I have a major problem!

thelionstooth

YOU ROCK! Thanks! That helped!

SLLRunner

I meant I think my diet is a problem from not getting enough calories since I eat many low calorie veggies for the amount of cardio I am doing.

I guess I should have made it more clear- apologies.

I am hoping to find healthy foods to increase caloric intake withput it being meat or processed foods.

Okay. Well, you are losing 2-3 pounds a month, so you are getting enough calories.

Are you logging your food and exercise? That's the key to keeping track so you know where to cut or not cut according to your goals.

gi2general

hello! I totally understand your situation. There is a point when you decided to start being healthy and the results started happening and you feel motivated and once the results started slowing down, it's like a big bucket of water was spooshed on your head. While I myself have no goals to go for an athletic activity like yours, it has becoming more challenging as well for me. Here are some pointers.

1. Smoothies - they are amazingly healthy, there's a lot of combinations and you can drink them throughout the day. They are filling and sipping them as opposed to having snacks can help you tide through from one actual meal to the next. I usually make a almost blenderful, drink a glass for breakfast and drink it throughout the morning (while having water as well, of course). Here's the "formula" for the recipe:
- 1-2 cups of fruit of choice (strawberry, banana, pineapple, peaches). Instead of using ice, I just have frozen fruit instead)
- 1-2 cups of tasty liquid of choice (skim milk, almond drink, soy milk, fruit juice)
- ice if desired (like I mentioned I usually freeze my fruits instead)
- additional protein or fiber (like nuts, greek yogurt, rolled oats, peanut butter, etc)
- green vegetable (kale, spinach)
- Blend until smooth, add liquids depending on how thick or liquidy you want it
This usually yields about 3/4 of a blender full, I drink a glass in the morning and place the rest in a bottle and drink throughout the morning. make sure it stays cold, cuz room temperature smoothie tastes kinda yucky at 11 AM. Lots of recipes out there for your taste.

2. Purchase a body composition scale - in my gym where I purchasepld a few personal trainer sessions, instead of just a scale, they have this instead. you see, I learned that what people really want is not exactly simply "weight loss" but rather "FAT loss". for all you know you are gaining muscle instead of simply losing fat and the net weight is negated. and gaining muscle is a good thing! not like you'll get too big or buffed right away but your muscle mass increase means they will use more energy which helps in FAT loss. This scale will tell you what your PBF = Percentage of body fat and of course your total weight. So that maybe after a 2 week span you are the same weight but your PBF has gone lower, it means you lost fat and gained muscle. They are relatively cheap body composition scales out there that are under $50.

From the body composition scale I learned that I am only 5 lbs overweight but I actually have a high percentage of body fat, I needed to lost 22 lbs of fat to get to the normal range, also I learned I need to gain 8 lbs of muscle to get to the normal range as well. After month 2 my weight stayed the same, but I learned I gained a lot of muscle and lost a lot of fat ( and I am super big-muscled either).

3. find free exercise resources for workout that are fun for you. I discovered how I loved Zumba and kickboxing and I supplement the lessons from my gym by simply loading Youtube videos on my laptop, setting it on the counter and shaking my butt for a full 60 minutes, that's a lot of cardio in a fun way, you burn approx 400 calories. I recommend cardio for 60 mins for 3x a week.

4. the decision to be being fit, healthy and strong is a lifestyle choice so think of it as something you will do for the rest of your life. and it just gets easier the more that you integrate it naturally in your day to day activities. don't pressure yourself too much. celebrate the accomplishments and be patient with your body.

Good Luck and I believe you will get back to a rhythm that works for you and get the results you want. cheers!

thelionstooth

No.

I used to eat more calories the first time around. And I lost more weight overall at about 7-8 pounds in a month at approx. 2 pounds a week. But my diet was not as healthy.

I am now eating healthier, a lot healthier. My calories are less than before- I eat less stuff like nutri grain bars, etc, less cereal, less milk.... So on and so forth but more low calorie but good nutrition vegetables- spinach for example. My caloric intake is smaller considerably. And my exercise (cardio wise) is higher. But I am loosing less weight.

That is what I am trying to figure out.

QuietBloom

I read on RAW food diet websites and paleo websites that when one eats their food natural he or she doesn't even need to count calories, as veggies are low calorie food. I agree.

Unfortunately, that is not true. And I have not read that on the one paleo site I have been to. Also, I can tell you first hand that this is not true. Calorie counting is the single most effective tool to use when trying to maintain a calorie deficit. Otherwise, you are just guessing.

ETA: Nutrigrain bars aren't exactly 'diet' food. Definitely gonna want to start logging all your food. You're just getting to many calories to lose weight. You are at maintenance since your weight is neither going up nor down.

thelionstooth

Sounds great! Thanks! I will definitely start using the weight bench. Typically my son uses it, but I can too.

I also just purchased a gym membership as well.

I really don't want to go back to things like nutrigrain bars and what not, but my veggies that I love so much are so low calorie that I have to figure something out.

what's funny is I feel like I already am spoiling myself like mad with all these healthy foods. But now I will try to add other things in as well.

Peanut butter. I know that would be a good one... But... Wow. I will REALLY have to be strict with that one. Peanut butter is my weakness!

catfive1

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/926789-protein-sources

Some protein suggestions.

SLLRunner

No.

I used to eat more calories the first time around. And I lost more weight overall at about 7-8 pounds in a month at approx. 2 pounds a week. But my diet was not as healthy.

I am now eating healthier, a lot healthier. My calories are less than before- I eat less stuff like nutri grain bars, etc, less cereal, less milk.... So on and so forth but more low calorie but good nutrition vegetables- spinach for example. My caloric intake is smaller considerably. And my exercise (cardio wise) is higher. But I am loosing less weight.

That is what I am trying to figure out.

Logging both exercise and food will help you figure all that out. The best of luck to you, and have fun using your gym membership.

thelionstooth

I was just reading that it may be I am not drinking enough water. I surely do not drink as much as I used to. Currently I only drink when thirsty, which isn't too often. I am probably not even near a quart of water a day.

Also, I calculate in my head (for example, a half tablespoon of ranch plus a fourth tablespoon of olive oil, equals, etc so on and so forth through out the day. And any of those things I add to the salad I do measure- tablespoon wise and cup wise for milk of cereal for example). There is no way I am eating 3,000ish calories of calories a day. I am loosing, just not as much as before.

This is one website that speaks about the low calorie count of veggies and how it is extremely hard to go over calories (for example, in my case I eat about 95% completely raw food which is veggies)

http://www.nerdfitness.com/the-beginners-guide-to-the-paleo-diet1/

thelionstooth

Beautiful! Thank you!

That really helped! Soooo much! I will definitely be using your tips to add in some healthy calories!

thelionstooth

Thanks for this information!

bajoyba

I agree with others who have suggested accurately logging your calories so that you have a solid idea of what you're eating.
I'm a vegetarian as well, and my favorite salad to make contains all "unprocessed" foods (except for the salad dressing). I make a big salad because I like my veggies too, but I measure everything that I put in it.

Here's what it consists of: a head (or more) of romaine lettuce, 3 green onions, 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, 1/4 cup feta cheese, 2 eggs, 1/8 cup dried cranberries, and either 2 tbsp of poppy seed dressing or honey mustard dressing plus 1 tbsp of pear balsamic vinegar.

It's all "healthy" food, but it also costs me at least 650 calories, depending on how much cheese I feel like eating and whether or not I put the eggs in it. A serving of raw sunflower seeds alone is about 200 calories. I eat the salad because I like it, not because it's low-cal. :flowerforyou:

It's fine if you don't want to count your calories, but it can definitely be difficult to adjust your intake if you don't have a solid idea of what your intake is. As far as protein options, there are lots of options available, as others have already listed. I personally try to aim for at least 80 grams of protein a day.

thelionstooth

Oh! I almost forgot---

I am not longer eating things like nutrigrain bars. That was earlier this summer.

I was just reading that it may be I am not drinking enough water. I surely do not drink as much as I used to. Currently I only drink when thirsty, which isn't too often. I am probably not even near a quart of water a day.

Also, I calculate in my head (for example, a half tablespoon of ranch plus a fourth tablespoon of olive oil, equals, etc so on and so forth through out the day. And any of those things I add to the salad I do measure- tablespoon wise and cup wise for milk of cereal for example). There is no way I am eating 3,000ish calories of calories a day. I am loosing, just not as much as before.

This is one website that speaks about the low calorie count of veggies and how it is extremely hard to go over calories (for example, in my case I eat about 95% completely raw food which is veggies)

http://www.nerdfitness.com/the-beginners-guide-to-the-paleo-diet1/

fruttibiscotti

I think if you are losing approx 1 lb per week, it's a pretty healthy and sustainable weight loss rate.

Tracking your food is very important, not only to track your total calories, but also your macro and micro nutrients.

If I understood your postings, it sounds like you are on the fence with switching from being vegetarian to possibly start eating animal protein? Did I read that right? If you are having a hard time making the jump, maybe consider introducing fish in your diet? Great healthy protein source, and omega 3 and so on.

Not sure if this helped, but these were my two cents....

aleggett321

A couple of thoughts popped into my mind while reading.
1) you mentioned kayaking in your event, what are you doing for upper body work? I definitely think you should do some strength training with your new gym membership. You are going to need plenty of strength with what you're planning.
2) Greek yogurt is my personal favorite food. Not too high in carbs (read the label to be sure as some brands are higher than others), good amount of protein.
3) a frustrating fact of weight loss is that the less you weigh, the less calories it takes to keep your body functioning and moving. If you consume the same amount of net calories, your weight loss will slow.
4) 2 to 3 pounds a month is actually a very healthy weight loss.
I wish you the best in your preparation for your upcoming event.