RMR Testing

[Running Mommy]

You sound just like me!!
Please give me an example of what you eat on any given day.

What you said is in line with the nutritionist. And I know that in the past when I cut down on the sugars and eat just a lot of lean protein and veggies with a sprinkle of whole grain carbs thrown in I lose weight. And I'm not a fat- o- phobe either. I eat peanut butter on whole grain toast for breakfast, and I also cook with olive oil.

I am very interested in this! It sounds like you found success just by eating the right thing at the right time. So that just seals the deal for me. I have to break the sugar cycle!!

[Jones]

Runningmommy and rapid,
Thank you both for the great posts. I know I need to break the sugar cycle.
I would love to see a sample menu for a day or even a few days, and what about spices? Can we use any that we like so long as they are whole and unprocessed or maybe just dried?
I have been overweight since I quit smoking 5 years ago and this year decided I really wanted to take care of the weight issue. Total I wanted to lose 70lbs and the first 25 pounds just fell away but now I can't seem to shift even an ounce. I know I have cheated several times but the odd thing is when I allow my self to have a piece of cake at special events, I turn into a sugar craving monster. All sweets seem to become even harder to resist and then I binge on sugar and don't want any thing else. Does this ever happen to anyone else?
Jones

[rabidgirl]

I have included what I eat daily below. The disclaimer is this: I've being working on it for a year now. It is the minimal calories my body can handle without freaking out. I am 5'8", 125# and 16% body fat. This diet supports my body at my activity level. I lift very intensely 2 times a week and bike about 10-12 hours a week at varying intensities. I think I actually need to bump myself up in total intake, as I have been very hungry since increasing my activity level (started a more endurance based plan two weeks ago).

On rest days, I eat 36g of protein and 1 to 2 cups of fiberous veggies 6 times daily. My first meal includes 1/4 cup of old fashioned oatmeal.

On workout days I eat 30g of protein 6 times daily and 25g of carbs with the first four meals. I add in 1 to 2 cups of fiberous veggies anytime.

Fiberous veggies are lettuce, green beans, broccoli, yellow squash, zucchini, asparagus, peppers, onion, or tomatoes.

Carbs are sweet potato, whole long grain brown rice (not precooked in any way), apples, banana, pineapple, strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries.

Proteins are egg whites, 99% lean ground turkey, 95% lean ground beef, chicken breast, tuna in water, sirloin steak (sometime a t-bone), and rarely an extra lean pork loin.

I do drink protein shakes to stay on track when in a time pinch. I use the Dymatize Elite Whey... 1 scoop with carbs or 1.5 scoops when I'm not eating carbs.

To fend off hunger, I will sometimes eat 10 plain almonds or have 1 - 2 TBS of natural peanut butter.

I eat first thing in the morning and immediately after workouts. That means I have to time my workouts such that it is about 45 min. after I eat.

Once every week or two I go out and splurge on one meal. I may have a few slices of pizza or spaghetti... whatever. But, it is just once that day, and then back in line. That single calorie push keeps my metabolism from slowing down. I limit my condiments to lite soy sauce, worstcheshire (unknown spelling), salsa (homemade), KC Masterpiece Low Calorie BBQ sauce (a real treat), tabasco sauce, and Ms. Dash products. Garlic and pepper are fine. Sodium is something I try not to over indulge in. But, as I tell my cohorts... better to put some salt on your food & drink extra water than cheat & ruin the whole diet.

Oh.... I do use the Gu packs on my rides of 2 hours or more. I have one every 45 minutes. I do not count them anywhere in my diet.

I drink AT LEAST a gallon of water (mixed with Crystal Light is ok) every day. No caffeine; nothing else. Just water.

I guess that's about it. Feel free to ask any additional questions...

[teigyr]

Running Mommy,

Since you've been tested and are doing a different type of diet, have you noticed a difference? I've been thinking a LOT about the testing and it makes sense. My guess is you are performing better due to having adequate nutrition but I wanted to ask

[Running Mommy]

Thanks to the recomendations of the nutritionist and rabidgirl I have been consuming a LOT less sugar, and I am really starting to see and feel a change.
I haven't yet had the nerve to get on the scale. I was out of town the last 3 weekends, so I don't feel like I have had enough consecutive "clean eating " days to have made a huge difference. But I have been a lot more aware of what I have been eating. I am also logging my food in fitday again. I was amazed to see that I was only eating around 1300 cals a day. I just think it was to little for my body based on my activity level.
Even when we were out I tried to watch it, and I had a lot of salads with grilled chicken and no dressing- or just oil and vinegar. Tony is trying to lose weight as well, so it's easier when you have a spouse right there with you. I did have some sugar at legoland. I just couldn't resist the granny smith apple fries. YUM! But I paid the price later when I felt like crud!
But like I said, I am feeling better, more energy, sleeping better etc.
Oh- and I wore a pair of shorts today that previously were too tight and uncomfortable! And I wore them to the gym for my personal training session... So I was feeling pretty dang smug today!
Oh- and that is another thing... I have really turned my training around. I am now with a trainer twice a week working on upper body and core. We do legs too, but I kick butt on the leg machines. He laughs that my legs are so strong- yet ,my arms aren't... OY! sigh...

[Blueberry]

Wow! Glad things are going well

You are SUCH an inspiration

[teigyr]

I was amazed to see that I was only eating around 1300 cals a day. I just think it was to little for my body based on my activity level.

Yeah, that'd be low even at a fraction of your activity level. That is such a great lesson to learn, I am so amazed your body could function at all.

Right on re the shorts That is such a fantastic feeling. I bet you anything it'll all start to come together and your energy levels/training will be off the charts.

Anyway, just wow. I've used your example to friends who are trying to lose weight and do severe diets and can't figure out why it isn't working. They aren't doing near the activity level (if any at all) but sometimes it's a matter of getting tested and having someone analyze what you're eating.

[Tri Girl]

OK- I've got a stupid question, and this is really long, but here goes:

I guess I consider myself to be very knowledgeable on working out and the science of training. Not boasting, just giving background here: I've done an IM, and many marathons (and other things), and feel very confident that my physical training is exactly where it needs to be. Physical training: I do well - nutrition training: I do poorly . When training for my IM last summer, I started reading a lot more about nutrition, but didn't do much about it. Now I'm ready to clean my diet up for good.

Brief background: I lost a lot of weight with WW a couple years ago (which was fine), but I don't think it really taught me to eat better. It taught me to count points. Now that I've put back on 25 lbs (I lost 60 altogether) and am endurance athlete, I need to re-think my whole nutritional plan. I think part of what I put back on is muscle mass. I was down to a size 2/4 (which was realistically way too small for me even tho I'm only 5'3"- I looked way too skinny), and I don't want to be that small again because it would mean losing muscle in my butt/thighs that is my powerhouse now.
I was reading this thread the other day and was very interested in what you ladies were saying. Thanks for all the wisdom, rabidgirl. Because of what I've been reading in books and online, I've been adding more protein in my diet (about 130-150g a day). I've been really trying to clean up my diet and eliminate most sugar (it's like crack to me- I'm an addict and I just can't have it around).


OK- so here's the question. I've been meticulously writing down every calorie that goes in my mouth and I'm doing well. Without having done the RMR testing (they don't even do it in my city), I'm guessing that I need to eat about 1400 calories a day to lose weight. My question is: do I eat all the calories from the exercise that I've burned?
For example: I rode 2.5 hours yesterday and burned 1800 cal. Do I eat my 1400 and then all or part of the 1800? I know I need to eat some of what I burn because otherwise 1400 just isn't going to cut it for fueling my body properly and I'll be hurting myself. Just wondering what your thoughts are on how much of the calories burned through exercise that you need to eat (1/2, 2/3?)
I want to be eating enough to maintain my current activity level, but still lose weight. I've been toying with this for the last month and have only lost 2 lbs. I'm a little frustrated. I train approximately 1.5-2 hours a day- with one day of rest a week. I need the fuel, and DON'T want to starve myself, but don't want to be overeating (by eating my cal's burned) and then not doing any good.

Does any of this make sense?

What do you ladies think? Rabidgirl- RM???

I went to a nutritionist about 3 years ago (before WW and all this exercise started) and wanted to lose weight. She was a joke. I kept track of my food intake and she would look over it and tell me I was doing everything right (but I wasn't losing any weight- obviously I wasn't doing things right). I'm leary of finding another, but would like to. How do you go about finding a sports nutrtionist who actually undertands and works specifically with athletes to help them fuel?