Need Someone To Listen and Understand

[happyshabby]

This is going to be a lengthy post so please bear with me. This is first post, I came across ShapeFit a few weeks ago and I am hooked. Here is something about me:

I am a 29yr/F, 5' 2" and have been in 180s for almost 5 years now. I am fairly active, do some form of intentional exercise most days of the week. I was not eating terribly unhealthy but White rice was biggest vice and I can easily overdo it. I used to keep a food log on LiveStrong but was not very consistent.

Since 11/23/09 I have been using the BodyBugg (the device Biggest Loser Contestants use to keep track of calories burned). BodyBugg comes with a food logging program to keep track of calories ingested, and with the bodybugg recording calories burned to aim for a deficit. Here are current stats:

Starting Weight: 182 lb @11/23/09
Current Weight: 161.2 @1/31/10
Target Calorie Intake: 1250
Target Calorie Burn: 2250
Target Weight Loss: 2lb/Wk

It been 10 weeks since I started and I have been lossing around 2lb/wk until two weeks ago where it has been about 1.2lb/wk. For exercise I run on the treadmill, just started doing some weights (the machines), take a Karate class and do something or the other for atleast 1.5 upto 2.5 hrs/day.

Is this good? average nutrition breakdown has been 62% carb, 24% protein, 14% fat (got this off of food log )

Am I doing things right? Just this week I started HIIT (not in the true sense still getting used to it), the one FitoverForty suggests:
10 min warmup @4mph
Stretching
1 min - 3 X @6.6mph
2 min - 3 X @5mph
5 min @ 3.5mph
20 min @5mph
10 min cool down @3.5mph
Stretching
Weights upper body and lower body alternate days. Sunday no weights.

Does all this look right? I am absolutely terrified of a plateau and being stuck in the 160s and worse still gain back what I have lost. Healthy weight range for me is 101-136, I would like to maintain at atleast 125-130. Will I ever get there with the way things are going. People keep complimenting me on how good I look and it is overwhelming. What if I gain it all back. And then they say I look good, compared to what, 2 months ago. Still for a person who has never seen me, I am still an overweight obese female. Sorry for the long post, but I just want someone to listen and understand. You all are such a great support.

[Nokie173]

I want to congrats you too and welcome to the community!

I completely understand what you are going through… and your goals.
I finally broke 160lbs sometime last year and now I’m trying to break the 150lbs.
However… even if I’m not losing anymore weight… pants sizes are getting smaller.
So by saying that… You should try to measure yourself with a measuring tape.
I mean… sometimes the scale will not go down because you may be gaining muscle (GOOD STUFF)
So... weight training should be in your workouts.

As for your diet… Yes, try to list them… when you eat and what time you eat. Like LP mentioned… we can help. However, I am concern about your calories intake. As it is very little if you are consuming only 1200 calories and you are working out. It seems like you are not feeding your body enough food for it to function correctly. It can actually harm your body in the long run. You should at least consume 1800 calories even if you are not working out. Since you have been eating 1200 calories for awhile… try to slowly increase. Lower your carbs (I love white rice too… but I got used to brown rice now!) Add more proteins and veggies....

[happyshabby]

Thanks for your replies.
This is typical day:

Breakfast @7am:
1 cup of milk
0.5 cup Fiber One Cereal with 0.5 cup milk
0.5 cup fresh blue berries

AM Snack @ 10:30
Tea with CoffeeMate (10 cal/tub) with Splenda
Quaker 90 calorie cereal bar

Lunch @12:00
Spinach salad (1c baby spinach, 1 egg white, 1/8 blackeyed peas, 1/4 cup mango)
2 Slices reduced calorie wheat bread
Boca Burger (100 cals)

PM Snack @ 4
Apple/Yogurt
Quaker 90 cal bar

Workout:
Weights (I am just starting was never consistent before)
M/W/F - Upper Body - Machines like abcrunch, shoulder press, bicep curl, triceps, row machines, lat pull and back ( All 3 set X 10, the max wt I can manage)
T/Th/S - Lower Body - Machines like hip adductor for inner and outer thighs, leg press, glutes, quads and calves

Cardio:
Brisk Walking/Running @ 5.5 mph for 40 mins(this week started HIIT , details in initial post)
Jump rope - I go by count about 500 jumps (I do this 2-3 times/wk)
T/W/Th - 1 hr karate followed by 1 hr aerobics (not very rigorous combo of punches, kicks, exercise ball, crunches etc)

Dinner @ 9
1/2 c Instant brown rice
Large bowl of soup made with 1/8 c yellow lentils and three cups of frozen veggies (spinach/cauliflower/green beans/green peppers)
4 oz baked fish (regular fish /salmon /shrimp)
Jello Chocolate mousse (60 cals/sugar free)

I have been thinking about upping calories, but I am terrified, do NOT want to gain any weight, but I think I will to maybe 1400 to begin with. About carbs it does look excessive at 62%, I went back and looked at log almost every single thing I eat adds to the gm of carbs .

[Boss Man]

Breakfast @7am:
1 cup of milk
0.5 cup Fiber One Cereal with 0.5 cup milk
0.5 cup fresh blue berries

(Give the Berries 10-15 minutes to start digesting, then eat the other stuff. You have Milk on the Cereal, so ditch the Milk drink, then add something else in there like Egg Whites and a Yolk, or some Chicken or Ham perhaps to boost Protein back up without the Carbs a glass of Milk gives you.)

AM Snack @ 10:30
Tea with CoffeeMate (10 cal/tub) with Splenda
Quaker 90 calorie cereal bar

(Could add a bit of Chicken in here with the Bar, or Low fat Cheese, or some kind of Sandwich as Bar replacements and then you get Protein and Carbs, but also more calories that you need.)


Lunch @12:00
Spinach salad (1c baby spinach, 1 egg white, 1/8 blackeyed peas, 1/4 cup mango)
2 Slices reduced calorie wheat bread
Boca Burger (100 cals)

(Increase the Egg Whies, and take out a Piece of Wheat Bread. One White alone is about 2x the Protein of the Wheatbread, so you cut Carbs and increase Whites. You'd only need anoher 1-2 as I think calories here are pretty good.)

PM Snack @ 4
Apple/Yogurt
Quaker 90 cal bar

(Keep the Apple, give it 10-15 minutes to digest as earlier, then add something else in like some Turkey, chicken, Ham etc etc for Protein.)

(Add another meal in here to boost up Calories, as you've got a large 5 hour gap. you could do something like chicken, Turkey, Ham and perhaps some nuts to control Carbs, as long as you don't have Cashews as they are Carb carriers, so things like Almonds, Walnuts, Brazils, Pistachios are good choices. I'd limit to 1/4 cup as they are very fat rich. Might be a consideration.)

Dinner @ 9
1/2 c Instant brown rice
Large bowl of soup made with 1/8 c yellow lentils and three cups of frozen veggies (spinach/cauliflower/green beans/green peppers)
4 oz baked fish (regular fish /salmon /shrimp)
Jello Chocolate mousse (60 cals/sugar free)

(Beans are Legumes, Peppers are Fruit. Not to patronise just to inform. The Mousse might have Cocoa Carbs, so I'd omit that. To reduce the Carbs, I'd suggest lowering the Rice to about 1/4 Cup. You cut some Carb and some Protein, but you get Protein in Beans, Lentils and Fish, so you've got plenty there. You'll more than make up for it with other meal suggestions.