Not losing

[Soozineh]

Just starting week three and have not lost anything. I’m following the weekly menus as best asI can, but it is difficult to take pack lunch to work. Any suggestions?

[Ossie-Sharon]

Slow weight loss and even slow starting is normal in this program, because it is focused on meeting your nutritional needs. If you have been on a restrictive diet in the past, your metabolism may have slowed and it may take several weeks for your body to get used to normal amounts of food again. If you are staying stable and not gaining weight, this is already a good sign.
The most reliable (and healthiest) way to give your body a boost here is through physical activity. This is not just because of the extra energy it burns, but also because it protects and strengthens your most important fat-burning asset, muscle tissue.
If you are new to exercise, please let us know, and we can assist you with resources on getting started if you wish—note that you don’t have to dive headfirst into anything strenuous, and that there are helpful exercises to fit all ability levels and time schedules. Even just walking in place in front of the TV for the length of a sitcom is great—if you feel like you’re “out of shape,” just start with 5 minutes each time, and work your way up to 30 minutes, then twice per day if you need.
If you recently started exercising, the number on the scale may not be reliable at this stage. Since you are now swapping fat for muscle, which is much heavier, you may be getting healthier while the number of pounds or kilos stays the same. In this case, pay more attention to how you’re looking and feeling, how your clothes are fitting, etc. You may be pleasantly surprised!
If you have been exercising all along, good for you! Ironically, the fact that you are in good shape may be slowing you down a bit here, as the muscles you usually use may have become complacent and don’t burn energy the way they did at the beginning. In this case, we suggest to introduce new exercises, even swapping them out for the old ones for a little while, to wake up new muscles. The best results have been reported with introducing weight training—again, it doesn’t have to be super strenuous, just something you can do on a regular basis. Even just lifting filled food cans in front of the TV counts. Another option is to mix up the rhythm by adding bursts of higher intensity movement to a steady aerobic regime. This can be something like 30 seconds of jogging or going uphill every 5 minutes during a regular walk.
Regardless of your situation, it is recommended to you discuss your plans with your health care provider to be sure any needed safety steps are taken.
If you have additional questions or concerns, or if none of these scenarios appear to apply to you—and/or you are noticing that the food amounts are exceeding your physical comfort level—please do repost, and we will work with you to right-size both aspects of your plan.
As for the challenge with packing lunches, what is the barrier? The preparation itself or finding time to eat? If preparation is the issue, I suggest to get your lunch ready while you’re preparing dinner – that way it’s sure to get done. In addition, the following are some simple lunch ideas:
•Fresh and dried fruit
•Cut raw vegetables
•Oven-baked vegetable chips
•Nuts and seeds
•Trail mix combinations of nuts, seeds, and dried fruit
•Sandwiches – good breads with nut butters, hummus and similar spreads, tahini, canned or smoked fish, cheese, homemade “cold cuts” from fresh meats, egg salad, etc.
•Whole grain or Paleo crackers plus any of the above
•Hard-boiled eggs
•Sliced or string cheese
•Cottage cheese
•Yogurt
•Milk (dairy or vegetal), plain or flavored with cocoa powder and a recommended sweetener
•Hearty soup in a thermos (2-3 food groups, i.e. meat or legume, vegetable, whole grain)
•Hearty smoothie/shake in a thermos (2-3 food groups, i.e. fruit/vegetable, dairy/vegan, seeds)
•Edamame or other legume/pulse snacks
•Whole grain or Paleo cereal or granola (cold in small sealable bag, cooked in thermos)
•Canned beans
•Prepared healthy foods in containers – from leftovers or prepared the night or weekend before.
•Homemade whole-food muffins or bars
•Popped grains, i.e. organic popcorn, sorghum, quinoa

[Author]

Posts