Hi All, I've been reading some older posts for the past couple of days and have just decided to join in. I stumbled upon this website while researching the LA Weight Loss plan I'm currently on. My friend has loaned me her "Red Plan" book, but I have made some changes based on how full I was and her body compared to mine. I do plan on starting at a center soon. I think that accountability is key for me. However, I do have a question to ask you wiser LAWL dieters. Am I on the right plan? Here are my stats:

Started Red Plan on 9/4/07 at weight 210. Currently weigh 205. I exercise 5 times a week by doing 20-30 minutes of cardio. However, I feel like I'm eating too much! This is a normal day for me:
Breakfast: Toast or bagul with ff cream cheese, fruit, yogurt, Diet Dr. Pepper
Mid AM snack: fruit serving
Lunch: Lean Cuisine or Turkey w/ one slice of light bread (I've been rotating the two because of the sodium) with 2 servings of a frozen veggie.
Mid PM snack: Fruit and Luna Bar
Dinner: Protein (predominately chicken) and 2 more servings of veggies.

I drink another Diet Dr. Pepper with lunch and water or Crystal Light otherwise. I'll also sit behind a desk and get board, so I allow myself 3 pieces of sugar free candies a day.

I guess my question is: do you see anything I'm doing wrong? I am happy with my weight loss so far, but would like to make any modifications to speed up the weight loss (safely of course).

Thanks! I hope I didn't make any forum faux pau. I am new at this...

Brittany - I can't help with the red plan color stats, since I've never been on that particular plan. Your overall diet looks good, but make sure you get a little variety. I'm assuming your bagels are the healthy kind (Alternative bagel or one that's high in fiber)? Are you getting in your 8 glasses of water?
I think it's great that you are exercising as well as eating healthy...we all know that's the only way to lose!

Be patient with yourself. Some women lose two to three pounds a week at the start of a diet, while others lose a mere pound per week. In the end, the woman who is willing to sometimes disregard the scale and focus on all the benefits following a healthy plan offers will be the one who is successful.

I'll second that one Joni! I only lose an average of 1.4 lbs per week, if that. But... I am in this for the long haul and the healthy benefits are worth it.

I also want to second the other thing Joni said about variety in your diet. I used to eat basically the same thing every day. I thought since I lost weight eating xxx then I would continue to lose weight eating xxx. However, I went on vacation and ate things that I normally don't eat, but tried to make good choices based on what was available. When I got home I was worried to weigh in, but to my surprise I had lost 5 lbs in two weeks which is WAY over my measily 1.4 per week average. I attribute it to variety and keeping my diet rich in fiber (25 or more grams per day to help flush my body out - if you know what I mean - ahem!) FIBER ONE CEREAL IS AWESOME IN YOGURT - In case you were wondering :-)

Glad you decided to join us Brittany! I have learned so much from this site!!

Maia

Hi Brittany,
Welcome. I was on red for 4+ months and when I look at your daily menu, I would suggest that you have a protein for breakfast. This is very important. It gets your body's metabolism started early. Every counselor I have ever had has mentioned this.
I love bagels too and I was using them alot at first, but I was not losing much weight when I had bagels. They are too dense and the ones I like are more than 2 oz. On red, you are really looking at about 50 calories or so for a starch unless the food is high in fiber. One good example is the Thomas whole wheat lite English muffin which is 100 calories for a whole one.
Is the turkey you are having for lunch deli meat? Be careful there as the sodium can be a problem.
I don't see "fats" listed in your menu. I learned that fat is an important part of the weight loss menu. The experts will tell you that you need additional fat to "prime the pump" for weight loss. I eat almonds or pecans daily if I am not going to have another fat that is added to my food.

Here is a concept I am trying - I read it on site. It is called Logs and Kindling
Basically, whenever you have a log you must also have a kindling and vice versa. This is how the foods work together to burn off so you lose better.

Logs include proteins, dairy, and fat
Kindling includes veggies, fruits, starches
Lites are both a log & a kindling

Lastly, I would say, look back at the monthly menus for real life examples of what some of us have been eating. This will give you ideas to switch things up. You will need to page back at the bottom of the LAWL main page to see the menus for previous months.
Best of luck to you

BritannY; Welcome to the board. You will find some expert, been there, done that, advise from the ladies (and Dan) in here. You will just have to get your brain to apply the knowledge that you receive (I have trouble with that).

I didn't see any listing for your water in-take. If you are not getting it, you will need at least 64 oz a day.

Another tool you can use is Hot, Lemon Water. This is where you take a fresh lemon (peel and all) and add it to some hot water (or as warm as you can stand it) and drink it. This (believe it or not) helps flush excess water out of your body.

Good Luck and again, welcome to the board. Its great in here.

I agree, I have hot lemon water every single night and I really feel this helps in many ways! Including helping me sleep!

Thank you to all of you for your advise! I am drinking 64 oz. and beyond, but did not know that about the hot lemon water. And I am always up for something to help me sleep.

I did read another post on here that talked about the downfall of eating bagels and have cut those out. I picked up some Kashi cereal last night, but will definitely try the Fiber One in the yogurt.

Oh and the fat, I do use lite mayo on the turkey sandwich, but I am rotating the turkey sandwich with a Lean Cuisine for lunch. So thanks for the tips on the nuts!

I am so excited. I have more willpower than ever before because I feel like I don't really have to stop living because of a diet.
Thanks again for your tips!

As far as the protein for breakfast, what do you recommend? I had read that the reduced fat peanut butter was one to kind use sparingly.

Hi Brittany, and welcome!!

Ditch the lean cuisines.. If you HAVE to eat them, try to do it once a week, max... Don't be afraid of eating beef and lean pork.. Just make sure it's lean beef and also low in sodium. Lunchmeat is your enemy, thanks to all the fat and preservatives in it, and especially the SALT! Any kind of processed foods should be avoided as much as possible. If you have to have lunchmeat, seek out "Boar's Head" brand. They make low sodium varieties and they are very low in "added stuff".. Their low sodium beef has only 50mg's of salt, compared to the usual 400-600 in other packaged brands.. It's expensive, so only buy what you think you'll use in a week. I usually go for a quarter pound, as we try not to eat beef too much.

Try not to drink two diet Dr. Pepper's a day. Sodas, even diet, will hurt your loss efforts. As for breakfast proteins, make eggs a couple times a week. I use (and LOVE) peanut butter a couple times a week on a 100 calorie "Thomas" English Muffin.

Try to get your starches in early in the day, either with breakfast or lunch.

I started out on Red and I can totally sympathize about the though you're eating too much. It's REALLY hard to wrap your mind around the thought that you have to eat a lot to lose weight.

Watch your salt and get in lots of green veggies!!

Brittany,
I started at about your weight and they started me on purple.
I think purple is one less starch, but I'm not sure. I'm sure the information is on the site somewhere what purple is. If you find yourself stalled, I would drop from Red to Purple, but as long as the weight is coming off... Well why switch. At the COD the normal thing is to drop to the lower plan as you lose the weight. They make it a mystery about when you are supposed to switch though.

I eat lean cuisines and other frozen meals.. but I do try to find the ones that are lower in sodium. Kashi makes some that are really not bad that way. Since if it is loaded with Sodium, you will see it on the scale the next day and get discouraged. I also discovered some rotisserie chicken sold in stores is loaded with salt, as is some turkey... I was shocked about the raw turkey being a huge salt thing. You just have to read the labels. I find that I will gain 2 pounds from drinking one silly diet soda (just water retention, but gee whiz, 2 pounds?)

Brittany,
I have to agreee with Barbara......if you are eating lites (or lunas), you would probably be on purple...........and I also have to agree that if you are losing, leave well enough alone Also, if you are going to use bars, you really need to have both of them. Each plan is specifically designed to either use lites or not use lites. If you do not wish to use lites (bars), then you would be on red, but without bars.........if you want to use them, you need to eat two a day, and then you would be on purple.

Also, some things work well for some, and not for others. And I am saying this, only because I am a diet coke addict........or diet cherry pepsi.......and if I stay OP, I lose every week. I just don't always stay OP.

And about PB.......I use the real stuff. It is so damn good.....and the fat in it is good fat. I just don't eat it everyday.

Man, I wish Cassi was around......she is sooo good at this.

Anyway.....with all of your exercising...........red with lites might be best for you.........you will just have to experiment. That is really what we all do...........those who go to a center just have someone else suggest different thing........those of us who come here only, depend on this forum......and let me tell ya..........there is a butt load of knowledge here ) You know........MT Debster knows her stuff pretty well too..........and we haven't seen her for a spell........but she will pop in again soon.......and she will beable to tell you for sure if you should be on red or purple I hope all this info doesn't make it more difficult......lol.

And don't worry.......you have made no forum faux pau..........we are a pretty relaxed group

Good luck!!!

Oh, and what Lynn said about logs and kindling.............sooo cool. I have never heard it explained that way...........makes perfect sense......

I eat two hardboiled eggs most mornings with my breaksfast. They are nasty...but they really keep me in line

I joined LAWL about 8 weeks ago. I go to the COD at least once if not twice a week. I have only lost 13 lbs. I almost came to a standstill about 3 weeks ago. When I went this week the counselor said it was because I eat the same thing (almost) everyday. She said I need to spice it up a little. She also said that I need a protein for breakfast, lunch & dinner. They also recommend to boost your metabolism that you split up your protein to like 1/2 servings and eat 6 times a day. I think that is a little hard, but I've tried it and it works. I have more energy, and I'm losing weight again!! I don't split up my proteins everyday, but I am just trying to make something different everyday so my body doesn't get lazy again!

BTW, I wish I'd found this website before I started because I wouldn't have paid all that money to the COD. You get the same advice here and it's free!

Krista

Welcome Krista

Thank you so much for all of your advice. I may need to do a little "salt control" in what I've been eating. So, even the fresh sliced deli meat is loaded? Wow, didn't realize that. I do work at a hospital, so while Lean Cuisines are easy for me to just throw in my gym bag and bring to work, it's also easy for me to get a salad in the cafeteria. I know to just watch the cheese and dressings.

Thanks again!

I just have to share that earlier today there was a whole platter of brownies the co-workers were munching over. And while they are in better shape than me, I didn't even have the desire to want one! I've never had that before! I love the structure and willpower this diet has given me so far!

Welcome Brittany and Krista - you have found a great place!