Very Slow Weight Loss??

je55ie

Hi,
Sorry if Ive posted this in the wrong place but please feel free to move it. I have a question someone might be able to help me with. I started a diet & fitness regime the end of January in order to lose weight. Starting weight was 185lbs, I am now 177lbs and which gives me a loss of 8lbs which has taken me til end of feb to lose and i think is very slow since then I stayed the same. I am exercising about an hour 5/6 days a week more if I can fit it in. Mostly on a threadmill running / walking and skipping and by the calorie counters I burn about 600 calories. My downfall I think is my calories , I am eatin between 1800 - 2000 daily and on weekends it can be 2500. If I keep going at this rate will I continue to lose weight eventually as there has been nothing for the past month or do I have to reduce Calories. Exercise for me is not a problem but . i do find cutting down hard. I am female and 27. Any advice appreciated..

cozmik

Hi
Losing 8lbs in a month is not slow it's bang on the right amount. Try to get back into the routine you were in to begin with. Knowing your daily calorie maintenance level might help you stay on track. You need to be about 500 calories below this level every day in order to lose about 1 pound a week.

rubadub

You can calculate your calorie needs
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=50956807&postcount=4

8lb in that time is very good, maybe too fast. 2lb per week is around the most fat loss you can expect. Initially it will come off faster, if anything you can expect it to slow down from now on. I aim for 1/2lb per week, slower the better IMO, more likely to stay off and not mess your metabolism.

I would strongly advise lifting heavy wieghts, this will increase your FAT loss, but not necessarily your WEIGHT, as you can build a little muscle which will add a small bit of weight. (you will not end up like a bodybuilder!)

Macha

How about some weight training? It can really boost your metabolism.

Also fish oil supplements and green tea are good aids to fat loss.

One caveat with weight training is that the scales becomes less of a definite indicator as muscle weighs more than fat. I saw one girl on the fitness challenge thread that is the same height & v similar measurements to me but weighs 15kg less (!!).

Why don't you post up your diet? It's not just how many calories you eat but what type of calories & when you're eating them.

je55ie

Thanks for your replies, didnt get a chance to see them until tonight. Anyway just calculated my daily calories recommended to lose weight and its about 1800 which is less then what Im eating so thats probably why I havent lost any more. Also I meant to say Im doing a bout 10 minutes of weights a day,lifting only about 1kg which is all I can as I have neck and back injuries. Plus I really dont know a whole pile about weight training, any help would be great.
My diet yesterday for example which would be a typical weekday:
Breakfast: 2 weetabix with skim milk, tea and skim milk no sugar at about at 10am
lunch: hotcup and crackerbread with light butter and sliced chicken,1pear + tea
Teatime break at 4pm: can of diet coke
Dinner: oven chips 1/2 plate and 3 chicken Goujans(cooked on George Foreman and weight watchers spagetti, diet 7up.

Im not a big meat eater so dont eat much meat only chicken and ham, and mince the odd time. on weekends though I do have 2 glasses of wine one night, and maybe 2 beers the next and two eggs with crackerbread for breakfast instead of cereal.

sorry for going on a bit but id really like to know where Im going wrong.

rubadub

jessie37 wrote: »

Plus I really dont know a whole pile about weight training, any help would be great.

This site is excellent. www.exrx.net

You can do bodyweight exercise too, www.simplefit.org

Aim for 6 equally sized meals a day, equally spaced throughout the day. This raises the metabolism and makes resisting snacking easier as your next meal is never far away. Also your stomach will shrink as it is never overly full, so you get full quicker on less.

Your breakfast could be a little bigger. 6x300kcal meals a day, breakfast could be 400kcal and 2 of the others could be 250kcal, diet coke doesn't count for anything!;)

You are eating a lot of carbs, try and get protein with each meal.

je55ie

Hi,

Well I have continued on my diet and I am now 172lbs and reduced my calorie intake to 1300 a day. Therefore it has taken me 4 months to lose 13lbs which I take is extremely slow, I have continued to exercise an hour a day now almost 7 days a week. I checked what my calorie allowance is and its 1600 so eating 1300 and burning off 600 approx according to my treadmill. I really should be losing more I think. Any opinions grateful.

Macha

Ok diet: it may be the case that you are particularly carb-intolerant. Join the
club (:()

-Breakfast:How about changing to porridge in the morning?
-Snack: Your snacks need to be bigger so that the calories are more evenly spread during the day. If you take in too many calories at the one time, your insulin levels will spike and extra calories will be stored.
-Lunch: Hotcup are instant, not very nutritious and normally full of salt. You would be better off making your own soup. In general, you can make extra at dinner & that can be your lunch for the next day.
-Snack: Can of diet coke - may be low in calories but also low in nutritional value. Again, you need to be having some calories at this stage to spread them out.
-Dinner: Maybe try and cut out the carbs at this stage, especially chips. Chicken is a good source of protein but the goujons are breaded & another source of carbs. Also, the spaghetti is even more carbs!
Try to swap one of your diet drinks for water or green tea & see how you go.

Remember you can follow the 90/10 rule while losing weight and then go to 80/20 when maintaining. So allow yourself a few cheat meals a week to let loose.

Really Low Intensity Cardio is not the way to go in my opinion. I'm guessing it's taking you about an hour to burn off those 600 calories and that means that you aren't getting in much weight training. In the long run, the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism and the more calories you burn just sitting watching TV! For cardio I would recommend trying HIIT training. Google it or do a search in the fitness forum and ask any questions.

eclectichoney

To be honest 13lbs in 17ish weeks isn't actually that slow when you don't have that much to lose. 1lb a week is the figure to be looking towards.

Good luck with it

Transform

Agreed with most of above - your diet is farrrrr from the best it could be.

Your weight loss is about right for the moment but in order to get any further progress you need to really get more specific on the diet and hit the weights

Dudess

It seems fairly slow all right and must be quite disheartening. Then again it was quite fast at the start, which is often the case before things slow down.

But I'd go by the measuring tape/clothes rather than the scales. And 1,300 calories seems like way too little. Don't starve yourself.

Your supposed to be eating 1600 to lose weight without excerise?
And your coming in at 900 calories a day less than that.
It is possible that you have your body in starvation mode and it is trying to hold on to fat, and the muscle loss is also slowing your metabolism.

je55ie

Thanks for the replies, but i forgot to mention that I have changed my diet a bit also in the past month. Now I have a Banana first thing then at around 10am a Diet Youghurt, for lunch a bowl of porridge made with water and dinner would be one potatoe, mixed veg and chicken. That would be typical for me five days a week , on weekends, I have 2 grilled rasher medallions and 2 eggs with Crackerbread and one slice of cheese for breakfast, normal dinner and a glass of wine.i do treat myself to a of crisps typical 100cal bags like snax in the eve but surely one day a week isnt too bad.Another thing is I am also drinking loads of bottles of Sparkling water a day,as I prefer it to still (instead of Diet coke too). Is Sparkling water bad for you?

My calorie allowance of 1600 according to the website I checked (when i was 13st5lbs ) was to maintain my weight. It said in order to lose weight I should aim for 1300 a day.

Macha

You're still making fairly high carb choices and the way I look at it is you're not getting good value for your calories


Look I'll give you a sample 1100 calorie diet for weight loss. You'll notice a few differences between this and your current diet and of course add on some more calories because 1100 is very low.

Breakfast – choose one
¾ cup cottage Cheese with ½ cup of blueberries
4 oz yoghurt, ½ oz of protein powder, ½ cup of berries
3 egg omelette with spinach
3 oz smoked salmon, sliced cucumbers and tomatoes

Lunch
4 oz fish with 1 tsp of butter and sprinkled with parmesan cheese, ½ cup of cooked veggies mixed salad, 1tsp of olive oil
Large Green Salad with 2 tsp of oil and lemon juice, 6 large tiger prawns, chopped peppers
4 oz chicken salad made with 1tsp of sugar free mayo, 1 tsp of oil
4 oz of turkey meat, 2 cups of spinach salad with 2 tsp of oil,vinegar

Dinner
4 oz of snapper, 1 cup of steamed broccoli, 1 small baked yam, 1 tsp of butter
4 oz of white fish, 1 cup of snow peas etc stir fry vegetables all sautéed in 1 tsp of olive oil, 1 cup of brown rice
4 oz of steak, 1 small baked potato, 1tsp of light sour cream, sautéed leeks and mushrooms in wine
4 oz of salmon, ½ cup of brown rice, 1/ cup of homemade Bolognese sauce (chopped tomatoes, oregano, grilled veggies with 1tsp of oil

Snacks
Celery sticks with almond butter; protein shake and flax seeds; handful of raw almonds; seeds; fresh green veggie juice (yuck); organic apple, pear or grapes; sugar free yoghurt; 2 oz cheese; 2 oz of organic meat with mustard; hard boiled egg
Water, Water and More Water!

Can I ask what calorie calculator you're using?

je55ie

I am working out my calories by mostly anne collins website and weighing my food or if its on the packets. The menu you gave would be ok only i dont eat fish and the only meat I eat is chicken and a small bit of ham. Is there vegetarian alternatives, also I dont have much time to be preparing food, working fulltime, studying part time and fitting in an hour a day exercise has me worn as it is. Thanks for the advice though will try and change my diet. I always thought it didnt matter what you eat once you watch your calories and exercise.

Macha

OK Anne Collins would not be my first port-of-call. Try looking in the 'Nutrition and Diet' sticky in the Fitness section for G'em's post on calculating calories.

Funny, I'm the same - I only eat organic chicken. I find protein powder is a life saver. I use this one (that G'em recommended) and it is YUM mixed in with Glenisk natural yoghurt (low fat):

http://www.universalnutrition.ie/viewproduct/18

Here are a few veggie alternatives, although you'll see that some of them have some carbs in them. Your main sources of protein would be:

chicken
ham
eggs
yoghurt
cottage cheese
other dairy
soya (meat replacements or the beans themselves or tofu)
lentils
legumes (beans, esp chick peas)
I'm sure I'm missing some..

Fettuccine Alfredo is a pasta dish that combines fettuccine noodles with an Alfredo sauce. Freshly grated Parmesan cheese and parsley compliment this dish as a great topping.
• Potato Gratin is a terrific vegetable casserole that incorporates potatoes and Cheddar cheese to make a tasty baked dish.
• Three Bean Chili is a festive dish. To prepare this dish you use a combination of black beans, chickpeas, and kidney beans to make this tasty chili. You can make this chili as mild or as hot as you prefers.
• Bean Nachos make a quick high protein dish. Use corn chips as the base of this dish and top them with kidney beans, chili sauce, and spices to make a wonderful meal. Top with some of your favorite vegetables like tomatoes, lettuce, onions, and green peppers. If you like it spicy you can add chillies.
• Greek Salad is a healthy salad that uses tomatoes, red onions, cucumbers, olives, and Feta cheese. This salad is topped with olive oil and oregano.
• Tortellini With Mushroom Sauce is a hearty pasta dish that your family will love. To prepare this dish combine spinach tortellini with a sauce made from olive oil, garlic, mushrooms, cream and Parmesan cheese. This will soon be one of your families favorite dishes.

I also snack on peanut butter and chopped veg or try hummus. The thing with food preparation is you just have to approach it right. If you have a freezer, make double of everything & freeze it. Whatever you make for dinner, put it in a tupperware container & that's your lunch for the next day sorted. Put protein powder in a shaker or tupperware container & when you're at work you can just put the water in & done.

On the exercise - again I would stress that an hour of weights would do you so much more good than an hour on the treadmill. Plus if your time is that short, you really don't need to do an hour exercise everyday. I would cut back to 4 times a week. It's 70% diet, 30% exercise so you need to get your diet right first, especially in your case. But the exercise that you do really should be weights.

je55ie

Many thanks for all the advice, I will definitely try and change my diet and get more protein into me. Also another thing ( another one) I forgot is that I have some fairly bad neck, back and arm injuries after a car crash weights arent great for me for another while,doctor recommends I do swimming only but as I am studying for exams at the mo and the nearest pool is an hour away, the treadmill, skipping, walking or cyling are my only options. Which of these would be the best?

Macha

When you say doctor, do you mean GP or physiotherapist? In my experience, GPs know a little about a lot and its best to get someone with some in-depth knowledge. For example, my mother has osteoarthritis & a GP told her not to do weights or go to the gym. It's taken me about 5 years to get her onto the free weights and she is doing great.

Where do you live? You can get a decent home gym together from Argos - that's what my mum has at home & I use it any time I'm visiting & don't feel like going to the gym.

_Whimsical_

taconnol wrote: »

Funny, I'm the same - I only eat organic chicken. I find protein powder is a life saver. I use this one (that G'em recommended) and it is YUM mixed in with Glenisk natural yoghurt (low fat):

http://www.universalnutrition.ie/viewproduct/18

I was just wondering if this protein powder is solely for people who are exercising regularly or trying to build muscle? Is it ok as a protien supplement for lazy people too?

dublinmadyoke

Can anyone suggest a protein powder to take during weightloss ie. as a snack? Is it a good idea to take?

I was looking at this one on ebay http://cgi.ebay.ie/MAXIMUSCLE-CYCLONE-PROTEIN-CREATINE-CHOCOLATE-POWDER-UK_W0QQitemZ180245678414QQihZ008QQcategoryZ97034QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I am a 25, female, 5.5 height (13 stone).

Thank you

Macha

chilly - protein powder isn't just for people who exericse regularly. A low carb diet is often recommended for weight loss and when this is the case, a person's protein intake goes up.

Meat can be expensive, a pain in the ass to prepare/cook sometimes and some people have issues eating large quantities of meat (there's a thread on it at the moment in the Fitness forum)

Gummy Panda

dublinmadyoke wrote: »

Can anyone suggest a protein powder to take during weightloss ie. as a snack? Is it a good idea to take?

I was looking at this one on ebay http://cgi.ebay.ie/MAXIMUSCLE-CYCLONE-PROTEIN-CREATINE-CHOCOLATE-POWDER-UK_W0QQitemZ180245678414QQihZ008QQcategoryZ97034QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I am a 25, female, 5.5 height (13 stone).

Thank you

If you live in Dublin, try the supplements shop on capel street. I buy the ON Gold Standard Whey isolate. It has 3g carbs per serving if you take with water. With milk you'll have to add on the carbs from the milk. Buy the big container. The smaller size only comes in mint choc and isn't really nice.

Otherwise try any decent supplements shop and tell them you want a low carb protein shake and explain why.

Maximuscle products can be good but overpriced for what you get.

Macha

dublinmadyoke wrote: »

Can anyone suggest a protein powder to take during weightloss ie. as a snack? Is it a good idea to take?

I was looking at this one on ebay http://cgi.ebay.ie/MAXIMUSCLE-CYCLONE-PROTEIN-CREATINE-CHOCOLATE-POWDER-UK_W0QQitemZ180245678414QQihZ008QQcategoryZ97034QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I am a 25, female, 5.5 height (13 stone).

Thank you

The only protein powder I know that has zero carbs is Nectar by Syntrax:

http://www.universalnutrition.ie/viewproduct/69

Otherwise, I would recommend the one I referenced above as it really does taste v good. One serving has 126 calories, 26g of protein & only 2g of carbs. It really fills you up.

Also, I haven't found prices any better than those on Universal Nutrition. The shop in Capel St's Nectar is €40 and I think its €28 on UN.

Gummy Panda

Nice site taconnol!

Didn't know about that one. Will add it to my bookmarks.

General question for all the low carb dieters - Do you all use water for your protein shakes (if you take one)?

I find the shakes horrible with water no matter the brand. Watery taste. I'd rather an alternative to milk so i could use those carbs for veg instead.

Any suggestions

Lola87

Gummy Panda wrote: »

Nice site taconnol!

Didn't know about that one. Will add it to my bookmarks.

General question for all the low carb dieters - Do you all use water for your protein shakes (if you take one)?

I find the shakes horrible with water no matter the brand. Watery taste. I'd rather an alternative to milk so i could use those carbs for veg instead.

Any suggestions

Unsweetened soya milk?

Gummy Panda

Lola87 wrote: »

Unsweetened soya milk?

Was hoping there might be something else i didn't know about. Lad in work drinks that stuff. It doesn't look that great. Though I did enjoy robbing my ex's alpros desserts so i might give it a try.

Macha

No worries Gummy Panda! Another one to try is www.irish-lifting.com

Well there isn't really anything else but what it is amazing what your tastebuds can get used to. Maybe try mixing 50% water, 50% milk/soya milk and then go from there.

The Nectar protein is juice flavour so you can't mix it with milk - it would be gross.

je55ie

Hi,

Its a GP that said that, although I havent stuck by his advice and done nothing as I do feel better after doing treadmill. Less Pains. What kind of weights do you recommend? Like could you give me an example of a daily workout so I could get an idea.

I checked up the calorie allowance by Gem and according to that at my current weight to maintain it I should be eating 2670 with my current regime and to lose it eat 15% less. Now I confused as thats a way more than the other website I checked,cant remember the name, which said 1600approx to maintain and 1300 to lose.

I forced myself to eat some tuna today until I get a chance to check out bout those protein shakes.

Thanks for you advice, its been a great help.

g'em

One of the problems I have with the calorie calculator that I posted up is that it tends to be more accurate for athletes or people who are quite active physically, and it doesn't cater very well for those who have very high fat: muscle ratios.

2600 calories is way too much for you, and similarly 1600 is probably too low (1300 is definitely too low). To be completely accurate we'd need to work off your lean body mass (i.e. your full weight minus the weight that consists of fat, but to do that you'd need to know your bodyfat and it gets a little complicated.) but in the absence of that we can still go on what information you've given.

taconnol has done a sterling job with the advice she's given so far, and just to reiterate some of what she has said even as a veggie you need to make a very conscious effort to keep your protein levels high in your food.

It's also entirely feasible that your body has been somewhat starving if you've only been giving it 1300 cals/ day on a routine basis so try to eat a little more each day but try to make up the extra calories from proteins and good fats.

Given that you're restricted exercise-wise from your injuries it will make life a little harder for losing weight. Exercise is a great way to ramp up your metabolism and encourages your body to maintain a good lean mass (i.e. non 'fat' body mass). In its absence you really will have to be very wary of carb-heavy foods that you eat, and the vast, vast majority of your diet should be made up of vegetables, eggs, low-fat dairy (cottage cheese is ideal), lean white meats like chicken and turkey, some nuts and some seeds.

jessie37 wrote: »

I always thought it didnt matter what you eat once you watch your calories and exercise.

A calorie isn't just a calorie unfortunately and some foods are more prone to getting stored as fat than others are. Your body has to work hard to 'convert' protein to fat but carbs get stored as fat very, very easily. So by having a larger proportion of your foods coming from protein it makes you much less likely to store any excess as unwanted adipose.

Macha

g'em wrote: »

taconnol has done a sterling job with the advice she's given so far, and just to reiterate some of what she has said even as a veggie you need to make a very conscious effort to keep your protein levels high in your food.

Just gotta take my own and your advice more often!

g'em wrote: »

One of the problems I have with the calorie calculator that I posted up is that it tends to be more accurate for athletes or people who are quite active physically, and it doesn't cater very well for those who have very high fat: muscle ratios.

Do you know of another more accurate calculator, maybe on t-nation??

_Whimsical_

Re soya milk:

Gummy Panda wrote: »

Lad in work drinks that stuff. It doesn't look that great. Though I did enjoy robbing my ex's alpros desserts so i might give it a try.

Unsweetened Alpro Soya Drink with added calcium and vitamins (it comes in an orange pack) is absolutely delicious. You can put it in tea or coffee,use it in smoothies or drink it as is. It's different and much nicer than any other soya based milk I've tried. I defy anyone not to like it! The alpro desserts are gorgeous too and low in fat.

One thing on the soya issue however . I have an underactive thyroid and my endocrinologist has told me to completely avoid soya as it's goitrogenic and can depleat the functioning of the thyroid gland in some people. Hypothyroidism is a common cause of slow weightloss so anyone reading this who has hypothyroidism might like to avoid soya based products.

Lola87

chilly wrote: »

Re soya milk:


Unsweetened Alpro Soya Drink with added calcium and vitamins (it comes in an orange pack) is absolutely delicious. You can put it in tea or coffee,use it in smoothies or drink it as is. It's different and much nicer than any other soya based milk I've tried. I defy anyone not to like it!

Yeah that's the one I use in my protein shakes. I hate drinking cows milk as I think its not particularly healthy but that's a whole other can of worms!;) Anyway that stuff tastes just great in it, no wierd aftertaste and just like real milk. I use 50% water 50% soya milk.

Dudess

g'em wrote: »

A calorie isn't just a calorie unfortunately and some foods are more prone to getting stored as fat than others are. Your body has to work hard to 'convert' protein to fat but carbs get stored as fat very, very easily. So by having a larger proportion of your foods coming from protein it makes you much less likely to store any excess as unwanted adipose.

g'em, what about fibre-rich foods? I know they're carbs but obviously I'm talking about the good kind: would the body be slower to convert those to fat too? Doesn't fibre work its way through the system rather than getting absorbed? Or am I talking out my arse? (Pun most definitely intended ).

Gummy Panda

chilly wrote: »

Unsweetened Alpro Soya Drink with added calcium and vitamins (it comes in an orange pack) is absolutely delicious. You can put it in tea or coffee,use it in smoothies or drink it as is. It's different and much nicer than any other soya based milk I've tried. I defy anyone not to like it!

I bought a carton of this today from Hollands & Barrett. Made a shake before i left work and it tasted crap. Not horrible but crap. Funny smell of the milk aswell especially compared to the unsweetened Alpros soya light milk a lad in work drinks. His smelt more creamy and had same carb count. His came in a carton similar to say regular milk or tropicana juice. The light stuff didn't look as yellow aswell.

The reason i didn't like it was because afterwards i had a terrible after taste and stomach seemed upset. Best before date seemed okay.

Dudess,

Fiber can't be absorbed. Books like protein power telling you take fiber away from the carb count to get the net carbs. The best carbs are complex (veg) as they don't spike an insulin reaction.

_Whimsical_

Gummy Panda wrote: »

I bought a carton of this today from Hollands & Barrett. Made a shake before i left work and it tasted crap. Not horrible but crap. Funny smell of the milk aswell especially compared to the unsweetened Alpros soya light milk a lad in work drinks. His smelt more creamy and had same carb count. His came in a carton similar to say regular milk or tropicana juice. The light stuff didn't look as yellow aswell.

The reason i didn't like it was because afterwards i had a terrible after taste and stomach seemed upset. Best before date seemed ok

Sorry to hear you didn't like it. Maybe you got a bad batch or something.It does smell quite rank initially after you open the carton but if you leave it open a minute or two then that smell goes away. It's UHT milk so there's no mircobial reason for the smell...it's just normal.

The Alpro Soya light is just watered down fresh soya milk but sold at 20-50 cents more.(or so a sales girl from H&B told me)If you like might be as well off watering down a normal brand of fresh soya milk and saving some money. I hated it but as it worked so well in my last post I'll defy you to like this. Then you'll probably love it.

I think everyone hates their first taste of soya milk.
You adjust quickly and end up actually prefering it.
At least I did, my only reason for drinking soya is because I like it.

g'em

taconnol wrote: »

Do you know of another more accurate calculator, maybe on t-nation??

I don't want this sto sound like a cop-out, but there's no 'one-size-fits-all'. I find the calorie calculator I posted quite good for me, but there's a multitude of other options available:
Calorie Counter 1
Calorie Counter 2
Calorie Counter 3
Calorie Counter 4

As a VERY rough rule of thumb - if you are in reasonable shape (you're in the "I just want to lose a few lbs" category) multiply your weight by 11 and then by 12 and your daily calorie intake should be between those numbers.

Dudess wrote: »

g'em, what about fibre-rich foods? I know they're carbs but obviously I'm talking about the good kind: would the body be slower to convert those to fat too? Doesn't fibre work its way through the system rather than getting absorbed? Or am I talking out my arse? (Pun most definitely intended ).

lol, like Gummy Panda has said, fibre can't be absorbed. I should really be more clear that when I talk about carbs, I really mean of the starchy kind. Although vegetables are technically carbohydrates, they're so low calorie, so fibre rich, so jam packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that there's nothing 'bad' about them.

Every diet (irrespective of goals) will gain from adding a multitude of vegetables to it and the wider the variety of veg you eat the richer the nutritional benefits will be.

Gummy Panda

chilly wrote: »

I hated it but as it worked so well in my last post I'll defy you to like this. Then you'll probably love it.

I bought a carton of Alpros light unsweetened from Dunnes today. Its lovely. No funny smell, just creamy smell from it.

Must be how its stored. In Dunnes the Alpros is kept with the rest of the milk. In Holland & Barrett it was just on a shelf.

je55ie

haven’t had a chance to reply in the past few days. Taconnal many thanks for your advice you’ve been a great help. A+ .I have taken all your advice and until I get some time to get those protein shakes I have been forcing myself to eat some tuna and salmon. With the past three days my diet is as follows:
Porridge with water for breakfast
Tuna with a salad of lettuce, tomatoes and cottage cheese for lunch
Snack : Apple
And dinner is Salmon nothing added, Mixed Vegetables Carrots, peas and sweetcorn. No Potatoes.
Is there something wrong with this diet?

I asked this before but I am drinking a lot of water about 3 Litres a day but about 2 litres of this is Sparking water, is sparkling water ok?

I have continued with my treadmill as I haven’t had time to find out what I need to do with weights but I changed it slightly. 50mins treadmill, 10 mins lifting 1 kg weights I bought in Argos ages ago and doing 100 stomach crunches.

Gem thanks also for all the advice, you really know your stuff. I was wondering those weighing scales that you can buy that tell you your bodyfat, would they be any good for me in trying to calculate my calories ?

g'em

If you're 'forcing' yourself to eat a food you might get bored and sick of it pretty soon Otherwise your diet looks fine, if a little bland. Food is tehre to be enjoyed and savoured so try to find recipes and dishes that you genuinely love eating. personally I adore roasted vegetables - a courgette, half an aubergine, some sweet potato and a pepper roasted with liberal sloshes of olive oil and some garlic cloves... yum!!

You're probably also still undereating, so add some dried fruit or berries to the porridge, or some fresh fruit and some natural yoghurt, or have a slice of wholemeal toast with natural peanut butter on the side.

It's ok to snakc mid-mronign too, going to 5 or 6 hours between brekkie and lunch will create some God-awful hunger pangs so a handful of nuts (walnuts, almonds, cashews or brazil nuts are best) and a piece or fruit or veg sticks or a small yoghurt would be purrfick.

Balsamic vinegar and honey and mustard dressing are brilliant low-fat, low-calorie ways add a bit of a tang to salads and a lemon juice, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce marinade is delicious for baking salmon.

Make orange juice ice cubes to curb a sweet craving and refresh you during the (hopefully!!) hot summer months, or make a 1/3 juice, 2/3 water drink and add looooooads of ice to quench your thirst.

As for the bodyfat scales, meh, I'm not a big-fan. They're called bio-impedance scales and they're notoriously unreliable. I can be 15% bodyfat one day and 31% bodyfat the next on them; these days I use the mirror, my clothes, a measuring tape and bodyfat calipers to keep my shape in check.

And to be honest I very rarely check my body weight and usually rely on my wardrobe to tell me when I need to lay off the ice cream cones

je55ie

Thanks Gem, those orange icecubes sound a great idea. Will definitely try them. Weighed myself this morning and Im now down to 169lbs, so thats 3 pounds this week alone, most Ive lost in a week since the start.Im thinking this is probably to my diet change, I hope this continues. i had been stuck on 172lbs with a month. Do you think its a coincidence or would 4 days of introducing protein into my diet have that effect? God its definitely worth the torture of eating it, I might grow to like it.haha. No will definitely get those protein drinks just dont have time at the moment. But now im starting to get my enthusiasm back again about the diet as when nothing was happening for so long my willpower to continue calorie counting and exericising daily was dwindling.

Thanks again any more advice it sooooooo appreciated.

g'em

lol don't worry about it, there's so much diet advice out there it can be hard to filter it all through!

Congrats on the loss, and actually in a way, yes, the protein is responsible, albeit indirectly. Eating a lot of carbohydrates tends to increase the amount of water you'll retain, so simply by dropping your carb levels and increasing protein you'll be encouraging your body to expel excess water which is likely what those 3lb is made up of.

Don't worry though, as your body gets used to the new make-up of your foods you'll gradually get more and more efficient at digestion and while your weight loss may stay slow, it will be consistent. Good luck!

je55ie

Well just thought I let you know how Im getting on, I have stuck with diet although there was two weeks where I did little exercise, I have kept up the protein in my diet big time. Although in the last 3 weeks I have only lost 1lb. I am now 168lbs. Better then putting it on. I do feel my clothes have got a lot looser though. My downfall is my exercise just havent a clue where to start with weights really and have just stuck to treadmill/skipping.

Macha

Hi Jessie37, that's great to hear your clothes are a bit looser. Seriously - ditch the scales! In the last month I lost .2kilos but at the same time put on .5cm on my biceps & lost 1cm from my hips & thighs (Rosemary Conley would be proud..). So really the scales are a pile of crap.

As for weights, have a look at the stickies on the Fitness forum. If your aim is weightloss, you should be looking at doing circuit-style full body workouts 3-4 times/week. So divide up your exericises into pairs & do one set of each exercise, rest & then go back & do another 2 pairs of sets.

Eg Exercise A: Shoulder Press, Exercise B: Straight-legged Deadlift.

You would do

10-12 reps of A
8-10 reps of B
30-60 seconds rest

Repeat Twice then move onto the next pairing. I would suggest 3 or 4 pairings to make sure you're hitting all major muscle groups.

je55ie

Hi all, just to let you know how Im getting on. Ive kept up the exercise, minimum 4 times a week but diet wise, I havent been as good as I could. Week good and week bad. I am now 165lbs which gives me a total weight loss of 20lbs in 7 months. I thought it was slow enough but the difference with this diet compared to all the fad diets Ive been on is that when I do go off the wagon for week or two my weight doesnt shoot up a stone like it used to it stays the same which is fantastic.
Unfortunately I havent been able to get the hang of the weights and my exercise still consists of 10mins lifting weights of 1kg while running on a treadmill for 50mins. Only problem is the muscles in my legs are huge. :eek: thighs not too bad and stomach is really saggy so I need to get the hang of weights asap.

I have a question that someone might be able to answer, when I do go a bit mental and eat all around me on a night am I better off to get up and eat a breakfast or get up and wait for my body to burn off extra calories which I have been doing because I dont be hungry after eating so much the night before.

Macha

I'm thinking your best bet is to have a light, protein-based breakfast that kick-starts your metabolism. So something like some scrambled eggs or an omlette.

je55ie

taconnol wrote: »

I'm thinking your best bet is to have a light, protein-based breakfast that kick-starts your metabolism. So something like some scrambled eggs or an omlette.

Thanks Tannacol. That makes sense actually but I suppose the best thing to do is not do it in the first place. haha.

Macha

Ah you're allowed your cheat meals of course! Nobody can maintain a 100% clean diet & remain sane (well that's my excuse & I'm sticking to it!)

Edit: Forgot to say well done on the weight loss & don't be singling out parts of your body! You are a whole person, not a pair of thighs or a tummy - no one is perfect!

je55ie

taconnol wrote: »

Ah you're allowed your cheat meals of course! Nobody can maintain a 100% clean diet & remain sane (well that's my excuse & I'm sticking to it!)

Edit: Forgot to say well done on the weight loss & don't be singling out parts of your body! You are a whole person, not a pair of thighs or a tummy - no one is perfect!

Thanks again Taconnol, sorry mispelled your name earlier. Yea Im happy that Ive maintained it and not put any back on. And yea we have to treat ourselves every so often.

je55ie

Hi again all,

Well diet still going, had good week last week, managed to shift 5llbs but this weekend I ruined it or so I think. I ate 2000 calories on sat and did treadmil for an hour that day but l ate about 3000 ( I no massive I just had a little breakdown) on sunday with no exercise and step on the scales this morn and I was back up 4lbs. :eek: which means it was probably water i lost last week. Anyway my question at the moment is despite losing weight my stomach at the moment feels huge. I have a wedding come up in a few weeks and was wondering whats the best thing to get it down. I wonder would the fact that since I started this diet I have drunk approx 3 or 4 litres of sparkling water a day along with approx 1/2 litre ordinary water. I find sparkling keeps me going. Im not eating any bread since I started the diet. Maybe 2 wholemeal once everyday 3 or 4 weeks. so bread cant be my problem. Any advice greatly appreciated.:)

Macha

As far as I'm aware, bloating can be caused by anything you may have an allergy to but is mainly due to carbs...and I'm not sure about the sparking water...

Again, the best think is to post up what your diet is like these days - I assume it's changed since you last posted it up.

Also, you gotta get off the treadmill and onto some weights! Seriously. I do 30mins on the treadmill & practically the second I step off, I stop burning calories at a raised level. Now I go in and do 30 mins of circuit weights and I will still be burning extra calories when I get home and am sitting on my butt in front of the TV. I'm not saying the treadmill is bad, but that focusing on cardio-ing your way into weight loss is time-consuming and boring (well for me anyway).