Why am I not losing weight?

[Sarah CB]

I seriously feel like giving up and grabbing a bag of Halloween candy.

 

I went back to the gym after a summer away and I was weighing in at 162. In September, I was going to the gym twice a week for one strength class and one strength and cardio class. By October I added in two spin classes each week for a total of 4x at the gym. About three weeks ago (maybe more) I started being very careful with what I ate. I went from 162 to 158 and was pretty happy. However, I've been stuck at 158 for two weeks now. Actually, on Tuesday I was 158.6, today I'm down to 157.9.

 

I track my calories burned and my calories consumed on my BodyBugg - so I know exactly what I'm burning and what I'm eating. I have an average calorie deficit of about 1300 calories every day. The lowest deficit I had was 976. I've only been tracking my food like this since last Tuesday (10 days), but I had been eating similarly for at least the week before these ten days and even before that I wasn't going crazy or anything.

 

What am I doing wrong?? I'll list what I ate yesterday, which is fairly typical.

 

1/2 banana before going to the gym

 

1/2 cup full fat Greek yogurt (125 calories) with 1/2 banana, 1/2 apple, two tablespoons of a mixture of flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, almond slices, and unsweetened shredded coconut

 

3/4 cup homemade black bean chili

 

3/4 apple, 1/2 cup cottage cheese

 

big salad with nearly 1/2 a cucumber, 1/2 skinless chicken breast, Italian dressing (1 tbsp)

 

I haven't been eating bread or sugar. I haven't even had a Halloween chocolate - not one! And I'm usually a big chocolate eater. I don't have sugar with my coffee - I drink it black. I'm drinking a ton of water. I have had two glasses of wine on two different occasions during the last ten days.

 

Help :confused:

[momtoamiracle]

I don't know cause I'm going hrough the same thing. Lost three pounds and can't seem to lose anymore. I'm not exercising heavy tho. But you would think cutting calories and carbs would do something!

[Dinsfamily]

I'm in a similar boat, but haven't shored up my eating yet as well as you have. Your diet looks great to me. I have been getting a lot of feedback on protein after working out. Evidently, it is very important to have protein 15-45 minutes after a workout. I take it in the form of a protein power-berry smoothie. Easy to make and tastes great. I wonder if that could convince your body to lose the lbs.

 

Also, how close are you to your goal? I am within 10lbs so I know it will be SLOW going/diet intensive from here. I workout intensely 5x/week, but that won't cut it alone to lose the last of the weight. I'm looking at 1/2lb or less per week to lose it healthily and keep/build my muscle. Annoying, but good for the long term. I also have noticed that I have a calorie intake sweet spot. If I have too high a calorie deficit, my body goes into survival mode immediately.

 

No matter what happens...step away from the candy! :D

[Tracy in Ky]

:grouphug: You may not be eating enough food to lose weight. About how many calories are you getting each day?

[Perry]

I don't think you're getting enough fat in your diet. Have you read Gary Taubes "Why We Get Fat" or "Good Calories, Bad Calories"?

 

It has totally changed my way of thinking about weight loss.

[SwallowTail]

I am going to guess that your caloric intake and protein intake is not sufficient for your body, and your metabolism has shut down. I have had success in the past with losing weight when I increased calories (from protein and fat primarily).

 

The body is a highly complex machine, capable of adjusting its energy expenditures to become mroe efficient. The dogma that weight purely equals calories in/calories out is incredibly oversimplified.

I track my calories burned and my calories consumed on my BodyBugg - so I know exactly what I'm burning and what I'm eating. I have an average calorie deficit of about 1300 calories every day. The lowest deficit I had was 976. I've only been tracking my food like this since last Tuesday (10 days), but I had been eating similarly for at least the week before these ten days and even before that I wasn't going crazy or anything.

 

How close are you to your goal weight? The last few pounds can be really tough. However, if you are are further off from your goal weight, measuring inches instead of pounds can be a better measurement of progress -- muscle weighs more than fat, so if you are replacing fat with muscle, you don't necessarily lose a lot of weight, but you look a lot better. Finally, and I know this is tough, some folks say that caffeine inhibits weight loss, as it causes blood sugar levels to rise, which slow fat burning.

[Sarah CB]

Ok, so maybe I'm not getting enough calories. The idea of that seems totally counter-intuitive, but I'm willing to try anything.

 

I am consuming between 800 and 1200 calories a day. The funny thing is, it's seemed like more than enough food. I'm satisfied after a meal. I snack a little between meals. I'm trying to always pair protein with whatever else I eat.

 

The Greek yogurt is high in protein and in fat (11% fat). I have eggs a couple of times a week which get scrambled in a bit of butter. I had pork loin, quinoa, and zucchini for dinner a couple of nights ago - the zucchini was baked with 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp parmesan. I've been eating regular cheddar cheese almost daily and that's normally 80 calories worth. I don't use diet salad dressing, just a regular Italian dressing. Where could I add in more fat?

 

Does anyone have ideas for snacks I could have on hand? I do have a hard time figuring out what to eat when I have to leave bread, crackers and baking out of the equation. I'm going to do a Cost-co run today so any suggestions for snacks or meal ideas would really be appreciated.

[Sarah CB]

How close are you to your goal weight? The last few pounds can be really tough. However, if you are are further off from your goal weight, measuring inches instead of pounds can be a better measurement of progress -- muscle weighs more than fat, so if you are replacing fat with muscle, you don't necessarily lose a lot of weight, but you look a lot better. Finally, and I know this is tough, some folks say that caffeine inhibits weight loss, as it causes blood sugar levels to rise, which slow fat burning.

 

I'm seriously far away from my goal. I have about 25lbs to go.

 

I know I've definitely gained muscle, but I still am sad the scale hasn't moved. I'll consider the coffee... I usually drink two cups per day and other than that I only drink water. I really like my morning coffee.

[Julie in Austin]

Last year, I lost 40# by:

 

--walking 5x week (3.5 miles/hour, so no speed records)

--eating 1550 calories/day

 

So based on my experience, I'd say that for the amount of exercise you are getting, you aren't eating nearly enough calories.

 

(I'd also add a psychological element: for me, at least, I'd _never_ be able to eat as strictly as you do long term, so I'd give up. But 1550/day means that you can have the occasional handful of candy corn without going over your calorie limit . . .)

[justLisa]

That is SO not enough food. You are going to have to believe me here, but up your calories to 1600-1800. Ok 1600 since you are used to almost starving. And even though you don't feel like it, your body is.

 

Are you lifting heavy weights? You said you do a strength training class. I would focus on full body lifts like squats, weighted walking lunges, presses and do a short intense cardio after. 3 times a week. You are at a tough weight to crack. You do not have a huge amount to lose. Just out of curiousity how tall are you. I weigh just a few pounds less than your goal weight at 5"3' and I wear the smallest size of clothes you can buy. If you are lifting weights you may be surprised at what weight you are happy with.

 

ETA I know lots of people don't like protein powders, but the only way I can take of a few if I fluctuate is with upping my protein and cutting my carbs. I don't go no fruit or anything, just the grains. And do a shake after working out

[Shelsi]

How many calories are you burning? Are we talking workouts that burn 200 calories or workouts that burn like 800 calories?

 

You're not eating enough for sure. Also if you're building muscle the scale may not go down. If it makes you feel any better when going from a size 8 to a size 2 I only lost about 7 lbs.

 

Overall for me, I tend to lose weight first but not inches. I started my journey as a size 12, 168 lbs. I started working out and lost 20 lbs and I was now a size....12 :( Granted those 12's fit better than before but I was still bummed. Then I added in strength training and more intense workouts and that's when the weight and sizes finally started coming off. Then towards the end I guess I built a lot of muscle but size-wise I kept decreasing. Now I'm 130 lbs and a size 2 (and 5'7"). In high school I was 130 lbs and a size 12 - for me, weight training makes all the difference.

 

I also consume approx 1800-2000 calories a day to lose weight and around 2200-2400 a day to maintain. However I do Insanity workouts where I burn around 600-800 calories and every other day I do Chalene Extreme weight training workouts (not sure on the calorie burn on those as I've never checked but I'm thinking prob under 200 calories).

[DragonflyAcademy]

hugs

I am having the same problem.. and intake is very similar to yours.. and I run 45 minutes 3 to 4 days a week..

 

I do think I am not eating enough.. but on the days where I do.. the scale goes UP UP UP the next day and I get very upset with myself.. and I am not talking about eating junk either.. good, mindful choices..

[Shelsi]

hugs

I am having the same problem.. and intake is very similar to yours.. and I run 45 minutes 3 to 4 days a week..

 

I do think I am not eating enough.. but on the days where I do.. the scale goes UP UP UP the next day and I get very upset with myself.. and I am not talking about eating junk either.. good, mindful choices..

 

Whenever I've done just running I always gain weight. If I run and do at least 3 days a week of strength training though then my weight or sizes go down.

 

Also sometimes when you eat more your salt intake goes up and then you tend to bloat a bit more. Or at least that's how it is for me. I've also noticed that I "gain" a few pounds the day before I ovulate and I remain bloated until about a week before my period starts.

[Joyofsixreboot]

I agree you need to eat more, at least 1200 and 1500 would probably be better. I'd just eat clean. Maybe add more fruits and veg to what you are eating? Brown rice with your chili? A nut butter with snack? Are your clothes fitting better? Weight isn't everything, KWIM?

[Sarah CB]

Well, ladies, I am more than happy to up my calories but I'm not sure what to eat. Any suggestions?

 

My workouts burn 300 - 400 calories. One strength class is TRX. It's a whole body class. The other is more varied, but most of the strength comes from lunges, squats, TRX arm work, and kettle bells or battle ropes. We use those elastic band things, too.

[Stacy in NJ]

I don't think you're getting enough fat in your diet. Have you read Gary Taubes "Why We Get Fat" or "Good Calories, Bad Calories"?

 

It has totally changed my way of thinking about weight loss.

 

:iagree:

 

Counting and restricting calories can be counter productive.

 

Fat/protein/carb balance is the key. Increasing your fat and protein intake while decreasing your carbs may help. You're eating quite a bit of fruit and limiting fat.

[Denisemomof4]

Ok, so maybe I'm not getting enough calories. The idea of that seems totally counter-intuitive, but I'm willing to try anything.

 

I am consuming between 800 and 1200 calories a day. The funny thing is, it's seemed like more than enough food. I'm satisfied after a meal. I snack a little between meals. I'm trying to always pair protein with whatever else I eat.

 

The Greek yogurt is high in protein and in fat (11% fat). I have eggs a couple of times a week which get scrambled in a bit of butter. I had pork loin, quinoa, and zucchini for dinner a couple of nights ago - the zucchini was baked with 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp parmesan. I've been eating regular cheddar cheese almost daily and that's normally 80 calories worth. I don't use diet salad dressing, just a regular Italian dressing. Where could I add in more fat?

 

Does anyone have ideas for snacks I could have on hand? I do have a hard time figuring out what to eat when I have to leave bread, crackers and baking out of the equation. I'm going to do a Cost-co run today so any suggestions for snacks or meal ideas would really be appreciated.

 

Super, super easy cracker recipes at elanaspantry.com. She uses almond flour. I bought her book as well and last night made the sesame crackers. They are SO good! I have to stay away from carbs mostly and love baking with almond flour but HATE that I have not yet been able to find vegan versions yet.

 

I am in the same boat as you and disgusted beyond belief. I have a huge green smoothie every day and add avacado and coconut oil to it. Green smoothie as in greens ONLY: kale, lettuce, spring mix, celery, green bell pepper. It's all I eat all day and then for dinner it's always vegan, usually no carb. 85% of my diet is low GI veggies. Dinner last night, roast tomatoe soup, sesame crackers. The night before, pesto cauliflower and potato. I am limiting carbs due to candida but really? Can't the weight come off? I don't eat meat, occasionally have potatoes because they smell too god not too, rarely grains. While I am doing it for health reasons, I most definitely should be losing weight.

 

I do want to exercise daily but get in a long or cardio walk/hike 3-4 times weekly.

Edited November 2, 2012 by Denisemomof4

[LucyStoner]

Also make sure you are getting enough sleep and minimizing stress. It doesn't matter how little I eat or how much I exercise, if I am running on empty or very stressed, I don't lose weight.

[Denisemomof4]

Other snack ideas: nuts, roasted and/or raw, sunflower seeds.

 

Black bean or hummus chips

 

Veggies and hummus

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

Well, ladies, I am more than happy to up my calories but I'm not sure what to eat. Any suggestions?

 

My workouts burn 300 - 400 calories. One strength class is TRX. It's a whole body class. The other is more varied, but most of the strength comes from lunges, squats, TRX arm work, and kettle bells or battle ropes. We use those elastic band things, too.

 

Agreeing with the others about how much you're eating. When I eat only protein and fat (a la South Beach Phase 1), I stuff myself and lose weight like crazy.

 

Add in some good fats. Avocado, almonds, good extra-virgin olive oil, coconut oil. And drop some fruit and add some veggies instead if you can. More lean protein.

 

Also, if you're ramping up the exercise, your body may be hanging onto the weight as well. When DH started running, he didn't lose weight for two months. He was SO frustrated. But when his body picked up enough muscle to sustain his running regimen, the weight started dropping off.

[Tracy in Ky]

Yes, it sounds like you are not eating enough. Same thing happened to me. I sent you a pm about a couple of meal replacements that I use to help balance things out :) My friend kept telling me I wasn't eating enough. It seemed crazy to me! lol. I finally started losing weight once I got the nutrition part balanced.

[countrygal]

My 2 protein snacks that I like are cottage cheese and deviled eggs (hard boiled eggs - mash the yolks with some mustard and mayo, then spoon back into egg halves.) I think you need to eat more than a banana for breakfast. This is the most important meal of the day. It gets your metabolism going. Not eating enough will send your body into starvation mode. I eat eggs and beans for breakfast (either scrambled eggs with cheese, black bean and salsa or a bean soup with eggs on the side.) Some people think beans are too high carb but they are slower digested than other carbs such as rice. Put beans, nuts, and/or sliced hard boiled eggs on your salads as well.

[Shelsi]

Roasted chickpeas are good too although full of fiber so be careful because they are addicting lol. I toss in olive oil, salt & pepper, and then roast at about 350 for 45 mins to an hour.

[justLisa]

Roasted chickpeas are good too although full of fiber so be careful because they are addicting lol. I toss in olive oil, salt & pepper, and then roast at about 350 for 45 mins to an hour.

 

I LOVE those. I also sprinkle paprika on mine

[Tracy in Ky]

Roasted chickpeas are good too although full of fiber so be careful because they are addicting lol. I toss in olive oil, salt & pepper, and then roast at about 350 for 45 mins to an hour.

 

Do you just use canned chickpeas? I've never heard of doing this but it sounds yummy!

[Tracy in Ky]

Some people think beans are too high carb but they are slower digested than other carbs such as rice. Put beans, nuts, and/or sliced hard boiled eggs on your salads as well.

 

I love beans too and eat tons of them!! :)

[Shelsi]

Do you just use canned chickpeas? I've never heard of doing this but it sounds yummy!

 

Yep, I just use canned. I try to find organic when I can but that's almost impossible in my middle of nowhere town so I usually just get a can of the low sodium.

[Tracy in Ky]

Yep, I just use canned. I try to find organic when I can but that's almost impossible in my middle of nowhere town so I usually just get a can of the low sodium.

 

Thanks, Shelsi. I am going to try these :)

[Denisemomof4]

Roasted chickpeas are good too although full of fiber so be careful because they are addicting lol. I toss in olive oil, salt & pepper, and then roast at about 350 for 45 mins to an hour.

 

This sounds AWESOME!!!!!

[Mona100]

Since the end of May, I have lost 20 pounds and hopefully will lose at least 10 more maybe 15. But I do watch what I eat, hummus and crackers for breakfast, one of my weight watchers dinners for lunch, an apple for an afternoon snack and just what I want for dinner. I have also cut down my Mt. Dew consumption by half. I also take a daily dose of Vit B12. The dosage is 5000 mcg. It dissolves under the tongue and I really think it helps. Vit B12 helps with your metabolism among other things. I also exercise some but not too hard core. I have slacked off and been a bit lazy with it. Jillian Michaels and I need to become DVD friends again. :001_smile:

[Sarah CB]

My 2 protein snacks that I like are cottage cheese and deviled eggs (hard boiled eggs - mash the yolks with some mustard and mayo, then spoon back into egg halves.) I think you need to eat more than a banana for breakfast. This is the most important meal of the day. It gets your metabolism going. Not eating enough will send your body into starvation mode. I eat eggs and beans for breakfast (either scrambled eggs with cheese, black bean and salsa or a bean soup with eggs on the side.) Some people think beans are too high carb but they are slower digested than other carbs such as rice. Put beans, nuts, and/or sliced hard boiled eggs on your salads as well.

 

My yogurt/fruit/nuts/seeds combo is my actual breakfast. My classes start at 5:45 so I just eat something small as I head out the door. I eat my regular breakfast at about 7:30.

 

I've actually been trying to think of other ways to add beans in. The chili I made was my first attempt. I think beans and eggs sounds great. Thanks.

[Sarah CB]

Thanks, Shelsi. I am going to try these :)

 

Me, too!

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

My yogurt/fruit/nuts/seeds combo is my actual breakfast. My classes start at 5:45 so I just eat something small as I head out the door. I eat my regular breakfast at about 7:30.

 

I've actually been trying to think of other ways to add beans in. The chili I made was my first attempt. I think beans and eggs sounds great. Thanks.

 

You might also consider adding lentils and chickpeas in as well. I think they have the same health benefits and properties as beans.

[Tracy in Ky]

You might also consider adding lentils and chickpeas in as well. I think they have the same health benefits and properties as beans.

 

I love lentils too! Beans and legumes are some of my favorite things to eat. I bought a couple of heavy-duty food thermoses/jars at Walmart, and sometimes I pack hot beans to eat out--cheaper and healthier than eating fast food! :)

[Joanne]

2 weeks is not long enough to really be called "stuck.":grouphug:

 

Weight loss is not linear, and I'd encourage you to not worry in the short term.

[JFSinIL]

If you are gaining muscle, time to stop paying attention to the scale, and more attention to how loose your clothes may be getting! You may well be losing the fat you want to get rid of while increasing muscle, which is denser/heavier. Hence, the scale may seem "stuck" but your pants start falling off ;-)

Been there, still doing that.

[Shelsi]

I put black beans in my omelet sometimes. That would be an easy way to add beans to your breakfast.

 

We're doing burrito bowls tonight for dinner like they have at chipotle. I love making them because I don't like to eat meat very often but dh wants it every night and the bowls are "build your own" so everyone gets what they want. I make cilantro lime brown rice, cook up black beans and garlic, chop up an avocado, tomato, salsa, and then I've got some carne asada steak that I cooked up for dh. Oh and the kids and dh also usually have cheese and plain yogurt (I make it myself) on top but I find that it's just as good without so I don't usually add those. I try to keep dairy to a minimum as well - if I eat too much it makes me feel bloated and slow.

[Tracy in Ky]

I put black beans in my omelet sometimes. That would be an easy way to add beans to your breakfast.

 

We're doing burrito bowls tonight for dinner like they have at chipotle. I love making them because I don't like to eat meat very often but dh wants it every night and the bowls are "build your own" so everyone gets what they want. I make cilantro lime brown rice, cook up black beans and garlic, chop up an avocado, tomato, salsa, and then I've got some carne asada steak that I cooked up for dh. Oh and the kids and dh also usually have cheese and plain yogurt (I make it myself) on top but I find that it's just as good without so I don't usually add those. I try to keep dairy to a minimum as well - if I eat too much it makes me feel bloated and slow.

 

This sounds so delicious!! How do you make cilantro lime brown rice? I've got to try it :tongue_smilie: I love all the yummy ideas in this thread!

[MamaBirdX7]

Not that I do these thing, but according to my low carb reading, I say until you reach maintainance ditch the banana, apples and beans, possibly the yogurt, and watch your cheese intake. Also, try to up your fat and protein.

 

I googled calories in one serving of black bean chili, it listed 25. One medium apple has 21 carbs. Half a banana has 12 carbs. That's 58 carbs right there. Depending on your body, you may have to reduce carbs to Atkins induction level - that's 20 or less per day.

 

Some people say the carbs in yogurt are not a problem, but are they for you? A year or two ago I read that Fage changed their recipe and how it contains more carbs than the original recipe did. I don't know how many other brands contain. Half a cup might have 4ish carbs and nuts have some carbs. Vegetables might be low carb but they still have some carbs. Everything adds up.

 

You might run all you meals through fitday to estimate the full carb content.

[Sarah CB]

Not that I do these thing, but according to my low carb reading, I say until you reach maintainance ditch the banana, apples and beans, possibly the yogurt, and watch your cheese intake. Also, try to up your fat and protein.

 

I googled calories in one serving of black bean chili, it listed 25. One medium apple has 21 carbs. Half a banana has 12 carbs. That's 58 carbs right there. Depending on your body, you may have to reduce carbs to Atkins induction level - that's 20 or less per day.

 

Some people say the carbs in yogurt are not a problem, but are they for you? A year or two ago I read that Fage changed their recipe and how it contains more carbs than the original recipe did. I don't know how many other brands contain. Half a cup might have 4ish carbs and nuts have some carbs. Vegetables might be low carb but they still have some carbs. Everything adds up.

 

You might run all you meals through fitday to estimate the full carb content.

 

I just checked online to see what my carb intake has been. I log all my food on BodyBugg and it calculates the nutritional totals. So, grams of carbs per day have been, 99, 112, 173, 65, 85, 105, 87, 177 for the last 8 days. I looked to see what I'd been eating on the big days and I could not believe how many carbs are in dried prunes!! No fair! Those were my dessert :(

 

My yogurt meal is 34 g of carbs.

 

I don't know what to eat if I have to cut down on fruit and dairy. Ugh.

[MamaBirdX7]

You'd be eating mostly meat and vegetables for a short while. The food you listed sounds great for maintainance level eating.

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

I just checked online to see what my carb intake has been. I log all my food on BodyBugg and it calculates the nutritional totals. So, grams of carbs per day have been, 99, 112, 173, 65, 85, 105, 87, 177 for the last 8 days. I looked to see what I'd been eating on the big days and I could not believe how many carbs are in dried prunes!! No fair! Those were my dessert :(

 

My yogurt meal is 34 g of carbs.

 

I don't know what to eat if I have to cut down on fruit and dairy. Ugh.

 

For me personally, dairy is no problem at all. Fruit, on the other hand? Big problem. Even one grapefruit a day was too many carbs for me.

 

I'd keep the dairy, lose the fruit, and see what happens. You can drop dairy later if you need to keep tweaking. But that's just based on my experience.

[MamaAkins]

I seriously feel like giving up and grabbing a bag of Halloween candy.

 

I went back to the gym after a summer away and I was weighing in at 162. In September, I was going to the gym twice a week for one strength class and one strength and cardio class. By October I added in two spin classes each week for a total of 4x at the gym. About three weeks ago (maybe more) I started being very careful with what I ate. I went from 162 to 158 and was pretty happy. However, I've been stuck at 158 for two weeks now. Actually, on Tuesday I was 158.6, today I'm down to 157.9.

 

I track my calories burned and my calories consumed on my BodyBugg - so I know exactly what I'm burning and what I'm eating. I have an average calorie deficit of about 1300 calories every day. The lowest deficit I had was 976. I've only been tracking my food like this since last Tuesday (10 days), but I had been eating similarly for at least the week before these ten days and even before that I wasn't going crazy or anything.

 

What am I doing wrong?? I'll list what I ate yesterday, which is fairly typical.

 

1/2 banana before going to the gym

 

1/2 cup full fat Greek yogurt (125 calories) with 1/2 banana, 1/2 apple, two tablespoons of a mixture of flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, almond slices, and unsweetened shredded coconut

 

3/4 cup homemade black bean chili

 

3/4 apple, 1/2 cup cottage cheese

 

big salad with nearly 1/2 a cucumber, 1/2 skinless chicken breast, Italian dressing (1 tbsp)

 

I haven't been eating bread or sugar. I haven't even had a Halloween chocolate - not one! And I'm usually a big chocolate eater. I don't have sugar with my coffee - I drink it black. I'm drinking a ton of water. I have had two glasses of wine on two different occasions during the last ten days.

 

Help :confused:

 

How many calories are you CONSUMING each day? Perhaps your body is going into starvation mode, therefore stalling your weight loss.

[Shelsi]

Here's the recipe I use for the cilantro lime brown rice http://www.sideofsneakers.com/2012/01/04/cilantro-lime-rice/ Also, the method linked on that site for cooking brown rice comes out so awesome! I wish I had discovered it eons ago instead of just a few months ago.

 

As for carbs: going low carb does definitely work for some people but for others it doesn't make much difference. For me I just eat whole unprocessed foods. I've done low carb before and it didn't do much for me plus it was a lifestyle I could not stick with whereas I can stick with whole unprocessed. A lot of "dieting" is just finding something that you can actually do for the rest of your life, kwim?

[Perry]

nm, I misunderstood.

[ebunny]

 

I haven't been eating bread or sugar. I haven't even had a Halloween chocolate - not one! And I'm usually a big chocolate eater. I don't have sugar with my coffee - I drink it black. I'm drinking a ton of water. I have had two glasses of wine on two different occasions during the last ten days.

 

Help :confused:

 

How much water do you drink in liters? For your level of exercise, I suggest you drink 3 liters/1 gallon of watera day.

Remember that Caffeine is a diuretic. Every cup of coffee/tea needs to be replaced with a glass of water.

 

Weight loss plans can be affected by a few factors:

1- Age

2- Water intake

3- Calories.

 

If you are 30+, weight loss is slow and can stall.

If you drink less than 3 liters of water (commensurate with your aerobic activity and sweating), weight loss can stall as your body is retaining water. Sometimes aerobic exercise causes one's body to retain water.

[Tracy in Ky]

Here's the recipe I use for the cilantro lime brown rice http://www.sideofsneakers.com/2012/01/04/cilantro-lime-rice/ Also, the method linked on that site for cooking brown rice comes out so awesome! I wish I had discovered it eons ago instead of just a few months ago.

 

As for carbs: going low carb does definitely work for some people but for others it doesn't make much difference. For me I just eat whole unprocessed foods. I've done low carb before and it didn't do much for me plus it was a lifestyle I could not stick with whereas I can stick with whole unprocessed. A lot of "dieting" is just finding something that you can actually do for the rest of your life, kwim?

 

Thank you so much for the recipe!!

 

BTW--I have to have carbs or I do not have the energy to work out. I eat fruit and whole grains. My body simply doesn't function well without them.:)

[brasilmom]

Sorry to break in the thread. I am on a similar situation. I have been reducing my portions as I am not exercising at all other than some remodeling work in our basement. Not a daily thing, however. So, I need to get my thread mill back up as soon as we complete the project so I can get walking again. Waling had always helped me. I jsut recently was reading some advices in weight loss and the idea to eat more to loose seems to be a strong on. If you compare calories counter sites you will see the difference. The Livestrong site told me to eat no more than 950 calories/day, while a site called caloryking or something like that, says 1,600 calories/day. I think if I get at around 1,200 - 1,400 I will be more than happy and satisfied. I will watch this thread as the weight is getting too heavy, emotionally, for me to carry. BTW, I have about 20lbs to shed off and certainly can use some toning.

Thanks ladies.

 

Miriam

[caroljenn]

Seems like you aren't eating enough to me. Maybe add a chicken breast to your day? Or another source of protein?