New here and want to share my diet plan

Big-E

Big-E

New member
Hello everyone. I am new here and wanted to share my diet plan with people. This plan has worked for me based on the amount of weight I want to lose but might not work for everyone. Prior to starting this diet I went to my doctor for my quarterly high blood pressure check-up. My doctor told me very clearly that my blood sugar levels were steadily increasing and that they were in the pre-diabetic range. She told me that if I did not lose weight and become more active I would develop diabetes - it was only a matter of time. No one in my family has diabetes. I am in my mid-40s and for me it was now or never to make a lifestyle change. I began my diet on Christmas day, 2012. On that day I weighed 300 lbs. and I am 5'10" tall. My target weight is somewhere between 175 lbs. - 185 lbs. based on my stature. I have been at this weight before and I was definitely thin (you could see my windpipe at 180 lbs). So, my goal weight is somewhere in this range. This is what I have eaten day in and day out for almost 4 months now since beginning my diet. I have not wavered from this meal plan and I have NEVER had a "cheat" day or a "cheat" meal. I have not had any sodas, beer, pizza, burgers, hot dogs, bread, potato chips, ice cream or any other junk food since before Christmas 2012. Here is what I ate and a summary of the daily intake of fat, sodium, carbs, protein, and calories I've consumed. I'll try to be as specific as I can.

Breakfast: two 6 oz. containers of Yoplait Light yogurt
Lunch: salad in a 1.6 liter/7 cup (by volume) container with 6 oz. of Oscar Meyer southwestern chicken breast strips. My salads contain lettuce, green/red/yellow peppers, carrots, 1/2 cup cheese, and 4 oz. Italian dressing
Dinner: 4 containers (each container is about 3 oz.) of sugar free gelatin and 20 oz. cup of tea or coffee.

During the morning and afternoon I also consume an additional 4 containers (about 3 oz. per container) of sugar free gelatin (Walmart sells a 12 container variety pack).
Throughout the day I consume about 1 gallon of fluids (100 oz of water and 28 oz. - 32 oz. of coffee/tea).
I also take a multi-vitamin.

Based on the package information, this is pretty close to my daily consumption:
Fat - 22 grams
Sodium - 1906 grams
Carbs - 61 grams
Protein - 84 grams
Calories - 663

I also check my urine twice a week (first thing in the morning) to see if I am in ketosis (a fat burning process) using Ketostix Reagent Strips.

After nearly 4 months on this diet I have lost 65 lbs. I went from a size 3X shirt to an XL size shirt. I started at a 48 inch waist pants and now wear a 42 inch waist pants with 40 inch waist just around the corner.

Despite my low caloric intake I am not sick and I feel great!! I have more energy and I feel like my immune system has improved since I weened myself off the high fat and high sugar foods. I also need to change the dosage of my blood pressure medicines.

Once I get close to my goal weight I will gradually increase my caloric intake since it is not healthy to consume such a small amount of calories for an extended period of time.

My one piece of advice for anyone following a diet plan is to stay on the plan consistently for a long time and NEVER have a cheat day. It seems like your body loses weight, plateaus, and then loses again. When you have a "cheat" day it seems to interrupt this cycle.

I feel super energized and determined to reach my goal weight. I hope all of you reach your goal weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Big E.
 
Those are some great results, congrats!

One thing I wonder, do you work out?
Your caloric intake intake is ridiciously low. your body will react to that some day (go into starvationmode and desperately trying to hang on to every bit of energy it has left). It probably has allready, which you thought was a plateau.
Has your doctor/nutritionist signed off on this diet?

I think it's better to start working out and increase foodintake (focussing on the healthy, non processed, fresh foods).

Loosing weight is a matter of burning off more calories than taking in on a daily basis. Allthough reducing the caloric intake produces results (obviously), I think it's much better to make a combination of burning off more and reducing the intake from our overweight days. It's not a much a diet, but a change of lifestyle.

In the long run (aka the rest of your life) you will benefit more from a change of lifestyle than a change of diet.

I really don't want to criticize the choices that you make and have made, but from personal experience I can tell you that with merely a change of diet I found it hard to stay on my goal weight once it was reached.
Furthermore I really enjoy working out, specially outdoors in the summer and the achievements I made because of it (I did a 50 mile walk in 16 hours last summer, and plan to pick up running next, and hopefully do a half marathon within a year) fill me with a sense of pride and self confidence.

Keep up the good work, and I would love it to if you continue to share your weight loss journey with us.
 
Hi Big-E, thanks for the report. Personally, one thing I'd watch is how much muscle tissue might be getting consumed. At very low calories, the body in a effort to survive and keep the vital organs going, will draw from muscles to get what it needs. It's a vicious cycle, you need muscles to maximize calorie burn but the body is taking away that very muscle. Also, at extreme low calories, it's very vital to eat nothing but high nutrient foods.
 
HI Big E,
could you tell me how much exercise you are doing?
Not sure if you realise how much sugar is in Yoplait lite?..... 14gms/serving which is the equivelant of one tablespoon per 6 oz container.
In my experience Low Fat products are often high in sugars.
 
I have done little exercise on this diet but intend to begin an exercise program soon. I have not lost much muscle mass that I can see but I have lost a lot of excess body fat!! I think the trick to dieting or exercise is to stick with the plan and remain dedicated. I believe losing weight is mostly influenced by what you eat. Plateauing in weight loss is something that I view as normal because your body wants to hold on to that fat!! You lose weight then stop and begin losing again. When you have a cheat day it seems to throw off this rhythm and takes some time for the weight loss cycle to begin again. Those Yoplait Light yogurts have 16 gms of carbs per container (10 gms of the 16 comes from sugar). I don't think this is a lot of sugar and definitely did not interfere with my weight loss. From my experience (and I am still trying to lose more weight), the trick to successful weight loss is to restrict your calorie and carbs, drink 1 gallon of water a day, and never have a cheat day. Good luck to all my fellow dieters out there!!

Big E
 
Thanks for the report Big-E, it's interesting to read about people's experiences, good going! sounds like it's working well for you. Yes, while there are established norms in fat loss, it boils down to pretty much a personal journey.

Keep up the good work,

knotty
 
Welcome to the forum.

Congratulations on your weight loss thus far.

I am a big fan of having a repetitive diet myself - but I do tend to vary my main meal of the day to give a variation in the nutrient make up of the meals.

Increased protein intake would help to ensure that you preserved your muscle mass. While many people think of skeletal muscle in this context - it is important to remember that your heart and other vital organs are muscle too - so it is very important that we do not erode our muscle mass in a race to drop weight at the fastest rate possible. I must admit that 84g protein looks on the low side to me. Lots of experts have suggested shooting for 1g per pound of lean body weight which calculates out at 100g per day for me (and I am a 5ft3 woman so I would expect yours to be more)...

On the whole your other nutritional stats look good - but I must say that like some of the others I am twitchy about how low the calorie level is and am anxious that you may run into problems down the line with your body adapting to a low level which could bring weight loss to a halt and make maintenance a total nightmare. I really do hope that it doesnt happen to you - but have chatted to too many people on forums who have believed that it has happened to them.

Like some of the others - I encourage you to take up exercise... I was a couch potato for decades (basically your max weight at 5ft3) - but adore my exercise classes now and am pretty much addicted to doing them most days...

The only successful long term way to do this is consider it a lifestyle change for the rest of your life and not just a diet... If we diet - we get and end date and we just gain weight at that end date... Exercise combines well with healthy eating at the right calorie level to not only get us where we want to be - but keep us there long term...

I suggest that you read the following thread - it may help you settle in and make friends
http://weight-loss.fitness.com/threads/57955-My-advice-to-newcomers

Good luck with your project.
 
I have now lost a total of 70 lbs. since X-mas and I feel great!!! As a whole, I feel so much better having lost all that weight. Many people compliment me on my improved appearance and I can move around so much easier.

But I have also reached a crossroads in my weight loss program. I have lost so much weight in a short period of time that I have begun to feel a couple side effects. My body is beginning to tell me time for a change. It is good to listen to what your body tells you. Your body sends you clues that problems are on the horizon.

The two side effects I am experiencing are a slow-down in weight loss and a soreness in my back and neck muscles.

I am not surprised about the slow-down in weight loss. As I get closer and closer to my goal weight it becomes harder to lose weight. I think my leptin levels are too low after intense dieting for 4.5 months and I now need to adjust my diet. I need to increase my caloric intake and also increase my protein consumption. Your body can endure a low caloric intake in the 600s if you take a multi-vitamin and consume a lot of water. There seems to be a misconception that a caloric intake in the 600s automatically puts your body in starvation mode. In my opinion and from my experience this is not necessarily true UNLESS you continue at this level for too long a period of time. Your body will give you clues when it can't continue with such a low caloric intake. The amount of time this takes is different from person to person. When the weight loss slows significantly or stops suddenly over a 3 to 4 week period while consuming a low amount of calories, your body is telling you that it is putting the brakes on weight loss. At this point, if you continue with a low caloric intake your body will begin to consume muscle mass to maintain itself. I believe I have reached this point and it is necessary for me to change course. This is the point in my diet where I have to increase my caloric intake and protein consumption AND add a exercise regimen to my diet program.

The question is how can I increase my protein and calorie levels without gaining weight? The answer - I don't know but I will soon find out. I think the path forward for me will be to incrementally increase my caloric level to 1000 - 1200 over a 4 to 6 week period. And increase my protein level to 125 - 150 over a 4 to 6 week period as well. To do this, I will add chicken/fish and vegetables to my diet. That is, I will begin to eat a normal dinner again but AFTER I have done my exercises. For now, I will continue eating yogurt for breakfast and a salad with chicken for lunch. I will also continue drinking 1 gallon of water a day. If necessary, I will make additional adjustments to my diet.

My exercise plan will be some combination of swimming, walking on the treadmill, walking in my neighborhood, and doing some abdominal exercises to help lose more belly fat and to tone my stomach muscles. I will also add some weight lifting exercises to strengthen and tone my muscles and prevent muscle loss as I continue to lose weight. I have lost so much fat and flab in a short period of time that my muscles have to pick up the load to support my body frame. This extra work load on my muscles combined with atrophy from under-use over the years have left the muscles in my neck and back weak and sore. This is where I will benefit greatly from an exercise and weight lifting regimen. But before I begin this regimen I am going to get a full body, therapeutic massage.

Best of luck to my fellow dieters out there!!

Big E
 
Thanks for the interesting report Big E and great on the 70 lb loss! I've also begun doing regular weight lifting to bring the muscles in shape, especially the upper body but have to start very light and work up. Please keep up the reports.

knotty
 
Just a heads up, don't expect too much from abdominal exercises right away.
Allthough you will be training you abdominal muscles and they will get stronger, that doesn't mean they will show up right away.

Your body will burn fat through exercise, but you can't "target" specific fatreserves. Muscles do not "feed" on fat directly, the fat must be broken down into "fuel" for the muscle, which then enter the bloodstream. As a result, the fat broken down to be used as fuel exercise can come from anywhere in your body, not just the part that you're exercising.
Doing only ab exercises like crunches can be very tedious, not too mention strenuous on the neck if not performed properly.
I would like to suggest to mix in some other exercises in your routine, like those that focus on your core, some leg work etc.
 
@knotty - Yes, I will continue to post on my weight loss experience. I am definitely gonna ease into the exercise thing. Ultimately, I want my program to include weight training but I will ease into it!! I'm gonna join the Y at the end of the month so I can go swimming.

@guideon - Yes, that is true you can't spot lose weight. I want to include abdominal exercises into my exercise program but I am not going for the 6 pack abs look. And I'm not gonna go crazy with tons of ab crunches. My exercise program will include a combination of swimming, walking on the treadmill, weight lifting, and abdominal exercises. I'm gonna ease into this exercise thing and see how it goes!

Big E
 
Today marks 5 months (154 days to be exact) since I started my diet on X-mas day, 2012. I have now lost a total of 76 lbs. .. yayyyyy!!!!! I thought my weight loss had slowed this month as I previously reported but as it turns out, it hasn't. Here is a breakdown of the weight I've lost each month:

1st month - 21 lbs.
2nd month - 15 lbs.
3rd month - 13 lbs.
4th month - 13 lbs.
5th month - 14 lbs.

I started out at 298 lbs. and now I am at 222 lbs. That is almost an average daily weight loss of nearly 0.50 lbs. On X-mas day last year I wore a size 3XL shirt and a 48 inch waist pants. Today I wear a size XL shirt and a 40 inch waist pants. I feel great!!!

I have started to increase my calorie intake from the 663 level to something higher. I try to eat a normal dinner now but sometimes I can't because my stomach feels full. I have also started walking on the treadmill to increase my exercise level. At the end of this month I will join the YMCA to go swimming in the evenings. I can't begin to tell you how much better I feel now that I am 76 lbs. lighter!!

Best of luck to my fellow dieters out there!

Big E

PS. I know we can't post links here but I highly recommend this program for anyone looking for an app to put on their cell phone to track their weight loss. I have found this program to be very useful and installed it on my cell phone! The app is called Monitor Your Weight, by Husain Al-Bustan.
 
Thanks Big-E for the report and congratulations that's a lot of fat you've lost, your an inspiration to us all. Yes, losing lots of weight does feel great in the body, I've lost 35 lbs so far and gone is the knee pain, back aches, and my feet thanks me...haha! Can't wait til I reach my goal and go clothes hunting.

knotty
 
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