Have you ever been told.....

To keep on restricting your portion size to lose weight, only to do that, and STILL NOT lose weight. Well this is a problem I, and my partner, have had for several years. It got SOO bad my partner was eating so little she was actually making herself ILL.

Two years ago, I became diabetic (Largely due to a medical condition that required regular, but limited to 3 day periods, of steroids.). As a result I got got referred to a dietician. I have had a few in the past and many do not look at the whole problem, just the sugars, or the allergies etc etc. None have really been of very much help. THIS one was DIFFERENT. A little over a year ago I weighed OVER 255 lbs. With the help and support of a fantastic dietician, NOW, I have lost 54 lbs. Not at a fantastic rate. My dietician doesn't believe in that. Why lose muscle, when what you WANT to lose is the fat? I often imagine her saying. So, I have been losing, (On AVERAGE, a lb a week) for over a year. Adding to muscle mass and losing fat mass.

I am still losing on a regular basis. I should add here that in that time I came off the diet, for 3 months, whilst I was recovering from a torn shoulder rotator cuff. At that point, I PUT on 18kgs. So, whilst, 54lbs is pretty impressive, it is even more impressive when you consider that, in that time, it actually went UP. I lost that 18kgs AND continued to lose 54lbs, beyond where I was before the injury.

I have to admit, that this has been made MUCH easier, but having a very supportive partner. Who has now joined MFP and is, successfully, following the MFP plan. (paw4awhile). For the first five weeks she didn't weigh herself. So, whilst others could see the loss, she didn't. I told her to see the proof she needed to weigh herself. So, she was already 5 weeks into to the diet at this point. She has been losing consistently over the following weeks, from 4lb a week to 200g a week. There is some fluctuation, and she knows the cause when this occurs, which is half the battle, but she has continued to lose. Between us, we have lost almost 100 lbs since using the site.

As if that wasn't enough of an endorsement for MFP and the people here, who provide so much help, support and motivation, I would like to add a photo of my dinner plate tonight.

Proof you can have BIG portions and eat well., This was a dinner plate which was loaded with food, including salad,jalapenos,tomatoes,chicken,added celery,cucumber. All for less than 270 calories. I was going to add a pitta bread too, but was too full to eat afterwards."

This plate contains a salad mix, breast chicken, roasted, a salad dressing with added celery,tomatoes,cucumber, radishes and jalapenos. I have opened my food diary, so you can see the exact combination of foods. This ENTIRE plate, with dressing, was UNDER 270 calories. It has 40g of protein, 3g Sat Fat 1g and 5g of sugar and carbs 12. Total calories was 264. All items were either barcode scanned or from items with multiple confirmations.

I should stress, that the salads was made up from 50% of several packs, so this is definitely a meal for two. Or you can save the other portion for another night. The cost of the meal, depending on the supply source, was EASILY under £10.(Per portion it was probably under £5)

Who says you cannot eat healthy, eats lots and eat on a budget? I would like to see the people that say "Cut the portion size now" My partner, since joining MFP, eats twice as much as she was eating before, AND is losing, when, before, she was, actively, gaining weight. She has more energy, as do I, and is happier. She says the only drawback is that she has to weigh everything. That however, is more to do with my diabetes, as I need to keep my sugars within the range of 6-10g per meal. (More when I am physically active).

I think the point I am getting to here, is that it is not HOW much you eat, but WHAT you eat. So, the next time someone tells you to cut the portion size, ask them if they have considered WHAT you eat?

Feel free to add me and or my partner, paw4awhile, as friends. I love to see other peoples food diaries. I hope that I have something to offer you, in return. I have rec'd some VERY good tips on how to manage and STILL eat the things I like, without putting on the pounds.

Before closing, I will add that there are pretty big gaps in my weigh ins. This is NOT intentional. I am in a wheelchair and only have access to chair scales from the hospital. The more I go, the more I get weighed and vice versa.

I hope this helps motivate others. I am glad I joined. I hope you are too.