Help me troubleshoot...

[bandgeek]

I'm struggling to lose weight. It was coming off, but VERY slowly and I feel like I was already working super hard at it. And now I'm stuck.

So here's the deal...I'm 5'2" and 169 lbs. I started at 176 lbs. I think I started losing around october or november of last year.

I started about 4 months ago just entirely revamping my diet. I quit eating fast food entirely. I used to eat it 3-4 times a week and I don't mean salads. I mean nasty greasy stuff and lots of it (I overeat). So you'd think I'd notice a difference but nope.

Then I quit eating meat. I've been wanting to make the switch to vegetarianism and I'm really glad I finally did it because it helped a LOT with my GI problems, particularly my reflux and gas. Still, you'd think I'd see a difference, but nope.

Then I worked very hard on my overeating problem. I'm paying close attention to my portion sizes and if I want more I grab veggies if I can. I had a bad problem with candy mostly and now if I want candy, I grab a regular size bag from the check-out, NOT the huge one in the candy aisle. I eat maybe 2 regular size bags of candy per week vs 2-3 boxes a week I used to eat (another big here). You'd think I'd see a difference but nope.

I used to run out and get ice cream about twice weekly. Now I keep a pint of non-dairy ice cream in my freezer, eat ~5 small bites a few times a week and put it back. I've not even eaten half the pint yet and I've had it since the beginning of the month.

I cut out dairy for GI reasons also, but not eggs. I have those maybe twice a week. No more cheese. No more huge glasses of chocolate milk.

I've been eating 1400-1800 calories a day. Everything I've read says this should be plenty to maintain my energy, but low enough I should lose.

I try to get at least 15 minutes of exercise daily. I either walk or do things like crunches, squats, ect. Sometimes both. And sometimes jumping jacks.

My weight just doesn't want to come off!!! What am I doing wrong? I feel like I made these changes quite slowly over time so my body shouldn't be balking right?

I'm doing 100-200 crunches ~3 times a week and I'm not noticing a difference in my belly area.

Last year I lost 15 lbs and was doing really well and lost about 4" around middle. Then my DD got really sick and I put it back on (I'm aware that this is the biggest problem with my overeating and I'm bound and determined not to let her poor health determine my BMI!). Since then it's like my body is pissed off at me! Or maybe it's because I'm 26 now and not 25 Like my body said, "Hey you are closer to 30 than 20 now so it's time your metabolism slowed down!"

Oh, and before I decided to work to lose the weight I was maintaining, not gaining, even with my awful habits.

So what do you think?

[penstamon]

First off, a huge congrats for making it as far as you did! It takes a lot to revamp your diet and it sounds like you have made excellent progress.

My advice really? Get rid of the scale!! The #'s don't mean anything and if you are like me, you will obsess. I have no idea how much I weigh and I judge my progress depending on how my clothes fit, how my endurance is, and how toned my body is.

I'm no expert, but I know from my own experience that my body loves to hang to that extra fat just in case and it takes awhile for your metabolism to switch gears once you have made changes. What helps me is building muscle- it takes more calories to maintain and even if the #'s aren't dropping. you are getting more fit and toned. Also, make sure you are getting enough protein in your diet now that you are a vegetarian. Once again, its not the # of calories alone that determines whether or not you have a good diet but also the quality of those calories.

[kittywitty]

I totally agree with penstamon.

You are doing a wonderful job! Those first steps are the hardest! You have already done really, really well and you should be proud of yourself. It may not feel like much, but you can be sure your health-especially cardiovascular has improved with the steps you've taken. Here are some more tips you can try adding in and seeing if you make progress:

Cut out all soft drinks/juice. Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. This for me, made all the difference in the world.

Try to get 30+ minutes of cardio a day-walking, jogging, C25K, dancing, dancing with the kids while doing housework, sex, walk with the kids, go hiking, swimming, whatever you can to get your heartrate up.

The belly area, sadly, is one of the last places to go. You really have to lower your body fat and work your transverse muscle to get very far there. Keep working on it and switching up your crunches and ab work. Do yoga and don't do the same exercises every time. Find a bunch of good ab exercises and rotate them or if you use a video, switch it out often.

As far as food goes, I agree again with penstamon. It's the quality, not the quantity of the food. I always force myself to eat a meal of veggies and fruit and add in the other stuff as side dishes. Plus, go easy on the condiments and heavy on spices and proteins like nuts and seeds. Cut way back on the sugar or that belly fat will stick around. Can you cut your candy out further for healthy chocolate snacks? Dried fruit, dark chocolate in moderation, etc.? I always force myself to eat an apple/banana/carrots first if I want dessert. That way I know I can sneak in some fruit, plus I'll be less hungry so I don't go overboard.

Plus I found becoming a chocolate snob helps a lot. I used to be a confirmed sugar addict. But after switching to good dark chocolate and reading labels and knowing what those ingredients are, I can't eat Hersheys or anything that's easily accessible. I won't eat anything with HFCS (except about 3 cokes a year at the movies), trans fat, hydrogenated anything, or artificial flavors/colors/preservatives. I save it up to make a batch of the best cookies with Ghiradelli or better chocolate and freeze individual balls. I eat 3 or so a week melty hot out of the oven as a treat if I get the kids in bed and my chores finished.

I know it's a celebrity one, but some good advice on here for a exercise routine and healthy eating ideas. http://weightlossandtraining.com/jes...xerciseroutine

And some research on losing belly fat with interval training: http://www.fitsugar.com/Lose-Belly-F...ervals-2424316

And a treadmill interval routine if you have access to a treadmill: http://www.fitsugar.com/How-Burn-500...admill-7194144

Abs:
http://www.fitsugar.com/Work-All-You...rcises-3131703

[RosemaryS-F]

I'm not sure I completely agree. I like the ideas though! I think they are great but not all the way there, iykwim? Anyway, I DO agree that your steps thus far are commendable. Now the ideas:

Firstly, how do you know you are getting 1400-1800 a day? Are you using a tracker? Journal? Are you tracking every nibble, lick and bite? For instance, my mom is very overweight and I watch her eating her meals; they are sensible, if a bit on the large size for her age and activity. I couldn't figure out for the longest time why she was so heavy. Then I watched her over a vacation preparing the meals. She is constantly eating while preparing meals. She probably gets most of her daily calories in while preparing meals that she will then eat. And it's all good food, no junk at all. Good food can still make you fat, so watch out for it. That's why I don't completely agree with the quality vs. quantity idea.

Secondly, where did you get the 1400-1800 figure? It seems to me that 1800 is going to be too much on just 15 minutes of exercise and at your height and weight. You gotta up the minutes and intensity (you're probably burning 50 calories MAX during that time with the exercises you mentioned; you didn't mention any special degree of intensity.) If you can't fit in more exercise, you need to drop the calories.

Thirdly, I was a fat vegetarian for 10 years. I wasn't a junk veggie, either. It's easier to stay thinner on a veg diet, but beans and lentils have a surprising number of calories, so portion control is of the essence. But it's GREAT that you're reaching for veggies.

I have to say that also although you have cut out the sweets by a lot, even as much candy as you are now having is too much, because it is taking away from the nutritious calories you need to be getting on a decreased cal diet. I go for Turkey Hill or Breyer's no sugar added ice creams; non-dairy ice creams are not health food, either, and usually have WAY too much sugar to make up for odd texture/flavor issues. My ice cream is 70 calories/serving.

I have a lot more to say, but I don't want to write any more because ds is asking for "hot meat!" So gotta go, but good luck!

[bandgeek]

I forgot to say I also cut out pop except for a diet one maybe once a week. I never was much of a juice drinker. Sometimes OJ with breakfast but that's it. I mostly drink water and weak iced tea (no sugar).

I definitely want to cut back on the candy more but I'm taking it slowly. I crave sugar like you wouldn't believe. I'm really worried with my extra weight hanging around my middle that I'll end up diabetic.

I count calories by reading labels and I also have a book of calorie counts for a lot of food that doesn't have labels (like fruits and veggies). I do pay attention to my portion sizes, so I'm aware that if I eat 1 cup of rice I need to double the calories if it's labeled for 1/2 cup per serving. My snacks consist mainly of fruit, veggies, and almonds so that's pretty easy to keep track of. I don't munch in between meals and snacks so I'm fairly sure I'm counting correctly. I always count any oils I cook with and condiments too.

I only get 1800 calories on "bad" days. I probably average 1500-1600. I do get other exercise. It's just not stuff that I really "count" because it's odds and ends through out the day. Like hauling my DD's medical equipment around. And her. She's only 21 lbs, but that's dead weight since she can't support herself. We have stairs that I'm up and down probably 10-15 times a day.

I realize non-dairy ice cream isn't health food. Never claimed it was. It's probably worse than the dairy full-fat ice creams, but I can't eat the dairy kind. Well, I CAN but it's really bad for me. I'm not trying to be perfect because if I cut out *everything* I enjoy, I'm going to burn out fast. I swear I only eat 2-3 tbsp of ice cream in one day.

I'm getting plenty of protein. I did have trouble before when I cut my calories too much (to 1200) but once I realized that wasn't enough I went back up and it's no problem. I had 44g by 3pm yesterday and then I quit counting since 45g is the min amount for women right?

I'm trying to step up the exercise but I'm having trouble. What little bit I do is causing me pain. I have fibromyalgia so I hurt all over most days anyway and it's worse when I exercise. I'd just power through and assume I'd get used to it except I've always been like this, even when I was 110 lbs as a teen.

My main frustration is that the weight was just falling off last spring and now it won't budge. What changed?

I'd try to do this without the scale but this time my pants sometimes feel *tighter* after a week of doing really well. I *need* to see the numbers to see if I'm actually making progress or not.

I know I'm healthier and honestly, that's one reason I haven't just given up. It's VERY discouraging to work so hard and not see any results. But also because I feel like I'm involved in something greater (not supporting the fast food and factory farming industries) I'm feeling better about myself in general.

[RosemaryS-F]

Me again. When you stop losing weight, you have to change your input/output again so that you are taking in less. It's really quite simple, and it sounds like if more exercise isn't possible, then cutting the food intake is what you must do to lose more weight. In Weight Watchers for example, when you have lost ten pounds you have to drop a "point" from your daily points allowance (basically the equivalent of around 50-75 calories.) So just try taking in less food for a week and see if you don't lose some more weight.

[kittywitty]

I don't know. OP, you're already taking in a low amount of calories. I would up the exercise somehow rather than cut food once you're below 1500 calories. That can be unhealthy. And cutting so drastically can cause the same problems as crash diets- you burn out too quickly. My ex-MIL has fibro and loves Tae Bo. Exercise is one of the best things you can do for fibro.

Here are some good links.

http://familydoctor.org/online/famdo...tment/061.html

http://exercise.about.com/cs/exercis...bromyalgia.htm

http://www.webmd.com/fibromyalgia/gu...xercise?page=2

As far as hitting a block right now-it happens to everyone. You may want to join a site like Spark People where you can track food/exercises, get tips, and free exercise ideas to encourage you.

As for good food making you fat-well, I don't think anyone was honestly going to tell you to eat a pound of dark chocolate in one sitting. Moderation is key-that's where quality vs. quantity comes in. If you have $3 and want a snack, getting something healthy that costs more will do you less physical damage than $3 worth of Reeses cups. Whether that $3 is for nuts that satiate you faster or one vegan chocolate chip cookie. Savor your food.

Beans and lentils are very filling, provide a lot of fiber and vital nutrients, and according to many people, one of the best ways to go to lose belly fat. Most people I know who have trouble while veg losing weight fill up on too much dairy or processed mock meats. That's where it can get you.

OP, I think you're doing a great job. Just keeping working through this. It sounds like you know what you're doing. But if your pants are fitting tighter, is it possible it's just water weight? How's your salt intake? Hormones? PMS?

[bandgeek]

Originally Posted by kittywitty

OP, I think you're doing a great job. Just keeping working through this. It sounds like you know what you're doing. But if your pants are fitting tighter, is it possible it's just water weight? How's your salt intake? Hormones? PMS?

Well I was on the pill but forgot to order more so I went off for a month. I bought a 6 month supply so I should be good once I get my period, I can go back on them. I have no idea if suddenly stopping them can cause a problem.

I don't eat much mock meat. Soy makes my skin break out and makes my hair really greasy, so I try to limit it. I don't drink soy milk and I quit buying boca products once I realized that's why I was nasty all the sudden.

I'm not sure about my salt intake. On one hand, some of my favorite foods are salty. On the other hand, most of what I eat is very, very low in sodium. Like I'll have oatmeal and fruit for breakfast, veggies for a snack, quinoa, veggies, and beans for lunch, but then I'll make a stir-fry for dinner. So the stir fry probably has a lot, but most of what I eat doesn't. So I figure it must even out right? Surely I'm eating less than when I was eating fast food 3-4 times a week and snacking on chips and crap.

My period isn't supposed to be here for a week but I was feeling crampy and bloated all day and my boobs hurt a little. Maybe it's coming early and that's why I couldn't button my pants today.

[OceansEve]

What time are you eating? I have found I have to cut myself off from all foods no later than 7pm. Also My largest meal needs to be before 2pm. If dinner is my largest meal it tends to hang around.

Can you break it down for us exactly what you eat? Are you eating any processed foods? I thought I could get away with a fruit/oat bar thing on busy mornings sadly the weight stopped coming off. Are you eating straight veggies or dipping?

I keep having to remind my husband who is annoyed his weight loss has slowed. Our bodies are smart machines. They figure out how to use the least amount of energy to sustain daily activities. You have to change up you exercises regularly to keep your body guessing or it will figure out how to use less energy to get the job done.

If your nondairy icecream isn't soy what is it? just curious

[ryleigh'smama]

Congrats on how far you have come!

I agree that maybe the 1800 cal side is too much for current activity level. I am very active, as in over an hour of intense exercise 4-6 times a week, and 1800 cal is on my high end for maintenance. That is not to say that I don't go over if I need to (low energy, starving feeling, etc) but on average I eat around 1800 cal.

Also, I know everyone is different, but I have found that I do much better by not eating grains, and increasing my fat intake. It has seriously changed my metabolism. I am a coconut oil fan. But you do have to be careful, you can't just add an additional 100-200 cal from coco oil and not adjust the rest. Get good quality protein often too, I would increase my egg consumption. I am at my best weight probably ever, and my macronutrient ratio's are approx 60-70% fat, 20-30% protein, and 10-20% carb.

I also have been lifting heavy weights for over a year now for first time in my life. I have to say that it has changed my body and metabolism a lot as well and I highly recommend it to all women because it really feels good to be able to do *real* pushups, pullups, etc. and it is so good for your body in so many ways.

I realize that my diet is probably very different from yours , so this may not work for you, but I have seen some posts from primal eating vegetarians that might be helpful.

Good luck in you journey!!!

[bandgeek]

Originally Posted by OceansEve

What time are you eating? I have found I have to cut myself off from all foods no later than 7pm. Also My largest meal needs to be before 2pm. If dinner is my largest meal it tends to hang around.

Can you break it down for us exactly what you eat? Are you eating any processed foods? I thought I could get away with a fruit/oat bar thing on busy mornings sadly the weight stopped coming off. Are you eating straight veggies or dipping?

I keep having to remind my husband who is annoyed his weight loss has slowed. Our bodies are smart machines. They figure out how to use the least amount of energy to sustain daily activities. You have to change up you exercises regularly to keep your body guessing or it will figure out how to use less energy to get the job done.

If your nondairy icecream isn't soy what is it? just curious

I've been trying to eat less in the evenings. Usually my biggest meal is a late lunch at 2-3 pm. Lately I've been having difficulty sleeping though so when I'm up at night I feel hungry so I have a small snack. Like a banana, or a few bites of leftovers. The lack of sleep probably isn't helping anything. When I have to get up to do my DD's meds and stuff I can't seem to get back to sleep. Normally I have no problem with it but it's probably been about 3 weeks that I've been up from 2-5am tossing and turning.

I eat coconut milk ice cream.

Today for breakfast (late because I slept in after being up half the night) I had PB on homemade wheat bread, pineapple chunks, and a carrot. For a snack I had a granola bar. For lunch I had quinoa and broccoli, then a few bites of my ice cream. I snacked on chex mix. For dinner I had a large salad with half a boiled egg and some edamame and 2 breadsticks. With fat-free italian dressing. Oh and I ate about 3/4 cup of leftover pasta when I woke up last night. I think it came to about 1450 calories.

Normally I eat more veggies when I snack but today was grocery shopping day and I got really hungry before I made it home and that's where the chex mix came in. I try to keep healthy stuff in my purse, but I dropped the ball today. Usually I keep strawberries, carrots, and almonds with me if I'm going to be gone more than a couple of hours.

I was dipping my veggies but lately I haven't been. Even when I do, if it's anything other than fat-free italian, I measure it out and count the calories.

Tomorrow I'll have 1 pancake, 2 eggs, and 1/4 of a canteloupe for breakfast, salad and pasta for lunch, and a quinoa/pineapple/cashew dish for dinner. No idea on snacks yet.

[OceansEve]

Sugars in your granola bar?

Even if I'm hungry I make myself just drink water at night, I don't eat again until 8am. It's hard, I'm the same way, There are times I cannot go back to sleep after nursing DD3 and it's hard to keep from eating, but it's been worth it for me.

FWIW - I am doing :30-1:30 of running/exercise at least 5 times a week and shooting for 1000-1400 calories a day and I'm only losing a couple pounds a week now (a lot came off in the beginning but its slowed now). Oh, and nursing too.

How many calories are in chex mix?

mmmm..... coconut milk ice cream....... mmmmmm.......

[bandgeek]

Originally Posted by OceansEve

Sugars in your granola bar?

Even if I'm hungry I make myself just drink water at night, I don't eat again until 8am. It's hard, I'm the same way, There are times I cannot go back to sleep after nursing DD3 and it's hard to keep from eating, but it's been worth it for me.

FWIW - I am doing :30-1:30 of running/exercise at least 5 times a week and shooting for 1000-1400 calories a day and I'm only losing a couple pounds a week now (a lot came off in the beginning but its slowed now). Oh, and nursing too.

How many calories are in chex mix?

mmmm..... coconut milk ice cream....... mmmmmm.......

I haven't looked at the sugar in my granola bars yet. I'm sure there's plenty. But I don't eat them every day. It takes me 2 weeks to go through a box of 6. There was 120 cal in a serving of chex mix. I was in the car so I didn't measure it out, but there were 8 servings in the bag and I'm sure I didn't eat more than 1.

Everything I've read says that less than about 1400 is way too low. 1200 should be a bare minimum and that's pushing it. I had an eating disorder as a teen and I'm trying not to slip back into those habits. I WANT to because that's the easiest way for me to lose weight. I can easily eat 800 calories and day but I'm trying to stay HEALTHY. I don't think I can do that on less than 1400. At 1200 I struggle to get enough protein.

I'm still pushing it on the exercise. Exercise isn't the magic cure for my fibromyalgia like it is for some people. Getting enough/quality sleep is the single most important thing I can do to keep the pain at bay, so tossing and turning with hunger pangs for 3 hours isn't the way to go for me. I'll take the extra 100 calories over 24 hours of pain any day.

I have to stay healthy for my kids. Especially DD. I can't just work out for 2 hours and miss 3+ hours of sleep a night and just deal with the consequences later. Because the consequences aren't just mine...if I can't get out of bed, I can't take care of my kids.

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by OceansEve

Sugars in your granola bar?

Even if I'm hungry I make myself just drink water at night, I don't eat again until 8am. It's hard, I'm the same way, There are times I cannot go back to sleep after nursing DD3 and it's hard to keep from eating, but it's been worth it for me.

FWIW - I am doing :30-1:30 of running/exercise at least 5 times a week and shooting for 1000-1400 calories a day and I'm only losing a couple pounds a week now (a lot came off in the beginning but its slowed now). Oh, and nursing too.

Keep a close eye on your body fat percentage and your dd's nursing because with that eating pattern I'd expect your body to be clinging to fat and your supply to drop. After your weight loss slowed, did you notice an increase in how long and often your dd wanted to nurse?

[RosemaryS-F]

The 1400 bare minimum is for maintaining weight; but it's fine for weight loss. It isn't dangerous, especially not for your height. Have you figured out from a website where your range ought to be? Have you tried Spark People? The reason you have slowed/stopped is definitely because of too much in, not enough out, unless you have a rare thyroid problem or other ailment; but to me from what you said you ate, it still sounds like the food input is the issue. But what you are eating sounds completely healthful and good.

[bandgeek]

I checked 8 different calorie calculators and took an average and came up with 1400 to lose about a lb a week.

[RosemaryS-F]

Originally Posted by bandgeek

I checked 8 different calorie calculators and took an average and came up with 1400 to lose about a lb a week.

That sounds right to me! I don't think that 1400 is anywhere near eating disorder territory. Once you reach your goal weight, you will not have to continue at that level; you'll add about 200-300 calories/day for maintaining your goal weight. I lost 18 pounds and got to goal this way and stayed there for a year, and am now trying to lose 4 more to get to my "desirable weight" although I'm currently well within the healthy range. I am eating 1260 on days that I am not exercising and maximum 1580 on days that I do. When I get to goal, I'll be able to up that to around 1500-1800. I'm 5'4" and 136 lbs.

I hope that you get your goal!

[OceansEve]

Originally Posted by sapphire_chan

Keep a close eye on your body fat percentage and your dd's nursing because with that eating pattern I'd expect your body to be clinging to fat and your supply to drop. After your weight loss slowed, did you notice an increase in how long and often your dd wanted to nurse?

How do you keep track of your body fat % ?

She nurses mostly at night so I don't really notice how often she nurses that much I just roll over She is 21 lbs at 9 months so I think she's doing alright.

However it has effected my cycle, which I'm just fine with

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by OceansEve

How do you keep track of your body fat % ?

http://www.healthcentral.com/cholest...-2774-143.html gets within a few points of a caliper test and would definitely work for tracking over time.

That your supply is doing well.

[OceansEve]

thanks