what am i doing wrong?

sfhawke7w

So my stats are 5ft 4, 91 kg.

I am taking part in an 8 week weight loss challenge and this is week 3 but I havent dropped any weight, well went from 91.1 to 90.2 and back to 91 this week, i do have my time of the month this week.

we met with a nutrionist at the beginning, we werent given a diet/healthy eating programme just guidelines on what ro reduce, avoid and increase (must of this i already knew, its is getting it to work)

i have exercised everyday but two since and when i mean exercise it has been intense sessions, today i managed 10 mins x trainer, 30 mins on treadmill ( ran 5 x 4min at 7.0) then did weights (3 sets of 20) , 3 mins skipping some ab and leg work.

now i have messed about with lipotrim on and off for the last 3 years and at beginning of april did it for 2 weeks but stopped as wasnt able for it. Am eating quite well but somewhere must be doing something wrong.

food today

2 slices of mccambrdige brown bread with scraping of flora, banana

apple

small piece of quiche with portion of roasted veg

banana (after gym)

4 cream crackers with low fat soft cheese and 6 strawberries

2 small potatoes, broccoli small portion of chicken and mushroom with 2 small vol au vents (not usual dinner but was visting my sister and this was what the dinner was)

3 jaffa cakes and a loop the loop (spread out over the evening)


i am drinkin 3 litres of water a day.

any suggestions would be great

*Honey*

I would say cut out the snacking - by that I mean unhealthy snacking like the jaffa cakes and loop the loop - they are not providing anything of any worth to your body.

The vol au vents weren't a good idea but I realise that you sometimes just have to eat what you're given. If that was me, I'd have had the chicken, more veg and no pastry (I've given up carbs for dinners too).

You seem to have lots of carbs and very little protein. I'd suggest instead of a banana for breakfast, have an egg. 4 cream crackers for lunch isn't enough and isn't enough of the right type of food either so try making a homemade veg soup (lots of soup and stock and blitz it) and having that... or a salad with chicken or very lean sliced ham. Add some beans to your salad and you'll up your protein too.

Dinner try cutting out the carbs and having veg and protein ... so salmon with salad for instance. When my hubby making pasta sauce (with a little bit of chicken and tons of veg) I just have the sauce and salad, no pasta... very nice and you don't miss the carbs at all.

At time, possibly too much snacking IMHO. Try to limit that to a few nuts or carrot sticks or a handful of cherry tomatoes to the daytime. You shouldn't feel the need to snack if you've eaten enough during the day (my concern is that you haven't eaten enough of low GI foods during the day, hence you feel hungier at night and need to snack).

That's my very basic take on it. Hope it helps.

EileenG

You've got way too mnay carbs, and not enough protein or fat. The idea that all you need to do to lose weight is reduce fat is a myth. Believe me, I spent years doing that, and stayed fat.

Drop all Jaffa Cakes, Loop the Loops and other junk. Cut the bread and crackers. Even brown bread has close to 100 cals per slice. If you must eat something, have a Ryvita, but keep them to a minimum. As much as possible replace the fruit with vegetables, and if they are as a snack, replace things like bananas with berries.

Eat more protein. Have at least one egg at breakfast. Porridge made with water is another good option. Try to have a quality protein in every meal. Cottage cheese is a good high protein snack/supper.

Make sure you are eatiing your oily fish and some red meat.

Fat is not your enemy, it provides a lot of essential nutrients, but make sure you are getting it from eggs and fish and meat, not vol-au-vents or quiche.

Eat more vegetables. You have effectively got one portion of veg. Aim for five portions of leafy green vegetables a day.

beks101

Yeah I would agree there are too many carbs there and not enough protein - this is vital, especially after the gym, and will keep you satisfied for longer so less need for the jaffa cakes and loop the loops etc...

You could throw in some scrambled egg whites with the brown bread in the morning, throw in a handful of almonds or a few brazil nuts with the apple as a mid morning snack so you wouldn't find yourself snacking on calories you don't need later in the day.

What helps for me is making sure I have a portion of carb, protein and a good helping of veg at every meal (you'll pull up portion sizes with a quick google) and that curbs mindless snacking pretty easily.

rubadub

Cream crackers are just like biscuits, some people presume they are "OK" since they taste so bland, and people presume bland is healthy. Check the nutritional info on them, I would sooner just eat biscuits. Try some ryvitas they are far better than cream crackers, the sesame ones are really tasty.

Also bear in mind that by doing resistance training (weights, pushups etc) you can be building muscle which will add "weight", or at least maintaining it. On a calorie deficit you will not gain much muscle, but without resistance training you might also loose muscle which is bad. I highly recommend doing weights but it can slow overall weight loss, I was a steady 12stone for over a year but was losing fat all the time, gaining muscle at the same slow rate. I found lifting weights to be the best thing I have done for fat loss.

sfhawke7w

thanks to everyone for the replies.

the vol au vents were a complete one off, it is years since i had any.

i find it hard to eat more protein so any suggestions would be great.

today's food is

porridge made with water, small bit of soya milk and strawberries with tsp of flax seed.

an apple

lunch is stir fried chicken with veg, an apple

snack: low fat yogurt

early evening: cup of homemade soup

dinner: over poached chicken with cauliflower, mangetout and sugar snap peas.

normally wouldnt be eating chicken twice a day, but am trying to up my protein intake.

dont like brazil or almonds, what else can i use?

i dont eat bread every day and would just use mccambridge brown bread. have made up enough soup for the week and also boiled some brown rice with some red onion to have ready in the evenings.

question got recipe for plain oatcakes that are low in fat and no sugar but what is the difference between rolled oats and oatmeal?

any stir fries or fish that i have is accompanied by peppers, courgettes, onions and some broccoli, mange tout, sugar snap peas also.

once again thanks for the help, going to try and stay away from the crap this week and see if it helps, not easy but am trying.

EileenG

That looks like a much better day.

Eggs or meat or fish is a good alternative to chicken. Cottage cheese is good as a high protein snack.

Be a bit wary of low fat yogurts. Most of them replace the fat with thickeners and sugar and sweeteners. You'd be much better off with a plain normal fat yogurt.

McCambridges is defintiely better than white pan, but it's still very high in carbs and calories for the amount of nutrition it supplies. I'd be more inclined to go for Ryvita which has the same amount of fibre, but one third of the calories.

What about hazelnuts, or sesame seeds? Sesame seeds are great in stirfry.

As far as I know, oatmeal is just ordinary porridge oats that have got a rough blending, so they are more like the texture of brown flour, hence easier to cook with. The oatlets would be a good compromise if you don't feel like blitzing your oats.

rubadub

Oatmeal is usually hte US term for porridge oats. Rolled oats are just another name for oat flakes. Oats are like little seeds, they steam and roll them out so they are more digestable and cook easier. You can get pinhead oats which are just broken oats and harder to cook.

I make pancakes with porridge oats and milk and egg. The egg adds in protein for your breakfast. And I find it easier and cleaner and less hassle to make pancakes than eat oats and cook an egg separately. You can keep batter in the fridge or make them thick and cook a batch and pop them in the toaster in the morning. More info here http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055002535

I'd be more inclined to go for Ryvita which has the same amount of fibre

Yes, I think 3 ryvitas are the same calories as 1 slice of mc cambridges bread, and it appears and feels more substantial.

I like cashews, they go well in stir fries, but watch the portions! I can eat 200g easily.

sfhawke7w

Tuesday

porridge made with water, blueberries and flaxseed

1.5 rice cake and a banana

homemade soup, 4 crackerbread with 90g tuna and scraping of mayo, an apple

50g grapes, 3 tbsp brown rice

apple

3 tbsps brown rice, stir fried beef & veg with soy sauce.

exercise - 20mins on xtrainer, 25misn of weights, 20 situps, jumps (across bench) 20 tricep dips, 20 presssups, 20mins on treadmill - 4mins running at 7km.

today

60g blueberries and banana

chicken, veg, 2 tortilla wraps and 2tbsps of healthy option tikka sauce, 50g strawberries

1 plum, 50g strawberries

2 poached eggs, 1 grilled tomato, 8 button mushrooms grilled, 1 slice of brown bread, scraping flora

banana

80g tuna, 3 tbsps brown rice

exercise - 33mins on treadmill, 3.43 km, ran 7mins, 4mins, 3mins and 6mins at 7.0km, sit-ups, legs kicks, pressups.

an hour of boxing at local club.

am doing okay but my biggest worry is the food, have done well okay the last 2 days (i think)

any suggestions once again, thanks!!

Attol

That looks really good to me. Lots of nutrients. Are you having any milk/cheese/yoghurt though? I'm not really seeing much calcium there. Apart from that it looks delish and like you're on the right track!

sfhawke7w

i don't drink milk, am okay with cheese but prefer it grilled on bread (not good) and i try yogurts but not great at eating them but will try and increase them. am struggling today as dosed with a headcold and now a chesty cough and all i want is chocolate when am sick, think i will be giving exercise a skip today, finish work at 1 so going to go home to bed.

JonnyC

sfhawke7w wrote: »

Tuesday

porridge made with water, blueberries and flaxseed

1.5 rice cake and a banana

homemade soup, 4 crackerbread with 90g tuna and scraping of mayo, an apple

50g grapes, 3 tbsp brown rice

apple

3 tbsps brown rice, stir fried beef & veg with soy sauce.

exercise - 20mins on xtrainer, 25misn of weights, 20 situps, jumps (across bench) 20 tricep dips, 20 presssups, 20mins on treadmill - 4mins running at 7km.

today

60g blueberries and banana

chicken, veg, 2 tortilla wraps and 2tbsps of healthy option tikka sauce, 50g strawberries

1 plum, 50g strawberries

2 poached eggs, 1 grilled tomato, 8 button mushrooms grilled, 1 slice of brown bread, scraping flora

banana

80g tuna, 3 tbsps brown rice

exercise - 33mins on treadmill, 3.43 km, ran 7mins, 4mins, 3mins and 6mins at 7.0km, sit-ups, legs kicks, pressups.

an hour of boxing at local club.

am doing okay but my biggest worry is the food, have done well okay the last 2 days (i think)

any suggestions once again, thanks!!

What speed are you doing on the treadmill normally? 4 mins running at 7km. 7km is a good pace for walking but would not be classed at running.

Between 6-7.6 is a good walking pace on treadmill it is not running.

I am not sure if you diet is the major problem it could be the intensity of your workout is the major issue....

sfhawke7w

have only started out running and thought i was doing okay at 7km, i am 5 stone overweight and i do not want to cause any injuries with my knees etc, i walk at 6.0 and then up to 7.0 was running at 7.3 but was out of breath to quick so brought it down to 7.o, i am doing 30mins on treadmill running 20 of that, i also do 15mins on bike and 10-15mins on x trainer, i am also doing weights and some core work, my workouts are taken hour and a half.

when have done bit of work with the trainers in the gym they have got me to increase the speed up to 8.5 and run for 30secs.

i thought i was doing okay as i said am only starting out and would hope to increase the speed, i didnt think there was a problem with my exercise programs!

i just want to improve my fitness for the moment my main concern is dropping weight.

savvy shopper

sfhawke7w, you might be slightly overdoing on calories. My rough count is that you do around 1300 or even 1400 calories some days. Ideally you should drop it to 1200 calories if you want to see good results. Cut back on your animal proteins slightly and up your vegetables. Be carefull with those tortilla wraps: each of them is at least 160 calories! A standard portion for brown rice is 1/2 cup, so go for it. Brown rice is complex carbs, which are much better than refined tortillas.

g'em

savvy shopper wrote: »

sfhawke7w, you might be slightly overdoing on calories. My rough count is that you do around 1300 or even 1400 calories some days. Ideally you should drop it to 1200 calories if you want to see good results. Cut back on your animal proteins slightly and up your vegetables. Be carefull with those tortilla wraps: each of them is at least 160 calories! A standard portion for brown rice is 1/2 cup, so go for it. Brown rice is complex carbs, which are much better than refined tortillas.

1200 calories for a 91kg 5'4" female?? Holy undereating Batman :eek: Starvation is a sure-fire way to slow down fat-loss.

What's the problem with animal proteins? They're complete proteins, and therefore provide a better array of amino acids to your body. If the concern is the saturated fat that's associated with them there's really little need to be concerned - it's easy to choose lean cuts of meat but besides which saturated fat is not the evil it's portrayed to be when eaten in moderation.

Macha

g'em wrote: »

1200 calories for a 91kg 5'4" female?? Holy undereating Batman :eek: Starvation is a sure-fire way to slow down fat-loss.

G'em can I ask you if 1500 is too low for 5'9", 75kg female prob around 22% BF
(sorry for taking this off track..but I've plateaued!)

savvy shopper

g'em wrote: »

1200 calories for a 91kg 5'4" female?? Holy undereating Batman Starvation is a sure-fire way to slow down fat-loss.



1200 cal is a standard diet for a woman to get between 2 and 4 lbs off in one week.

metamorphosis

Saavy - are you qualified in nutrition/fitness? If so id hate for clients to be getting that advice.

Yes 1200 kcal is the average amount for a 150lb woman who is SEDENTRY ALL DAY. 150lb is around 68-69kgs. now the subject is over 90kgs so calorie allowance increases becuase someone who weighs more needs more to survive and then you have to factor how active that person is on a day to day basis and whether they partake is sports/exercise and so on and so forth.

Once the subjects daily kcal allowance is factored in you generally subtract 500kcal a day thus equalling 3500 kcal burned above the subjcts allownance per week. this equals 1ib fat loss in theory. this calorie reducement can be done through diet, exercise or both.

As weight is lost over a given time the kcal amount needed goes down and is constantly re adjusted until the optimal weight is reached.

You cant just go slapping a 1200 kcal label on ALL women of all weights as the 'standard' figure to go losing weight and anything over 2ibs loss is not recommended so this 4lb loss you stated should be nipped in the bud. maybe 4lbs loss the 1st week or two but after it should generally be between .5-2lbs.

If i went giving that info to all women clients id be well fired!!

rubadub

taconnol wrote: »

G'em can I ask you if 1500 is too low for 5'9", 75kg female prob around 22% BF
(sorry for taking this off track..but I've plateaued!)

You can see g'em's post about calculating your needs here

It is all estimates too, depending on your usual diet you might get away with more or less calories. Not all calories will have the same effect on your body. There was another poster here who followed a low carb diet and said she ate 2200kcal per day I think, while her basal was estimated at 1800kcal I think.

It really comes into effect if you have an unbalanced diet, not that it might be bad, but just not what the average person eats. I drink a lot of beer so overall my weekly calorie intake is probably more than it would be estimated that I need. Alcohol has been shown to have less effect putting on fat than sugar drinks of the same calorific value.

1200 cal is a standard diet for a woman to get between 2 and 4 lbs off in one week.

You often hear 2000kcal for women and 2500kcal for men being the "average" daily basal amount needed. This should not be called the average though, it would be better to call it the "ideal" or something. The fact is the average Irish persons intake is about 3500kcal per day, and with so many obese and overweight people the TRUE average intake needed to maintain their current weight is a lot more than 2000/2500kcal.

ULstudent mentioned the 500kcal deficit, this is very important, you have to calculate your estimated requirement and take off 500kcal, just picking an "ideal" womans 2000 and reducing to 1500 could easily result in undereating. Many "diets" suffer from this one size fits all mentality. You would not feed a 20stone busy builder the same dinner as a toddler, yet the likes of lipotrim will "prescribe" the same 450kcal to a 50stone woman as a 9 stone woman. Crazy stuff.

The_Conductor

There are different things you can try-

1. An increased calcium intake has been proven to curb appetite (I can find citations if required).
2. A proper mixture of carbohydrates, proteins and fats are required.
3. You have to be careful- certain foods headlined as 'low fat' can in some cases have 2 or 3 times the sugar content of the regular products.

With respect of the daily intakes above- you do have a varied diet- however there is a preponderance of carbohydrate in it. You are adding more chicken to your diet- white fish is also a good source of protein- with the added benefit of calcium and essential fatty acids.

The addition of significant quantities of fleshy fruit and vegetables in lieu of carbs would be a good direction to go.

Bananas are actually pure carbohydrate. They are an excellent source of energy- because of their potassium levels- we all require potassium in our diet to fan the ATP cycle. You might like to vary your fruit intake in the morning? There are other things- such as mushrooms- which are rich in vitamins (and incredibly tasty), and are excellent for bulking up a meal.

Further- your ability to loose weight is not solely related to your nutritional intake. A drop in calorific intake will result in the body slowing its rate of metabolism in order to conserve resources. It will also instigate 'starvation mode' and try to lay down fats from carbohydrate consumed. You can do many things to try to maintain your rate of metabolism (or increase it)- small but increasing amounts of regular exercise throughout the day- as opposed to spurts of prolonged activity have been shown to assist in this respect (this could be as simple as deciding that lifts/escalators are offlimits- and stairs must be used henceforth- if you work several floors up in a building....... Be inventive......

S.

metamorphosis

but increasing amounts of regular exercise throughout the day- as opposed to spurts of prolonged activity have been shown to assist in this respect (this could be as simple as deciding that lifts/escalators are offlimits- and stairs must be used henceforth- if you work several floors up in a building....... Be inventive......

S.[/quote]

worked in an office for 6 months last year - mainly middle aged women. they always used the lift to get everywhere and though i was so fit becuase i took the stairs! (by the time id have taken the lift to get 2 floors doen it would have taken twiice the time to do a task so whats the point!!)

anyway they must have thought i was some type of inspiration or something becuase they started to take the stirs everywhere. huffing and puffing all the time at first but it made them feel great and so they killed two birds with one stone - feeling great and becoming more active relative to what they were beforehand.

its true what what was stated above - be more inventive. if you dont relish an hour at the gym why not park further away when driving somewhere or if taking the bus get off a stop earlier.

you can always make time to be more active. if you have time to sit down in front of the tv you have time to becoming more active

g'em

taconnol wrote: »

G'em can I ask you if 1500 is too low for 5'9", 75kg female prob around 22% BF

It is tbh - your stats aren't far off mine but I'm shorter, a kilo lighter, lower bf and I eat ~ 2200 cals per day. Look at your diet - where can you reduce carbs and increase good fats, are you timing your meals right? Drop me a PM and I'll take a look and see where we can make changes However, I reserve the right to lambaste your vegetarian lifestyle and the difficulties it poses for adequate protein intake

savvy shopper wrote: »

1200 cal is a standard diet for a woman to get between 2 and 4 lbs off in one week.

2-4lbs of water perhaps, it's completely unsustainable long-term and virtually impossible for the body to maintain a loss of fat to that degree on a weekly basis.

sfhawke7w

any advice you can give me would be great.

i thought 1200 was quite low, am using fitday.com to keep track of my calorie intake and my exercise, i am doing an hour and half a day and am doing two classes a week, a boxing one and a circuit training class. no stairs at work! plan to cycle to work but would be wake and sweating like a pig at the moment so going to wait for fitness to improve a bit more, am getting down to the local pool before work and doing about 14 lengths of a 20m pool, managed 2 mornings this week (not great at getting out of the bed)

i try and stay away from "low fat" foods as they are quite heavy on the sugar and when checking label can be very little difference. am increasing protein but find it hard. mushrooms and my stomach dont agree which is unfortunate as i like mushrooms, this week i have tried to relax the food and not make it so complicated. am eating less portion sizes.

the trainer in the gym really pushed me today and he reckons i need to up my intensity if i want to see good results. i am taking part in an 8 week weight loss challenge and we are into week 5 and i have lost 3.1 kg which is good but disappointing but i keep telling myself the inches are dropping and it the extra weight didnt go on in a couple of weeks, i am now at 89.4kg so my aim this week is to get to 88kg, inch wise i have lost 7 1/2 inches and i can feel the difference.