Getting nowhere

[BelleFisher]

I must be doing something wrong, I have been on the plan for five weeks and am now a pound heavier than I was when I started. I work in a shop and can’t take all the breaks for snacks so I eat four times a day trying to incorporate the things I should have. I don’t eat anything outside my listed foods.I have a pedometer I wear all day and walk between 4 and 5 miles a day. I would contact the experts but I feel as I have already paid for the plan I shouldn’t need to pay for advice on the plan. I find the menu barely workable as many of the items listed are not easily obtainable or are prohibitably expensive. Any clues as to what I’m doing wrong or how to get the best out of the plan?

[Ossie-Sharon]

Hi, BelleFisher. I’m happy to help. Could you list your height, weight, age, and a sample day from your menu (including how you group the foods to eat 4 times per day).
I will do some calculations and make some recommendations.
Regarding the foods, what are the foods that you would normally eat? You definitely do not have to push yourself out of your budget.

[BelleFisher]

Hi Ossie-Sharon, thank you for getting back to me. I am 49 years old, Weigh 136lb and 4ft 9inches tall.
My husband does the shopping and he tells me he can’t get SWG bread or flour in Swindon and to order it online costs a lot and seems to be available in bulk (8 loaves) only. The flour seems to be only available in the USA. To make up for that I eat Wholemeal organic everything. My normal day comprises of;
Early morning; Black coffee.
Breakfast; Trimdown club Granola,Milk,Truvia mint tea no sweetener. Lunch; Tuna Sandwich (80g tuna in water, 1 tspn mayonnaise 2 slices wholemeal bread lightly spread with butter), 2 Kiwi fruit, Mint tea no sweetener.
Dinner; Lasagne (90g lean organic minced beef,organic onion, basil, oregano, garlic, organic passata, 1 sheet organic wholemeal pasta,30g grated cheese)Small salad with 1tspn low fat honey and mustard dressing. Muller light yoghurt. Mint tea no sweetener.
Supper; wholemeal Toast with butter, mint tea no sweetener.

I love the food I’m getting on this plan but the weight isn’t going down. As I have been on all sorts of diets in the past I have been eating healthily for some time. I’m hoping the club can point me in the right direction and any advice will be most welcome.

[Ossie-Sharon]

Hi, BelleFisher. Thanks for the information.
A couple of points. The amount of food you are eating is quite below your needs. If you have been on diets before, coupled with the current situation, it appears that your metabolism has slowed way down. The following are suggestions for adjusting your diet and exercise to get your metabolism into fat-burning mode.
People who have schedules like yours that do not allow for enough time to eat all the snacks have found that they can drink the snacks. We have a number of recipes for hearty shakes and soups that you can put in a thermos and sip between major meals. Links are here: shakes – http://www.trimdownclub.com/?s=shake&post_type=recipe and soups – http://www.trimdownclub.com/recipe_type/soups/.
This in combination with adjusting your physical activity can eventually retrain your body to burn fat instead of storing it.
You mentioned walking – is this as you work, or do you set aside time to walk in a continuous motion for at least 20-30 minutes each day? How long have you been walking 4-5 miles per day? If it is not continuous, it may not be burning fat. If you have been doing it for a while, it could be that your muscles are used to it, and so do not see it as exercise as much as they should. I would suggest to try new exercises that work different muscles (i.e. belly, arms, different parts of your legs, etc.), at least for a while until you are back on track. Some of these exercises can be done during the course of your day (if you want ideas, please repost). Beyond that, is there any way you can set aside pockets of time for exercise, i.e. after work? They do not need to be long – again, even just 20-30 minutes.
The following is a popular link for sprouted flour in the UK: http://breadlink.co.uk/sproutedflour.html

[BelleFisher]

Hi Ossie-Sharon, thank you for the advice.I’m trying to eat more and my husband has made spelt bread for me to take to work. I tried the link in your message but I’m afraid it was dead so I’m still looking for a supplier of SWG flour in the UK. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that I can now have some success. My walking is usually at work although I do sometimes walk on a treadmill in the mornings for about 30 minutes. Perhaps I should do it more often?

[Ossie-Sharon]

Hi, BelleFisher. That sounds like a great workout. Unless you feel like you’re in a plateau, theres no burning need to up your time on the treadmill. You might even to wait for a plateau, and THEN add more exercise to jump start your efforts.

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