Tweaking the Diet

by Lisa P | More from this Blogger

07 Feb 2008 11:38 AM

I received this email and since there is so much in it that we can all learn from, I wanted to share it and my response:

"My husband said he read something that said it was dangerous to consume less than 1200 calories per day without a doctor's supervision.

I've been averaging around 950 calories per day for my meals. I have lost 24 lbs, averaging 0.6 lbs/day, 4 lbs/wk. I have been surprised by my progress, but I feel great, lots of energy, etc.

I have a basal metabolic rate of approx. 15 calories per day per pound of body weight, or approx 3000 calories per day and have been walking at least 2 miles per day for exercise, burning a bit over 200 calories per day in exercise.

For breakfast, I have 2 cups of coffee and then either have some yogurt mixed with cheerios, or a Slimfast shake. I snack throughout the day on apple wedges and snacky vegetables, drinking at least a couple of tall glasses of water. For dinner we have been having those Skillet Sensations meal-in-a-bag thingys (and I usually bulk it up with extra vegetables), or I'll make a big chicken Caesar salad. I'll also drink a few glasses of homemade lemonade. I make it with lemon concentrate (with a little bit of cranberry juice) and sweeten it with half stevia/half Splenda. Finally as an evening snack, we'll have a Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich. On the weekends we splurge a little. On Fridays we split a DiGiorno pizza for dinner. On Saturday we go to Souplantation (called Sweet Tomatoes in some places) and fill up on soup and salad buffet. On Sunday, we have Subway for lunch and chicken wings and snacky veggies for dinner. I also try to take vitamin supplements every day, but sometimes forget about those. I feel like I'm covering all of the bases - fluids, fiber, dairy, loads of veggies, small portions of starch and meat, low fat, supplements, exercise - what do you think? Is there anything that jumps out at you that might be of concern?"

You are covering all the bases - and quite well. Let me commend you on your achievements! That is fantastic!

The conventional wisdom (aka: the party line that everyone licensed by the AMA spouts based upon really old studies) is that you can't go below 1200 calories a day. The two keys to going below 1200 calories a day safely are to keep your metabolism up by exercising and maintaining your lean body mass (muscle) by keeping your protein intake up. You can also give your metabolism an additional boost with certain herbs and spices but the key is regular exercise every day.

Following are a few things I'd like to add:

Exercise:

Adding some weight bearing exercise will help you keep your metabolism up as well as kick up your weight loss efforts. The Body-for-Life philosophy is the best, most effective and least time consuming that I've found yet.

Protein:

Slim Fast is better than nothing but if you replaced that with a low-carb (or moderate carb) whey protein drink like EAS/Myoplex AdvantEdge or EAS 100% Whey Protein you'll be even more satisfied after your meal, have sustained energy for longer and help your body maintain its muscle rather than cannibalizing it for needed protein. You need at least .75 grams of protein per day per pound of body weight in order to maintain your current muscle. If you allow your body to cannibalize its muscle, you'll still lose weight but your body will look less appealing in a bathing suit due to lack of muscle tone.

You could also add a low-carb protein drink like those mentioned above between meals. They'll add to your calorie count but they won't effect your weight loss. (The more muscle your body has, the higher your metabolic rate so you want to maintain your current muscle.)

Adding protein to your salads is a good thing. Keep it up.

Skillet Sensations and what you're doing with them are great. If you find they don't satisfy and you're going to bed hungry, try adding some protein to them or drinking a low-carb protein drink before bed.

If you want to add some variety, check out these quick & easy recipes and frozen food reviews.

Vitamins:

Try not to forget those. You really need to be as conscientious about those as you are your starch intake. They make just as much of a difference in your weight loss. Here's the one I use.

Water:

The more you drink, the less you'll retain. I usually drink at least a half-gallon a day and always shoot for a full gallon. If you don't care to drink it plain, drink it as your lemonade. I add lemon juice to mine and skip the sweetener but Splenda & Stevia won't hurt your efforts. Lemon is a natural cleanser. It helps your body detox and lose weight.

Kicking it up a notch:

Cayenne boosts your metabolism. If you can stomach it, have a few capsules of cayenne throughout the day.

Cinnamon boosts your metabolism. Add it to your Slim Fast shake or to a vanilla whey shake.

Green Tea boosts your metabolism. There are a million flavors of green tea now. Mix up a pitcher of iced green tea and that helps your water intake as well as your weight loss and overall health.

Hoodia helps with hunger. A good quality hoodia supplement can stave off hunger if you're feeling it.

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Learn more about Lisa P

Lisa used to be a freelance writer and Community Manager for Families.com, but she has finally made the jump to novelist.

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