Need some advice please

Kerinjay

I don't typically post - I enjoy reading others who post and try to take some advice from there - but today I need help.

I went to my cardiologist today (everything is fine there - he just monitors an extra heartbeat that I have) and he said I am fine - except for the weight. He is disappointed that I haven't lost any from my last appointment. I explained to him that I have been trying - I use MFP and have started working out more consistently.

I showed him my diary and he said that 1350 calories is entirely too little for my weight and that my body is going into shock and storing fat! He said I should be eating five to six times per day. (204 lbs at today's appointment.)

I hadn't weighed myself in a while, but I did notice that I had lost two inches in my waist eating the 1350 calories and working out. (I am doing JM 30DS) So I'm confused.

This is what the Dr. wants me to do:
Eat 5x/day
30-35 g Protein (each meal)
10-15 g Carb (each meal)

No fruit
No milk
No sugar
No booze

Does anyone have any advice / suggestions of what I should be eating or doing? I want this to work. I'm very discouraged today and trying to keep the perspective that it is just a bump in the road.

Thanks!

Whipppets

I just looked at your diary, and if thats any indication you should listen to your doctor.. You are eating really
bad choices.. I know you have kids but fast food joints should be eliminated.. I am not a doctor or a trainer
just someone who has maintained weight loss for 3 yrs. .You know how many times I have eaten fast food...
Once KFC and I thought I would be sick.

cbeckl

I just looked at your diary, and if thats any indication you should listen to your doctor.. You are eating really
bad choices.. I know you have kids but fast food joints should be eliminated.. I am not a doctor or a trainer
just someone who has maintained weight loss for 3 yrs. .You know how many times I have eaten fast food...
Once KFC and I thought I would be sick.

Agreed. Eliminate fast food and you'll be surprised at the results.

Kerinjay

Thank you. I am going to try it. I really want this to work - not just to lose weight but to be healthy and be around for my daughter. Eliminating the fast food is going to be tough, because it is convenient - but I recognize that it is not conducive to the healthy lifestyle that I want.

I do appreciate you taking time out of your day to respond!!

2EggsSeparated

Thank you. I am going to try it. I really want this to work - not just to lose weight but to be healthy and be around for my daughter. Eliminating the fast food is going to be tough, because it is convenient - but I recognize that it is not conducive to the healthy lifestyle that I want.

I do appreciate you taking time out of your day to respond!!

I sat here for a few minutes trying to find a nice way to say this, and I couldn't come up with anything. So I guess i'm just going to say it. Could you possibly cram any more crap into your diet? There is almost nothing healthy about the things you are eating. I really understand that the fast food places are convenient, but they do sell salads. Also, you could carry fruits, veggies, protein bars, sandwiches and yogurts in a small cooler if you know that you're never home. And at the risk of sounding like a real b@*ch, if you are actually leaving your house in search of that crap, there is an even bigger problem.

I like crap food too, so i'm not trying to sound all judgy. However, you know what else I realize I like? A 4 oz broiled sirloin, cooked to perfection and served with a big fat tasty salad. Chicken also works. Homemade soups are a good low- cal option. I'm still trying to find a way to reduce sodium though. I actually like protein bars and making a turkey lunch meat sandwich only takes minutes, and it's half (or a tenth) of the calories from any sandwich you can get at a fast food place.

Good luck!

cwoods80

Definitely cut out some of the fast food...or if you have to, make better choices. Chick-Fl-A has salads, grilled chicken and etc. I know it's convenient and difficult.

I would have to say...start eating breakfast, too. I like egg beaters or a nice cup of oatmeal. I have felt better once I started doing that and I noticed that it keeps me happy until lunch. I usually bring carrots, hummus and greek yogurt for lunch and a Special K bar or a fiber one brownie for a mid-day snack.

I don't cook at home...usually ever, but still manage to make things work. I get boxes of quinoa, brown rice and steamed veggies. I like the boca burgers and the morning star veggie crumbles. Little, healthy changes can help a lot!

Good luck!

concordancia

Check out tips for the South Beach diet. You drs. oders sound similar to phase one.

minkakross

I think I would get a second opinion just based on the fact that cardiologist pretty much means he's an expert on hearts not nutrition and diet. Could you be making better food choices sure, but If you eat twinkies and beer all day you'll lose weight if you're eating less then you're burning so take baby steps as you need to and if you would like a doctor's help find one who specializes in weight control / management.

savithny

As a cardiologist, he's almost certainly concerned about the amount of trans-fats in all those fast foods and convenience foods -- and he's right to be.

OP: I can see two issues you might have with implementing this. Which one is more descriptive of your situation?

1) You don't have a lot of experience shopping and cooking foods like he is recommending you be eating
2) You don't have a lot of time to be shopping for those foods and cooking them.

Also: maybe 3) Money is an issue and you feel like going out and buying a bunch of new food will be a challenge.

Kerinjay

Thank you everyone! I appreciate it.

2EggsSeparate - Nope, you don't sound like a b*tch at all. Tough love is what I need to hear. A lot of my issues stem from not having time to prep things to bring to work. Yes, I realize that I need to make time, but as a full time working mom, with not a lot of help it is very hard. I work in an office that is go, go, go, go until someone says, hey - it's 3 and we haven't eaten yet. I will admit that I fall off the wagon because I usually just join in whatever the office is eating. I am a carb kind of girl. Definitely. I know that I need to make a change and I appreciate the suggestions that you have given.

Savinthny - I would say that I am more of 1 & 2 mix but heavy on the 1. I don't really know how to shop that well. I have a husband who is extremely picky on what he eats - he does not like veggies and is not really willing to try to new foods. He is a meat / potato / peas kind of guy. I also have a five year old who likes limited things. It is not easy trying to make three separate meals that everyone in my house will eat and not complain about.

I trust this cardiologist, have been seeing him for a few years and he is also my dad's cardiologist. He knows the family history and is in contact with my primary care doc. I joined MFP to try to lose weight and get healthy.

Listen, I can make excuses until the cows come home, but I am tired of that and really want to learn how to eat better. I would love it if I could find ways to get my family to incorporate the good foods that I should be eating too. It would be a double bonus.

Again - thank you all - especially the ones who have said it like it is. And thank you for taking the time to review my food diary. I am serious about changing and I appreciate those of you who have requested me as a friend too.

savithny

Learning to shop and cook efficiently while taking health into consideration can be really hard. I know its something I've been working on for a long time, and I grew up with a mom who modelled it pretty well.

I may muse on this one further (while I go for my lunchtime walk!) and post again...

cricket_77

A lot of my issues stem from not having time to prep things to bring to work. Yes, I realize that I need to make time, but as a full time working mom, with not a lot of help it is very hard.

I work full time and spend an hour driving to work and an hour driving home from work, so I know how you feel! The key is being prepared. I like to "power cook" on Sundays. I'll throw an entire package of chicken breasts (fat trimmed) into a crockpot with a can of corn and a can of tomatos then drain most of the juice and shred when it's done. I'll eat the chicken for lunch every day while at work and sometimes make chicken tacos, stir fry, etc. for dinner when I get home.

rabblerabble

If you have to get fast food (sometimes it's mandatory when you are in a family like mine when where the others aren't as committed to a fitness plan like I am) then try to go to a chain where they have grilled chicken (and get it with just veggies and mustard) and avoid the french fries. (I LOVE fries but totally have spurned them for quite some time). Wendy's and possibly other places have baked potatoes. Order one plain with just chives. Sure they taste better with sour cream and butter all over them, but I find that as I am losing weight and feeling healthier and leaner, that healthy food tastes better to me.

Sometimes when we bring the food home, I simply get stuff for the rest of the family, and cook my own food at home. Other day, my wife brought home KFC for the family on a night I had to work late, I just simply cooked something for myself and passed on the greasy stuff which wasn't even appealing to me.

Good luck

socajam

I second your advice, you are going to have to really get a handle on what you are eating. You need totally revamp your food intake.

2EggsSeparated

I have a husband who is extremely picky on what he eats - he does not like veggies and is not really willing to try to new foods. He is a meat / potato / peas kind of guy. I also have a five year old who likes limited things. It is not easy trying to make three separate meals that everyone in my house will eat and not complain about

I do all the cooking in my house, and for the most part my family has two choices: Take it or Leave it. Don't get me wrong, I let everyone make recommendations, but at the end of the day I have final say. Unless i'm making something that I know my kids won't like (like really spicy) they are going to have to eat what served, and they usually do. A friend of mine says that her daughter won't eat any kind of veggies. None at all. But yet the kid still manages to eat junk. I can promise you if my kids couldn't manage to eat some broccoli, they for sure wouldn't eat cookies and pie. So, my kids eat broccoli. My kids also won't eat cooked carrots, but they'll eat tons of raw carrots, so mom doesn't bother cooking carrots.

As for the meat and potato thing, my husband and I are both the same way. I make a lot of pot roasts with mashed potatoes because it's tasty. Lean meat is good for you. I am still learning how to make healthy choices too. I will tell you what I do. Instead of piling my dinner plate with mashed potatoes and gravy, I pile on a huge salad. I try to keep it limited to just veggies, but every now and again I will have croutons or bacon bits. I use cottage cheese as the dressing most of the time. I will use the smaller plate for the meat and potatoes. I do NOT allow myself to go back for seconds until my salad is finished. Usually by the time I get to that point, I am no longer hungry. And that's another thing, we need to learn how to eat until we are not hungry, not until we're full.

tanisha88

Thanks so much for this post, everyone's comments have been really helpful. I also struggle with fast food;(and alcohol) I don't have kids but work 40hrs a week in a busy office and between 10 and 30hrs in a pub kitchen (which makes it so hard no to eat pub food). Sometimes I don't have a full day off for a month. Having said this, this post has made me really motivated to make the time to get to the supermarket and get preparing meals. So thank-you.

suejonestx

There are other types of "fast food" places that aren't as high-calorie...like Subway and Thundercloud subs (at least here in Austin), where you can pick exactly what goes on your sandwich. A turkey sandwich with tons of veggies and spicy mustard on whole wheat is around 300-350 calories. Add a sliced apple or other fruit (instead of chips) and you've got a healthy, filling and quick/convenient meal. Good luck.

marybowldseddington

Not sure why he would eliminate fruit. In its raw format it adds carbs but few calories. Adds fiber and let face it we all need something sweet. Better to eat 15 carbs in the form of an apple, half a banana, 15 grapes, etc than a hershey bar. At least you are getting vitamins from the fruit.

Fruit juice I can see staying away from..not that different from soda. As far as calories and carbs. Even then you can incorporate it as part of a meal.