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Old 07-19-2006, 11:20 PM   #1  
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Apologizing in advance for a lengthy post, but I'm getting desperate......I have been calorie counting for a while now (beginning of June), and can't seem to make the scale move! I had lost quite a bit of weight doing Atkins, but decided in the end that wasn't how I was going to be able to eat long-term, so I quit. Gained the initial few pounds from going off, lost them back, etc.etc. Anyway, I've been keeping my calories between 1200-1500 a day, and I'm just not losing. I'll go down a few pounds, then right back up. I am exercising as much as I can here at the house (I have an infant-gym is not a possibility), but moving more eating less should equal weight loss, right?
I'm losing "baby fat" here. I have never been overweight before except after pregnancy, this is my third and last. I already went to the doctor and had the general workup-everything is normal, and he wasn't very sympathetic. I feel like I'm doing everything "right", but my scale disagrees.
Any helpful hints to get the metabolism going? I just started a colon cleanse, hopefully that will help-but I'm considering getting back on phentermine or going back on Atkins if the scale doesn't start moving again.
My typical menu lately- I usually eat a lean cuisine for lunch, lean pocket or cereal with low-fat milk for breakfast, and whatever I cook for everyone else for dinner, just smaller portions. If I have a snack (maybe 2 or 3 times a week) it's usually some popcorn or a piece of fruit.
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Old 07-20-2006, 12:30 AM   #2  
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I don't think colon cleansing or phentermine will help, it could be a lot of things.

First - how are you keeping track of your calories? I hope you are logging them. Best too if you are measuring them. I have to measure a lot of things: for me even after over 2 years of calorie counting I still understimate portion sizes. A cup and a half a cup are never as big as I think they are

Also, *what* are your dinners? And what kind of cereal are you eating for breakfast? I don't know much about lean pockets, but most people eventually try to switch away from the lean cuisines (they are a good start I think) because they are so high in sodium, make you retain water, and could be responsible for slowness on the part of your scale. Part of the slowness could be rubber-band effect from going off atkins (weight loss slows immediately after consuming carbs again). Also I wonder at the "as much exercise as I can."

I don't mean to question, but for me when I don't lose it is because I am not being honest about how much I am eating and how much I am moving. When I am honest and totally "on plan" for a full two weeks I will usually begin to see the scale move again. If you think you are being completely honest about your calorie intake and your exercise, then it could still just be a weight loss plateau. Many of us have endured those for weeks up to 4 months for some, so they happen. It is hard to be patient when we expect rewards from the scale but you will have to learn to behave without the scale as reward/punishment when you are maintaining and you will probably have to continue the same eating/exercising routine as you are using now to lose the weight. So consider this practice, try to eat cleaner foods, and just keep on doing it. I also might suggest taking measurements as you might be losing inches just not pounds. Hang in there!
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Old 07-20-2006, 12:58 AM   #3  
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What about fresh fruits and veggies? I find I can get myself off a plateau if I make sure I eat a lot of fibre-rich foods (they definitely fill me up longer than other foods), and I aim to get 8-10 servings a day, although it's not always easy. I've gotta agree with blues4miles about the tracking, too. I sometimes feel like I've been eating really well, but I'm not losing, and I've slacked off on tracking. As soon as i staart tracking my food again, I generally start to lose again. Otherwise, like blues said, it might just be a plateau - keep up with your good habits, make sure you're drinking enough water, and hang in there!
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Old 07-20-2006, 07:05 AM   #4  
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I have to add in that just because a cereal is lower in calories per serving-it doesn't make it "better".

If you look by calories alone, Special K looks like a great deal...but in fact, it is highly processed and low protein as well as low fiber. I recommend cereals that may be a little higher calorie-but also have more nutrition, more fiber, etc. in them. Shredded Wheat, Bran Flakes, Kashi brand cereals, or oatmeal are all better choices.

I would also like to add that you might want to take a look at your diet average for the last week. In each given day, approximately how many serving of veggies did you average per day? Fruits? Lean Dairy? Lean Protein? Carbs/Starches? Sometimes if our diets are not as balanced as they should be-as in eating a diet that is mostly starches/carby foods like breads, cereals, granola bars, 100 calorie packs...and not eating enough fruits, veggies, dairy, protein, and other food groups-that this DOES make a difference on your weight loss.

You stated that you have an infant. What kind of exercise are you doing at home? How often? How long per session? Any other pertinent information on your exercise? (For instance, if you do a video with weights-are you using 1 pound, 2 pound, 3 pound weights, etc. or if you walk for 20 minutes a day-about how much distance are you covering?) I need to know pretty much WHAT you are doing for exercise as well.

As far as your calorie level of 1200-1500...what is your usual average? Are you near the 1500 mark most of the time...or near the 1200 mark most of the time? If you could give me some more info on all of these things, I can make some tweaks in your plan that should help you get some better results.



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Old 07-20-2006, 08:35 AM   #5  
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Let me see .... I'll add a nod for ...
measuring and being stringently honest
measuring you ... if you have a wee baby you're probably shrinking if not getting lighter
logging your food ... a bunch of us use fitday.com, you can post a link and we can have a look
fresh food makes better fuel
oatmeal cooked from scratch is an awesome cereal
And (as usual) I agree with Aphil. Keep posting! The more info we have, the more we can help you.
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Old 07-20-2006, 12:03 PM   #6  
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Thanks for the replies everyone.....
Some more info-
I'm 5 foot 3 inches, 173 pounds. Is this the correct calorie range to aim for?
exercise-I have a Gazelle, I usually do 25 minutes fast pace, plus another five for warmup & cooldown-about 3 days a week-one session is almost 2 miles
I also do yoga (almost) everyday. I have a video I follow that is about 40 minutes long, so on average, about once a week I have to skip it due to time limitations. There was a week since I started that I was on vacation and didn't do any of it, but I was doing a lot of swimming and walking.
I also get in some toning exercises twice a week, like reps with small 3 lb weights, crunches, squats, etc, definitely not aerobic, but I need it to repair the damage I did sitting on my butt and stuffing my face for 9 months.
I do take my measurements, and I have lost 2 inches in my "gut" since I stopped losing pounds. By gut, I don't mean my "natural waist", or my hips, but the area in between that bulges after pregnancy, especially a c-section. It's not much, but I guess I should be happy about it. My pants fit better.

I have to admit my diet probably isn't as balanced as it should be. I don't eat alot of veggies-I just don't like them. I do eat fruit, like apples, bananas, strawberries, etc. And since quitting Atkins I've switched to whole grain versions of foods when possible, like breads, pastas, cereals. White bread and flour kind of scare me now. Still, the amount of carbs I eat throughout the day is scary compared to what I was doing on Atkins. I estimate I am around 150-200 grams of carbs per day, whereas I stayed below 25 on Atkins.
Most of my foods I don't have to measure. Like the lean pockets and lean cuisines, that's part of what I like about them. I keep track of my foods in a notebook at home, but I'll start another fitday journal. I used it before when I started Atkins. Typical dinner is baked chicken, meatloaf, or beef tips, with rice, potatos, or pasta, and a veggie like corn, peas, or green beans. I don't fry anything. I do measure my portions for dinner, and those foods even in measured portions add up pretty quickly, so it's where most of my calories for the day come in. Breakfast is around 250 calories, lunch is around 350, but dinner usually ends up being 500-700 calories. If I have a snack it's a piece of fruit, or occasionally a little light popcorn.
My intake stays closer to the 1200 end. 1500 is a bad day, like if I eat at a friends house or have to eat fast food (maybe twice a month), I usually end up having to eat a piece of fruit as a meal or skip it altogether to stay in my range. Not to say that I have NEVER underestimated my calories, but I would say I'm strict about it. I only drink diet coke and water.
How do you break a plateau? What would make a plateau last that long? Is it something you just have to wait out?
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Old 07-20-2006, 12:28 PM   #7  
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Default Hoping this helps!

First of all, Congratulations on trying to lose weight. It is a battle I have fought with for many years, but calorie counting is the only thing I've stuck to.

I am 5'3 and started on July 5th with a weight of 202. My current is 195. I am staying in between 1200-1300 calories and it's working for me. It's more than just watching the calories though. I really limit my carbs and watch my protein intake. I drink LOTS of water and every night I walk a mile or do a work out video or go to the gym.

I hate fish, but I have found that I really enjoy eating Salmon, Halibut, Shrimp and I'm eating more boneless skinless chicken breasts as well.

It's so hard to find the right combo that works for you, but I agree that fresh veggies and fruits incorporated into your diet with healthy meats and lots of water will help get the weight off.

I also drink 3 glasses of Water with a half a lemon squeezed into it a week to help flush out my system.

Try starting off your morning with a protein shake, and if you are a big eater, limit yourself to small healthy meals throughout the day, but keep track of them on Fit Day!

Good Luck and again, Congrats!

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Old 07-20-2006, 12:54 PM   #8  
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If you are still losing inches, then I'm not sure you are really at a plateau (Mel pointed this out to me last week). During a plateau, you aren't losing anything, inches, weight, or body fat. If you've lost two inches in your gut, that sounds like a lot of progress to me. If I could lose two inches there, I wouldn't give a fig what the scale said! There are other ways to measure progress besides the scale.

A lot of people recommend eating multiple snacks throughout the day. The idea is that if you eating even just a small snack every three hours or so, your metabolism will be higher throughout the day. Now I have read that the scientific evidence that this works is still questionable, but it is something I have done since I started my diet. And, for what it's worth, although my weightloss has been slow at times, I haven't really plateaued (although as I get close to my goal, there are definitely weeks where the scale stands still). So I might suggest looking for some new dinner recipes (splurge on a new cookbook featuring healthly and easy meals) that would keep your dinners around 400-500 calories, so that you can eat some more snacks throughout the day. You don't have to make special meals for yourself, there are lots of 400-500 calories meals (including meatloaf, even) that are quite tasty, so your family wouldn't necessarily even know they were eating something low calorie. I'm not sure how you feel about lettuce, but another easy thing to do would be to replace the rice, pasta, or potatoes with a green salad. This would cut out a big chunk of calories and reduce your carbs. This has been one of my main strategies (and lately I've noticed that the salads keep getting bigger - LOL). It's pretty rare that I have a meat, a starch, and a veggie all in the same meal. Usually it's just two of the three (unless I'm making a stir-fry or a casserole).

Also, you don't mention whether or not you are still breastfeeding. If you are, then it might be that your calories are too low. I know you need more calories when breastfeeding.

- Barbara
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Old 07-20-2006, 04:33 PM   #9  
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Are you saying you haven't lost ANYTHING since June 1? Or, are you saying the loss has been markedly different than when you were on Atkins? Because, I can tell you, weight loss on Atkins is just different than weight loss on a low calorie or low fat diet. But, while you might lose at a slower pace, you also don't swell up like a dead hog when you slip (pardon my redneck similes), which I find refreshing after living the Atkins lifestyle for a while.

If you really want to break your plateau (if this really is one), you will add some vegetables to your menu. You need some fiber! You need some beta carotene. You need some vitamin C. You need some good fats. Basically, you some leafy greens and some orange food. Stat! I don't even really count peas and corn and potatoes as "vegetables" anymore. Those are carbs. Eat some broccoli, girl. You'll feel better, feel fuller, and lose weight.
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Old 07-21-2006, 01:43 PM   #10  
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Thanks for the advice y'all-
I'm not still breastfeeding-I had some difficulty this time around and switched to bottles when he was 2 1/2 months old.
Since I went off Atkins, I do enjoy the variety of foods I can have-that's part of why I quit, the other part being my hubby was on my behind because he thought it was unhealthy. I haven't lost any weight since I went off plan. The scale will go down a pound or two, and the next week it's right back up. As of right now I'm still at the weight I was the day I quit. I would be happy with any loss at this point, as long as it stays gone.
Like I said before, I kind of thought that the pre-packaged stuff would work out for me because I don't have to measure anything, and this is all kind of new to me. I've never actually had to count calories before, and while I've researched and counted and measured, it doesn't seem to be working. I'll try to choke down some more veggies and see if that helps.....

Maybe this is all due to the fact that I screwed something up in my metabolism by doing Atkins. I've alot of poking around on those boards, and the majority of people who quit, even the long-timers, end up gaining back REALLY quickly. From what I've read there, I'm probably lucky to be at the same weight, and not 10 or 15 pounds heavier at this point. I don't believe that anything can change your metabolism permanently, so I may just have to stick it out eating normally until my body figures out what's going on.
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