Diet Advice?

[unforth]

Okay, so I've been dieting since August, and I've lost 15 pounds or so. That's good, and it pleases me immensely.

HOWEVER. I've been eating 1200 cal/day for like 3 months. According to online calculators, this should equal about 2 lbs/week in weight loss. Instead, I've been holding pretty much steady except for in January, when I lost a bunch. This is starting to piss me off pretty seriously, mostly because it takes constant control to eat that little and it's maddening that it's not really producing results. I'm starting to think that it's too little. I'm walking 30 min/day now with the Jonie dog, and I'm really starting to think that my body is hoarding calories instead of burning them because I'm eating too little. Does that actually happen, ya think? According, again, to online calculators my body should be using about 1900 a day; I'd have to have no metabolism to speak of to not lose weight eating as little as I do.

So I've been thinking that I should up my intake to about 1400 per day. If it doesn't work, I can always go back down, right? I'm just worried that I'm running out of patience and won't give it enough time...it's not that I'm running out of patience for dieting, it's that I'm running out of patience for giving changes I make enough time to really settle in...

Right. Anyone have any thoughts on any of this? I'm not sure what I'm really trying to say, I'm just frustrated and I want to be 140 lbs again, dammit!.

Comments

[gollumgollum.livejournal.com]

Up the calories. Quit eating starches - not only are they usually processed, but your body breaks things down in different ways. Carbs get broken down in your mouth, by your saliva, meaning that they're effectively processed before you've even swallowed, so your body doesn't have to work hardly at all to break them down.

mypyramid.gov is the new food pyramid, and it has some good information on how to spread your diet out between food groups based on certain calorie levels (for instance, if you eat 1800 calories, you should eat so many cups of fruit, so many cups of vegetables, etc - and it also tells you what they mean when they describe things in cups).

I'd advise paying a visit to the nutrition/dietician folks in the Health Center. They can help you come up with a diet that will give you a good balance of proteins and fats and such.

Water is always good - most people are dehydrated. 64 oz/day is the general recommendation; i've heard more like 100/day if you're trying to lose weight. I suggest getting a nalgene bottle and carrying it around all the time - you can get them with oz markings on the side so you know how much you're drinking.

And, last but least, keep in mind that muscle weighs more than fat. You may not get back to 140 lbs, but you might end up the same size, just more muscular.

Good luck!1

[unforth.livejournal.com]

That looks like a good page, thanks! I was thinking about calling the Health Center folks - I even looked up their phone number yesterday; I'm just trying to figure out when I can get over there. I'm also taking water to work now, so hopefully that'll help.

Thanks for the reminder on muscle mass - I'll say it a different way, then - I want to have a 28 inch waist again. :)