I Need Advice: Breakfast for dinner?
 

Let me start this off by saying I am pretty mad right now, so it will most likely com across in my post. Sorry.

I have been having a hard time losing weight. This has been going on for just shy of two years. One year and 9 months if you want to be specific.

In 2006 I lost 50 pounds in 10 months. I think December 9, 2006 was on the last days I saw a real loss. I have done nothing by gain and lose and gain ever since. Right now I am up almost 15 pounds and very frustrated. I can eat good and exercise and follow plan and lose 1 pound every 3 weeks - or I can go to Vegas for a week, not make the most perfect choice and walk 10 miles a day and gain 6 pounds in as many days... and I am not talking water weight. I can not seem to lose and gain VERY easily. So I went to the doctor and had blood work, everything is fine.

Then I saw a post here about some people that noticed they have a harder time losing weight while on birth control, after looking up my birth control I noticed I have some of the side effect (loss of sex drive, easily irritated) - I know these things are part of getting older as well. So I thought I would go to my doctor. What does he do? Gives me some stupid diet and tells me he doesnt have time to talk about my birth control. So I left here wondering if my birth control could be a problem... BTW does anyone know, if you can develop side effects after being on it for years? Or I am just getting older?

Onto 'THE DIET'

50% of calories for breakfast - like dinner, steak, potatoes, whatever
30% of calories for lunch - half a sandwitch, salad or soup
20% of calories for dinner - steamed veggies, no butter, no salt

OKay, so maybe this works?? anyone?
How does one stick to this? The world revolves around dinner. What do you do with your friends, go for dinner. Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas dinner - dinner is the only meal my boyfriend and I eat together. So I start cooking dinner but dont eat it until the next morning?

I thought a 'diet' was supposed to be something you can stick to for life? I CAN not stick to this. This is like telling me to go low-carb!

If I TRY and do this short term and go back to eating normally and I am going to gain all my weight back? I mean, assuming I keep eating the same amount of calories. Does that make sense? He wants me to come back in a month and see how I am doing. I don't even know if I can last a month. A month of eating steamed veggies for dinner? He told me to not even eat salad! because the dressing is usually too oily. I cant even have a slice of bread with my dinner.

I mean this just sounds way out to left field. He says there was this study.... argh I need something I can stick to otherwise I might as well just stay being fat.

But I dunno, if I could do it short time.... lose weight and then go back to eating normally.

I am dunno, I am mad. I am stuck with a stupid diet, no birth control advice and I had to wait for him for half an hour.

Help :(

I mean if you guys think this could actually work I will give it a try, I just could not stick it. Probably not even for a month...

As it is right now - I have 24 WW points. Today for example.

8 used by 10am
6 for lunch
1 for afternoon snack
8 for dinner

so I eat a lot in the morning as is and I am still starving by lunch and dinner.

That diet sounds ridiculous to me. Of course, I am not a professional, but if I went to my doctor with specific questions and she told me she didn't have time for me, I would be shopping for a new doctor. Especially if she handed me a diet like that.

Personally, I do go heavier on my AM calories, but if I don't save enough for dinner, I am STARVING (as I am right now, as a matter of fact). I also dealt with a year-long stall after losing my first 30 pounds, and the thing that finally broke it for me was carb control. I don't really eat low carb, though I don't eat a lot of whole grains. I get a lot of my carbs from vegetables (and from the oatmeal I sometimes eat for breakfast), but I don't eat carbs after about 3:00 pm. If I do, I don't lose weight. If I keep up the carbs at night for too long, I start to gain, even if I'm within my calories.

I've pretty much diagnosed myself as insulin resistant, since I have all the symptoms and follow the diet. Books about insulin resistance or Syndrome X might help you figure out if you have any of the symptoms associated with insulin resistance. Check your local library for The Insulin Resistance Diet.

Maybe this isn't your problem at all, but it's something to think about. I certainly don't think you should try eating nothing but vegetables for dinner. I eat a lot of veggies at dinner, but I eat protein to help keep me full as well. I don't know too many people who could stick to the diet your doctor prescribed.

And if you do none of the above, at least find a new doctor. One who will spend some time doing their job.

This is just my opinion, and I am certainly not a doctor, but I would steer clear of any plan that makes me think "well, I'll do this and then I can go back to eating normally" - has this doctor been your doctor for very long? It doesn't sound like he really heard your actual question, which was "is my birth control affecting my weight loss?" I would look at why you felt he didn't hear you. If you aren't sure if you articulated it correctly, that is one thing, but if you feel that you did and then just got this diet you don't think you can do, I would consider looking for a different doctor.

As for the eating plan itself, I know that could never work for me personally, but that's not to say it couldn't work for you or someone else. You could always try it for a set period of time and then decide if it is something you feel you can stick with. I think one of the most important things in a weight loss journey is finding that plan that works for you and your lifestyle long term. Sometimes that means the weight will come off much more slowly (that's how it's worked for me anyway).

Get a new doctor. You need someone that will address your concerns. You might want a workup for insulin resistance. You also might want to see a registered dietician...they can help you work out a plan for life that will work for you.

Good luck, you are right to be angry!

This hasn't been my doctor for long. And it COULD half been my fault that brought this on.

I was the last person of the day and he was half an hour late. Not my fault, but I am sure he was eager to get home - though still bad on his part.

I said to him I was having a really hard time with losing weight and I read somewhere that birth control can affect that. He said that only in the first fe w months not years later. And then he went on to this crazy diet and all this studies. Maybe I put too much emphases into the fact I was having troubles with weight loss. When I tried to get back to the track of my birth control, said I had a low sex drive and all that he asked if we could talk about it later because his staff needed to go home. Maybe I should have just been more firm.

I just got rid of a horrible doctor, I would like to give this one a shot. Doctors here are REALLY hard to get, only reason he took me was because my boyfriend sees him.

Also, when I said if I go back to eating normally... I ment like could I reverse and would I gain? I didn't mean like pig out, I just mean reverse the meals again. Like would it have the same effect as following a 1200 cal diet and then doing back to eating micky's d's when you have lost your weight.

I have been doing weight watchers and I can stick to it and like it, and I told the doctor that - he was very happy and said it was one of the best plans to follow. My big problem, is it doesnt seem to be working that great for me.

Just because your doctor told you to follow this doesn't mean you have to. What's he going to do, fire you? :lol: Find another doctor if necessary, and ask for a referral to a dietitian if you want a more personalized program. Most doctors don't learn much about nutrition or weight loss, and this diet seems weird to me. I think eating more earlier in the day rather than later may be a good strategy, but it doesn't have to be this extreme.

Jay

Here are some of my day's if you wonder what sort of things I eat:

Today
Yesterday

I know I don't have to! haha
I am just at the point where I am like... feel like I want to give up.

I am happy with what I am doing though, I feel like for the most part (at least 80% of the time) I eat good and enjoy the meals I make. I am just not losing.

I don't really care to see a dietitian because I feel like I am doing pretty good on my own. I feel like I shouldn't complain then... but argh!

Least I feel better after letting it all out, and know I am not the only one who thinks he is crazy! LOL

WW didn't work for me either.

I just read the symptoms of insulin resistant - and I have a lot of them. I guess a lot of them are kinda common. Tired, Feeling agitated, jittery and moody - all that. This is embarrassing, but the big one was gas! I dunno about low blood sugar, but I know that my blood pressure is normal.

They did a test for diabetes and that was fine. Is this a different test they need to do?

But I am probably reading too much into this - I have read a few things lately with similar symptoms... like thyroid - why I got the blood tests in the first place.

In my experience most doctors know diddly squat about losing weight. Just like a lot of people, many of them have their pet theories on dieting, but ... dieting and losing weight are, IMO, two completely different things! :)

Also IMO, that diet sounds ridiculous. It's another gimmick, not a sustainable way of life for most people.

Personally the only thing that has worked consistently for me is calorie counting combined with more exercise. For me, calorie counting allows me to eat what I want (within my range) when I want. I find that I tend to lose better if I eat several small meals/snacks throughout the day rather than 3 big meals.

But this is all PERSONAL. We all lose differently and part of the process is finding out what works for you. To be told that any plan is one-size-fits-all by a doctor is just plain silly!

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If your doctor already did some blood work you could ask what your blood sugar is like.

Having looked at your diet for those two days is pretty similar to how I use to eat... all healthy food (except fried chicken), but it kept me at a plateau for a couple years despite thinking I was being good and exercising... like you. Honestly though, if your diet/exercise routine isn't working it needs some adjustments. If it were me, I would avoid fruit juices, fried foods, and crackers, and save fruits and toast for either breakfast or after working out. Smoothies are nice, but too high in natural sugar... save them for a cheat day instead.

Augh!
 

Be prepared for the f$@!ing runaround when you ask about your birth control. I had the same thing happen to me (could NOT lose weight for the life of me but would gain it very easily, turned into a raging psychopath, lost my sex drive completely, started shedding scalp hair excessively, got acne again like when I was 15) and it actually did take about four years for me to start to experience all of the symptoms collectively. The onset was gradual and became worse with time. I was taking Seasonale, then Levlin. They're the same exact pill in different packaging. I wish I would have known that when they switched me to it after I first complained. I would have known they were just trying to do the mind trick placebo thing and hope that if I thought I was taking something different my symptoms would magically go away. They didn't.

It got to the point that once my husband made some snide joke about my mood swings which was obviously well deserved because had there been a rifle within reach I would have shot him. I would go from perfectly normal, to sobbing hysterically, to a fit of rage (and we're talking cussing, screaming like a banshee and hurling objects at PEOPLE) and back to sobbing and apologizing in the space of 5 minutes. Over stupid crap, like the garbage not being taken out, or the computer running too slow. If I ran my hands through my hair I would end up with a bunch of strands in my fingers, and sex had actually gotten to the point that it was painful and no matter what I just couldn't get aroused at all. I was at my wits end and when I had my yearly I made sure to tell my doctor about my weight with the pills first... She told me, and I quote, "Well, those pills don't have any calories." WHAT!?!!?!?!?

I did yell, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?" and I suspect I must have looked about as wild as I felt (I hadn't yet told her I had turned into a sexless pimple-faced raving lunatic) because she looked a little taken aback and then tried to placate me and asked if I wanted some water. Then I proceeded to explain the other symptoms to her and she had no problems believing me. LoL.

She switched me to Yaz which is estrogen based as opposed to the synthetic testosterone in most other pills and over the next few months all the libido, hair, and emotional problems went away. For the first time in quite a few years I felt like me again! It's perfectly possible to maintain my weight very easily and lose it (ie: i'm still losing weight even though I eat whatever I want, and maintenance requires minimal physical activity. A day of gardening outdoors, or an hour of house keeping.) My husband was certainly happy as a clam and even told me how relieved he was to have his wife back.

Then on top of all that, my skin is flawless and I sprouted breasts.

Definitely mention the B.C. and don't let them try to convince you otherwise. There are far too many of us experiencing the same symptoms for them to keep up that 'it's not the pills' B.S. Just note that it may take awhile and a lot of different contraceptive trials before you find the right one for you.

Good luck sweetie, and I feel your pain. A lot of us have been in those shoes and it's miserable and frustrating. Just keep your head up. :hug:

Just a couple things... my fried chicken is not fried chicken, it is a baked chicken breast with a whole wheat coating to make it like fried chicken. Also the smoothie is all natural fruit and very little juice - I drink it more for the benefits of the superfoods I use in it. The way I am eating now is somewhat new. I am trying to eat my WW points and at least 10 superfood groups a day.

I have been adjusting it for two years now.

What did you change? What were you doing wrong?

NishKitten - thank you so much for you post! I am almost in tears. My hair too has been falling out, and getting acne... and I have the mood swings though not the degree you describe. Thank you, thank you! I feel a little less crazy now.

Hi Courtnie!

Are ya struggling sweetie?

LOL yah. For too long now. It's funny, my eating now is better then it ever was before! I am currently not exercising - but will be again very soon! (too much stress and too much going on to find the time to exercise, just taking a bit of me time to try and feel better)

Go out and buy yourself a couple of helpful magazines. I subscribed to Oxygen just lately and have recieved 3 copies in two weeks. Burying my head in those helps remind me where my priorities lay.

I'm glad you came to 3FC where we can take care of you.

I have been around the whole time! Just hiding in the weight watchers forum!

I know where my priorities are, I have been doing lots of read - superfoods rx, mindless eating - and have 3 more books stacked up waiting for me to finish mindless eating (very good read btw).

A magazine might be fun though! Give me something to look forward too.

Finding a good doctor is really difficult, but very important. I see you're in Canada, so maybe it's more difficult then here, but you need someone whose actually going to listen to you and your concerns. I'm sorry, but it doesn't seem like this doctor listened to your concerns about your birth control. Personally, I'd look for another doctor, but I have a low tolerance for medical doctors who don't listen or who patronize. Since you seem to want to look into your birth control, maybe you should do some research, print it out and take it to your next appointment? Try to get the first one of the day. If he doesn't listen to you, fire him!

There have been countless studies that tell you it doesn't matter when you eat your calories. Granted, breakfast is important, but 50% of your calories at breakfast??? I'd starve the rest of the day!

I don't know if this is a problem in Canada, but here in the US it's common for doctors to not keep up on the latest information. I do understand that they don't always have the time, but it can be frustrating! I swear some of them never crack a medical journal after med school.

Can you tell I've had doctor problems? I'm sorry if this post isn't helpful. Just know that you are not alone in the struggle! :hug:

One day it dawned on me that the calories I was eating (about 1800) was what I needed to keep me at the weight I was with regular exercise. I've always been a bit of a health fanatic, so everything I ate was healthy 98% of the time. I was eating too many calories to lose weight, so I cut back to 1,200 to 1,500 calories 6 days a week and had a cheat day where I didn't count calories. I also upped my exercise and followed the plan The Women's body sculpting bible (that way I never hit a plateau with exercise). I was very strict on my diet the first month. This is what I ate:
pre-cardio: just water (you burn more fat if you do cardio on an empty stomach)
pre-weights: protein powder with ff soy or ff milk
post workout (breakfast): plain oatmeal with ff soy or ff milk with cinnamon and a little splenda (my only vice), or a poached egg on an english muffin with small side of berries.
Lunch: chicken sandwich on whole grain rye bread, or an egg white omelette with low fat cheese and veg, or chicken or salmon salad.
Snack: granny smith apple with low fat cottage cheese or a couple pieces of chicken, or anything high protein and not too high in fat.
Dinner: lean protein with veg (no carbs).
after dinner snack if hungry: same as snacks above.

I drank water mostly. Coffee and tea were unsweetened and used once or twice a day. Had as much fruit tea as I wanted. I limited alcohol to one glass of wine with dinner one night a week, and on my free day I had whatever I fancied. I also avoided carrots, peas, and potatoes.

I still keep an eye on my alcohol intake and my overall calories. I really enjoy my diet. It's much lower in carbs than what it use to be, but I feel so much better. While my blood sugar is normal it's on the low side of normal; coupled with low blood pressure having sugary or carby things would make crash. I pretty much only eat complex carbs before 3pm... I don't count the carbs in vegetables, but my carb intake is usually 30% to 40% of my caloric intake, and my fat is about 20-30% and protein is about 30% to 50%.

Sorry this is so lengthy; but I would like to add... make sure your superfoods aren't taking you over your calorie limit. It would be interesting to see how many calories you eat on a daily basis... you should count them on a typical day just to see. It may be a real eye opener.

X

Is that a boston terrier?
So cute whatever he/she is.

For insulin resistance you need a two hour glucose tolerance test. You fast overnight, then drink 4-5 ounces of glucose and they test you at 30 minutes and two hours. They are looking to see if your body brings the glucose level back to normal within that period, or if you don't use your insulin as well (meaning you are insulin resistant.)

I have been in a long term study (the Diabetes Prevention Study) here. They found that taking metformin (a drug that makes insulin work more effectively) reduces the incidence of diabetes by about 30%, but losing 7% of body fat and exercising 5 x per week for 30 minutes reduces diabetes by 70%. They also found that those folks taking metformin (but making no other changes) all lost small amounts of weight just from the improved performance of insulin. To be in the study you had to be insulin resistant. I've been taking metformin now for 9 years (we are in phase two of the study) and have not had any of the insulin resistant issues that folks talk about here.

My understanding is that you need to see an endocrinologist to have the test done.

Good luck

Just a healthcare system aside .... we are incredibly short of doctors here. Our family health team has two nurse practitioners. We love ours. She's wonderfully patient and does want to talk about lifestyle things. We don't have any acute or threatening conditons but if we did (like my back last spring) we see our GP but mostly the NP is exactly what we need.

I *adore* the NP at my doctor's office. I like my doctor well enough and she's been very responsive to me, but I ADORE our NP. She has been the biggest help to me this past year in dealing with a lot of health issues and helping me work through some emotional and mental things, too.

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Taurie - thanks. I will add up the calories. The general rule to weight watchers is 1 point is about 50 calories. So if I am allowed 24 points a day (plus 30 extra a week) - 24 points is 1200 calories, and 30 points is an extra 1500 to be used where ever I want. But some foods count as zero, so an average day is around 1200-1400. But since calorie counting is what I used in the beginning I am familiar with it, and will enter in fitday or something just to see. You do get more points if you exercise.

And yes, that is Keiko - my Boston Terrier! haha

I really don't mind my doctor - but I have never really had to see a doctor about much. Like never had to sit down and talk about problems. I talked with my boyfriend last night and have decided I am going to stop taking my pill for two months and see how I feel. If I lose more weight, feel better emotionally and all that. I figure if I change pills I become at risk to get pregnant anyway and could up with more problems (if it is the birth control). So I am just going to stop it, and be really careful with other methods of birth control. If I don't notice a difference in two months then I will go back on it - if I do, I will go talk to my doctor.... maybe I can even find a gyno or go to the family planning place or something? Go see someone who is more familiar with this sort of thing.

I just want to thank everyone for their advice!

Each woman responds in her own unique way to OCPs. It is impossible for a provider to say to say "always" or "never" about pills. There are too many birth control choices to be on something that is not working for you.....Nish, there's some good research out there that links low sex drive with OCPs, so I am not suprised by your story.

Courtnie, I have to say my jaw dropped when I read that your doctor cut your visit short so his staff could go home. Wow. That would never cross my mind....Hang in there. If you already said this I missed it, but are you doing any strength training? That is what busted my 170s plateau.

Good luck!

Okay, here is yesterday calories. The Mac and Cheese I made - I guess the calories based off of the points, but am unsure about the fat, protein and everything so I didn't count that, so it is off a bit. But anyway:

Calories: 1,394
Fat: 33 23.5%
Carbs: 146 46.5%
Protein: 94 30%

Well, I exercised 6 days a week and 5 times out of 6 I kept my calories closer to 1200 than 1500. I'm just under 5'2" so I try to keep that in perspective; I don't need that many calories. I don't trick myself into thinking I can eat more calories because I exercised, though occasionally I'll treat myself to a slice of pizza right after a workout on a non-cheat day. Your body is less likely to store carbs as fat if consumed within an hour of working out.

It looks like your calories are alright. But, you might just want to play around with the macronutrients and see if that makes any difference. Lower the carbs to 30% to 40% and avoid carbs in evening snacks and meals... but, don't count the carbs in fibrous veg. Hopefully that will work for you.

I know that as I've gotten older I've become more insulin resistant; it was particularly bad for me because even though my blood sugar was normal it was on the low side normal, so when I ate something sweet or with processed carbs my insulin would over shoot it bringing my blood sugar a bit too low and coupled with my low blood pressure it wasn't a nice feeling at all. Fortunately, losing weight and exercising helps your body use insulin more efficiently.

It's interesting how everyones body is different. I'm on a low dosage bc pill; it hasn't effected my weight at all and it keeps me sane. I get really moody without it, it's awful not only for me but everyone around me. YIKES!

Just listen to your body and try new things if something isn't working. Everybody is different, but your body will tell you what works and what doesn't.

I have a friend named Keiko! lol.

Have you ever looked into Intuitive Eating? It worked for me. Although I am STILL at a major standstill....IE skills assures me I will never gain it back.:) My problem is EXERCISE....:^: