I'm confused and need advice on Nutrition

StrongKaren77
StrongKaren77 Posts: 3
in Food and Nutrition
Hi! I'm Karen and I'll be 55 in May. My weight is at 153 right now and I'm 5'1". I would really like to get back down to 130. I was at 130 (which is still a little over weight) for years just by eating right and going to the gym. We moved to a new city 3 years ago and I stopped going to the gym and started eating anything and everything!! Last year I had rotator cuff surgery and put on another 10 pounds. I started my diet and exercise program in January at 159.5 pounds, so in three months I have lost 6.5 pounds.
I am not eating enough calories now but my sugar and carbs are slightly over...........how do you adjust that? I have an elliptical, treadmill, weighted hula hoop, mini trampoline and over 100 exercise videos at home, so I workout for 45 minutes to an hour every night. The bad thing is I have a desk job and sit all day.
Any suggestions on what I need to change to speed up my weight loss. I would like to lose 1-3 lbs. a week and it's just not happening.
Thanks!!

(I have filled out a couple days on my food log and pretty much, it's been the same every day for 3 months now, except the weekends)

Replies

  • sjaplo
    sjaplo Posts: 974 Member
    Just a bit of math. You moved 3 yrs (36 mths ago) and weight 130lbs at the time. Topped at 160 so 30lbs/ 36 mths = .8333lbs per mth. Or .2088 lbs per week. you've lost 7 lbs in 3 mths that's 2.333lbs per mth or .5833lbs per week.

    I think you are ahead of ther curve. Just keep doing what you are doing, it's obviously working.

    If you're sugar and carbs are over, but you aren't meeting your calorie allowance - that would suggest you're eating too many things with a surplus of sugar and carbs no?
  • StrongKaren77
    StrongKaren77 Posts: 3
    Yes! You are right, but my sugars are coming from Apples, Strawberries, Grapes and small banana's and I thought they were all foods that were good and healthy for you. Should I cut the fruit out??

    Thanks for the reply............the math makes a lot of sense!!
  • knra_grl
    knra_grl Posts: 1,566 Member
    Yes! You are right, but my sugars are coming from Apples, Strawberries, Grapes and small banana's and I thought they were all foods that were good and healthy for you. Should I cut the fruit out??

    Thanks for the reply............the math makes a lot of sense!!

    No don't cut the fruit out, if your sugars a high maybe reduce the portions a bit but fresh fruits are healthy and good for you. Carbs also convert to sugar so it's not all from fruit. To be honest I don't track my sugar at all.
  • lisajsund
    lisajsund Posts: 366 Member
    Fructose in high amounts is hard on your liver.
    I would eat a little less fruit, and something with a little more fat, like avacados, or cashews, almonds...

    Just an idea. Great job on the loss so far!
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    If those foods are preventing you from getting the needed protein in - yes.

    And during a diet, that suggested protein level should be doubled actually to help retain muscle mass.
    Go in to manually change your Goals, see how many grams of protein and fat they default to.
    Double the grams of protein and change the % until that shows up, keeping the fat grams where they were, let the carbs fall to whatever is left.

    And no, you don't want to lose that fast. You attempt it, and you'll soon find yourself facing a slow down because the body will force that on you.
  • rompydompy
    rompydompy Posts: 54 Member
    I love fruit, too, and when I started eating better, I noticed that I routinely went over my macros on sugars... ok, ok, I like chocolate, too :) Try replacing one of those fruits with a non starchy vegetable-- you maintain the healthy intake of fruit, but adjust for the abundance of natural sugar with something that is equally as good for you, but more of what your body needs. Great job on the turn around!
  • Travelbug1955
    Travelbug1955 Posts: 61 Member
    If you want to get your weight loss moving in the right direction, try Atkins. Your body will be purged of carbs and sugars at the first level, then you will be adding them back in later. Atkins.com is a free community and full of information and recipes. I lost 5 pounds on my first week.
  • Adc7225
    Adc7225 Posts: 1,318 Member
    I agree with sjaplo, you are on the right path . . . we just tend to want it to be all down hill that we can speed through :smile:

    Also, don't cut out fruit, I love sweets and I was eating 2 -3 servings of fruit a day and recently I cut that down to one and I can say that it did help, I started seeing a little increase is my losing (my trainer offered 2 servings if I cut out all other sweets - No!). But don't forget that with exercise you will lose inches so even at 130 a fit 130 will appear smaller than an unfit 130.
  • dcresider
    dcresider Posts: 1,272 Member
    Fruit is good for your but may want to cut down on the higher sugar based fruit like bananas and apples. All berries are good for you since they have lower glycemic index (lower sugar) and remember serving size. also, incorporate some protein every time you eat fruit, like cottage cheese or fat freek greek yogurt (no flavored fruity stuff) with berries.
  • aarondnguyen
    aarondnguyen Posts: 270 Member
    If you're not eating enough calories, you will continue to lose weight. You are in a caloric deficit. You don't need to cut out fruit, since you've already stated you're not eating enough. Sugar isn't bad for you, unless perhaps you're sensitive to insulin--in which case I would consult a dietitian. For satiety purposes, protein is the most filling for both short and long-term hunger (as opposed to fats and proteins). Depending on how much of a caloric deficit you are in, you may want to consider doing a "refeed" once per week. As you get leaner, your leptin levels will drop. Leptin is a hormone that promotes fat loss. Our bodies try to retain fat as a natural defense mechanism as we progressively get leaner--this is how we are programmed--that's what happens when fat loss begins to stall. Refeeds will counter this by replenishing leptin levels. What you do is increase your carbs by 100g or even double your normal intake.

    However, if fat loss hasn't stalled, then I suggest continuing to eat in a moderate caloric deficit. Monitor your intake of carbs, fats, and proteins. Since you're working out at home, I would suggest at least 0.8g protein per pound body weight. The default amount of protein in MyFitnessPal is insufficient because it's only the bare minimum recommended by the RDA. You'll generally need more than what it has set for you.

    Your amount of fats should be 25%-35% of your total daily calories. Example: 25% of 2000 calories would be 500. Since 1g fat is 9 calories, this translates to ~56g fat. 1g protein/carbohydrate is 4 calories.

    Hope this helps!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Are the DVDs all cardio (aerobics)? At your age it's so important to include resistance/strength training to prevent bone and muscle loss. If you are over on sugar and carbs and under on calories, then eat less carbs and more protein, this also helps with muscle retention.

    Shooting for 3 lbs a week in weight loss is not realistic. Try for .5 - 1 lbs per week and eat all your calories.

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