I'm not good at asking for help, but I'm very discouraged. I know I have to throw stats out, so here goes....I'm 47, F, 5'4 and 230 lbs (that was tough to type).
I have always dieted using the low carb method, but I am tired of dieting and just want to eat better. I have been counting calories and shooting for an A on my daily. I'm not going to lie and say I have cut out all bad foods, but I eat right 98% of the time and rarely go over my calorie goal. I am walking/jogging for 40 minutes 3-4 times a week. And I'm not losing weight.
I started at 1500 calories - thought it was too high so I dropped to 1350 - did more research and I'm back at 1500 but I'm still not losing. Here's my menu from yesterday:
Breakfast - 1 Kashi 7 grain waffle, 1 tbsp peanut butter, 1 banana, cup of 2% milk
Lunch - Special K protein drink, 1 slice WW bread, 4 ozs turkey, orange
Dinner - 4 ozs pork, cooked green peppers, green beans, 1/3 cup rice
Snack - Vitatop muffin and 1 cup 2% milk
88 ozs of water
Thoughts? Any help would be appreciated - and I'm looking for honesty. I'm putting a lot of time into this and I want to be doing it right. Thank you!
No grain, no sugar, no processed foods... everything else is allowed. You will be losing in no time. Every meal that you listed had grain in it!
Hi! I am 46 and was having similar troubles losing weight over many years of trying. Over the past 3 months I have lost 30 pounds and I am eating about 1500-1600 calories a day. How did I do it? I cut out ALL products that use white flour and sugar. I increased my fruit and veggie intake. My food cravings are down. If you have cravings- try a lemon squeezed into water with a packet of stevia. It prevents cancer, alkalinizes your body and tastes yummy! Tea with stevia is also good to drink- green, chamomile, lemon grass, ginger-prevent cancer and taste good! I look 10 years younger and finally feel that I have the eating thing under control. I currently weigh 134 pounds and am 5 foot 8". My previous weight was 165.
Sample breakfast- fresh vegetable juice (green cabbage, broccoli stems, celery with 1/2 of an apple or a pear (I bought a juicer), 1 once of almonds, protein shake-blender- (1/2 of a frozen banana, 1 cup of fresh berries, 1 tablespoon of ground flax, 1 scoop of protein powder, 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk, 1 scoop raw cacao powder (chocolate-yum!)- and 1-2 packets of stevia to sweeten)- calories=650
Sample Lunch- Huge green salad with alot of veggies, 1/2 of an avocado and 1 ounce of nuts. Dressing- a lemon, 1 tablespoon olive oil and some mixed spices (Spike).- Calories-550
Afternoon- Drink green juice (extra that was made in the morning). I also eat a package of seaweed snack-75 calories
Sample Dinner-Huge green salad as above without the avocado or nuts, steamed veggies, a cooked, 1 cup of whole grain such as quinoa or barley- I alternate this with home-made soups or salmon-300 calories
No expert here, but seems to me you want to add one or two bowls of salad a day, maybe having one at lunch and putting in some avocado & nuts but nixing the protein drink, and making your rice Brown rice or Quinoa at dinner. A little fat on your salad, preferably olive oil, avocado, or nuts, will help you absorb the vitamins in it and be tasty, but skip the fatty creamy dressings.
I also ditto the comments on changing your milk. Try Silk almond, or the coconut milk that was recommended. If you don't like those, try to bring it down gradually to 1% and then skim milk.
Compared to my diet, you seem very low on fiber. Adding more veggies, via salad or snacks (a bag of carrots with your vitatop muffin?) might bring about some change.
You want to stop "dieting" and start eating healthy. If you can institute one healthy change a week, you'll find you change your lifestyle.
Have you tried oatbran?
Every morning I put 50g of organic oat bran in a big cereal bowl and fill it up with very hot water from the kettle. It makes a tasty porridge and you don't need to add any milk. You get loads of fibre and feel full with very few actual calories.
Then mid morning I have an apple.
Lunch is salad, lots of raw veg, maybe some tofu ( firm silken). No salad dressing, but sprinkle something spicy, like chilli flakes or wasabi paste, over the salad. Avocado could be an occasional treat. Then 3 ryvita and 2 slices low fat swiss cheese ( good for calcium).
Dinner is chicken or fish with loads of steamed veg. Maybe a bit of brown rice. Then berries or grapes with low fat natural yogurt and maybe a sprinkle of nuts or seeds.
Like many other people, for me, wheat is weight gaining. The carbs you need are in the veggies.
Also like many other people, milk makes me very phlegmy!! Yogurt is good for you because it doesn't have the same lactose as milk ( it's something like that, but a nutrionist would know) plus it has the friendly bacteria.
I'm 47 and this little summary has taken me about 10 years to work out!!!
Try to exercise every day, get sweaty for half an hour!! If you can't get out, then put your favourite rock/rap/whatever on an dance your socks off!!!
First I want to tell you that I started a little heavier than you are and have lost 75-80lbs. I just want you to know you can do it.
I would cut my calories to 1200-1300 and cut most carbs, for now. You are not in danger of starving yourself at this point even working out.
Eat lots and lots of veggies and drink the water. Lots of it.
Just my 2 cents....
What does your sodium intake look like? It looks like you have some processed foods, and turkey and pork a lot of times are cured in a water/sodium solution. The people that are getting more immediate results are those that are staying below 1500 mg of sodium, and they are losing water at first. If you need that boost to keep your motivation up, I would look there first.
I am a 49 y/o female, 5'4", made it to my goal weight of 120lbs -- and have maintained it for a couple years now -- and I HATE to exercise, so I would mark myself as "sedentary". Here's how I did it.
- Take a realistic look at what you eat and log it HONESTLY: weigh the meat (remember a 3 oz "serving" of meat is only about the size of the palm of your hand), measure everything, count everything, look at calorie content, etc. You will be surprised at the calorie/fat content of what you previously thought were "healthy" foods. I look everything up in calorie-count.com before I eat it.
- Allow yourself treats, but make sure you log them...and give something else up - so that you don't go over your calorie allocation.
- Look for nonfat options and low cal options with everything: sour cream, milk (drink skim), yogurt (Dannon light and fit is great), etc.
- For snacks, usually you can find low fat options there too -- I love Lays Light chips - they are only 80 cals for 20 chips, and taste great.
- I have totally removed breads and starches from my diet, unless it's a treat that I'm craving (I love home made bread).
- Strawberries and blueberries are a great alternative to sweets, especially with some fat free cool whip on them.
- At 5'4 -- I've been maintaining a 1200-1400 calorie range every day. I lose 2 lbs a week on that (esp if I keep my daily intake around 1200).
- Drink plenty of water.
- With every meal, I try to load it up with vegetables and/or fruit -- usually 2/3-3/4 of my plate is veggies.
- Eat whole grain stuff.
- Try to walk 20 minutes a day.
- I weigh in every day - keeps me motivated to continue losing, but I don't freak out if I gain a pound or two in a day - usually that's water weight, and I lose it a day or two later.
I haven't read all the posts so maybe someone's already pointed this out but perhaps the excersizing your doing is building up some muscles. Supposedly muscles weigh more than fat and help you burn fat in the long run but you might have to wait a few weeks to see any real difference on a scale. How do you feel? Also, I have had good success following The Full Plate Diet (its free on line http://www.fullplatediet.org/) and using calorie counter to monitor my calories and nutrients. I try to get about 40 grams of fiber a day while staying withing my 1500 calorie limit and that means lots of beans, vegetables, fruits and whole grains. I hardly ever feel hungry and my health and energy level has really improved. Plus I feel less like I am restricting myself with a diet and more like I have to eat certain things to get to that 40 gram goal. It's worked for me.
Eat some vegetables and cut out the muffins and bread!
I do protein shakes and I really like them. One thing make sure they are not for body building and for weight loss. They are not all the same. I also add to mine ground flax seed with a drink shaker. This is very good for you and will help you feel full. It is also great for your digestion. You received lots of good advice. Learn your body. You did the correct thing, if its not working you need to try something else. Drink water. Treat yourself to new used cloths as you lose weight (cheaper that way). Love yourself for who you are. Take the good days with the bad ones and do not beat yourself up, there is always tomorrow to try again. Who you are is on the inside, keep your mind and heart in the right place and your body will follow. Get as much exercise as possible. If you are not good at that, start small and work your way up. Remember muscle weights more then fat so the scale might stall for awhile, but your cloths will fit better and you will feel better. Good luck and do not give up. Blessings Beverlee
Two things I've switched to recently are Almond Milk instead of whole milk (less calories and way less carbs) and Truvia as a sugar replacement (0 calories, no chemicals like artificial sweeteners!).
Another thing worth researching is the amount of MSG (monosodium glutamate) and High Fructose Corn syrup in your foods. Both of those mess with your body's insulin reaction (fat storage) and your body's signal that it is full. It's hard to watch, just like counting calories and carbs was at first but just something to consider.
The golden rule for a "fatloss promoting meal" is Protein and Fat are OK, Protein and Carbs are OK but Carbs and Fat = Fat Storage.
Good Luck!
How much sleep are you getting. I know Dr Oz and several other places I have read say that not getting enough sleep can really impact weight loss. I have always struggled with my weight and did better when I cut out all white flour, white rice, white pasta, and refined sugar. That eliminates most all the other bad stuff like processed foods. I went to 100% whole grain. If you have a gluten sensitivity, that will not work. Have you went to a doctor and had a good physical. Had things checked like your thyroid level and be sure you don't have a gluten sensitivity. You might want to start there and be sure you don't have any medical problems. Hang in there, you will start loosing.
Just wanted let you know it took 8 week before I lost any weight. And I am 49. My husband started at the same time I did and was dropping the lbs. I got so discouraged, cryed several times and I am not a emotional person. But I had read one ladies blog that it had took her that long so I decided I would hold on until the 8 weeks. And sure enough at around that time the weight started coming off. I stated last yr in January and now this January I have lost a total of 25lbs my goal is still to get another 10 lbs off. So don't give up and try adding a little more exercise weekly, which does get easier. To get me through I kept telling myself if not losing this is still healthier.
Hi KV - good for you for reaching out. Losing weight can be hard. If you can, do get your thyroid tested, at "our" age it is a very real consideration. Not a bad idea to check for allergies, if you feel this is an issue for you, but many people are fine with dairy and gluten. Probably the most difficult thing is to work full time, and get nutritious home made meals! I try to shave off my prep times ... for example I buy the pre-washed organic baby lettuces ($6/pound) so I can have a salad on my plate in moments. Also, I cook large healthy meals a couple times a week ... setting aside extra portions for busy days later in the week. Soups, bean chili, turkey meatloaf all freeze really well! A lot of planning, but it's worth it. Good luck!
3 cups vegetables, 2 cups of fruit, 2 breads, 2 -5 oz proteins, 1 fat, salt 1/4 tesp. 80 ounces of water.
I did this for the last 6 months and lost 50 pounds without being hungry. I do exercise, but didn't when I started.
Sometimes you don't get ENOUGH food to lose weight. I found going to a certified nutritionist helped me to balance what is right for MY body. What works for me is different than what will work for you, even if our stats are exactly the same. Find what works for YOU... so it isn't a diet, but a lifestyle change. SMILES!
Give yourself a break. You should focus on long-term good health, as achieved by nutritious REAL food eaten in moderation. Pick a snack that works, and eat it when you are actually hungry between meals. Have a glass of water first, and wait a few minutes, in case thirst was the problem. For me the snack is five raw unsalted almonds. Nutritious, filling, crunchy, satisfying, but not tasty enough to make me desire them just because they are there. And I specifically mean ONE snack type. Boring is good where snacks are concerned. Get your entertainment some other way.
Think about race horses and draft horses (like the Budweiser team). You can't imagine a race horse as heavy as a draft horse, and you can't imagine race horses pulling the Budweiser beer. Accept yourself for what you are and forget about a specific weight goal.
One thing that helps is to "plate" your food before you sit down, and put the left overs away first. It is too easy to have second helpings because the food is good, and right in front of you.
Wow - what a lot of good information! I guess the first thing I need to do is learn the difference between whole wheat and whole grains? I thought I was doing well by eating whole wheat. I have definitley cut out sugar and flour unless it's a special treat. One thing I did realize is that even though I was staying in my calories, I was "treating" myself way too often. I have to understand that not giving up a particular food doesn't mean I can have it every day.
The words fruit and veggies are mentioned a lot and I had already had a feeling that's where my answer was, so this week I am trying to focus more on that. I was worried about not getting enough protein, but I don't think I need meat at every meal. I'm also going to cut out the Special K protein drinks unless I just don't have access to anything else. I have no issue with 1% or skim - it's the hubby! I will buy my own milk - I LOVE milk and I hate the thought of giving it up. I do measure it - so I know I am actually drinking only 1 cup. I also realize that I can't have the waffle/pb/banana combo every morning. When I started I thought it was a healthy breakfast - it now has become a treat and will show in my menu less often.
Thank you all so much for your thoughts and your advice. I was going today to get some diet pills, but I just don't want to do that. I'm going to read again all of the information and write down what I think affects me so I'll be more detailed in what I need to work on.
Thanks again - this is a great place to hang out!
By using lowfat cheese, greek yogurt 0, Dean's lowfat or 1% milk and egg beaters along with plenty of fruits amd vegi...a lot of chicken, and watching portions......
Keeping the fat grams at 42 or under, I notice that the calories average out around 1200-1250 and can manage to not be hungry! Of course exercise also was increased and tracked... I am now at 185 give or take a few pounds, and will be going for another 10-15 lbs.
Original Post by christi462:
No grain, no sugar, no processed foods... everything else is allowed. You will be losing in no time. Every meal that you listed had grain in it!
When you say no sugar... I have not had anything with added sugar for 23 days yet a lot of the food I eat has natural sugar in it... I do eat some of the 100 calorie puddings and yogurts but they say sugar free. I always see sugar on my analysis and am wondering if this is hendering my weight loss?
