Please help me perfect my plan!!!
 

Hi, I'm new here and have been a calorie counter for 2 weeks. I have lost 2.2 pounds. I tried WW a couple years ago and lost much more rapidly.

I don't by any means want to lose weight too quickly, but this is pretty slow. I have calculated my BMR and am eating 1300 cals per day based on my sedentary-desk-job-lifestyle. I try to exercise but I have a littel back injury that I am trying to let subside before I continue. I didn't exercise at all on WW.

So what I don't understand is what I am doing wrong. I have, in the past, had no problem losing 1.5 to 2.5 pounds a week. I am eating really healthy, making an effort to get 64oz. of water per day, and have been drinking green tea instead of coffee.

I need to change just a little something here, but don't know what. Any suggestions? Do any of you know something you did that really boosted your start? I don't want to become discouraged and feel like I can't do this right.

Thanks!

I think you are doing fine; one to two pounds per week is all you should lose. Anything more is just water weight. Be patient! What does a typical day for you look like? Quality of the food is just as important as quantity.

Hey, Ians girl. I would begin charting your weight if I were you. There are times of the month you will notice your weight will creep up even if you are on plan 100%. Maybe this is that time for you?

You sound like you are doing the right things. Just stay consistent and you will get there. Aside from being consistent, the single thing that has helped me the most is writing down my food and being honest about my calorie intake. I know it sounds like a small and insignificant thing but I really attribute most of my scale successes to it. It can also familiarize you with calories to the point you are able to eat out with confidence. Also, by measuring your food to get an accurate calorie count, it retrains your eye to know what a portion looks like.

I hope something above helps you. Good luck and keep us informed on how things are moving along.

ThinforaLifetime, I think you make a very good point regarding quality of food. A few weeks ago there was a discussion here about how not all calories are created equally. In my experience, 240 calories worth of fresh veggies are very different once they get into my body than 240 calories of a Lean Cuisine or a bag of potato chips. The whole foods very much satiate me, give me the fiber I need to push things along as well as the water.

Yep; and that Lean Cuisine is likely loaded with sodium too, which can lead to water weight due to retention.

I do weigh my portions and write down everything and it's calorie content. I also keep a list of each week that I weight myself and the results.

As far as the quality of what I am eating, I do my best, however am very discouraged that I really cannot afford to eat exactly as I should. I can't go shopping for another two weeks and the last time I went shopping, I could only spend $40 and that was for 2 of us. I am pretty much forced to but frozen or canned veggies instead of fresh, and regular pasta instead of whole wheat. I have to do this because that's the only way I can afford ground turkey and chicken. I was not getting hardly any protein before I started this. I can't always afford the best choice and have to go with what's on sale. This is not an excuse, it is a huge struggle for me right now.

I am really trying. I had oatmeal and a banana for breakfast. I had chicken breast, spinach and 2oz of pasta for dinner last night. I am getting really frustrated because I want to make the right choices, but I feel like I am constantly fighting with finances. It is not fair that healthy food is so much more expensive than the crappy stuff. I complain about this all the time. I live in a low income area and it's no wonder everyone has weight problems. It gets me soooo ticked off!

Sounds as if you are making some healthy choices in spite of your limited budget. Oatmeal is great - cheap, full of fiber, very good for you. Do you have time to cook dried beans? They are a great protein source and very inexpensive.

Most Americans eat too much protein. From all my reading, it's actually very hard for an American to get too little protein.

Frozen veggies are fine. They are generally frozen shortly after picking and retain a lot of their nutrients, unlike fresh produce in the supermarket that has been shipped a great distance and has lost a lot of nutrients along the way. If you use canned, it helps to rinse them to get as much of the sodium out as possible.

Hang in there!

lean cuisines do have a higher sodium count how ever I know lots of people who have lost TONS of weight eating them... as a base meal... I have one every day for lunch of course I add fresh veggies and fresh fruit with it.. the great thing about them is you can get like 5 for $10.. pretty cheap also tuna is really cheap!

I get a big bag of frozen chicken breast for $9.99 at safeway I thin kit comes with 10-12 breasts in it..

cans of low sodium light soup by progresso are usually cheap 3 for $4 makes easy lunches! or dinners!

oh also you may wanna check out www.thedailyplate.com or www.fitday.com they have a calorie tracker there you just type in the food you ate and the brand of it and it adds your cals for you! that way you dont have to write down every thing! It's been a life saver for me!

Try creating your own frozen meals using fresh veg, lean meats and whole grains. I make my own frozen meals by filling plastic food containers with 300-400 cals/meal and freezing them. I have a busy lifestyle, so making my meals ahead of time works for me. Plus, making your meals means it is healthier and low in sodium. Just eat 3 full meals a day and snacks between meals to keep your metabolism going.

I also keep a diet journal because I tend to undereat (ave 900 cals - bad bad bad). I am actually eating more in volume than before the diet.

It is a little bit harder to eat well on a budget, but you can do it. All the suggestion have been great. Stock up on the sale items and use coupons. Frozen vegetables are fine, they often have as much nutrition as fresh, becasue the fresh might have been sitting out for awhile. And what about beans? No one has mentioned them and they are a great source of protein, and fiber. And did I mention cheap?