Stumped for nutrition ideas

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RunnerDench
RunnerDench Posts: 18 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hey,

I've been on MFP since April 2015, and have lost about half of what I would need to lose to reach my GW. Started at 216 lb, currently around 171. There was a good 6-7 month period where I was losing almost to MFP specs (2lbs a week), but then I plateaued, and have lost very little since October.

During the whole process I would be very strict on Sunday to Thursday, and then have mega-workouts (burning close to 800-900 cals) on the weekends to balance out weekend family dinners. I am less able to do the mega workouts because they don't do well with my tendons, and I find myself struggling again with portion control and snacking, especially on the weekends. I haven't stopped logging (except when on vacation, twice), but I suddenly find it way harder not to go over my calorie intake for the day. I exercise regularly (did a C25K program as well as long walks, and now started transitioning to a 10k) and do Iyengar Yoga for muscle restoration.

I eat very clean (Mediterranean climate and culture), try to swap carbs for veg and/or protein. I just crave a lot of sugar (in fruit form, mostly), and then run out of calories. But I am not really the kind to give up sugar cold turkey. I really feel like the calorie counting way might have run its course as a singular solution and I need more ideas.

Medically impossible for me to go Atkins, Paleo or Vegan, but am open to any other suggestions.
Thanks!

Replies

  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    How much fruit do you eat on the weekdays? How many veggies on the weekdays?
  • RunnerDench
    RunnerDench Posts: 18 Member
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    Hard to say exactly. In winter I have lots of oranges (which I know are laden with sugar), 1-2 a day, and I make sure to have lots of vegs with every meal.

    I do eat low cal biscuits once in a while as well.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    You are eating at maintenance not plateauing

    This all came about when you stopped burning as much

    So you have to adjust your intake to suit

    It isn't about eating clean, it isn't about reducing carbs, it's just about eating at a calorie defecit across the week

    Weighing your food and logging accurately

    How you find the impetus to commit is up to you ..you've lost 45lbs you know how to do it ...you just need to adjust to doing it at a lower calories amount across the week

    I would suggest adjusting your Thursday to Sunday just for a couple of weekends ..and make those days you log too
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    edited December 2015
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    If you want fewer carbs, eat less bread, cereal, pasta, potatoes, rice, fruit. Eat larger potions of the meat/eggs/fish/cheese/yogurt/nuts. For example, instead of one or two eggs, have three.
    Go to the MyFinessPal blog for recipe ideas for broccoli, asparagus, winter squash, summer squash, zucchini, green beans, kale, romaine, mushrooms. . . .
    Remember that if you reduce carbs, you will likely increase fats and /or protein.
    Pay very close attention to calories. :)
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    edited December 2015
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    There's no diet that will work for you, you know that you have to eat less fruit, and you're not doing that... Don't blame the calorie counting. Eat less fruit, more protein, more fat, more veggies.

    Also, not uncommon for runners not to lose weight while they train, as races require fuel, which doesn't work so well on a calorie deficit.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    I am of a mind that you have it backwards. Focus less on what you are eating and pay more attention to how much.

    Try sticking to your calorie goal six out of seven days. Do this for a month and see if it makes a difference.

    Allow yourself as much sweets you crave to your calorie limit for a month and see if that makes a difference.
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
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    Why is everyone saying reduce fruit? Unless you're unintentionally eating all your calories in fruit,there's nothing wrong with fruit. One extra orange a day is not why you're maintaining. You have to eat less, or exercise more. I'm also maintaining, but thats because I'm not eating at deficit. My brother and sil are losing weight eating chips and candy bars. But they are eating at deficit. Im not saying eat chips and candy bars.

    If you're having trouble eating at deficit,experiment with different macro ratios. I feel better at higher proteins, my sil needs more carbs to feel full, my brother is still figuring it out.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Confuzzled4ever wrote: »
    Why is everyone saying reduce fruit? Unless you're unintentionally eating all your calories in fruit,there's nothing wrong with fruit. One extra orange a day is not why you're maintaining. You have to eat less, or exercise more. I'm also maintaining, but thats because I'm not eating at deficit. My brother and sil are losing weight eating chips and candy bars. But they are eating at deficit. Im not saying eat chips and candy bars.

    If you're having trouble eating at deficit,experiment with different macro ratios. I feel better at higher proteins, my sil needs more carbs to feel full, my brother is still figuring it out.

    Well OP said she craves fruit a lot and eat enough to get over her calories, so obviously it's the first thing that should be reduced (considering that it won't help her meet her protein or fat goals either). I'm assuming of course that she eats more than 3 servings a day, from her post (which can easily be over 200 calories, so yeah, you can definitely wipe your deficit with 4+ servings of fruit).

    Obviously hard to tell with a closed diary though.
  • booboo68
    booboo68 Posts: 302 Member
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    I love fruit too. I like to freeze fresh berries, grapes and pineapple and then sit them out in the morning and eat a few every now and then throughout the day. I do maybe 10 throughout the day and that keeps my fruit cravings under control.
  • OyGeeBiv
    OyGeeBiv Posts: 733 Member
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    It's not fruit that's putting you over your calories. It's whatever you eat next after you've reached your daily allotment. If you're at your limit and you eat a piece of fruit, you shouldn't have eaten that piece of fruit. By the same token, if you're at your limit and you eat 4 cups of lettuce and some celery, it's the lettuce and celery that put you over. You can't eat the same calories twice. You have to choose.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    64crayons wrote: »
    It's not fruit that's putting you over your calories. It's whatever you eat next after you've reached your daily allotment. If you're at your limit and you eat a piece of fruit, you shouldn't have eaten that piece of fruit. By the same token, if you're at your limit and you eat 4 cups of lettuce and some celery, it's the lettuce and celery that put you over. You can't eat the same calories twice. You have to choose.

    By your logic, if I eat 1000 calories of cheesecake at lunch and go over at dinner, it's dinner that put me over for the day... Quite sure it's the cheesecake, personally... I get your point but really, if someone eats 500 calories of chocolate and ends up going over because they are too hungry, personally, I blame it on the 500 calories of chocolate, not on the chicken and veggies that they have for dinner.

    Bottom line, if eating too much of something doesn't keep you full for the calories, and you constantly end up going over, it's time to cut back on those 'empty' calories (I don't really consider fruit empty calories, mind you, and often have 2 servings a day, but if I had 400 calories of fruit a day, I'd say those calories would be better used in something more filling).

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