[Luciole]

Hey everyone!

So, for about a month now I've been counting calories, doing cardio 6x a week and lifting weights 2x a week. And, though I have toned up slightly I haven't lost a single pound

I eat extremely lean, healthy foods (a lot of low-fat yogurt, multigrain cereals, oatmeal, fruit, veggies, tuna etc.) and I really don't get a lot of fat in my diet. In fact, I don't think I'm getting enough (my total cholesterol is 130 for example) and I'm starting to wonder if it's not holding me back from weight loss. I think I should try upping my % of fat to see what happens.

I was hoping maybe some of you could give me some suggestions for easy ways to incorporate more fat into my daily diet. Even saturated fat sources are fine because I get so little fat otherwise.

I've just started using peanut butter occasionally on my apples, but I have a hard time sacrificing so many calories for such a small amount of food. Anyone have any ideas? Something that comes in delineated servings would be ideal. I'm considering eating a few sausage links every day but it's not the best solution for me as I try to avoid processed meats.

Any suggestions? All ideas would be greatly appreciated!!!

[KTna]

Nuts and seeds, they are healthy and taste great. You can have them as a snack or add to salads in a meal.

[Kery]

Nuts, almonds etc are quite good, from what I know. What you can do is aim at the "good fats" - the ones that contain omega-6 and omega-3. Oatmeal is good for this, if I remember well, as well as fish, eggs, flaxseed + olive oil (it fits well for many type of foods; yeah, I've even made waffles with olive oil, and they just taste as good ).

[Diamond]

I think almond butter is better for you than peanut butter. It may not be as fattening or may be lower calories. Other good sources for fat is low fat or non fat cottage cheese, yogurt (plain), string cheese or avocado.

Good luck!

Remember too, that if you're doing weights that you are building muscle and the same weight is being converted from fat to muscle. Though it doesn't show on the scale it should show in the way your clothes fit you.

[Luciole]

Thanks for the suggestions!

KTna--You're right with seeds, I forget about their fatty content and I love 'em so I'll have to start mixing them in.

Kery--Thanks for several good suggestions. I'm really interested in this elusive "flax seed oil" thinger since now you've recommended it and I've read about it other places. Where the heck do I buy it though? I don't mean to sound like an idiot, but is that sold in regular grocery stores? I checked the oil aisle of mine the other day and had no luck. Where do I find it?

dkredondo--Avocados! I forgot about them. Thanks for your ideas and encouragement. I realize that I may be converting some fat to muscle but it's hard to keep that in mind when the scale won't budge!!!

Thanks folks!!!

[aphil]

I have a question-what is your calorie level that you have been eating at?

[Kery]

Unfortunately, I've never found flax seed oil in regular grocery stores either. Here it's available in certain pharmacy stores, I however don't know how it is in other countries. Perhaps some bio foods website do sell some as well, though.

In case you can buy some, make sure to use it quickly though, and keep it in the fridge - it tends to get rancid quite quickly once opened.

[Luciole]

Kery--

Thank you very much!!! I'll check the pharmacy and see if I can locate the flaxseed oil. I have been very interested in it because not only do I see it recommended here but it is also listed on my favorite nutrition site as being an extremely healthy addition to anyone's diet. I'm glad you mentioned its propensity for going rancid too. I tend to buy THE BIGGEST container I can find and probably wouldn't be able to use it fast enough. Thanks to your advice I'll get a small sample and keep it locked up in the fridge. TY!

aphil--

I have been eating 1400-1500 calories per day. I am 26 and a pretty active individual as my job requires approx. 2 hrs of straight walking a night (I have to do "rounds" where I walk through all of the floors in all of the the buildings and around the complex where I work as security) and on top of that I've been doing 30 mins to 1 hr of what is probably medium intensity cardio 6x per week. Based on my research and weight, this calorie range seems to be appropriate for me. I have, however, been considering trying to raise or lower it to break this rut. Do you have any suggestions? I'm afraid that I'll mess things up worse if I drop down to 1200 (in case I really need more calories), but on the flip-side, I'm afraid to raise it in case I would suddenly gain.

This entire "not losing ANY weight" thing is really frustrating me. Since I'm mostly about eating healthy and improving fitness, I'm not so frustrated that I'm close to giving up. Heck, I never give up on anything. But it would certainly be nice to have dropped at least a pound or two since the end of February (when I started).

Sometimes I think as much as I read, research and monitor my body, I just don't have a clue how it works. I really don't understand how I can eat just about anything (and I mean anything... pig out at buffets, split a large pizza with the bf) and have had no trouble maintaining 155 lbs for several years. Yet, I cut back my calories a reasonable amount, up my training... and don't lose?! ARGH!

Any suggestions are welcome because, stubborn as I may be, I'm really beginning to be frustrated. I feel like I'm doing everything the "right" way and not really seeing any results.

[paperclippy]

I think salmon is a good source of "good" fat, and tasty too (if you like fish)! Another way you might get some more fat is by cooking with oil (olive oil is probably a good choice). Oil does add on calories though. My guess is that replacing whatever meats you eat with slightly higher-fat meats would give you quite a bit more fat in your diet. Also, meat with more fat tends to be more filling, so you don't have to eat as much of it. Salmon is definitely a favorite of mine (it has a lot of good-for-you stuff in it), but maybe you could try eating more red meat (if you get ground beef or something you can choose the fat percentage you want) or poultry with the skin on.

Or you could just eat a stick of butter.

Actually, my guess is that you just haven't given it enough time. Weight lifting and cardio add muscle to your body, which weighs more than fat, so even if you are losing fat you are staying the same weight because of muscle gain. Try taking your measurements every couple weeks, chances are you are getting smaller even if you aren't getting lighter.

[Luciole]

paperclippy!

Substituting higher fat meats is a GREAT idea... as I mentioned in my original post, my cholesterol is actually lower than it should be so eating fattier meats, even a higher % is saturated, is not a concern to me right now. I'm so used to relying on chicken, tuna, and veggie burgers that, to be honest, I can't even remember the last time I ate red meat! I'll have to pick up a pack of pre-formed burgers at the store and try substituting them into my diet.

My concern about not getting enough fat is kinda multifold. While I do worry that I'm not losing weight because of it, my low cholesterol (yes, it can be too low) and the fact that my nails are brittle leads me to believe that a bit more fat might be better for me all around.

You're probably right though, along with the others, in thinking that I just haven't waited long enough. I'm so bad at heeding my own advice and not being impatient! I just thought if I can eat freely and maintain this weight, then after a month of actively working to lose it in all the right ways, that I would have... ya' know... lost some Thanks for the advice and the reminder. This forum ROCKS will all the support-- and I think I'm going to need a lot of it for the last leg of this weight loss journey!

I'll be a good girl and start taking my measurements like I should

[Kery]

Hehe, I tend to do the same, buy big containers of food, but yes, for certain foods it's really not recommended. Even in pharmacies it can be hard to find though, I was told then that it was because it gets rancid so fast; somewhat I assume that people just weren't interested in such a short-lasting oil, so they stopped buying some and it stopped being sold :/

[aphil]

I believe that you SHOULD be concentrating more on the scale since you are weight training. I am a weight trainer as well-and there are many times where a month will go by and there is no or very minimal scale weight lost (1 pound or less) but there is a change in my measurements.
You have went from 240 to 153 pounds-and I am currently in a very similar situation as you are. The first part of my weight came off pretty easily-and now I really have to WORK for every pound. Right now my loss is down to about 5 pounds per year and that is staying on plan and doing lots of cardio, strength training, and professional dancing. When you are nearer your goal it gets really, really hard.
You might try cycling your calories a little-eating 1400 one day, 1600 the next, 1500 the day after that, maybe 1300 the next day, and then back up to 1600 or so the next day. It might shake things up a bit. I also have found that I have to increase the intensity of my workouts-go up in weights now and then-and also shake up my strength training routines. In one strength training workout for instance-I will do hammer curls for my biceps (where the palms face inward and the ends of the weights are facing up and down) and maybe squats for my quadriceps/front thighs...and then in the next workout I may do regular curls or wide angle curls for my biceps and maybe leg press or floor quadriceps presses with ankle weights for my quads. Just using two body parts as an example here-but each exercise works the muscle *slightly* differently, and can help stimulate it a little more. Your body doesn't get "used" to the exact same thing every time.
I know exactly the frustration you are going through-I am going through the same thing!

[Luciole]

Kery--

Hehe... what would the world be without giant-fish-tank sized containers of oil, cereal, couscous... I always have a problem fitting everything into my cabinets because I just can't resist that whopping 9 cents or so that I save buying in bulk. This week is going to be horribly busy for me but I'll have to make a serious effort to track down the flaxseed oil and give it a try once I get past the next few days!

aphil--

Thanks for your encouragement and advice! It's comforting to hear from someone who is indeed in a very similar situation. I already try to mix up my lifting a lot, largely just to reduce the monatony (however the heck that's spelled) of it. I hadn't really considered that it could be a positive thing physically as well. As far as cycling the calories, sounds good. I'm very flexible at this point and I'll try about anything. Cycling would probably be a good idea for me too because I do indeed have a tendency to eat the same things at the same times day after day. It's just always been easier for me eat lightly if I don't add too much variety.

So, I'll give it a shot!