Over-40 diet maintenance

LauraMax

LauraMax

Cathlete
I've lost about 6 of my 10 lb weight gain since Jan 1. I've done it w/a severely restrictive diet that's pretty much making me miserable. :( I'm taking in >1000 cals, >100 carbs a day. After trying the abs diet for 3 mos. & gaining 2 lbs, then going back to atkins for 2 mos. & not losing anything, this was a last ditch effort to get back to my pre-40 weight. I'm tired, & I'm hungry.

So, what to do once I reach my goal weight? Which will probably be in a week or two--I'm not sure how to proceed from here, & I'm scared of gaining the weight back when I try to eat moderately again. :confused:

Laura, I think you're here & I'd love your input. And anyone else who has advice. Please help!
 
If I were you, I would increase calories by no more than 100 a day a week at a time.
John Berardi posted a 14 day carb restricted diet(nothing but meat and green veggies). He recommended adding carbs back slowly. Continue to restrict carbs, but add in extra carbs every 3rd day. Build up to more starches and fruit.
 
LauraMax said:
OMG! All that math! :eek:
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It's no more math than what you're doing now is it?

Quoting Chalene Johnson, "You have to balance your check book! You have to know how much you're spending."

Here is John's recipe for adding carbs after you have restricted them.

Eat the same way you have above BUT EVERY 3RD DAY, have a more normal level of intake, complete with a small amount of healthy carbs (fruits, whole grains, etc) with every meal.
 
Believe it or not, it is. Right now I'm just eating food that I know are low cal/low carb/low fat. Then I enter them into Sparkpeople the next day so I know the numbers. I don't keep track as I'm eating.

Maybe I'll check JB's diet. Do you have a website?

Thanks for the help Cynthia!
 
OK, you're scaring me!!! You are only eating 1000 cal a day? I hit that at lunch time - I'm only 2 yrs from 40. If you don't mind my asking what exactly do you eat in a day? I'll never make it when I turn 40! My typical is 1500 - 1600.
 
The 10 habits are:

Habit #1 Eat every 2-3 hours

Habit#2 Eat complete lean protein w/ each feeding opportunity. Women should get 20-30 grams of protein per meal

Habit#3 Eat vegetables w/ each feeding opportunity. A serving is 1/2 cup at each meal.

Habit#4 If fat loss is your goal, eat veggies and fruits with any meal; "other carbs" only after excerise.

Habit#5 Eat healthy fats daily about 30%

Habit#6 Dont' drink beverages w/ more than 0 calories

Habit#7 Eat whole foods instead of supplements whenever possible

Habit#8 Plan ahead and prepare feedings in advance

Habit#9 Eat as wide a variety of good foods as possible

Habit#10 Plan to break the rules 10% of the time
 
Shana, I tried some of that & it just didn't work for me. The eating 2-3 times a day was NG. Neither were the complex carbs. I followed the abs diet to the letter & I ended up gaining weight. Too bad b/c I really liked the diet. :(

Tami, these are my meals for today:

Breakfast: a small orange
Lunch: Tuna melt w/half stick of chopped celery, one teaspoon of low fat mayo, one slice of fat free cheese on whole grain
Dinner: lemon chicken & asparagus
Snack: light yogurt

It sucks. :confused:
 
Laura,

I would be cranky as hell on that little food!

Have you tried something like the zone? I know, another diet.:rolleyes: I'm wondering if your body will respond to a better micro balance? The zone seems to my magic pill. That, and I limit my starch to one serving a day post workout (oatmeal).

I've seen pictures of you and you look muscular. What's going on? Your body should be handling more calories:confused:
 
Laura, you cannot expect to maintain your loss on that few calories at all, especially since you workout so hard. That is just silly woman, you know better. ;)

I worked with a guy who trains the fitness competitors. He is an expert at exercise and nutrition, I went from 18 percent bodyfat to 13 percent in 12 weeks, nope did not maintain 13 percent, 18 percent is perfect for me actually, I just wanted to prove to myself I could do it at my "old age", I am 42. Here is his web site. www.bodybyo.com

His name is Kim...I did the 12 week transformation plan. I was eating at least 1,600 calories a day.
 
No, I don't expect to maintain on this diet. That's why I need some advice! ;) I freakin hate eating so little--I consider myself a foodie. Not that I love to eat, but I do love good food! I've tried different plans over the last year & nothing seems to work. My doc says "your body wants to be at the weight it is now." I told my doc to go scratch b/c my mind doesn't want this weight! :mad:

I'm probably at about 18% now. I was 15% spring 2008, & had been for at least 5 years. Then I got slammed almost overnight w/the extra 10. It bothers me. I exercise really hard & eat moderately, it just doesn't seem fair.

OK enough whining. Somebody call the whaaaambulance! :eek:

I recently switched gyms & I get a free session w/a PT. I'm gonna call & see if I can have a free session w/the nutritionist instead.
 
Laura, don't smack me but I agree with your doctor. Your body wants to be at this weight, why fight it amd make yourself miserable? This isn't about health, it's purely about numbers and looking a certain way.

Yes, I've done this with food when I was in my 20's, but now I'm in my late 40's, and all I can say is, life is too short. I've seen your photos, even the ones where you say you are "overweight" and 10 pounds heavier, and you look terrific! You look strong and healthy and fit. You are not your body fat percentage!! Why chase a number?

I spent my 20's obsessing like mad about this stuff, and now I look at pictures of myseflf then, and think "why in the WORLD did I think I was fat??" I looked pretty dang good, and I couldn't relax and appreciate it.

I am just so thankful for every day that I wake up and have my health. I am not going to let 5-10 pounds rule my day. And I would be positively homicidal on that diet you are following. Yikes! Eat a sandwich!! :)
 
Laura,

Don't smack me:D
I agree with Govtgirl.

I weighed 110 in my 20's. I haven't seen that number for years. I have to eat super clean and watch my starches just to hang in the 120's now at 46.

And Laura, don't get mad....I think you look better with the extra weight AND you still look thin in photos. Quit torturing yourself!
 
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Yep, Govtgirl said exactly what I was thinking.

Exercise for fun.
Enjoy what your body can do.
Eat well and be happy.

The rest will take care of itself. :)
 
Sending cyberslaps to you all! :D:D:D

I really appreciate what you're saying. You're making me feel better. :) I do have an appt w/the nutritionist, so we'll see how that goes. If I stick to his diet & maintain, then great. If I gain some (hopefully not all!) the weight back I suppose at that point I'll have accept it, b/c I will not eat like this for an extended period. I've been struggling w/this for almost a year & it's been a bit draining (which is somewhat absurd considering the REAL problems people have).

I'll just have to figure out how the he!! to find clothes that fit. The larger size is too large, the smaller size is too small. I wish someone would start making half sizes. ;)
 
LauraMax said:
I'll just have to figure out how the he!! to find clothes that fit. The larger size is too large, the smaller size is too small. I wish someone would start making half sizes. ;)
Click to expand...


Yeah, my new best friend is our neighborhood tailor. You are not alone. I think off the rack shopping is getting tougher for a lot of people.
 
LauraMax said:
I've lost about 6 of my 10 lb weight gain since Jan 1. I've done it w/a severely restrictive diet that's pretty much making me miserable. :( I'm taking in >1000 cals, >100 carbs a day. After trying the abs diet for 3 mos. & gaining 2 lbs, then going back to atkins for 2 mos. & not losing anything, this was a last ditch effort to get back to my pre-40 weight. I'm tired, & I'm hungry.

So, what to do once I reach my goal weight? Which will probably be in a week or two--I'm not sure how to proceed from here, & I'm scared of gaining the weight back when I try to eat moderately again. :confused:

Laura, I think you're here & I'd love your input. And anyone else who has advice. Please help!
Click to expand...

Do you mean me or someone else? If someone else--sorry for the input. If you mean me, here goes:

I'm not a dietician or a nutritionist, but I know what I've told my clients whenever they transition into maintaince mode:

Everyone is different and their bodies respond differently to everything--sleep, workouts, eating, etc. I would never recommend anyone going below 1,000 calories per day, especially on the days that they're exercising. Do you know if you've lost any muscle mass on such restrictions? If so, be extremely mindful that your body may very well respond by sucking up all of your calories and storing them as fat. If that happens...yikes! Over time the body does distribute back to it's normal range unless you continue with the calorie restriction. No fun there if you've worked so hard up to this point. Plus, being hungry sucks!

Personally, I hate counting calories and logging my workouts. However, if you have anxiety about gaining the weight back, that would be the best suggestion. Do you have a body composition scale or a way to get your body fat tested? (Side question to process--Would you rather weigh more with more muscle or weigh less with more fat?) Over time it takes 12-16 weeks to see a change in your body composition. So, it would be wise to monitor your calories, workouts (moderate cardio and plenty of strength training), sleep, etc. to see how your body responds on a weekly basis. I can easily gain 3 pounds in one day depending on myfood intake, bm (if any), water retention, etc. That's why I'm not a fan of weighing the body everyday. Once a week for me is plenty.

Sorry if I wasn't the one you wanted to respond. If anything, I hope this helps and I wish you the very best in your journey. Well done on working so hard!!! :D
 
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