Any dieticians out there??

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Sigh...here's my scoop. I'm 5'6 1/2 and weigh 152 lbs.

Three weeks ago I went on a diet. I'm keeping a food journal. 1250 cals/day and around 30 gm. fat. Saturdays "off". (I don't pig out, but don't count the calories that day.)

I do step three times a week and sculpting twice a week. I also am very active at my job, full time.

I only weigh myself once a week, Saturday mornings.

And here's what I'm losing: ONE POUND A WEEK !!!

Now, I know it takes time, but ONE POUND A WEEK ?? To date, I've lost three lbs. total. I'm trying to be patient, but it really seems I should be losing faster than that.

I've been very careful about counting the calories, so I know I'm not actually taking in more than what I'm keeping track of. And I'm exercising every day (except Tues & Fri).

So what's up, guys? Am I normal???

My mom does weigh over 400 lbs. (but she ate herself that way, trust me, I really don't feel it's "genetic". But what if it is??). I'm not tired, don't have dry skin or thin hair, so I don't think it's low thyroid or some medical thing. I have started and stopped about ten million diets, could that have something to do with it?

Sorry so wordy, I hope someone knowledgeable re: nutrition, etc. responds to this.

I'm hanging in there, but am really getting discouraged. :(

P_RN, ADN, RN

6,011 Posts

Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

Patience. You are doing well. Congratulations. I believe 1 lb is 3200 calories...am I right? Keep it up.

MarnnaRN

45 Posts

Please, don't get discouraged. I've been there. I started weight watchers as my last resort and lost 40 lbs in 8 months. You are doing well, drink plenty of water, and get approximately 5 fruits and veggies a day. Even though you are counting calories, are they healthy calories? That can make a difference. Talk to a fitness instructor at your gym, they might have some advice to help also. Good luck, and way to go!

Squirrel

33 Posts

The most weight that you can safely loose in 1 week is 1 1/2 lbs. If you loose any more than this, you are probably loosing muscle mass and water, not fat.

A commonly used equation to assess energy expenditure is the Harris-Benedict equation:

For a women (I am assuming you are a women):

Basal energy expenditure (BEE)= 655.1 + 9.6(weight in kg) + 1.8(height in cm) - 4.7(age in years)

The number you get from this calculation is an estimate of how many calories per day you need just for your basal functions.

After you get this number, you multiply it by an activity factor to get the estimated number of calories you need per day to include your activity level. For example, if you are moderately active you would multiply your BEE by 1.5, and if you are very active you would multiply your BEE by 2.0.

This gives you the estimated amount of calories you need to maintain your current body weight at your current activity level. For example, if your BEE was 1500 and your activity factor was 1.5, then the estimated amount of calories you need to maintain your current weight at your current activity level would be 1500 X 1.5 or 2250 Calories per day.

Now to loose weight safely (1/2 to 1 1/2 pounds per week), you would want to decrease this amount by 250-500 calories per day (consume 1750-2000 calories per day instead of 2250) or increase your activity per day to burn off an additional 250-500 calories per day. The best would probably be a combination of both. Without anymore information, I am guessing that 1250 cal/day is not enough for you, especially if you are very active. If you do not consume enough calories to meet your metabolic demand, your body can become more efficient in fuel utilitization and it will be harder to loose weight. You also need an adequate fuel supply to stay active.

Lean muscle mass is very metabolically active, and the more you have the higher your BEE will be, and the easier it will be to loose weight and keep it off. So when you loose more than 1 1/2 pounds a week, you are probably loosing the vital lean muscle mass that you need to keep the weight off. Check with your doctor before any resistance training, but lifting weights will help tone up muscles and build up lean muscle mass which makes it easier for weight control.

I would not suggest weighing yourself every week. This can lead to focusing too much on the numbers and can contribute to your discouragement. Try to focus instead on how differently your clothes fit, how well you feel, ect. This helps some people.

I would recommend that you take in at least 20% of your calories from fat, and consume a little bit with each meal. The fat soluble vitamins and many of the plant phytochemicals are fat soluble and need some fat in the diet in order to be absorbed. If you lower your fat intake too much, you will not absorb these well. Do not significantly limit your carbohydrates, because in order for your body to burn fat properly it needs carbohydrates from the diet. 50-60% of your calories should come from carbohydrates (preferably from low glycemic sources if possible)

I hope this helped you somewhat, and don't give up!

EndoRN

79 Posts

Thanks everyone! Thanks, Squirrel. That's some good information.

I'll try not to get discouraged!

Thanks again!

Perk

25 Posts

Hey I think your doing great, yes weight lose when done properly takes time, but your new habits may become a lifestyle change, and if that happens then you won't put the weight back on. Trust me I understand how hard diet changes can be a year and a half ago I decided to go Veggie. The day I began was the last day I ever eat meat. For the first couple of months it was really hard but now I am soo used to my diet that I really don't feel like I missing out on anything and actually crave Tofu :eek: rather than a piece of fatty bacon. I hope you keep up the good work and keep talking about frustrations about the diet, it always helps to vent :roll

+ Add a Comment