I have started working with a PT. She has put me on a diet and exercise program. As I think I have said in here recently, I have lost 110 pounds, with about 30 more to go. The past few weeks I have stalled, losing a pound, gaining a pound, sometimes nothing. I have not cheated at all but still I don't move forward. My calories were to low (between 800-900 a day). I am also a vegetarian. So I knew I needed to do something.

Here is the diet she has put me on:

Meal 1 (309 cal, 31 prot, 6 fat, 33 carb)
1/2 Cup dry oatmeal
1.5oz apple
6 egg whites
1/2 yolk

Meal 2 (320 cal, 26 prot, 10 fat, 30 carb)
Myoplex
1 cup strawberries
1/2 oz almonds

Meal 3 (318 cal, 30 prot, 8 fat, 32 carb)
4.5oz potato
1 1/2 scoop of Whey Powder
1/4oz almonds

Meal 4 (317 cal, 25 prot, 7 fat, 35 carb)
Myoplex
Cup strawberries
5/8 T Natural Peanut Butter

Meal 5 (307 cal, 31 prot, 6 fat, 33 carb)
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 1/2 scoop whey powder
1/8 oz almonds

Meal 6 (298 cal, 26 prot, 5 fat, 35 carb)
1/2 cup dry oats
2oz apple
5 egg whites
1/4 T Natural Peanut Butter

Daily totals - 1869 cal, 169 prot, 42 fat, 198 carb

The exercise portion is:

Cardio - 20 min HIIT 5 days a week

Mon - Squats 4x12
Extensions 4x12
Lunges 4x15
Standing Calf Raises 2x8
Toe Raises 3x10

Tues - Flat Bench 4x12
DB Incline Presses 4x12
Incline DB Flys 4x12
Close Grip Triceps Presses 4x12
Overhead extensions 4x12
Bench dips 4x12
crunches 3x20

Thurs - Leg curls 4x12
Step ups 4x12
Pulldowns 4x12
Seated Rows 4x12
Hyper-extensions 4x12
Seated Calf raises 4x20
Toe raises 3x10

Fri - DB presses 4x12
Upright rows 4x12
Bentover rows 4x12
Front raises 4x12
Close grip straight bar curls 4x12
wide grip straight bar curls 4x12
reverse curls 4x12
crunches 4x20


I am trying to lose approximately 30 pounds. Currently I am 35% body fat.

If you all could give me your honest, educated opinions on this program. Does this look like one that will jump start my metabolism again? Will jumping from 900 to 1800 calories a day help me LOSE weight?

Any advice is desperately needed. thanks...

Keep in mind that I'm not a dietary professional, just have read a whole bunch of fitness books/websites etc.. I think on this plan you'll initially gain. I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing. (I know, I know, but don't hate me just yet) I think your metabolism will be kind of in the toilet from such a low calorie diet. I think as you start eating better/lots of protein and working out you may initially gain weight. But you'll be getting your metabolism back working as it should, and gain muscle, which will utlimately lead to a higher metabolism and less problems with weight maintenance. I think the low calorie diet has caused your body to burn off a significant amount of muscle tissue. Just for comparison, I have over 80 pounds to lose and my body fat is lower than 35. Don't let all this stress you out too much though. You've done an awesome job, lost an amazing amount of weight and I'm sure you can get through this last struggle too.

If you are jumping from 800-900 calories to 1800 without stepping up gradually, I agree that you are probably going to gain at first. What is your current weight and age?

I'm more concerned about what isn't in your diet: vegetables or much real food other than egg whites. Is that what you are supposed to eat everyday or just a sample day? The problem that I have with trying to devise weightloss-muscle building menus for vegetarians is that most good protein sources are either animal, or high in calories. Your trainer seems to have the same problem, so she's giving you lots of protein powder. But where are the vegies? Do you use tofu? It's not the best form of protein, but I think it's better than having 3 meals a day of protein powder. You can make a great stir fry with tofu and a heap of grean beans, brocolli, onions, mushrooms, and a little brown rice for the same 300 calories, plus you get to chew.

You can also combine several different type of beans, chick peas, and a little tofu, tomato sauce and spices to make chili. About 1 cup is 300 calories.

Do you eat dairy? Low fat cottage cheese is a great low calorie source of protein. You can mix it with vegetables, fruit, or just eat it plain.

The problem with diets that are based mostly on shakes is that they are just that- a diet. You are going to get pretty sick of myoplex, and you probably don't want to have 3 meals a day of it for the rest of your life. I'd look at more real food alternatives.

Mel

ditto

Thanks for the replies Happy Daisy and Mel. Gaining is what I am afraid of. And I know that a lot of it will be muscle, but it's a mental thing with me and to see it on the scale will mess with my head so to speak.

Yeah I agree that she was at a loss for things for me to eat. I am not going to do the Myoplex because it has Aspartame in it and I am sensitive to it. It gives me migraines.

I was wondering about why no veggies as well. I have been eating cheese (fat free) and cottage cheese (fat free) up to this point. But she is big on dairy causes weight gain and eating clean and all that. I don't mind eating clean, but I am concerned that drinking most of my meals will be tough on me. As you said Mel, I need to chew.

Happy Daisy, I agree that eating more calories will probably help get my metabolism back in working order. I just wonder if I can deal with the numbers going up. She told me to try to get past the numbers, and I agree that I need to.

I am currently 205 pounds, 5'11 female aged 42. Big boned. I started out at 313 in March. All the BMI charts say I should be 175-180 to fall into the "healthy" range. So that is the number I have been shooting for. I also want to firm up and get my body as hard as I can for a formally obese 42 year old woman. That is why I have become so interested in weight training. I wanna be buff in my old age

The trainer said that this was a sample menu and I could follow it as is or I could tweak it as long as I stick to the macronutrient portions. I am thinking I may start doing some tweaking.

The plan looks good to me, especially now that you are working on losing that last 30#, a less drastic diet is probably for the best.

I don't think you can help but put on some water weight by shifting to a higher calorie diet. I know that I immediately put on 5-10# of water weight when I go from 1,500 Cal to 3,000+.

Don't worry about an initial weight gain. You are not going to get fat on 1,800 Cal/day.

Keep in mind that the more weight you lose, the lower your ideal weight becomes. When I was 385# I thought 275# would be perfect. Now I am looking to get under 250#. Maybe when I hit 250, I will realize that I really would look better at 235#?

170# is a good initial goal for you and a perfectly fine weight, but unless you have the muscles of a Ms. Olympia your ideal is probably going to be lower.

Hmmm...I don't think that your initial gain is going to be all water weight. You will gain some muscle, maybe up to ten pounds over a 3-5 month period if you are fairly new to weight training. You've been in a deep caloric deficit and your body is going to be thrilled to see more calories coming in, but unable to process them at first. I would step up by 300 calories a week rather than jumping right up to 1800.

Dairy does NOT make you gain weight. At very low body fat levels, it causes a perceptible amount of water retention, which is why bodybuilding competitors drop even LF cottage cheese out of their diets during a leaning out phase prior to competitions. Calories cause you to gain weight, and if you are lifting weights, the quality of the calories helps determine whether that weight is going to be muscle or fat. Most dairy has such a high percentage of fat and carbs to protein that I don't consider it a protein, but low fat cottage cheese is high in protein, low in carbs and fat. I eat it daily as part of a clean diet.

Aspartame gives me horrendous headaches and sleep problems, too. I've found 2 protein powders that I like that use other sweeteners: HDT ProBlend 55 and SAN Anabolic Infusion. I buy both online. The Anabolic Infusion is expensive, but tastes good, mixes easily with water, and has other amino acids added. The ProBlend is good, but better if you are adding a fruit and making a smoothie. I also use it a lot in baking (protein muffins- the recipe is on many threads here at 3FC or PM me if you can't find it).

You really need vegetables. I consider romaine lettuce, fresh spinach, green beans and brocolli to be pretty much "free" foods. You can make a big salad (lots of "chew value") for about 30 calories. Sprinke it with lemon juice or 1 tsp olive oil and some vinegar. Top with 6 eggwhites and 1/3 cup chickpeas and you have egg salad, with a carb.

Good luck,
Mel

Before I was eating what I thought was a satifying diet. I had gotten used to my calorie deficit and wasn't really that hungry. I would have oatmeal for breakfast, an open faced sandwich on stoneground wheat bread (the sandwich contained all veggies and a slice of fat free cheese, which I would toast) for lunch and a huge salad for dinner loaded with veggies and with Boca Burger crumbles seasoned with taco seasoning. I started adding some fat free cottage cheese with natural peanut butter and low sugar jam in between meals. But I just sort of stopped losing. I didn't gain, but I didn't lose. I did look forward to my meals, even if they were low in calories. Now I am not looking forward to a cup of brown rice and some almonds, I must say.

Someone else in my household is doing a plan by this trainer and her diet is pretty good. Of course she eats meat so hers in chuck full of chicken and turkey and such. She is also only alotted 1400 calories a day and has 100 pounds to lose.

I don't know. Maybe I will go back to what I was doing and just supplement with a few more meals to up my calories a bit. I wish I could just wake up tommorow and be at the point where all I had to worry about was maintaining and not losing fat. This is getting old. I want to have a lower body fat and just start working out like a fool to get buff. Having to worry about weight loss sucks (pardon my french). I swear after all this, I will never gain the weight back, I never want to fight that battle again!

Kerry

I know you will win this battle just stay focus, and my prayers are that this will be one battle you will never ever encounter again. much peace to you

Craicgirl,

You've come a really long way. Congratulations! I think all of the advice that has been given so far is right on the money, but I'd like to throw in one other thought.

These days, I usually post on the Maintenance board, and it's from a maintenance perspective that I want to address the concern you raised about gaining weight. IMO, it's this kind of thinking that can set you up for a fall.

To quote a sage -- me -- maintenance has a very distinct pattern: up and down. Up and down. Up and down. One's weight doesn't stay static. It moves around, depending on any number of factors, such as diet, water, monthly cycle, exercise and, as far as I can tell, the phases of the moon.

I think you need to find a way to live and eat for the rest of your life, and I don't think that's to be found in 900 calories a day, nor do I think it's to be found in countless protein shakes (although I like and use shakes).

It always seems to me that maintenance is as much about head games as it is about workout routines and meal plans. You're really not so far from your goal, which is a good time to begin practicing for the rest of your life.

Yes, you may gain when you change your diet, but several others have pointed out why that's the case. Use that knowledge to your advantage, and don't let it sandbag you. You have done SO MUCH for your health by losing weight; now you have the opportunity to build on that foundation by creating a nourishing and health-giving diet that will serve you in good stead for years to come.

Best wishes!

I fully agree!

I have learned that always beating yourself up for a dietary mistake is no way to live. Just get back on track and allow yourself mistakes every now and then. Nobody is perfect, and come on lets face it.....there is just too many choices of food in America to be perfect. I am not saying that it's ok to eat everything you want all the time, but sheesh I have a life and unless I am entering a competition, it should really be fun to eat healthy! Just think about the way you feel when you eat crap all the time. That's enough for me!


Oh and fiber is better than any weight loss suplement you'll ever find.

Thanks everyone for all the great info and motivating words. I have raised my calorie count a little bit (not as much as the PT recommended). Plus I decided not to fuss about it anymore. I am doing the best I can and thats good enough.

I WILL reach my goal, but I need to let it happen when it happens. And this week I lost 3 pounds..so I finally broke the plateau! Yay!