Lost 40 lbs but not stomach -HELP!

[Octagon]

Originally Posted by mseyes79

Oh, one more thing. On my FitDay.com, it says w/ my daily activities, I burn up alot of calories in my Basal and Lifestyle. How do I burn up about 2,000 cal a day???

I love FitDay. I used their online version for the first year or so of my little health kick and I still use their standalone program to log workouts and weight.

That said, though, their calorie requirement estimates always struck me as very much on the high side. I mean, according to their calculations I should have disappeared completely sometime in February.

FTR, that's fairly common too. Most of the online resources I've seen tend to overestimate the number of calories one needs just to break even.

Which only reinforces the fact that trial and error is the only real way to find out what levels will work for you. Don't get *too* caught up in the numbers game.

It's good to be aware of what you're eating and to keep general tabs on things like macro breakdowns but don't go too far trying to calculate everything out to the final gram.

You're just going to drive yourself nuts

[Lady C]

Originally Posted by mseyes79

I am so hungry today! It's like I eat and I'm still hungry! Instead of breaking up my sandwich and salad at different times, I ate them together at lunch, thinking that would be good. But I'm still hungry! Grrrr... Also, I'm bloated. It doesn't matter what I eat/drink... water, I bloat, food, I bloat. It's really uncomfortable!

If you have recently changed your eating amounts then it takes a few days for the body to adjust. I don't understand what you mean by hungary AND bloated. Aren't these kind of opposites?

When eating out I usually get a big salad with grilled chicken or fish. There is always salad on the menu. It will take a lot of lettuce to gain weight on but it sure fills you up. We prefer to eat in or at a predicable place. Our standard eat out is saturday morning breakfast. It is early enough that we still have time to burn it off by working out.

[mseyes79]

I don't know. I've been having problems w/ heartburn and bloating. I'll bloat up like a balloon w/ heartburn, sometimes even if I just drink water. I started taking Prevacid and antacids, now I'm on GasX w/ antacids. They seem to help most of the time, but the heartburn kinda lingers.

You guys were mentioning buckwheat pancakes w/ PB. I've read that natural PB is better for you, so I got the Smuckers Natural PB. It still seems like a lot of cals for just 2 T (210 Cal, 16g F, 6g C, 8g P). Is there a better PB out there?

What about trail mix? I read the post that banana chips are junk, and raisins are compacted sugar (so ok, I'll try to stay away from them). But I do like almonds and fruit (mango, etc). Does anyone have any suggestions?

Ok, one more food question - potatoes. One article said they're ok, and you should eat the skin because that's where the protein lies. Another article said if you deep fry them, you'd have the worst food on the planet for dieters. What gives?

[Lady C]

Heartburn is caused by acids building up in the stomach. It sounds like something you are eating does not agree with your system. Are you eating lots of tomatos or acidic fruits?

PB is high in calories and fat (good fat, though) so that is why a serving is about 2T. Caution when eating lots of it.

As far as trail mix goes - stick with ones that don't have the fruits. This is becasue most fruits are sugar coated or they add lots more sugars before they dehydrate them. I just have a handful of mixed nuts.

I see no value in potatoes, high glycemic, low nutritional values. If you feel you must have them switch to sweet potatoes they have a ton more nutritional value. I would only eat them around the workout. That is where you have the best chance of burning them off.

[Octagon]

Heartburn/bloating - What's your salt intake like?

PB/Trail Mix - I'll take these together because they share the same downside...they're both very dense calorically. You say you're having a hard time with hunger. Well, high calorie whacks for small serving sizes won't help with that. If you look at calories as a sort of money and your cap as a daily budget it's pretty easy to see that stuff like peanut butter and nuts are awfully expensive and can quickly (attn: really bad pun acomin') eat up your daily calorie allowance.

Potatoes - First things first, there's no contradiction between saying something is okay overall but bad when deep-fried. I mean, deep-fried tofu would be bad for people trying to drop excess fat. Beyond that, though, potatoes get something of a bad rap. They're not overly dense calorie-wise, they're a decent source of several nutrients and they're an okayish (but definitely not great) source of fiber. The rap against them is that they're a simple carb and while that's true it gets a little overplayed because it ignores both cooking methods (baking is better than boiling/mashing) and the impact on digestion of other foods eaten at the same time.

[mseyes79]

That's great info! Thanks! What about yogurt chips in trail mix? Does anyone make their own yogurt chips, dried fruits, or other good-4-u snacks? I love dried fruit, but I'm guessing you're right about the added sugar. It does seem alittle too sweet. I find that if I eat trail fix w/ fruit before I run, it helps get me through it. I will remember that about the sweet potatoes. Just wondering bc I have a bad of reg potatoes that I need to do something with!

Regarding my stomach - I don't really eat anything acidic, besides fruit. I might have 2 cherry tomatoes on my sandwich. I didn't have this prob before; it all started when (on cheat day) I fixed spicy chicken chimichangas. I put it a really spicy chipotle pepper in the mix and after I ate that, my stomach has been acting up... and that was about a month and a half ago! My salt intake? I don't use salt on anything so it just comes from whatever is in the food already.

Upping my calories between 1,000-1,300 seems good. I'm not jittery. I am still hungry though, but I think it's kinda mental as well. Today's my 7M run! Hope I get through, making good time & of course not passing out!

[Lady C]

You need to ween yourself off of the dried fruit. Each a peach or an apple instead. It is best to eat fruit with some fat or protein (like cottage cheese or boiled eggs) to reduce the possibility of the insulin spike.

[Octagon]

Originally Posted by mseyes79

Just wondering bc I have a bad of reg potatoes that I need to do something with!

If you don't want to eat them then throw them away. I know that flies in the face of how many of us were raised but a really important part of developing a healthy attitude toward eating is accepting that there are in fact worse things than 'wasting' food.

[mseyes79]

It's so hard to throw away food bc I feel like I'm throwing away $! I have potatoes, tortillas, some regular spaghetti... But I have a feeling by the end of next wk, most of it might be gone anyways - I have an out-of-town trip and my bf will be here. He cooks really well.

One question - what do you guys think about FitDay's Calorie Breakdown charts, especially the Activities (Calories burned)? How accurate are both the Calories Eaten and Calories Burned charts?

AJARVIS or anyone else - when you're doing longer runs, does your shoulders ever cramp or the muscle tightens to where it's painful?

[ajarvis]

Yes my right shoulder will cramp up sometimes on long runs. If I take a look at my posture thats usually whats causing it. I find the longer I run for the more I'll lean forward, and my shoulders will end up being near my ears lol but if I notice all that and relax, slow down a bit then usually the cramps go a way. I also find it happens if I carry a water bottle in my hand so I switch it up.

[mseyes79]

Ahh! I try to really pay attention to my body and relax, but my L one cramps more than my right. I guess that might be because I hold my car key and chapstick in my left hand and I usually don't hold anything in my right. I'll try to switch it up and see what happens. Thanks!

[gan4445]

Hello! This is my first time conversing with anyone seeking advise or conversation. I have recently set a personal goal to become a body builder. I'm not sure if my goals are realistic or not, but for the first time in a long time I'm feeling good about myself and a little excited about the way my body is changing. It's slow and I have alot to learn, but would appreciate any helpful hints. Here is some basic info on me. I'm 37 years old, 5ft 7.5 in, 170 lbs, body fat 30.4 % (poor I know). Since mid March '04 I have lost 32.5 inches and lost 10.75 lbs of which 8.7 lbs was body fat. A year ago this Oct. I took some motivational pictures I was over 205 lbs and God only knows what my body fat percentage was. I was busting out of a size 18, had no energy, headaches, back aches and just looked and felt horrible all the time. My husband is disabled with Lupus and we decided to join a gym for his benifit(and mine). At first the hardest thing for me to do was stop watching the scales, but now that I've dropped some weight and my size is now a 14 I find myself a little concerned about the scale again. My goal is to firm and tone up to build and define muscle. I am concerned with my weight, but more so with my body fat percentage. I want to preserve my muscle while dropping my body fat percentage. Any suggestions?

[Lady C]

My advice is simple. . .Lift weights and lift heavy and often. Get a good diet plan and keep up the good work.

What is your workout routine and diet like now?

[mseyes79]

OK you guys, what is the deal? It seems like I'm getting bigger in the torso than smaller! Yes, I know it's only been a wk or so w/ the new eating plan, so I should have been getting smaller right? I look in the mirror and I don't look fat, I just look bigger, especially in the upper part of torso. I push on it, and it's not fat - I can feel my abs, but it looks like a balloon is being blown up inside me! What gives?

[gan4445]

My diet at the moment 6 small meals a day trying to spread out with a carb and protein. Try for 8 to 10 glasses of water daily. I like bananas, apples, veggies, salads, tuna, chicken, fat free cottage cheese with fruit(fresh strawberries or blueberries), egg whites, lean steak. I love salt on everything but am finding alternate ways to season(not as tasty). Fresh brewed unsweet tea with lemon lots of real lemon. I find it dosen't take as much to satisfy me with six mini meals but if I wait to long between I don't feel so great.

Workout routine - new starting Monday.(I was only working out each body part once weekly high reps low weight.)
Mon. CHEST - four exercises 4 sets 10 to 15 reps
BICEPS - four @ 4 x 10 - 15
Tues. BACK - four @ 4 x 10 - 15
TRICEPS - four @ 4 x 10 - 15
Wed. LEGS - four @ 4 x 10 -15
SHOULDER - four @ 4 x 10 - 15
TRAPS - three @ 4 x 10 - 15
Thurs. Repeat Mon.
Fri. Repeat Tues.
Sat. Repeat Wed.
Every night add ABS with calves and extra leg extensions and leg curls 2 x 10 - 12
Cardio nightly 20 min.
Sun. OFF except ABS and Cardio.
The above routine was set up by some one in my gym that I trust for a goal I want to try to reach in 6 weeks. Don't know if I'll reach it in six weeks or not but I have nothing to loose. It seems like alot and a little overwhelming but I'm going for it. I suspect I'll learn alot from this experience. I look forward to each night at the gym! (I say that now. Ha Ha!)