Diet for Weight Loss

TeFirst, plateaus are to be expected. And muscle mass weighs more than fat. And eat bread with that salad or add some fat and protein.

I suggest that you stop trying so hard. Perhaps your body is reacting this way because of your anxiety.

I've lost 20 lbs. in two months just by eating less. I eat 3 meals most days and a small snack or two or three. I eat carbs in small amounts. I'm rarely hungry but thenI'm not focused on what I eat. I need to clarify that. I do notice when I'm starting to get hungry and either eat a meal or a snack.

It helps that I mostly only cook for myself. However if I had a family I would still only eat when I'm hungry. I'd eat with the family to train my body to be hungry at that time.

I use a luncheon or salad sized plate because this helps M. eat less. No need to measure or count. I ate 1 scrambled egg and 1 frozen hash brown patty at 12:30 and just now, at 3:30 I had a half bagel with about 1/4" of regular cream cheese. Thr fat in the cream cheese helps to keep M. feeling full. I suggest that adding some fat as well as eating more fiber will help you feel less hunger

My life is full and I haven't added any extra exercise. I do walk whenever practical and while doing tasks. I park as far away as possible. I start my shopping at the opposite end of the store from where the goods I need are located. When I have time I walk to do my errands. I live within walking distance of several places I want to go.

I have become aware that much of my earlier eating was more related to how I was feeling than to hunger. I drink more water now. I suck on a piece of hard candy. I journal or text/email a friend. I read before bed instead of snacking.

I suggest that once you change your relationshp with food it will be easier to lose. View food only as a way to physically nourish your body. Only eat as much as you need. Be conscious of what you're eating while eating.

By the way I'm 70, way past the age when losing weight is easy. I now weigh 145. So I didn't lose easily because I was obese.

It's the carbs that are making you so hungry. I am carb free and am never hungry now, to the point that I have to "remember" to eat. Your body doesn't need carbs. I get plenty from veggies and have a nice balance of protein, veggies, fruit, nuts and dairy. Never felt better!

Here's what I eat on a typical day.
Breakfast - 2 eggs either fried or scrambled, fruit on the side or plain whole fat yogurt with walnuts and raisins

Lunch - meat and cheese roll-ups with veggies and fruit, or salad with chicken on top or burger patty with cheese, tomato in a lettuce wrap

Dinner - steak, salad and broccoli or chicken, sweet potatoes and peas, or any other combo that includes a protein and two veggies.

Dessert - berries and homemade whipped cream made with sugar alternative, or small piece of dark chocolate

Snacks - nuts and fruit

Seriously, I've gone from someone who had to eat 6 small meals a day to keep myself going and feel decent, to someone who feels awesome all the time and never is hungry. Oh and the best part, I eat as much as I want and don't count a single calorie. In two weeks, I've dropped 4 lbs. The way I feel is even more important than the weight loss. I have tons of energy and feel clear headed throughout the whole day. Seriously, try it. It's easier than you think. Oh and for exercise, I do a Karate class 2x a week, but have only made it to one class in the last two weeks, so it hasn't contributed to the weight loss. I really need to get back on the treadmill, since that always makes M. feel good too.

Oh and I have to add that I wouldn't call my diet "high" protein. I haven't really increased the animal protein much, just cut out the sugary/starchy carbs and added in more veggies and fruits in it's place. Read the book "Why we get fat and what to do about it" for more info on the science behind it. Fascinating. It really has to do with hormones and insulin and how our bodies process sugars as we age.

Check out this website I came across doing some diet research. They have diets ranked (look to the right side) for weight loss, diabetes, heart health, healthy eating, etc. and they give some really great info on each of them.

http://health.usnews.com/best-diet/best-weight-loss-diets...

Carbs are actually a needed thing, and going no carb is usually not the best idea, and especially if you are wanting long term results. The best way to make sure the weight stays off long term is to make changes you plan to stick with for life, not short term.

Also, adding strength training may cause you to see a stop on the scale as you gain muscle, this is expected, but you will still see results in a stronger and more toned you, and the extra muscle will help you burn more calories in the further, so adding that was a great step.

I would recommend talking to a nutritionist before going no carb. There are even studies that show that a diet that is made up of more then 5-10% animal proteins leads to an increase in cancer risk, so that is another thing to consider when eating high protein, unless of course much of that protein is coming from items like beans and nuts. No carb would also mean no nuts.

Diet is one thing and I have tried many.. what's helped M. the most is going to OA.... in program, I learned why I was over-eating, let alone overreacting to different situations in my life. Sounds like you have the food aspect of your program down, maybe exploring the reasons as to why you turn to food would be helpful... If you go online to OA.ORG, they have questions you can answer to see if the program is right for you..
it's free...
I've lost about 10 lbs weight wise, but emotionally .............. I lost track, I have lost so much so-called baggage that the emotional aspect of the program fat outweighs (so to speak) any physical weight I may have lost..

whatever you do, good luck

Hi Jen,

Nutrition is always the key for weight loss. When your body is getting the nutrition it requires, the weight will fall off whether you are dieting or not. My husband lost 110 pounds by taking a multivitamin that actually absorbs. Most don't so you don't get the nutrition that you thin you are getting. My husband never changed his eating habits or his activity level. (Granted he was never a couch potato and never a bad eater...)

The other thing that holds weight on your body is candida. Yeast causes cravings and is fed by the smallest amount of sugar...a teaspoon a day of sugar feeds yeast as a bread starter. It can also feed yeast in a body that is eaten up with it. Eighty five percent of Americans have a problem with candida because of the additives in foods that we are really not aware of.

If these two things are under control your body will adjust to its perfect weight. I've seen it happen many many times, every time. If you want more specifics private message M.. Would love to help.

Regards,
M.

Moderation (but no elimination) in all things.
Complex carbs (steel cut oatmeal for one) are great for helping you feel full a long time.
Salad will leave you feeling hungry an hour later but a 100 calorie pack of nuts (great protein) will last a lot longer.
I lost 70 lbs when I was on 1200 calories per day and walked for 30 min 3 times per week.
I lost roughly 2 1/2 lbs per week (about 10 lbs per month).
I hit a plateau during the summer (I had to up my water intake when I was outside for long periods of time when it was > 80 degrees F).
But 70lbs in 1 year was great.
I'm holding on maintenance for right now (1500 calories per day) but in the spring I'll try to lose some more (I've been very over weight - progress is good but I still have a lot more to lose).
When you get bored with water, add a little lemon or lime juice to it.
I discovered that lemon, mint and cucumber water is very refreshing!
Watch the salt.
While you need some, you don't need a lot, but too much will stress your liver and make losing weight harder.
Eating ham, even if you count those calories carefully, will make weight loss harder because of the salt content.
Before every meal, have a big glass of water.
If you feel hungry, have a big glass of water.
Don't forget fiber (soluble and insoluble).
I keep some fiber gummies on hand and use Benefiber (along with more water) (and carrots, celery, apples, etc) and it helps you feel full.
Oh, and you can't be eating the same things all the time.
Your digestion gets into a rut as much as your exercise routine will.
Chicken, fish, turkey, a little lean beef, tofu, beans, lentils, eggs - all great protein sources.
Olive oil and some lemon juice along with some herbs can make an interesting salad dressing (or marinade).

I think you will drive yourself nuts if you try to get so regimented that you only eat certain types of food. That is the key to all of this failing, quite honestly.

2 years ago I lost 20 lbs by cutting my calories to 1200/day. (I'm now 36)

I found, during that process, that I naturally started to gravitate towards foods that were lower calorie, but would still keep M. full. My suggestion, is to take the calories you are allowing yourself, break them up per meal, and then eat something you want that fits into that calorie allotment. Don't ditch your bread. Have it still, but make it less and a small part of a meal.

My breakfast every single day is an Atkins Advantage protein bar. It's 200 calories, keeps M. full until lunch because it has 15g of protein in it, and I personally like the taste.

Plan your snacks around what you crave, and then find the lowest calorie version you can of it. Use a food scale religiously.

I like websites like FitSugar, that always have healthy snack ideas to give M. some variation.
And last...allow yourself cheat meals. It will actually BOOST your metabolism. (and keep you happy). Plan 2 meals a week where you can eat what you want. It will help you stay on track.