Measuring Food

Hi folks, I am so very much not a visual person, so the way of measuring portions in Thrive is giving me fits. Is there any estimates to real measurements that I could use as a guideline? I really don't want to waste a bag of rice playing around and trying to figure out how much is a fist-size and how much is a cupped handful, but I'm near to trying that. (Especially since -- and call my hopeless if you will -- at my best visual estimate, I'd say fist and a cupped hand are the same size.)

I'm an analytical person, so the inconvenience of measuring we're trying to avoid by not using cups and ounces is exactly what I thrive on... weird, I know, but help me?

Also, even though it's not part of the program, I want to measure macros as I go for a good reason... I have 15 steps unlocked and I'm not recovering as well as pre-Thrive. My sleep has faltered too. So I want to see what I'm eating in a way I can measure and analyze, and perhaps find a new solution.

I recently measured what my macros worked out to be over a week. It did vary about 5%+/- but this was the average.

For macros, the divide in calories is about 50%fat, 25%carb, 25%protein.

I consume around 2150kcal a day at 10st and 5'9".

I eat around 230g of potato or 80g of rice (weighed before they're cooked).

Protein normally works out at about 150-200g before cooking for lunch and dinner.

What I found most interesting was the breakdown of calories between meals.

Breakfast was always around 30-35%

Afternoon snack around 10%

Lunch and dinner was typically around 30% lunch, 24% dinner.

I have attached the breakdown of one of the day I recorded.

Hope this helps. I also like to know the more precise measurements, although now I've finished Thrive I think about it much less. I just go by visual experience and how full I feel.

Thanks Chris! I was a macro counter before Thrive and I was 40/30/30 carbs/protein/fat. 50% fat sounds like an awful lot, but with the point I'm at in this program, it wouldn't surprise me either.

I'm curious, if you don't mind sharing, since you're all the way through it. Did you have an adjustment period during this program? I'm feeling pretty worn down compared to pre-Thrive, and the only thing that's changed so far is removing fruit from breakfast and going from 1-2 starches a day to two every day. The other steps I was already doing. My physical programming hasn't changed, intentionally. If anything it's been a little lighter up until this week.

I did find I didn't really feel on top form until the last two weeks. I too was pretty much already eating well. Just needed some timings of macros sorting.

I have been on most F1 progressions for a significant amount of time. The last few weeks though I have really had a lot more energy and have been progressing in multiple areas. So I guess you could say recovery has been better recently. It's also been consistent energy throughout the day.

I will give it another month of sticking to Thrive, then start personalising it to get as much out of it as possible.

i recently started using lifesum app to have a glimp about my intake its amazing to see how much we eat less when we eat the right food even with large quantities if understood well you seek recovery jenni ?

I use rice as my lunch starch. once cooked the volume worked out to be around 1/2 cup uncooked. I really noticed a difference in recovery (and still do) if I switched my starch to starch with less carbs. so potato I'd need twice as much to get the same recovery. Dinner is similar, I feel better on rice or double volume of any other starch. I also notice my sleep quality can be appalling if I haven't got the total food in right. If you feel like recovery isn't on point, eat more.

I couldn't do the stretch from Lunch and Dinner and so there is always another snack in between and is usually a more carb focused meal. If it miss it I know about it next day. Between cycling to and from work, tumbling, strength work and everything else.

measure. sometimes it is better to get a sense of your ability to estimate. I played with the rice a bit as I cook the rice in advance for my lunches for the week.. I can eyeball the cooked rice, so adjusted the amounts to be cooked to hit the target.

On 2/27/2018 at 9:05 AM, Christopher Hancox said:

I did find I didn't really feel on top form until the last two weeks. I too was pretty much already eating well. Just needed some timings of macros sorting.

I have been on most F1 progressions for a significant amount of time. The last few weeks though I have really had a lot more energy and have been progressing in multiple areas. So I guess you could say recovery has been better recently. It's also been consistent energy throughout the day.

I will give it another month of sticking to Thrive, then start personalising it to get as much out of it as possible.

Thanks Chris! This is encouraging. I, too, was eating pretty healthy to start, so the back slide seemed odd. I'll give it a little more time. I'm close to that last two weeks... if only I could stop forgetting to click when I've completed a day.

I appreciate the feedback Jared. A 1/2 cup uncooked is roughly a cup cooked if I recall correctly. Perhaps I'll up my intake. I have been eating a lot of rice because the rice cooker makes it so easy to prepare several servings at once, but I'd say I'm likely about 2/3 c cooked per meal.

Hi Oussama, I was eating right foods all along, before Thrive too. It's the timing of the carbs that is different for me here, and the mental shift of going from thinking I'm eating too much fat, to checking a box for the same amount being prescribed.

Thank you, gentlemen. I truly appreciate the conversation. 

ur welcome jenni i recommand you to add glutamine if you're not using it in the postworkout shack its very very helpful in terms of recovery 10 to 20 gram depend on the intencity of your session for the carbs now i am nearly 40 days without carbs on breakfast and i feel very energized even when sometimes i workout in the morning i now understand really what does it mean you have to earn your carbs 

Hey,

I'm also confused by the measures used in Thrive, and was wondering if there's an official definition or range for how much are a fist \ palm \ etc. (in weight units, volume, calories...). I know these metrics are meant to make it easier, but as a someone who doesn't really understand what they mean, I find they complicate things...

Thanks!

Hey Dan,

There is not a more specific form of measurement. This is a basic course and, as you already mentioned, those are meant to help keep things simple. 

Thanks Everett.

Personally, I see it as less simple. I don't know how common this confusion is, but I have seen similar comments from others in a few threads.

I recommend creating such definitions, but for now I'll figure something out...