Opinions and Constructive Critisism on my Food Diary

I'm gonna agree with what has already been said.

1. Too many diet foods.
2. Not enough calories
3. I dont see any fruits and veggies for the most part.

I agree with the above. Also, try to add more lean proteins (fish, chicken, etc.) and more water. Protein will make you full longer and water will do the same and help decrease water retention. Good luck!

You can't survive for long on 1000 calories, and you're eating even less. I feel like either 1) you are eating more than you log or 2) you are miserable and always hungry. Try figuring out your BMR. What do you have it set as your weekly loss? In the beginning, you will lose weight pretty fast (I think I lost 20 lbs my first month) but your weight loss will even out after your body gets used to eating a healthy diet. I agree with the processed foods, but completely understand, my diet is full of them due to convenience and ease. Try not to be too hard on yourself. I started my "weight loss journey" January of 2010 and I've lost a total of 65 lbs. I still have a while to go (like 20), but I feel like I've done things nice and slow and that makes it easier.


I don't know if any of that helps

EAT REAL FOOD! and you should be eating alot more calories than that. If you don't like cooking bc of left overs, cook only what you need and freeze the rest or cook it all and put the rest in the firdge and eat it for lunch the next day.

Drink a full glass of water before you eat and it fills you up sooner. put your spoon or fork down between each bite and dont take another one until you swallow. Those are ways to "trick" your stomach into thinking you are eating more.

I think you're not eating enough, period. 1,000 calories a day is not enough food. You say in your profile you used to eat 4,000/day ... seems like if you just cut that number in half, you'd have a lot of success.

I also agree w/ the above person that eating more fresh, whole foods (like vegetables and fruit) would be beneficial.

if you are dong this with only 1,000 then you are starving yourself and its going to get harder to lose weight.

I agree- that I am seeing alot of processed or pre-packaged items... Try sticking to the outter limits of the store and eating fresh fruits and vegtables.. Make your own potato salad instead of buying prepackaged that has alot of unnecessary additives, etc.... You arent eating enough calories in general and your body is going to go into starvation mode..

Looked at your diary and besides not eating enough cals, you are not drinking enough water. Remember to drink your 8 water goal for each day (if not more) if you want to lose. Best of luck to you.

I agree completely with everyone else here. You need to NET at LEAST 1200 calories a day, anything less is really not healthy and will only damage your body in the long run. You do also need to work more FRESH fruits and veggies into your diet. They are actually very filling and you can usually eat a lot of veggies for a low calorie count. I still eat SOME processed foods, but I am trying very hard to eat less of them. I know they are not good and full of sodium which will make you retain water and slow or stop your weight loss. Friend me if you want and good luck!

I sat next to a dietician at work for a year.. she told me something I never even knew: that fat free and light, etc foods better for your heart, but it doesn't mean you are not going to gain fat in your body. Fat does not turn into fat when you eat it.. if you eat more calroies than you expend then that is what turns into fat. You have to keep in mind that your body has a resting metabolic rate, which is the minimum amount of FUEL(calories) your CAR(body) needs to run without problems! So I agree with all the above as well! Good luck.

Reference - http://www.shapeup.org/atmstd/sud10v3/sud10s7.php

What is "metabolism" and what is "resting metabolic rate"?

Even when you are sitting at rest your body is not resting. Your heart is beating, you are breathing and your body is carrying out other functions that you are unaware of entirely. Your body may be making blood cells, your kidneys may be eliminating wastes and your liver may be clearing toxic substances from your body. Your brain is burning calories as it acts as the master control center coordinating all of these activities. This is work that your body must do to keep you functioning. This work involves making new cells or tissues, breaking down old cells or tissues, or repairing and maintaining existing cells and tissues. All of this work is collectively referred to as your metabolism. It should not be surprising that this work requires energy. You are burning calories even when you sit quietly at rest.

The rate at which your body burns calories when you are comfortably resting is called your "resting metabolic rate" or RMR

There is only one way to know for certain if you have a slow metabolism and that is to measure it. Before you go to the expense of having your RMR measured, you should know that a slow metabolism is quite rare. Shape Up America! has provided you with a "Metabolism Calculator" that you can use to estimate your RMR. We will tell you more about that below.

another thing I would look at (which is not in your food diary) is the sodium count on all those processed/pre-packaged and deli meats - if the sodium is high you need to drink even more water to help flush that extra sodium out.

Hey honey, eat more calories and shop on the OUTSIDE of the grocery aisle. I know you say you eat on the go, but you may have to slow down one day a week and prepare your meals ahead of time so that you don't have to buy boxed or pre packaged processed foods (baaaaad) you can do it!!! I'm with ya!!!

I want to commend you on your start. That's why we are all here. You have taken the hardest step and now have taken another critical step by opening yourself up. HIGH FIVE TO YOU :drinker: !! I can't imagine this has been an easy change and like many of us here probably a very emotional one :ohwell: . GREAT JOB and keep up the positive attitude.

Since I'm still learning myself, I won't comment on your food habits. But I would suggest drinking more water. When I started it was my saving grace to not being hungry. I recommend having the bottled water that way you can alwyas have one in hand or within arms reach. :drinker:

I am going to join the chorus here and say that you should ditch the packaged and processed food as much as possible. Many boxed foods, aside from being expensive, have too much sodium and just a lot of other additives that can impede weight loss in addition to just not being very healthy.

Go a little at a time if you need to, but definitely add vegetables and fruits. I would also suggest whole grains in moderation and, if you are not sensitive to dairy, moderate amounts of non-fat milk products like yogurt. Don't be afraid of moderate amounts of healthy fats, they are also a necessary part of a balanced diet.

Proper hydration is also very important, if you are very overweight I would suggest exceeding the 8 servings per day recommendation by several servings.

Calories and eating are not necessarily the enemy and 1000 calories is not enough for most people to have a sustained, healthy weight loss. You may lose quickly in the short term, but the majority of people find that at very low food consumption the weight loss slows down or even stops and then is quickly gained back (plus more in many cases). You also want a plan you can stick to for the long term that will keep you satisfied and healthy, not starving.

Although you will get a lot of conflicting information, if you are new to healthy eating ask questions and there will always be people here with answers. Just be wary of "ultimate" solutions (people who say NEVER eat fill-in-the blank or ONLY eat fill-in-the-blank) or rapid loss plans. Take a little time to verify information with your own research or ask your primary care physician, if they are someone you trust.

Take care and good luck!