Serious Stall

[Aube 42]

Help help help,,,,if someone has a sample menu to help kick start my weight loss. I would greatly appreciate it. I am 7 mths out and stuck :-( just cant lose , dont know what to do. Please someone give me a sample meal. Help,,,,,,DESPERATE!!!

[CanyonBaby 1,852]

How about going back to a pre-op diet? And throw a bunch of sugar-free popsicles in there when you need to crunch and chew? When I stall, I go back to Protein shakes for 2 meals a day, then the popsicles in between when I NEED something. Then, as I get to thinking about eating, I go and start or finish a project. Like today, I need to bake for my husband who gets home tomorrow.....I can't stand the smell of the baking anymore, so I don't eat it, and can get away with doing this treat for him. Then I have to attack the craft room - we recently moved into this house - and it is a mess. Something to do. How many times I read on here that people are bored so they eat. NO! Do something. Anything. Get your mind off of it!!! My basement is a disaster. Calling my name. Calling ME names....I can hear it now...........

[liannatx 897]

If it were me, I would go high Protein and super low carb for a week... go back to the basics. eggs for Breakfast and chicken salad, meat, seafood, or fish for lunch and dinner. Green veggies. If you have to have a snack have some fat-free cottage cheese, a boiled egg, a cheese stick, or sugar free popsicles. Eliminate any sugar, fruit, bread, or grains.... for a week. It should deplete any stored glycogen and put you back into fat-burning mode.

Make sure you are getting above 60 or 70 grams of Protein, under 30ish g carbs, and getting all of your 64+ oz of fluids in. Log in everything you eat and make sure you are getting your protein in and staying low on carbs.

Edited April 7, 2015 by liannatx

[une nouvelle vie 327]

I'm going to second what liannatx is saying. Weight/measure your food and really watch your macro-nutrients. Get your Protein in an keep those carbs low. I'm not sure a sample menu is going to really help because our tastes are all so different.

I try to keep it very simple to the point of boring because if I get too fancy, my calories go up. A lot of my meals are just 3oz of boneless, skinless chicken breast, a couple ounces of steamed broccoli and an egg white. Whatever you choose, make sure you're measuring to be sure you're not eating too much and then document it.

I was on a LONG stall. For 3 months I was stuck at a weight only losing and then regaining the same 3 pounds. It was CRAZY to me. I realize I wasn't truly gaining weight because I wasn't eating more than 800-1000 calories a day let alone the 3500 it takes to gain a pound. But when we take in calories we store excess either as fat or glycogen. To gain a pound of fat it takes an excess 3500 calories BUT each gram of glycogen is accompanied by 3 grams of Water so that's why we see these spikes when we weigh ourselves frequently especially if we've taken in a lot of sodium.

The reason I'd stalled so long was because I thought I didn't NEED to exercise. By a metabolic rate calculator says my BMR should be 2077 calories a day. So if I'm eating 800 calories I should be burning (just sitting around) 1200 calories more than I am taking in. So that should be a pound every 3 days. Guess what? Not happening. No matter what the BMR says, it wasn't happening and my stubborn and foolish self fought it. I INSISTED it SHOULD be that way. Maybe it should, but it wasn't. I started walking on a treadmill just 20 minutes a day at first and in just a couple of weeks I'm down 16 pounds. I'm still eating exactly the same but the small amount of exercise has been making the difference.

Are you exercising?

[BLERDgirl 6,417]

You could call your nutritionist but also keep in mind the closer you get to a normal BMI and your goal weight the harder the fat will try and stick around.

[Rogofulm 2,440]

@@Aube, below is a "typical" day's menu:

As for carbs, mostly I get them from my shakes, Greek yogurt, and the very limited veggies I'm able to fit in after my Protein. Other doctors and nutritionists give you carb targets, but my doctor just says to limit them as much as possible. If you're not logging your food yet, I'd suggest using http://www.myfitnesspal.com/. It helps you keep track of your Protein and fluids, but also can help you figure out if anything is going off track and affecting your weight loss.

Okay, here's an example of my day:

• I keep a 2-quart jug and a 24-oz Tervis tumbler (with a handle) both at home and at work.
• I count my morning Protein shake as a meal, not a Fluid. (Premier Protein - 30 grams of protein)
• 30-60 minutes later, I have a cup of coffee. (Count it as a Fluid if you like.)
• After that, I drink a 24-oz. tumbler of Decaf, sugar-free iced tea, like Crystal Light throughout the morning. (Lots of frequent sips)
• Then I walk for 40+ minutes.
• Then it's lunchtime - tuna salad or chicken salad, or leftover protein from dinner. (16-22 grams of protein) and maybe a bite of veggies if there's room.
• About 45 minutes after lunch, I'll fill another 24-oz tumbler of iced tea and sip that throughout the afternoon, finishing by 30 minutes before my afternoon snack.< /li>
• At around 4:00 or 4:30, my afternoon snack is usually a Greek yogurt (12 grams of protein) or some leftovers. (This is also a good time to get in some veggies or a V-8 if you're getting enough protein at other times.)
• Maybe a cup of hot tea in the later afternoon. (Count it as a fluid you like.)
• Then dinner – again, getting 20-25 grams of protein from lean steak, fish, chicken, or pork, and maybe a bite or two of veggies.
• Finally, another 24-oz cup of iced tea or Water 30-45 minutes after dinner that I sip throughout the evening.
• If I'm hungry later, sugar-free Jello, pudding, or popsicles are good. And if I'm short on protein or still hungry, another yogurt or Protein Shake. (I'm not worried about the calories because this menu only provides 700-900 per day.)
• All my Snacks are protein-based (nuts, Jerky, cheese, yogurt)

So that's 70+ grams of protein and 72+ ounces of fluid, with some exercise as well. If you have a regular enough schedule, you can follow it every day. If not, maybe a modified version will work.

The big trick is in pre-planning your meals and your fluids, especially if you're going to be away from home or work. In those cases, I always make sure there will be something I can eat, or I bring along a Protein shake or some kind of meat to carry me through. I've also gotten pretty good at restaurant eating. I avoid the bread and salad, order chicken, steak, lamb, fish, or pork, trade in the starch for a second veggie, skip the dessert.... and end up taking half of the meat, and almost all of the veggies home.

I know we need to learn to eat "normally", but I'm not there yet – especially when it comes to carbs. When I get to goal weight, I'll work on finding my new low-carb "normal".

Hope that helps!

Rog

[BLERDgirl 6,417]

I agree with everyone's comments. I'll use today as my sample day. Mind you I'm vegetarian so my Proteins are mostly plant based. I do supplement with unflavored Isopure. I also tend to eat light for dinner. lunch is my biggest meal because I am most active between 8 am - 2pm.

I usually drink 4 -8 ounces of Water when I wake up. Most days I go the gym in the morning and I can't stomach food and then workout. This morning's Protein shake was Fage 0% greek yogurt+a scoop of Isopure unflavored +½tsp cacao powder +½ unsweetened vanilla flavored almond milk. I typically drink half before my workout and the rest on the way home from the gym. (40 gm protein)

I carry a water bottle with me everywhere. If I'm not full from the Protein Shake I start sipping on that. Once I get home I'll make lunch

Today was ¾ cup of meatless turkey and left over malai kofta (an Indian dish made with chickpeas, pea, spices in a sauce made of tomatoes and cashews.) It was mostly just the sauce leftover. (15 gm protein) I also often eat a salad with an egg and black Beans for my Protein but I wanted to use up the leftovers before they went bad.

I'll then refill the Water bottle and drink that. Typically another 20 -24 ounces depending on which bottle I grab.

Today's snack was 2 pineapple rings. Sometimes I need that bit of sweetness and I'm allergic to artificial sweeteners.

dinner is Soup with a scoop of unflavored Protein Powder. (27 gm protein.) I don't often snack in the evening so I may sip on water.

One other thing I try to do is plan ahead. I log my food for the day in the morning before I head out to the gym. I don't eat them often but I keep Protein Bars in the glove compartment of my car along with 1 ounce servings of nuts (usually cashews or pistachios) in case I get snacky.

I also have a Blender Bottle storage jar set. It's a tremendous in staying on track. Saturday I was meeting friends at an event. I knew they were serving a continental Breakfast but wasn't sure what all that would entail. I carried the top 2 tiers only. The top help my Calcium supplements and the bottom help a scoop of unflavored protein. It fit perfectly in my handbag. At the event I had fruit, yogurt and a cup of coffee to which I added my Protein Powder.

[WL WARRIOR 692]

Everyone's suggestions are spot on, but I want to add a little tip that has helped me these past few weeks. I am getting closer to goal and am not seeing the huge losses every month like I use to.

After reading a research article about the antioxidants in black coffee decreasing cravings/appetite, I decided to integrate the tip into my diet. I changed my biggest meal to the middle of the day and drank 1-2 cups of black coffee during the late afternoon (3-4 PM). This decreased my need to snack in the evening or have a bigger than intended dinner.

By the way, the coffee has to be black because cream or milk neutralizes the effectiveness of the antioxidants.

[Babbs 14,681]

@@WL WARRIOR

I may have to try that coffee trick this week! I've been stalled again for a couple weeks so I'll give it a try!

[Rogofulm 2,440]

I drink 2-3 cups of coffee a day with Splenda and dry Creamer. Unfortunately, I find that sometimes it makes me hungry. So I usually follow it up with a huge tumbler of Crystal Light iced tea to fill up my sleeve.

[CanyonBaby 1,852]

@@Rogofulm

My dietician won't let me do coffee for the caffeine-thing, making us hungry (acid), so I use Decaf. Have you tried decaf?

[Rogofulm 2,440]

Yeah, I drink Decaf when I need to warm up, but I'm afraid I drink coffee for the caffeine. It's the only vice I have left.

[KingMoose 238]

I drink a Protein Shake in the morning (after my coffee) after the gym I have a Protein Bar. Then lunch is where I have my carbs, normally a subway chicken or turkey sandwich with all the veggies. During the afternoon I snack on sunflower seeds (I know the salt is bad but I am a HS football and baseball coach so I am very active and in the sun a lot so I need the little bit of salt to keep from dehydration and cramps) dinner is some sort of clean Protein and veggies. Late night snack is usually a piece or two of beef Jerky. All day long I am drinking Water and crystal light roughly 80oz total. Plus if I want sweet I have a sf popcicle

[CanyonBaby 1,852]

@@Rogofulm

I can't say I blame you, I sure miss my diet cokes! But on the other hand, since I do so much Protein and very little carbs, I find I'm not nearly as sleepy during the day, which is good. But that KICK from the caffeine is sure what I need in the pants from time to time!!!!!

[CanyonBaby 1,852]

@@KingMoose

How are you with the raw veggies on the Subways? I have the toughest time with them, even though I am over 4 months out. I even have problems with sautéed spinach. Just not good. Any ideas as to when I might be able to digest these things?