I've been doing this since January. I've only lost 23 pounds. It seems like if I exercise, the weight loss stops completely. I don't know what the deal with that is but I definitely need to lose a bit faster. It seems like lots of other people I know are losing much faster. Every once in a while I get the idea to do something a bit more drastic, but then the thought passes. I'd think since I have so much to lose, it should go faster but that brings me to my question.
I wondered if maybe I should re-distribute my food. I end up eating a lot of carbs even though I'm staying under my calories. The problem is that I have yet to find any high protein foods that are both low-cal and low sodium. Most protein snacks I've come across are cheese/meat based. Any ideas?
I wanted to have a better body when I went on vacation in October but it looks like I'll be the same old "fat girl". It's discouraging.
Last edited by heather_dw; 06-11-2008 at 10:29 AM.
It looks like you are losing about 1 pound a week , that is not that slow. How many calories a day are you eating ? If you are concerned about carbs , meat and cheese have no carbs.
what kind of plan are you following? if you are just counting calories but want to get your protein from something other than meat and cheese, soy is a good alternative but also meal replacement shakes and bars. i don't use them as a meal per se, but they are great for a snack. you are doing great, don't get discouraged!
Well, I'm counting calories and keeping it under 2000 a day. It sounds like alot but Fitday has my Base Metabolic rate at almost 3k. For awhile I was keeping it around 1700-1800 and I stopped losing for a few weeks. Then when I started exercising, it stopped losing for another few weeks. My body's been fighting me all the way.
I try to keep it low fat and low sodium. Every time I google protein snacks I come up with string cheese and beef jerky. Both are too salty
When I was exercising, I was doing Walk Away the Pounds and sweating to the oldies plus walking outside. I wonder if I'd do better if I did Yoga or some sort of strength training. I'm not even sure if carbs are my problem, but I notice I end up getting about 60% of my calories from them and that can't be good.
what has really worked for me is 40% carbs and 30% protein and 30% fat. also i try to always eat carbs and protein together. for instance, if i eat celery i eat it with some pnut butter. i know everybody is different, but you might want to try it, i to stay away from salt, also high fructose corn syrup is another thing that slows me down. good luck and keep us posted.
Absolutely do some strength training....it will firm you up and you will look a lot smaller..(i won't go into the details as they are listed everywhere here in the Exercise forum). but it will do you a world of good now and down the road. besides you can measure inches lost which can show more quickly.
I just did the weight exercises with only a 2 pound weight. I did work up a small sweat but when I think of strength training, I think of serious serious weight lifting. I'll have to do more googling.
I can totally understand your frustration - it seems to come off so much slower than it goes on, and it sounds like you're losing at a slower rate than fitday would tell you to expect.
We're about the same size, and I also use fitday to count calories, although so far I've found that I lose at about the rate it predicts.
Here are a few ideas for you . . .
Have you had a checkup recently? You might want to ask your doctor to check you for insulin resistance, and to check your thyroid -- either of these conditions can make it really hard to lose weight, and they are both treatable with medication.
If you don't measure your portions, you might try doing that for a week or two . . . I'm always surprised by how easy it is to underestimate portion size. I recently got an inexpensive digital kitchen scale with a tare feature, and I love it -- it makes it really easy to know/journal exactly how much I'm eating.
If you've been eating a very low-fat diet for a while, you might try incorporating more healthy fats (olive oil, salmon, nuts) . . . some believe that eating some fat can help stimulate your metabolism.
You might consider the type of carbs you're eating, as well as just the amount . . . if you're eating carbs with a high glycemic index, it may be the case that more whole-grains, vegetables, fruits, etc would help you maintain a level blood sugar, which might help your metabolism.
Some ideas for high-protein/low sodium snacks -- plain yogurt, low-sodium turkey breast, some meal-replacement bars (I imagine the atkins ones would be high-protein).
Good luck, and hang in there whatever your rate of loss may be . . . as long as that number keeps going down, you're making progress toward your goal.
Egg Whites
Fat Free Cottage Cheese
Soy Veggie Burgers
Fat Free Ricotta Cheese
Spinach
Low fat Cheese
Chicken / Steak
Lean meats
Legumes/Beans (complex carbs - which take your body a while to digest)
Look into South Beach if you feel simple carbs are ruining your diet plans
I really don't know what is but I do eat a decent amount of processed food. 100 calorie packs are just way too yummy and I like that they are measured out and it feels like a treat to have a 100 cal ice cream or something sweet but I do probably need to incorporate something more natural
23 pounds is a big achievement! I know it probably feels like nothing, but try putting 23 pounds worth of stuff in a backpack and going for a 1/2 hour walk! Then feel how good it feels to take it off. It really is a lot!
Yeah, I know it is not going as fast as you would like (it doesn't for most of us!), but we are in this for life. We need to commit to a healthy lifestyle not just for a few months, but for life. Even if we could lose 50 pounds in 2 months, we would just gain it all back if we went back to our old lifestyle.
Please don't give up. All bodies work differently. Keep trying new things and keep letting us know how you're doing! You are doing a good job.
Some of us (me included, regrettably) do NOT do well eating processed foods. For me, if I start getting too many of my calories from snack packs, refined sugars, and simple starches, I stop losing...it doesn't matter how many calories I burn or eat, I just will not lose (same with alcohol, for me). So you may want to consider eating "clean" - maybe making the 100 cal packs a once in a while treat, and having fruit, veggies, lean proteins, dairy, and whole grains make up most of your diet.
I want to second (or third...or fourth!) the idea of continuing to strength train. It not only helps you burn more calories, but if you're anything like me, it also is going to help you feel better about yourself, and therefore make better eating choices.
Heather,
Congrats on your progress so far! I am not an expert but I do know that when you walk and start a new exercise program your body has to get used to it so it wont so weight loss maybe because of muscle gain? I know that when I walk i may maintain but my clothes feel much better on me!! I always laugh to myself because when I walk I think wouldnt it be great to come home a size smaller!! LOL you are going to make it!!! stay positive
Hey, congrats on your weightloss so far -- don't downplay that achievement!
I would have to agree with some others here who have suggested ditching those 100 cal packs and other such treats. Even if they're only 100 calories and low fat, the chemicals and processed sugars will effect your body AND weightloss and make it harder for you to break away from eating those kinds of foods.
Also, you mentioned sticking to a low fat diet (hence the low-fat 100 cal packs)... do not fear eating fats; low fat diets don't work for some people (myself included -- I was on one in 2004, I lost weight, but I also couldn't build muscle to save my life AND some of my hair fell out). I'm now eating high protein, high-ish fat and low carb and I've lost many inches in the past 2 months. I feel better and lost weight pretty effortlessly so far eating full-fat dairy, eggs (WITH the yolk), butter, cheeses, avocados, olive oil, fish, etc. (and my hair and skin are better too, PS).
Fat (the edible kind) isn't the enemy -- empty, refined carbs and sugars and chemicalized sugars are.
Slow slow loss and a few questions
