beginner's question

Can somehelp my motivation by explaining what ia happening with me? This is my first diet ever (I quit smoking and my weight exploded) and I am just not used to this. It seems my efforts just aren't producing results.

I see on this site, I can have up to 2151 Cals a day to make my goal of losing 69 lbs by Feb 1, 2007. My average over the last 71 days is 1307 cal per day. I see on sites the best percentage for Carbs-fat-protein is 60-25-15...mine is averaging 53-22-24...I'm burning 300-500 cal a day with activity...but I have only lost 5.5 lbs in that 71 days! I dropped to a max of 8 lbs of loss, but in the last 2 weeks, my weight climbed and plateaued with little to no change in what I was doing since the beginning.

Any words of wisdom?

Hmm that's an odd ratio - the 60-25-15... which website did you get that off of?

Are you doing weights and cardio? If you're doing weights, you're probably gaining some muscle as well.

Here's a good tip: Instead of focusing on the number on the scale, take your measurements at the beginning of each month. They're a better indicator of your progress.

Try eating slightly more on alternate days.  Your body might think it's in starvation mode and is hanging on to the fat.  Also, if you are not already doing it, drink 2 quarts of water a day.

I'm losing very slowly too, mostly because I'm unable to exercise because if medical problems.  I've lost 8 pounds since January 23 this year.

Good Luck
Claire

Perhaps 1300 calories is too low for a male - I am thinking you are supposed to have a minimum intake of 1500 per day or you go into the infamous starvation mode whereby your body stores all your fat and takes any extra calories and stores them as well thinking that you are starving yourself.  If you are supposed to eat 2151 per day...1300 is way under that!  You are supposed to try to burn 500 calories per day x 7 days = 1 pound loss per week.  Hope this helps and that you get it all turned around for yourself!!

there's another possibility, too, that if you really should be getting 2100 cals a day and you've cut to 1300, your body is reacting by holding onto the fat, thinking that you're starving.  i've seen severals posts by people who increased their calories and then started losing.  are you drinking water?  or diet soda?  that can make a difference for some people, too.

anyway, welcome to michigan!  i'm here, too, inner suburb of dee-troit.

You are definately NOT eating enough calories to burn fat properly. If you are allowed 2000+ to lose weight...why are you starving your metabolism? You are only shutting down your system by eating too little for your own particular body/weightloss.

Try to eat as close to the recommended amount of calories but with good protein/carb/fat ratios. AND...remember to exercise and drink 8 8 oz. gllasses of water plus another 8 oz. glass for every 10 pounds you are overweight.

For example: Say you weigh 200 pounds and are 5'8" tall. You need to weigh 150 to be "perfect" weight. So.you get 2000 calories to eat a day to LOSE weight because if you eat significantly less your metabolism will shut down and go into starvation mode.

So....eat, drink and exercise...

babyd-the web site is http://www.indoorclimbing.com/Protein_Require ment.html and my exercise has been mainly walking...so doubt any muscle gain.

cekurs-I feel for ya...I have a medical situation too (spinal fusion) so it limits my exercise possibilities...but walking has been good. Like I said, I dropped 8 lbs since Jan 30, but it went up to only 5.5 lbs and the plateaued.

My recommended cal in the beginning was around 1800 per day and has gone up to the 2151 level. Maybe I am eating too little, but my activity is usually pretty sedentary...didn't think I needed very much. Maybe I will try a little daily cal increase...I am just a little scared of doing it. I REALLY want to drop this weight!

I have been drinking about 64 oz of water a day...although that has dropped back too (I guess I got pretty tired of that). Does that really make a BIG difference?

Well thanks everyone! I was surprized at the quick numerious responses. Lots of food (no pun intended) for thought.

Aloha

if you are only getting around 1300 cals a day then that is too little for a man.  Try to eat the 1800 and see how that does for you.  can you do any weights?  start small- I walk with 3lb weights and it helps a lot!  maybe look at where your calories are coming from- how healthy are you eating?  Remember to look at labels, sometimes what we think is healthy isnt always as good for us as we thought.  Drink lots of water.