[SwimGirl]

I seem to have stalled with my weight loss, so I was thinking of ways to get this thing going again.. so this is what I am thinking.. and would really like some input! I am currently eating approx 1800 calories a day, so I was thinking of dropping it to 1500 for 8 days, as well as boosting up my exercise to 6 days instead of 3-4. Also, since bread makes me instantly gain (ugh, hate that!!), and sugar makes me eat more.. I was going to drop those completely for 8 days, and then slowly add the bread/whole grains back in. Is this unhealthy at my weight? I'm currently 254, and haven't been able to get below this, and I realllly want to!

I made a sample of a meal plan too..
breakfast : 2 egg whites, 1 egg spinach, tomato and 30 grams of feta omelet. 1/4 cup salsa, 1/2 cup of cucumber = 239 calories
snack : 12oz low fat latte = 180
Lunch : 1 cup steamed cauliflower, 1 cup steamed broccoli, 5 mini potatoes steamed with 2 tsp butter and serving of chicken = 417
snack : 1 cup watermelon, 1 kiwi, 100 calorie package of almonds. = 196
dinner : 1 cup carrots, 1.5 cup cauliflower, 1 cup brussel sprouts, tossed with olive oil 1 tbsp, 1 chicken breast( 5 oz) with 1 tbsp bbq sauce = 424
total: 1456

Also for exercise I am walking 1 hour 4-5 days a week, 30 day shred 3 times a week, if the weather is terrible I've been doing 45 minutes turbo jam instead of walking.

What do you all think? Is this doable?

-Aimee

[Creeech]

Hey Aimee :]

Your diet seems really well balanced, and I think switching up your caloric intake will definitely get your metabolism going! My advice is to definitely "listen" to your body and don't focus THAT much on how much you're lowering your calories. If you feel that bringing it down to 1500 is too much maybe try a 200 calorie deficit and see how you feel.

Good luck, I'm rootin' for ya!

[rockinrobin]

I think it sounds good! Lots of people have trouble losing weight on 1800 calories, so I think taking them down is a good idea.

Oh and by the way, I think you may have underestimated your calories a bit. That watermelon, kiwi and almonds looks to be about 250.

And lots of people have issues with grains. Even the "healthy" ones. I know, because I'm one of em'. I've had to eliminate them with the exception of 1/2 cup Fiber One cereal daily. I love(d) bread, but it was standing in the way of my health. And when I made my health a number one priority, I had to let it go. And now I don't even miss it. Funny, because I used to think that I couldn't live a life without bread and it turned out that I really couldn't live life the way that I wanted to WITH it. So if you "gain instantly" from it, you may want to consider giving it up for more then 8 days.

So yes, I think your plan sounds very doable. So go on out there and by all means do it!

[cfmama]

Sounds doable to me! You could just drop to 1600 and see what happens... or take it right down to 1500. I'm doing 1500 right now and losing okay.

[Alana in Canada]

If you take your calories down to 1500--will you be able to increase them again? Or is that it--It's 1500 forever?

Why not just increase the excercise first and see if that's enough of a jolt?

[VernDern]

Hey! I def think that if stick to that plan you'll get yourself over the hump. It may even work if you just solely increase your work outs or you could probably even just drop the calories by 200 first, like Creeech said. But your plan sounds pretty good!

Good luck! Let us know how it goes!

[Butterfly50]

I agree with Alana in canada I would do exercise first. I do alot of Leslie sansone WATP dvds and she says that a good way to get out of a plateu is to Bump your exercise up. I love her 4 Mile fast becasue you have 3 minutes of one speed and then it gets bumped you do a fast 2 minutes at a higher speed. Then it goes back to the speed for 3 minutes. It Kicks my Butt Sometimes But it feels good when you finish.

[SwimGirl]

Thanks everyone for your replies, definitely gave me some food for thought.. pun intended

I would like to just increase the exercise, however I know that doesn't work for me. Food is definitely key in my weight loss. I have in the past tried to just increase my exercise and it didn't work.

robin - I think once I get results from not having bread it'll make it easier to give it up! I have gotten rid of rice, and only have pasta once every 2 weeks. Hmm, I got 51 for a medium kiwi, 46 for watermelon, and 100 for almonds. Both my calorie book and online calorie counter says that. Got any advice for a good place to get accurate calorie counts?

I plan to start on Thursday - once the carb addicted bf is outta town! I hope to report great results

-Aimee

[rockinrobin]

Originally Posted by SwimGirl

Thanks everyone for your replies, definitely gave me some food for thought.. pun intended

I would like to just increase the exercise, however I know that doesn't work for me. Food is definitely key in my weight loss. I have in the past tried to just increase my exercise and it didn't work.

robin - I think once I get results from not having bread it'll make it easier to give it up! I have gotten rid of rice, and only have pasta once every 2 weeks. Hmm, I got 51 for a medium kiwi, 46 for watermelon, and 100 for almonds. Both my calorie book and online calorie counter says that. Got any advice for a good place to get accurate calorie counts?

I plan to start on Thursday - once the carb addicted bf is outta town! I hope to report great results

-Aimee

Aimme, I agree with you totally. With me, it's always the food that needs to be tweaked. THAT'S where my work needed to be done. Although I gently increased my exercise as I went along, had I not kept to a "tight" food plan, it wouldn't have meant a thing. There's only so many calories exercise can burn away and it's just not enough to make a significant deficit. I could be exercising half the day away and had I not adhered to a specific calorie budget, it wouldn't have done a darn thing. Not a thing. A twenty minute walk burns all of approximately 85 calories. You can eat that back in less then 20 seconds.

As for the calorie counts, I get 1 cup of watermelon at about 100 calories, not the 46 which is what comes up for 1/2 a cup. Got it from several of the on line calorie counting sites. As for accuracy, they're all pretty much the same and there's no way to know for sure which is more accurate then the other. Yes, we track our calories - to the "best" of our abilities. But in the end, even THAT is just an estimate. And I don't sweat that.

Don't shoot me, but what does the carb addicted BF have to do with anything? Don't delay! I'm thinking you won't have his carbs around and that it will be easier... But what about when he comes back? Can you speak with him and tell him that you need his help on this? Either way, you're going to have to learn how to live with him, his carbs (and everyone elses). Give yourself the gift. Give yourself two tight, tight, stick to it like glue weeks and I'm fairly certain that after that time, and yes, it may be difficult, but when that time passes, your cravings will die down. And remember, just because you want something doesn't mean you HAVE to have it. It's okay to tell yourself no. Remember what it is you want the MOST - to be the best you that you can possibly be. To be fit, trim, healthy, active, energetic and have a slew of fabulous clothing...

You CAN do this. I am CERTAIN of it. You can do it and you should. Why wouldn't you???

[SwimGirl]

robin - my cravings are out of control, and while he's gone I hope to rid myself of those cravings so that when he offers me one bite of his pizza I am strong enough to turn it down. And yes, a solid 2 weeks will do that! I'm sure it would be fine to do all of this while he is here, he is quite a good cook, but for some reason it just seems to be the perfect excuse! Gives me the chance to detox from those things alone!

-Aimee