Hi everyone,
I have an eating question that I'm hoping you can help me with.

I am about 40lbs overweight and I want to lose it. I am a runner, and I do spin class, and I recently started a weight lifting routine. I don't think I have any issues in the exercise department.

The problem is, I don't know how to eat properly. I exercise regularly, but the scale hasn't moved and my size hasn't changed. I know it has to do with what I consume, but I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Here is a typical day:

B: Cereal (Mini Wheats or Cheerios)
S: Veg and hummus
L: PB on WW toast or sandwich
S: Apple and Cheese String
D: Chicken, Potatoes, Veg

I won't lie to you, I definitely snack in the evening, and it's usually unhealthy. But is that really making that much of a difference?

Any help would be appreciated.

It's hard to gauge what you are consuming if you aren't tracking what you do at night.

It looks like you aren't eating enough during the day which could be a reason why you snack more at night.

I find if I have more protein in the morning from oats or eggs, I tend to stay full longer. A bowl of cereal leaves me hungry an hour or two after breakfast.

Good luck! I tend to fill up on high volume-low cal foods like vegetables to keep me satiated longer.

I'm also wondering what you end up having in the evening that you're not posting on your list. Also, it's hard to know since you didn't say how much of anything you have. I would recommend counting your calories and eat as usual to see what you're consuming. I'd also recommend something with protein rather than cereal for breakfast. How about hard boiled egg with some apple? The combo of protein and fiber is very good. A salad with chicken for lunch would be more packed with nutrition too. Is your chicken baked or fried? Does your potato have butter on it or is it plain? You may want to eat yams instead since they're more nutrient dense than white potatoes.

Also, since you're increased your workouts, it's very possible that you're losing fat but it's not showing up on the scale because your body retains lots of water when you increase exercise (especially with weight lifting). Have you taken photos and measurements? The scale is not always the best indicator in the short term.

I like to eat at night too so I'll save up more calories for the night and eat less during the day. If I get the munchies and I know I'm not supposed to eat, I'll have a cup of herbal tea or chew on gum...lots and lots of sugar free gum. Not the healthiest thing but better than inhaling all the food in the house.

I'll be quite honest, a typical evening would go like this:

When I get home I usually have a piece of cheese and some crackers, while I'm making dinner.
Dinner would be chicken breast, potatoes (no butter), veg.
When I'm done (satisfied, not full), I will have crackers, cheese, pepperettes, popcorn, cookies, more cheese, etc.

I'm not usually hungry, but I eat it anyways.

I will try having a different breakfast.

Thanks.

I was in your spot (although I was much more overweight!) and I know the frustration of being fit and not seeing any difference in weight

You're right that it's eating. Specifically I found it was how much I was eating that was the problem.

Find out how many calories you're consuming. If you're not gaining then you know you're eating at around maintenance level. From there you can adjust accordingly and lose weight

Try cutting out the cheese and pepperettes to start. Many people here find that make small gradual changes works the best.

When you don't have a lot to lose, yes, the extra snacking makes a big difference. That's also a lot of low-nutrition, high-carb food you're taking in. A lot of people will tell you that it's calories in, calories out, but if you're carb-sensitive at all, you won't lose eating those kinds of foods, especially at night.

It's hard, figuring out what works for you individually, but it's possible. Personally, I'd lose the high-carb stuff like crackers and cookies before I'd cut out the cheese and pepperettes.

Also - what are your drink options like? Are you getting in water, unsweetened tea, things that have zero calories? Are you still doing soft drinks like Coca-cola or Sprite? Make sure your liquid calories get accounted for accurately - sometimes those bottles and cans have 2 servings in them.

My biggest issue was liquid calories. A latte here, a gimlet there, a lemonade at night, and untracked sports drinks were doing me in. I made sure I moved to water/ tea and overhauled what I ordered out in a bar or cafe. Soymilk saved me calories where whole milk was filling me overboard. Look into those options and see what needs scaling back.

I also found with exercise, my weight was steady but I was definitely losing an inch in spots. Keep measurements weekly so you can see the movement faster than you would on a scale.

Also check out the sodium in the items you consume. Higher sodium will get you bloating more, which will make it look like you're not budging. Reduce sodium a bit, monitor it well, and see if that helps, too.

I don't have ANY carbs after lunch. One meal, either breakfast or lunch will have a carb. For supper it is always protein and vegetables.
But perhaps for everything you are doing, you are not eating enough.

I agree with one exception. I would keep the cheese, cut out the pepperettes (or limit them severely) and add in fruit. Raw veggies also make a good snack when paired with hummus.

Snacking in the evening does have a large effect. I'm sure if you stopped just that, you would see a change in the scale. Also try to rearrange your calories differetly (although it's hard for most, including me). Eat the most calories early in the day and then work towards eating less and less, ending with a light snack as produce. Eating more calories in the morning is better because you then have all day to burn it all off. If you wait till the end of the day to eat the foods that are more dificult to digest, you won't end up burning them.