Fitness & Exercise Community

Hi Scott, your diet seems to be very high in carbs, some of them refined (bread, bagel, crackers, chips), and low in protein. You could maybe experiment by replacing some of the refined carbs with more complex carbs like wholegrains including oats, or fruit, or even better, with vegetables and lean protein.

For example, instead of a snack of crackers or chips, eat a boiled egg, or 1/2 cup tinned tuna with vegetables (any, like cucumber, celery, capsicum, etc.), or 1/2 cup skim yogurt with a small piece of fruit, etc.

Your breakfast is also lacking in protein - a bagel and fruit, especially after a workout, doesnt give you enough protein. If you ate a slice of wholegrain bread, a few egg-whites (or 1 whole egg and 2 egg-whites) and a small piece of fruit it will be more balanced. Or some low-fat yogurt or fish for protein.

And if you want to drink sodas, try to stick to the sugar-free variety.

Hi Scott,

Thanks for posting. It's hard to comment specifically without knowing at least your height and weight. It may be you don't have that much weight to lose, but I don't know. Or maybe you do have weight to lose, but maybe 2500 calories is too much. Plus, you can underestimate calorie intake by up to 40%, which means you could be consuming as many as 3000 calories. As for losing weight, the thing about it is is that to lose you must burn fewer calories than you consume no matter how much exercise you do. Even if you run a marathon every day you will not lose weight if you consume more calories than you burn. So if you're not losing then you are consuming more calories than you burn, or about the same if you're maintaining weight, even if you think you're not. And like I said, you could be consuming more than you think. Since it sounds like you're serious and have made a commitment to yourself, I suggest the following

1. Continue with exercise. It burns calories, it will keep you fit and strong, and it's the best predictor of keeping your weight off.

2. For the next week write down every single morsel of food you eat, and every ounce of beverage with calories you drink. Estimate the portion sizes as accurately as possible, and weigh and measure everything. Get a food scale and measuring cup to do it accurately.

3. Then go to the following site to figure out how many calories you are consuming
http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthtool-food-calorie-counter

4. Then to this site to estimate how many calories you burn all day (called the 24-hour energy expenditure (24-hrEE)
www.webmd.com/diet/healthtool-fitness-calorie-counter

5. Then here http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthtool-metabolism-calculator to estimate your metabolic rate. Use the "Inactive" activity level for an additional cushion for underestimation of calorie intake.

Once you know your 24-hrEE, and how many calories you consume, you can modify your intake accordingly, and/or increase exercise, so that you burn more than you consume. For instance, if you consume 2500 calories in a day and burn 20000, then you know you have to either cut back on your calories and/or increase your exercise to turn it around.

If all of this is too confusing, then just do #1 and write down everything you eat. If you do just that you'll lose weight. Feel free to post back if you have questions.

And make sure to post your diet-related questions to the Diet Community:
http://exchanges.webmd.com/diet-exchange

Finally, weight loss can be difficult on your own. WebMD has excellent resources to help people lose weight. You can get all the support and expert guidance on your diet that you need by checking out the Diet Community and the Weight Loss Clubs. The support and guidance will be extremely helpful to you. Select one of the Diet Clubs based on how much weight you want to lose.

http://exchanges.webmd.com/dieting-club-10-25-lbs-exchange

http://exchanges.webmd.com/dieting-club-25-50-lbs-exchange

http://exchanges.webmd.com/dieting-club-50-100-lbs-exchange

http://exchanges.webmd.com/dieting-club-100-lbs-exchange

You'll find everything you need to lose weight on these sites. And of course, feel free to post back here any time you like if you have questions.

Take care, Rich

Hi Scott,
You gained the weight because your health was compromised by your lifestyle choices. You've identified the two "usual suspects"...diet and exercise...and you're addressing those issues, somewhat, now. You've also identified soda. Kudos. Fruit juices and soda will hurt, not help, your cause, no question. You make no mention of prescription and over-the-counter medications, antibiotics, sleep quality, alcohol, smoking and stress. Whether you realize it or not, each can have a huge impact on your health. If you've developed insulin resistance (prediabetes / Type 2 diabetes), anemia, high blood pressure or sleep apnea, collectively or individually, these conditions can greatly impact hunger and addiction to certain foods.

I don't know how much you know about some of the things I've discussed. Just realize that weight loss is very complex. When people ask the question, "What am I doing wrong?", its impossible to answer. Some of the most contributory weight gain factors often go unrevealed in most posts...

Why?

Because, they think weight loss is just about diet and exercise...


PS: instead of eating less, try eating "healthier"...ie. more unrefined, unprocessed foods. Good luck, Scott