Wife is having some issues losing weight... any tips?

edetherington

My wife and I started our new diet/workout routine on April 1st. Initially she lost 19 pounds in the first 3 weeks. We quit drinking pop (well we allow ourselves one a week as treat), quit all the junk food, and lately she's been staying under her goal of 1200 cals a day. Unfortunately she's having some issue right now with dizziness so she isn't able to workout for the time being.

The last two weeks she's barely lost anything and she's starting to get depressed and discouraged by it. Anything else she should be doing? She drinks plenty of water every day and this is what her daily meals normally consist of.

Breakfast - Green smoothie - 1 Banana, 1/2 cup strawberries, 1/2 cup blueberries, 1 tablespoon of PB2, 1 cup of Kale, 1/3 cup of 1% cottage cheese, and 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk.

Lunch - 100 cal yoplait greek yogurt, orange or banana, or any leftovers from previous day

Dinner - We normally have a main course of lean meat (chicken breast, lean hamburger, ground turkey, etc.) with some type of veggies (normally baked potatoes, corn, green beans, etc.)

Any tips or recommendations for her would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
E

81Katz

Does she belong to MFP, or is it just you?

lcooper327

Could her dizziness be related to the fact that she's eating under 1200 calories a day? 19 lbs in three weeks is a lot.

psuLemon

Well the dizziness if probably from lack of nutrition. Most people, especially active, require more than 1200 calories. It would also appear that there is almost no protein in the diet, which could be an indication of a deficiency.

Does she have a user name on here? Do you both log calories? Do you both use a food scale?

maxit

psulemon wrote: »

Well the dizziness if probably from lack of nutrition. Most people, especially active, require more than 1200 calories. It would also appear that there is almost no protein in the diet, which could be an indication of a deficiency.

+1

SezxyStef

psulemon wrote: »

Well the dizziness if probably from lack of nutrition. Most people, especially active, require more than 1200 calories. It would also appear that there is almost no protein in the diet, which could be an indication of a deficiency.

Does she have a user name on here? Do you both log calories? Do you both use a food scale?

x2

I bet she is dizzy holy crap...I get dizzy if I eat under 1400 a day...lethargic at 1600 and well I am fine at 1800 but feel pretty good at 2k.

NobodyPutsAmyInTheCorner

Gaad she needs to eat at LEAST 1200. There is no wonder she's dizzy. Poor thing.

jgnatca

First of all, give her a huge bear hug for being such a trooper. I go on a diet and my husband loses weight, LOL!

Nineteen pounds is a lot! Her body is normalising after that big loss and she will start losing again once she gets things sorted. Now it is a game of persistence. She likely needs more calories, as counter-intuitive as this sounds.

psuLemon

aimeerace wrote: »

Gaad she needs to eat at LEAST 1200. There is no wonder she's dizzy. Poor thing.

If she is working out, she probably needs more than 1200 calories. That is the lowest recommend for sedentary women. In fact, I know very few people who should actually eat the little.

edetherington

She does log her calories on MFP as well. Her username is nikkirae2012. She's had the dizziness problems off and on even before we started this diet. I try to tell her to eat more, but she's on these "fitstick" things and they recommended 1200 calories.

We just purchased a digital food scale and have slowly started to weigh our food before cooking and when we're planning our daily meals.

I'll try to get her to eat more, but I'm not sure what good that'll do. How much protein should she be taking in everyday? I could start adding some protein powder to our smoothies in the morning.

NobodyPutsAmyInTheCorner

psulemon wrote: »

aimeerace wrote: »

Gaad she needs to eat at LEAST 1200. There is no wonder she's dizzy. Poor thing.

If she is working out, she probably needs more than 1200 calories. That is the lowest recommend for sedentary women. In fact, I know very few people who should actually eat the little.

I did say at least lol. I'd cry if I had to only eat 1200 calories.

rocknlotsofrolls

first of all, your wife is very lucky to have a husband as loving and caring as you are. It warms my heart to hear this. I'm also doing 1200 calories per day, as I am only 5'3. The only time I got dizzy is when I tried to do the atkins diet. I think it made my blood sugar too low or something. Anyways, tell her to focus on eating more protein and fats, but not to go too low on carbs, IMO. That's from my experience. Tell her good luck, and with a motivator like you, she will be just fine.

blb85

Typical sustainable weightloss is about 1-2 lbs a week. She probably lost a lot of the water weight in the beginning and is now finally stabling out. Losing weight isn't always a linear progression either. Our bodies sometimes retain more salt/water and lose it just as quickly.

And it's great that she wants to get more healthy! The biggest thing is to remember that this is not a quick fix solution, but a healthy lifestyle to maintain lifelong. So its about learning about what you need to eat to be healthy, not cutting out all foods just to lose a ton of weight very fast. I recommend doing some research into nutrition or even talking to her doctor. With dinner, I would try adding in a whole grain option (for the fiber) like 1/2 c brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat pasta, or even 1 slice whole wheat bread. For lunch, incorporate some granola into the yogurt. Meals should typically be about 300-500 calories a meal, especially if she is only eating 3 meals a day. Snacks can be anywhere up to 200 calories. Suggest switching her yogurt to a snack and her eating a healthy salad full of leafy greens, protein (like chicken), lite dressing; or even a whole grain sandwich/wrap with lean turkey or chicken with greens, avocado, etc.

I'm fearful that her biggest issue with her dizziness is she is not getting all the nutrition she needs from carbs, fats, and protein. There is a minimum amount that everybody needs on a daily basis.

allaboutthecake

Your wife know you have this thread? lol
I took a peak at her diary, its closed. But her ticker says she needs to lose 81 lbs. Definitely need to reassess her calories. Since she doesn't want to, then dizzy she will stay until her health declines so much a doctor gets involved. At 81lbs overweight, her TDEE is much higher than what the intake is and yes dizzy, tired, etc. is from lack of nutrition.
Good luck.

SezxyStef

edetherington wrote: »

She does log her calories on MFP as well. Her username is nikkirae2012. She's had the dizziness problems off and on even before we started this diet. I try to tell her to eat more, but she's on these "fitstick" things and they recommended 1200 calories.

We just purchased a digital food scale and have slowly started to weigh our food before cooking and when we're planning our daily meals.

I'll try to get her to eat more, but I'm not sure what good that'll do. How much protein should she be taking in everyday? I could start adding some protein powder to our smoothies in the morning.

My dizzy spells come from lack of hydration and low blood pressure...90/60 typically...might want to get that checked...

Protein is typically 0.8 grams per lb of bw or 1gram for each pound of lean body mass.

Depending on her stats she should probably be eating more...I at 5 ft 7 eat 1800 to lose 1/2lb a week.

ew_david

edetherington wrote: »

She does log her calories on MFP as well. Her username is nikkirae2012. She's had the dizziness problems off and on even before we started this diet. I try to tell her to eat more, but she's on these "fitstick" things and they recommended 1200 calories.

We just purchased a digital food scale and have slowly started to weigh our food before cooking and when we're planning our daily meals.

I'll try to get her to eat more, but I'm not sure what good that'll do. How much protein should she be taking in everyday? I could start adding some protein powder to our smoothies in the morning.

Well, for starters, she won't pass out, so that's a bonus.

Seriously, I think you both need some realistic expectations. She lost a bunch in 3 weeks. Her loss wasn't going to continue at that pace.

try2again

19 lbs in 3 weeks is way too much and not sustainable. Some good, healthy choices there but she needs to up those calories. It's not a race, you guys!

yusaku02

jgnatca wrote: »

Nineteen pounds is a lot! Her body is normalising after that big loss and she will start losing again once she gets things sorted.

Bodies don't need to 'reset' after losing weight.

TiffanyR71

Maybe try solid food for breakfast- I'd be dizzy with a smoothie for breakfast, regardless of the calories in it... Eggs, toast, some fresh fruit...

Mischievous_Rascal

allaboutthecake wrote: »

Your wife know you have this thread? lol
I took a peak at her diary, its closed. But her ticker says she needs to lose 81 lbs. Definitely need to reassess her calories. Since she doesn't want to, then dizzy she will stay until her health declines so much a doctor gets involved. At 81lbs overweight, her TDEE is much higher than what the intake is and yes dizzy, tired, etc. is from lack of nutrition.
Good luck.

Have you two used a calculator to figure out what the TDEE (total daily energy expenditure, in case you haven't heard this term before) for each of you is? I like this one:

http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

Just pick your activity modifier and a realistic deficit. Custom set this as a goal in MFP instead of using a generic 1200 calorie goal. I like this method because it gives me the same amount to eat each day. You just have to be sure to keep your activity up to what you entered into the equation.

Plus, especially for a woman, there are going to be times of the month when she doesn't lose or even gains some weight. Weight loss doesn't happen steadily, so tell her congrats on 19 lbs lost and just keep the faith.

psuLemon

Why don't you tell her to post in this thread and open her food diary. And then we can either get her or both of you on a more solid plan to success. Weight loss isn't about eliminating a ton of foods based on a perception of "healthier" or better but rather you need to find a balance of nutrient dense foods and treats.


For me, if i don't have at least 180g of carbs a day, i get dizzy. It's probably because I have a naturally low blood sugar level. IIRC, my A1C is 4.0. In fact, my last doctors visit, it was recommended I carb up more often.

Keliandra

psulemon wrote: »

For me, if i don't have at least 180g of carbs a day, i get dizzy. It's probably because I have a naturally low blood sugar level. IIRC, my A1C is 4.0. In fact, my last doctors visit, it was recommended I carb up more often.

And I am just the opposite! More than 75g of carbs a day and my blood sugar skyrockets. I love how we are all unique.

For the OP, I have 90 pounds to lose, 5' 9". I eat 1725 calories a day and lose about 2-3 pounds a week on average, without cardio. It sounds like she could also be low on any number of minerals, like potassium, sodium or magnesium. Maybe switch to a greek style yogurt for lunch.

JillianRN527

Eat more. CICO. Also two bananas in a day is a lot of sugar along with the yogurt. If I stay within my calorie range but go over on carbs I don't lose a thing.

edetherington

Thank you to everyone for the feedback and suggestions. I spoke with my wife and she has agreed to at least up her daily calories to 1400 and I also mentioned that she should try to eat back any calories she burns from working out. I also told her to open privacy on her MFP diary in case anyone would like to view her food journal.

edetherington

I also opened my diary in case anyone would like to share any tips for me to consider. We're both still in the process of learning what our bodies need and gaining knowledge so we can make this a lifestyle change instead of it just being another "diet". Thanks again for all the feedback.

allaboutthecake

(I just looked....your diary, OP is closed. )

gothchiq

Nix the kale, use baby spinach instead. Kale is thyroid suppressive (by all means look this up to verify). That'll shut down your weight loss and make you feel like crap for sure. Spinach won't mess with you like that.

edetherington

allaboutthecake wrote: »

(I just looked....your diary, OP is closed. )

Sorry... I changed my profile settings not my diary settings. Should be good to go now.

allaboutthecake

SMH -- read these...Valuable information, Especially ESPECIALLY sexypants! And read all the links in that thread. You'll thank yourself later & not have near the frustration.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1290491-how-and-why-to-use-a-digital-food-scale
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide

allaboutthecake

Can't stress enough setting your goals correctly. Unless there is an underlying medical condition, the majority of folks here on MFP have high success. Best of luck to you both.

jrniven

If she is eating less than 1200 she is probably either not counting/weighing food correctly. That or she is cheating. 1200 calories will make your brain rationalize eating just about anything. Take baby steps eat more food and slowly taper down.