In desperate need of advice regarding weight loss.

Jox

Spinach and banana smoothies are delish! I need the extra iron as I'm anaemic and low in haemoglobin and platelets.

Here's more info about protein for vegetarians:

http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/diet/vegetarian/protein_needs.htm

Protein Needs
By Dietitian, Juliette Kellow BSc RD

Q I follow a vegetarian diet and am having trouble getting enough protein. What foods can I eat more of without blowing my calorie allowance?

A It’s unusual for most people in the UK, including people who follow a vegetarian diet, to be lacking in protein. In fact, healthy eating guidelines suggest most women need only 45g of protein each day for good health.

Assuming you include dairy products in your diet, you shouldn’t have any difficulty meeting this. For example, a 300ml/1/2pt serving of skimmed milk provides a fifth of your protein needs alone. Low-fat yoghurts and cheeses are also good sources of protein, as are eggs (if you eat them). You may also want to eat more pulses as these are packed with protein, yet are low in fat and calories.

Meat alternatives such as Quorn, tofu and soya are also rich in protein and can be low in fat and calories depending on how you cook them.

Nuts and seeds are also a great source of protein but can be high in calories. Having said that, you really don’t need to eat a lot of them. Just 25g/1oz unsalted peanuts contain almost 6g protein, yet will add only 140 calories to your daily intake.

Finally, it’s worth bearing in mind that foods like rice, breakfast cereals, pasta, potatoes and bread also contain some protein and these can make a significant contribution to your overall intake of this nutrient.

the_devil_made_me_do_it

Very helpful again Jox :kisses3:

I will leave you to your spinach smoothies, just couldn't face even trying one. However, I guess if you need it in your diet, it's a necessary evil.

Fitness Pal users: I think overall this website is great, however, I find it pretty poor when it comes to inputting cardio workouts at the gym.

MrMattyP

Hey tDevilmmdi,

I found you're post whilst looking for protein shakes. I've got to say, I've read a lot of diet crap over the last 10 years, but the most weight I've managed to lose was by going for a protein diet. I lost a couple of stone about 5 years ago on the Atkins diet.

I realise that that specific diet might not work for you as you're a veggie, but you may wish to look at the slow carb options that are out there. If you look to include a lot more legumes and lentils in your diet then you can get lots of protein, whilst still eating very natural healthy meals, and they make you feel full. I've found that you can get a lot of Mexican and Indian food in the diet as well, which for me is really good, because I love food an it keeps things interesting.

I've got a bit more to lose (that last stone that's just hanging around), and am currently looking at advice from Tim Ferriss in his book called the the Four Hour Body. He's got some really interesting stuff in there, and you can find info on it by just googling his name and going to his blog.

His top tip is to eat 30grams of protein within 30 mins of waking. I'm trialling this at the mo and trying to find a protein shake to make it easier (hence the search) to do (eggs for breakfast is a nightmare when you have to get to work).
He also recommends putting cinnamon in your coffee, as it keeps you feeling fuller for longer and slows the release of glucose into the bloodstream (therefore having a slow-carb affect).

I lost 7lbs doing both these and a slow carb diet with occasional cheat days just before Christmas, but I (ahem) slipped over Christmas, and am trying to get back to it. I think it's because I tried to include too many new behaviours at the same time. I'm reintroducing them slowly now.

Another thing to mention is that I saw you were talking about the pros and cons over weighing yourself vs measuring your waist/hips (sorry if this is covered already, but I haven't read all 6 pages of posts), I understand that this is a common problem where people (especially women (not sure if that includes you, sorry)) plateau during a diet weight-wise, but can still be losing body fat.

Anywho, I hope some of this is helpful, though it looks like you have a lot of support already. Good luck with everything and let us know how you get on.

the_devil_made_me_do_it

Update:

I have been following fitnesspal & altering my workout & lost no weight

Changed my eating habits in terms of cutting down the carbs & increasing my protein intake. Also, including more fruit and veg.

Getting really frustrated and losing motivation with it now.

Jox

Hi TDMMDI, have you noticed any positives, such as more toned body, softer skin, better hair / nails, increased energy etc or anything like that?

You said about a month ago that the meds you're on made it hard to go to the loo, good bowel movements a couple of times a day would help the weight go down.

If you are constipated then your body won't be efficiently assimilating and eliminating.

Are you on the meds long term, if you google does it say anything about constipation and weight gain?

the_devil_made_me_do_it

Strangely my skin has gotten dryer. I am feeling more active I suppose. There are parts of my body that are looking more toned, particularly legs and back.

My meds are long term unfortunately & it is well documented that they cause weight gain. As for constipation, I don't have much problem as long as I eat Bran Flakes or Oat Flakes on a morning.

I was just hoping I'd see some weight loss on the scales to be honest, just so I could feel I was going in the right direction. If my fitnesspal was to be believed, I should be at least 5lbs lighter. However, my weight hasn't changed since I started documenting my food and exercise. In fact, I have been stuck at this weight for more than 2 months now.

thor

the_devil_made_me_do_it wrote: »

Update:

I have been following fitnesspal & altering my workout & lost no weight

Changed my eating habits in terms of cutting down the carbs & increasing my protein intake. Also, including more fruit and veg.

Getting really frustrated and losing motivation with it now.

Maybe you need to cut down on everything, not just carbs. This may mean that sometimes you will have to feel hungry and have to endure it. If done gradually and amount of exercise is maintained then your body will hopefully avoid going into starvation mode and weight loss could resume. Definitely watch how much fruit you are eating as that will contain lots of sugar.

Jox

Here's some examples of "good" fats to consume in moderation which might help with dry skin, along with drinking less coffee / tea and more water:

Olive oil
Canola oil
Sunflower oil
Peanut oil
Sesame oil
Avocados
Olives
Nuts (almonds, peanuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, pecans, cashews)
Peanut butter
Soybean oil
Corn oil
Safflower oil
Walnuts
Sunflower, sesame, and pumpkin seeds
Flaxseed
Fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, trout, sardines)
Soymilk
Tofu

elantan

Also coconut oil

~Chameleon~

Jox wrote: »

Here's some examples of "good" fats to consume in moderation which might help with dry skin, along with drinking less coffee / tea and more water:

Olive oil
[STRIKE]Canola oil[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]Sunflower oil[/STRIKE]
Peanut oil
Sesame oil
Avocados
Olives
Nuts (almonds, peanuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, pecans, cashews)
Peanut butter
[STRIKE]Soybean oil[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]Corn oil[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]Safflower oil[/STRIKE]
Walnuts
Sunflower, sesame, and pumpkin seeds
Flaxseed
Fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, trout, sardines)
Soymilk
Tofu

Modified slightly to exclude oils high in Omega 6