Need some advice please :)

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4/6/12 7:05 P

"Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels!" is a pro-anorexia mantra....

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4/6/12 9:17 A

Thanks for all your input everyone! I finally created a page, and hopefully you guys can check it out. Im new to all this, so not really sure how everything works yet. When i put what i was eating into the tracker- i was way under my points. So i started adding foods in to make the 1200 calories. Man- thats a lot of food! I am also trying to incorporate a Weight Watchers program into this as well- even though WW allows you to eat not such great foods, as long as your tracking the points and not going over however im not doing that. Its so hard to reach the 1200 calories when im not hungry- and i thought you are not supposed to eat when your not hungry- but i need to hit the 1200 calories because i dont want my body to go into " starvation" mode and start storeing fats. I feel like an idiot when it comes to losing weight, I just want to do it the right away and see results.

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4/6/12 3:49 A

I would suggest changing your breakfast or lunch (whichever is easier to prepare food for) instead of protein shake at each... for two reasons: 1) to make you feel fuller longer (drinking your "food" doesn't make you feel as satisfied as eating it) and 2) you need more "good" carbs. Try brown rice bread and natural nut butter or 2 eggs/ turkey bacon/red pepper slices for breakfast.

For lunch, make a big salad with avocado chunks and tomatos and a tuna sandwich on brown rice bread. Add a bit of cheese if you'd like. Or a white bean chili (make a big pot, divide it into 1 cup tupperware containers and take to work with you).

Oh, and switch to 0% fat Greek Yogurt and add a 1/2 scoop of protein powder to it for your flavour... WAY better than any other yogurt I've ever tasted... it's so rich and creamy (and filling) I usually cut up an apple to dip into my yogurt. Great snack for the midday!

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4/5/12 10:22 P

My meal plan here on Spark People is between 1200 and 1400 calories. Most days I eat between 1200 and 1300. On days when I eat 1200 I can tell you it seems like more food than what you said, but again I don't know how the food you eat adds up calorie vise. I would try and log it here in the meal plan and see how many calories it is, then try to make a good well balanced meal plan that will add the right amount of calories, carbs, fat and protein to keep you satisfied throughout the day and help you lose weight.

Funny thing is I use to eat so little calories, it would usually be under 1000 and I was gaining weight all the time even though I was on a "diet" all the time. Now that I eat more and stick to my calories I am losing weight all the time :) Hope this helps!

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4/5/12 7:42 P

It's also good to make slow consistent adjustments to your diet. It helps you to change your lifestyle to a more healthy orientation rather than obsessing over the calories in every bit from the get-go and maybe burning out.

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4/5/12 6:01 P

TRy these instructions for sharing your Sparkpage and trackers so we can take a look and provide more specific advice about your intake... you don't share amounts and totals, so we have no idea how to advise you on specifics:

www.sparkpeople.com/community/help_answer.
asp?id=38

www.sparkpeople.com/community/help_answer.
asp?id=76

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4/5/12 5:25 P

It's hard to say, but from what you listed it seems like a decent start. Results may vary person to person for 1-2 lbs a week; that's a healthy weight loss range each week, but not a guarantee. It also makes a difference how much you have to lose and how much you work out. You have to find what works for you; give your diet a try for a few weeks and then re-evaluate.

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4/5/12 5:17 P

:) It takes a little bit of time to figure out the page because there is so much information. I don't follow the meal plans so I don't know too much about them. You can try putting what you eat into the nutrition tracker and a pie chart will pop up. The pie chart shows you if you are eating the right amount, too much or too little carbs, proteins and fats. You find the nutrition tracker under the "My Nutrition."

I hope this helps a bit. If not, maybe some other sparkers will be able to help. :)

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4/5/12 5:10 P

Sorry ya'll! Im new to all this page- and still trying to determine how to use it! I saw SparkPeople gave me a meal plan to follow- with the meal plans they give you-can you typically see a weight loss of 1-2 pounds a week? That is what im trying to go for- I dont want anything fast because I know it will just come right back on.

Posts: 1,378
4/5/12 5:06 P

I don't know what your calories total, but that doesn't seem like enough. Everyone needs a minimum of 1200 calories. You could throw your metabolism off if you aren't getting enough. If you do lose weight, it is likely that it will be short term.

Spark people suggests how many calories, carbs and how much fat and protein you need. If you can, try to follow the suggested numbers. I know it is challenging with a busy schedule but it's so important for your health and you are more likely to lose weight following those numbers than with what you are doing right now.

Good luck. :)

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4/5/12 4:58 P

It sounds like you may be eating a very low calorie diet; without knowing the amounts and specific total daily nutrition, it's hard to say if what you're doing is going to help or not.

If you make a sparkpage and share your fitness/nutrition trackers, we may be able to provide you with more input, but it's difficult to say what might help here since you don't list amounts, your sparkpeople range, or daily total calorie differential... kinda flying blind. You need things like fat and carbs to function, so it;s important to get the right balance of nutrients.

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4/5/12 4:54 P

Hello!
So, I need some help. I need to know if what im doing for eating is going to help me lose weight. I have a very busy lifestyle and work crazy hours that sometimes cooking meals just doesnt fit into my schedule.
In the morning i drink a protein shake by Nectar ( Vanilla Bean ) 100 calories 25g protein no carbs, sugars, no fat very low sodium.
Mid morning snack ususally Dannon Light and Fit Vanilla yogurt and some fruit
Lunch- another protein shake
Mid afternoon snack more fruit and 1% cottage cheese
Dinner is a real meal- consists of lean meat, vegitables, brown rice not a lot of fat content
I just want to make sure i am doing everything correctly and I will be able to see results.
All advice would be greatly appreciated! Thank you very much!