Food / Calorie Suggestions please.

FelicityEliza36

Good morning ~ happy Monday.

I am taking suggestions and looking for some feed back; so I have made my diary public.

I lost 9 lbs in the first 3 weeks then plateaud for about 5 then currently just lost 6 lbs in 2 weeks. So it has not been a steady weight loss each week. It's been very up & down.....

Here are some stats:

I am 30 years old - 5' 4'' and started out at 274 lbs. It's been 85 days and I have lost 15 lbs.
My first question is.... is 15 lbs in 85 days a good amount of weight loss considering I am so heavy? I feel discouraged ( I know I shouldnt ) because I see a lot of people my weight dropping drastically.

Lifestyle:
I work 8-12 hours a day (40-60 hours a week) as a patient care coordinator so I am at a desk. I have not been to the gym in about 2-3 weeks but was going some what regularly 3-4x a week doing an hour of cardio each time.

I have a terminally ill disease which effects my lungs and digestive track so going outside in the heat to exercise / run / walk during the summer was not an option do to my asthma and my issues of not being able to cool off and having heat stroke. BUT now that it's getting cooler out I plan on doing some walking when I have some time.

Diet:

Recently I have been drinking a lot of iced coffee but besides that it's mainly water. I quit soda and juice and I am obsessed with not wasting my calories on liquids. At first I was eating mostly raw fruits and veggies but because of my busy schedule have been using a lot of frozen veggies. I eat a lot of chicken. I bought a food scale and measuring glasses to properly track my in take.

Because of my CF I do not need to watch my sodium. As part of my disease I am actually supposed to have a high sodium diet because my body loses salt every second. (Needless to say I dont eat extra sodium) but.....

My question is - any suggestions as to what I should be doing food wise / calorie wise to lose a more substantial, steady amount of weight? And please be nice, thank you!

bhankiii

The content of your diet looks fine to me. I'm a sugar Nazi so I would suggest you cut out all foods that have sugar or other sweeteners added to them. Few people will agree with that but it's the way I've lost 75 pounds in 8 months. One thing I would recommend is to get more exercise - simple low intensity walking, which is the best fat burning exercise you can do. An hour on the treadmill can burn hundreds of calories. Keep your goal at 1500 and eat back most of those exercise calories. That will boost your metabolism and allow you more nutrition while keeping your net calories the same.

Good luck.

FelicityEliza36

^ thank you. I have thought about cutting sugar out of my diet. But it seems like EVERYTHING has sugar and it seems impossible LOL I know obviously that it is not.... but wow, so hard. Kudos to you! And I DO need to exercise more (again) I have been in overtime mode at work and on my time off have enjoyed being lazy around the house.... no excuses just truth.

queendeej

More exercise if possible. Are you able to do a workout dvd at home possibly? Leslie Sansone's walk dvds are good and easy--She has some stuff available on youtube too so you can check it out without buying. Fitness Blender channel on youtube has good workouts too. I started doing their tank top arms workout a couple days a week and it seemed like my weight started coming off faster. My main exercise is walking though.

FelicityEliza36

^ Thank you. Never thought of checking out youtube videos.

I have comcast so at first was doing a lot of on-demand work out videos. I think I just need more exercise.

Please note - I have only been on a chocolate / iced coffee kick for about a week so this morning's breakfast is unusual for me. LOL

Mathguy1

Morning Fab,

I took a look at your food diary and to me, you are on the right track. I was confused by a couple of your dinners (were they salads or did you just have lettuce and other "salad" looking items). It's okay if they were, but my question would be, if they were salads, did you add salad dressing? If so, you'll need to log it. I agree with the above poster by saying that I would add the column for sugar. You'll be surprised by the amount of sugar one consumes and that could be an area where some change might be needed.

As for your feelings of disappointment regarding your weight loss. Please keep in mind that weight loss is rarely linear in nature. Think of your weight loss as a descendiing stair case with the steps angled slightly downward.

In other words, some weeks you will lose weight slowly (perhaps some water weight, perhaps some fat but you'll gain a little water weight due to eating an excess amount of sodium etc) then you'll have some periods of time where you'll experience a large drop (fat and water).

I recommend returning to the gym. While an hour on the treadmill may be too lofty a goal (which could be why you haven't been to the gym recently), I recommend setting small goals for yourself on the treadmill. Perhaps walking at about 80-90%% effort (walk fast enough where you aren't holding on to the machine, you can turn your head to look around and still be able to catch up and not fall off the machine), but fast enough where you cannot use your cell phone to text, check messages, etc. If you also run/jog while on the treadmill, I recommend mixing up the pace. Walk as fast as you can for 1/4 mile, then run for a 10th (or up to 1/4 mile. whatever you can jog to while pushing yourself but keeping yourself under control). The goal is to push your body a little further each week. You'll be amazed as to how fast your body changes and what you can accomplish if you increase your distance a little bit each week. Those extra 1/10th of a mile can add up.

FelicityEliza36

^ Thank you math guy.

Some of the salad / spinach posts may have been salad like meals. I don't use any dressing or use condiments ever. Ketchup kills me with heart burn. I hate mayo. I never even use mustard. I've been like that since I was younger though, not just from my recent health kick!

I don't have a gym membership so the girl I was going with (works 2 jobs and goes to school) has been hard to get on the same schedule to link up and go.

When I was going - I would normally do 30 minutes on the treadmill, 15 on the bike, 15 on elliptical. Or switch it up a bit where I would use one machine for a full hour. So my cardio was going great. I started at 3mph on the treadmill and am able to now kick it up to 3.5 - 4 mph and jog for 2 minutes straight.

I just have not been in like 2 weeks.

One week I am working 12pm-9pm so we usually meet around 7 am and then the next week I work 9-530 or 7 pm so those days I dont get to meet her but hoping soon I can get my own membership so I can go at my own leisure, at night if not the morning.

KipDrordy

^ thank you. I have thought about cutting sugar out of my diet. But it seems like EVERYTHING has sugar and it seems impossible LOL I know obviously that it is not.... but wow, so hard. Kudos to you! And I DO need to exercise more (again) I have been in overtime mode at work and on my time off have enjoyed being lazy around the house.... no excuses just truth.

Cutting something completely out is difficult. I think the key here is for you to move around more. If walking outside in the heat is bad for you, then go to a mall and walk around. Even standing rather than sitting will burn energy you aren't already burning. Instead of sitting when visiting friends, try standing to have a conversation. You don't necessarily have to walk fast and lose breath either. You may not burn calories as fast with a more leisurely pace, but you will burn about the same amount of calories walking a mile fast as you do walking a slow mile. If you're at work and find yourself having to go up or down a floor or two, try taking the stairs rather than the elevator. A bunch of little changes will add up in the long run.

swat1948

Bump for some of the suggestions given..:happy:

bhankiii

Morning Fab,

I took a look at your food diary and to me, you are on the right track. I was confused by a couple of your dinners (were they salads or did you just have lettuce and other "salad" looking items). It's okay if they were, but my question would be, if they were salads, did you add salad dressing? If so, you'll need to log it. I agree with the above poster by saying that I would add the column for sugar. You'll be surprised by the amount of sugar one consumes and that could be an area where some change might be needed.

As for your feelings of disappointment regarding your weight loss. Please keep in mind that weight loss is rarely linear in nature. Think of your weight loss as a descendiing stair case with the steps angled slightly downward.

In other words, some weeks you will lose weight slowly (perhaps some water weight, perhaps some fat but you'll gain a little water weight due to eating an excess amount of sodium etc) then you'll have some periods of time where you'll experience a large drop (fat and water).

I recommend returning to the gym. While an hour on the treadmill may be too lofty a goal (which could be why you haven't been to the gym recently), I recommend setting small goals for yourself on the treadmill. Perhaps walking at about 80-90%% effort (walk fast enough where you aren't holding on to the machine, you can turn your head to look around and still be able to catch up and not fall off the machine), but fast enough where you cannot use your cell phone to text, check messages, etc. If you also run/jog while on the treadmill, I recommend mixing up the pace. Walk as fast as you can for 1/4 mile, then run for a 10th (or up to 1/4 mile. whatever you can jog to while pushing yourself but keeping yourself under control). The goal is to push your body a little further each week. You'll be amazed as to how fast your body changes and what you can accomplish if you increase your distance a little bit each week. Those extra 1/10th of a mile can add up.

I should have mentioned pace - there's usually a "fat burning" setting on treadmills that read heart rate. For fat burning you want to be in the moderate range - 50-60% of your maximum, IIRC. It should feel like a brisk walk, faster than you would go normally, but not fast enough that you're gasping for breath. Choose a brisk pace that you can handle easily, then adjust the steepness to get your heart rate where it needs to be. Legs have large muscles in them so they adapt quickly. If you can't do an hour, do what you can and then build it up - it won't take long to reach an hour, only a few weeks. Anything you do is better than doing nothing.

Walking has become my favorite form of exercise because I love audio books - I really look forward to it. It's not so strenuous that it's unpleasant so it's become my book time.

bhankiii

Cutting something completely out is difficult.

I'm going to disagree with this just for me personally. I've had food cravings ruin every diet I've ever tried - and at 54, I've tried a lot of diets. The one that was really easy was going cold turkey on sugar. My food cravings disappeared the very first day and never came back. Maybe that's just me - but if you're a lifelong sugar addict like I am, cutting out may be better than cutting back.

KipDrordy

Cutting something completely out is difficult.

I'm going to disagree with this just for me personally. I've had food cravings ruin every diet I've ever tried - and at 54, I've tried a lot of diets. The one that was really easy was going cold turkey on sugar. My food cravings disappeared the very first day and never came back. Maybe that's just me - but if you're a lifelong sugar addict like I am, cutting out may be better than cutting back.

I've had a sugar problem as well. But I'll still eat something with sugar in it from time to time. How do you completely avoid things like cake, ice cream, candy.....etc? Your explanation of going cold turkey does have merit though. Smokers don't go from a habit to smoking occasionally. They're either a smoker or a non-smoker. I just can't imagine going through holidays and celebrations and being able to avoid something made with sugar. For me, the key is to not keep these items on hand, but to have them on occasion elsewhere. If I had homemade chocolate chip cookies in my pantry, they wouldn't last long. If I go to a friend's house and get offered one, that's when I get my treat. For me, the biggest deterrent to overeating anything is the MFP log. Just seeing how quickly those items can throw my caloric budget into the red is enough to make me think twice about them.

lisamarie2181

IMO i think you might be eating too low cals.

I don't know how much looking around you have been able to do on the site, but check out the post - In place of a road map - it is definitely quite interesting and this approach makes alot of sense because it goes off of your numbers, not just a generic guideline of where your cals should be.

This isn't a specific diet or anything, it shows you how many calories you should be consuming to have healthy weight loss.

The site that has the BMR calculator and if you don't know your body fat% there is one on there too. it's fit2fatradio.com.

For example - I am 5'5 229lbs 37% BF

My BMR (which is just the amount of cals I need for my insides to function properly) is 1764 and my TDEE is at 2744. You are supposed to cut 20% from the large number, which means I should be consuming between 2100-2200 cals a day. I have been eating below 1600 on most days and I have been working out about 4 to 5 days a week, doing zumba, burning 700 cals per hour, which means my net calories have consistently been under 1000! I told my trainer too and he said that maybe I need to up my cals, and this is why I looked into this approach.

I know it sounds like alot of cals, but when you add in exercise, that should bring you around where your BMR is. They say you should never go below your BMR because that is the amount your body needs to just function, not lose, gain or maintain. Or not for long periods below.

Some may disagree about this approach, but if you are struggling it's worth looking into. I have been stalled for about 6 weeks now and this is what made me look into this approach and there seem to be alot of people that this worked very well for and they are now having a steady loss every week. I also have PCOS so I eat low carb, but again, no matter which way you choose to eat, low carb, low fat, that really just has to do with adjusting your macros. For where you are in your journey, it is definitely worth looking at better ways, the low cal way is not good for everyone.

If you have any questions or need any help figuring this out if your are interested in the approach, let me know I'd be glad to help you out

Good Luck!

wait_loss

The content of your diet looks fine to me. I'm a sugar Nazi so I would suggest you cut out all foods that have sugar or other sweeteners added to them. Few people will agree with that but it's the way I've lost 75 pounds in 8 months. One thing I would recommend is to get more exercise - simple low intensity walking, which is the best fat burning exercise you can do. An hour on the treadmill can burn hundreds of calories. Keep your goal at 1500 and eat back most of those exercise calories. That will boost your metabolism and allow you more nutrition while keeping your net calories the same.

Good luck.

I think there is great merit in the above quote. Remember the larger people that loose fast may be placing their bodies in Ketosis for example on ATKINS, This is great at loosing weight real quick but it is hard to maintain for the long run. Exercise is difficult in the heat some one pointed out an air-conditioned mall this is a lot cheaper than a gym membership unless of course you end up shopping. LOL Looked at your food diary. You have alot of hidden sugars in your diet. the flavoured coffee's and coffee syrops like the york peppermint and international delights. first clean it up a bit. if you are having a sweetened coffee then pass the muffin. I have noticed also alot of people think a calorie is a calorie.
Try to think of each meal as a glycemic load. If I have this carbohydrate I need to balance that with some protein and cut back on the starch or sweets that turn quickly to sugar in your diet. A yam or sweet potato is better than a white potato as it breaks down to sugar slower. beans break down slower and make you feel fuller longer so a nice bean salad with some balsamic for dressing may help.
I notice you have alot of dairy. for some one with asthma this can be a trigger unless it is raw. The mucus in Dairy can exasperate lung function. As can prolonged antibiotics. Both create a viscous cycle. If you are in need of the craving of dairy look for a probiotic and prebiotic yogurt or like drink. This will also help with bowel movements.
Your job is at a desk which does not mean you are strapped to a chair. set a mini egg timer to 45 minutes so you can stretch and move a little through out your day at your desk. There are often articles of stretches you can do right at your desk this will have a positive side effect at work making you less like to hit the wall during the day and keep you motivated. more productive.
proven by many studies.
I hope this assists you in breaking the plateau. Your picture shows a very beautiful individual. keep on track and things will turn around. Keep up the effort.

FelicityEliza36

You guys are sweet. Thanks for the inspiration and advice.

I did calculate my BMR and it said I should eat around 1800 calories which I did and didn't lose so I went back down to 1200, which I didnt lose again, then lost 6 lbs at 1500 calories per day.

I am constantly switching up how many calories I eat - cuz sometimes I feel its too low and sometimes I feel its too high.