traineo Forums | Pumpkin Seeds or Packet of crisps?

traineo Community / Diet & Nutrition Tips / Pumpkin Seeds or Packet of crisps?

Author	Message
Sarah Skilton traineo Newbie Posts: 20 Sarah Skilton I am heavier now than I was when I was pregnant. This is due to a good life of large portions, alcohol but little exercise. I am in a cycle of bad habits which I am struggling to break, and need motivation to do this long term as I don't believe in diets. I want to change my eating habits long term so that I am healthier and the weight stays off.	# Posted: 1 Sep 2008 13:34 Seems like an easy question., well so I thought. I have been snacking on pumpkin seeds today when feeling peckish as I am serious now (she says again, LOL) about losing weight. I have compared the packet to a standard 25g bag of Walkers Ready Salted crisps values below. Per 25g Pumpkin seeds / Crisps Calories = 145 / 133 Protein = 6.1g / 1.6g Carbs = 4.4g / 12.3g Fat = 11.4g / 8.5g So the crisps are lower in calories, and fat but also lower in protein. So can some please explain what these figures actually mean please to someone trying to lose weight. If I am counting calories and fat, then crisps are actually seem better. Surely this is not right. So what exactly is protein, the seeds are better in this part, but does that benefit outway the increase in calories and fat. Sorry to be thick I am just confusing myself, which is not hard. LOL xxx
Monique Kamosi Fitness Guru Posts: 254 Monique Kamosi I'm a plant enthusiast dedicated to eating whole, fresh foods. As for exercise, I regularly participate in: swimming, water aerobics, yoga, the elliptical machine, the stair stepper, running, and weight training. I try to switch up my routine a lot so that I don't get bored. My biggest obstacle to weight loss is eating when I'm lonely or sad, but I've started keeping a list on my fridge of other things I can do to occupy my time. So far it's really been helping! Aside from health and fitness, I was married in December 2007 and am enjoying being married and decorating our apartment. I am currently finishing my last semester as an undergraduate, and hope to begin an English MA program Fall 2009. I love reading, quilting, cooking, hiking, swimming, decorating, gardening, and striving to protect the environment. I'm also really pleased that Barack Obama is going to be our next president. Let me know if you need a motivator! Good luck in your health and fitness efforts!	# Posted: 1 Sep 2008 17:46 When I consider my food, I look at things beyond the calories, fat, and protein, such as the ingredients. If your crisps have HFCS, or sugars, or refined flour, they aren't good for you, no matter how many (or how few) calories or grams of fat they have. I would stick to the pumpkin seeds if I were you.
Minu ~ The Master Posts: 2592 Minu ~ N u t r i t i o n I g n i t i o n C u l t i v a t i o n E x e r t i o n One can never be too N.I.C.E. BELT NOTCHES for 2008: - Mistressed the PULL-UP! - 2, 1.2km lake swims. Video of proper Squat form: http://www.traineo.com/11_5529_0.html	# Posted: 2 Sep 2008 03:50 Yup, when in doubt, go natural. Consider the prep method via the ingredients. Baked/roasted over fried, especially when working with nuts or seeds, (which are already loaded with good fats), is the path. Keep in mind to look at the sodium content too, which is almost always too high in stuff that is marketed for snacking. If it's not listed and the food tastes salty, go more natural.
Rachael M The Master Posts: 2316 Rachael M I am a triathlete trying to lose some weight so I can improve my times. I love traineo and the very motivational people on here. Basic info: 5'9", 22 years old, mechanical engineer :)	# Posted: 2 Sep 2008 08:47 The pumpkin seed fat is monounsaturated fat (good fat) while the crisp fat is probably composed mostly of saturated fat (bad fat) and trans fat (really bad fat!). Also, the higher protein and lower carbs make the seeds the healthier snack. Don't look just at the cal/protein/carb/fat. Those things are important, but you also want to make sure you consider what kinds of fat and how natural the food is. Those crisps are deep fried in probably vegetable oil. Yuck.

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