[hurleee]

Hey all. I lurk here often and really feel inspired by the lovely group of women that post here.

I have been exercising reguarly for around 4 months. Reguarly meaning I walk at least 2 miles 5 days a week and sometimes do an exercise video. I have lost maybe 6 pounds. that's it.

In the past week I have somehow managed to gain 5 pounds, no it is not 5 pounds of muscle.

I guess I just didn't want to take the time to count every calorie and also sometimes in the past when I would obsess over what I ate it made it worse. However, what I'm doing is not working. I do eat very healthy and that's why it is frustrating not to lose. I never eat friend food, breaded food, fast food, etc. We always eat fruit, and whole grains, etc.

I guess I just wanted to vent about not being able to lose even though I seem to be making good choices. I guess the point is I just don't cut enough calories.

Does anyone have any pointers for cutting calories, but not being hungry? I did the whole crash diet thing many many times when I was younger and don't want to do that again. I don't want to gain 5 pounds if I eat 1 hamburger after a crash diet, ya know?

well, thanks for listening.

jody

[mortonpixie]

Hey Jody!

I am a calorie counter! I have found that even when I eat properly (no processed, lots of veggies, etc) and don't count calories - I dont' loose.

Here's a sight to calculate your daily needs.
http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

Here's the sight that I like to keep track (there's even an app for my phone) Oh, it's all totally free:
http://www.fatsecret.com/

Beyond that, my suggestion is to get as much fiber and protein as you can. I shoot for 35g fiber and 100g protein every day. Also, drinking water through out the day can make your tummy feel fuller and also helps you to digest and metabolize all of that fiber. You will be a little *offensive* for a week or so while your body adjusts, but after that you'll be fine.

HTH,
Andrea

[parkedout]

Hey there!

I'm a calorie counter also. In the beginning my biggest goal was to 'out protein' my fat intake.

I use : www.fitday.com to keep track and it has what I consider the "Four Biggies" on the front page... although you can make it do different nutrients if you want. Calories, Fat, Carbs, Protein. My goal was simply to make sure I had more proteins than fats, and be under 2000 every day.

It was a start, and even now I get a little kick out seeing me 'out protein' my fats!


Welcome!

[TXMary2]

My advice is not to cut calories too low. The calorie calculator thing above is great. I also use Fitday and it has a calorie calculator as well. Also, eat foods you like and learn portion control by weighing and measuring everything so that you count the calories correctly.

You can do it!

[BreathingSpace]

I find exercise just helps me maintain, but cutting calories allows me to lose.

I would track your food intake and calories for a week. That will give you a better idea of where you can improve and/or cut out things that won't make you feel hungry.

For example, if everything else in your daily meal plan is good, but you're having a can of coke every day, you know you can cut that out immediately and cut 150-200 calories right away.

Those are the obvious ones, but writing everything out might make you aware of not-so-obvious ones.

If you want, you can take a look at my blog in my sig, I list calorie counts and daily meal plans (well, not in the past week or so but before that for a few months). It might give you some ideas.

~BreathingSpace~

[ncuneo]

How many cals are you eating now and could you provide a sample menu? I did this over on the weight loss board a few weeks back and discovered I was not eating the right kinds of foods to keep me full. So I just went to more whole foods and that made a pretty big difference in my hunger levels.

[souvenirdarling]

I find eating a salad every day helps me to make a significant step to creating that "500 cals less per day".

Portion limiting has also been effective for me.

[AFChick]

On the days where I snack on fresh veggies, I find that I am very short on calories at the end of the day. It takes a very long time just to chew things like celery, broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower, so I eat much less. I also have a big jug of water by my desk at work. Alot of my snacking is avoided by drinking lots of water...It was a habit more than anything.

[hurleee]

thank you all for the great advise. I think I will start writing everything down and using an online calorie counter. I also like the idea of eating a big salad for lunch and snacking on veggies as fillers. thanks so much for your support! I'll post again after I have it all in place.

[Eliana]

I have heard that weight loss is 80% diet and 20% exercise. You seem to have fallen into that information by trial and error. It seems to be that way for me as well.

My best advice/tip is to break your calories into equal meals. When I was doing strict 1200 calories I was eating six mini meals of 200 calories each. Easy counting! I'm a little less strict right now because the weight is coming off, but I'll fall back on that when/if I need to.