anyone a nutritionist?

[DDH]

Hi girls, I was just wondering if any of you are nutritionist, or know a great deal about nutrition.

I am a little perplexed. I have been to the doctor several times about not being able to lose weight. He has run test and everything always seems fine. So he sets me up with the dietician. I went Tuesday to a 2 hour or so class.
Now for a little information up front. I haven't been riding this winter at all, between the weather and life I just haven't been able to. My husband just brought me a treadmill, because I was walking when I could be also, due to weather it was limited. So the treadmill offers me another way of more consistant exercise. Soon I will begin riding my bike again and hopefully will have time for both, but on days tight for time or bad weather, at least I can use the treadmill. Now since I got it, right after Valentines, I have missed only 1 day of exercise. It calls to me. It is sitting right in my living room, so there's no way to ignore it. I have been really watching what I eat and keeping track of everything. Well, just like always seems to happned to me, when I try to start getting serious about eating healthier and cutting back and getting lots of exercise in, I gain weight. I don't lose, girls I gain. I know everyone always tells me it's because I am gaining muscle and losing fat, but I don't believe I have gained 15 lbs of muscle in a month.
The dietician is telling me I am not eating enough. She glanced at my food log and exercise and instantly told me this. She starts going through her class and tells us that 1/2 of our calorie intake a day should be carbs :eek: and that I should only be eating at the most 4 oz of meat a day.
She gave us a diet type plan, but for me and our lifestlye I just don't feel like 4 ozs of meat a day is realistic nor is all the carbs she wants me to eat.
It was my impression or from what I thought I had learned, carbs, if not used goes straight to storage IE: fat cells.
I mean from all I have learned one of the first things they tell you is to be realistic, but this is just not realistic for me. Not in my personal opinion anyway. I don't want to eat a cow everyday, but I certainly want more than just 4 ozs of meat a day. Plus she has it where I should never have a meat on the diet exchange in the moring. Well, I don't eat them often, but once in a while I like an egg with a piece of deer sausage for breakfast and they way she has it I can never eat meats in the morning.

I'm so confused and I'm so tired of this weight loss fight. Last summer I rode my bike consistantly and still never lost any weight. It's so very frustrating and I just dont' know what in the world I am doing wrong. I am up 35 lbs since summer. Everytime I start trying to really work at losing, I gain 10 to 20 lbs. Doctor says nothing is wrong with my Thyroid and I don't know what else to check and he certainly doesn't offer.

Sorry this was so long!! If you gotten this far, thanks and any help anyone can offer would be greatly appreciated.
I am now up to 235 lbs and miserable.

[LBTC]

{{{{{{{{{{Donna}}}}}}}}}}}}}

All I can offer is a hug, really. I don't have a solution for you, but I am familiar with mysterious health issues that get in the way of being the healthy and vibrant person we want to be! Don't give up! Someone here should have some insight for you.

Hugs and light butterflies,
~T~

[DarcyInOregon]

Hi Donna,

Weight loss is a long involved process that can take years, with periods of time where the body may gain weight or not lose weight.

You can visit a nutritionist or dietician, but you really need to figure it out for yourself by trial and error over time. The experts all have their own theories and love to try the new theories out on anyone who walks in their door. Well, those theories may not be realistic for you, so you have to figure it out, read the literature for yourself, and keep on plugging away.

My ratio fluctuates around 50% carbs, 25% protein and 25% fat, if this information is useful to you at all.

I am somebody who has lost a lot of weight, and who is struggling to get the last of the excess fat off. I've been in a holding pattern all winter. However, the one thing that I added to my regime is using the Pulsar heart rate monitor, so I really know if I am exerting myself enough or not, and exactly how many calories I burned. Sometimes we exercise, and it is a great feeling of accomplishment, but cycling 10 miles on a bike trail while gabbing with friends is a lot different than cycling 10 miles up and down hills and pushing to increase the average speed. The same goes for the treadmill. It is easy to get focused on the television show in front of the treadmill and become relaxed, and the heart rate falls, and the calories burned decrease, whereas with a little attention one can increase the grade and speed and get the heart rate higher.

Also, I have a treadmill, and I try my best to cycle outside, even in the winter, because the treadmill simply does not get my heart rate up enough. I can spend an hour on the treadmill and burn the same number of calories that I do in 15 minutes of vigorous cycling outside. What the treadmill says you burned in calories won't be accurate. It is always more than double what the heart rate monitor says.

Another trick is to focus on the cycling. What I mean is do what it takes to make you a better cyclist, for fitness and fun, and if that is your focus, you will start cycling longer distances at higher speeds and more hills, and you will get more days where you burn over 1000 calories. When you start getting enough of those days adding up, your body will start to shrink. For example, maybe I haven't lost any weight over the winter, but I can tell you with a lot of excitement that my fitness level has increased dramatically, and that I now bike distances and speeds that I could only fantasize about last September. And then I think, well so what if I didn't lose any weight this winter because I am certainly more fit than most women my age.

Darcy

[han-grrl]

Hi DDH

weight loss is a fussy thing. SOMETIMES it has to do with body movement (ie exercise) and sometime it has to with calorie count, and sometimes someone needs both, and SOMETIMES it has to do with what exactly you are eating.

If you look at the typical north american diet, we pretty much eat the same foods ALL THE TIME. some examples are: wheat, corn, tomatoes, and some other things...

so even when people are eating "whole grain foods" they are still eating good old fashioned wheat. not a lot of variety. other grains include quinoa, buckwheat, spelt, kamut etc etc etc...

then there is the processed seemingly health foods like granola bars. LOADED with sugar and oil. when i eat these, i gain weight, no matter what i do with my diet. i cut them out, i lose weight.

So all this boils down to the fact that our bodies can develop some food allergies and intolerance which can present themselves as hives or rashes yes but they can also present themselves as headaches, and, yep, weight gain.

So your best bet is to find a dietician who is a bit more WHOLISTIC with their practice and willing to test you for allergies.

Another thing to consider, i am a big fan of the book The Metabolic Typing Diet by Wolcott. This book does provide a little insight as to why we are the way we are. Of course like all nutritional info, take it with a grain of salt, because the research is always changing. The book explains how some of us are more "protein" types and some are more "carb" types. Which means, we metabolize things at different rates due to genetics mainly. Makes sense to me! For myself, i found that when i was eating the recommended 50-60% carb diet, i was ALWAYS hungry. and not losing weight. but through the tests in this book i found that i am a bit more protein oriented, so by adding JUST A BIT more protein to my diet, so not excessive, out of the recommended 2 servings, i added one more serving, i found that my hunger has been controlled. ALSO, the book recommends never to eat foods solo, ie like just an apple, or just crackers. always combine carb, fat and protein so that you dont shake up your blood sugar.

Anyway, i hope some of this helps you. Weight loss is really and individual thing and you need to work with the right people who are willing to explore and see what is right for you.

Keep Smiling!
Hannah

[Offthegrid]

I struggle with my weight, too. Sometimes I just need a break for a bit. But these are the things that I've found work for me 100 percent of the time.

1. I'm not sure how involved your food log is. But I strongly advise logging your calories. Use calorieking.com, fitday.com or one of those sites. You can download a calorie tracker from calorieking.com for about $40. I think fitday is free. Log EVERY SINGLE BITE that goes in your mouth. Measure every single portion. If you're having cereal, then put it in the 3/4 cup or whatever the serving is. Do not miss any food.

These Web sites (or at least I know CK does) the total the calories, fat, carbs and percentages for you.

Log your exercise also. Do not go too low. 1,200 calories net is too low. 1,500 calories net is borderline too low. You should be around 1,600 to 1,800 calories net for a slow, steady weight loss.

I generally go 50-55% carbs, 20-25% fat, 20-25% protein.

2. Consider joining a support program such as T.O.P.S. (taking pounds off sensibly). It's reasonably priced (mine costs $2/month) and they help keep you on track.

3. Don't skip meals. Eat frequent but smaller meals.

4. Know realistically how much you're burning through exercise. Most people drastically overestimate how much they can eat after exercising.

5. Come on TE and let us know how you're doing.

6. Eat some full fat foods. Fat helps our feeling of fullness. Consider eating a full fat yogurt. But watch your total fat intake. You don't want to let it get too high.

You CAN do this. You WILL do this. We're all here to support you and lend a hand or kick in the butt when needed.

[KnottedYet]

Just a little comment on your breakfast:
I *completely* understand wanting to eat your protein/eggs/sausage for breakfast rather than later in the day!

I'm one of those people whose body runs on the "Breakfast like a king, lunch like a Prince, dinner like a Pauper" plan. (I didn't make that up, there are enough of us in this world who eat this way that someone else made it up. I'd like to find that person and say "THANK YOU!")

If I don't get to eat like that (or at least have my huge breakfast) everything goes wrong. From what I've experienced, most eating plans run the other way.

[SouthernBelle]

Hey Donna, Sympathy on the weight loss thing. I know how tough it can be.

A couple of things I wanted to point out about carbohydrates. There are simple and complex ones. You want to shoot for the complex ones. Your body has to put in more effort to burn those. Thus they are less likely to be converted to fat. Plus they are what contain the fiber that keep your bowels perking along. That's why whole grains are recommended over processed ones. Learn to read food labels. Often the front of the packaging will trumpet whole grains, but the product will still have processed wheat or other grains too if you read the ingredients. Enriched wheat flour sounds like a good thing, but it's plain old white flour.

HTH,

[jusdooit]

I'm glad you sat down with a dietician. I hate to tell you this but the 4ozs of meat is accurate. I believe an "extra" serving of meat a day equals 5 lbs of weight gain a year. That being said, I don't limit my meat to just one meal, but do limit myself to no more than one meat a day. By that I mean I may not eat meat every day. Also try to stick to lean meats as much as possible. Did the dietician review with you how to measure your quantities? It's possible you're eating more than you think. Remember most serving sizes are 1/2 cup. I know you're discouraged but I think you sholud try sticking with the dietician's plan for a while, give it some time. I also want to echo the comment about simple vs. complex carbs. This is important.
I doubt that food allergies are the culprit, as I have many. Except they will make read labels before you buy.
My only other suggestion about something that could be physiologically wrong is diebeties. This can result in unexplained weight loss OR weight gain.

[Grog]

I'm sorry DDH as I can feel that this is really frustrating you. I think it's smart from you to see a nutritionist and seek solutions to this. I don't believe in thin = healthy, but feeling miserable, to begin with, is not healthy.


She starts going through her class and tells us that 1/2 of our calorie intake a day should be carbs :eek: and that I should only be eating at the most 4 oz of meat a day.
She gave us a diet type plan, but for me and our lifestlye I just don't feel like 4 ozs of meat a day is realistic nor is all the carbs she wants me to eat.
It was my impression or from what I thought I had learned, carbs, if not used goes straight to storage IE: fat cells.


I'm not sure how she defines "meat", but maybe eggs are outside of that definition. Deer sausage, however, certainly is part of that definition, and also probably the fattiest type of meat...

Meat is not the only type of protein. And it is one of the least healthy forms of protein. So you want to keep that low, even if you don't have to become a vegetarian. Lentils, soy products, and even vegetables have protein as well. Over the recent year I have become mostly a vegetarian, mainly because I dislike white meat (poultry), so most days I eat veggie and on the weekend I will sometimes have a very nice dinner with a rare piece of a very fine steak, the kind that's very expensive so it's a small portion anyway. :) I eat one egg every morning at breakfast, though, because it's the only thing that keeps my stomach feeling full until about lunch time.

I think the others have given very wise advice.

I'd encourage you to try the nutritionist's pattern, if by slightly modifying it (ex: by adding an egg, but not more meat), but as little as you can, for a couple of months. See if there are results of any time. If you keep gaining weight after all things are counted and all exercise is done (it's important to keep the exercise up), then perhaps getting a second medical opinion would be a good thing for you.

Having a group of buddies might help too, for the exercise part at least, until the nicer days of winter...

Good luck - big hug

[mimitabby]

DDH
I have never had to diet to lose weight, so I haven't much to offer
besides just common sense stuff.
There was that amazing article in the NYTimes a short while back that talked about how much portion size is a mental image thing. Use smaller plates and you
feel like you ate the right amount just as you did with the bigger plate. But I think you already know this.
I would recommend a book to you which is less about losing weight than it is about lifestyle change; I hope you can find it and read it. I have gotten 3 people to read it already, and just mailed a copy to my sister who is nowhere near as valiant as you are
Younger Next Year for women. Please try to read it, it's full of great sensible ideas which will help you to get to where you want to be.

so my heart goes out to you
mimi

[DDH]

Thanks girls. I appreciate all the support and ideas and help.

I log my exercise, but as someone said the exact amount of calories burned durning my exercise I haven't a clue. My treadmill gives and appoximate amount but it is based on a 185 lb 6 foot man according to the booklet.
I love my treadmill, I usually work out on it at least twice and sometimes 3 times during the day. It is not facing the t.v, so I get into a concentration, focus zone and I do really get my heart rate up and sweat pouring. Same thing when I ride my bike. I have lots of hills around that I have to go up and down, matter of fact, I hate hills but have tried to learn to love them. LOL
Because I am so heavy, it doesn't take much to get my heart rate up and me way out of breath so sometimes I have to slow it down just to catch my breath but then I go right back at it.
My protion sizes for food are normal sizes. In fact the dietician told me I am not eating enough and that is why I am gaining weight because my body is going into starvation mode. Now I know all about that and not to skip meals and I try not to, but I certainly thought I was eating enough to no be in startvation mode, as she put it.
Plus when I asked her about the carb thing, she said that a carb is a carb, and I was asking about whole wheat pasta instead of the white and she seems to think that it's all grouped together. She said and I quote, "a carb is a carb, yes whole wheat takes longer to break down but in the end it all gets your glycemic level to the same point and is stroed the same. This comment therefore made me wonder what kind of dietician she is?

Anyway, I have changed to whole wheat pasta's when I eat them and cut back on white potatoes and eat only lean meats except on rare ocasions. The deer sausage is something that is maybe once every two weeks and trust me, we make it ourselves and it is much leaner than something you would buy at the store. There is only enough fat in it to make it stick together. We eat deer and chicken for the most part, and deer is much better for you and leaner than beef. I steam my vegetables and eat salads often.
Anyway, thanks for all the help girls. You just don't know how much the support means to me. I get so very frustrated, but I keep plugging along trying and trying. But to get on the scale when working so hard and have gained more weight on top of this already heavy body, I just want to scream sometimes. I know doctors and people that don't know me probably think, "yeah right, your just not trying hard enough" but trust me, it is a daily effort, and I plug along 1 day at a time.

[jusdooit]

Forgot to ask about your drinking. Are you getting enough fluids?
I also assume the dietician took the time to calculate exactly how many calories, and therfore servings of each food group you need to consume. If not you need to make her do that, it should have been part of the consult. She is right though, not enough really makes your body hold to what it gets.
You may also want to try mypyamid.gov, you can track your food, and exercise, and calories burned by everyday activities, even as minute as brushing your teeth.
Good luck............never give up.

[DarcyInOregon]

Donna, you have been given some excellent advice. I can't believe how many women who responded eat just like I do, including the choice of complex carbs over simple carbs.

I have a follow-up question. What were your daily calories before you went to see the dietician? And what are your calories now?

The reason I ask is because the calories are critical, and the calories are what have to be individually shaped to your needs. A dietician can tell you the calories, but seriously, you take the recommendation and then you figure out what your body needs. Susie (offthegrid) recommended several calorie nutrition programs; I use Calorie King. When you exercise, particularly with cycling, you have to eat the right kind of calories to compensate for the body losing nutrients during the exercise. Somehow, those calories have to be added to your daily requirements, and you can only determine what that number is by recording the calories over time and watching the results. The dietician might tell you that you can't exceed 1500 calories a day, but if you are out cycling 25 miles a day, that number will need to be altered, and only you can figure out what the number should be.

Weight loss just isn't sure and easy like they show it in television commercials and on the reality television shows. It is why all of us have so many friends who are large and heavy and don't ever move their bodies; it is because they start from a position of being so out of shape they can't exercise enough to lose weight, and they become discouraged and stop making the effort. A large part of the equation is moving the body, and the more weight you lose, the more you have to exercise. Remember, the official recommendation from the federal government and the American Heart Association for weight loss is 60-90 minutes of aerobic activity each day. That is every SINGLE day, not every other day, or only 2-3 times a week, it is SEVEN times a week. But, as the body fat goes down, you still have to increase the cardio time. That means you have to reprioritize the routines of your daily life and put exercise at the very top. It can be done. Somebody says, "Hey, want to go to a movie and dinner," and you say, "I can't, I haven't done my cardio yet." You go on vacation, you choose a hotel that has a fitness gym or has access to a fitness gym, even if you have to pay more to get such a hotel.

And get that heart rate monitor right away. It will make a difference for you.

Darcy

[han-grrl]

Its a common misconception that ingested carbs of some kind gets converted to fat. Actually it takes the body A LOT OF ENERGY to do this type of thing, so it isn't the preferred way to store fat. The body will take fat and store it, but it won't just start randomly converting carbs to fat. Not unless there is some odd imbalances going on. Sometimes the plumpness around the body is assumed to be fat, but can be water mass too.

Other reasons to consider weight gain: medications, thyroid conditions, lack of sleep, too much stress (both cause disruptions in tissue building and can cause the body to store more than release fat), nutrient intake (if you aren't getting enough of one thing, eg. calcium, your body can respond to protect the organs by adding extra "padding", allergies (as i have already mentioned).

So weight loss isn't simple caloric math of exercise and eating.


I hope you are able to find a solution.

Hannah

[Offthegrid]

Lots of great advice here for you. I recommend looking back on this thread in a week or a month and seeing how you've progressed and what else you could change. I think if you start logging your calories you will see a vast difference in your weight (or at least will understand why you are not losing).

I did want to reply one more time to say that if you're doing a lot of exercise, make sure to take one rest day a week completely off. Your body needs time to recover.

Also are you lifting weights at all? I try to do so twice a week, and I always find that the days after I lift weights are the days when I lose pounds. No scientific evidence - just a little observation.

[wildstreaktn]

Hi Donna,
I am also a big girl,5'8",198 lbs,down from 245 lbs.I have used a combo of strength training,lots of cycling,and am now training for my first tri.I just got my certification as a personal fitness trainer and read and study voraciously on all aspects of fitness.I applaud your perserverence,don't ever quit,it is just a matter of finding the right combination that works for you.Being a neophyte trainer,all the info I have been studying shows that when we do cardio,the fat burning and weight loss effects are immediate,what you burn is what you burn.You might consider adding strength training to your routine.When you strength train you burn calories during your workouts and after your workouts,when your body is in recovery and healing the small tears you create in your muscle tissue when you lift.You might also try zig zagging your daily caloric intake,i.e.,one higher calorie day,two lower calorie days to bust through a plateau or jump start your metabolism.Check out Tom Venuto's "Burn The Fat,Feed The Muscle" website.I purchased his e-book and that is what started this wondrous transformation for me.I hope this gives you some new ideas,and best of luck,you will find the right key to get you where you want to be in your fitness journey!!!:D

[Julibird]

When I started wearing my new Polar F6, I wore it evertime I worked out and when I checked my weekly calories-burned total (I know it's not solidly accurate - but close enough I think) I was shocked to see I was burning about 2500 - 3600 calories a week. That equals more than an entire day of eating for me.

Maybe such a tool could give you useful data to show your nutritionist when figuring out how many calories you really need?

In my case, I upped my intake (of quality food) and felt better (after being on a plateau) - and lost ten pounds in the following three months without changing anything else. Well actually, I went to bed earlier too.

I love my HR monitor because its gratifying to see the log of my workouts and know when I need more or less.

I applaud your commitment. You are sure to be successful because you are being smart, seeking group support, and doing workouts that you enjoy.

You can do this!
Julie

[DarcyInOregon]

Another function for the heart rate monitor is to wear it while it is turned on in the Exercise Mode for a 24-hour period on a day when you don't engage in any planned cardio exercise. The result will be how many calories your body needs in a 24-hour period. Use that as the base, then lower your calories and increase your cardio. Some people really do not require very many calories, and it is important to know if your body is at 1800 calories or 2200 calories a day, or even lower. Also allow for an error variance in the results.

When you see the results of how very little your body does require, it is very powerful knowledge and helps you to refuse higher calorie foods in the future. Once you get familiar with how many calories are in the food items, you will know to refuse eating certain foods, because one portion may be more than what your body needs for an entire day.

Darcy

[FreshNewbie]

Hi,
First let me say that I admire your determination and the fact that after so much strugling with this issue you are still trying to accomplish your goal. Not a lot of people can have such a willpower.
Now, just some points that maybe were mentioned before but here they are:
1) Calculate your BMR or simply said : calories you burn without doing anything but sitting still. Now, to lose weight in a steady pattern you want to be on a caloric deficit of 500cals a day. That means ( depending on your BMR (accounting for your fitness level)) you want to substract 500cals a day from that number. Search for "Harris Benedict equation" which will provide you with BMR formula. I think it was already mentioned, but your activity level will not be the same every day, so remember to adjust your food intake according to activity level. Don't just stick to one number, BMR is only a formula but you have to experiment with your own body because it might work different for you
2) Although I am not a dietician, but I can tell you that CARB is not JUST A CARB. This is like say carbs in candy are the same as carbs in multi grain pasta. They have different GI and will be processed by your body differently. Not sure how they will convert to fat but you definately want to take all your carbs from low GI foods like brown rice, whole grain bread, apples, etc. You can even search for Low GI foods online.
3) Meat is a great source of protein, but should not be the only source. Fish is very important for your body, if you dont have access to fresh one, substitute with canned tuna once in a while. Cottage cheese ( if you can eat it) is a pure protein that deliverers a lot of calcium too. I dont think that you should limit your meat intake to only 4 oz, but you should pay more attention to the type of meat, poultry, fish you eat.
4) There is a huge misconception among women regarding weight training. And it's really frustrating to see women using all the cardio machines and yet be so scared to do a simple 30 min full-body workout with weights. Even if you take the lightest dumbells you will still benefit from your workout. First, it strengthens your bones, second 1lbs of muscle helps burn extra 50 cals a day, third muscle is essential in order to break your plateau.
The last thing I wanted to add is that the person you saw doesn't sound very knowledgable. The answer that she gave you does not show that she knows what she is doing, therefore I think it's a waste of $$$. It's one thing to get certification and another to be willing to sit down with the client and talk to them and explain what she meant.
But these are just my few cents, I think you are just few steps away so don't give up. Just do some research, talk to people, read read read. Good luck

[Tuckervill]

I've been enjoying tracking my calories and exercise on Sparkpeople.com. There is a huge resource library with scientific and motivational articles, plus message boards and access to people who have lost the weight and are keeping it off. You can also use their customizable diet plans (which come complete with shopping lists--my favorite part!). I had been paying for ediets, just so I could get customizable diet plans and shopping lists, but sparkpeople is FREE.

A book I like is by Dr. Mahmet Oz, and Dr. Roisin (sp?): You, on a Diet. They explain a lot of things about eating carbs with fat, and the right kinds of carbs, and how much meat you need, and what essential nutrients you need and how you can work them into your diet.

Karen

[amymisk]

There is a lot of great advice here.

Was the person you saw a licensed dietitian or a nutritionist? There is a huge difference- a nutritionist does not have the training/education requirements as a dietitian. You could also look for a dietitian with a ceritification in adult weight management. The hospital where I work has one and he is amazing with the outcomes he has helped people acheive.

I would definitely add weight training. It doesn't need to be intimidating, I love my free weights and exercise ball routine. I have found that Gunnar Peterson DVDs to be very helpful- He provides great instruction and motivation. I have had a personal trainer come to my home and evaluate the equipment I have and give me a routine. I lift 2 times/week for 30-40 minutes.

I think what the dietitian was trying to say with a carb is a carb is that the body process and stores all carbs in the same manner. Not the best response because if we avoid processed carbs we can help our bodies process food better. I have found that the best results for me is to avoid any foods with "high fructose corn syrup". I try to stick to natural sugars, honey is fabulous.

When following a diet, never eliminate a food group. All things are ok in moderation. I think many times we fail to realize how much we are eating. I know I saw the advice to measure everything. That is great advice, know how much you are eating and compare with the serving size on the label.

Avoid all trans fats! Even if the nutritional label says zero, read the ingredients. Look for "partially hydrogenated" oils. They always have trans-fats.

Good luck and keep us in the loop with your progress.