Thread: Help!

i'm just guessing but it seems to me that ur not eating enough calories......


maybe put down what u eat and when during a week so people can critique it


Will

Originally Posted by sarahann727

Hey guys im new to this place and need some help bad. In Feb i began a total diet makeover. I was 232 pounds and im only 23 y/o & 5'1! Today i weigh 186, and im having a terrible time trying to lose more. Its like im stuck. I do cardio for 1 hour 6 days a week and weight train every other day for about 30 min. I eat around 1500 calories a day. Is it ok to double my cardio and lower my calories by 10-20%? Ive always been overweight so getting down to this weight has only happened once before, and it didnt last long. I want it to last, and i still want to lose atleast another 52 pounds! Im ready and willing to exercise 1-3 hours 5-6 days a week and eat whatever to make this goal. Anyone- everyone Tips please!

Welcome.

Congratulations on your weight loss so far! ~50 pouns is a HUGE amount of weight - especially in such a short amount of time! WOW!

Firstly - don't panic about your weight and wanting to speed it all up... Weight loss does stall and it is completely understandable after you have been dieting for so long!

Secondly - I do not think you need to do anything like doubling your cardio or cutting calories by 10-20%. Doing these things, especially all at once, is just going to cause your body to pack up and you will get nowhere very quickly.


Now - what does your current diet look like? How much protein are you eating? What times are you eating? etc etc

(eg: can you post your diet in a format something like -
breakfast - 1 cup of cereal, 1 medium apple, 1 cup skim milk
lunch - 1 cup of salad, 120g can of tuna etc etc)

This allows the people on the board to see what you are eating and to make suggestions to that.

You might find that it is simply a matter of altering what you eat so you get the same amount of food but from different sources and it will make all the difference!

Also - when was the last time you had a 'diet break'? When you just took a planned week or two off your diet plan and ate at a little higher calories? Although it seems contradictory to eat more - these types of short breaks are very useful in getting your body to speed up it's metabolism and to restore itself so you can start to lose weight again.


In terms of cardio and weights - when was the last time you altered what you were doing for either of these? What type of weight training are you doing? How heavy are you lifting? What exercises on what days? What type of cardio? How fast/intense is it?

Sometimes all that is required is to alter these things so you can stimulate your body back into action.

For the next week i will write down everything i do. That is one thing i have not done!

Meals are a problem for me i usually work 3pm to 12pm, 6 days a week. I work in a the office at a very busy grocery store. I barely have time to eat so i usually stuff down a lean cuisine, subway, or a meal bar. I drink plenty of water usually about 80-100oz per day, besides what I drink while at the gym.

On friday got back from a 2 week trip to California where i followed no diet, and only walked for exercise. So i got the going off the diet part down.

Two questions also - Is it ok to be eating low carb-high protein meal bars? I did low carb at the begining of my weight loss as a boost, but found after i started exercising the weight loss came to a hault and people told me it was because i need more carbs (which i do still try to limit- half the bun etc.) Which did work, but i miss those bars... i like them much better than the regular ones!
Also so any supplements (ex:zantrex, xenadrine) really work or would i be throwing my money out the window?

Thanks! And i look forward to everyones suggestions as i continue!
- Sarah

low carb diets can be effective for temporary results (not necessary the healthy way though) In my opinion high protein, moderate amount of complex carbs, and low fat diet (mostly unsaturated fats) is the way to go...The ketosis just drains you too much and gives you insulin spikes causing inconsistent relults.

Realistically you can't expect to loose weight at the incredible rate you did in the past...It will probably come off much slower now.

Cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach is the most effective way to burn off fat...remember to eat 15-25 after your cardio.

what should i be eating after the cardio?

Oh.. and i only did low carb for about 1 month in feb

30g of whey protein, 1/2 cup of old fashioned oatlmeal, and 1 g of flaxseed oil app.20min after you early morning cardio.

try eating your carbs in the day only....no need for them at night. You should be eating 5 meals (300k each) every 3 hours to speed up your metabolism...not easy to do w/ a busy job