Scale isnt moving

Gwooh

I am new to calorie counting and growing up in a southern state...I'm so use to processed and bacon grease in everything. My profile is public (chatterbox205) and I just added sodium to my list so I can track that...WOW I’m over!!!

My question is when you say eat lean meats, more fruits and veggies...can you tell me what kind? I know I sound stupid...but I really would like to make sure I'm eating the right things. I was told not to eat 5 bananas, I thought bananas were good for you...I'm not much of an apple or berry person...I love pineapple and watermelon, and strawberries in season...I have read that the term "whole food"...is this a natural food like apples and such? OMG I feel so stupid for asking this!

I've been counting for 26 Days now...lost 11lbs in the first week and half...now the scale hasn't budge....I exercise about an hour-two hours a day--walking, 5lb weight lift, bike riding. I have lost 3 inches...I refuse to give up.

taso42_DELETED

Here's a good list (doesn't matter whether you're on Body For Life or not)
http://bodyforlife.com/library/food-list

janalayn

11 pounds is quite a bit to take off in a week and a half. You may have shocked your body a bit and it is adjusting. Make sure you are keeping your net calories above 1200 or so. Eat a variety of foods - I'm a southern girl too, and for me it is all about portion control. I had ribs and baked beans last night. Don't let the scale be the measure of your success. If you continue to exercise and eat right you WILL lose weight. Feel free to add me if you need support!!! I have been doing this since 1/7/11 and have lost 9 1/2 pounds. I am trying to lose slowly so that I can keep it off and so my skin isn't super gross after!!!
Jan

vikeschick42

I took a look at your food diary and what might be causing the scale to not budge is your sodium intake is really high. It can make a huge difference. So can the few days where you were around 2,000 calories. Think of it this way. Even 250 calories EXTRA a day (which doesn't seem like much) can mean the difference of a half a pound at the end of the week. But looking at your sodium intake I would say that is the first thing you should try to change. I took one day off a week ago Sunday. Ate fast food for every meal. My calorie intake for the day was 2800. Not enough to gain 3 pounds right? WRONG. I gained 3 pounds (of water retention) and it took me 10 days to get it back off. That's 10 days of eating between 1200-1400 calories a day and it still took that long to lose those 3 pounds. So maybe try to pick foods with less sodium and keep your cals around 1400, and see if that helps. Also drink lots of water, about 80 ounces a day (if you aren't already).
Good luck, I hope it helps!

susioryan

First of all no question is a stupid question. All fruit and veggies are whole foods as long as they are not canned. Whole grains are whole wheat, corn meal, bulgar, brown rice, quinoa, barley, steel cut oats etc. You should look for foods that have 5 ingredients or less that you can recognize and pronounce. Cook from scratch when you can and freeze it for later. Avoid white flour, white sugar and salt for the most part. Sweeten with raw honey, maple syrup, agave syrup. Try to find grass fed meats and buy in bulk and freeze. Eat more fish. Get to know your farmers in your area. Go to farmers markets. Pick up Michael Pollin's Food Rules from the library, it will be helpful and short to read.
It is a myth that cooking with whole foods is time consuming. Most the meals I make for my family take about 30 minutes at most. You can do it, and welcome to the MFP!
Susi

Gwooh

Thanks for the advice! I plan to readjust starting today!

luv2ash

I especially love extra lean ground turkey - can use that any way you would use hamburger. Also, JenniO makes a turkey tenderloin roast, so delicious, and so low in calories. Grilled fish, or broiled, either way! A little seasoning goes a long way to make any fish taste good.