Frustration galore

Hey, I thought MFP was a learning tool. Diet, if it's going to work, is a life change. So when you check on some one's diary and give advice:
1) be prepared to have your diary looked at 2) say what you say gently. Because what a discouraged, frustated newbie hears is: your diet sucks- you suck.
And that's not what's needed. Advice needs to be aprapo to the poster.

Studies show your metabolism slows down and eating a good breakfast ( not talking eat a thousand calorie breakfast here ) everyday along with eating healthy meals/snacks through out the day will keep you full and constantly keep your metabolism in a higher burning state..

Yes your metabolism is always working but not at a consistent optimal state.......

The poster is upset that her first week of weight loss is done and she gained 4 lbs.. Well that can easily be contributed to the choices she made over the last few days.. Can you eat donuts? Sure..... should you if you want to lose weight and reach your goals ? Probably not..

None of us would be here in the position we are now if we never had to make the choice of carrots over chocolate cake as a snack or if our metabolism was firing on all cylinders..


I have loss over 100lbs doing the above and I can only relay what has worked for me... However no mater which way you reach your goals consistent bad habits aren't going to get you there.

Do the studies show that several small meals a day keep the metabolism in a "higher burning state" than three big meals a day? How about one massive meal? Or does it make no difference? I'd like to see studies that back up the theory that you need to eat breakfast for weight loss, or you need to eat several small meals. (Not being sarcastic, honestly would be interested to see those.)

Quality of diet is a different issue. I'm not sure what exactly you're saying is wrong with having a donut for breakfast. Is it that donuts are high in calories? Or that she'd be better off with a high protein breakfast? Or unprocessed? What makes it a "bad choice"?

The OP is at the end of her first week doing this; the first of many weeks. I can't speak for her, but chances are she is trying to make small, sustainable changes to her diet so that she can be successful not just in losing the weight, but keeping it off too. There are plenty of people around who have been completely successful in their weight-loss goals but have chosen not to give up pizza or donuts forever. Other people choose to eat only completely unprocessed foods, or low-carb, or vegetarian, or whatever. A good diet is important for health, but it's not actually that vital for weight loss. I rarely eat donuts, but I eat plenty of other stuff that I'm sure you would call "bad choices". I'm having no trouble with my own weight-loss goals though, and I also have a much better diet than I did 6 months ago. You've done really well to lose over 100 lbs, but what has worked for you wouldn't be sustainable for me long-term. Some people like the "all or nothing" approach; for some of us, we'd never reach our goals doing that.

I know you're just trying to help with your suggestions, but remember, she's in her first week at this. She may decide to make different food choices somewhere along the line, but for now, she's kept under her calorie goal for the week and is wondering why she sees a 4 lb gain on the scales. From the information given, that's extremely likely to have the more simple explanation of water retention following exercise.

HI .. I was looking at your diary....... I'm sorry but you are not going to get the losses you want on that type of food intake.. You can't out work a bad diet plain and simple.....

FIrst thing I would do is focus on eating more at breakfast.. Its a good foundation to starting your metabolism ..

Eat around 5 small meals a day ( Healthy ) the idea is to keep your metabolism burning.....


Finally be honest with yourself.... You know that dominos is a bad choice... You know having a donut is a bad choice.. You will only get out what you put in ... I wish you best of luck ..

Meal timing doesn't matter for weight-loss. Your metabolism is working all the time, it doesn't need a big breakfast to start it up. Several small meals a day suits some people, but not everyone. It's also perfectly possible to lose weight with the occasional donut or whatever. There's a lot to be said for eating nutritious, whole foods, but cutting out all "junk" overnight is not necessary for successful weight-loss.

yes, meal timing doesn't matter, but the whole "eat 5-6 smaller meals a day to lose weight" is a good tool for people that tend to binge eat at scheduled meal times. it still takes a lot of willpower to be able to serve yourself only one bowl of pasta or just one pork chop or what ever at dinner.

i know from experience that when i first started to lose weight i would plan 5-6 meals a day. two of those meals were something like an apple and some almonds, but whatever.

also, while breakfast doesn't "jump start" anything, having a good solid breakfast can help you satiate your hunger until lunch time, and prevent the feeding frenzy that may occur if you have a poor breakfast.

also, while breakfast doesn't "jump start" anything, having a good solid breakfast can help you satiate your hunger until lunch time, and prevent the feeding frenzy that may occur if you have a poor breakfast.

This is purely anecdotal, but I know plenty of people - in real life as well as on here - that actually feel much hungrier if they have breakfast, and struggle to wait until lunch. If they don't have breakfast, they find it easier to wait. I agree with you though, that if someone is prone to bingeing after a large fast, then regular meals would probably work better for them. I think it's one of those things where everyone has to find what works for them.

It is generally considered among many fitness experts as well as metabolic study institutes that eating regularly and consistently keeps your body burning the few you are putting indie of it..

I am not going to do the leg work or you but you can study up on the below to back my claims as well as a few simple google searches can help

John Berardi, PhD, CSCS, president, Precision Nutrition; author, The Metabolism Advantage. Berardi, J. The Metabolism Advantage, Rodale Press, 2006. Sanjay Patel, MD, assistant professor of medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. DavidAllison, PhD, professor of biostatistics and director of the clinical nutrition center at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, Ala.Noreen, E. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, May 1, 2003; vol 35, supplement 1: p S248. Kristine Clark, PhD, RD, FACSM, assistant professor and director of sports nutrition at Pennsylvania State University.

As I said before.. The poster came on the boards up set that she gained.. Most people ( and I know there are exceptions, I feel compelled to throw that caveat out to you ) their first week with eating right and exercising will mostly lose water weight not retain...My first week at almost 300lbs this time 2 years ago I lost 10 lbs.

What I am saying is you can't expect to reach your goals or consistently lose if you are going to maintain the choices the poster made this past week in her diary.

This is getting redundant, so I am going to back away now..

Exercise and better choices is what the poster needs to be successful in reaching her goals.. As I said before I wish you the best of luck.

The other thing I noticed after looking at your diary is you are doing the chinese thing a fair amount. Lots of sodium there. I dont see many veggies and not much protein.

I am not going to do the leg work or you but you can study up on the below to back my claims as well as a few simple google searches can help

John Berardi, PhD, CSCS, president, Precision Nutrition; author, The Metabolism Advantage. Berardi, J. The Metabolism Advantage, Rodale Press, 2006. Sanjay Patel, MD, assistant professor of medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. DavidAllison, PhD, professor of biostatistics and director of the clinical nutrition center at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, Ala.Noreen, E. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, May 1, 2003; vol 35, supplement 1: p S248. Kristine Clark, PhD, RD, FACSM, assistant professor and director of sports nutrition at Pennsylvania State University.

Oh, that study. On fish oil supplementation.

It is generally considered among many fitness experts as well as metabolic study institutes that eating regularly and consistently keeps your body burning the few you are putting indie of it..

I am not going to do the leg work or you but you can study up on the below to back my claims as well as a few simple google searches can help

John Berardi, PhD, CSCS, president, Precision Nutrition; author, The Metabolism Advantage. Berardi, J. The Metabolism Advantage, Rodale Press, 2006. Sanjay Patel, MD, assistant professor of medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. DavidAllison, PhD, professor of biostatistics and director of the clinical nutrition center at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, Ala.Noreen, E. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, May 1, 2003; vol 35, supplement 1: p S248. Kristine Clark, PhD, RD, FACSM, assistant professor and director of sports nutrition at Pennsylvania State University.

As I said before.. The poster came on the boards up set that she gained.. Most people ( and I know there are exceptions, I feel compelled to throw that caveat out to you ) their first week with eating right and exercising will mostly lose water weight not retain...My first week at almost 300lbs this time 2 years ago I lost 10 lbs.

What I am saying is you can't expect to reach your goals or consistently lose if you are going to maintain the choices the poster made this past week in her diary.

This is getting redundant, so I am going to back away now..

Exercise and better choices is what the poster needs to be successful in reaching her goals.. As I said before I wish you the best of luck.

Seriously, I totally agree with you. The OP's food choices jumped out immediately as the number one culprit. Eat clean, fruits, veggies, whole grains (bread, I go with Ezekiel--Food For Life)...lean protein. I make my own pizza...Ezekiel tortillas as a base.

Great that OP came on here and said, hey...this is not working. And I felt you were right on the money with your advice.