anyone have any suggestions? Feel free to view my food diary

Hi guys :) Would you do me a favor? Could you critique my diet/exercise for me? I have been working soooo hard since sept 1, 2013. I didnt start MFP right away so my ticker isnt a true reflection of my results. I have lost 23" and 27 lbs overall. I have gained and lost all my life. My trainer tells me that the slower it comes off the better because It is more likely to stay off. I workout with my PT 3 days a week and then get in 1 day a week of "homework" in that she provides. I see so many of you burning a ton of calories in one session. I generally burn around 500 per session. My PT wants me to net 1600 calories a day which I have not been able to fully achieve. I have been stuck in a major food rut because I am not much of a meat eater. I rarely eat meat but when i do its turkey or chicken. My PT has me drinking protien shakes to increase calories and protien. I do have some medical issues that keep me from certain activities so "upping" my workouts may not be an option. I have an autoimmune disorder that makes my joints sore and stiff and a blood clotting disorder that causes joint bleeds if I am too hard on them. NOT MAKING EXCUSES AT ALL BUT SOME THINGS LIKE JOGGING OR RUNNING ARE NOT POSSIBLE :( I think my issue is food. Please provide your 2 cents :) I am getting a bit discouraged. Thanks! xoxoxo
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Replies

  • Hi, went to look but your diary isn't open to see ;-)
  • CariS001
    CariS001 Posts: 169 Member
    I can't see your food diary :(

    I do think at least 80% of weight loss (and maintenance) is diet. Do you eat egg whites? That's a great way to up protein. What is your carb intake? I would hazard to guess it's high. Try cutting out all processed carbs (breads, crackers, etc). It's hard, but it will force you to eat better!

    Can you increase walking? Do you have a pedometer?
  • I fixed the viewing setting :) Thank you!
  • Bread is a weakness for sure! So even if it is whole wheat, stay away from it?
  • D_squareG
    D_squareG Posts: 361 Member
    Still can't see your food diary.
  • Cyclingbonnie
    Cyclingbonnie Posts: 413 Member
    I went to look and can't see it either.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    Still can't see your diary, so I can't comment on that. You have been doing a good job losing the weight so far, so congrats on that. :drinker:

    Breads are fine unless you have a gluten sensitivity. You need a good ratio of carbs/protein/fats. I would say the most important for you, would be to get enough protein. 1.1 to 1.4g/lb lean body mass is the current recommendation. It sounds like your PT is on the right track with the protein shakes.
  • Forgot to add: I am technology challenged! hehehe :)

    Finally...I believe I made it open to public! lol
  • How about making your sandwiches at home instead of relying on subway? It's cheaper and you can control exactly what's in it.

    Also, you might want to boil eggs and have 2 as a snack with some chopped veggies.

    Nuts are an excellent snack.

    Have a banana with peanut butter or an apple with peanut butter to get fruit + fat/protein in one snack.

    Yogurt (2% chobani greek yogurt is great) would be a great addition to increase your protein and calories--add in some chopped nuts or seeds to increase your calories effortlessly.

    How about buying a rotisserie chicken every week and using it to make tacos (on corn tortillas), enchiladas, shredded on a baked potato, or something like that?

    It's quite easy to get additional calories in when you're adding in things like nuts, low fat (not NONfat) dairy products, and nut butters.
  • jennifer_a00
    jennifer_a00 Posts: 186 Member
    I think your food diary looks really great. It is a bit low on some days, if you are aiming for 1600 a day. You could always add in a extra snack, like a banana, apple, or a handful of nuts. Or peanut butter!
  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
    Peeked quickly at your diary and it's not bad, are you using a food scale to measure your food?

    Also you've been at this since Sept so about 16 weeks and you've lost 27 lbs that's an average of 1.68 lbs per week, which is great steady loss.
  • mikkey
    mikkey Posts: 24 Member
    I'm not entirely sure what your concern is. Is it that you aren't losing enough weight? If so, you may not be measuring things accurately. And you eat out a lot according to your diary, so the calories that you are inputting may be way off, since the calorie reporting doesn't have to be accurate at all. Another thing that I notice is that you consume a lot of salt, and that may cause water retention and hypertension down the line.
    Hope this helps!
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    A couple of things:

    1. Are you using a food scale?
    2. Your protein is quite low still. The shake you are using is helping, but is not as protein rich as others. Mine gives me 25g protein per 30g. If you are not weighing out your protein powder, you will be shortchanging yourself (that was the thing that surprised me the most after I got a food scale). I thought, 1 scoop - check! But one scoop was only ~ 20 to 25g as apposed to the 30g it was supposed to be. When you up your protein %, let the carbs take the hit since you aren't able or need to exercise vigorously. The extra protein will help you feel full and sated, along with consuming all your fats.
  • Cyclingbonnie
    Cyclingbonnie Posts: 413 Member
    I agree with what the others have said about your foods. You are doing really well, a little low on calories some days, definitely low on protein. There are other ways to get protein the shakes are helping you, but legumes, beans and so on can help there too. Be sure to measure, as we will all tell you we tend to under estimate the size (in other words you may think it is 1/2 cup when in actuality it is a cup).

    You're doing great on keeping up your exercise, strength training is awesome. I personally would kick up the cardio a little. I know you can't run, but I find spinning (and when the weather permits cycling). I am a cyclist and just simply love to pedal. The plus side of that is it is low impact/high cardio burn.

    Good luck and keep up the good work.
  • Congratulations on your current weight loss 27 lbs is an amazing start! I do understand the joint pains I to have similar issues and I know that for myself food is an issue. I have used it as a crutch for too many years. Over the years I have lost 80 plus lbs 3 times and it was only because I could walk again and I forced myself to watch what I ate. You are doing great, just keep at it and more will come off you may be a plateau stage where your body and metabolism is catching up to your weight loss.

    Don't get discouraged! You can do this, but it will take time and effort. Don't forget to pat yourself on the back once in awhile for doing so great!

    Best regards,
    R
  • AMS58
    AMS58 Posts: 183 Member
    Hi there, your sodium is very high, are you drinking lots of water? Up your protein - boiled eggs and unsalted nuts. Good luck with your journey :flowerforyou:
  • Thank you all for your wonderful suggestions and support!

    I do drink on average 8-10 8oz cups of H2O everyday.

    I will be investing in a food scale.

    I will be less lazy and start making my meals and saving $$$!

    I am going to talk to my PT tomorrow and see what she thinks would be best in regards to bumping up my cardio :)

    Thanks again! Y'all Rock!!!!!!!
  • nitag
    nitag Posts: 706 Member
    How about making your sandwiches at home instead of relying on subway? It's cheaper and you can control exactly what's in it.

    Also, you might want to boil eggs and have 2 as a snack with some chopped veggies.

    Nuts are an excellent snack.

    Have a banana with peanut butter or an apple with peanut butter to get fruit + fat/protein in one snack.

    Yogurt (2% chobani greek yogurt is great) would be a great addition to increase your protein and calories--add in some chopped nuts or seeds to increase your calories effortlessly.

    How about buying a rotisserie chicken every week and using it to make tacos (on corn tortillas), enchiladas, shredded on a baked potato, or something like that?

    It's quite easy to get additional calories in when you're adding in things like nuts, low fat (not NONfat) dairy products, and nut butters.

    These are great ideas that I am going to do...
  • janesmith1
    janesmith1 Posts: 1,511 Member
    Your diary is fine. I'm just worried about the "protein shakes" stuff because extra protein can kill your kidneys.

    http://www.cbsnews.com/news/could-protein-shakes-harm-your-health/

    And, I will be honest about this, my step-father's health failed in the kidney due to his eating of protein bars. He wasn't weight lifting, it's just that my ill educated mother wanted him to lose weight so he wound up eating a lot of them and came down with some kidney issues which led to his death - but that's another story.

    As far as exercise, have you tried Zumba? You can check out Zumba dance videos online & I can attest to Zumba being great for weight loss. I know that for me it can burn 400+ cals an hour - I have a HRM.
  • D_squareG
    D_squareG Posts: 361 Member
    I have chronic pain and find the recumbent bike works well for me.