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!

awesome!!! I've heard many of these things before but you really broke it down and put it all together by adding what she wrote.  I saved it, thanks!

Thank you so much for passing this information.  I have 75 lbs to loose and I haven't been loosing much at all.  I started in the beginning of December and I only lost 4 lbs so far.  I have been eating between 1200 to 1400 cals and working out 2 to 3 times a week.  I am so depressed that why I can't loose the way the others are doing it.  May be this information will help me.  Thanks again. 

thanks so much... this is solid information and concise (although I am sure it didn't seem like it when you were typing it!)

you rock :)

I see I am right on track.   Thanks for the confirmation.

WOW!! This is GREAT!! Thanks ..

I was recently told by my employer that was not in compliance with our weight policy.  I had to lose weight or I would be fired.  I was given a time period to get into compliance.  I had the option of using the service of a Board Certified Clinical Nutritionist to assist me in losing weight.   I decided to us the nutritionist.

I had to keep a food log and have a blood test done two weeks prior to the consult.  He took my measurements, family history, and medical history. 

Last week, I started following this information (it came up on a google search), so when I went to my appointment with the nutritionist, I took it with me.  When he asked what program I was currently following I handed him this information:  He said most of it was misleading.   He said he would lose his certification if he said half the stuff.  He and a peer were cracking up over the eating more will burn more fat stuff.
His recomendations (to get to the goal weight we set for me):
1. Track what I eat.
2. Three meals a day.  Try not to snack.
3. Daily calories of 1,900-2,000  (no matter how much I exercise).
4. Excercise 5 days a week.
5. He gave me a new computer food/exercise log.  They monitor it and send advice as I go along.
6. He recomended I read Volumetrics and Mastering Leptin (and avoid stuff like this).
7. He gave me a bunch of food and exercise information/pamphlets.

He said if I follow the program, I will easily lose more than the required weight in the established time period. 

I'm sorry...

I have to disagree...

This does work, for whatever reason- maybe different reasons from what we now know. The hunger problem during weight loss deficit times is real, and eating less more often helps a lot of folks not feel as if they are too hungry to keep going with their desire to lose weight, or even their daily activities.

Once my calories match my daily needs, and no longer create a deficit of burning more than I consume, I expect I can feel more satisfied and energy to work won't be my problem anymore... However, cravings for unhealthy amounts of food in our super-size society lead me to believe that a HABIT of eating smaller meals more often will help me, "Just say No!" Lol!!!

I need what will work...and work well...for me! For the rest of my life- as I'm NOT trying to find a good "Diet"... I'm seeking a "Life-Style" that will keep me from gaining ever again...! I hope your plan works for you, and helps you with your job... my weight loss is very slow, and 1200 is my limit.

Hi Rob

Regardless of why scientifically, I've found the more often you eat, you can get away with eating less total calories for the day without being hungry and tired. The program your nutritionist put you on will work if you follow it, by sheer proof of the numbers. But "he'd lose his certification if he said half the stuff"? Don't take him literally. He's selling you something: himself. Certification to be a nutritionist isn't particularly difficult. Like most degrees it just takes time and money with ability at a distant third if that. After certification it is simply each individual's interpretation of the vast, often at odds amount of research on the subject. I don't see much difference b/t what your nutritionist says and what the original post's nutritionist says besides frequency of meals. Even the calorie intake is a negligible difference b/c you'd lose the weight on 2,400 calories a day too, it would just take longer. Count up the average calories of what you ate on a given day getting fat (the crucial step most people do not do and so have no real personal point of comparison) and you'll see what I'm talking about. So that step is missing from both plans. Otherwise either way will work but personally, eating the more frequent meals gives me the energy I need to do all the exercise and work and errands and living life. But whatever works AND makes you feel great I say.  

Well everyone has different opinions on how to lose weight.  What beittybitty wrote seems to be agreed with by many as I've heard a lot of it before.  I even did body for life for awhile and lost weight which is the same concept (5-6 small meals a day).  I had a personal trainer for a little bit but didn't want to pay that much and even he said the same thing.  My friend is going to a 4 month personal trainer school and you know what?  same thing!  I also have a friend from high school who is a dietician in Beverly Hills, and she has even said the same thing (eat 5-6 small meals a day).  I've also read calories are calories regardless.  Eat less then you burn to lose weight and that everything else is bs.

 I've learned also, that in the professional world people tend to try to make them look like the best hairstylist, dentist, etc., when they come across other people's work.  Like clockwork, if I go to a different hairstylist they almost always say, "wow who cut your hair?! omg they messed up" when I know they didn't, because I flat iron my hair and can see every flaw.  I don't know what's up with that....  for the nutritionist to laugh with his coworker is just 2 year old stuff when he's in a professional world and should respect a professional opinion, especially a professional opinion that is out there all over the place (not saying it's right but it's out there).

 Just my 2 cents...

liswobble and I must have been writing at the same time.. I agree liswobble and not to mention, the 2400 calories for guys was an average (without knowing the person's personal traits, habits, bmi, etc..)  I have been eating 1200 calories a day (5-6 meals) and I honestly am not hungry all day!  Granted, I don't do the tapering off at the end (my son had a basketball pizza party the other night so I had to plan all day for that).  Every day is different, but it gets accomplished.  I only had 20 lbs starting to lose (you can't see it with clothes on but trust me it's there) and I have to agree that it's all about what makes you feel good.

Body for Life is not nearly as crazy as I'd first thought. The only thing is I think it's a bit light on cardio for the women. I mean the men look great but a lot of the BfL women...are on the way to body builder looking and it ain't the prettiest. Anyway, if you add it up, BfL advocates 1800 - 2000 calories a day.  That's if you have a portion of carbs and a portion of lean meat 5-6 times a day plus 2 servings of veggies. That's worked for me except I try to eat more veggies and my carbs are mostly beans, corn or raw fruit. Never felt more satisfied. 

Thank you so much for taking the time to type all of that up.  I am going to read all of it tonight and see what happens. 

That was fantastic! Thank you so so much for your generosity. I was debating going to a nutritionist, but now feel I have enough under my belt to get going even more! Thanks again.

I have to say, I'm new to CC and just getting started off has been pretty tough but seeing this kind of information being shared is HUGE.  I thank you for this info and look forward to reaching my goals with this kind of stuff.

 

Stay strong and persevere and you too will reach your goal! 

thank you for posting this

This is very helpful information. Makes you pay attention to  how your body works.  Making simple changes in your diet can optimize your weight loss.

thanks so much for that wonderful information!  I have been so worried about taking in too many calories that now I am not getting enough.  I don't know how to even it out

Thanks, I am just starting my diet again. I will use some of the info you gave us. But I have to go slow at it

Thanks so much for all the information.  I have been really trying to eat 5 or 6 times a day.  Breakfast is a new thing for me.  I exercise 5 or more times a week and can't seem to get my weight to budge.  Hopefully your advice will kick start my weight loss. 

Hey you're awesome!!!  I've always heard about breaking up your meals but never paid attention until now...I've gone through phases with exercise but never made the food changes and that's as important I think as the exercise.  Good luck on the rest of your journey!!