anyone a nutritionist?

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

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

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

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

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

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.