i try to limit myself to about 1400 calories for the whole day. i've been a bit curious if i'm distributing the calories well throughout though.

breakfast 300
snack 100
lunch 400
snack 100
dinner 400
snack 100

i try to leave 3 hours between any meal/snack.

my protein is most vegetarian... tofu, textured veg protein, sometimes egg whites and sometimes fish.

i dont eat dairy except for fat free plain yogurt.

i don't eat processed carbs like breads, or rice, pasta, or potatoes.

the foods that i am eating are mostly low in calories, but i'm eating alot of them. keep in mind, i've always had a problem with portion control, and i am rarely hungry.

but i guess since i am not starving and miserable, i feel like i'm not effectively losing weight. does anyone have any suggestions?? i'll include what i ate today for a reference.


B-apple, 1/2 c yogurt, 1/2 c bulgur; 1 sliced tomato and 1/2 cucumber sliced with mustard - 271 calories

S-1 c spinach and 3 mushrooms, sliced w mustard, 100 calorie micro popcorn -150 calories

L-1 c TVP, 1/2 c corn, 1 c diced tomatoes, 1 onion, garlic sauteed served over 3 cups romaine, 1/2 chopped cucumber with dressing (2 tbsp guacamole, 1/4 ff plain yogurt, bit of vinegar) 324 calories

S-chai tea with splash of soy milk and 1 splenda - 30 calories

D-2 bowls of pumpkin soup -400 calories

S- 1 pumpkin cake square and 1 pumpkin cheesecake treat - 190 calories

side note: the pumpkin soup turned out to only be 700 calories for the whole batch. is that possible?? i'm just confused. i feel like i'm eating too much. any advice would be great.

It might just be that you need a change of outlook. You said "but i guess since i am not starving and miserable, i feel like i'm not effectively losing weight" - Now, to me, if I felt like that, I'd feel like I was very INeffectively losing weight. I'd be worried about what I'm doing to my metabolism. And also what I'm doing to my self-esteem, to think anyone should feel like that.

If I'm losing, and I'm full and happy, *that* feels like health and success.

You're doing fine! Keep going.

You might find a way to add a little more protein... this is often hard for vegetarians. But you look like you're pretty much on track. If you're using a FitDay tracker, it should tell you how much protein you're getting.



Jay

I distribute my calories similarly to yours, but I aim for 1600-1800 calories a day. For me 1400 would be too low, but I also exercise 5x a week.

One thing I noticed about the foods you listed is that you don't seem to be getting many carbs in your day, expecially in the first part of the day. Are you feeling sluggish? Veggies and fruits are great for your body, but they don't have many calories in them -- our bodies also need more caloric foods throughout the day like bread, potatoes, cheese, rice -- which you mention that you don't eat. Have you never eaten these foods, or did you just stop eating them recently?

Here is my typical day:

Breakfast: 2 pieces whole wheat toast with Smart Balance spread, 1/2 cup eggbeaters, 4 oz orange juice, and 1/2 cup canned pears. (400 calories)

Mid-morning: 12 oz Coffee with fat free half and half (35 calories)

Lunch: Turkey and provolone sandwich on whole grain bread and 6 oz. low fat vegetable soup (400 calories)

Snack: 1 Apple and a small container of fat free yogurt (150 calories)

Dinner: 2/3 cup pasta with sauce, 3 small turkey meatballs, 1 slice garlic bread, 1.5 cups 1% milk (600 calories)

Dessert: Weight Watchers Ice Cream stick (110 Calories)

Total Calories: 1700

If you are eating in a good calorie range for you, and you are feeling SATISFIED and not starving-then you have found the key for losing weight successfully and KEEPING it off!

When you follow a plan that has you STARVING...you cannot stick to it for life. You lose weight, eventually fall off the wagon, and gain weight back. Then it's off a few weeks of months later to find ANOTHER plan...and do the same thing.

This is a GOOD thing. It means that you have found something that you can stick with for LIFE!

do you think my calories are too low then?? i also exercise at least 5x a week. some days more strenuous than others, and usually only cardio.

recently i cut out all cheese. i never drank milk, but i always ate yogurt and cheese. but i felt like maybe i relied too much on cheese, and it's high in fat and i didn't want dairy anymore in my diet.

i try not to eat processed carbs, like breads, rolls, etc. i find myself feeling better without bread in my life. i cut out potatoes slowly within the past year, pasta and rice in more recent months. i think i just have this mindset that startchy carbs make you fat.

i remember going to a weight loss center years ago, and we were only allowed 1 or 2 starches a day. so i guess i always tried to adhere to that.

i wouldn't say i'm really tired at all. i guess maybe at the end of the day, but i just thought that was bc it was time for bed.

also, would it be acceptable then to increase my protein serving. say for instance have 2 servings of tofu at once, rather than just 1, since i'm not having any starch and only vegetable with it.

Why dont you want to eat dairy?

I always associated bread with being fat, too. My fear of breads came from a weight loss center too. But breads are brain food! It's food your brain needs! You just can't cut out a food group entirely. It's there for a reason. Try getting back into eating some whole wheat breads.

I'd say yes, you could increase your tofu. It's a good source of protein!

Cheese, even full fat, is OK as long as you carefully weigh it and don't go wild. I often eat 1 ounce of cheddar with half an apple as a snack. And I also like lowfat string cheese, part-skim ricotta--and even a little bleu cheese now and then on a salad (1 TBS): 62 cals, half fat and half carb, but sometimes a delicious addition if I've got the calories for it.

Jay

i dont want to eat dairy, bc i dont like the idea of consuming another animal's milk products. i find cheese incredibly addictive, too, i've read stuff about cassein, and i dont like that either.


and i'm not cutting out the entire food group of grains, just the ones that are processed, like bread. bread isn't a whole grain or pasta, like bulgur wheat, or oats, or rice.

i eat bulgur wheat daily. i guess maybe i could start including some brown rice too. ok maybe i'll do that.

so i could divide my plate, 1/2 protein, and 1/2 vegetables. if i'm not including a grain with it??

I don't understand. You are eating a well balanced (OK, maybe as others have mentioned you could use more protein or whole grains) diet which keeps you full and satisfied.

Where is the problem?

Does the scale not show progress? Are you frustrated that your clothing is still tight?

Or are you checking in to see if your plan is a good one?

i think mainly checking in to see if its a good one. also, i guess i'm expecting faster results that i'm not getting. maybe i'm just being impatient. also, im worried that if i cut my calories too much, i.e. 1400, that my body will not lose weight, and i certainly dont want to cut calories and not see good results.

What results have you been getting? Your blog here starts on November 5th, and it's only the 12th. That's only a week, correct?

When you say you're expecting faster results than what you're getting... that begs the question of "what results are you getting?"

A healthy rate of weight loss is considered an AVERAGE of 1% of your body weight per week. At your current weight, that would be around 1.5 lbs per week, on average. The on average bit is important because some weeks you'll lose more and some weeks you'll lose less .. you have to look at the long term here.

It sounds to me more like you have this idea in your mind that to be losing weight you have to be miserable and suffering. That you're not doing it "right" if you're not unhappy and hungry.

But looking at what you eat, I'd say you're well on track. I would probably add in some more healthy carbs, if it were me. Somehow, through all this media hype, we've gotten into our minds that carbs = bad, and that's just not true. Your body needs good healthy carbs to function and they're especially useful in giving you energy before you work out. I eat potatoes, whole grain pasta, whole grain bread, oats, quinoa, and other grains and carbs as a huge part of my daily meal plan. I do try to eat the bulk of my carbs during the day and have more protein/veggies at night.

I'd say stick with it and give yourself some time.

.

you keep going stellart!! from what I can see, you are doing an AWESOME job!!