Weight Loss

Hi! I had nearly 100 lbs to lose, and have been losing very slowly, so I decided to see a Nutritionist for advice. I've averaged 1 lb. a week or less ever since the 2nd month here, doing all I'm supposed to do- including heavy weights and walking, etc.

This is a laboriously copied hand-out that was given to me by this professional Nutritionist/Dietitian/RN as an aid to help me lose better with my slow loss rate. She was very happy with my current loss-rate, as very healthy and likely to be more successful over time, as it caused me to learn new habits for a longer period of time vs. a fast loss that might not teach me how to maintain or sustain my losses. Her experience was that slow was more lasting, which is what I want! However, she understood my desire to try to lose a healthy 2 lbs. a week if I could, while I still have about 65 lbs. to go. I understand slowing down as I lose... but not so soon, lol!!!

This is copied word-for-word from her, not me, so please don't take offense at her strong feelings! I seriously wanted help, and paid for it as a sacrifice at this time for my resources, and I wanted to share the advice I received with anyone else who is frustrated like I was. I added a few thoughts, and marked them with (*...) so it is clear, I hope, that it is me at those points.

I may have a slow metabolism and/or a low-acting thyroid, she agreed, but understood that I couldn't afford testing at this time. As long as I am still losing, she said I'm fine. Also, as my metabolism is probably slow-as proven by over 6 months of low loss rates- I'm not burning as many calories as the burn rate tools here say for me, so my true deficit is guess-work. She wants me to get a heart rate monitor to help me with this. As long as I'm not losing over 2 lbs. a week and eating 1200 calories or more daily, I won't be in danger of starvation mode- which was a major reason for my visiting her. That really troubled me- and hindered me from increasing the cardio she has now said I should increase. As CC has taught me so much already, cardio was the only real change she could tell me to make! Now I can, without fearing a over-sized deficit or starvation mode, as long as I am sensible, of course!!!

CC got GOOD GRADES!!!!

I don't know if this will fit in the text allowance, yet, so I'll see what happens when I try to post it!!!

Here is the 4 pages, 3 hours of typing, labor-of-love!

Burn Fat Faster!

ONE or TWO meals a day is a disaster. If you haven't been eating at least three times a day, you are causing serious damage to your metabolism.

True, calories count. But the amazing thing about eating frequently is that IT MAKES YOU BURN MORE CALORIES! Five or six meals a day accelerates your body's natural rate of burning.

If skipping meals is the cardinal sin of fat burning and muscle building nutrition, then skipping breakfast is a capital crime suited for the death penalty! And yet "everybody" is doing it! When I analyze nutrition programs for my clients, one of the most common errors I see is skipping breakfast or eating it late, around 10:00 a.m. or even later. "I don't have time" is usually the excuse justifying this unforgivable blunder. ( She's REALLY TOUGH on this, isn't she!!!) Let's take a close look at the devastating impact this lack of planning and discipline has on your fat loss efforts:

If you're still not convinced yet that eating six times a day is worth the effort, then this ought to hammer the point home for you: Here are the seven reasons why frequent meals of the proper quantity and quality will turn your body into a turbo-charged fat burning machine!

1. Frequent eating speeds up your metabolism due to the thermic effect of food.
2. Frequent meals prevent binges and control cravings.
3. Frequent meals help maintain high energy levels by regulating blood sugar and insulin levels.
4. Frequent meals are ANABOLIC: They help promote muscle growth by regulating insulin levels and providing a steady flow of amino acids into muscle cells. (*This may be why she said I could grow muscle, and encouraged me to maintain my heavy weight lifting efforts!, though I'm in a calorie deficit- but, I do believe it can't be much muscle growth?)
5. Frequent meals are ANTI-CATABOLIC: they help promote muscle growth by preventing muscle breakdown (you stay in positive nitrogen balance).
6. Frequent eating promotes better utilization of nutrients.
7. Eating smaller meals more frequently reduces fat storage through portion control.

* whew! I'm NOT a typist, lol! *

The perfect meal size

Ok, so now you know all the reasons why you must never skip meals and why you must eat small meals every three hours. The next question is, "What is the definition of a small meal?" Well, if you've done your calorie calculations already then this is very easy to figure out.

On average, the optimal intake to lose fat is about 2400-2500 calories per day for men and 1500-1600 for women. (* I was recommended 1200 here at CC and by the Nutritionist, as I am 45 and small framed, usually sedentary, so she said adjust these figures to 1200 calories for me, and agreed with my 1350 +/- on my gym days. Adjust as you need to for your own calorie level.) Naturally if you are a serious athlete or bodybuilder with high activity levels, these calories will be higher. To get your ideal calorie intake per meal is easy; simply divide your total daily calories by the number of meals you are aiming for (preferably five or six).

Men:

Average optimal caloric intake for fat loss=2400

Desired number of meals=5 or 6

Target calorie intake per meal=400 to 800 calories per meal

Women:

Average optimal caloric intake for fat loss=1500

Desired number of meals=5

Target caloric intake per meal=300 calories per meal

(* She loved my mid-morning Fiber One cereal mixed with 7 raw 'chunked' almonds and a Tbsp. of dried fruit for about the ideal 150 calories snack. With my 1200 calorie level, 150 for a snack is what she recommended for me.)

As you can see, these are fairly small meals. Now let's take a look at the calorie contents of some sample meals you might encounter while eating out:

• Big Mac and large fries=980 calories
• Denny's Grand Slam Breakfast=1100 calories
• Porterhouse steak, steak-house size portion (one pound)=1150 calories
• Spaghetti with tomato sauce, restaurant serving a93 1/2 cups)=850 calories
• Medium movie theater popcorn with butter=1100 (*Wow!)
• Chinese/Kung Pau chicken with rice (1 order)=1620 calories (*Wow!!!)

The problem is obvious: Most people are over-eating, big-time! (And these examples aren't even including drinks or desserts.) An average restaurant meal, whether we're talking steak, breakfast, Italian, Chinese, or fast food, can easily top 1000 calories. An average sized meal for fat loss is 300 calories for women and 400 calories for men, based on five or six meals per day, respectively. Even if you have a large frame and you're highly active, the upper end of the calorie range for fat loss is usually around 400 for women and 550 for men. Your objective is to never, ever eat huge meals- not even on a "cheat day." It's permissible to enjoy cheat foods occasionally in small amounts, but NEVER binge or stuff yourself-EVER! Always spread out those calories! (* Wanna eat the whole cake??? I guess you need to freeze it and take at least a week/month/year? One small piece at a time...lol!!! She's SERIOUS!!!)

>>> Taper your calories: Make breakfast your largest meal and dinner your smallest.

Although these "average" caloric amounts were divided evenly in each meal, there's one small adjustment that can increase your fat loss even further; it's called "calorie tapering." There's an old saying, "Eat breakfast like a King, lunch like a Prince and dinner like a pauper." This arrangement of meals from largest to smallest is wise advice. The typical eating pattern of the average American is; no breakfast or skimpy breakfast like a bagel or doughnut, then a big lunch, usually fast food or cafeteria food, concluding with a huge dinner and a late night snack. (* ouch!)

>>> Start eating early in the day and eat your last meal at least two or three hours before bedtime.

Ideally, you should begin eating early (6:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. or earlier), so you can fit in five or six meals and your last meal falls two to three hours prior to going to sleep. If you sleep in and miss your first meal, or wait until late morning or early afternoon to start eating, you're leaving a gaping hole between meals. This gap can be 16-20 hours long if you haven't eaten since six or seven the night before. This sends you into starvation mode and causes an incredibly catabolic (muscle-wasting) state. Yes, this means you must become a morning person if you're not one already. (* pitiful wail!!! I'm a 'Night-owl!!!') Brian Tracy, one of the world's leading experts on personal achievement said, "In my studies of successful people over the years, I have never found any highly successful person who was a late riser." Get up early and start eating early! (* snif! )

So, with our slight adjustment for a smaller evening meal and a larger first meal, our sample day might look like this:

Men/2400 calories/six meals:

• Meal 1: 500
• Meal 2: 400
• Meal 3: 400
• Meal 4: 400
• Meal 5: 400
• Meal 6: 300

Women/1500 calories/5 meals:

• Meal 1: 375
• Meal 2: 300
• Meal 3: 300
• Meal 4: 300
• Meal 5: 225

* Me/1200 calories/5-6 meals:

• Meal 1: 300
• Meal 2: 150
• Meal 3: 300
• Meal 4: 150
• Meal 5: 300 or split into a meal and a snack=300
• Meal 6: 150 for gym days, protein shake

>>>Maintain a consistent eating pattern seven days a week

Consistency is the hallmark of all people who successfully lose body fat and keep it off. Because most people work on a regular schedule Monday through ?Friday, it's often easier to follow the meal frequency guidelines on the weekdays. On weekends, it's tempting to sleep in, miss meals or fall off your regular schedule.

>>> How snacking fits into the fat loss-eating plan

Most people's snacks of choice are refined carbohydrates and fatty foods such as crackers, cookies, candy, muffins, potato chips and pretzels. This is largely because "carbo snacks" are so readily available (it's not like you can grab a chicken breast or Salmon steak at the checkout counter of a convenience store!) Eating "carb snacks" by themselves is not a good idea. On the fat loss-eating plan, usually you won't want snacks because you'll be eating meals so often that hunger and cravings between meals will be a thing of the past. If you make healthy choices and stay within your calorie limits, snacks are perfectly acceptable if you want them. Some of the best snacks include fruit, raw vegetables (carrots, celery, cauliflower, etc.), nuts and seeds (in small quantities) non-fat or low-fat cottage cheese and non-fat or low-fat sugar free yogurt.

>>> Transition gradually into five or six meals a day if you find frequent eating difficult.

If you find it too difficult to eat five or six meals a day right from the start, you may need to use a transitional period. If you've only been eating two or three times a day, there's a simple way to get started on the habit of frequent eating: Continue to eat your three full meals per day, properly combined with a lean protein and a complex carbohydrate. Then simply add two or three snacks; one in between each full meal.

Transitional menu plans

Men/2400 calories/six meals

• Meal 1: 575 (breakfast)
• Meal 2: 225 (snack)
• Meal 3: 500 (lunch)
• Meal 4: 450 (mid aftern. meal)
• Meal 5: 425 (dinner)
• Meal 6: 225 (evening snack)

Women/1500 calories/5 meals

• Meal 1: 400 (breakfast)
• Meal 2: 175 (mid morning snack)
• Meal 3: 400 (lunch)
• Meal 4: 175 (mid aftern. snack)
• Meal 5: 350 (dinner)

(* adjust to your own calorie level!)

A "snack" such as a piece of fruit, is only 60-110 calories, and does not by itself constitute a full meal by the standards of this program(it's not a full "meal" without protein). However, it does get you into the habit of eating frequently, and that would be a start. (Snacks such as non-fat cottage cheese or non-fat yourt with a scoop of protein powder would provide more calories and a solid serving of protein). As you get accustomed to eating more often, you can progress to four full meals and finally to the more effective habit of eating five or six meals, each containing a lean protein and a complex carbohydrate.

FAT BURNING AND FITNESS TIPS

• Increase aerobic activity (cardio) for at least 30-45 minutes, 5-7 days a week! Increase your intensity in spurts during your work-out for even more fat burning powder.
• Watch less T.V. and do less of other hobbies that require you to sit on your behind, especially if you have a desk job. (* Lol!!! Typing this has taken me over 2 hours now!)
• Use metabolism-stimulating exercise such as weight training exercises that utilize large muscle groups like the back and legs. High rep compound leg exercises (squats, lunges, leg presses, etc.) are particularly effective for this purpose.
• Restrict refined carbohydrates (i.e. white bread, white rice, sugar, chips, cookies, cake, etc.), and eat more whole grain products. (i.e. whole grain bread, brown rice, oatmeal, barley, whole wheat pasta, and other whole grain products. Kashi makes good whole grain cereals, granola bars, and other whole grain products).
• Be consistent and persistent. You must be very consistent and diligent in eating and exercise habits 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. Going on and off diet and exercise programs will never work for you to achieve your goals. Make it become a part of your lifestyle. Even if it takes you longer to lose weight than others, stick with it. Remember, patience is a virtue that you must cultivate!

I hope this helps!!! I'm working for a Happy, Healthy New Year!!! Wooo Hooo!!! Love CC!!!!

Sincerely, 2beittybitty

Edited: Tried to fix goofs and spelling, lol!

This is great info!

This is the most useful thing I've read all day!

Many thanks to you.

Good Luck on your journey :-)

* bump *

Bumping so post-Christmas folks and travelers don't miss it, if they want to read too.

Thank you so much! I'm going to start eating smaller more meals tomorrow! Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great info. I know so much of it, but I don't tend to think of it all at once.

Getting up early stinks!  But you can stay up late as long as you eat 2-3 hours before you go to bed and eat again in the morning when you get up.

I'm bad...  

I've actually considered  that!!!

Thanks!!!

I HATE going to bed early!!!!!

Thank you so much! This is wonderful information. So kind and generous of you to share it with us all. My problem is a big appetite, I will try to have smaller meals and more often. What a great gift you have given us for New Year! I hope you have a happy, healthy and successful year in 2008.

Wow! I just printed that... 5 pages! I'm going to share it with my Mom who only eats 1-2 times a day.

Thank you so much!

Thank you 2beittybitty.  It was very kind of you to take your time and share this with us.  Tooo kind.  Thanks so much!!!!

hey there  2beittybitty... thank you allot for those great information!

i was wondering... when you mentioned a tip that says..  watch less tv and do less of those activities that require to sit or be still for so long... what do you suggest?    and i was wondering about reading... is it one of those activities to lessen?

thank you for giving us a part of your precious time!   hope you'll check this out xD

Interesting info, but your nutritionist was feeding you a bunch of diet myths.    The thermic effect of food (TEF) is about 10% of your calorie intake.  So if you eat all your calories in one meal or six it makes no difference.  

If eating several small meals works for you, than keep doing it.  Obesity results from an imbalance between caloric intake and energy expenditure.  Eating more frequently will not increase your energy expenditure, but it will increase your caloric intake.

Hi! miss-lawandi!!!

Nice of you to comment!

As for your question... unfortunately, yes...

I LOVE reading! However, if you use the tools here, you will find it, and any other little-movement-required things, (like computer time!), are very low calorie burners! They allow time to pass without much fat lost...not what I need if I want better results when I visit my scale, lol!!!

You can add reading to the treadmill- and many activities can be done while watching video's, if you want to try that. My treadmill has a rack to hold a book, and Mollymouser's sweetheart put a video player with hers, I think. I also really love rebounding with music or listening to old time radio shows free from a internet site. Moving while listening is what  I  NEED to do! Some folks have exercise machines in their living rooms so they can squeeze in a little while watching the news, etc.

I've also read here at C.C. that 10 min. at a time, 3x a day is the same as 30 min. in it's effect on the body and that it helps your metabolism speed up even after you quit. Sooo, it adds up! Much nicer than the pounds adding up, lol!

I believe Molly said she does what I did with my treadmill reading- she only watches what she is wanting to watch while she is exercising! That motivates me, too, with my books, lol! As I said- I LOVE to read, and I want to finish a book once I start it!!!

Hope this answers your question adequately! Thanks for writing! Happy, HEALTHY New Years to you and yours!

Sorry I 'Posted over you', strikez!

Thanks for writing. Honestly, I was afraid I'd get in trouble!  I know it is a complicated science, and we are each different- and different foods create different effects, too! i.e. junk food 1200 calories vs. all healthy 1200 calories... I'd get sick on all sweets very fast- even if they were all healthy fruit! It IS complex, and I don't have all the answers- I realize.

That's why I went to the Nutritionist- AFTER 7 months of 1250 calories avg. and weight lifting- heavy, and only healthy foods...all A averages for each month...   

*sigh! *   

I was frustrated by the way the 'calories in vs. calories out' wasn't showing on MY scale... esp. when I was nearly double my proper weight. Only 4 lbs. a month was slow already, and it normally gets slower as we lose some...!

We're talking April of 2009... if I Don't slow down...and only 65 or so lbs...!

The Nutritionist agreed- no less than 1200 calories- even though I'm small framed, 5'2"... Sooo... if I can't eat less, what can I do???

I have a slow metabolism, and possibly a low-acting thyroid- and that is much more common than I knew. These make calorie burning trickier for some of us, and leads to giving up and starvation dieting- which leads to weight lost- but it's muscle, too! Which leads to a slower metabolism... (repeat till you give up trying at all... It's really easy to get really heavy- just believe you can't and quit trying! I was nearly there! Love CC!!!)

I've heard of others struggling harder than me, too, and hoped this info would help us slower-no-matter-what-we-do folks! 1200 is 1200, whether divided by 3 or 6, but I definitely feel better throughout the day with 5-6. The Nutritionist has seen this work for many folks, including regular folks without any problems in their weight loss efforts, who just want to know what works best,  so I felt it might help some more folks- whether they are frustrated like me or not!- if I shared it here.

Our metabolism slows as we age, too... If you change your age in the tools here, you'll see your maintenance calories drop. At 45, I need a life-style  that'll help me resist weight as I age, too. My future calories are only 1400 sedentary- the Nutritionist confirmed- so I need a spread out energy intake to keep me satisfied and energized throughout the day, so I don't get too hungry and gain again...! My 45 years of That  is enough for me!

I don't want to sound like I know everything- I certainly don't! But, I'm interested in any info you can share as well?

I still prefer being a 'Night-Owl' to being an 'Early-Bird!' They say 'Early-Birds' get the worms... eewww! I don't want 'em!!! Lol!!!

But, I Do want to be healthy!!!

Thanks, Sincerely,

2beittybitty-but Healthy!

Edited: corrected mistakes!

I totally agree with finding what works for you and sharing with others.  Spreading out calories is not a bad thing, but it is not a better thing.  If it helps you control cravings that is one thing, but it does not enhance metabolism, especially the thermic effect of food (TEF).  It is still a matter of calories in vs calories out.  I am 47 so I understand a slowing metabolism, but activity dictates burn, not the consumption of food.

Thanks for your effort.  It's a great article.

Thanks!

Thanks!

Thanks, 2beittybitty!  I'm also a "slow loser", and what you've posted confirms a LOT of reading I've been doing on nutrition.

I would like to say to strikez - I don't know about thermic effects, but there are other reasons why eating more frequently IS a useful strategy.  Not to say that you can't lose weight without doing it - but it is easier on your body for various reasons, namely:  you don't stretch your stomach out; you control your blood sugar levels; you don't get hunger pangs which helps you control your calories; you feed your body what it needs to stop it from munching on your muscles (and we all want to lose FAT, not muscle); you let your digestive tract work more efficiently (I hear it's been shown that you can only digest/absorb a certain number of nutrients at a time, and it's certainly uncomfortable to eat until you can FEEL your stomach/intestines working).  And at least for me, I seem to lose more weight when I eat more often, even if I eat the same calories.

So for those who do want to try this - it's not as hard as it seems once you get started.  It does take planning, and a change in eating habits.  I pack and take a lot of snacks to work and keep some in my purse.  For "emergencies"  ;I use the protein bars (which also have carbs) - watch the sugar in these.  A grilled chicken Caesar salad is great for a low-cal lunch (watch the dressing!), as are chili or a small burger (gasp!).

What worked for me best at the start was still having my "3-meals-a-day", by keeping the protein (but maybe a smaller serving), and increasing the number and amounts of veggies so the AMOUNT of food was the same; but the calories were far less (just see Molly Mouser's menus - she's given me tons of ideas).  Today I had spaghetti squash - super yum!  And for snacks (or "the additional meals"), an apple and a piece of low-fat cheese; cottage cheese and lite fruit salad, trail mix with dried fruit, or one-serving packs of tuna on lite wheat bread, will all give you both the protein and carbs and are low-cal.  You just have to get creative with "portable" carb/protein combos.

Oh, and I'm also a "late riser"!  I comfort myself that, as long as I'm up the same number of hours as anyone else, how will my body know whether it's 6:00 AM or 10:00 AM when I eat breakfast?  I do stay up until at least 1:00 AM (my most creative times are between 6 pm and 1 am), so it all works out.  When I had a "real job", I felt like I was asleep until noon, anyway, so now that I can set my own schedule, I finally get plenty of sleep and my body hasn't complained yet.

Thank you, zarelha!

I forgot blood sugar- my husband and daughter are constantly having to deal with that! You put everything so well, too! I don't want to offend anyone, and you explain much better than I can.

I'm borrowing from Molly, too! I now love acorn squash and have a butternut squash waiting...My try with spaghetti didn't go so well... I need better instructions most likely...!

The 'asleep till noon' is a good description, lol! Night time is MY time! I'm going to try to temper it and see if it helps- I want 2 lbs. a week if I can, and it might be a good idea for me. I agree about the hours per day, but I tend to hoard calories to avoid the hungries I get at night- which hinders the bigger-to-little-er meal arrangement and causes more weight to hang around longer  when I eat late- so I drag around in the mornings and don't see the scale move the next morning like it might have if I'd eaten earlier...if you can follow all of that, lol!

Chain-reaction-wise, a more temperate bedtime plan might be better for me than I knew- and that all may be part of why it is working for other folks already!

I'm telling myself I could do my gym exercise in the morning and be free to do all the cardio I want for the rest of the day, if I'd get up earlier- and that matters as I'm avoiding cardio before weights as I've learned it's counter-productive to reverse them.    * sigh *   Still no fun, lol!

Thanks for sharing- I really enjoyed your thoughts!