Suggestions, Advice and Opinions please...

Hi everyone.  So...I am about 7 1/2 months out.  My heaviest weight was 279lbs, and my current weight is 167lbs.  My goal is 135-145 by April 15/16.  So... I still have 22-32 lbs to lose.  I have been exercising daily, taking all of my vitamins, drinking between 1.5 and 2 Liters of water a day, and following the plan my center gave me. This plan includes 3 meals, plus 3 snacks if I am hungry or need it. The meals are supposed to include 3 oz protein, veggies, and 1/4 cup healthy starch or fruit if I still have room (which is about 50% of the time).  Snacks are supposed to be protein based.  I get more than 80g of protein daily, and between 500-900 calories. I usually dont get snacks in... maybe 1.  Recently (the last couple of weeks), I have stopped losing weight.  I have changed the type and frequency of my exercise with no change in weight.  I have tried measuring changes by the way my clothing fits, and that hasnt changed either.  Ugh.  I dont want to be done losing yet.  I still have a lot of weight to lose to be in the normal BMI.  So I did some reading.  It sounds like a lot of successful weight loss happens for people when the have very low carb in their diets.  I thought I would try that out and see if it helps.  I am wondering what peoples experience has been with this?  How many carbs is considered low enough?  What is this whole net carb thing and do you use that when calculating total daily carbs?  Do you find that you are dizzy and light headed (i have been the last few days since doing low carb) and what can be done about it?  If I do this, can I start incorporating in healthy carbs once my weight is normal without gaining?  My center seems to think carbs are important, but I have heard so many different opinions about this as a long term lifestyle change.  I just want to start losing again... What are your daily nutritional goals for calories, protein, sugar, fats, and carbs? Any advice to kick start my metabolism and start losing again.  I have seen so many successful people on here... I am hoping you can share your secrets.  Also, a friend suggested I might like to try these as a treat someday.  What does everyone think about these numbers?  Are the carbs really as high as they look or are they lower in net carbs???  How would you count this if you were going to have it as a treat?  Is it an okay choice?

Chatilas Bakery Sugar Free Donut

Serving Size: 3 oz Amount Per Serving

• Calories110.0
• Total Fat3.5 g
• Saturated Fat0.4 g
• Polyunsaturated Fat0.0 g
• Monounsaturated Fat0.0 g
• Cholesterol0.0 mg
• Sodium20.0 mg
• Potassium280.0 mg
• Total Carbohydrate23.0 g
• Dietary Fiber6.0 g
• Sugars0.0 g
• Protein8.0 g

To lose weight on low carb, google Atkin induction plan.  It is, I believe, no less than 18 and no more than 22 carbs per day.  Doing that for two weeks should take off at least 10 pounds and get you ready for Atkins phase 2.

I eat about 100 carbs a day in maintenance and they are net carbs, meaning I eat more carbs than that, but subtract the grams of fiber.

To stay in losing mode most of us have to be at under 50 carbs a day.  I did not do net carbs while in losing mode.  I started that after several years of maintenance and it may not work for everyone.

 

Honestly, I'd cut out fruit, any grains at all if you are eating any, and starches; which is very close to Atkins induction. I would keep dairy in my diet, which Atkins induction does not allow.

For a snack, I throw some slivered almonds into some Greek yogurt, or I have a cheese stick, or I have half of a protein bar.

Eating like I describe above got me to goal. Honestly, I don't exercise, but I do go walking 4 times a week.

When you are in maintenance, you can add fruit and some whole grains in. I'd avoid starches completely except for special occasions...but that's just me.

I do not count net carbs, I count total carbs, so I average 60 g of carbs per day-some of those coming from the Greek yogurt that is a staple in my diet.

The stats of that donut aren't terrible for someone in maintenance, but I'd avoid it in my weight loss phase. You have to look at ingredients too. It's sugar free...what is used as a substitute? If it's maltilol. you need to be careful. Sugar alcohols sometimes cause really heinous gas and sometimes the big D and stomach cramps come along for the ride. Does it contain wheat flour? Rice flour? Any type of carb of that nature can help slow down weight loss.

I had to Google this place. Very interesting. Looks like they use agave for the sugar substitute. The numbers on the items they have aren't bad for what they are really. And you can order online. I really wish I hadn't learned that part.

I have to be careful with carbs. A few will just set off a trigger and I need more and more. So I do say use caution. Learn to recognize your triggers and addictions.

And like the others I would save this for maintenance. Put all your effort into getting where you want to be weight wise and learning how to really eat properly. Then you can decide on this type of thing.

And I also try to keep my carbs under 100g per day so I would have to look at this and decide if it was worth almost 1/4 of my daily carb allowance.

 

 

and agave is really sugar. So it is false advertising.

Thank you! I was about to look it up because it was bothering me. Saved me a trip. I thought it was basically sugar just sweeter than processed but I couldn't remember.

Definitely really not honest advertising there. You say SF to me and I am thinking of one of the -tol's. Or stevia at the most.

yes and highly processed like high fructose corn syrup. Bad stuff

Just wondering if you live near Chatilas? It's right in my town.