Snack foods

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Whats up guys, I'm in college and trying to be more active again and tone my body. Not necessarily gain muscle or anything, just reduce fat and maybe some slight muscle gain. I'm fortunate to have a fairly high metabolism, but I've been relying on it too much for the past year or so and its beginning to show. I'm 6'2" 165 lbs,so as you can tell I'm still pretty thin. I just have some fat buildup on my midsection that I would like to get rid of and flatten my stomach. It'd be cool to have a 6 pack, but I'm just going for a flatter stomach as of now.I started running again also. I try to run at least 3-4 times a week, and I'm eating healthier. I rarely drink soda now, and I haven't had fast food for a while either. I just need some advice for snack foods that are easy since I'm in the dorms. I've been eating those nature valley granola bars lately because they're pretty much the only thing I have other than doritos.So could you guys give me some tips on dorm-easy snack foods?Also I've heard many different things about gatorade/powerade. Are they bad for you just like soda if you drink them while not exercising, and are they not even beneficial if you drink them after exercising? I usually only drink water, but I like to have them on occasion.

Well, I finally got one of those scales that does body fat and total body water. My scale said I have 14.5% body fat, but my friend who has a more expensive scale(maybe more precise idk) said my body fat is 12.1%, but both said I weigh 159.5 lbsAnyway seeing that my body fat percentage is somewhere around 12-14%, is there anything I can do to speed up the process of lowering my body fat? I'm not necessarily going for abs, I just want to flatten and tone up my stomach and mid-section. I only drink water and milk now (water all day long, and a glass of skim with dinner). I know its bad, but I usually don't eat lunch. Its not that I'm anorexic or anything, but I just don't have time. I have class from 11am-3pm every day. I eat a bowl of cereal (cheerios) for breakfast and in between each class I usually have those nature valley granola bars. I have dinner every single day consisting of some sort of pasta, chicken or some other meat, fruit and vegetables, and water + milk to drink.I try to run every single day, or at least 4-5 times a week. I started running again about a week or two ago, so I'm still trying to build up endurance back to what it was when I was in high school. I can usually do around 1 - 1.5 miles without having to break. I'll let myself cool down for about 5 mins and then run another half mile.

first off, i would eliminate the milk from your diet, purchase silk, its soy milk, vanilla is a good flavor, and plus having the soy fibers helps your metabolism, also i would elimintate any red meat that you have in your diet, red meat is one of the worse things that you can eat... you can have tofu burgers, and soy burgers and you will feel ALOT better...i changed my diet from reg milk, and red meat, to soy, and tofu, and i dropped 15 lbs in 3 weeks... i didnt work out or nothing, soy just cleans out your system, try it next time you goto a store, or whole foods...

I'm 6'2" and 170, and I have 15% body fat... just got professionally weighted and examined yesterday by my PT. 15% isn't necessarily bad; I fall in the lean category. Though I plan on dropped a few percents so I have more defined abs.A few things I can relate to you that I was told from my PT (since we are close to the same weight with some of the same goals it sounds like) is to increase your intake of protein. My daily intake of protein should be 145 grams. Also watch your calories, you want to be around 2k daily.Also no cheese, mainly because it's fatty. Skim milk should be all right, but I also recommend looking into Silk (soy milk) its healthier, plus it's actually very good tasting! You mentioned pasta, I love pasta too, use wheat pasta; it's a lot healthier for you. Eat a lot of chicken, tuna, and salmon. These are all high in protein and low in fat. Use turkey burger instead of beef will also help you watch the fat, not to mention cholesterol! Stay away from sugar; it does nothing but turn into fat. If you HAVE to use sugar, my PT recommended using Splenda as a replacement.Last drink A LOT of water. You need to keep you body and muscles properly hydrated. Also exercise. If you have the option of a gym that would be fantastic, if not jogging is excellent. Don’t forget to target other areas of the body as well, do proper crunches and pushups as well. It’s important to get an over all work out when trying to tone up the body.Hope this helps sum. I'm sure if I missed anything someone else will chime in

Well, I guess I should give my background. I'm a nurse in school for my RN and am minoring in nutrition. I'm 5'4 and started out at 260 lbs when I started making a concentrated effort to lose weight. Four months later I'm at 200 lbs and still trucking along fairly smoothly. It was after my 60 pound loss I decided to minor in nutrition. lolThe mid-section is the hardest part of the body to lose fat from. Not impossible so you can do it!Snacks - In my opinion the best snack foods are fruits and vegetables. If you don't have that available the next best thing is for you to read packaging lables and read them carefully. Look at their caloric content and look at the calories you get from the fat content. Stay away from things with words like hydrogenated fat or saturated fat. Your body does have to have some fats and oils but the best fats are polyunsaturated and monounsaturated also known as healthy fats. Polyunsaturated can lower your LDL cholestorol. I keep 100 calorie packs from Nabisco in the house just in case I'm in the mood to have something sweet without going into overkill.Soda - Also my opinion but, it would be better all around if you completely cut it out of your diet all together and totally stick to just water. You can even get flavored water if just plain H20 gets boring. You can drink juice (but it has a higher sugar content so be careful and it's usually made from concentrate unless you squeeze it yourself). And though diet soda claims it's better for you it has just as much caffeine and aspartame as a regular soda so I would steer clear of that as well.Dairy - Your body has to have it. But it's not so much the dairy itself. It's the calcium. Calcium helps prevent things like osteoporosis. And, if you like cheese like I do, you can get lower fat and lower calorie cheese and still get the same flavor. As for milk, I like my 2%. I've had skim milk, soy, and yes, sadly, whole milk. They don't settle well with my stomach. But if you can handle the skim milk or the soy I would suggest trying it at the very least.Protein - I'd like to just clear up a couple of things here. Your body needs protein as I'm sure you know. Protein helps your body build muscle and also helps to repair muscle after it's been damaged and it also help prevent muscle loss. Couple of things about red meat and chicken. Red meat isn't worse for you than chicken. "Three ounces of lean top round has five grams of fat, whereas the same amount of roasted chicken thigh has 13 grams of fat. Even without the skin, nine grams of fat remain (Karen Davis, PhD, nutrition)." The cholestorol content of chicken and beef is also comparable to that of beef at 25 mg per ounce. And like all meat, chicken is permeated with fat that you cannot cut away. So which one is better? I eat red meat, chicken, and as of late I now eat fish. So in my opinion, eat it all just watch your portion size!Sugar substitutes - Splenda is the best hands down. But be careful with it because it can make some things taste funny.Sports Drinks - Sports drinks contain electrolytes. More importantly they contain two very important ones - sodium and potassium. When you are exercising such as an athelete and you're sweating your body is losing a) body heat as sweat is your body's way of cooling itself off b) water and c) electrolytes. You also lose other things but I won't go into that much detail. Anyhow, so if you're running any more than a mile a day in the middle of the afternoon (when it's the hottest out) in the middle of summer, I would suggest drinking some gatorade, powerade, or some other type of sports drink. But it's totally up to you.Cheat days - Personal Trainers and nutritionists alike will get onto you for these. However, it's important to still consume some of the things you like because if you don't eventually you'll eat them anyway. And I don't mean you'll eat them I mean you'll stuff yourself until you puke. So it's important to know that if you eat certain foods that you know aren't so great for you, you need to eat them in moderation.If you take a multi-vitamin that is great! I take them too. However, I love food and what better way to get the nutrients you need than by eating something that tastes great and is good for you! Still you can't always fit it all in so it gets difficult to get what you need in to your diet so a multi-vitamin is a great idea.Oh and those scales that measure your body fat percentage are usually just averages or approximations. When you go to your doctor to have your phsyical done he can tell you with a better percentage of accuracy what your body fat percentage really is. So while they're not entirely incorrect they're not always 100% correct either.And as Ntro said for the midsection - crunches, crunches, crunches. AND add a little weight to it. just grab a 10-15 pound plate. Place it on your chest cross your arms over it and crunch away. Also don't forget side crunches, twists, and sit ups! (I personally love sit ups)Oh and one more thing, if you can afford one of those mini-refrigerators you can store your fruits, veggies, and even some yogurt (plain or flavored).Also you can go to http://www.mypryamid.gov for information on portion sizes, calories, etc.

Actually sit ups can mess up your back. I used to think it was a myth but I did a bit of research into the topic and found out for myself.Instead try hanging by your knees from a bar and pulling your head to your knees. That's a serious workout.

Sit-ups, like crunches *can* be bad for you back because it involves spinal flexion and it involves the lumbosacral spine (the lowest part of the spine). More specifically most *experts* are probably talking about L1 to L5 or S1. With that being said what most people suffer from is a disc herniation of the low back (AKA a slipped disc or AKA "I threw my back out"). The problem is you can throw your back out just bending over to pick up a piece of paper (I know...I deal with workman's compensation claims..they really do sue their companies for it). And the problem with some people doing sit ups is their abdomen and back aren't strong enough to do them. I don't have that problem though so I like them better than crunches because I don't have to do as many to feel a burn. But I feel strongly that crunches and sit ups are necessity in helping to build strong abdominal muscles.

And you are right hanging leg raises are also a great work out

I'll give an update. Right now I'm 6'2", 158 lbs, 13% body fat.Wow, thanks a lot for the posts. I can't believe how detailed you guys. I've been sticking to the "diet" and exercise plan and it's been working out pretty well. I'm a pretty thin person, the only real place where I have fat is in my midsection. My arms and legs barely have any fat, and same with my butt. I'm mainly just trying to get rid of the fat in my midsection so I can have the abs back, or at least just flatten my stomach more.When I go to the gym I run 1- 1.5 miles to get warmed up, do some lifting for about 1/2 an hour, and then run another .5 miles. Should I stick to this workout, or change some things around? I'm not trying to get my muscles big or anything, I'm mainly just trying to flatten my stomach and get rid of some fat. My room mate has one of those ab roller things like this one, so I use it a lot. You can really feel it, the thing actually works very well. http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=1103As for the diet, I'm really trying to cut out "bad" foods. I cut out soda entirely, but I'm in college so there's no avoiding beer on the weekends. Other than that I've been eating a lot more fruits and vegetables, and snacking on healthier foods. I also made some minor changes that I think are helping too. Mainly switching from white to wheat bread, and when I do have soda (maybe once a week), I drink something thats diet. BTW, are peanut butter sandwiches alright to eat? Also I only drink light beers even though I know it doesn't make a huge difference.

When it comes to Alcohol, gives yourself that one-day a week to cheat. I use Saturdays because that's when my friends and I get together and go out dancing and I know there is no avoiding a few drinks. Also I find if you allow yourself that one day to cheat, you don't "cheat" as much as you would if you try and remove all the bad items all together. Now if your drinking alcohol several times a week (especially if heavily), you might want to look into limiting that, as it will hinder your goals, even if it’s light beer. Your workout doesn’t sound bad, but I would add some type of crunches to your routine. Most all gyms have the giant rubber balls. Get one, sit on the side of it, lean back and doing crunches like standard as if you were lying on the floor. Hard to explain, but I’m sure if you find someone who works there they can show you how to do it. I find these crunches to be very effective and you can really feel the burn. As for your ab-roller, I own one as well and you are right you can feel it work, but the ball routine I find works better. Also, you might already know this but while you are jogging make sure to keep your stomach muscles tight, this will also help you define your abs.As for peanut butter sandwiches, it’s a win/lose depending on how you look at it. Peanut Butter has a good amount of protein, but it’s also contains a good amount a fat (yes you need a certain amount of healthy fat). I would suggest looking to organic peanut butter because there are nothing added, simply whipped peanuts. You’ll avoid a lot of the unhealthy sides this way. Good Luck

Thanks for the help. As for the alcohol part, I only drink on Fridays or Saturdays. I may be fairly light for my size, but I can put a few back. An average night I'll have 10+ drinks. This weekend I only went out Friday and I think I only had like 5 total. I'm really trying to cut out unhealthy foods out of my diet, anyway thanks again for all of you advice.

Red meat does nto make you gain or retain weight.its the bst possible source for iron and the iron in it is absorbed better and more redilly than from pills, potions or even spinach.cutting carbs is where you cut fat.burgers are fat and greasy, but a nice steak that wasnt fried in oil is nothing to fear on a diet. its te sauce and the potatos with it that do ya in.lowfat mlik is fine, Id never drink tha soy shit, I like plain old moo cow fuck milk, but only drink 2%, never whole, its a personal choice, not a health issue.Id never eat tofu, I like real food, with red meat being a high priority on my diet.Im thin, while I dont have a six pack you can see my abs. I quit drinking so no more calories from beer, that I used to go through like an elephant goes through water.I have not lost a single pound. Note iM nto trying to lose any. Im 5'11" and 167 lbs as of last week.Im very active, cross country ski, climb rock and ice and spend a few hours a week in my garage on a machine and a bench plus an hour a day on a hang board.activity is the key, not stopping eating things with taste.

Lol, love your reply...moo cow fuck milk (wtf?). I love chocolate milk, but I don't drink it that often, maybe a couple times a week. I'm active enough, and have a high enough metabolism that I should have an easier time than most people. I just haven't been to active for the past year or so, which is why I'm mainly trying to get back into shape. Even without doing anything for literally a year and eating whatever I wanted, I still managed to maintain under 14-15% body fat, and have never gone over 165lbs (and I'm 6'2"). Well, I guess for now on I'll post a weekly update and let you guys know whats up.

I wish I culd claim it, it came from louis black. He had a whoel rant about putting that soy shit with his moo cow fuck milk, the phrase popped into my head while I was bitching about soy, so I typed it, but can not take credit for it.

Buy a niacin supplement and take one when you start drinking. Your liver needs a ton of niacin to process alcohol, enough to burn through all your reserves during one binge drinking session. To extract energy from food you also require niacin, and after you've been drinking you have very little of it left. Which means you can't use any of the energy you get from beer, soda (mixed with spirits), wine, or that dodgy 4am kebab. This means anything you consume automatically goes straight into storage (fat) since it cannot be immediately used.Be warned though that niacin supplements often cause hot flushes, they're harmless enough, just uncomfortable. Make sure you take the recommended dosage.

I'm not that worried about drinking. I only drink a max of 2 times a week. The only thing else I really drink is water, and maybe a glass of milk. I did kinda give in today for lunch though :(. I had a burrito(wheat tortilla), with chicken, white rice, corn, lettuce, and some buffalo ranch sauce and a little bit of cheese. So aside from the buffalo ranch & cheese, I suppose it wasn't too bad. Had a salad on the side with a little bit of fat free ranch dressing. Water to drink; trying to stick with water instead of other drinks.I'm not trying to take any supplements to get back into shape. I think that stuff is a bunch of crap unless you want to get big(muscles)/thin(body) fast. I'm just trying to do this by adjusting my diet and working out. I just want to be able to get to my goal by the summer, which isn't a big reach.

Ok so its a week later and I'm losing weight/fat so I guess its working....slowly. I'm down to 152.8 lbs, and the lowest body fat I've measured was 10.3% but that was in the morning one day after not eating for several hours and while I was naked. Anyway the average reading I've been getting with just a tshirt and gym shorts is around 10.6-11% body fat. Any suggestions to speed this process up other than don't eat haha? I'm still sticking to the water/beer/skim-milk-with-cereal drinking situation.btw, are chips and salsa an unhealthy snack? I have the baked lays scoops and some salsa. The salsa only has 10 calories per serving, but 250mg of sodium. The chips I believe have 120 calories per serving.

Salsa and chips isn't necessarily bad, as long as the chips are baked (which you said they are). It's all about moderation, as long as you're not sitting down and eating a whole bag of chips and a full jar of salsa you should be safe. One suggestion when it comes to the salsa (and even the chips) look in the organic section of your grocery store. You’ll get healthier salsa and chips as well. I’m a huge supporter of organic foods, you get the food without all the extra added preservatives and other nasty junk. Also I know you were joking, but starving yourself will never work long term. Short term yes, but when you go back to eating you’ll gain it all back and usually some more on top of that. Just find a healthy routine when it comes to eating. Here’s a quick idea of a typical day of eating for me:Breakfast: Organic Breakfast Burrito (It’s actually Tofu but it tastes awesome!)Snack: Silk YogurtLunch: Two Tuna Fish sandwiches on wheat bread, light mayo. (I also buy these Lean Panini meals you can find in your frozen food aisle. They are high in protein and taste awesome! Makes a great lunch meal!)Snack: Protein Bar. I prefer bars called “Pure Protein”. You can find them at Wal-Mart, they’re $5.95 for a box of 6. The S’mores ones are yummy! They have 20grams of protein in each bar.Dinner: Wheat pasta with ground turkey, and a small salad. (again just an example, there are plenty of different things I eat lol) Snack: Protein Bar ( or Silk Yogurt). You can even have your salsa and chips if you want; again it’s about moderation.Again this is just an example, not saying it’s perfect for you. But this is what my Personal Trainer wants me eating. She actually would like to see me get even more protein into my diet, so it’s still adjusting. Also are you increasing your workout to help reach your goal?

I'm trying to increase my workouts, but I'm starting to develop shin splints again(had them before), and it hurts like a bitch after running a mile or so. I don't want to take a break from running, but thats the only way it'll heal.

Well you can still work your mid-section as you give you legs a rest, like crunches. Once your legs start to feel better, alternate your work outs so you don't over do it. Like say 3 days a week you'll jog, and two other days you'll focus just on ab workouts and maybe lifting weights if you're into that.