Need more ideas

[truelove1201]

Hi everyone i need some ideas on how to lose more weight.. i have started a new diet alil over a month ago and have lost about 15 pounds taking phentermine 37 mg.. but i feel like im stuck thoe i was weighing in at 244 now im down to 228 but ive been stuck at this for about 2 weeks now..i have lil energy levels to go to the gym and i know i need to probably exercise more then i do ..at home i watch what i eat and every 2 days i will get on my ab machine and do exercises... anyone know of a fast way of losing more to break where im stuck at? and how can i increase my energy??  
typical menu of food

breakfast : special k cereal
lunch : special k protein bar
dinner : soup or a typical dinner but fairly small amout
snacks in between : fruit
and my cheating that i do throughout the week is a latte from starbucks (usually 2 times a week)

[Barb135]

Welcome!!

Do you keep a food journal and record what you eat to see how many calories you are eating - looks like you might not be getting enough of the right kind of calories.  Your menu looks a little lax as far as fruits and veggies, too.  Also make sure you get all the food groups.  You need whole grains, lean proteins, low fat dairy, etc.  Make sure you get plenty of protein and fiber - they keep you feeling fuller longer.  

I'd recommend that you record your food intake into a journal.  If you don't get enough calories, your body will go into "starvation mode" and hang on to the fat.  

And yes, you need to exercise; and you need to vary the routines, because if your muscles get too accustomed to the exercises, it's not a challenge any more.  Keep working on it - you'll get there.  

[kateFS08]

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[StarryNight23]

I really don't want to turn this into a lecture but I have pretty strong opinions about diet pills and I'll just say I really don't love the idea that you're taking Phentermine. I'm very wary of any type of diet pill (with the exception of Alli maybe) and a lot of them are very dangerous. Not to mention, diet pills are a short term solution. You will not be taking diet pills every single day for the rest of your life, so if you become relient on losing weight with the aide of a pill, once you get off it it will making maintaining your new weight very difficult and chances are you'll end up putting the weight back on, possibly more. Phentermine was one of the drugs used in a popular drug in the 90's called Fen-Phen but was later taken off the market when a few people died from using the drug and about 30% of the users ended up developing heart valve problems. I do think that was mainly from the other drug, but basically no clinical studies have been perforrmed on Phentermine. I never felt comfortable putting any kind of unregulated unnatural substance in my body for weight loss, even when I was 300 lbs. The thing is we have no idea how these substances will effect our bodies in the long term so I think the safest thing is to avoid them all together and just start adapting a healthier lifestyle to get extra weight off. I decided to take the healthy route with my weight loss thankfully and without surgery or pills, I lost 150 lbs so far and there are a lot of other people in this community who have lost a great deal of weight on their own as well. Losing weight on your own can be done so I would highly reconsider the pills you've been using.

You know the saying slow and steady wins the race? That applies to weight loss too. Losing weight isnt a race and although I understand the desire to get down to your goal weight as soon as possible, you're much better off doing it the healthy natural way and losing weight slowly and steadily. 1-2 lbs a week is the recommended amount of weight to lose although some weeks you'll drop a little more, and some weeks a little less.
The slower you take it, the more likely youll be able to stick to it for the long haul and the better your chances will be of keeping the weight off.

From your average daily food intake, it does not sound like you're eating nearly enough. That could probably explain your lack of energy (or maybe the phentermine has something to do with that too) Women should never drop below 1200 calories a day. You have to fuel your body properly and eat enough of the right foods to give you energy throughout the day. There are a lot of free websites that can help you calculate your specific calorie range to lose weight based on your age, gender, height, activity level, current weight and goal weight. I used Spark People to figure out mine and I've been following the calorie range they set up for me for a year and have lose 93 lbs in that time And I agree with Barb about keeping a food journal to keep track of the foods you eat. I use the food journal on Spark People and it's made a huge difference in my weight loss.

And also like Barb said, if you arent eating enough, your body goes into starvation mode and your weight loss will slow down a great deal. You're shutting down your metabolism essentially. You can speed it back up by eating a nutritious balanced diet and exercising more. I'm not sure what kind of ab machine you're using, but typically ab exercises won't help you lose weight. The best way to burn fat and lose weight is to do cardio. It doesnt even have to be very high impact cardio. Going for a brisk walk a few times a week is all it takes. When you get comfortable with that, you can start adding onto your routine. A good workout dvd I recommend is Leslie Sansone's Walk Away the Pounds. It's very low impact and there are all different levels but since she incorporates the use of light hand weights with upper body exercises, you get a greater calorie burn than you would with brisk walking alone.

So definitely start eating more, eat more healthy whole foods, exercise more, keep track of your calories and consider getting off those pills and I'll bet you'll start losing weight again, and will notice an increase in your energy levels. Good luck

[Got_To_Do_It]

Well done on wanting to lose weight and get more energy -  it is a hard decision and like all of us you want it to happen quickly and visably....it is easy to get frustrated and to cheat a little, give up for a bit - and the sad fact is weight goes on quicker than it comes off!

Here is my advice list.

1) Plan your weeks menu on a Saturday and shop only to fulfill that menu -  no extras in the house lower the chance you will failt o resist temptation.

2) Keep a journal of everything you eat and drink -  be accurate weights and measures and calories.

3) Make sure you drink plenty of water - or water based drinks (not tea and coffee) I try to drink one glass of fluid every hour that I am awake. It flushes your body out -  and keeps your metabolism going and keeps your orans functioning better and stops you feelinghungry.

4)Put your food on a smaller plate -  then your brain is fooled into thinking you have a bigger portion than you do.

5) Don't sit still for more than 30 mins - walk up and down stairs a cople of times if you cant go out and walk... or walk around your work place -  park you car further from where you need to be -  you should be aiming for 10,000 steps a day  (a pedometer is a great investment) Most of us do 3-5000 steps a day but think we do well over 10,000.

6) Don't feel pressured to clear your plate - wasting food has alwaysbeen seen as bad -  but till yo learn to serve up smaller portions it is okay to not eat everything.

7) Don't finish up food on your childs plate when clearng away... bit temptation for me.

8) Try to get 8 hours sleep -  your body likes to rest and works best when it has had 8 hours sleep -  uninterupted digestion occurs best during this time -

9) Expect and acept bad days -  they happen -  don't beat yourself up -  every day is a new day with a new start.

10)Allow fo female hormone interuptions to your weight... some days you will retain fluid other days you will wee like crazy...

Most of all look to lose 1-3lb a week.

Eat lesscalories but eat the right foods and the right amount.
Drink more
Sleep right
Exercise more -  even walking more.

YOU CAN DO THIS -  WE ALL CAN DO THIS :)

[msniki412]

Maybe try changing the foods you eat? Don't eat the samething over and over again for. Sometimes I have cereal and other times eggs or a weight watchers bagel. Luch i'll do soup or a frozen dinner with under 500 cal. Then dinner is when I have a better meal (which my grandma cooks). Snacks sometimes....a granola bar or friut or a special treat some frozen yogurt. If you eat the same stuff all the time, it wont really work then.