Really needing diet advice

[Meg1612]

Hi everyone,

I’ve probably posted about 1000 times in the last week so I will apologise for 1001 lol! I’m finding it really hard to eat enough on the diet, I just planned my lunch which feels like loads of food and it’s only 400 calories so I’m going to have to eat 800 at dinner to get enough which just isn’t going to happen!

My normal pre swaying diet is next to nothing I would have a coffee in the morning then probably a chocolate bar around 10 then maybe crisps and chocolate at 1 and something around 3 ish probably more chocolate 🙈 then dinner at 5 ish which would be probably fries meat and beans (horrific diet I know) but I don’t put on weight and don’t lose it either unless I’m exercising, I’ve been having a look at the PCOS diet but it’s even harder because you need more fat and protein that the standard LE but atomic suggested it because I’m not losing weight on the standard diet. I can get quite a few calories through alcohol to make up my daily totals but it’s not food I’m just not sure what to do.

I was wondering if anyone could give me some insight into my pre swaying diet and the fact I eat a very small amount of calories but still have two boys, I’m trying to hard to eat more to get within the daily totals but then it worries me because I think a lot of the ladies doing LE are reducing their overall calories/fats and I’m having to increase them. Does the fact my weight never really changes have something to do with the fact I have boys?

Sorry this is so long winded. Thankyou

[Rgipson]

IÂ’m certainly not an expert, but I have a girl and a boy and had a different lifestyle with each.

With my first (a girl), I was doing a TON of exercise. I lived in a city with loads of pollution. I was in an old Victorian house *possible lead paint!). I skipped meals all the time. I exercised hard before breakfast. I never had a snack before bed. I often felt hungry but was too restrictive with myself to eat a lot.

With my second, I was caring for a baby and breastfeeding, so I was eating a ton! A lot of it was the nutrient rich organic food I was making for my daughter. Greens, sweet potato, fruit, olive oil. I cut out dairy because she seemed bothered by it. I had no caffeine. No peanut butter. I was eating a lot of watermelon, protein bars, purified water, a bubbly lemon probiotic drink, potato chips, and pre made salads. We had moved and I lived in a more modern house.

I was still exercising in the morning but I was eating a snack before exercising and a snack before bed.

Again, I only have the small sample of me to go off if, but I take the research thatÂ’s helpful in relation to what I know my body already does. If you produce boys with your lifestyle now, I have no idea how youÂ’ll change it to be more restrictive! But I do know it helps to cue in on your feelings and that the experience of being slightly hungry or tired (but not a lot! Obviously you want to do EVERYTHING gently if youÂ’re trying to conceive) will more likely produce a girl.

Interestingly, the birthing class of my first (in my old, city house) I was having one of 10 of 11 total girls.

In my new suburban town, the class was much bigger, maybe 30 ppl, but 20 of them were boys. Much less stress. Mothers were not as thin.

[Meg1612]

Thankyou so much Rgipson for your message! That’s really interesting to see this difference between your lifestyles and the outcomes from them, my main worry is that the idea of LE is to make your body feel times are hard but I feel that I’m potentially making mine better by eating a lot more than I normall would, the only difference is that I’m eating things in one go rather than picking at rubbish throughout the day. I’ve never eaten breakfast in my life but I guess my dinner is high fat and protein.. hopefully atomic can clarify a few things, thanks so much for your response x

[atomic sagebrush]

Here's the thing. If you are really, TRULY eating very few calories and getting boys that way, then maybe it's ok for you to fudge the rules a little. I can't make that the standard practice because it would be a disaster but that standard practice may not work for you. Ok? This diet is meant to be flexible and while I prefer everyone eat a healthy and safe pre-pregnacny diet it may simply be that your metabolism is just used to your diet as it is. In that case, while I certainly don't want you to eat any less than you're eating, and I'd very much prefer you get 1200, I really can't do much if you decide not to do that. I'm not endorsing doing this, but that may make more sense to you. And maybe the PCOS diet isn't right for you. The only reason I suggested it is because you weren't losing weight but maybe you're not losing weight because you eat so littel and your metabolism is so low that that is just how it is. Again, not an endorsement, for health or for swaying, but you know your body and your diet better than I do.

BUT the thing is, I want you to be REALLY sure that is truly what you are eating. I get tons of people in here who swear they are only eating 1000 cals a day and then they add it up and are shocked to realize that they were actually eating 1000 cals more than they realized. I know of only TWO people in 7 years who really were eating very low calorie diets when they added it all up. So please, please PLEASE be really really sure that what you're eating is really what you're eating.

Then, do not drop any lower in calories than you are already. Substitute things that are better than what you're eating, maybe, keeping in mind you're planning a pregnancy and I suspect that for your sway it will be better if you're eating less simple carbs like crisps and chocolate. But if you can't get up to 1200 cals, then use your own judgement.

[atomic sagebrush]

Thankyou so much Rgipson for your message! That’s really interesting to see this difference between your lifestyles and the outcomes from them, my main worry is that the idea of LE is to make your body feel times are hard but I feel that I’m potentially making mine better by eating a lot more than I normall would, the only difference is that I’m eating things in one go rather than picking at rubbish throughout the day. I’ve never eaten breakfast in my life but I guess my dinner is high fat and protein.. hopefully atomic can clarify a few things, thanks so much for your response x

But for all you know your diet before had already rendered you 80% likely to have a girl to start with and then you just hit the 20% opposites. We don't know, we can't know, I just really really REALLY want you to be ABSOLUTELY certain that you're really eating as few calories as you think you are because I suspect you're eating more than you think. Chocolate bars, crisps, fries - these things have a lot of calories in them so unless you're eating microscopic portions I wonder if you're taking in more calories than you realize.

I would still hope that over time you can aim at 1200. If that feels undoable now keep doing what you're doing, make sustainable changes over time and I'd still have you focus on more whole grains and fruit and veg instead of refined carbs (over time! does not need to be in one fell swoop!) in case you've got some insulin resistance going on.

[atomic sagebrush]

Sounds perfect! It is way easier than people think it is and it's very normal to have concerns at first that then end up being ok in the end.

The cheese wrap is fine in limits!!! You have absolute freedom within the limits and that sounds very good.

[atomic sagebrush]

All we can do is what has worked for most people most of the time. I think that as long as you're eating differently than you were it will sway pink esp. with the exercise. We cannot know what anyone's diet will sway at the end of it all, all we can do is our best and following what has seemed to work for others.

[Meg1612]

Great thankyou! I’ve made a no crisps and chocolate rule haha! Hopefully update you soon, thanks for all of your help

[atomic sagebrush]

No skim dairy. Ditch that immediately. Right away you will have more calories and fat. Full fat dairy only.

Eat whole eggs or one whole egg mixed with 1/2 whites if you must. More fat and cals.

Can put butter on the potato - more fat and cals

I would have you do something like whole grain crackers like triscuits or wheat thins instead of rice cakes. Better source of carbs.

[atomic sagebrush]

And I understand you are reluctant to get up to 1200 cals, of course you know I'd prefer for you to be eating that much. I can't sign off at all on someone doing 1000 cals and 200 of it is wine. No way, no how, even to the extent that you will have to drop the wine to get more real food. We have to aim at having a healthy pregnancy at the end of this and even though I'm willing to bend the rules ~slightly~ for you, 800 cals and 200 cals of wine is more than I can bend.

You MUST have at minimum 30 g fat and I think you'd be way better off getting more like 40-60 and I suspect you'd find yourself up above 1200 if you were to make those changes I mention above. You will stop ovulating eating that little fat.