Don't Know what I'm doing wrong..

Tubsand

I am a 29 year old woman, height 5 feet 7 inches and I weigh 12 stone 10 pounds. I cannot seem to shift the weight. Firstly I have some problems with my hips so can't exercise aggressively. Light slow walking would be my limit and do exercises with my WII. So I have done ww and only ever lose a couple of pounds and plateauxed. I joined with the new pro points hoping it would be a miracle but no...
So this is what I would have on an average day and I would like your opinions on this and any ideas/help will be appreciated.

*Bowl porridge, low fat milk. Bowl of fruit. Or toast and butter.
*Salad with an egg, cheese, leaves, cucumber, onion, tomato, slice ham, peppers. Pitta bread, with small bit butter/ triangle cheese. mandarin.
*2 Crackers/2 ryvita an apple.
*Dinner consists of stir fry veg with noodles, soy sauce. Or fish and vegetables. Or chicken and potatoes with veg and gravy.
Treat of curly wurly or ww bar choc. Or some cashew nuts.

So any help/advice would be brilliant, thanks.

smiles302

How long have you been trying to lose? And have you managed to loose much so far? Sometimes it just takes patience.

You're drinking plenty of water?

Transform

need more info and what exactly is the problem with the hip. Have you gotten it checked out?

In general unless you are in a calorie deficit no matter how you get there you will always plateau

Dixie Chick

Hiya!

So on the surface the diary looks reasonable enough. Because you are at the standstill i would suggest that you make a food diary now and write down every morcel of food you eat for the next week as maybe there is a culprit in there. I find that weight watchers can be carb and sugar heavy sometimes and suspect this might be happening here.

As for the exercise and the hip problem, id suggest proper heavy weight training. Book a session with a personal trainer, explain your hip problem and they will work a program of weights around that.Do that 3times a week and then do you nice walk twice, clean up the diet and TA-DAAA you will lose the weight!!

corkcomp

Tubsand wrote: »

I am a 29 year old woman, height 5 feet 7 inches and I weigh 12 stone 10 pounds. I cannot seem to shift the weight. Firstly I have some problems with my hips so can't exercise aggressively. Light slow walking would be my limit and do exercises with my WII. So I have done ww and only ever lose a couple of pounds and plateauxed. I joined with the new pro points hoping it would be a miracle but no...
So this is what I would have on an average day and I would like your opinions on this and any ideas/help will be appreciated.

*Bowl porridge, low fat milk. Bowl of fruit. Or toast and butter.
*Salad with an egg, cheese, leaves, cucumber, onion, tomato, slice ham, peppers. Pitta bread, with small bit butter/ triangle cheese. mandarin.
*2 Crackers/2 ryvita an apple.
*Dinner consists of stir fry veg with noodles, soy sauce. Or fish and vegetables. Or chicken and potatoes with veg and gravy.
Treat of curly wurly or ww bar choc. Or some cashew nuts.

So any help/advice would be brilliant, thanks.

firstly, well done on making the effort to shed some pounds.. there are a few important things we need to know here - you say the diet above is a typical day, would it be 7 days a week? how long have you been trying to drop the weight? it can take a month or even more to see any real results.. Not trying to trivialise the hip problem (you should really get it checked out) but not being able to to exercise (other than gentle walking) will make weight loss a lot more difficult considering a typical sedentary woman would need to stick to roughtly (depends obviously) 1000 cals a day for weight loss. Toast and curly wurly will make it a lot harder to drop body fat, especially if not able to do much exercise

Tubsand

Thank you for your replies. I was in an accident and it affects my hip, nothing can be done as such. Have good weeks and bad weeks but from bad experiences when I felt good and did damage I try not exert myself too much.
Have been trying as such since January, lost a few pounds, was up a pound etc, so realistically have only lost 4. I drink lots of water every day.
I wouldn't be as strict on the weekend as the above menu. I may have the odd chinese or frozen pizza but this would be instead of my dinner and not 'as well' as. I also wouldn't really have a breakfast at weekends (as I would get up late morning/lunch time on my days off)
For the poster who suggested weights, what type of exercises would you suggest?
I'm thinking that I may eat too many carbs, as someone suggested. I may try cut them out, or even have one a day.
It's really getting me down now, as I feel I am eating healthily and it's a lot less than my friend and she loses every week.

g_moriarty

I would recommend cutting the eggs & cheese (too much cholesterol and fat) out completely then replace the chicken with tofu (more protein + healthier) and you should start seeing results. Stick to wholegrain bread too.

rocky

g_moriarty wrote: »

I would recommend cutting the eggs & cheese (too much cholesterol and fat) out completely then replace the chicken with tofu (more protein + healthier) and you should start seeing results. Stick to wholegrain bread too.

wow

g_moriarty

rocky wrote: »

wow

Well that's a helpful contribution. If you have a problem with my suggestion then please explain.

g_moriarty

g_moriarty wrote: »

I would recommend cutting the eggs & cheese (too much cholesterol and fat) out completely then replace the chicken with tofu (more protein + healthier) and you should start seeing results. Stick to wholegrain bread too.

Don't cut out cheese or eggs or chicken
Drop the pitta bread though and cut the noodles down a bit.

Mainly I would strongly suggest doing weights

omen80

bluewolf wrote: »

Don't cut out cheese or eggs or chicken
Drop the pitta bread though and cut the noodles down a bit.

Mainly I would strongly suggest doing weights

Totally agree, weights would really increase your metabolism. And don't worry.....they won't make your arms big and muscular and manly, some men do weights all the time and can't get muscular. But they burn off fat really fast.
Nothing wrong with eggs by the way.

Transform

g_moriarty wrote: »

I would recommend cutting the eggs & cheese (too much cholesterol and fat) out completely then replace the chicken with tofu (more protein + healthier) and you should start seeing results. Stick to wholegrain bread too.

ohhh mother of god please do not listen to THAT at all!!

you have just about covered every misconception on food going there!

Overall OP yes you should do some weights if possible and at the very least clean up the nutrition on the weekend - your friend is dropping weight because she is possibly tighter on the nutrition and certainly cutting out all wheat based foods can help with even reducing dense calorie foods.

Frogdog

g_moriarty wrote: »

I would recommend cutting the eggs & cheese (too much cholesterol and fat) out completely then replace the chicken with tofu (more protein + healthier) and you should start seeing results. Stick to wholegrain bread too.

OP, please do not listen to the post here that I've quoted. Here is why:

Fat is needed in everyone's diet, particularly if you're looking to lose bodyfat. Eat fat to lose fat. Yes, it sounds almost silly, but it's true. The above poster has been brainwashed by the many myths that are out there.

Eggs are a wonderful food, packed full of protein, fat and loads of vitamins. Eat the whole egg, not just the white. And eat as many as you like daily, as long as you work their calories into your daily calorie allowance. Cheese is good too, just be careful of portions/calories. And as for chicken v tofu, well my money's on the fresh, non-processed, wholefood option - chicken. As for bread of any colour, it's very calorie dense for the amount of nutrition you can get from it, a junk food in my book.

Give up WWers, there's a study that shows that there is hardly anyone who has done WW that keeps the weight off long term. Stick to counting calories. Work out your maintenance and aim to eat lower than that figure daily. And sensibly!

pink-mist

I'd say start doing pushups, planks, abs excercises and If you've got weights, start doing arm/shoulder/back work. THe more muscle you have the less body fat you'll have

Diet wise, Id start cutting down on the carbs. Have one portion of healthy carbs a day. Write down your calories and make sure you have a deficit.. otherwise the weight won't come off!

Tubsand

Thanks everyone. I suppose I am not really clued in on the calories in food as it has always been ww. Has anyone a link to a good site to find out the calories in everything and what amount I should be using a day to lose weight?
I have small hand weights and have wii active game which has an elastic band thing for weights so Im going to start getting into a routine using those more.
And I will continue eating eggs and chicken and maybe cut down on the cheese.

Transform

Tubsand wrote: »

Thanks everyone. I suppose I am not really clued in on the calories in food as it has always been ww. Has anyone a link to a good site to find out the calories in everything and what amount I should be using a day to lose weight?
I have small hand weights and have wii active game which has an elastic band thing for weights so Im going to start getting into a routine using those more.
And I will continue eating eggs and chicken and maybe cut down on the cheese.

use www.fitday.com to plug in your calories and start with my program below that has been used my many to get you started with beginner weights exercises (modifications are listed along the way if needed)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kPACReAiXE

Tubsand

Thanks Transform. Will definitely watch those videos and give it a try.

Just regarding food, I have been reading a lot on nutrition and have been looking up these threads and have decided than I am going to take a different approach to eating. But I am getting really confused as to bad carbs and good carbs and if it is better to eat protein for breakfast rather than something like porridge! And what exactly I should eat at mealtimes.
Can anyone help, please?

pink-mist

Tubsand wrote: »

Thanks Transform. Will definitely watch those videos and give it a try.

Just regarding food, I have been reading a lot on nutrition and have been looking up these threads and have decided than I am going to take a different approach to eating. But I am getting really confused as to bad carbs and good carbs and if it is better to eat protein for breakfast rather than something like porridge! And what exactly I should eat at mealtimes.
Can anyone help, please?

In my PERSONAL experience, i find protein such as eggs a good breakfast choice, the main reason is that they keep you full. However, a cereal such as bran flakes of shreaded wheat (bitesize ones are lovely) are also a good choice.

Goodcarbs/Bad carbs:
Good Carbs are generally anything the the world 'wholewheat' in the sentence, or things containing only one or two ingredients.

Examples:
Bran Flakes
Shreaded Wheat
Porridge (slightly less fibre but easier on the stomach if you're new to a high fiber diet)
Wholewheat Brown Rice
Rye Bread
Wholewheat Pasta

-The reasoning here is that they fill you up much more than 'bad carbs' which can stop you overeating. They're rather tasty too!

Bad carbs are carbs that your body absorbs quickly, but tend to spike your insulin. In turn that will have you at the fridge an hour later munching on something else. So we want to avoid that if at all possible. Bad carbs to Avoid:

White Bread
Potatoes
White Rice/Pasta (incl basmati etc)
Pancakes/waffles
Cakes, Cupcakes, Muffins
Cereals with less than 2g fibre per serving (will be written on side of box)
Anything with a high sugar content

It'll be tough for a few weeks to transition but once you do you'll feel better, have less cravings and maybe even lose some weight! If you've got a sweet tooth and are struggeling to give up the high sugar foods buy a small bar of DARK (70+ cocoa) chocolate and let a square melt in your mouth, or have 1 Tablespoon of peanut butter (try get stuff with no sugar!) and eat it slowly. It'll take the edge off.

Other than that, eat tonnes of veg like brocolli, lettuce, olives, tomatoes, cabbage...whatever! WHip up a chicken salad with vinegar dressing or a nice stirfry with loads of greens. Soups are another excellent choice, its warming and keeps you full, and is full of vegetables. Even onions, peppers, minced beef/turkey and a can of kidney beans. You'll be surprised how full you'll feel for a small amount of calories.
The more protien and veg the better, try to only have one portion of carbs a day, eg cereal/portion of brown rice.

Hope that helps!

Transform

pink-mist wrote: »

In my PERSONAL experience, i find protein such as eggs a good breakfast choice, the main reason is that they keep you full. However, a cereal such as bran flakes of shreaded wheat (bitesize ones are lovely) are also a good choice.

Goodcarbs/Bad carbs:
Good Carbs are generally anything the the world 'wholewheat' in the sentence, or things containing only one or two ingredients.

Examples:
Bran Flakes
Shreaded Wheat
Porridge (slightly less fibre but easier on the stomach if you're new to a high fiber diet)
Wholewheat Brown Rice
Rye Bread
Wholewheat Pasta

-The reasoning here is that they fill you up much more than 'bad carbs' which can stop you overeating. They're rather tasty too!

Bad carbs are carbs that your body absorbs quickly, but tend to spike your insulin. In turn that will have you at the fridge an hour later munching on something else. So we want to avoid that if at all possible. Bad carbs to Avoid:

White Bread
Potatoes
White Rice/Pasta (incl basmati etc)
Pancakes/waffles
Cakes, Cupcakes, Muffins
Cereals with less than 2g fibre per serving (will be written on side of box)
Anything with a high sugar content

It'll be tough for a few weeks to transition but once you do you'll feel better, have less cravings and maybe even lose some weight! If you've got a sweet tooth and are struggeling to give up the high sugar foods buy a small bar of DARK (70+ cocoa) chocolate and let a square melt in your mouth, or have 1 Tablespoon of peanut butter (try get stuff with no sugar!) and eat it slowly. It'll take the edge off.

Other than that, eat tonnes of veg like brocolli, lettuce, olives, tomatoes, cabbage...whatever! WHip up a chicken salad with vinegar dressing or a nice stirfry with loads of greens. Soups are another excellent choice, its warming and keeps you full, and is full of vegetables. Even onions, peppers, minced beef/turkey and a can of kidney beans. You'll be surprised how full you'll feel for a small amount of calories.
The more protien and veg the better, try to only have one portion of carbs a day, eg cereal/portion of brown rice.

Hope that helps!

i would NOT consider anything with wholewheat a 'good' carb as they contain anti nutrients that your body will find difficult to breakdown and can cause gut irritation, leaky gut, malabsorption of nutrients etc

The rest of the above post was ok (no mention of good fats)

I havent the time to go into it right now but maybe someone here can link that up if i dont get back to this

Good or safe carbs are -
most veg, sweet potatoes, squash, some basmati rice, a little fruit and i find that SOME irish people work well on oats (porridge and oatcakes) but remember everyone is different.

Deviation outside of this now and again is not going to be a big deal but regarless of quality of food if you are not in a deficit then fat loss will not happen

Transform

Sorry just getting back to this now and had to dig up a piece that someone wayyy smarter than I has done on toxins - Kresser does a great job here but it has been covered by many others in the past - http://thehealthyskeptic.org/9-steps-to-perfect-health-3-eat-real-food

His 9 steps are ESSENTIAL reading for those with even the slightest interest in health and follows the same path i advocate for my clients

Frogdog

pink-mist wrote: »

In my PERSONAL experience, i find protein such as eggs a good breakfast choice, the main reason is that they keep you full. However, a cereal such as bran flakes of shreaded wheat (bitesize ones are lovely) are also a good choice.

Goodcarbs/Bad carbs:
Good Carbs are generally anything the the world 'wholewheat' in the sentence, or things containing only one or two ingredients.

Examples:
Bran Flakes
Shreaded Wheat
Porridge (slightly less fibre but easier on the stomach if you're new to a high fiber diet)
Wholewheat Brown Rice
Rye Bread
Wholewheat Pasta

-The reasoning here is that they fill you up much more than 'bad carbs' which can stop you overeating. They're rather tasty too!

Bad carbs are carbs that your body absorbs quickly, but tend to spike your insulin. In turn that will have you at the fridge an hour later munching on something else. So we want to avoid that if at all possible. Bad carbs to Avoid:

White Bread
Potatoes
White Rice/Pasta (incl basmati etc)
Pancakes/waffles
Cakes, Cupcakes, Muffins
Cereals with less than 2g fibre per serving (will be written on side of box)
Anything with a high sugar content

It'll be tough for a few weeks to transition but once you do you'll feel better, have less cravings and maybe even lose some weight! If you've got a sweet tooth and are struggeling to give up the high sugar foods buy a small bar of DARK (70+ cocoa) chocolate and let a square melt in your mouth, or have 1 Tablespoon of peanut butter (try get stuff with no sugar!) and eat it slowly. It'll take the edge off.

Other than that, eat tonnes of veg like brocolli, lettuce, olives, tomatoes, cabbage...whatever! WHip up a chicken salad with vinegar dressing or a nice stirfry with loads of greens. Soups are another excellent choice, its warming and keeps you full, and is full of vegetables. Even onions, peppers, minced beef/turkey and a can of kidney beans. You'll be surprised how full you'll feel for a small amount of calories.
The more protien and veg the better, try to only have one portion of carbs a day, eg cereal/portion of brown rice.

Hope that helps!

To be honest, Bran Flakes are not a good option. They're full of sugar and more ingredients than you can shake a stick at. And as Transform quite rightly pointed out earlier, fibre from grains is not good for your intestines. In my experience, I've removed wheat from my diet completely this year, and have never felt better, had more energy or slept more soundly.

Transform wrote: »

Sorry just getting back to this now and had to dig up a piece that someone wayyy smarter than I has done on toxins - Kresser does a great job here but it has been covered by many others in the past - http://thehealthyskeptic.org/9-steps-to-perfect-health-3-eat-real-food

His 9 steps are ESSENTIAL reading for those with even the slightest interest in health and follows the same path i advocate for my clients

Excellent link Transform, great reading and the 9 steps are very essential to live a healthy life as you pointed out. I'm been reading his site all morning in work, it's your fault if I get fired!

To the OP, I would suggest to eat foods that are ingredients, rather than foods that have ingredients. So for breakfast a combination of oats and eggs will go a long way to setting you up for the day. Have a read of Transform's link for advice on good/bad carbs and keep that information with you for life.

smiles302

Transform wrote: »

Sorry just getting back to this now and had to dig up a piece that someone wayyy smarter than I has done on toxins - Kresser does a great job here but it has been covered by many others in the past - http://thehealthyskeptic.org/9-steps-to-perfect-health-3-eat-real-food

His 9 steps are ESSENTIAL reading for those with even the slightest interest in health and follows the same path i advocate for my clients

Erm his health qualifications seem a bit quarkery. Medical journals are nothing but sales brochures for big Pharma? Just really?!

I graduated from the Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine College in Berkeley in April 2010. I passed the California Acupuncture Licensing Exam in August of 2010, and I have a private practice in Berkeley, CA. I also consult with patients nationally and internationally.

Transform

smiles302 wrote: »

Erm his health qualifications seem a bit quarkery. Medical journals are nothing but sales brochures for big Pharma? Just really?!

to be honest i couldnt give a toss what his qualifications are in general as so long as you have done your research and its well documented then i am all in and i am well aware the research can be twisted towards your bias e.g. being a veggie is best, eat paleo etc

As someone that has (almost 15 years now) and does lecture on nutrition, exercise etc my thought process is always evolving. This is why when i come across someone like Kriss i think why the heck are more nutritionists reading this stuff because you know what the reallllly surprising thing is - IT GETS RESULTS!!

I find when my clients cut out all the gluten based foods (as stated i find some people work well on oats) they feel better, have more energy, joints feel better etc and what do you know the fat loss is a side effect. They simply eat as i recommend and the likes of Kriss does a fantastic job (as does mark sission) of making nutrition easy to understand and are focused on eating good clean food.

Lots of doctors out there with a more balanced approach to health e.g. http://paleophysiciansnetwork.com/

Most nutritionists i have ever had a chat with want to forget about their biochem and further research as quickly as possible and focus more on papering over the cracks e.g. just eat according to the food guide pyramid.

Yes i know there are exceptions but if you are like me and your wage depends on getting people to feel and look better then there are smarter people than I out there blogging about info which in 5 years time will become the NEW big thing - Kriss for me (might not be for you and thats cool) is one of those people.

All the best

smiles302

Oh ok, I've read through his 9 steps to perfect health. Other than the anti-medical establishment bits and pieces, his research seemed sound.

*Subscribe*

Transform

smiles302 wrote: »

Oh ok, I've read through his 9 steps to perfect health. Other than the anti-medical establishment bits and pieces, his research seemed sound.

*Subscribe*

Boom - smart move!!