[maalisse]

One thing that always keeps me nice and full: veggies, veggies, veggies! Between breakfast and (late) lunch, I'll have a huge plate of lettuce, carrots, celery and a boiled egg white or two on the side... It's easy to gorge oneself on veggies and get very full for less than 100 calories. Between lunch and supper, I'll have some chopped veggies with a bit of balsamic vinegar or mustard as dip. Etc. Maybe add in a sprinkling of beans or nuts for protein. Aside from keeping me full, this gets me a lot of nutrients I'd otherwise be missing, and cuts into the calories I would be eating during my bigger meals, as I'm not as hungry come mealtime. I swear, too, that the more I eat veggies, the more I like them. (I'm even eating raw broccoli, which was once the bane of my existence.) I actually need veggies with my meals to feel full now, whereas before, I didn't find them filling at all. Funny how the body adjusts.

That tactic may not work if you're on a low-carb diet, but it works really well for my calorie-counting plan.

[JayEll]

How old are you? If you don't mind. Because I eat 1300 cals with my slow, old metabolism... you might not be eating enough, depending on your age and activity level.

I think you are getting less than 1300 calories--but I didn't enter your foods into FitDay to check. You might want to add things up...

I agree with the "too much bread/carbohydrates, not enough vegetables" comment. Also, and this is just my personal preference, too many fat free foods. If you don't have SOME good fats your body just wants to cry.

And eat whole eggs, fer cryin' out loud! Eggs are good for you! You can eat an egg every day without any cholesterol problems, assuming you have normal metabolism. This egg-white-only stuff is bunk, IMHO! Bleah! Who wants to eat egg whites at all?!

Jay

[AllyCat30]

Originally Posted by JayEll

How old are you? If you don't mind. Because I eat 1300 cals with my slow, old metabolism... you might not be eating enough, depending on your age and activity level.

I think you are getting less than 1300 calories--but I didn't enter your foods into FitDay to check. You might want to add things up...

I agree with the "too much bread/carbohydrates, not enough vegetables" comment. Also, and this is just my personal preference, too many fat free foods. If you don't have SOME good fats your body just wants to cry.

And eat whole eggs, fer cryin' out loud! Eggs are good for you! You can eat an egg every day without any cholesterol problems, assuming you have normal metabolism. This egg-white-only stuff is bunk, IMHO! Bleah! Who wants to eat egg whites at all?!

Jay

I am 26. I haven't been using Fitday. I did for a while but it became too much. I am not near a computer all the time- especially when I am at school- so it is easier for me to just write everything down. I look at the calorie content on everything I buy (and I have memorized most of the things I eat by now- that's also a problem I eat the same things alot) and I measure everything out.

I agree with everyones comments about the veggies. I know I don't eat enough. I was low-carb for so long and now that I am only concerned with calories I perhaps have been eating too much bready stuff (even though most of it is whole wheat or low-carb). I am off the grocery soon and I will pick up some vegetables. I felt like I was eating tons but I guess a closer look shows that I'm not. I have to be creative because my husband hates all things vegetable unless they are covered with cheese.

Oh, I love the comment about eggs! I love eggs so it is no problem to get them in the diet!

What are some other ideas for good fats? Are almonds good?

[JayEll]

Almonds are good, but high in calories, so you shouldn't eat more than, say, 22 of them (162 cals). Peanut butter--organic Smuckers brand--1 TBSP has 100 cals. I also sometimes use olive oil salad dressings, but only a TBSP at a time. It's really easy to go overboard with dressings, but a little is just as tasty as a lot.

At age 26 you probably should be eating more than 1300 cals--you ought to go back to FitDay and use the Weight Goal planning tools to see how many calories you burn in a day, and how many cals you would need to stick with to lose 1-2 pounds per week. Warning--FitDay tends to estimate high, so I put it on sedentary and then I add any exercise I do during the day.

Jay

[Mami]

We are of similar stature and I must say I would be famished if I ate 1300 calories everyday. By day 3 of eating that low I'll eat lots to fill up, upwards of 2000 calories. I rather go by a total calories per week (12,000, which averages to 1700 per day) so I vary depending on how hungry or munchy I am. If you're exercising daily, that adds up to a deficit of possibly 6500 per week, which would be almost 2 pounds per week. Only problem is, sometimes the body needs more and will hold onto weight if you starve it. I would shoot for 1 pound a week and eat around 1700 calories per day or 12,000 per week. At your age, you'll probably take off even more than that if you're eating enough and exercising; I sure did at 26. But if you dont, you could be gaining muscle at the same time and anyway, what's a few more weeks to get to your goal?

[AllyCat30]

Originally Posted by Mami

We are of similar stature and I must say I would be famished if I ate 1300 calories everyday. By day 3 of eating that low I'll eat lots to fill up, upwards of 2000 calories. I rather go by a total calories per week (12,000, which averages to 1700 per day) so I vary depending on how hungry or munchy I am. If you're exercising daily, that adds up to a deficit of possibly 6500 per week, which would be almost 2 pounds per week. Only problem is, sometimes the body needs more and will hold onto weight if you starve it. I would shoot for 1 pound a week and eat around 1700 calories per day or 12,000 per week. At your age, you'll probably take off even more than that if you're eating enough and exercising; I sure did at 26. But if you dont, you could be gaining muscle at the same time and anyway, what's a few more weeks to get to your goal?

I have been eating 1300 calories not only for three days but since March 16th! Eep! It has been rough but I thought I needed a 1000 calorie deficit to lose 2 lbs a week. Maybe I am putting my body into starvation mode and that is why the scale hasn't moved in 3 days. I have lost 5 lbs since March 16. I was 163 when I started so something is happening. I am just on a sort of timeframe which I realize is completely non-conducive to losing weight but I cannot spend another summer like this. There is not a time in my adult life when I have not been battling with my weight. Maybe for the rest of the week I will up my calories a little and see what happens. I did let myself eat a little peanut butter today.

[WorkinItGirl1967]

JAYELL, GREAT POINT! I know we have goals, especially towards certain holidays and with summer coming up before we know it ( even if it reverted back to winter weather like it has in NE Ohio...please don't tell me this is the ONLY region where this has happened!), but if you just keep eating well, energizing your body with the right foods, and making room for a treat, when necessary...and moving that body...eventually it will respond! Not on our timetable, though! You are still all fabulous ladies!!!!

[maalisse]

Originally Posted by JayEll

And eat whole eggs, fer cryin' out loud! Eggs are good for you! You can eat an egg every day without any cholesterol problems, assuming you have normal metabolism. This egg-white-only stuff is bunk, IMHO! Bleah! Who wants to eat egg whites at all?!

Hahaha! I presume that's directed at me... I find egg yolks chalky and yucky when it comes to hard-boiled eggs. EW! I peel them out and throw them at my coworkers.

...not really. But I still don't like them. ...er, the yolks, not my coworkers.

[JayEll]

No, my dear maalisse, my comments were directed at egg whites.

Just as a side comment, my brother didn't like yolks of hard boiled eggs, just whites, and I was the reverse, so every Easter when we ate our eggs, we would trade.

Jay

[BlueToBlue]

Originally Posted by AllyCat30

I have been eating 1300 calories not only for three days but since March 16th! Eep! It has been rough but I thought I needed a 1000 calorie deficit to lose 2 lbs a week. Maybe I am putting my body into starvation mode and that is why the scale hasn't moved in 3 days.

I think 2 lbs a week might be to aggressive for you at this point. You might be better off shooting for 1 lb per week. As you get closer to your goal, you can't lose weight as quickly because you can't create the deficits needed to lose at that rate and still eat healthy. But I also don't think a 3-day stall really constitutes starvation mode. Seriously, it is probably just water. As you get closer to your goal, the weight is not going to come off at a consistent rate. I go a couple of weeks with no progress at all and then will lose a couple of pounds in one week. It's all water retention due to my TOM.

[cajungal328]

I agree, you've been eating too much bread. Monday, you had 3 servings of bread in one day. Bread makes me ravenous. I may eat one serving of wheat bread a day, maybe. More than one serving (2 slices) is very rare for me. Usually, I buy a loaf of wheat bread and end up throwing half of it away, becuase it goes stale before I can finish it. Potatoes, rice, and pasta I rarely eat at all anymore.

I get the majority of my carbs from fruits and vegetables, and I eat skinless chicken for lunch and / or dinner almost every day. Usually, for breakfast, I will either eat a bowl of banana oatmeal (which is carbs, but filling and satisfying) or an egg white omelette with either ham or turkey and one slice of cheese. Sometimes, I might throw one yolk in with the whites, but I usually don't becuase the calories are too high. I sometimes just fry a thick slice of lean ham and eat just that. I find that the more protein in the meal, the fuller and more satisfied I am for longer periods of time. Snacks are usually things like fruit, yogurt or nuts. Sometimes for a snack, I like to make a fruit smoothie ( I don't really measure - made from about 4 oz. unsweetened frozen fruit, 4 oz. 2% milk, 6 oz. fat free plain yogurt, low calories sweetner, blended in blender) My favs are strawberry and raspberry. Tastes just like a milkshake, only better for you....

[cajungal328]

Originally Posted by WorkinItGirl1967

JAYELL, GREAT POINT! I know we have goals, especially towards certain holidays and with summer coming up before we know it ( even if it reverted back to winter weather like it has in NE Ohio...please don't tell me this is the ONLY region where this has happened!), but if you just keep eating well, energizing your body with the right foods, and making room for a treat, when necessary...and moving that body...eventually it will respond! Not on our timetable, though! You are still all fabulous ladies!!!!

Just so you know, I live in South Central Louisiana, practically sitting in the Gulf of Mexico here, and I had to wear a jacket to go for my walk this afternoon. This is the first time I've worn a jacket in nearly 2 months... It has felt like summer for a while now. So, I guess you are not alone...

[JayEll]

According to FitDay...

1 whole egg = 75 cals

1 large egg yolk = 61 cals

1 thick slice ham lean only = 122 cals

Jay

[AllyCat30]

Update!

I weighed in this morning and I am down to 157.6! I took everyone's advice and ate a little more yesterday and focused on protein and fiber. For dinner I had chili made with lean turkey and I put in a can of red beans and sliced zucchini. It was delicious and filling!

I just have one question...I would much rather snack on things like nuts and yogurt or have eggs and cheese (that's why I loved the low-carb diets) but I find it hard to eat these things and stay not go over my calories for the day.

I went to the grocery yesterday and picked up a carton of eggs and about 5 bags of frozen veggies!

[LLV]

See, this is why I don't set goals or put limits on myself. It's maddening and not worth it to me.

I stick to plan, as I probably will for the rest of my life, and only weigh myself about once or twice a month. If the scale moves down then it moves down. If it doesn't, then oh well. As long as it's not moving UP!