Please look at my diary!!! Need constructive criticism!

snorred75
snorred75 Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok. I started the year off with a plan! I wanted to lose 45-50 lbs (or more) by my 39th birthday in August. I decided to do low carb, because I was diagnosed with borderline gestational diabetes when I was pregnant with my second child (9 years ago). I had to monitor my blood sugar 5 times a day for 4 months, but I actually LOST weight while pregnant, so I know low carb works for me. I started off with a bang on January 6, and I've been tweaking the diet as I go based on all the different things I read. I was losing weight at the rate of about .5/day, but that seems to have slowed to nothing, so I figure it was probably water weight. I feel so tired, have bags under my eyes (that were never there before) and trips to the bathroom for #2 are non-existent. I wear a fitbit to track steps taken and sleep. I was trying to exercise a little every week, but have had to give it up because by the time I leave work, I'm ready to fall asleep on my 20 min drive home. I catch myself shaking my head and rolling down the windows just to get home! Is it possible that I was doing better on less calories, but a few more carbs per day?

Replies

  • knra_grl
    knra_grl Posts: 1,566 Member
    I noticed you are skipping meals sometimes and no snacks. Maybe you need to break it up a bit and have a mid morning and mid afternoon snack to up your energy levels - you are under calories most of the time and if you want to make more room for snacks you could have a whole egg and 2 egg whites instead of 2 or 3 whole eggs in the morning.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    The first thing that catches my eye is that you've had a number of days below 1200 calories. Low carb can leave you feeling weak (carbs give us energy) but so can very low calorie diets. I think you'd feel better if you made sure you were eating at least 1200 calories a day (without knowing your stats - you could probably eat more than 1200 and still lose).
  • lisajsund
    lisajsund Posts: 366 Member
    I have been averaging 25-30% carbs daily for just over two weeks. I have had no ill effects on my energy levels.
    However, I do try to net a total of 2200 calories a day, which puts me at a deficit. MFP says it's 0.5 lbs/week. For the last two weeks, I've lost 1.5 lbs per week.
    Maybe you are just not eating enough?
  • arenee48
    arenee48 Posts: 4 Member
    I agree with increasing the amount you're eating/adding snacks into your day. I prefer to eat more throughout the day so that i have energy not only to get me through work but to get me to work out later in the day as well. Also, drinking more water helps with everything from regulating digestion (and #2) to keeping you from getting sick. I carry a water bottle with me all the time and set goals like, i need to drink 3 of these before lunch, etc. to keep me hydrated throughout the day. And if you can help it, i would try to eat less processed items. Some low carb/high protein snacks i bring with me to work are hard boiled eggs, cottage cheese, cheese sticks, greek yogurt, and even grilled chicken with some avocado as a mid afternoon snack. Hope this helps!
  • jrobinson143
    jrobinson143 Posts: 24 Member
    without even looking at your diary, you mention feeling sluggish. I've been having conversations with my trainer lately about macros. He gave me a good rule of thumb. If I'm wrong someone can call me out and correct me.

    If you want to lose weight go about 80% lower than your body weight in grams of carbs.

    you need them to function and not feel
    sluggish and also to workout. So for an easy example if you are 100lbs you want 80g of carbs. these can be tracked on MFP.
    Also if you want to build muscle burn fat, which is what most of us want since muscle burns more calories (go away fat, i want to eat more :) LOL
    Go lb for lb in grams of protein for your weight. Again easy example 100lbs = 100 g.

    I know this complicates things but take it one day at a time but ALSO pick your long term goal. 1/2 lb every week is still 26 lbs over the year!!! This is all about LONG TERM!!
  • Timeforme714
    Timeforme714 Posts: 189 Member
    60-80 net carbs a day would be sufficient to help with weight loss, per my doctor. Maybe you are eating TOO low carb?
  • brayla1
    brayla1 Posts: 142 Member
    I would agree with the rest of the posters...I would suggest increasing your target to a bit and eating more smaller meals throughout the day. Try increasing your water intake that will help also. This journey is all about you and what works for you. Don't get discouraged, you just have to find the right road map. That is what is so amazing about MFP, we are all on the same journey, just different paths. Feel free to friend me, we can help each other.
  • brayla1
    brayla1 Posts: 142 Member
    I would agree with the rest of the posters...I would suggest increasing your target to a bit and eating more smaller meals throughout the day. Try increasing your water intake that will help also. This journey is all about you and what works for you. Don't get discouraged, you just have to find the right road map. That is what is so amazing about MFP, we are all on the same journey, just different paths. Feel free to friend me, we can help each other.
  • 2dogzrule
    2dogzrule Posts: 245 Member
    Hello, I would suggest keeping your water intake consistent each day (try not to skip) and I would also suggest limiting the meals out at fast food type restaurants. You are over many days on fat and cholesterol and I could not see sodium, but imagine that is high with those types of foods. If time is a factor for preparing food, try some of the lower fat, calorie and sodium meals from Lean Cuisine and Healthy Choice. Soup and brown rice are also good fillers and if you pair something like rice or pasta with a bunch of fresh veggies, you get to eat an enormous amount of food that will naturally keep your energy up. Try to have at least one fruit and/or vegetable with each meal. If you need meal ideas, feel free to add me and take a peek at my diary. I'm on a lower calorie number, but it will give you some ideas.
  • MademoiselleValerie
    MademoiselleValerie Posts: 1
    Hello!

    So I looked your diary, and for me, the first thing that catches my eye is that you eat not enough in the morning and way too much at night.

    You should try to switch that. When you have a good meal in the morning, your body will burn more of it during the day. However, if your last meal is more that half of you calories, you won't have the time to burn it and your body will stock it in reseve because you didn't not have enough during the day, so no weight lost in the end
  • sanfly
    sanfly Posts: 207 Member
    I fair amount of your food is in servings - Salmon Patties, 2 servings; Shrimp and Sausage w/Peppers, 1 serving; Salad, 1 serving - I just wanted to double check that all these items are recipes you have created in MFP and included all the ingredients individually, rather than just items you have picked from the database?
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Hello!

    So I looked your diary, and for me, the first thing that catches my eye is that you eat not enough in the morning and way too much at night.

    You should try to switch that. When you have a good meal in the morning, your body will burn more of it during the day. However, if your last meal is more that half of you calories, you won't have the time to burn it and your body will stock it in reseve because you didn't not have enough during the day, so no weight lost in the end

    Meal timing really doesn't have much, if any, effect on weight loss. Spreading calories out through the day, eating a larger breakfast, etc. are the least of the OP's concerns given the side effects they're listing.
  • alt1268
    alt1268 Posts: 159 Member
    Hi, I hate doing this, so please do not take this personally. I am truly in the same boat.

    I looked at your diary. Only a couple days. 1- Wendy's blt cobb salad nutritional facts is 590 calories per salad. Not sure where the 190 came into play. (per their website)
    2- not all salads are good for you
    3- are you using your tdee to figure out what your calories should be.
    4- REALLY IMPORTANT! You are like a type 1 Diabetic. You need to moniter your carb intake (not stop your carb intake)
    5. Fruits- Lots of fruits will increase and maintain your insulin naturally through out the day and not give you highs and lows.
    6. lots of greens
    7. olive garden now has a lite dressing (Walmart) 2tbsp. 30 calories
    8. lots of protein.

    Bottom line we have to eat to live. We do not need processed foods but we need food. I Think your body is telling you that you are going into starvation mode.
  • loricshields47
    loricshields47 Posts: 134 Member
    you say you started Jan 6 with a daily goal of 1775. When you started to actually log your goal was 1200..Big drop. Too big if you are tired and hungry. The days you eat too little with exercise cals available to you aren't helping. If you are going to exercise you MUST fuel your body at least enough to meet the 1200 cals required to function. Fast food choices are laced with sodium so some water retention should be expected. Choose the right carbs~fruit, whole wheat, sweet potatoes, brown rice as examples. Healthy fats from meat, dairy and nuts.
    In short stop skipping meals, eat more (and I am a believer in well spaced meals all day) continue to exercise and be patient. The plateaus don't last forever.

    Good luck
  • nomad1000
    nomad1000 Posts: 206 Member
    I wonder if you are being realistic in what your weight loss should look like. .5/lb per day is not common or from what I am reading here, sustainable. What did you put as your target weight loss per week? How did you come up with the 1200 calories per day that you are currently using for your daily allotment? Based on the days you didn't log any food, your target looks like it should be closer to 1800 cals. (I ask because I have 50 to lose and my calories for the day are about 1800 too).

    If your body isn't reacting well to the diet plan you have chosen, you need to change it up. Add a few more carbs. Eat more food (I see you have a net cal of less than 1000 on several days). You will hear again and again on these boards, eating that low of a cal amount isn't healthy for you. Make sure to drink enough water. Be more specific in your tracking (what was in the salad?) It may help in the beginning to log each item. Stay away from high sodium items (makes you retain water). Etc.

    Remember, this is not a sprint to see how fast you can get the weight off, but a marathon to change your life. We didn't gain the weight in 3 months so taking it off that fast isn't realistic or reasonable.
  • snorred75
    snorred75 Posts: 6 Member
    Normal Daily Activity - 1890 cal
    Daily Goal - 1200 calories consumed
    Daily Calorie Deficit - 690
    Projected weight loss - 1.4 lbs/week

    Seems like sustainable weight loss to me. I also monitor the calories allowed per my fitbit account based upon my activity level, and it routinely comes up to 1150-1200 cal per day, so that's where I try to stay.

    I was interested in doing Keto diet w/ 20% reduction. I used a calculator to determine my daily intake:

    30g carb
    83g protein
    112 fat
    1450 cal / day

    Atkins says not to worry about too much sodium in diet, as you need it to offset the lack of carbs. Hence the recent addition of chicken broth.

    I drink 5-6 16.9oz bottles of water per day at work and sip on 24 oz cup at home until bed. I eliminated coffee and soft drinks. I may have an unsweet tea for lunch, if not, water.

    And yes, I enter recipes at home based upon what I cook and the individual ingredients and accurate measurements.

    So, I am going to add a couple of pieces of fruit per day to get my carbs up and more fiber in.

    Did I mention that breakfast makes me ill? I have been forcing food into myself every morning and I HATE it. I just wonder if it's better to eat when you are physically hungry rather than forcing yourself to do it?
  • alt1268
    alt1268 Posts: 159 Member
    I don't think the way these are set out is correct. Check out" Scooby TDEE" and plug in your info and let us know what your tdee # is. This is the calories you should be using. I think your on the right track with the 1890. But I am not understanding where the 1200 keeps coming into play.
  • snorred75
    snorred75 Posts: 6 Member
    I will definitely look into that, but honestly, I don't if know if I CAN eat that many calories a day. I already feel sooo stuffed it's unreal.
  • amyk225
    amyk225 Posts: 154
    you seriously need to eat more
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    I will definitely look into that, but honestly, I don't if know if I CAN eat that many calories a day. I already feel sooo stuffed it's unreal.

    Look for calorie dense foods. Nuts, nut butters, full fat dairy, avocado, cheese, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, protein shakes & smoothies, etc. These pack a lot of calories into your diet without forcing you to eat a lot of food. It shouldn't be difficult to increase each meal by a few hundred calories without a lot of added food.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Normal Daily Activity - 1890 cal
    Daily Goal - 1200 calories consumed
    Daily Calorie Deficit - 690
    Projected weight loss - 1.4 lbs/week

    Seems like sustainable weight loss to me. I also monitor the calories allowed per my fitbit account based upon my activity level, and it routinely comes up to 1150-1200 cal per day, so that's where I try to stay.

    I was interested in doing Keto diet w/ 20% reduction. I used a calculator to determine my daily intake:

    30g carb
    83g protein
    112 fat
    1450 cal / day

    Atkins says not to worry about too much sodium in diet, as you need it to offset the lack of carbs. Hence the recent addition of chicken broth.

    I drink 5-6 16.9oz bottles of water per day at work and sip on 24 oz cup at home until bed. I eliminated coffee and soft drinks. I may have an unsweet tea for lunch, if not, water.

    And yes, I enter recipes at home based upon what I cook and the individual ingredients and accurate measurements.

    So, I am going to add a couple of pieces of fruit per day to get my carbs up and more fiber in.

    Did I mention that breakfast makes me ill? I have been forcing food into myself every morning and I HATE it. I just wonder if it's better to eat when you are physically hungry rather than forcing yourself to do it?

    There is no magic about breakfast. It is not necessary for weight loss and has no added benefit to your metabolism. For some people it helps to keep them fuller throughout the day and gives them improved focus and mood. Others experience the opposite. Breakfast is one of those things that is all about personal preference. As long as you feel physically okay without it and it doesn't cause you to overeat or undereat throughout the day it's completely okay to skip it.
  • snorred75
    snorred75 Posts: 6 Member
    So, Scooby's says 1422 cal/day. It shouldn't be too hard to add 222 cal to my day. But no more breakfast. YUCK!!!

    Thanks everyone for your help and steering me in the right direction!

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