Change to diet

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Hi Guys!

Just wondered if I could have some diet advice. Basically, I’ve been losing weight for over a year now. I started at 21st 6lbs in March 2017 and I’m currently down to 16st 5lbs.

I’m a 22 year old male, and I’m a student, so i am unable to spend loads of time prepping food or buying expensive items.

I’ve lost my weight by counting my calories, I’m currently on a 1300 calories a day diet for 6 days a week and then I allow myself a day off. Over the past 3 weeks I’ve not really lost weight, nor gained any. I’m going to try and cut down my carbs during the week to see if this makes a change. Does anyone have any advice as to foods to eat and stay away from? Also, I’ve made this diet a lifestyle change and the only reason I can keep to it, is knowing I’ll have a cheat day at the end of the week, so I won’t be getting rid of that.

So yeah, if anyone has any ideas on basic foods/meals to look for to help me get back to losing weight that would be great!

Replies

  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,613 Member
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    I eat a salad almost everyday for lunch. You can buy any kind of salad mix you like. Easy protein could be tuna or salmon pouches, veggie burger patties, lunch meat, low fat cottage cheese or whatever is leftover from dinner. Add any other veggies you like (I usually do tomatoes, pickles, and jarred peppers). You can do a light dressing or salsa.

    An easy diner is a baked/microwaved sweet potato topped with lowfat cottage cheese and chives, with a side of broccoli.
  • Rose18l
    Rose18l Posts: 147 Member
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    Do you use a food scale? If not you might be eating more than you think. At 1300 cal which is very low for a male you should be losing rapidly.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,898 Member
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    Since you're not losing weight, either your day off wipes out the deficit you worked hard to create the other 6 days or you are making common logging errors and eating more than you think.

    As a 22 year old male, you should be eating a minimum of 1500 calories before exercise. Eating more during the week might help you from over eating so much on your off day.

    I understand that your cheat day helps you mentally the other 6 days, but as you see it is not helping you with your goal of losing weight.

    Changing your macros will only help with satiety. If you can stick to 1300 calories with your current carb distribution, carbs are not the issue. It's either that you are eating more than you think during the week, or eating way too much on your off day.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    Start logging accurately (do you have a food scale?) and aiming for 1500 minimum. You don't need to cut carbs to lose weight.
  • SteamPug
    SteamPug Posts: 262 Member
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    I highly doubt you’re accurately counting 1,300, no offence. I’m a 125lbs female and I feel incredibly hungry on only 1,200. I’d definitely recommend you reasses your counting, and use a food scale if you don’t already. Cheat days are fine, but if you’re not losing weight then you’re definitely eating more than you think you are. That, or you’re humongously overeating on your cheat day and cancelling out your deficit for the rest of the days. I’d guess at a bit of both.