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Old 03-17-2006, 09:27 AM   #1  
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Default Help and idea's needed

I'm getting frustrated. And I'm the type of person who takes even the smallest weight loss as a reason to celebrate. However, something isn't working and I don't know how to fix it. Maybe I've hit a plateau and I need ideas to overcome it.

I walk to and from work at least three times a week. It's a bit over 2 miles each way so I walk no less than 12 miles a week. I keep my caloric intake to under 1500/day. Granted, now and then part of a days calories might include a fast food burger but I compensate.

I have been stuck at the 190 range for three weeks now. It's very frustrating. And on top of that, my clothes don't feel particularly looser which I know is a better indication than the scale.

I really wanted to lose 15 pounds by my birthday (May7 - so 7 weeks) but I just don't think it's possible with the way my body is working at the moment.

Any suggestions or ideas? I'm willing to try most anything right now.

Thanks all!
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Old 03-17-2006, 09:52 AM   #2  
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I know this is going to sound crazy and counterintuitive, but eat more. I lost 50 lbs at 1400-1600 calories a day and then plateaued from March - May of last year. I decided I was maintaining and upped my calories to 1800+. I lost 13 more lbs after I started eating more.

You could also post your daily menu or a link to Fitday if you use it, just so we can check out what you're eating and see if you need any tweaks.
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Old 03-17-2006, 10:14 AM   #3  
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I'll write down what I say is a typical day for me. This was yesterday:
(calories/fat/dietary fiber)

Breakfast
Banana 115/1/3
yoplait lite yogurt 100/0/0
cereal 120/1.5/1
milk 130/3/0
blueberries 50/.5/2

Lunch
2 pieces of wheat bread 140/2/8
1 srvng lunch turkey 60/1/0
Fat Free Jell-o pudding 100/0/0

Dinner
Pasta 200/1/1.5
alfredo sauce 80/7/0
vanilla wafers 140/6/0

snacks
yogurt 100/0/0
granola bar 100/0/0
cheese 60/1.5/0

now keep in mind that breakfast is large but it wasn't all eaten at once. I eat cereal at home with blueberries then about two hours later at work I'll have the banana and yogurt.

Suggestions on what to add/remove? I'm not a big red meat eater but I do eat a lot of chicken and often have that for dinner. I just didn't yesterday.
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Old 03-17-2006, 10:30 AM   #4  
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Too much processed, nutritionally vacant food - not enough fruits, vegetables, healthy fat or protein. You are eating "low cal" but you aren't really eating healthy.

Breakfast
Banana 115/1/3
yoplait lite yogurt 100/0/0
cereal 120/1.5/1
milk 130/3/0
blueberries 50/.5/2

Banana and blueberries are awesome - you didn't say what cereal. Lots of breakfast cereals are full of sugar and high fructose corn syrup. That one doesn't seem to have a ton of fiber. Yoplait lite has high fructose corn syrup too. A more filling breakfast would be oatmeal (not the packaged stuff), bluberries, banana and 1/4 cup of almonds/walnuts.

Lunch
2 pieces of wheat bread 140/2/8
1 srvng lunch turkey 60/1/0
Fat Free Jell-o pudding 100/0/0

Turkey is good, is the bread "wheat" bread or is it whole grain bread? I use a whole grain bread with 4 grams of fiber per serving. Vegetables on the sandwich would be ideal. Fat free pudding is just processed, empty calories. A cup of healthy soup or fruit on the side would be a better option. You get almost no healthy fat - so 1/4 avocado added to the sandwich would be yummy and good for you.

Dinner
Pasta 200/1/1.5
alfredo sauce 80/7/0
vanilla wafers 140/6/0

Whole wheat pasta is a better choice. Alfredo sauce is cream based and probably not a great option for weight loss - a tomato-based sauce with extra vegetables would be better. Adding a protein source to dinner would be good - ground turkey in the sauce or Morning Star farm veggie crumbles. Make the sauce yourself from scratch (takes about 15 minutes) and cook with healthy olive oil. Vanilla wafers - trans fat AND high fructose corn syrup. Just nutritionally blah.

snacks
yogurt 100/0/0 - high fructose corn syrup
granola bar 100/0/0 - processed, no fiber
cheese 60/1.5/0 - Good - low fat dairy
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Old 03-17-2006, 10:42 AM   #5  
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Can you shake up your exercise? Jog at intervals? Dance? Cycle? Lift weights? Do you have kids (yours or borrowed) to play basketball with or kick a football around with? A dog you can play with? I'm a gym bunny myself, but I know not everyone as the access, funds or desire for gym work.

I agree (as always) with Glory about your food too. It may be that you can get away with decreasing your calories but eating more if you include more fruit and vegetables. For example I binged out on a punnet of blackberries last night. It took me about 10 minutes to eat them, and cost me 35 calories for a whole punnet! More satisfying, longer lasting and cheaper calorie wise than the vanilla wafer - not to mention chock full of vitamins.
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Old 03-17-2006, 10:56 AM   #6  
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Good tips guys....I got to try some of this my self.....
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Old 03-17-2006, 11:30 AM   #7  
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Thank you SO much for the advice! I'm not big on cooking and I am so busy that I tend to eat whatever I can grab and takes zero time to prepare. I need to start thinking in broader terms obviously.

I'm fully aware that what I eat is processed and not healthy but I guess I rationalize it in my head by saying "at least it's not fast food, candy etc."

When I go grocery shopping this weekend I'll have to think these things through more thoroughly. I suppose the best thing to do is buy the healthier stuff and prepare it before hand so it's ready to go when I am.

On top of walking to/from work (can't really run as I'm wearing my backpack with work shoes and a jacket, etc and I don't want to be sweaty when I get there) I go swimming once a week and play tennis, go to batting cages etc so I truly believe my activity is spot on. It's my food I need to work on.

Thanks again for the advice.
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Old 03-17-2006, 01:03 PM   #8  
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I find an easy way to get more veggies into my dinner when I'm having past is to literally make them into a sauce - stick a bunch of cooked veggies (zuchinni, carrots, bell peppers, etc.) into a food processor or blender with tomatoes, and add spices to that for your pasta sauce. The benefit is that you can't push the veggies in the sauce to the side of your plate (which I have often been known to do!) and your sauce will be more filling -full of good stuff.
If it'd be easier for you, buy pre-cut veggies, and then you can just pop a handful into a container to take to work for a snack. And if you want a replacement for your jello with lunch, try some of those blended apple sauces - they're unsweetened, individually packed, and really yummy! They my be processed, but they'll still be better for you than the jello. And definitely add veggies to the sandwich - bell peppers, cucumbers, sprouts, lettuce - try packing as much nutrition into a lunch as possible.
You said you're really busy when it comes to preparing food - I've started making Sunday afternoons my prep time - i take a couple hours to make sauces, cut up fruits and veggies, make a meal to put into the freezer (like veggie lasagna), prepare chicken or tuna salad, etc. By setting up a block of time to do this, I end up with most of my food for the week either ready to eat or with minimal prep-time, and I avoid that last-minute feeling of being super-tired and really hungry and just grabbing whatever's easiest off the shelf. Hope some of this helps - good luck!
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