QuestionI am five foot 2 and weight 197 lbs. Yes, Im overweight. I have started a diet because recently I have become hypertensive and was told I really need to loose about 80 pounds to become healthy. Having said that I also have leg problems due to diabetes. My right leg is really difficult to walk on and I have siatica in my left leg after standing for more than 3 minutes. I have had back surgery to correct ruptured discs at l 4 and l 5. So I started my diet and due to my inactivity I began at 1300 calorie
s per day because I cannot excercise and I honestly cannot stand the pain to walk. My low fat low cal diet consits of steamed veggies no butter no salt, low fat cottage cheese, chicken turkey ham that sort of thing. I check the calories on an item and I menu plan each day so that I stick to the 1300 calories. The first four days although I was hungry all the time I managed to loose a whopping 5 pounds I was impressed and proud of myself. But on the fifth day I started to gain weight. I didnt cheat by e
ating something that I shouldnt have I didnt change anything why am I gaining weight? I am so ugh frustrated that I am overweight and cant excercise but now I am practically starving myself and I am gaining weight seriously I cried when I looked at the scale.
At this point I am sitting at 193.6 lbs and havent gone up or down in about 4 days and am still dieting. Most of my meals consist of fish, ground turkey, rice, potatoes, and no yolk egg noodles. I steam all my veggies, and eat fruit for snacks. Cottage cheese as well for calcium. I have been eating smaller portions and have really tried to stay below the 1300 calories and can usually maintain about 1000 calories. I do not understand why I gain and not lose weight. I have started to take small 2 minute walks all my legs can tolerate I also have been lifting 10 pound arm weights while sitting and watching tv.
AnswerHi Andrea! Unfortunately, our bodies like to maintain homeostasis. That is why our temperatures stay about the same, the pH of our blood stays about the same, and is one of the theories for why our weight stays about the same. It sounds as if your body may have adjusted to the calorie level by slowing your metabolism, which is why most nutrition experts recommend reducing your calorie level by no more than 500 calories per day from what you ate before you started trying to lose weight. It has also been found most people's bodies adjust further under 1,200 calories. While you think cutting your calories down to 1,000 is helping you, it may actually be detrimental. It sounds like what you were eating at 1,300 calories is pretty healthy. I would recommend choosing a range of 1,300-1,500 and weighing yourself only once a week on the same day at the same time (every Wednesday morning as soon as you wake up, for example); weight can fluctuate daily by several pounds due to water weight and sticking to once a week will help eleviate some of your frustration. I am also concerned about you saying you didn't "eat something you shouldn't have"; in moderation, you should be able to eat anything. The only time I would recommend staying completely away from something is if you know you can't eat just one Oreo, you will have to have the whole box, in which case it will be best to stay away from the temptation. I am glad to hear you are watching your portion sizes, which is important for long-term weight control. I am also glad to hear you are doing some weight lifting with your arms. Even if you are limited, physical activity is important for weight loss. Pilates is very low impact...if you find the right program. Pilates was originally created for soldiers who were wounded and bed ridden so if you can find exercises more along the original pilates programs, you may find them very helpful. Yoga is also low impact. I'm sorry I don't know her name, but there is a woman who has a yoga DVD out with modified poses specifically for overweight women who are not able to do regular yoga workouts. If you are interested, an internet search should help you find the DVD.
I hope that helps. I can tell you are both motivated and frustrated, but as long as you stick with it I believe you will be successful.
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