Where am i going wrong?

[freespirit]

Hi All
I am new to this board and wondered if someone could take a look at my routine/diet for me. Bit of background, i am female, 35, weighing in at 173 lbs, height 5'6". I am on the heavy-side due to a 10 year absense from the gym because of a very bad knee & kneck injury. Anyways, now i am back at the gym, have been going for 4 weeks and not dropped a single pound!! Its probably me being inpatient, but when you have waited for soooo long to get back in shape and nothing happens for a month.... it kinda drives you crazy!! I have an example of a gym-day and a non-gym day in respect of exercise and diet. Could someone give this a quick eyeball and let me know where i am possibly going wrong.. or tell me to be patient!!! (I go to the gym 3 times a week and perform the same routine as you will see below)

Yesterday: Gym Day
0800 - Breakfast cereal
1100 - Banana
1300 - Pasta w/chicken & tomato
1930 - Grilled chicken breast with vegetables (green) & peppers

Went to the gym at 1730 and did:
8 minutes walk (to warm up)
12 mins run
20 mins bike (90 rpm all the way)
25 mins all over body blast with weights machines

On a non-gym day i will eat:
cereal
banana
salad for lunch
maybe jacket potato or pasta for dinner.

Soo....... opinions please!!! Don't be shy - and don't be kind! i can take it on the chin!!

many thanks in anticipation!!!
p.s. sorry, should have said - my goal is to lose 28 lbs in about 3 months.

[Lady C]

You need to eat more veggies less starchy carbs (potatoes, pasta, rice, breads, crackers, cereals). This was critical for me when I started. Your body is wanting to hang onto those carbs. Start by breaking each meal into smaller snacks with protein, carbs and some fat in each. So add hard boiled eggs or cottage cheese to that banana to make it a balanced meal. Protein will also make you fill full longer. Smaller meals increases the metabolism to start burning fat while sitting at a computer for instance.

Remove processed foods from your diet if possible (sodas, fruit drinks, chips, crackers, most dry cereals, etc) and replace them with fresh fruit and veggies. Fiberous veggies (broccoli, califlower, cabbage, aspargus, brussel sprouts, string beans) are your best bet for dinner. If you drink cut out alcohol for at least 8-12 weeks. It is real hard to reach your goals with alcohol in the mix.

Psst. . me

[Pelon]

A couple of thoughts:

1) Don't worry too much about weight, worry about body fat. It is not uncommon to see little weight loss when you first get started. You may be increasing the percentage of glycogen, water, and muscle mass in your body. These all make you weigh more, but it is good weight.

2) How many calories are you getting a day? Your listed foods don't look like very much for your body weight. If you don't get enough food, your body will slow down your metabolism making it very difficult to reach your goals.

[freespirit]

Thanks for the advice! I find the nutritional side sooo confusing! Some say eat lots of complex carbs, some say don't! But so far, all have said that eating smaller amounts, more times during the day, is a great recipe for fat-burning and speeding up the old metabolism. And i must say Lady C, you look great! Nice work! You are an inspiration to me!!
Thanks alot guys - i really do appreciate the advice. :

p.s. - Pelon - i don't know how many calories i eat a day, i haven't been keeping a count, but i guess its not very much!! Is it ok to sometimes have jacket potato or wholewheat pasta/brown rice?

[Lady C]

I suggest you do a food logging experiment. Don't change your diet until you write down everything (both in amounts and what time of day) for at least 4 days. Then you can go back and add up what you ate. This is the most revealing part of understanding your nutrition intake and deficiencies.

[arbit]

May I also say 28 pounds in 3 months is a tad unrealistic. 15 lbs is a more realistic target. And since u'r body doesnt want to lose weight, 12lbs is more like what u should target.

LadyC posting a link to her pic thread?? Its nice to see a woman who is at peace with her body image. Most think unless they are <90lbs they are horribly fat

[Pelon]

As Lady C said, it is best to log your food intake for awhile, but here is a rough guess of the amount of calories you are consuming (probably a little on the high side):

Gym Day
0800 - Breakfast cereal - 300 calories
1100 - Banana - 200 calories
1300 - Pasta w/chicken & tomato - 500 calories
1930 - Grilled chicken breast with vegetables (green) & peppers -400 calories

Total: 1400 calories

On a non-gym day i will eat:
cereal - 300 calories
banana - 200 calories
salad for lunch - 200 calories
maybe jacket potato or pasta for dinner. - 400 calories

Total: 1100 calories

Using an online calorie calculator (http://www.caloriecontrol.org/calcalcs.html), the estimated number of calories you need to maintain your weight with a moderate amount of exercise is approximately 2,300 calories / day. In a safe weight loss plan, you don't want to go more than 1,000 calories / day below this total unless trial and error shows that this number is way off for you. It looks to me like you might need to add a few hundred calories to your diet, but you won't know until you actually add up the total.

As far as what types of things to eat, there is no clear answer. My personal opinion is that you should minimize most forms of simple sugars, processed foods, and saturated fats. Good things to eat include pretty much any type of fruit or vegetable (a minimum of 5 servings / day), whole grains (like whole wheat pasta), and lean protein (poultry, fish, and some dairy). Finally, never let yourself go hungry. Always have some high fiber, low calorie foods around to eliminate that hungry feeling.

[Lady C]

Originally Posted by freespirit

Is it ok to sometimes have jacket potato or wholewheat pasta/brown rice?

You can eat whatever you want. Just be aware of what you are intaking. You will be more successful with some things than others. I personally was a starchy carbaholic, so cutting these out for about 8 weeks while I was in the fat cutting mode was critical to changing my eating habits and cravings.

Never drop below 1200 calories, it is just unhealthy. I toggle between 1400-1600.

[freespirit]

Thanks for all the info guys, i have used the calorie converter and i do need to be on about 2000 - 2500 cals a day, so i am starting to keep a log. I took delivery of my protein shakes today and had one - its Dymatize Dyma-Lean low-carb - i have to say - it made me gag! it is the strawberry one - but it tastes nothing like strawberry and smells awful! (to me anyway) i managed about 11 ounces but could not drink the rest! Can anyone recommend a protein shake that doesn't taste quite so bad, or are they all around the same and i just need to get my head around drinking them?! :confused:

[Pelon]

Personally, I think protein shakes are unnecessary for most people. A well balanced diet should provide all the nutrients you need. If you don't like the taste, replace them with some other type of protein tha you do like.

As for the calorie counter, remember that it just provides a starting point. If you don't see results using that estimate, you will have to lower your total calorie intake.