8 Month eating

Ok guys, heres a poll....I'm having trouble losing my last 45 lbs. I have stepped up my walking and my excercise, I drink2 protien shakes a day starting yesterday and I get plenty water, up to a gallon a day. So my thoughts are I am not eating something right. Can you guys give me a listing of what a typical daily menu is for ya'll? thanks a heap, Im anxious to compare mine to ya'lls to see where I am going wrong. Do you watch your carbs, fat, etc.? Waiting for your replys... Carol lap rny 9--23-03 258/168/120?

I am in the same boat. I have 30 more to go and things have slowed down drastically and I am extremely active as well. Part of the reason is that I just found out my new resting metabolic rate which is now 1250 as opposed to 1800 only 3 months ago. The heavier you are, the higher the rate. So, it's become harder and harder to lose the weight since I'm not burning as many calories as before and yet I'm eating about the same. I'm still losing, but it's like pulling teeth. here's a sample day of what I eat: br: Total Protein, 3/4 cup 1 extra small banna 3-4 oz of nonfat milk lunch: 1 slice wheat bread 2 oz of ham or turkey lunchmeat 1 slice of cheese 1 pickle or 1 cup of grapes 3 pretzel rods or 1 serv. of bbq soy crisps dinner: 3 oz of a meat 1 serv. of potato very small salad. snacks: Eddy's Grand light ice cream or 1 PB Cookie. All told, I usually average about 1050 calories a day, sometimes more sometimes less. I'm training for a bike a thon and I run 3.5 miles about 3x a week and yet still the weight loss has slowed... I can only attribute it to the metabolism slowing down as well.

How did you find your metabolic rate? Yesterday i averaged about 700 calories. Today ive had only 180 so far. I just dont do well with my eating at all do i? And I can only eat about 3 ounces at a time. I really need this last 45 gone. Its gonna drive me nuts!

Carol, Your body might be in starvation mode with that amount of calories at so far out (700).. I am currently going into the maintaining part because I made goal a month ago, but am still losing weight and am 4 lbs past Dr's goal... Here is my typical day: AM 2 cups coffee 2 packet slpenda 4 tblsp french vanilla creamer, made with splenda Breakfast 1/2 large egg scrambled 1/2 piece of wheat toast with butter Snack 1 oz honey roasted peanuts Lunch 1/2 cup diet frozen meal, either lean cusinie, weigh****chers Dinner 1/4 cup chicken, meat or pork 1/4 cup veggies or rice or potato or a mixture of both Snack 1 cup fruit or 1/2 cup ice cream Right now and for the past 2 months I have been averaging between 1,000-1,200 calories... I don't count carbs or fat and try to keep my protein above 50 grams... I also don't drink with my meals and wait 30 min's before my meal and 1 hr after my meal to start to drink anything.. Your body just might be playing catch up... I'm sure the weightloss will kick back in hang in there! Take Care, Kim

Ok here is yesterdays menu: Breakfast: 1/2 cup Hood Carb Countdown milk 1/4 cup Special K Low carb cereal with Splenda Mid Morning snack: 1 oz. cheddar cheese Lunch: 1 small grilled chicken thigh Mid afternoon snack: 1 oz. Cheddar cheese Supper: The same cereal combo as breakfast I got in around 740 calories today. I know thats not enough but it was all I could do. Today I'll try to do better. I also didnt get my water and liquids in as I usually do. The eating pattern is normal for me. I havent been able to get much over than in calories since surgery. The days I did get to the 1000 calorie mark, I drank 3 protien shakes. After the first two and taking a hour or so to drink it, you tend to get a lil gorged on them. Any suggestions? Thanks ahead of time and hugs to you all. I want to tell you all now that you are doing wonderfully and I am very proud of you. Each one of you are a great inspiration to me. Keep up the good work guys and keep that advice rolling in. I know we all look forward to each others help and replies. Hugs, Carol

I got my resting metabolic rate from my doctor's office. They clip your nose and make you breath into this thing for 10 minutes and then it gives you a read out. my RMR used to be 1800 and now with it being 1250, it makes things, as I said, not as easy to lose as it used to be. And I agree with the comment that you may be in starvation mode... that is waaay too little amount of caloric intake this far out.... though it sounds like it is just really difficult for you to eat more... I'm sorry to hear that... maybe if you make higher caloric choices that would help. I dunno, talk to your doc about it and see what he/she says. Good luck!!

Although Sheri's and my surgeon has a BMR machine in his office -- and it's a great tool -- you can get estimates of your basal/resting metabolic rate at a number of websites. Of course, this is only an estimate, and even the best estimates can be off. My BMR, when measured by my doc, was a good 100 calories/day less than the estimate for my height, age and weight at the time. And, the resting metabolic rate is just that -- a rate at a resting status. If you're more active, your daily calorie expenditure naturally will increase. And, as you lose weight and your body mass decreases, your RMR/BMR typically will as well. Theoretically, you can compensate for this -- to some degree -- by increasing muscle mass. Here are some sites with RMR (aka BMR) calculators. The most accurate calculations come when your age, weight, height, gender and body fat percentage are part of the formula. If you have access to a scale that measures your body fat percentage (Tanita makes the BMR machine and scale used by my doc; I have a Tanita scale at home), that number will come in handy. http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/calrmr.htm http://www.caloriesperhour.com/index_burn.html http://www.virtualfitnesstrainer.com/cooltools/What_is_Your_Resting_Metabolic_Rate.htm http://www.hussman.org/fitness/bmrcalc.htm (I happen to think the hussman.org one is the best, largely because it also includes your body fat percentage is part of the calculation. It's a little less intuitive to use, but the info it spits back at you post-calculation is pretty handy. And, unlike some of the other calculators out there, this doesn't way inflate my BMR). http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

Hi Jen: Thanks for the info. I went to the sites and the results for me were interesting. BTW, I'm still waiting for the word to use my noisemaker to celebrate with you. Take care. Jesse

Jesse, break out that noisemaker any time! We both have a lot to celebrate! Jen.

Hey, Carol. Here was my menu yesterday. I don'****ch my carb or sugar intake, I just eat my protein first. Breakfast: 1/2 c Raisin Bran 1/3 c milk *didn't finish my bowl of cereal* Snack: 1 hardboiled egg, salted Lunch: 1 small chili from Wendy's, with cheese and onions *ate about 2/3 of the chili* Snack: 2 gummi worms Dinner: 3 oz grilled chicken 1/3 c grilled onions and mushrooms spoonful afredo sauce couple bites of salad (lettuce, cucumber, crumbled bacon, Ranch) Dessert: a funsized pack of peanut M&M's (about 5 or 6 M&M's) I drank 60 oz water, and had 6 oz coffee after dinner, black with a teaspoon of sugar. That's pretty typical, I try not to graze and I make sure to make every thing I put in my mouth a "meal" or "snack"...I serve it on a plate, sit down, and enjoy every bite. I tend to go through a lot of phases. I'll eat nothing but tuna for a week, then nothing but steak and baked potato...I'm trying NOT to have these ruts, but I tend to fall in love with a food's flavor and then I'll be "addicted" to it for a good 3-7 days. It's my biggest pitfall. I have 22 pounds to go, and I'm beating every last one of 'em off me! I wonder why our weight loss slows so much at this point post-op? Good luck!