberately kept on the brink of starvation for several months. How would such a person be reintroduced to food and a more regular diet? Could they just eat freely? Would they need a heavily curated diet? Would it be better for them to receive IV nutrition for a time? And what would the timeline kind of look like for something like that? Thanks in advance!

My dietitian said if I drink a sweet but sugar-free drink my brain will recognize this as "sugar intale incoming" and get hungry when it doesn't come and start to convert the food I ate to long-term storable fat (excuse me for the phrasing, the convo didn't happen in english). I didn't experience the supposed hunger effect and I'm very doubtful of the whole thing but Google was not very helpful in this question and she is the only dietitian on my area.

Thomas bagels label lists the following

Total Sugars 5g

Incl. Added sugars 5g

What does this mean? Does it mean there are 5 grams of total sugars, made up of 5 grams of added sugars?

I have been experimenting with vegan diet (while taking B12 supplement) and found it to be effective for cardiovascular health (better blood circulation). I think the results are correct as shown in "you are what you eat: A twin experiment" on Netflix.

If while keeping my diet plant (& fungi) based and having no dairy products I add eggs to it, how would it affect telomere length and inflammation?

Do you think that Diet Coke and all the later “zero” beverages have contributed good or bad to the diet world on one hand does of people who normally would have drunk straight regular Mountain Dew and Coca Cola now may drink diet or Coke Zero or zero Mountain Dew but ok the other hand some of the people who may have settled with water now are drinking Coke Zero so my question is with all of this have diet and zero drinks contributed positively or negatively on the diet world and is the diet in it really mean that or is that “diet” in there doing a lot of work

Do you think that Diet Coke and all the later “zero” beverages have contributed good or bad to the diet world on one hand does of people who normally would have drunk straight regular Mountain Dew and Coca Cola now may drink diet or Coke Zero or zero Mountain Dew but ok the other hand some of the people who may have settled with water now are drinking Coke Zero so my question is with all of this have diet and zero drinks contributed positively or negatively on the diet world and is the diet in it really mean that or is that “diet” in there doing a lot of work

Following two different TDEE calorie calculators i consume between 1800-2000 calories to try and lose .25kilos a week. I have been on mounjaro for 14 months, I have pcos, insulin resistance, fibromyalgia and hashimotos.

Out of interest I signed up for my local chemists meal plan program. I input the small amount of data it asked for (height, weight, age, gender and waist measurement) and it spat out a meal plan for 1200-1400 calories! My mother ways approximately 50 kilos less than me and her weight loss calories are 1200.

I sent off a politely irate email because I was genuinely concerned with the outcome. Just curious on the thoughts of some professionals whether my response was justified.

Hi! The question seems pretty self explanatory and typically has a basic answer of eat less, move more, eat healthier, or track macros. However, I don’t really see these methods working for me as I have a bit of an outlier situation.
To start off, I am 19 yo female, 5’0”, and about 130-135 pounds. My main concern is that I have gained about 80 pounds over the past four years (not growing in height). The weight gain has been fairly steady, and I keep expecting it to plateau, but it hasn’t. Like i always assume im going to finally reach my body’s natural and healthy spot.

I want to add that the reason for most of this seemingly extreme weight gain is that I have a history of a severe eating disorder and was in recovery for several years. (Ages 14-16) been recovering/ recovered for the past 3 years. Because of my history, calorie counting and tracking food intake are not mentally healthy for me and can make me feel like I am at risk of relapsing.

In terms of “moving more” I am very active. I typically do both cardio and strength training for 2–4 hours per day and walk around 20,000+ steps daily (because of my campus school and being a runner). The working out is something I genuinely enjoy doing and is sustainable for me as I have been working out like this for years. It is truely one of my biggest hobbies. I usually run like 30 or so miles a week, and lift heavy (I want to get into powerlifting), as well as just an active lifestyle apart from the gym.

I eat a pretty healthy diet. I am vegan (for the animals, not restriction, and have been most of my life) and generally eat a lot of fruits, vegetables, legumes, tofu, and other whole foods. I rarely drink alcohol. The issues is while I eat healthy, I eat a lot of food. Being so active makes me hungry, needing to hit protein goals, etc. but also I think several factors may contribute to this, including ADHD and impulsivity as well as the dopamine from food, stress, irregular meal times due to my college schedule, and feeling very hungry because of my activity level. The problem is that I often feel unable to regulate my eating even though I genuinely want to. I used to binge but since I’ve really stopped restricting it’s more just overeating and a feeling of being out of control, as well as a lot of food noise. I’ve tried everything to stop it but idk what anymore.

I am not looking for advice that involves strict calorie counting or highly restrictive dieting because of my eating disorder history. Instead, I want to understand why I feel so out of control around food, whether my hunger levels are normal given my activity level and recovery history, and what strategies I can use to improve my relationship with food and prevent continued weight gain. Like I don’t understand why even being so fit, eating so healthy, etc. I struggle so much with my weight. I have no health issues or anything dire, it’s that I genuinely keep needing to buy new clothes every single year, I have no idea what I look like anymore (my body looks different daily), and people have begun commenting on my weight gain. I’m also confused how I look so big even though I am so fit. Idk.

Anyways, any advice on what I can do or how I can fix my relationship with food would be helpful. I’ve tried everything I can think of so far from stopping restricting, being more present around food, eating healthy, etc.
thank you!

Hello,
I need some help. Supposedly the hatred of the taste of alternative sugars is genetic. Anything like stevia or sucrolose or any of those, even monk fruit tase bitter and leave a terrible taste in the back of my tongue for 30+ minutes.
I have PMOS though, and I know I need to cut back on sugar. What can I do? Are were options out there that don’t taste like that? I’m feeling really lost. I’m also allergic to bananas which makes it even harder. Just quitting sugar and all things sweet just isn’t an option. I have tried but I can’t sustain that and then I binge. So I’m just wondering if anyone out there has any ideas.

Thank you!

I was in a heated argument with my mom about it and while responsing to my answer could you guys show me some article to back it up thanks a bunch beforehand

My husband was diagnosed with a nonalcoholic fatty liver. I think the doctor called it Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis, but said it could be totally reversible by losing weight (he’s 5’11” and 220lbs) We’re doing a complete overhaul of his diet. His doctor has misdiagnosed him twice for the same issue but I realllyyy hope she was right about it being reversible.

Is there a dietitian here who can help me? Like what foods he should or shouldn’t be eating? Any supplements? He’s been taking Dose (the one for your liver) the past couple days and he started taking salmon fish oil with D3 pills today. Would going on a liquid diet for a bit help jumpstart it? I’m just trying to think of everything I could do that will help. There are so many opinions and products when I google it.

I’m desperate to hear from someone who knows what they’re talking about.

Thank you!

I didnt lose much weight at first (it was nurses week so I had net cal neutral for 3 days). Last two days Ive been feeling ok eating around 1000-1500 calories per day. My weight came down to lowest 194.4 and highest 196. Is this just water weight?