Cutting out excess without losing nutritional value

[Ossie-Sharon]

When we cut back on portions and certain foods, there is often the concern of reducing intake of vitamins, minerals, and other important nutrients. If handled correctly, downsizing past excesses does not always translate to a requirement for nutritional supplements. This thread can help members think about how to ensure food intake is optimized to meet nutritional needs.

[Leonard]

This is an interesting topic. I work out a lot and my body is prone to suffer if I don’t eat well enough. However, recently I have gained weight, and even if it’s not really excess weight, I started thinking that I should cut down the size of my meals.

I am not really sure where to start. It seems like a good idea to eat more proteins and less carbohydrates, more raw vegetables and less sugar. And for example, I decided to replace sunflower oil with olive oil – such details can matter a lot.

[Ossie-Sharon]

It sounds like you have already made a very important change with your oil, and eating more raw vegetables is of course a fantastic idea. Just be careful not too cut back too much on meals if you are very active, especially if the new weight is not fat (it could be muscle, which is heavier than fat).
If you’re not sure if the weight is excess, you can assess your body composition. You don’t necessarily need to go high-tech with the testing (i.e. DXA, bioelectrical impedence, underwater monitoring, etc.), but rather you can take measurements like waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio (with a tape measure), or request skinfold thickness measurements from your HMO basic care provider.

[Leonard]

You’re right. When I think about it, some of the new weight could easily be muscle. Thanks for the advice, I will take these measurements to see if I am worrying in vain or not.

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