I'm getting frustrated...

Okay...so yes, I am losing weight still- VERY slowly- but surely.  My stats are the following:

Female: 5ft 7inches : 279lbs : consuming apx. 1340 calories

The issue is this; I log all of my food for the day in advance the night before so that I can make sure that I'm getting balanced nutrition throughout the day.  the problem is that I get to about 1200 calories of perfectly balanced nutrition and then I get stuck.  I'm finding it very difficult to find foods that can make up for that last 140 calories and still remain balanced.  I can keep my sugar under 40g, I can keep my cholestoral under 200mg without trying, I get at least 24g of fiber, and I try to keep my sodium around 2100mg.  I keep my percentages at 40% complex carbs from oats and whole grains, 20% simple carbs from fruits and veggies, 20% lean protein, and 30% naturally occuring fats.  CC says that I should be eating 1500 calories- but I get too full on that and I really don't think that I should be stuffing myself (even with healthy foods) seeing as that bad habit is what got me here to begin with. 

ANY HELP would be greatly appreciated- I'm open to ANYTHING.

• All-Bran Bars or Snack Bites
• ounce of trail mix
• apple with peanut butter
• fruit salad with yogurt
• smoothie
• half can of tuna with couple of whole wheat crackers
• small bowl of soup

all these are 100-200 cal snacks.....and check out this site for some more info

http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calc ulator.htm

good luck, seems you're on the right track!

You need more calories unless you are sitting all day and doing nothing.  To get your calorie intake eat at least 6 meals a day.  Eat fruit three times a day.  Carbs from oats and whole grains are great, but try getting your calories from more big salads and veggies.

Are you exercising at all and how much??

Only my opinion.

Keep the faith and good luck.

I'm a house wife.  Most of what I do during the day involves chores.  I'm not exercising at this point because I was already concerned that I'm at more than a 1000 calorie deficit.  (I burn around 2460 calories a day- and am only eating around 1340 on good days.)  I was going to the gym about every other day and walking off 150 calories at a time (apx. 20 minutes at 3mph and at a level 1 incline.)  Perhaps you're right and I should try to eat more.  I'm eating around four meals a day as it is.  I HATE that full bloated feeling after eating too much.  It makes me feel heavy, lazy and grumpy.  I do eat salads...but they are small (1 cup shreded iceburg lettuce and about 8 baby carrots with 1 tablespoon light ranch.)  I could double it- but then I'd have to double the dressing which would put the sodium content at 200mg from one salad's dressing...that kinda freaks me out.  Maybe I need to relax a bit and worry more about getting enough calories than making sure they're perfectly balanced. *sigh*

I lost very quickly in the beginning.  I started CC on February 6th of this year.  Currently, I've lost 21lbs.  But in the past week and a half I've been hovering between 279 and 281.  Could you tell me more about this BMR thing.  I've read a bit about it- but maybe I don't understand the significance.  I do eat veggies, but I really think is the whole grains that are making me feel so heavy.  Do you suggest that I go back up to between 1500 and 1700 calories?  I guess I wouldn't mind doing that, but it would mean eating foods that I know aren't perfectly nutritious or clean.  But, I guess the point is to lose weight...and apparently, I'm not doing that as effectively as I was before.

Thank you so much for all your help.  I think secretly I knew I wasn't eating enough- but once I started losing I was feeling so much leaner and with so much more energy.  I think I got caught up in that feeling and in knowing that i was eating balanced that I got so stuck in the mentality that I kept finding lower and lower calorie food to consume and fill up on.  I'm going to pull up my logs from February (when I was eating more AND losing more) and try to recreate that.  I've been talking to my husband about it today and we've both agreed that I'm going to give myself two days without counting and then start over.  Giving myself a plan of action that way I think will boost my motivation and get me out of this rut that's gotten me a bit depressed this last week.  I tend to be an all or nothing kind of person- so maybe i just need to give myself a day every month to eat what I want and then "start over" so that I don't go too far... Again, thanks so much, I really appreciate it.

You sound a lot like me.  Any chance you might be over analyzing?  I do that often -- spending most of the day on CC just to besure everything is right.  Sometimes that causes me more stress than it is worth -- and I think that stress can actually prevent weight loss -- Your body goes into some kind of survival/protection mode.  Also can make me miserable.  And isn't it ironic that to lose weight (consciously) and eat less, you have to spend SO MUCH TIME thinking about food??  Another stressful thing - think about it, but don't eat what you'd really like to eat. 

I have to step back every now and then and put this in perspective:  I have spent much of my life gaining weight (was at 229 lb, 5'4" when I started last year).  If it comes off slowly, that's a good thing -- It's more likely to stay off! 

I'm not a nutrtionist, but I don't think it is that important to have a completely balanced diet each day -- or the same number of calories each day.  It might help to think of a couple of days or even a week as a unit and balance within that -- If you are 150 calories different from day to day, and maybe one day be over on protein and the next over on carbs, it's probably no big deal.  CC lets you look at/plan/analyze your diet over longer time periods.  That might make it easier for you and make it so you don't have to worry about left over calories/ nutritional deficits on a particular day.

Barbara

What foods are you eating?  I would love to see your logs for a week.  I am trying to stay at 1500 or less calories a day and there has never been a day that I felt so full I couldn't eat anymore.  I am continually trying to find foods that will feel me up with fewer calories.  I am 5'5" and weigh 170 pounds.  I have maintained this weight for 2-3 months gaining and losing the same 1 or 2 pounds.  I do exercise 5 days a week.  So I would appreciate any help you can give me on the foods you are eating. 

I live in a rural area so I don't have quick access to fresh fruits and vegetable.  Our grocery stores here have some fruit; apples, bananas and oranges and that is about it.

I just want to say that I wish I got as much exercise as a homemaker! My sister runs circles around me on a daily basis. That ain't easy!

Also, I'm agreeing with everyone saying eat more. You'll feel better and lose more as already stated. Good luck!

IMO, you're not eating enough.  My BMR is around 1500 and I'm shorter than you with less weight.  It looks to me like  your deficit is well over 1000 calories a day which has a tendency to really slow down your weight loss.

Housework is actually exercise in disguise.  Your standing, leaning, stretching, etc...sounds suspiciously like yoga or something, doesn't it?  It's not an extremely active exercise, but it's more work than just standing around.

A 500-1000 calorie deficit per day is the sweet spot for weight loss (maximum return for your efforts).  Try to eat whole grains, lean proteins, fruits, veggies, and the good fats to add those extra calories into your diet.

you really should be eating more.  :(  hey!  i don't care  LOL  just go for it!!!  don't get yourself into starvation mode though!  starvation mode sucks...  royally!!!

i've lost 66 pounds since 9/4 AND i've done it by eating!!!  AND i do buffets often!!!  i know i shouldn't, but i can't help it!  AND i've been told that i lose more when i do buffets  LOL  i don't see that, but...  whatever...  LOL

just make simple changes!!!  if you used to have 4 slices of pizza, have 2 or 3...  don't overdo anything!  AND don't deprive yourself of the things you love!!!  or you'll end up binging!!!

i can't believe i made it this far!!!  :D  and if I can do this, ANYONE CAN!!!  i love my chocolate...  AND i still eat it...  i lost like 29% of my body weight so far & i'm NOT done!

there are days that you will be discouraged, but don't let that bother you.  Just keep it up!!!  keep on going!!!  even if you binge...  it doesn't matter...  it's all worth it in the long run  :D  believe me!!!  been there, done that....

Original Post by coley_moley:

I HATE that full bloated feeling after eating too much.

Nuts and dried fruits are very calorie dense. 1/4 cup of nuts has almost 200 calories in it. If you would like to up your calories (and personally, I feel that it would help you), try those. They shouldn't make you feel bloated or full.

You guys really are the best.  I've taken two days off of counting and now I've planned my menu for a week at between 1650 and 1700 calories.  Hopefully with my menu written in the kitchen already set, I won't be tempted to cut corners.  I am a little bit nervous about getting too full to finish, but I think I'm just going to eat all the way through the day instead of sticking to meal times.  Thank you so much for all your help- and if you have more advice, I've tagged this forum and will continue to check it.  Thanks again!