Not loosing weight on LE diet!

[niki38]

I am tracking every bite I take (not stressed about it though, I like doing it!) on Myfitnesspal. I eat around 1200 give or take 100 cal. I eat 30-45 protein and 20-25 fat. I am eating a lot of carbs, I am not used to that. Even with 1200 calories I would think I would drop 1-2 pounds the first week! I usually don't have problems loosing weight ( I am turning 30 this year though) if I just watch what I eat. Should I lower the calories? I have been on the diet for 1 1/2 week. I just weighed myself and I actually gained a pound (weigh on empty stomach first thing in the morning). I really wanted to loose at least 10 pounds before my first attempt.

[atomic sagebrush]

Switch from carbs to more vegetables - some people can't let the weight go with carbs.

[Ribbons]

Switch from carbs to more vegetables - some people can't let the weight go with carbs.

I am one of those people! I wasn't losing anything (in fact, I actually gained weight) when I started LE doing a bunch of empty carbs. I still eat pasta and rice, but I do mostly whole-grain (brown rice etc) and less of it, and more veggies (lots of eggplant, zucchini, green beans, mushrooms, leeks, cucumbers, green onions, peppers, salad greens, and tomatoes).

You may also consider upping your protein - make sure it is at least 40g, this is the lowest that atomic recommends. This should help with your metabolism too.

[amari]

Def add veggies! I did both veggies and carbs, I bet that will help you!

[atomic sagebrush]

Great point about the protein, Ribbons - some people actually cut back too far and their body goes into panic mode and won't let go of ANYTHING. You are aiming for gentle yet quick weight loss, gentle reduction in fertility, but without sending the body into crisis mode.

[niki38]

Thanks ladies! I would love to eat more protein! I thought we needed to eat around 30 (need to go back and read again, huh?).. I will def up it to 40! But the things I want to eat more of for protein are cheese and black beans. I am worried about the nutrients in the beans and the hormones/fat/cholesterol in the cheese. I weighed myself today, still one pound up today
Thanks again!

[Ribbons]

I get most of my protein from dairy. I stick with fat-free or low-fat dairy (no milk, just soft, low-sodium cheese). All dairy has some manner of hormones in them, but organic can be a little better if it is an option. Watch for added vitamin D - MOST cheese doesn't have added vitamin D, but I've found that swiss cheese does (I think naturally) contain it. I do black beans too - don't worry about the nutrients too much, you boil quite a few of the vitamins away - just drain and rinse them to get rid of some of the minerals and sodium, and try to find low-sodium beans if you buy them in cans. Brown rice and whole wheat pasta also has a little protein!

These are great choices: yogurt, ricotta, sour cream - I eat these pretty much every day

These can have a little more sodium but are still mucho better than cheddar! goat cheese, cream cheese - I eat these a few times a week

These can have some fat, but they are still great in limited amounts: swiss cheese, mozzarella (the kind floating in water) - I eat these a couple of times a week

If you become a Dream Member, there are a LOT of great diet recipes and ideas in the Dream Member forums! DEFINITELY worth it!

PS > I eat 50-55g or so of protein but I am still BFing a couple of times a day. I just aim to keep mine at less than 15% of my total calories. 40g is the minimum... I think 40-45g is a good range? But it may be different depending on your body needs.

[atomic sagebrush]

No, it's 40-50. That is the minimum level of protein for health and healthy pg. 30 g protein is too little (altho sometimes people report eating that, it's against my advice and not what the LE Diet is.) Low protein prior to pg is linked to a rare and serious condition called a molar pregnancy and believe me, that is NOT something any of us want.

You can eat things like black beans and cheese in small portions, if you're sticking to 1500-1800 cals and 40-50 g protein, the nutrients/fat/cholesterol just cannot amount to anything. LE Diet isn't about starving yourself, it's about moving in the direction of less, to convince your body that times are tough and you have less access to nutrients. If you cut back too far, then you risk a) harming your fertility and b) wrecking your metabolism and making yourself much more likely to cheat and c) sending your body into a kind of panic mode where it "thinks" you have to fight to survive and may even end up raising T as a result. It can be hard for some of us to ever cut back far enough so our body stops making T.