okay i need some help. i have been exercising to jillian michaels on demand for a week and a half everyday,i am also just eating special k for my major meals and a snack bar twice a day.eating is a problem for me cause i rarely eat i could eat a candy bar and be fine for two days cause i dont get hungry,i have been this way for years, now and im tired of it cause i know im depriving myself of nutrition and not eating is making me not lose weight.so my question is is this the best way to get my best nutritional value?
Wow... I would definitely stop eating candy bars and eat something more substantial than that.
Also, you might want to post this in the appropriate forum. This is a FAQ forum for Diet Blogs and Journals. Just scroll down and you will find the right forum.
I agree you might want to put the post up somewhere else. But ill still give you me advice. Get off the special k diet. The only reason it works is cause you cut down your calories and deprive your body. Its okay to eat it for breakfast if you like it or even a special k bar for a snack but eating that for 2 meals a day is unhealthy and like you said you get sick of it. Try eating eggs or oatmeal or something for breakfast. Some carbs for lunch like some rice or pasta and protein and veggies for dinner. You gotta mix things up and make sure you are getting a good variety of food. I would advise that you highly think about trying another plan. I personally calorie count but theres weight watchers SBD, fat smash... TONS of healthy ways to eat. Get familiar with this place you will find lots of great advice and information. Good luck.
OK, right now it sounds like the food you're eating is mostly just carbohydrates. That's not good. You need proteins, especially working out that much, and also some small amounts of good fats.
Protein is found in: milk, cheese, red meat, chicken, turkey, tuna and other fish, cottage cheese, eggs, and also foods like beans and rice--but those two also contain carbs. All these foods also contain fats.
Most foods have a Nutrition Facts label on them. Start reading those labels--they tell you what a serving size of the food is, and also how many calories, fats, proteins, and carbs are in a serving.
You could try something like calorie counting, but before you even get there, I'd suggest you eat at regular times, regardless of whether you "feel hungry." Eating times should be: Breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, and an optional snack after dinner. The reason to eat on a schedule is because for years you haven't "felt hungry." This could be a sign of an eating disorder, and the best way to counteract that is to keep to a schedule.
...so my question is is this the best way to get my best nutritional value?
Obviously not and you're the proof of it. To be blunt it sounds like you've completely wrecked your metabolism. I know the words "eat a balanced diet" are thrown out there every day but this balance is the key to good nutrition. Your diet is mostly carbohydrates. Your body needs proteins, fats, and complex carbohydrates. It doesn't just like these things, it NEEDS them.
Look, we're all here relearning how to feed our bodies, that's the honest truth for us all. We all know what are weaknesses are and we're working on them. You have to start somewhere and start slow. Add a vegetable and protein to one of your meals and go from there. My advice would be to eat low fat yogurt in the morning. With berries, almonds, and even throw some special K on it. It's got good fat, protein, and I swear it has changed my life. I do NOT like yogurt. I eat it like it's medicine that I prescribe to myself. I do it because the days I eat yogurt I feel strong and healthy and ready to face the day. I've NEVER liked it, I've NEVER gotten used to it but it's a committment I've made to myself, end of story.
Visit us often, I hope you find the support here that many of us have.
Nutrition is so important and I'm glad you're seeking out ways to improve yours.
I know a few folks here have used the SuperFoods Rx book as a guideline. That might be a good resource.
Think about 5-7 servings on fruits & veggies a day. Healthy fats like olive oil and avocado. Whole grains, beans, lean protein sources. It's possible to eat yummy food and lose weight. Check out the No Excuses thread in the Maintainers forum for examples. Check out the Maintainers Recipe thread too.
Just wanted to add that you shouldn't worry that you've "wrecked your metabolism," as the earlier poster put it. I don't believe in that, myself. Our bodies are highly dynamic and can heal from many of the stresses we put on them. So just determine that you'll do better and begin today! You'll find you feel better as well.
To get an idea of what a balanced diet may look like, you could always look up the USDA Food Pyramid (I believe it's at mypyramid.gov). It will give you some starting points, and you can tweak your diet to fit your needs from there.
Just wanted to add that you shouldn't worry that you've "wrecked your metabolism," as the earlier poster put it. I don't believe in that, myself. Our bodies are highly dynamic and can heal from many of the stresses we put on them. So just determine that you'll do better and begin today! You'll find you feel better as well.
Jay
I do believe in wrecking your metabolism, but I wasn't implying that it can't be fixed. Of course it's possible to wreck your metabolism, mine was, and so is everyone's who is obese. I just mean that it's not functioning properly. The body IS resilient and it WANTS to run efficiently, it just takes some work to get there. Some people do this naturally and some people have to teach themselves how to do it. I can only speak for myself but I'm willing to bet that a lot of obese people like me have to retrain themselves to eat properly. I have a family member who only eats a partial meal once every 3 days. The rest of the time she drinks coffee, alcoholic beverages, and eats peanuts. Sure she's rail thin and can wear clothes I can only imagine of, but let's face it - her metabolism isn't functioning properly.
The Special K diet is crap. From a nutritional standpoint as well as from a "diet" standpoint. Like previous posters have mentioned, Special K will give you your carb dosage and not much else. Second, the promise of dropping 6 lbs in two weeks as their ad claims is based on water weight (at least the majority of those 6 lbs). Third, and most importantly, there is a slim-to-none chance you will be able to maintain this diet for the rest of your life. Even if you could, why would you want to when there's yummier food out there!
Give your diet an overhaul and start incorporating more vegetables, fruit and protein into your diet. Good luck!
Just for interest--I actually did the Special K diet at one time. In two weeks I lost 3 pounds (it's "up to" 6 pounds). That didn't last or make a significant difference. And I never want to see another bowl of Special K as long as I live!
I did it too! It was a moment of weakness/desperation in college. I lasted 3 days I think. I just couldn't stomach waking up and eating a bowl of Special K followed by... another bowl of Special K. Blerg. I don't eat cereal, but if I did, I wouldn't attempt eating SK again, that's for sure!
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