Weight Fluctuation...HELP! please

[Tangerine]

I turned Veggie about 3 months ago and for the past 2 weeks I have been Vegan.

I know one of the benefits of being v*gan is being healthier and loosing weight.

Before i was v*gan I was the normal person who ate fast food and other crap all the time...so Ive put on some chubby weight and I am looking forward to loosing it.

I have lost 12 lbs so far but have been stuck at this for about 3-4 weeks now...and my weight just fluctuates between 2-3 lbs...the scale goes up a little and it goes down a little... I cant seem to get past this point...

Im so frustrated right now...cause Im eating really healthy (no sweets, no chocolate) I dont know if I need more protien or more fiber.

can someone please help me...or email me (Ive posted my email at the bottom)

my daily food intake right now consist of this:

mornings:
3 glasses of water
1 diet coke/or english tea
nuts and raisin mix (about 1/2 cup)

afternoon:
2 small cucumbers
1 small tomatoe
with almond slices and a little bit of vingerette dressing (tablesoon)
-- all these mixed together ---
water

dinner:
(last night I had) :
pasta made from veggies
black beans (1/2)
green pepper (1/4)
onion (1/4)
tomatoes (3/4)
corn (1/4)
more water


I know i weight myself to much but yesterday I weighed one pound less then I do today...


can someone please give me some advice ... Im so fustrated. :( :(

I dont know if my body is just going through a change and its not use to all this goodness or what...(hopefully no one thinks Im weird) .. help.


my email: monkeysinmysoda@yahoo.com

[ConsciousCuisine]

That fluctuation? It's called POOOOOOOOOOOOP :p

Seiously though, stop weighing yourself. There will be fluctuations, as much as 3-5 pounds, due to hormones, water retention and yes, fecal matter...

Eat more food, especially beans, legumes and leafy green vegetables as well as cruciferous ones. You are eating under 1000 caloroes a day and unless you are 4 feet tall and stay in bed all day, that is too little fuel and certainly not enough nutrieints.

[xwitchymagicx]

You'll probably be a stick before long if you only eat that amount of food.

Now I don't know what I was gonna say :p

[Tangerine]

"cruciferous ones"..huh?

:o :o

I want to loose about 50 lbs:o

and I know I cant do in a just a few months but I was hoping to loose about 10lbs a month...is that unreasonable?

Im so self consciencous lately...hoping no one is thinking how gross I am.

before being v*gan.. I never cared what I looked like but now its on my mind all the time. ugh...

[Gorilla]

it's possible you have a food sensitivity - i find it difficult to digest wheat and when i stopped eating it almost completely, i lost about 14 pounds. not saying that's the case with you necessarily, but that's my experience.

[ConsciousCuisine]

"cruciferous ones"..huh?

:o :o

I want to loose about 50 lbs:o

and I know I cant do in a just a few months but I was hoping to loose about 10lbs a month...is that unreasonable?

Im so self consciencous lately...hoping no one is thinking how gross I am.

before being v*gan.. I never cared what I looked like but now its on my mind all the time. ugh...


Cabbages (bok choy, napa, red, green and so on), broccoli, cauliflower etc.

You won't lose weight for long (or healthfully) if you aren't taking in the right nutrients or enough calories! Your metabolism will come to a standstill!

You must be more allowing with yourself; you are not "gross", you are a compassionate person with a big heart.

[Jesse]

I don´t think that you eat enough.
Usually when I don´t eat enough I start gaining weight rapidly, I keep my weight down by eating about 2000 calories a day.

So as CC said, try eating more (healthy foods).

[Tangerine]

I don´t think that you eat enough.
Usually when I don´t eat enough I start gaining weight rapidly, I keep my weight down by eating about 2000 calories a day.

So as CC said, try eating more (healthy foods).

2000!!!!!!!!! whoa... but I guess it is all good calories...and there isnt that saturated fat (and other junk) that comes with when I use to consume more than 2000 calories a day...

am I thinking right?

[Jesse]

2000!!!!!!!!! whoa... but I guess it is all good calories...and there isnt that saturated fat (and other junk) that comes with when I use to consume more than 2000 calories a day...

am I thinking right?

True, I don´t eat much junkfood, since I don´t crave it that much. I have heard that craving junk food might be linked to a lack of D,A,K and E vitamins, our bodies need fat to use those vitamins. Don´t know if that´s true or not, but I haven´t had cravings since I have been making sure that I get enough of those vitamins (not K) and enough good fats.

I do eat a lot of fat, virgin olive oil, flaxseed oil and virgin coconut oil. My skin has been normal ever since I started eating those oils, I used to have atopic eczema.

Maybe you should try eating more? Your metabolism would probably catch up?

[Tangerine]

True, I don´t eat much junkfood, since I don´t crave it that much. I have heard that craving junk food might be linked to a lack of D,A,K and E vitamins, our bodies need fat to use those vitamins. Don´t know if that´s true or not, but I haven´t had cravings since I have been making sure that I get enough of those vitamins (not K) and enough good fats.

I do eat a lot of fat, virgin olive oil, flaxseed oil and virgin coconut oil. My skin has been normal ever since I started eating those oils, I used to have atopic eczema.

Maybe you should try eating more? Your metabolism would probably catch up?

I dont crave sweets either... I use to think i HAD to have chocolate to survive... but I just dont want it anymore...especially when I read about stearic acid and lard...*gag*


thanks. :)

[DianeVegan]

If you want to lose 10 pounds per month (a bit more than 2 pounds per week) then you need to expend approximately 600 more calories per day than you take in. It's easy to figure out how many calories you eat. It's not so easy to figure out how many you expend. That depends on your resting metabolic rate (part current weight, part muscle to fat ratio, part genetics) and your activity level.

This is very simple no matter what foods you are eating.
Eat less + Exercise more = Lose fat

Now the downside about weighing yourself often. As CC said, weight fluctuations can be related to stool, urine and water retention. And muscle weighs more than fat so you could look much different at a particular weight, depending on your muscle mass. If you eat too few calories and allow your body to go into starvation mode, it will begin to eat itself, meaning that you could lose part of those lovely muscles that keep your metabolism up. Then, when you are done "dieting" you will rapidly gain back some or all of the weight because your muscle mass (resting metabolic rate) has decreased to the point of you forever requiring minimal calories to function. And please don't believe that you will lose 50 pounds and then start working on building muscle. It's best to do it at the same time.

Sorry about all that, but I watch people ineffectively lose weight often (and then gain it back). Good luck with your weight loss. :)

[Tangerine]

If you want to lose 10 pounds per month (a bit more than 2 pounds per week) then you need to expend approximately 600 more calories per day than you take in. It's easy to figure out how many calories you eat. It's not so easy to figure out how many you expend. That depends on your resting metabolic rate (part current weight, part muscle to fat ratio, part genetics) and your activity level.

This is very simple no matter what foods you are eating.
Eat less + Exercise more = Lose fat

Now the downside about weighing yourself often. As CC said, weight fluctuations can be related to stool, urine and water retention. And muscle weighs more than fat so you could look much different at a particular weight, depending on your muscle mass. If you eat too few calories and allow your body to go into starvation mode, it will begin to eat itself, meaning that you could lose part of those lovely muscles that keep your metabolism up. Then, when you are done "dieting" you will rapidly gain back some or all of the weight because your muscle mass (resting metabolic rate) has decreased to the point of you forever requiring minimal calories to function. And please don't believe that you will lose 50 pounds and then start working on building muscle. It's best to do it at the same time.

Sorry about all that, but I watch people ineffectively lose weight often (and then gain it back). Good luck with your weight loss. :)


soo... Im suppose to take in about 2000 calories a day but use up 600 per day?

Ive been eating little for quite some time now...and it worked for when I took off the first 12 lbs..but now its all stoped for the past 3-4 weeks...Im at a stand still

what I mean by eating less...is compared to what I use to eat like and Im eating so much healthier now.

Im a little confused now. :(

[ConsciousCuisine]

Im a little confused now. :(


That's because your brain is starving. Go eat something :D

Taking into account what your body burns on it's own and what calories you take in, you'd need to expend 600 more calories than that to lose 10 pounds a month.

[DianeVegan]

Most likely, you've lost some excess water and your metabolism has slowed down. I have no idea how many calories you should eat per day because I don't know your height/weight/fitness level/activity level. But a pound equals 3500 kcalories so you need to expend over 600 kcal per day relative to your intake in order to lose your goal (of 10 pounds per month).

If you cannot do 60 minutes of intense exercise per day then you are probably eating too few calories in order to maintain your muscle mass and metabolic rate. It is difficult to give more specific advice online. An exercise physiologist and/or nutritionist would be more helpful to you.

Good luck again. :)

[eclectic_one]

I agree with what the others have been saying generally...that is, exercise and eat nutritiously. I know you only mentioned drinking one diet coke occasionally. I've seen some studies that actually say that drinking "diet" drinks may be just as bad if not worse than regular sodas. I know for diabetics (my mom is a type two), some of the sugar substitutes actually messes blood sugar up worse.

[cafejane]

a lot of ppl have a sensetivity to aspartame & things like that. It hinders weight loss. You might want to take this into consideration too.

[Peas'nHominy]

Hi, Tangerine! I think what everyone is saying here is very helpful. My two cents to add, just from my personal experience --

I kept a food/exercise journal for a long time. One of the things I discovered about my body was that, even when I ate and exercised just right, if I did not drink 60+oz of water, I did not loose weight. Everything remaining the same, I HAVE to have that water rushing through me or the scale doesn't go down! And it has to be WATER, too. I found that interesting.

I could drink plenty of whatever, and it wouldn't work. I could have 50oz water, and it wouldn't work. Gots to have 60+oz water for this bod.

It does take time and is kinda annoying, but one can learn a lot about ones body by journaling. Maybe try it out?

[treehugga]

My weight has gone up dispite being a healthy eater. I also do intense cardi and weights 5 times a week. I went to my doctor & discovered it's the medication I'm on. At the moment I am 10 kilos overweight according to the GP. iT IS DEPRESSING :eek: I worry about my health but I need the medication.

[Gorilla]

sorry to hear that treehugga - i put on about 25 pounds when i was taking medication, which i couldn't lose until i came off it. i know how upsetting it can be. :(

[pat sommer]

my mother-in-law just lost a good bit of weight. Then they discovered the tumour.... Hug your fat! Tell it that it may tag along awhile but not forever. A sense of humour helps:D

[Tangerine]

Hi, Tangerine! I think what everyone is saying here is very helpful. My two cents to add, just from my personal experience --

I kept a food/exercise journal for a long time. One of the things I discovered about my body was that, even when I ate and exercised just right, if I did not drink 60+oz of water, I did not loose weight. Everything remaining the same, I HAVE to have that water rushing through me or the scale doesn't go down! And it has to be WATER, too. I found that interesting.

I could drink plenty of whatever, and it wouldn't work. I could have 50oz water, and it wouldn't work. Gots to have 60+oz water for this bod.

It does take time and is kinda annoying, but one can learn a lot about ones body by journaling. Maybe try it out?


I have been keeping a record of my weight... and its nice to look at what I use to be (and know Im not that now)...but these past few weeks Ive been writing down practically the same weight... ugh.

Im gonna take someone's advise in here (sorry I cant remember:o ) and not drink diet coke for a week and Im gonna drink about 3 liters of water a day.

I love this vegan diet... I love the way it makes me feel (thought Id just share that thought) :)

[Peas'nHominy]

That sounds great. :) For me, I'm not sure I'd keep a journal of my weight, per say -- I just plugged that in once a week, while daily journaling food, amount, liquids, excercise...even amount of sleep. (Lack of sleep slows down one's metabolism, and I was curious how my body, specifically, was responding to that issue.)

About diet drinks, I've also heard that it increases a person's appetite, particularly for carbs and sweets. But I can't stand diet sodas, so I can't share that from personal experience. :)

I think you're on the right track. :) It will definately be better for you to drop the diet sodas and drink lots of water.

[cafejane]

Yeah, it was me ( @the diet drinks) Try an experiment & see what happens. I stopped drinking soda altogether when I switched to Vegan & I dont miss it!! I've noticed when you eat enough fruits/vegs, there's a LOT you dont miss.

[Peas'nHominy]

I agree. I don't like anything carbonated now. It just feels wrong to me now, too strong. I'm amazed when I see someone guzzle it down like water. :eek: eek...I couldn't do that.

[eclectic_one]

I know what you mean, I used to drink at least 12 oz of soda every day and now even the thought of drinking it is unappetizing. I guess I would if I had nothing else to drink in a situation, but that hasn't happened yet:cool: