Question:
Too Little? Too Much? Just Right? HELP!

I spent quite a long time looking through the Q&A archives to see if I could find my answer. Although there are similar questions, I guess I just had to ask about my particular diet. I am afraid that I am doing something wrong with my diet. I recently switched to a low carb diet, because I have been on a plateau for awhile, and wanted to jump start my loss again. Here is what I had today: BREAKFAST: 1/2 hard boiled egg, 1 strip of bacon, 1/2 slice of buttered toast. SNACK: 2 saltine crackers w/ tsp of peanut butter. LUNCH: 2 slices of medium cheddar cheese and 5 pepperoni slices. SNACK: small handful of peanuts. DINNER: 1/4 cup ground beef,sprinkled grated cheese on top, 1 tsp of chopped onions and olives. SNACK: 1/2 cup tossed salad w/tbsp of blue cheese dressing. Anyway, I don't take any protein supplements. I have tried almost EVERYONE available to man, and I throw them right back up. I am still trying to find one that works though. I really try to get a lot of protein in my food though. So, is this too much food? I feel like I am being a pig! But, I am also afraid that I am not eating enough to keep losing. Am I confused or what!! Please help me! (open RNY 7/23/02 -102 lbs)    — Shawnie S. (posted on January 6, 2003)

January 5, 2003
Shawnie... Unfortunately I am not able to help you answer your question because I have the same confusion. Please forward any info that you get to me.. I'd really appreciate it.
   — JLP9805

January 5, 2003
Shawnie - First of all, YOU ARE DOING GREAT ON YOUR WEIGHT LOSS!!!! Now that said, we are so used to beating ourselves up over everything that even when things are going well, we want to find fault. Apparently what you are doing is working well for you. The only suggestion I might have is enter everything into Fitday.com and make sure the fat ratio is in the good range as to the calories you are consuming. I feel the same, one day I'm thinking that something must be wrong, because I eat too much (and I'm really not) and the next day I think that I need to increase the volume (which at this point, I still can't). I think these thoughts of self-doubt come from all the years of failure and it is still ingrained in our brains. Good luck! You are doing fantastic!
   — Dana B.

January 6, 2003
I think your food intake is just fine and not too much. And you are concentrating on protein which is good, but I think increasing it some will help. I have heard that to jump start the loss again, lower carbs and increase protein. Supplements are a great way to do this so don't give up on finding a good shake. Have you tried putting the powder in a mixer with ice and water and frozen fruit? My favorite is chocolate powder with 1/2 a banana, ice and water. I use the Isopure zero carb powder. But I know that everyone has a favorite. Also, how about protein bars? Have you found one that you like? there are many out there, like Met RX, Carb Solutions, Atkins, that have low carbs and high protein.
   — Cindy R.