I'm at a stall. I have been for nearly the dreaded 4-week cutoff now.
And it's because I'm eating badly. Oh, sure. Overall, I remain eating healthy foods. I eat salad and fruit, sandwiches w/ hardly any meat and no sauce to speak of. I try to eat slowly and I tend to get water or watered-down tea with my meals if I drink anything at all.
I also eat dessert. Cookies covered with ice cream and sprinkled with bits of banana. Brownies and strawberry cake, all just there for taking at the end of my cafeteria's line.
At the beginning of my diet, I was eating like this and everything was fine. I was also 50lbs overweight at that time, and had gone from never exercising in my life to working out (cardio and weights) once or even twice a day for an hour each time.
Well, my workout is about the same (little more strenuous cardio, now that I feel that I can run for longer than five minutes).
But I am certain my eating habits have finally caught up with me. I always feel unable to accurately count while eating at school, so I just try to eat good food. Except for that darn-blanged dessert and the occasional trip to fastfood land when the cafeteria hours are over and I feel close to starvation and my too-thin friends are suddenly eager for french fries and quarter pounders with cheese.
Well, goodbye, dessert cart.
Goodbye, fast food.
Soon you will be replaced with more lettuce and cereal bars to tide over my raging appetite.
It was fun while it lasted, losing weight while scarfing cookies. But those days are over. The Body says 'no more!'
The better eating starts today with a 6in sauceless veggie sub. Tomorrow there will be salad and sandwiches and no banana splits in sight!
In a previous attempt at losing weight this was a big barrier for me.
I called it "failure without punishment" the concept that there were periods when I was more overweight or exercising a ton and could eat poorly and either continue to lose some or not gain....in the short term.
But as you speak of it really catches up with you eventually, the punishment just comes later.
Plus when you lose like 23 lbs like you have you could eat exactly the same calories and your calorie defecit is smaller just because you are overall smaller.
So it's like you eventually hit that point where the combination of needing to take in fewer calories due to being smaller to maintain the same defecit, coupled with poor eating habits you didn't used to be "punished" for on the scale finally hits that point where the loss slow or stops. And in many cases, like myself in the past, if the behavior isn't adjusted leads to gain.
So great on you that you know where the issue lies as that makes it a solvable (not easy) problem
I'm kind of in the same mindset as you this morning.
I've lost weight ... sure but ...
I've spent an awful lot of the morning researching body builders. I know I can't do what they do ... er, maybe not ... but I can certainly learn from them.
Hmmm ... I'm kinda considering doing a ten day clean/serious/wicked ... plan? Something different, wonderful and effective.
I will post the whole thing for you Susan.
How to Eat a Body Builder Diet to Lose Weight
Here is how to eat and lose weight like a body builder.
Steps
1. To start off, you have to follow the meals exactly, spices can be used but not in extremes. No thick and creamy salad dressings, use salt sparingly, a good alternative is garlic or cayenne pepper. Sugar is something to avoid at all costs, but if you put sugar and cream in your morning coffee, use low fat skimmed milk and Splenda or Splendid.
2. You'll need to be eating a meal at every 2-3 hours and if you miss a meal you don't get to make up for it at the next meal. You will be having protein matched with a carb. We use the flaxseed oil capsules(1000mg, can be found at GNC) to curb appetite and trick the body into thinking it's getting enough fat so it will release fat stores and help with overall inflammation of joints. Water is very important not only when dieting but also on a day-to-day basis. Some people are so dehydrated that they confuse it for hunger pains.You'll need to drink at least 4 liters of water a day, more to help with hunger pains if needed. Try to have a glass and a half of water at each meal, this will flush your system and release water storage, not dehydrate you.
3. First Meal(breakfast):
* 1-2 scoops of protein in low fat milk or water (easiest morning meal)
* or 3 eggs(2 of them whites only) hard-boiled or fried with no oil and no butter
* or 40 grams of quick oats(i think half a cup or a quarter of a cup)
* and you must take 1000mg flaxseed oil(can be found at GNC)
4. Second Meal(morning snack):
* 1 can tuna or salmon
* or 1-2 scoop protein shake and 2 rice cakes of any kind
* and you must take 1000mg of flaxseed oil
5. Third Meal(lunch):
* 2-6 oz chicken breasts and 2/3 cup of pasta or rice.
* and 1000mg of flaxseed oil
6. Fourth Meal(Afternoon snack):
* 1 can tuna or salmon
* or 4oz of steak
* 1-2 scoop protein shake and 2 rice cakes of any kind
7. Fifth Meal(Supper):
* 8oz steak or equal amount of hamburger or salmon or shrimp(not in butter)
* 1 large salad or large portion of broccoli or cauliflower or both B&C
8. Sixth Meal(Night Snack):
* 1-2 scoops of protein in low fat milk or water
* or 3 eggs(2 of them whites only) hard-boiled or fried with no oil and no butter
* 1000mg of flaxseed oil.
9. As you can see, you won't be starving on this plan. Also notice that life would be easier if you can take protein shakes instead of the meat. Making meals ahead of time for the week will make it easier too... It's summer so it's wise to BBQ your supper or any other meat meals.
Tips
* Anywhere where it says in the meal plans, 1 can of tuna or salmon, you can replace that with either 3 turkey niblets (pillers brand, they are cheaper at superstore) or 1 and a half cups of imitation crab meat(remember to check expiration date).
* Anywhere where it says anything about eggs, you can have Kraft light Swiss cheese... only eat 3 1/4" cube
Warnings
* You absolutely need to cheat on Saturday, because if you don't you won't lose any weight, I know that sounds weird but it's the truth, so eat your cake, have fries, chicken nuggets, blizzards or anything that you miss not being able to eat during the week.
Things You'll Need
* The food
* The Flaxseed oil capsules
* The multivitamins
* Protein shake low fat, low carb, with at least 23grams of protein per scoop, sugars low like 3 grams or lower. GNC have samples so takes some home before you buy one, because there are some really gross kinds of protein shakes. it should be whey protein.
I'm going through the same type of thing right now... I lost my first 50 lbs by eating healthier than I had in such a long time & exercising more than I had in years that I was able to eat many more "bad" things & still lose than I can now. So I guess I'm at a reevaluating point myself.
But I know we can do this. We've come too far not to...
I'm at a stall. I have been for nearly the dreaded 4-week cutoff now.
And it's because I'm eating badly. Oh, sure. Overall, I remain eating healthy foods. I eat salad and fruit, sandwiches w/ hardly any meat and no sauce to speak of. I try to eat slowly and I tend to get water or watered-down tea with my meals if I drink anything at all.
I also eat dessert. Cookies covered with ice cream and sprinkled with bits of banana. Brownies and strawberry cake, all just there for taking at the end of my cafeteria's line.
At the beginning of my diet, I was eating like this and everything was fine. I was also 50lbs overweight at that time, and had gone from never exercising in my life to working out (cardio and weights) once or even twice a day for an hour each time.
Well, my workout is about the same (little more strenuous cardio, now that I feel that I can run for longer than five minutes).
But I am certain my eating habits have finally caught up with me. I always feel unable to accurately count while eating at school, so I just try to eat good food. Except for that darn-blanged dessert and the occasional trip to fastfood land when the cafeteria hours are over and I feel close to starvation and my too-thin friends are suddenly eager for french fries and quarter pounders with cheese.
Well, goodbye, dessert cart.
Goodbye, fast food.
Soon you will be replaced with more lettuce and cereal bars to tide over my raging appetite.
It was fun while it lasted, losing weight while scarfing cookies. But those days are over. The Body says 'no more!'
The better eating starts today with a 6in sauceless veggie sub. Tomorrow there will be salad and sandwiches and no banana splits in sight!
And that's my story.
Thanks for listening. <3
Lose the foods I highlighted. Add in more fruits and veggies. Have a baked sweet potato once in a while. Eat beans and rice occasionally. Sweet potato fries baked in the oven can be good even without ketchup. Use mustard on your veggie subs. It is tasty and no fat. Use good fats...avocado, flax seed oil. Eat fish...salmon is awesome for weight loss and so good for you. Eat lean proteins...they are good for you. Have eggs. Keep exercising and drink your water and you should break that stall.
Last edited by canadianwoman; 01-23-2010 at 05:26 PM.
I would also add MORE meat to those sandwiches, rather than less. Some protein will help even out your blood sugar and keep you from getting hungry quickly afterwards. And some lean meat has WAY less fat and calories than all those desserts.
Re-evaluating
