Am I setting myself up to fail?

F

fallapartsally

New member
I have been steadily gaining weight for the last ten years. usually every year I go into maintenance mode and lose ten pounds, then gain it back again. I think most of the problem is how much alcohol I have been drinking (and the snacks that result from that) I usually eat fairly healthily, not many prepackaged foods, almost never eat fast food. I cook for myself and eat a lot of veggies.

I'm sick and tired of feeling bad about myself and I just want to feel good again, and not think about how gross I am every second of every day.
Slightly pathetic, but there you go.

I would love some feedback on what I am adopting as my daily routine, any hints or tips that could make me aware if I'm doing something wrong or setting myself up to fail.

I'm 5'6" and weigh 170 pounds.
I cut out alcohol 2 weeks ago.
I've been counting calories using an iphone app and my plan is to consume around 1150 net calories a day. If I excercise enough I might consume around 1500.

I jog every morning for 30 - 45 minutes, about 3-5 km. I also faithfully walk my dogs every day, fast pace around 30 - 60 minutes. I'm also trying to add extra excercise in wherever I can, a dance class here or there or walking somewhere I normally would have driven. I'm looking into a local gym as well, and hope to start going there around 3 times a week.

I've been eating around 50 grams of fat every day but mostly that comes from soy milk and almonds. around 122 grams of carbs and 63 grams of protein. That's a daily average. I've cut out white flour and sugar - not that I ever ate that much of that stuff anyway. I've also cut of cheese.

I'm mostly eating fish, chicken and tofu with a bit of red meat and vegetables and brown rice. I;m snacking throughout the day and trying to force myself to eat breakfast. Usually I just drink a few soy cappacinos. (no sugar)

It's only been 2 weeks so I suppose I shouldn't be dissapointed that I don't see a difference on the scale, however I am worried that I am putting a lot of effort into a routine that isn't going to work for me.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hope this isn't too long :)
 
fallapartsally said:
I;m snacking throughout the day and
Click to expand...

What kind of snacks do eat and do you take into account the snacking in your daily calories? Otherewise I don't see why your routine should not work. Two weeks may be too short to see a difference, it could be a fluctuation in fluid levels. Also remember to always weigh yourself at the same time of each day, preferably first thing in the morning after the restroom, to get consistent scale readings. The weight may vary quite a lot during the day due to meals and fluid levels.

Hope this helps!
 
fallapartsally said:
I'm 5'6" and weigh 170 pounds.
I cut out alcohol 2 weeks ago.
I've been counting calories using an iphone app and my plan is to consume around 1150 net calories a day. If I excercise enough I might consume around 1500.
Click to expand...

Those a far too little calories you are consuming.
Going below 1200 is never recommended.
I don't know your age which makes it though to calculate but I think you'd probably be better off consuming around 1600 to 1700 calories a day.

I recommend you calculate what your exact bmr is and find out how much calories need to be cut out.
To calculate I used an online bmr calculator.
Just give it a google ;)
I also recommend you read the following threads:
starvation-calories-adaptations
energy-expenditure-weight-loss
 
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@TikTak thanks for the tips! I do take the snacks into my daily calorie account - I pretty faithfully record every bite. I'm finding it easier to think about what I'm eating if I force myself to do that. For snacks I've been eating apples, bananas, almonds and Larabars.

@Artemisia Thank you for the link to the starvation diet thread - honestly it was never my intention to go on a starvation diet. The main differences I have made in my food routine are to cut out pasta, bread, cheese and wine (although not forever - I love those things too much)
I was planning on incorperating the above back into my diet after a week or two.
I'm eating when I want and not feeling hungry. Would it be better, in your opinion, to eat more and excercise more throughout the day? Also, should I be taking net calories into account?

the support really helps, thank you :)
Oh, and I turn 35 next week
 
I've been eating 1500 calories per day and averaging 140g Protein, 22 g Fat, and 187g Carbs. That make-up or percentage of calories from each works best for me.
 
I used an online calculator to do all the hard work for me ;)
Not sure I'm allowed to post links?
I used this one:

This one is very nice, it calculates how much you should eat if you want to lose X amount of pounds in one week, and how much carbs, protein and fat you can have.
 
I'm not going to analyze everything but a couple key points that jumped out at me:

-eating too few calories
-not eating enough protein
-eating too much soy
-yes, you must eat breakfast everyday because that is what will wake up your metabolism
-your body can get used to the exercise it does, so you may need to change it up a little bit... ie... when you are jogging, do sprints mixed in, or add some weight to your walking, or the classes you are talking about.

some may disagree with the soy thing, but soy works to increase estrogen which helps to put on weight.
 
Thanks for the responses! I've made a few changes based on your tips in the last week. I still am drinking coffee with soy milk in the morning - I don't drink it during the day. Maybe I can cut down a bit on that but it's basically my favorite thing in the world so we'll see....

I've started eating more and excercising more - around 1500-1600 calories a day - and I'm eating a good breakfast with protein in it and adding a B muliti vitamin and a protein shake to my daily routine

I'm also drinking about 8 - 12 cups of water a day and adding a few classes a week - yoga- both slow and ashtanga, and a zumba class - fun!

I really appreciate the help. I don't want to try to starve myself and get discouraged and all off the wagon. I really want to make some healthy life changes that will allow to me lose weight but also to feel good - and I see that happening already. Well, the good feeling, not the weight losing.
 
Hey Fallapartsally,

I think you're doing great. I agree that you should cut down on the soy. From all my research, my belief is that we're not meant to consume nearly as much as we do. Maybe do some research on your own. Personally, I don't touch the stuff.

I'm off dairy and grains for digestive issues. I do Almond milk, or there's rice milk. Maybe give those a shot and see if you like them.

I love your diet strategy. The best (and only way) to lose weight and keep it off is to change your lifestyle. Sounds like you're trying to adopt strategies you will use for life. Brilliant.

I agree with eating more. As long as you're eating enough but maintaining a calorie deficit for weight loss you should be o.k., barring any hormonal issues.

You absolutely need to change up your exercise routine, often -- every 4-6 weeks -- to keep your body confused. We adapt so well to exercise, and if you don't keep tricking your body, it will become very efficient at your exercise of choice. You'll burn half the calories you did at the beginning of your program. I'd also bump up the intensity if your goal is to burn fat. It's the best way to burn fat long after you've finished your workout.

As previously suggested, try to incorporate hard sprints into your runs 2, no more than 3 times a week. Zumba classes are great for this too! You can't beat intense workouts for weight loss. I would also suggest than everyone (especially those trying to lose weight) include weight training in your program. It's a must!

Keep up the great work. Make sure that everything you do fits with who you are and your current lifestyle, and that you can maintain this lifestyle for life. It takes a bit of trial and error, over time, to see what works but it will the weight-gain weigh-loss cycle for good.

And, be careful about restricting too much. Sounds like you eat pretty healthy. The occasional glass of wine won't kill you! Enjoy. It's about living life, not denying it.

Cheers!

Janet

P.S. Would you consider changing your user name? I'm a huge believer in the premise that what we think creates who we are. Something a little more positive, maybe? This stuck out immediately.
 
@JanetJ

Thanks so much for the positive feedback! Don't worry, I'm not resricting myself too much. I really enjoy food and wine and I could never ever be one of those people who sadly decline a piece of carrot cake at a birthday party.

As for soy, is 2 cups of soy a day really too much? I eat tofu about once a week on top of that. I have tried rice milk and I live in a really rural community so almond milk is pretty hard to get a hold of. I can't drink cows milk. I could try switching to black coffee.... she said, sadly..... it is seriously my morning routine and makes me so happy. Ok, stop complaining, looking into almond milk.

Fallapartsally is a nickname my bf and I have for each other - it's actually loving and silly. I guess I could try to think something more positive up though
 
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