What Should I be Eating to Lose Weight??? - nothing seems to be working!

[Anonymous]

I turned 40 8 months ago. I have been working to quit smoking, off and on, for that same amount of time. I also started a much more sedentary job in that time frame so i have put on about 15 pounds. (I wont get on the scale, but my clothes don't CLOSE). I have been more "active" because I want to work on a "healthier lifestyle", but truth be told, I want to LOOK GOOD DAMMIT. I dont eat "junk" - never really have...so I cant figure out why I cant slowly shed this weight????

I eat a small breakfast every day, either grapenuts with raisins, greek yogurt with TBS honey and a grapenut sprinkle or oatmeal.

lunch is generally about half bag of salad with a "tuna packet" and 1-2 TBS of olive oil.

dinner is whatever I am making for the family, which is not processed food, etc.

I have been reading about MUFA - is it worth it? I have a food scale, but scared to really commit because honestly, i can't figure out how much I SHOULD be eating!

I have stopped buying cookies for the kids, I stopped putting cream adn sugar in my coffee, etc. Will anyone share their "mid-life" tips with me? I work very well with ritualizing the food thing...I have begun "shredding" but i got the bug last week so stopped...I picked it up again today. (I was hoping the fever would lead to weight loss - pathetic, i know)

So - I would very much appreciate anyone's tips...
Thanks!

[Anonymous]

What do you mean by "active"? Are you working out?

I can't recommend what you should be eating in terms of food X. But working out, lots of water, and watching portion sizes seems to work best for me. And, no alcohol . . . haven't had luck with that last one as I like my evening cocktail or wine. When I do go w/o, the weight really comes off.

[Anonymous]

It sounds like you are eating OK. When I need to drop some weight I pretty much stick with grilled chicken and veggies, it usually does the trick. And I'm not sure about your exercise plan, but to lose weight I always need to get out of my comfort zone-- usually by adding intervals (sprints) at high intensity.

[Anonymous]

Don't focus on a "small" breakfast. Make sure it's a fulfilling breakfast to get you through the day.

[Anonymous]

what's MUFA?

[Anonymous]

Eat vast quantities of veggies. They fill you up. They are good for you. Eat TINY portions of meat/seafood. I usually take a child's portion of the "main course" at dinner at home. Then piles and piles of veggies/salad.

GO for a walk during lunch.

[zumbamama]

GRADUALLY decrease portion size of your meals and increase the intensity or length of your workouts.

Little, healthy snacks or brisk walks in between meals will help your metabolism stay up.

Loosen up your body. Especially "problem" areas where muscles are so tight, it is hard for fat to escape. Yoga!

My sister gave up soda and lost 10 pounds in a month.

I am also curious, what is MUFA?

[Anonymous]

MUFA = monounsaturated fatty acids

MUFA Diet:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1350970/mufa_diet_and_how_to_shop_for_mufa.html

[Anonymous]

It sounds like you're eating fine. Exercise will help -- running and swimming are the best in the shortest amount of time.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the tips...the exercise level is not where it should be by any means, BUT it is more than a year ago and prior to the weight gain. I have improved with veggie consumption, but will "up" it. I rack my brain to figure out how I am rewarding myself with food since I no longer have the cigarettes and really cant find it (it's obviously there or i wouldn't have this problem).
So, my next goal is double veggie consumption and finish the 30 day shred...let's see...
Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Yeah, basically real weight loss requires exercise 5x week. The whole 3xweek thing is for cardiovascular health and weight MAINTENANCE.
It sucks but it's true! I have always (except when pregnant) exercised 4-5 x week and it is such a habit that i hardly even think about it. It's all about getting into the groove that MOST days you will exercise. Not special days. Running is really the best--free and you can do it anywhere anytime and dont need to waste time getting to and from a class or gym. Very effective!!!

[Anonymous]

Up the protein at breakfast.

[Anonymous]

I highly recommend that you think about joining weight watchers on line. I joined in July and lost 22 lbs by early October. I have now kept if off for over 6 months. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Are you eating enough? Your food intake looks low to me. I know when you're trying to lose, the temptation is to cut calories as much as you can, but you really don't want to do that. I think it slows your metabolism, then your body gets used to eating less and having to make do with less, and then where do you go from there? Eating even less? Ugh. Get online and do one of those calculators to see how much a person of your height/weight needs to eat, and make sure you're covered. See if you can eat pretty clean- whole grains instead of starchy white carbs (mmm, starchy white carbs), lean meats in smaller portions, plenty of veggies, limited desserts and empty alcohol and soda calories. Try to go for grilled/roasted things instead of fried (which you seem to know), go easy on heavier sauces, etc.

Also, try to sneak more exercise into your day. I've worked out daily for years, but have had to cut back to 6 days/week the last couple months, as my daughter gets older and more interactive and I find myself not wanting to take as much time away from her. With the weather getting warmer, I've started walking to a more distant metro stop in the evening and sometimes walking from a more distant metro stop in the morning. (I work downtown, so it's pretty easy to do, and it takes me away from the super-busy tourist meccas, which is a very nice bonus.) It adds about a mile of walking to my day without taking much time. I also take walks with my daughter as often as I can (1-2 miles), take stairs vs. the escalator/elevator, and enjoy physical tasks like raking, gardening, etc.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

I can tell you for sure that part of it is the quitting smoking part. Every time I've quit I've immediately gained an average of 10 pounds. Something about smoking burning calories, increasing metabolism and supressing appetite. So it has probably little to do with what you're eating, which seems fine. It will probably take some time for your body to stabilize. Good luck!