How Much To Eat
 

Hello Everyone

I Have A Question I Hope Someone Can Answer. I Am 52 Years Old AND 5' 2'' Tall. I Walk About 3 Miles Everyday. I Weigh Between 143 And 145 Because I Keep Losing And Gaining The Same 2 Or 3 Pounds Over And Over Again.

My Point Range Is 20, But If I Do 20 I Don't Really Lose I Just Maintain, Everyone Says That I Am Not Eating Enough But If I Raise My Points My Weight Will Go Up.

20 Points Is More Than Enough For Me, I Don't Want Any More To Eat, What I Want To Know Is, Do You Force The Food Down? And If You Do, And You Gain Weight Will There Come A Time When You Will Stop Gaining And The Weight Will Start Coming Off?

I Know I Don't Have As Much To Lose As Some, But I Am Struggling Just As Hard.

I Think In My Journey Over The Years To Lose This Weight I Probably Messed Up My Metabolism.

ALSO I KIND OF BOUGHT IN TO THAT LOW CARB THING AND NOW I AM A LITTLE AFRAID TO EAT CARBS, I EAT 2 OR 3 FRUITS ADAY AND ABOUT 3 VEGGIES ADAY BUT ONLY ABOUT 2 OR 3 STARCHES ADAY NEVER MORE THAN THAT IS THAT OK?

Ok Ladies What Do I Do ? Do I Eat More Even If I'm Not Hungry, And If I Do Eat More What Do I Use Those Points On? I Love Sweets And Carbs But I Don't Think That Would Be A Good Idea, Or Would It?


Sly

Hi Sly,
If you are following the plan (WWers) then you also have 35 points weekly you can add and by eating more points your chances of losing are better!

You do not have to eat more food.....simply eat higher point food and try it.like you dont have to have lite salad dressing etc. Just have regular food and it will automatically increase your points.

It is obvious what you are having is not working so why not try having more than the 20 a day?

As far as carbs.........please dont "buy into" anything...just follow the WW plan getting in the fruits,veggies,milk,water & small amount of oil. I just BET it will work for you! Good Luck! ;) Enjoy some "carbs" too!

Keep us posted! ;)

Hello Sly,

You and I were meant to be the LAST Survivors on Earth! I am one of those WWers who had a huge success in the past...and then got so lost and frustrated when I hit a plateau with my metabolism! I must have been a snail in a previous life!

I write because your question (I got over my plateau by giving up and throwing my hands in the air and gaining weight! WRONG solution!) was discussed at my WW meeting this morning! The discussion was LONGGGG... with lots of hints talked about! I am soooooo far from this problem (I've got a new mountain to deal with before I get to a plateau!)...and my meeting is at 7AM, so...umm, I was sorta not listening BUT...
I *DO* know that you need to look at what you're eating. Have you gotten into a rut? Same ole same ole? Your body will get accustomed to your same ole same ole intake and go into "maintain this LAST HUMAN ON EARTH" mode! As Cin mentioned above, use the flex points to shake things up a bit! Also, what about your activity level? Same ole same ole there? Increase your intensity or add a few minutes to whatever you're doing! OR Try something new!

Also, try what Cin suggested about increasing your points by eating higher point foods! Instead of searching for low point foods, search for some yummy higher (more "expensive") things to add to your meals!

How far are you from your goal? (I don't have my WW stuff right here with me!) Just wondering! Hope my babble helps in some way! :)

take care!

Hi Sly, just wanted to say a few things, great job at sticking with it! Alot of my family are WW, both of my parents, and my aunt and uncle and myself. My mother, aunt and uncle are lifetime members, and at or below their goal weights. I know my aunt has the same problem that your describing, and she stays at 18 points a day. I know thats lower than what WW recomends but it has worked for her for over 2 years, She does use those flex points on ocasion. Good luck in your journey!! Just find what works for you!!

I'm not on WW but I noticed your post. If you are eating the minimum food requirements and find that you gain when you eat more then you might want to try changin or upping your exercise instead of focusing on your food.

If you have been doing the same 3 miles at the same pace for a while it probably isn't a very good workout anymore. Trying doing some other sort of cardio and maybe combine it with some strength training. You may still not lose the weight quickly but I guarantee that if you lift heavy enough you will be happier with your body shape.

Give it a full 3-4 weeks before you say you can't use your APs and FPs. Your body's metabolism is problem is probably confused and messed up over the years of fad dieting.

You need to review the following:

1) Where in your points are you eating? Most people find they lose better when eating above their TPs by using APs and FPs to give a higher or moderate day. Especially if you are exercising you need to eat toward the high end and not the low end. The reason is because your body thinks it is starving and slows down your metabolism and holds on to the calories you intake.

2) What are you spending your points on? Review POINTS PIES Also make sure you get in some REAL fat (preferably in healthy fats but also butter, margarine, mayo, real salad dressing, etc). I had subconsciously removed almost all fat from my diet and had plateaued for SIX (count them 6) months. Make sure you get in some fat.

3) Are you drinking your water?

4) Are you eating alot of processed foods (canned, frozen, etc.) which contain alot of sodium which causes water retention. What about diet sodas? They can cause bloating and water rentention.

5) Are you exercising? Have you taken your measurements to see if you are building muscle while losing? Remember muscle weighs 2.2 times more than fat for the same amount of space (that does not mean muscle weighs more than fat pound for pound but volume for volume it will be heavier) however remember it takes many months to build muscle. If you just started exercise or have made a major change to your routine you can be retaining water. If you are exercising remember to eat high in your point range.

6) Are you journaling? This includes every BLT (bite, lick and taste). Those BLTs can add up in 'hidden' points.

7) Are you calculating points correctly? Ninety percent of new members don't count points correctly. I have a favorite muffin and until last week (I've been on program for almost 2 years) I just realized my 3 point muffin is really 6 points because it is 2 servings. Make sure you use the nutritional information rather than the 'generic' list W/W puts out. You'll find alot of differences.

Once you have analyzed these things then you need to start playing with the program to adapt it to you and your body. Like reducing the carbs and increasing the protien and stuff like that.

Then look at the PointsPies:

Points Pies

Balanced (under 250 pounds)

Complex Carbs/Grain Based Foods – 8-9 points a day
Protein-rich Foods – 6-7 points a day
Fruits and Veggies – 0-3 points a day
Fats, added sugars – 2-3 points a day
Milk and Milk Products – 4-6 points a day

20-28 points a day

Higher Protein (under 250 pounds)

Complex Carbs/Grain Based Foods – 5-6 points a day
Protein-rich Foods – 9-11 points a day
Fruits and Veggies – 0-1 points a day
Fats, added sugars – 2-4 points a day
Milk and Milk Products – 4-6 points a day

20-28 points a day

Higher Carb (under 250 pounds)

Complex Carbs/Grain Based Foods – 9-10 points a day
Protein-rich Foods – 5-7 points a day
Fruits and Veggies – 1-3 points a day
Fats, added sugars – 1-2 points a day
Milk and Milk Products – 4-6 points a day

20-28 points a day

-----

Balanced (over 250 pounds)

Complex Carbs/Grain Based Foods – 11 points a day
Protein-rich Foods – 10 points a day
Fruits and Veggies – 3-4 points a day
Fats, added sugars – 2-3 points a day
Milk and Milk Products – 4-6 points a day

30-34 points a day

Higher Protein (over 250 pounds)

Complex Carbs/Grain Based Foods – 8 points a day
Protein-rich Foods – 12 points a day
Fruits and Veggies – 2-3 points a day
Fats, added sugars – 4-5 points a day
Milk and Milk Products – 4-6 points a day

30-34 points a day

Higher Carb (over 250 pounds)

Complex Carbs/Grain Based Foods – 13 points a day
Protein-rich Foods – 8 points a day
Fruits and Veggies – 2-4 points a day
Fats, added sugars – 3 points a day
Milk and Milk Products – 4-6 points a day

30-34 points a day

Then look at the 8 Great Health Guidelines:

For onlines here is how to get to them:

You may visit the Web site and read 8 Great Health Guidelines. After you log in, it can be found in the Select a Resource dropdown menu located in the Shortcuts toolbar on the left hand side of the page. Click on Weight Loss Topics of the Week in the My Plan section of the dropdown menu. On the next page you will see the View Topics Archive link in the box on the upper right side of the page. Click the link to be brought to the topics archive. 8 Great Health Guidelines is the first first link on the archive list.

For e-tools and meeting people it is page 34 in your Week 1 booklet:

1) Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and veggies a day (in general 1 serving is 1/2 a cup except for 100% juices where it is 3/4 cup or leafy veggies where it is 1 cup).

2) Choose whole-grain foods such as brown rice, oats whenever possible.

3) Include 2 servings of milk products (which in addition to 1 cup of milk is: 16 fl oz unsweetened cappuccino, 2 cups cottage cheese, 1 1/2 oz hard (think parmeasan) or semi-soft (think American) cheese, 1/2 cup ricotta cheese, 1 packet reduced calorie dairy shake, 12 fl oz unsweetened latte, 12 fl oz fast food milk shake, 1 cup fat-free sugar-free made with skim milk pudding, 1 cup yogurt or 1 serving W/W smoothie)...3 servings if you are a teen or over 50.

4) 2 tsp healthy oils (such as canola, olive, sunflower, safflower or flaxseed)

5) Ensure you get enough protein

6) limit sugar and alchol

7) drink at least 6 glasses of water (8 ounce glasses and 1/2 of those can be decaff, no alcohol beverages such as juice or milk)

8) take a multi-vitamin daily

Once you start doing things like this I am sure the weight (barring any medical reasons) will start coming off.

But like I said you need to try to eat the most points possible and do it consistently for 3-4 weeks minimum dealing with any maintains and possible slight gains for your body to adjust.

Finally (I knew my post was getting too long) if you truly are OP the 20 points may be enough but more than likely not. Try utilize full fat products vs fatfree or diet products.

If you are getting in your 2 healthy fats (2 points) and 2 dairy (3 if you are a teen or over 50 -- 4-6 points) right there that is 6-8 points a day out of your 20 leaving 12-14 for your other things.

It is ok to have occasional sweets but they should not be the norm.

Here is one thing/tip that helps me:

TargetPoints utilized for getting nutritional requirements
ActivityPoints utilized for more dairy and protein
FlexPoints utilized for my occasional treats or going out

This is just something that works for me.

Hi

I Want To Thank Everyone For Your Quick Replies, I Think They Will Help Alot. I Am Not New To Ww. I Started In 1978 When I Was Pregnant For The First Time. I Have Always Stayed With Ww Through The Years, And I Have Always Been Able To Control My Weight. About 3 Years Ago I Had A Hysterectomy, And After That I Have Really Been Struggling With My Weight. Not To Mention My Hair Is Falling Out, But I Won't Get In To That. I Just Wanted To Thank You All. And I Will Let You Know How I Am Doing.

Sly

Sly, Here is some information on hair loss and how many factors can cause it including weight loss/weight loss programs:

Hair Loss

From Dr. Koops Website

How much hair loss is normal for a 30-year-old woman. Could there be a medical cause for it?

BY NANCY SNYDERMAN, M.D.

Q: I am a 30-year-old woman and have noticed that I seem to be losing a lot of hair lately. How much hair loss is normal on a daily basis and could there be a medical cause for it?

A: There are quite a few possible causes of excessive hair loss -- some of them temporary and some permanent. But before we discuss that, let’s talk about normal hair loss.

Each strand of hair goes through different stages: growth, resting and shedding. According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), about 10 percent of your hair is in the resting phase at any given time, and that resting phase is followed by shedding. Typical hair loss, or shedding, is 50 to 100 hairs per day. Most people do not notice the hair loss. But if, for example, you recently have grown your hair long, the same number of hairs might be falling out, but there is more mass, so it might seem like you are losing much more hair.

Getting back now to excessive hair loss, here are a few of the possible culprits:

Childbirth

Hormonal changes of pregnancy usually slow down the shedding process. That is why some women’s hair becomes so nice and thick. Within a few months of childbirth, though, the hair that did not get shed during pregnancy sometimes seems to fall out all at once.

Medications

Chemotherapy treatment for cancer is notorious for causing partial or complete hair loss. Numerous other medications can cause hair loss, including certain drugs for high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, arthritis and depression.

Nutrients

Deficiencies of protein or iron can negatively affect your hair count. So can taking a surplus of vitamin A.

Birth Control Pills

The AAD says that women who lose hair as a result of taking birth control pills often have a hereditary form of hair loss that may cause thinning hair and partial baldness with age. If this "female pattern baldness" runs in your family, and you are on birth control pills, the hair loss you are experiencing could be related. Talk with your doctor about it.

Thyroid Problems

An underactive or an overactive thyroid gland can make you shed too much hair.

Other Possibilities

Physical stress, such as surgery, high fevers or serious illnesses, may contribute to excess hair loss. If potent hair care products, such as dyes and permanents, are overused, they can be hard on the hair. Brushing your hair too much can break hairs and make them fall out. Avoid using bristle-type brushes when your hair is wet. Ringworm, a fungus, also can infect the scalp and make hairs fall out."

Hair Loss Keeping What You Have

From Mothernature

Hair Loss Keeping What You Have

The big question: Is there any connection between what you put in your mouth and keeping a full head of hair?

For men, the answer is a resounding no. (Sorry, guys. Except in cases of extreme malnutrition, no amount of vitamins or minerals will regrow hair.) But for some women who have experienced hair loss related to physical trauma, crash dieting or heavy menstrual flow, the answer is yes.

Actually, when it comes to hair loss, everyone is a loser—all of the time. Even the owner of the world’s most luxurious locks sheds 50 to 150 hairs a day. What separates him from the guy who could double as a billiard ball? In someone with a full head of hair, new hairs constantly grow in, filling all of the empty spaces. Whether you sprout enough new hairs to prevent baldness depends mostly on your parents. Genes are the culprits in what is known as male- or female-pattern baldness.

Researchers have found, however, that certain nutrients often seem to be determining factors in hair regrowth in women.

Iron and the Maiden

When a woman loses iron because of something such as trauma, poor diet or heavy menstruation, several things happen. Among them: Her body literally stops producing hair until she gets more iron.

“I’ve been practicing medicine for more than 30 years now, and it’s my experience that in most females who are menstruating regularly, there is mild to severe iron-deficiency anemia,” says Wilma Bergfeld, M.D., a dermatologist and director of the Section of Dermatopathology (the study of the causes and effects of skin diseases and abnormalities) and Dermatological Research at the Cleveland Clinic. The Daily Value for iron is 18 milligrams. But getting enough iron is only part of the picture, says Alexander Zemtsov, M.D., associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis.

Because iron absorption is boosted by vitamin C, he recommends talking to your doctor about a prescription for Niferex with Vitamin C. Each capsule contains 50 milligrams of iron and 100 milligrams of vitamin C. Or you can get over-the-counter Niferex, which has 50 milligrams of iron, and take it with 100 milligrams of vitamin C. “I recommend taking one of these capsules a day until the hair is back to normal, usually in two to three months,” says Dr. Zemtsov. High daily intake of iron can cause iron overload in some people. For this reason, doses exceeding the Daily Value (18 milligrams) should be taken only under medical supervision.

Food Factors

What you eat may well have an effect on how good your hair looks, but there's little you can do in terms of diet that will have an impact on how much hair you have. Here are a couple of things that doctors say you can do for healthier hair.

Steer clear of crash diets. Trimming pounds gradually not only is healthier than crash dieting but also keeps your hair on your head. "Any woman who has lost 20 pounds or more in a period of three months is going to have a problem with hair loss," says Wilma Bergfeld, M.D., a dermatologist and director of the Section of Dermatopathology and Dermatological Research at the Cleveland Clinic. The safe and effective way to lose weight: trimming no more than a pound a week.

Pump up your iron. To boost iron absorption, some doctors also recommend drinking orange juice, which is high in vitamin C, whenever you eat foods high in iron, such as broccoli and red meat, says Alexander Zemtsov, M.D., associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis.

Prescriptions for Healing

Except in cases of starvation, it doesn't seem that vitamins and minerals affect hair growth in men. On the other hand, nutrients may prove helpful for some women who have experienced hair loss. Here's what the experts recommend.

Nutrient Daily Amount

Iron 50 milligrams (Niferex)
Vitamin C 100 milligrams
Plus a multivitamin/mineral supplement containing the Daily Values of all essential vitamins and minerals

MEDICAL ALERT: High daily intake of iron can cause iron overload in some people. For this reason, doses exceeding the Daily Value (18 milligrams) should be taken only under medical supervision

Taking a Little Insurance

Because a broad array of nutrients, including vitamin C, iron, biotin, folate and zinc, seem to play roles in hair growth, some experts recommend taking a multivitamin/mineral supplement to cover all your nutritional bases.

“Biotin, for example, appears to enhance hair growth, thicken fibers and diminish shedding. But all of these nutrients sort of do the same thing,” says Dr. Bergfeld. “What we’re talking about is fitting multiple pieces together. There are just so many factors that it’s hard to isolate which one is the most important.”

Further strengthening the argument for taking a multivitamin/mineral supplement is that many older people get fewer nutrients, says Dr. Bergfeld. “As women get into their forties and fifties, medical conditions that exaggerate hair loss include reduction of female hormones, thyroid disorders and diabetes. The frequent necessity for drug therapy for medical conditions can also exaggerate hair loss,” she says.

Some Promises Don’t Wash

What about feeding your hair from the outside? Some ads for shampoos and conditioners that contain nutrients make it sound like your hair needs an infusion of what these products provide to stay lush and healthy.

“These really aren’t very helpful,” says Dr. Bergfeld. “They can help hair have the appearance of body and fullness by temporarily swelling the hair shafts, but that’s about it.”

Hair care products can’t help hair grow because the hair on your head is dead. The only way nutrients can affect hair growth is if they make it to the scalp, where hair is produced, explains Dr. Zemtsov. “You can put whatever you like on there,” he says. “But if it doesn’t penetrate about a half-centimeter or deeper into the scalp to reach the hair follicle—and it never will—it doesn’t work.” Nutrition must come from the inside."

When a Woman Loses Hair: New Insights

November 20, 2001

By JANE E. BRODY




Some fashion models with beautifully shaped heads may
choose baldness as part of their look. But for most women,
loss of hair - or even thinning of it - is highly
upsetting, often much more so than for men.

The relatively extensive hair loss that often occurs after
pregnancy frightens many a new mother. And women commonly
describe hair loss as the most devastating aspect of
chemotherapy, even though they know their hair will grow
back after the treatments are over.

But when women start losing their hair for no apparent
reason and with no assurance that the loss is reversible,
emotional distress can be severe, prompting a desperate
search for a solution short of wearing a wig.

While hair loss in women, as in men, has long been
attributed to the effects of "a bad body chemical called
dihydrotestosterone, or DHT," as one popular advertisement
puts it, dermatologists who study the problem have begun to
question the extent of the hormone's role in women who
suffer hair loss.

Their studies suggest that the patterns and other factors
involved in women's hair loss often differ from those in
men and may warrant different treatments.

Dr. Amy McMichael, a dermatologist at Wake Forest
University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C., says
women experience several different types of hair loss, and
proper treatment depends on the correct diagnosis, obtained
through a full medical history, examination and often
biopsy.

Causes of Hair Loss


Before blaming one parent or another for your hair loss, it
is worth noting that in both men and women, the genetic
tendency to develop male or female pattern hair loss can be
inherited from both sides of the family.

In a normal full head of hair, about 90 percent of the
hairs are in a growing phase, called anagen, that lasts one
to seven years. The remaining 10 percent of hairs are in a
resting phase called telogen that lasts about three months,
after which the resting hairs start falling out. Anything
that shortens the anagen phase or increases the proportion
of hairs in telogen can result in excessive hair loss.

For example, in the last three months of pregnancy, the
hormones that stimulate fetal growth also stimulate hair
growth, throwing about 99 percent of hairs into anagen,
with only 1 percent remaining in a resting phase, explained
Dr. David A Whiting, a dermatologist at the Baylor Hair
Research and Treatment Center in Dallas.

After childbirth, he said, 20 to 30 percent of hairs go
into telogen, and suddenly, about three months after giving
birth, women start losing large amounts of hair. But the
phenomenon is only temporary and usually reverses itself
within six months. Once the "excess" hair is lost, there is
a return to the normal 10 percent of hairs in telogen and a
slowdown of hair loss.

Chemotherapy for cancer, on the other hand, interferes with
anagen, the growing phase, because the drugs are designed
to disable fast-growing cells. Once these drugs are
stopped, normal hair growth resumes.

Other factors that can tip the balance to excessive hair
loss are thyroid hormone deficiency, crash diets, major
surgery, a severe infection or high fever, a flare-up of an
autoimmune disease like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, and
certain drugs, including beta blockers and oral
contraceptives with high androgenic indexes. Severe stress,
as may accompany the breakup of a marriage or the sudden
loss of a loved one, can also precipitate hair loss,
although Dr. Whiting said the causative mechanism was not
known.

One thing that does not cause hair loss in women is failure
to take good care of their hair. The type of shampoo or
conditioner or the use of hair dyes and sprays does not
cause hair to fall out, although continually pulling hair
into a tight bun or ponytail may result in breakage that
thins the hair.

The Female Pattern
The good news, notes Dr. Elise A. Olsen, a dermatologist at
Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C., is that
hair loss in women is almost never as obvious as it is in
men. Women with so-called female pattern hair loss only
rarely develop true baldness over a large region of the
scalp, as occurs in men with male pattern baldness.

Women, unlike balding men, Dr. Whiting said, do not usually
develop receding hairlines and bare spots on the tops of
their heads. Rather, what typically happens in women is a
"diffuse overall thinning of the hair on top of the head,"
he explained.

Individual hairs get thinner, and the proportion of hairs
that will soon fall out increases. As with balding men,
there is also an increase in hairs that fail to grow more
than an inch or so, or miniaturization.

Only rarely will a woman's hairline recede to the point of
leaving a bald pate, but some women develop areas the size
of a pencil eraser where there are no visible hairs, not
even miniature ones, Dr. Olsen said.

In men, male pattern hair loss typically begins in their
20's and 30's and may progress throughout life. In women,
the two periods when hair loss is likely to begin are the
20's and, more often, from 40 through menopause. While
before menopause about 13 percent of women experience
thinning of their hair in the front of the scalp, after
menopause the incidence rises to 37 percent.

Dermatologists have long assumed that as with men, hair
loss in women is precipitated by androgens, the so-called
male sex hormones that include testosterone. Androgens are
not exclusive to men; they are also produced in women's
ovaries and adrenal glands.

Male pattern hair loss does occur in women with a serious
excess of androgens, for example, as in polycystic ovary
syndrome. But as Dr. Olsen noted, most women with female
pattern hair loss have no signs or symptoms of androgen
excess, and the amount of testosterone in their blood is
typically normal. She also noted that an excess of
circulating androgens "does not necessarily lead to female
pattern hair loss."

The bad actor in male pattern hair loss is DHT, a metabolic
product of testosterone. DHT production is inhibited by the
drug finasteride, popularly known by its trade name
Propecia, originally developed to shrink enlarged prostate
glands. Finasteride taken daily is highly effective in
treating young men with male pattern baldness, and many
experts expected it would be equally effective in women
with female pattern hair loss.

But while finasteride has helped some women with hair loss
(though it is not approved for use in women and should
never be taken during pregnancy), for the most part the
drug is ineffective in stemming female pattern hair loss,
Dr. Olsen said.

In one study of 137 postmenopausal women, finasteride taken
for a year was no more effective than a placebo in
stimulating hair growth, even though the drug suppressed
circulating DHT by 42 percent.

But Dr. Olsen noted that doctors should not assume that
balding women would not be helped by finasteride, since
this study did not specifically look at the drug's effects
on women who were demonstrated to have an excess of
circulating testosterone.

A second drug marketed to restore hair growth, minoxidil,
has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for
use in men and women, although in a lower dose for women
than for men. This drug, sold as Rogaine, is applied daily
directly to the scalp to stimulate hair follicles into a
growing phase; it has no effect on testosterone or DHT
levels.

As with men, hair loss in women can be treated with hair
transplants. After anesthetizing the areas of the scalp
involved, a doctor removes healthy hair follicles, usually
from the back of the head, and inserts them where the
follicles are failing.

Hi Sly. Like you, I eat usually 20 points a day and find too many more than that is too much food and I gain.

Eating more fats and proteins helped me with my hair loss issues.

If you find you're not losing on 20, but don't want more food, try varying your daily diet. Don't eat the same foods all the time. Shake things up every day. No reason to add in junky carbs, but do eat whole grains like oatmeal and whole grain breads and pastas. Looks like you're getting in all of your fruits and veggies, that's a good thing. Make sure you're getting in a few servings of proteins too and milk servings. Are you eating a good breakfast? That helps your metabolism too. It might not be bad to change up your exercise routine too. I found my body gets used to things and then they arent' as effective.

loads of good advice here, I just wanted to reiterate that when I plateaued, I also added points and lost more. go figure .....