New. Lost 10, No problems. Now I'm STUCK

RayRay042408
RayRay042408 Posts: 47
edited September 30 in Introduce Yourself
Okay. So, to start...My name is Rachel. I am 22 years old. Before I had my daughter almost 3 1/2 years ago, I was 5'5" and 135 pounds... I gained 61 pounds when i was pregnant, and never got BELOW 183. Then in August last year I found out i was pregnant with my son, who will be three months next week. I weighed 212 when he was born. and I have managed to get down to 190-191 with dieting and exercising...

I still have 50 pounds to go.
I would be more than delighted to get to 30!

but my scale is stuck :( and it fluxuates soo much.
i have had a water weight problem since my daughter was born.
water pills make me lose 9 pounds in a matter of hours!
not so much anymore since i have shed 10 pounds. but i still can lose 2 or 3, sometimes 4.
i have reduced my calorie intake from i dont even know how much to anywhere between 900 and 1500 per day!
I WAS exercising regularly... i just had a few days where I was down, and I just CANT get back into it!!

anyway... these calories arent necessarily "good" things...
i try to eat special K with light vanilla silk for breakfast...
I usually eat a lean cuisine for lunch.
and dinner is probably where i go wrong.
I eat whatever... I just cant find the will power to modify what everyone else is eating, or to choose something different.
(i live in a house with 7 other people, and two different meals is NOT easy)
I have completely cut everything liquid wise, except water and propel zero and things of that nature... occasionally ill sneak a cup of tea or a sip of soda... but mind you... i went from drinking 4 sodas a day to none...
i just need some ideas...
i know i need to add healthy snacks to the equation...
but thats about all i know.
& is me not exercising daily whats holding me back!?!?
im lost and just need some advice, encouragement and some ideas...

Replies

  • photorific
    photorific Posts: 577 Member
    As far as dinners - bagged salads are about as easy as it comes, and likely healthier (I'm presuming) than what you're eating now. It's going to be tough, but you can do it!
  • xcbballuver
    xcbballuver Posts: 186
    bump
  • minadeathclutch
    minadeathclutch Posts: 375 Member
    don't eat bagged salads for dinner. eat fish with vegetables. or chicken with vegetables. or an omelette. beans and rice. etc etc.
    dont ever deprive yourself.
    make it healthy but fun and tasty ofcourse.

    eat over 1200cals a day. eat a lot of protein . less carbs. less sugar. less sodium.
  • luminescence
    luminescence Posts: 21 Member
    Whatever you do, do not go below 1000 calories per day because it brings your body into starvation mode and stores fat. It's best to be at around 1200 or more, plus exercise.
  • RayRay042408
    RayRay042408 Posts: 47
    Whatever you do, do not go below 1000 calories per day because it brings your body into starvation mode and stores fat. It's best to be at around 1200 or more, plus exercise.

    I'm starting to understand the balance between the two a little better... but I just don't grasp the whole concept of the calories and the exercise... is it 1200 calories BEFORE exercise or 1200 AFTER?? or both, or either? (math was never my best subject and I never understood rules... lol)
  • jamielise2
    jamielise2 Posts: 432 Member
    1200 NET calories - meaning you can eat 1800 calories if you exercise off 600 of them. Does that make sense? You are probably either not eating enough or not drinking enough water. When I hit a plateau I increased my calories and started dropping again. And our bodies cannot metabolize fat without water.
  • RayRay042408
    RayRay042408 Posts: 47
    I will say that i definitely have dropped the water intake... ive never been a "thirsty" kind of person & if i drink when im not thirsty i feel sick... when i was exercising i had to drink... made me feel better... i just was ill for a day or two and didnt exercise and i cant pull myself out of the hole im in. no energy. no interest. i just dont feel like it, and my three month old has went from taking 3 hour naps to maybe 30 minutes... and i use that time to clean...make bottles, shower. EAT! lol.
  • ceeshelman
    ceeshelman Posts: 77
    In my opinion, you need to eat a little more breakfast and lunch and snack, so you aren't tempted to eat too much of the whatever. I counted your calories in the first half of the day and well it isn't enough food to keep you satisfied. By dinner you are HUNGRY girl. Also, I think scales are poisonous. Dont' stand on them too much.
  • RayRay042408
    RayRay042408 Posts: 47
    In my opinion, you need to eat a little more breakfast and lunch and snack, so you aren't tempted to eat too much of the whatever. I counted your calories in the first half of the day and well it isn't enough food to keep you satisfied. By dinner you are HUNGRY girl. Also, I think scales are poisonous. Dont' stand on them too much.

    so, are you saying that if i get out of bed a little earlier, and eat breakfast and a snack a few hours later and lunch, that would help?? i know thats part of my problem. my sleep schedule is WAY off since I dont have a job (since december) and my son being born (may) and my boyfriend working third shift (june) my son goes to sleep around 11. then i clean, do laundry...exercise if i can, and i dont get to bed till 2 or later... and then i sleep through breakfast, sometimes past lunch... and usually if i AM up, i dont get hungry until 230 or 3pm!!
  • EileenKM
    EileenKM Posts: 13
    I wouldn't force myself to wake up earlier just to eat. Whenever you do wake, try to eat within the 1st hour of waking, but do it when you're hungry. I understand that you've cut back on your fluids, but I try to get 1-2 glasses of water down when I wake. This gives my body an excellent start plus this adds volume to the breakfast you will eat & will leave you feeling more satisfied.

    Try incorporating more protein into meals, especially breakfast. Whether it be a handful of almonds, a serving of scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, protein satisfies hunger much better than fat & some carbs. Plus our body needs it!!

    I am also a huge fan of low glycemic index foods. These foods are often higher fiber and have "time-released" calories, if you will. These foods take longer to break down, so calories are slowly released into the bloodstream; this minimizes sugar spikes in the blood and reduces fat deposits TREMENDOUSLY. The lower the glycemic index the food has, the better. It's amazing what these foods can do, regular portions have left me full for hours!! I never starve when I eat these!!

    That along w/ trashing the frozen lunches (high sodium, which means high water retention) & you should be on your way!!
  • erinkeely4
    erinkeely4 Posts: 408 Member
    Whatever you do, do not go below 1000 calories per day because it brings your body into starvation mode and stores fat. It's best to be at around 1200 or more, plus exercise.

    I LOVE your profile pic! TOTOROOO!
  • WendyHJ
    WendyHJ Posts: 60
    I just met with a doctor yesterday so this is the newest information from a medical professional. I've studied nutrition in the past but never seriously dieted before and I am not going to spend the next 20 years being a failure.

    She said that for me (mostly sedentary, except for walking the dog almost an hour a day), i am targeting 1200 calories a day. food needs to be over 5 small meals. The first meal needs to be within 60 minutes of waking and needs to be 25-30 grams of protein, carbs between 10 and 20 (or less, each meal) and fat 3-10 g (each meal). So daily intake is 120 g protein, less than 100 g carbs, and less than 50 g fat. Whem I input the walking I was happy to see that bought me another snack or something.

    That is an astonishing amount of protein, she says it is to jump start your metabolism. The only way to get that much protein is with a protein shake. The materials she gave me said that it is most important to get the protein first thing in the day, when you feel tired, and before bed. The booklet also says meals need to be every 2-3 hours during the day because waiting too long between meals leads to hunger and pushes your body back into starvation mode.
  • SmartFunGorgeous
    SmartFunGorgeous Posts: 699 Member
    I try to have a large breakfast (400-500) calories around 8; a small snack (100 cal) around 10; a large lunch around noon or one (400-500 calories); a small snack around 3; and then a small supper (200-300 calories); if I have extra calories from exercise, I MAY have a evening snack, but eat past 7 tends to give me indigestion through the night, so I rarely eat that late. I get right at 1500 calories a day so this works really well for me.

    The rule is to eat breakfast like a queen, lunch like a princess, and supper like a pauper! If you'll fuel your body better earlier in the day, I think you'll probably find it easier to eat smaller portions for supper. And, drink that water! Give it two weeks, and your body will adjust and not have to run to the bathroom every fifteen minutes, but drink, drink, drink. It will also give you the added benefit of making your skin more beautiful. I can't tell you how many times I've run into people this summer and they've commented on how pretty my skin is. Water! =)
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