Feel like quitting!
 

OK, for months now I've been at 181.

I've tried counting calories, I've tried fit day, I've tried cutting out all carbs, nothing seems to be working.

Here's a menu of what I had the other day (yesterday was sick, so I'm not counting that)... Perhaps you can help?

1/4 c Kashi Go Lean w/1/4 c 1% milk
Salad - romaine lettuce, chick peas, lf shredded cheddar, tomato, mushroom and ranch.
S - peanut butter / fudgecycle
D - Chicken Breast with Edamame, Milk
D- fudgecicle
Broccoli


should I try a different way of eating, something other than south beach?

TIA
frustrated and ready to quit! (though I'm not a quitter)

Can you post quantities? Looks like you need more veggies and beans. Are you exercising?

I walk almost everyday, been more hit and miss this month due to pain. but walking more now than ever before even wtih the hit and miss...

Quantities, I'm careful to make sure it's one serving. I've even been measuring the lettuce for salad (then throw a few more in for good measure since it's almost calorie free!)... but I do measure the chick peas and what not!

Here's another day (9/24/08)

Kashi / milk
v8 1c
salad - romaine lettuce, sharp cheddar cheese (just a small pinch), 1/4 c chick peas, 1/4 of a tomato, cucumber (two slices chopped), one mushroom chopped, and ranch dressing
Fudgecicle
Mexican Lasagna (carefully measured to 1/8th of dish)
Peanut butter cup (2 tbs pb, 1 fudgecicle)

Have you run it through Fitday? That's why I asked for quantities. You may not be eating enough.

first days menu was 1544 cals
Second menu was 1244 cals

according to fitday, yes, I have plugged them in

Ok, this is what I would do to change this menu, it is what works for me and everyone is different:

1/4 c Kashi Go Lean w/1/4 c 1% milk
I'd go with more protein and some veggies (I'd starve and be ravenous in no time just eating cereal) Actually just eating breakfast which is nothing but carbs would make me want to eat a cow within an hour or so. For breakfast I usually have dinner leftovers from the night before or a full egg breakfast or a sandwich with turkey and loads of spinich. The turkey has a lot of protein in it and the iron in the spinach gives me energy along with the ezekial bread. Having a good breakfast with protein and veggies really sets up your whole day and gives your body the fuel it needs to run correctly for the rest of the day. And this advice is coming from someone who NEVER ate breakfast. I was so wrong all those years. I don't spend any more than 10 minutes making breakfast but have learned how important it is.

Salad - romaine lettuce, chick peas, lf shredded cheddar, tomato, mushroom and ranch.
I'd add some more protein to this and darker leafy stuff. I bring my lunch to school each day and make sure I have stuff in the fridge that I can throw together a quick salad (if I don't bring leftovers) I keep sliced turkey, spinach, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, drained beans, onions etc in there so I can just dump it all in a container and bring another container with dressing (I really like galeo miso dressing so I can have a lot!)

S - peanut butter / fudgecycle
D - Chicken Breast with Edamame, Milk

I'd add more vegs..a lot more along with maybe another salad.
D- fudgecicle
How about instead of another fudgesicle here, add a piece of fruit..or if you want that chocolate fix after dinner, make that afternoon snack a piece of fruit and some cheese?
Broccoli

Looking at your menu, I'd be hungry all day thinking about what I could eat next. I've found that if I "balance" each meal with lots of protein and vegs, I don't think about eating and the weight just seems to come off. I also "balance" my "carb" intake. If I have bread for breakfast, I don't have rice or pasta again that day. If I plan on having rice or pasta for dinner, I'll have eggs and vegs for breakfast. Usually I have ONE "carb" serving a day, but that's just me. Any more and it sets me off.

It looks like really you may not be eating ENOUGH and your body is holding on to the fat as a safety measure. Try ramping up the protein, vegs and see if that helps. It may not happen quickly, but it may work.

Also, this is just me, but I don't skimp on or measure out my food. I eat a lot!!! 1/4 of a tomato in a salad would not cut it for me...I'd eat the whole thing. I really think you are not eating enough. Try not worrying about calories for a while and work on keeping yourself full with protein and vegs and in a lesser amount, carbs.

Thanks Femme!

the problem I had with eggs for breakfast was I felt lithargic and cereal really helped me feel better... and fills me up (I know, strange) I think I'll cut back on cereal and try my bacon and adding spinach to my egg cups, maybe that would be better?

As for not measuring, I think before I was eating WAY too much! um, if you don't recall the taco bake, i'm famous for eating two HUGE portions, or more! :(. I think I do need to watch quantities, but I'll add entire tomato (as I was before)...



OK, here's my plan for the day..

Turkey bacon and v8 for breakfast, spinach for "energy" as femme pointed out
Salad for lunch with egg for protein
tomato for snack
Tilapia fish (going to try the parmesian recipe the girls are talking about) with spinach

If I run out today I'll pick up apples for snacks, maybe some string cheese ... store was out of empire, and the others seemed to taste funny this crop due to hail.

How does that menu look?

This sounds weird, but how about saving some of that tilapia for breakfast tomorrow morning? Just me, but eating dinner for breakfast also helps me start off the day well. I wake up super early, so if eat "dinner" in the morning, I have already been up a couple of hours so it doesn't make me feel all "bloaty". I just can't eat when I first get up..makes me nauseous (sic). I like to portion out leftovers so I can grab easy in the morning for either breakfast or can take it with me for lunch the next day. I have about 15 minutes to eat my lunch, so it has to be something that will warm up quick or something cold like a huge salad I can throw together in the morning.

I could never eat anything like donuts in the morning ever. Would feel like lead weights in my stomach.

Femme, I've always loved the idea of dinner for breakfast! gives more time to burn the calories... always wondered why we eat less in morning and more in evening....

Lori I think you are not eating enough.

for me adding points helped... i've also changed a bit of what i'm eating

i love dinner for breakfast too.

i hope you find what helps you start losing more.

have you had a body workup done to determine how much is fat and how much is muscle at 183 I would be mostly non-fat tissue... i'm built like a tank.

Lady, yes, I did at one point and I believe they said I was 42% fat :(. I'm still considered obese! :(

Nessa: What foods would you add to the diet?

hmmm i see no grains
i see no dairy
i see no beans
i see no fruit

have you tried using the meal template and plugging in your foods and seeing if you are getting all the requirments?

There's always beans (chick peas) in my salads..
I have milk for drinks with Dinner!
And I'm out of milk and apples, I have one apple a day, just out for the moment! headed out in a bit, will pick some up.

Chick peas enough or do I need to add more?

WHAT MEAL TEMPLATE??????????????? :(

I don't eat SB, but I've done the diet in the past, so take this for what it's worth:

I'm with Nessa. You're missing a lot of key components to healthy eating. I also don't see a whole lot of protein there and I know for me personally, I don't feel full unless I've eaten protein of some kind.

Also you said that you're concerned about portion control ... but keep in mind that not counting portions of a tomato is a whole different thing from not counting portions of a taco bake. :)

None of us got fat by eating too many tomatoes or too many grapes or too many carrots. Portion out your main courses, but don't be afraid to make a big salad with lots of veggies and not worry about measuring lettuce or tomatoes quite so much.

.

How to adapt your meal plan - Phase 1

The South Beach Diet™ is designed so that you can easily swap meals and ingredients. If you don't like eggs for breakfast, have low-fat cottage cheese or lean meat instead. Not a fish lover? Then choose lean beef or poultry. In Phase 1 of the diet, you can eat as many proteins and vegetables as you like, plus fats like olive oil. Fruit and starches aren't allowed until Phase 2. Here's a look at some general eating guidelines. For specific food choices, check out the Phase 1 Foods to Enjoy & Avoid list.

BREAKFAST
Protein: Quantity is not limited.
Vegetables: Minimum 1/2 cup.
Fruit: None
Starch: None
Milk/Dairy: 2 cups allowed daily (including yogurt)
Fat: 1 tsp mayonnaise or oil (optional)

SNACK
Snacks are required. Choose a protein, vegetable, fat-free plain yogurt, or nuts/seeds.

LUNCH
Protein: Quantity is not limited.
Vegetables: Minimum 2 cups.
Fruit: None
Starch: None
Milk/Dairy: 2 cups allowed daily (including yogurt)
Fat: 1 Tbsp mayonnaise or oil

SNACK
Snacks are required. Choose a protein, vegetable, fat-free plain yogurt, or nuts/seeds.

DINNER
Protein: Quantity is not limited.
Vegetables: Minimum 2 cups.
Fruit: None
Starch: None
Milk/Dairy: 2 cups allowed daily (including yogurt)
Fat: 1 Tbsp mayonnaise or oil

DESSERT
Enjoy a Sweet Treat or any of the snack choices.

BEVERAGES
Diet, decaffeinated, sugar-free drinks are not limited. You can enjoy caffeinated coffee or diet sodas with caffeine added, but limit to 1 - 2 servings per day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How to adapt your meal plan - Phase 2

In Phase 2, you'll gradually begin to reintroduce healthy starches and carbohydrates into your diet, starting with low-glycemic index ones like oatmeal and couscous, and eventually moving on to high-glycemic ones like fruits and whole-grain bread. The goal is to eat healthy carbs while continuing to lose weight, so pay attention to how they affect you. If your weight loss stalls or cravings return, cut back or try some different carbs and monitor the results. Here's a look at general eating guidelines. Want specific food choices? You can now eat anything from the Phase 1 Foods to Enjoy list as well as items from the Phase 2 Foods to Reintroduce list.

BREAKFAST
Protein: Quantity is not limited.
Vegetables: Minimum 1/2 cup.
Fruit: 1 fruit serving allowed daily (with this meal or other). Gradually increase to 3 total servings for the day.
Starch: 1 starch serving allowed daily (with this meal or other). Gradually increase to 2 or 3 total servings for the day.
Milk/Dairy: 2 cups allowed daily (including yogurt)
Fat: 1 tsp mayonnaise or oil (optional)

LUNCH
Protein: Quantity is not limited.
Vegetables: Minimum 2 cups.
Fruit: 1 fruit serving allowed daily (with this meal or other). Gradually increase to 3 total servings for the day.
Starch: 1 starch serving allowed daily (with this meal or other). Gradually increase to 2 or 3 total servings for the day.
Milk/Dairy: 2 cups allowed daily (including yogurt)
Fat: 1 Tbsp mayonnaise or oil

DINNER
Protein: Quantity is not limited.
Vegetables: Minimum 2 cups.
Fruit: 1 fruit serving allowed daily (with this meal or other). Gradually increase to 3 total servings for the day.
Starch: 1 starch serving allowed daily (with this meal or other). Gradually increase to 2 or 3 total servings for the day.
Milk/Dairy: 2 cups allowed daily (including yogurt)
Fat: 1 Tbsp mayonnaise or oil

SNACKS AND DESSERT
Snacks and dessert are optional. Choose a protein, vegetable, fat-free plain yogurt, artificially sweetened non-fat flavored yogurt, nuts/seeds, or a Sweet Treat.

BEVERAGES
Diet, decaffeinated, sugar-free drinks are not limited. You can enjoy caffeinated coffee or diet sodas with caffeine added, but limit to 1 - 2 servings per day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How to adapt your meal plan - Phase 3

By the time you reach Phase 3, you'll know which starches and carbs you can eat without gaining weight, so you'll have already integrated them into your diet. You'll be eating normal foods in normal-size portions, sticking to the good carbs and good fats. There's no list of forbidden foods in Phase 3, however. In other words, if you want it, and it doesn't undo all your sacrifices, you should go ahead and enjoy it! Here's a look at general eating guidelines.

If you'd like to adapt some of your meals to exclude meat, simply choose protein sources such as beans, soy products, lower fat cheese, eggs and egg substitutes, and eat vegetables and nuts for snacks. You can also choose to receive vegetarian-only meal plans, complete with shopping lists, by selecting "vegetarian" in the Profile area.

BREAKFAST
Protein: Quantity is not limited.
Vegetables: Minimum 1/2 cup.
Fruit: 3 fruit servings allowed daily.
Starch: 3 to 4 starch servings allowed daily.
Milk/Dairy: 2 cups allowed daily (including yogurt)
Fat: 1 tsp mayonnaise or oil (optional)

LUNCH
Protein: Quantity is not limited.
Vegetables: Minimum 2 cups.
Fruit: 3 fruit servings allowed daily.
Starch: 3 to 4 starch servings allowed daily.
Milk/Dairy: 2 cups allowed daily (including yogurt)
Fat: 1 Tbsp mayonnaise or oil

DINNER
Protein: Quantity is not limited.
Vegetables: Minimum 2 cups.
Fruit: 3 fruit servings allowed daily.
Starch: 3 to 4 starch servings allowed daily.
Milk/Dairy: 2 cups allowed daily (including yogurt)
Fat: 1 Tbsp mayonnaise or oil

SNACKS AND DESSERT
Snacks and desserts are optional: Choose a protein, vegetable, fat-free plain yogurt, artificially sweetened non-fat flavored yogurt, nuts/seeds, or a Sweet Treat.

BEVERAGES
Diet, decaffeinated, sugar-free drinks are not limited. You can enjoy caffeinated coffee or diet sodas with caffeine added, but limit to 1 - 2 servings per day.

THANKS Nessa! I just created an excel spread sheet using that template!

I'm going to continue with p2, having ONE starch a day due to insulant resistance, and one fruit, an apple to start, might add in some berries later on!

Right now I need to revamp and reintroduce snacks with celery and lf laughing cow cheese again!

This is probably a DUMB question:

I don't see a spot on the chart you provided for beans/legumes...

HOw many servings should we include a day?

beans/legumes can be several times a day... usually lunch and dinner I thought it was under vegetables... 1/3-1/2 cup per serving.

ACCOrding to phase one foods its in a class all by itself! ;)

I added an extra slot for my menu just for them! will try to sneak in for dinner in addition to my lunch salads!


I created a template, on excel it comes out nicer... I have it formated to check off each box each day, for a week stretch... if you see anything I need to tweak pls make note:

PHASE TWO PLAN Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun

BREAKFAST:
PROTEIN: UL
VEGETABLES M. 2c
FRUIT:
STARCH:
MILK/DAIRY:
BEANS/LEGUMES
FAT:

SNACK:
PROTEIN, VEGGIE,
YOGURT, NUTS



LUNCH:
PROTEIN: UL
VEGETABLES M. 2c
FRUIT:
STARCH:
MILK/DAIRY:
BEANS/LEGUMES
FAT:

SNACK:
PROTEIN, VEGGIE,
YOGURT, NUTS


DINNER:
PROTEIN: UL
VEGETABLES M. 2c
FRUIT:
STARCH:
MILK/DAIRY:
BEANS/LEGUMES
FAT:

DESSERT:

BEVERAGES

Dairy 2 c Daily ____/____ ____/____ ____/____ ____/____ ____/____ ____/____ ____/____
Fat: 2 TBS Daily ____/____ ____/____ ____/____ ____/____ ____/____ ____/____ ____/____
Fruit: 1 Daily ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______
Starch 1 daily ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______

Lori, the serving size on the Kashi Go Lean cereal is 1 cup (on the box). I think, assuming you can eat it, you should just eat the 1 cup. Breakfast like a king, and so forth. It has a ton of fiber and protein in it, which is what you need. Sure, it has carbs, but they're whole grain and takes a long while to digest and break those down. :)

I love the spreadsheet! - You could also add space for your water and exercise!

User, I can't eat that much, I have a hard enough time eating the amount I do! ;), maybe I should wait a bit longer in am to eat?

Thin! Thanks, it looks better in excel! And I do have slots for water and exercise! For some reason it didn't copy over ¿

Lori, i really think part of the problem is you aren't eating enough.,.,.

OK, hhhmmm, I'll try to eat MORE???????

I'll buy more veggies... what else? I did get milk while I was out today! Just had some left over mexican lasagna with sour cream, will have veggies in about hour or two when I know I'll want something... but with everything that happened today I am full!

I agree! - Eat more! :) I would be STARVING if I ate that. Maybe your body thinks you are? - I eat my kashi go lean with cottage cheese or yogurt and fruit (like blueberries, strawberries, or raspberries) I love it that way!

Glad you're getting such great advice, Loriann! Thanks for posting about this.

I definitely think you need to eat more. Don't let any of your snacks be something without nutritional value--like just having a fudgesicle. Try to get protein (at least one ounce) at each meal and snack. Fit some yogurt in there, if you can, and add more veggies (I love tossing in some "rainbow slaw" or "broccoli slaw" from the bags near the lettuce at the grocery store--it's shredded broccoli, carrots, and cabbage, plus shredded cauliflower for the rainbow kind. Easy and very nutritious!).

It sounds counterintuitive, but when you don't eat enough, you end up holding on to your weight. :shrug: Try added 200 cals or more and see how it goes, then add more if you still don't see movement.

Thanks guys... This morning I've got bacon and spinach with cheese egg cups in the oven, and will add v8 for the drink...

Lunch will be a salad with lots of veggies (If i have any left that are good). with Chicken and cheese, and CHICK PEAS.

Dinner probably the tilapia fish I never had the other day because I wanted to eat up the left overs I had. With some spinach on the side and milk to drink!

Lori one of my favorite Breakfasts is either Chili with Cheese or Black Bean soup
Its protein fiber and veggies or maybe a salad with FF/lf luncheon meat and cheese?

OK< I'VE HAD dinner for breakfast yesterday and I am amazed at how good I felt all day! The eggs just don't seem to cut it for me I guess! hhhmmm, maybe I should forget breakfast foods altogether and eat regular meals for breakfast!

Chili... I've done that, w hen I make a pot of chili, or (clears throat) taco bake, I LOVE eating those for breakfast!!!!!!!!!!!

I have a "visitor" that is creeping in today... I only get it three, four MAYBE (usually only three) five times a year. When I do two weeks before I can't control my eating binges! (didn't go off on a binge this time! YEAH) and I don't realize what I've done till the weight is there. BUT, this would answer to the GAIN I've experienced for September, most the month I was at 179, two weeks ago back up to 181, even seen 184 earlier this week! Today, and yesterday, was at 180.50. BuT, given that It's AF... I'm excited to see if the scale goes back in the 170s when all is said and done. In the meantime, I'm going to continue my walks!

I AM sitting here in a pair of Jeans I haven't been able to wear in years though! :)

Oh definitely explore other foods for breakfast. I don't think you hve to be limited to traditional breakfast foods. I sometimes have a 1/2 a turkey sandwich on whole grain. Or leftovers. there's a reason that people like cold pizza for breakfast! :)

Experiment and eat what makes you happy.

.

i used to eat eggrolls for breakfast....


chili or lentil soup is good too!

I made that TVP hot cereal it was really good and I think Ph 1 compliant