Here I am around 11 pounds to my goal weight and things are just staying the same. I have posted here about it all ready and still things stay the same.

I discussed all this with my trainer because he sees all the effort I am putting in and that getting to goal is important to me. He has come up with a very strict diet plan that he wants me to consider following for 6 weeks. I read over it and it isn't anything horrible (lean meats,egg whites, oatmeal, steamed or raw veggies, fruit, romaine lettuce, sweet potatoes, protein shakes, I am sure I am forgetting some stuff) and I will have one day off plan each week probably Saturday for me. But it won't be a free for all probably will calorie count on that day and just eat more variety like I do now.

I have been a calorie counter all this time so maybe this diet would give me a break from that too. I will have to weigh and measure each portion. I am thinking of starting the Feb 15th the day after Valentines and also payday to make it easy to do the grocery shopping needed to be 100 % on plan.

I think I will give this a go , if it shakes things up enough to get me to goal it will be so worth those super strict 6 week. I need to find a protien powder that I don't mind drinking. Any suggestions?

No advice on protein powder but I know you'll make it to goal!!

I was just thinking how I eat now has become my normal behavior that is really no longer "feels" like a diet. I can eat like I am now forever and not feel like I am not enjoying food and life.

Maybe the new diet mindset wouldn't be too bad for a short while. I read blogs about people on other plans that are very strict and it works for them , they are losing weight and able to follow it pretty well. So maybe this is the push I need after all.

But funny to think about eating like I do now is no longer a diet in my mind. Wow that has changed a lot in 2 years!

One of my girlfriends is trying to lose weight and when we are out to eat she will order after me and tell them Bring me whatever SHE is having. She knows I am getting a healthy option no matter where we are. That to me is so funny.

I think this is wonderful! Getting this mindset is more my goal than getting to a goal weight. To some degree, I think like this but, at times, my way of eating does seem like a diet.

There was a thin lady at work that I did this same thing to. I was not bold enough to say it it, but I just ordered what she ordered and then tried to eat as much of it as she did. I learned that she never finished her plate and always took leftovers home. It is great that you are helping someone else.

Yeah, it's funny how there's a huge difference between dieting to lose 10 pounds and dieting to lose 100. I think 6 weeks on a strange plan sounds very reasonable. There's a deadline and it's highly likely that returning to your new-old way of eating () will allow you to maintain the pounds lost. I'm quite curious about the plan, actually, as I am right there with you!

I'm doing it with the exercise, as I usually do. I'm doing four weeks of heavy cardio, or just extra cardio. I just finished 15 minutes of stair running.

Update your weight progress, if you'd like. I'd love to watch.

I think it is awesome that you are going to do that! It's just six weeks, and it will fly by so quickly.

As far as protein shakes, I used to get powder from Gold's Gym...I can't remember the brand name, but it didn't bother me to drink it. It didn't taste terrible like some others can!

Nikki, for protein powder, I use Champion Nutrition's Low Carb Ultramet. One packet is 230 calories and 30 grams of protein. I tend to split them in half, for 115 calories and 15 grams of protein. The vanilla flavor is good to mix with frozen fruit in the blender. You can get it from Netrition.com and sometimes Amazon has it.

It sounds like your trainer is putting you on a standard pre-competition diet, the kind that fitness competitors and bodybuilders use to lean down before contests. They can be very effective because they're high protein and low carb. When I stalled out during weight loss, I did something similar but a little more restrictive and only for two weeks at a stretch (and there weren't any off plan days). It was three protein shakes and two meals of chicken breast and veggies a day. Between 800 and 1000 calories. The first time I did it, I lost 11 pounds in two weeks and kept 8 of those off (3 pounds were water weight that I knew would come back on when I started eating carbs again).

One benefit I found from being super-restrictive (besides the fat loss!) was that it made me so appreciate the food I had been eating. Egg whites and oatmeal tasted like heaven on earth! And it showed me how tough and mentally disciplined I could be. All in all, I thought it was a very beneficial experience. Best of luck to you!

What a great trainer to help you that way!

I drink a protein shake called Lean Complete. I buy it online... google Bios Life. I like the Vanilla and mix it with skim milk. Sometimes to add a little flavor I add some cooled down coffee.

Good Luck!

my only worry is that the weight loss would be difficult to sustain because you went on such a restrictive diet to get there.

I really like Syntrax Matrix chocolate protein powder. Low in sugar/carbs and tastes good to me! Unjury is pretty good too.

You can do this!

Trueprotein.com has some of the best prices around on protein powder. You can get custom blends of whey and casein, with or without sweetener of various forms, with or without vitamin supps, creatine, etc etc. Probably more choices than you want, at this point! (And, in general, solid food is better, both because it has better long-term satiating power and because it's easier to transition into maintenance or less extreme diets.)

Most of the whey proteins run $9 per pound, call it $10 with a premium flavor (they have 20-30). 27g. protein per 30g serving, 15 servings per pound. If you're a chocolate fan, I like the premium dutch chocolate fudge whey isolate for $9.65/lb including the flavoring; it's even cheaper if you buy more than 15 lbs, but that's a boatload of protein. The premium fruit flavors also get high marks.

No affiliation, etc etc.

//b. strong,
Kim

Thank you all for the suggestions and it looks like I have some online research to do to get some protein powder ordered. I am doing all the right things with exercising so this has got to be a example of needing to switch up my diet to get moving again.

I am currently doing 5k training because I am committed to a 5k every month this year . I completed my last one in 28 minutes which was under my goal time. That was a shock being it was freezing and snowing and I forgot gloves.

I am doing a hardcore boot camp program 4-5 times each week. I do cardio on my off days and some times on the evenings of my early morning boot camp days. I know I am putting in the exercise without a doubt.

I will update as to how it is going along the way. It will also be interesting to see how disciplined I can keep myself as I will still be preparing other foods for my family. But the results will be worth it so I am all in!

Yes, please let us all know if it's working for you. I also need to do something like this to get off the last 15-20 lbs. I don't lack motivation with exercise, but I think I need to shake up my eating plan a little.

Good luck!

Nikki, how's it going? Is today your first day on this plan? Are you feeling hungry? Lethargic? On top of the world?

I am starting next Tuesday Feb 15th as my Hubs had already planned for us dinner at a nice restaurant for Valentine's Day on The 14th. Which is amazing he has planned ahead he is getting better with age. So stay tuned next week!