Wow! We are twins! That's crazy! This morning I did go out running again and it felt great to get moving. Hopefully, getting active will start the weight loss again.
I joined a body makeover group and our coach stressed the importance of more protein. While I opted for the WW program, many others opted for the protein shake and bar route. I can say out of 33 people, I places 7th for inches lost (10 3/4). I did make sure I was taking in more protein and one of the better things I found was the Kashi cereals. The Go Lean has 13g of protein and the Crunch has 9g. They are fairly taste too, a lot of crunch and slightly sweet.
Keep up the good work and remember fat doesn't taste as good as skinny feels!
Boobear in order to keep my metabolisim "moving" I eat frequently throughout the day. I eat every 2 hours or so. 3 meals and 3 snacks. And without a doubt exercise will keep that metabolisim moving. Another thing, are you doing any kind of strength training? Muscle is really a weightloss tool, among other things. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn just standing still.
And 70% is too high. What I do is just make sure every meal and every snack has some protein. Breakfast is a combo high fiber/high-ish protein cereal with protein filled skim milk. Lunch has more protein, either tuna or a soy product or egg white omlette. Dinner more protein, either chicken breast or fish. Snacks yogurt, low fat cheeses, nuts, peanut butter - watch your amounts carefully with the nuts and peanut butter - more protein. There's also beans.
Wait--BooBear, did you mean that whatever the amount of calories a protein has listed, it's really only 70% of that because of metabolism? I think we misunderstood what you were saying. Heh.
I've been at this particular plat-toe (160 lbs) for almost a month now. I am starting to eat more fruits & veggies (the closer summer gets, the more I eat them... I like them really fresh!) - so I have a feeling my "toe" will be over soon.
Here's hoping! - cause the more fresh fruits/veggies I eat & the less meat & so forth, my body responds so much better.
When I hit a plateau I changed both my eating habits and exercise habits. I didn't eat more becuase I was already eating 1500 calories, but I did change what I was eating. My body got used to what I was eating and it was nothing new, so I started to try new foods. As with exercise I tried a new routine each day. I was stuck on doing the same thing all the time and I just decided to change it each day. It not only helped with boredem but it tricked my body. Its all about tricking your mind. Your body gets used to your routine from time to time. Good luck!
Hey BooBear--yeah, I see! Duh... I'm not sure I believe that about protein, but I am currently trying to increase my protein and decrease my fats (as 3FC-er Meg recommended to me in the Exercise forum) to see how that will go.
Heyalexia, yes, changing something seems like a good idea! I don't want to increase my calories--that seems like the wrong way to go--so I'm changing some of my foods and exercise.
I agree I have never understood the *eat more* theory. For me it just puts weight on.
But, as always, everyone is different I've been counting calories on and off for about 3 years now (and was still well aware of calories long before that, just hadn't been keeping track formally). At one point in my journey, I was eating about 1200 calories a day (ranging from about 1150 up to 1300, but averaging about 1200). And yes, I'm an avid measurer and counter and recorder/tracker--I KNOW what I'm taking in. Anyway, I was doing great with the 1200 calories for a few months, and then it was like I hit a brick wall. BAM! I stalled and did not lose any weight for 3 months. Yeah, it sucked. And yes, I was still counting and tracking and measuring the whole time--when I'm in my zone, I don't let ANY calories "sneak" in
So then I became extremely frustrated. Who wouldn't when they're still well over 250 pounds and eating an average of 1200 calories a day and not losing any weight for 3 months? So I became a bit more lax. I kept tracking and counting, but I became less strict with myself. I stopped weighing myself as often and stopped trying to stick close to the 1200 calorie mark. I ended up at an average of closer to 1600 calories over the course of the next month (a little over 1600, but not quite 1650), and I lost 10 pounds. And no, I didn't increase my exercise or intensity during that time, nor the types of foods I was eating (I didn't randomly go vegetarian or all organic or anything).
So, it DOES happen. I believe that sometimes, our bodies just need a little wake up call, and shaking things up a bit, even by increasing the calories, can sometimes be the solution. Our bodies settle into patterns, and even though it may be counterintuitive, it does work for some people. I'm not saying it's a cure all for EVERYONE'S plateaus, but it certainly worked for me, and I know it has worked for some others as well.
Just because we don't understand something or it doesn't work for us personally, doesn't mean it's wrong or doesn't work for anyone
Jilly, you could have been eating too few calories at that weight, and also for your age. In my case I don't do well if I go up over 1500. Everyone is individual that way.
Jilly, you could have been eating too few calories at that weight, and also for your age. In my case I don't do well if I go up over 1500. Everyone is individual that way.
Oh, I know, but people are saying they don't understand how increasing calories could ever help, so I was just giving a real life example. Even some people at lower weights need higher calories because they've got higher metabolism--there's no one-size-fits-all to dieting
Thanks for all the great input everyone! I have been checking my calorie intake very carefully and have tried to keep it between 1200-1300. I have completely fallen in love with www.thedailyplate.com and have been trying to balance my carb and protein intake as well. The end result is I have lost one more pound and I am optimistic about losing another. If things continue to be slow I may consider raising my intake 100 calories or lowering it as I continue to try and find that sweet spot.
I'm not sure I believe that about protein, but I am currently trying to increase my protein and decrease my fats (as 3FC-er Meg recommended to me in the Exercise forum) to see how that will go.
