Help for first time diet

msankadi · April 2012

Hi

I have been working very hard for the past 3 weeks eating less and working out...I am 5'11" and need to get to 78 KG. I am currently around 90KG.

I bought a personal weight scale to keep a track of my weight (hopefully) loss. But I found that after 3 weeks I have almost lost nothing. I have read around this community to try and get some nuances which I might be missing which in turn are causing me not to lose weight.

My friends told me that in the initial few weeks the weight loss is suppose to be very fast and then it will level out. However, in my case I have not seen any such success.

I am open to any suggestions which could help me start losing the weight. Please let me know from your experience what best to do.

A few constraints:

1. I work in a city away from my family so I dont get home cooked food in the mornings but get dinner cooked at home in the night.
2. I dont know how to cook
3. I dont have access to weights but do stationary biking (weekdays), yoga (weekdays) and casual swimming (weekends)

A few things I have noticed:
1. Since I have started dieting I do not have a lot of pressure in the morning when I go to the loo
2. I feel fresher and better during the whole day

Please let me know if you need any other details to help me out.

msankadi · April 2012

Also I have made my diary public for advice.

tldust · April 2012

I would recommend eating at least 1200cals/day otherwise your body will go into starvation mode and hang onto everything you've got. From what I noticed you were under 1200 quite a few days. Hang in there. Keep logging in your foods. Keep exercising. Drink lots of water.

douglasmobbs · April 2012

Your protein, fiber and fruit/veg are all too low.

You should be able to lose weight whilst eating more calories than you currently are on, so don't worry if you have to eat a bit more to get your vital nutrition.

Can you take a lunch hour? If so try spending half of it walking. Perhaps bring in a packed lunch so you know exactly what is in it, if you do choose a low calorie diet you need to be extremely careful with what you eat to make sure every calorie is a good calorie.

There are lots of exercises that you can do at home for strength. Press ups, pull ups, squats etc.

For evening meals, if you can't/don't cook look for some of the healthier ready meals. I really enjoy Marks & Spencer Fuller for longer range. I am sure you could boil some veg to go with them, frozen veg is easy to store (assuming you have a freezer) and easy to cook. I add a little chilli sauce or a sugar free spice mix to them to add a bit more flavour.

TheVimFuego · April 2012

I went the traditional calorie-restriction/low-fat route to start off with, it worked for a bit but I felt deprived and miserable, and the weight wasn't coming off anywhere near the 'calorie deficit' prediction (which is a crock, but that is another story).

Recently I've been reading about nutrition and not treating the whole affair as a calories in/out game. Which will drive you mental, as others will testify.

Consequently:

1) I've cut wheat-based products mostly out (read Wheat Belly for why)

2) I've been monitoring any 'hidden' sugars (in sauces and the like) and been brutal about minimising those. We don't need sugar, it has no place in our diet.

3) I've learnt to ignore everything I thought I knew about the consumption of fat, cholestorol and all that 'low fat is the way to go' mentality

As a result of eating mostly Real Food (not processed) until full and ignoring the Cals/Carb/Fat/Protein guidelines I feel:

1) Happier

2) Leaner (although my losses are modest there is just something I feel is going in the right direction ... less fat more muscle maybe?)

3) Absolutely no need to snack.

I can recommend the book 'Why We Get Fat, And What To Do About It' as a kick off.

Also 'Sugar, The Bitter Truth (Short Version)' on YouTube.

I also don't like the term 'diet', it implies deprivation ... I try to think of it as just plain old good nutrition.

I also no longer exercise (for weight control) as much as I used to and don't feel 'guilty' about not putting the trainers on for a while. Exercise has many uses and by-products but the weight control aspect is over-hyped. In my opinion.

I could, of course, be wrong about all of this

But I know how I feel today compared to a month ago.

Just cut wheat (bread, rice, pasta and all of that) for a week and see how you go, what's to lose apart from some weight?

nitepagan · April 2012

First, I am 5' 11", 136 KG. my goal weight is 98 KG. I feel my perfect weight is 84 KG. The weight tables say it should be a lot less, but I look too thin at that weight. I had achieved 84 KG one year when I was bicycling 20 miles every day, I was in top shape. So, now I have to say, how realistic are these goals which you have set. I think you need to rethink what you are doing.

Your diet need to be a minimum of 1200 calories, less than that is starvation mode. Since you are working out, you need 1600 or 2000 calories a day, depending on how intense your workouts are. Eat more protein on the morning. I would suggest eating the whole egg and maybe an oat based cereal. Also, a fruit in the morning, fruits have a fair amount of sugar for energy. You seem to be vegetarian, so you have to be careful of your protein intake, to make sure you are getting enough. A multiple vitamin would be good to make sure your at a basic level on vitamins and minerals. Look at what you are trying to achieve rather than weight, are you trying to bulk up or slim down. Your exercise program should be key in that area.

Dauntlessness · April 2012

Eat more, eat clean

Selah37 · April 2012

Douglasmobbs- (I don't know how to ask you directly), Can you only buy the Marks & Spencer Fuller for longer range online? I have never seen it in the stores and I can't find info about where to buy it. Thanks!

TheVimFuego · April 2012

Eat more, eat clean

Indeed so, 'Just Eat Real Food'

Help for first time diet

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