what do you think i should do?

Question

i have been on a diet for two months now and i've been eat from 500-1500 calories a day and the fist week was great because i lost 6 pounds, but ever since then i haven't lost ANY more weight and i've actually gain a few pounds since then and i haven't done anything different! What should i do?

And i have another question- i am not much of a water person and the only drink i've been drinking on my diet is diet sodas, do you think that has something to do with it?

Answer 1

First of all, a plateau will always come with any diet. Also, you may be trying TOO hard to lose weight. Only goal for 1 lb. per week weight loss. If you lose weight quickly, you will put it right back on because it was too much of a shock and deprivation to your body to maintain as a lifestyle. Also, too rapid a weight loss can result in loose skin, and you won't like the way you look.

Definitely, put WATER into your diet. This can be boring, but to break up the boredom, mix either lemon juice (no sugar) or grapefruit juice with your water to give it some taste. Carry a water bottle around with you everywhere, and drink this instead of diet sodas.

As far as gaining some weight goes, it is because your metabolism has not changed. You need to eat the majority of your food earlier in the day, less at night. This jumpstarts your metabolism in the morning - ALWAYS EAT BREAKFAST. ALWAYS. EVEN IF YOU DON'T WANT TO. You don't have to eat traditional breakfast foods like eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes. Cereal and raw fruit are better with some skim milk.

Some good foods to eat that are filling, yet not fattening, are oatmeal (you can make cookies!), rice and pasta. Whole grain breads instead of white bread. "Simply Fruit" (by Smuckers) instead of jams and jellies. Lower your weight loss goals to ONE POUND AT A TIME. This is a very reachable goal, it won't require your changing your diet so drastically as to feel deprived, and it will lessen your stress level. Stress can make you GAIN FAT, especially in the midsection.

Lastly, get plenty of sleep, and sleep at regular times on the most consistent schedule you can keep. You will actually lose weight while sleeping if you get your metabolism going in the morning - your daytime foods will be used for energy instead of your muscle being used. It's fat you want to burn, not muscle.

I highly recommend the Zoe 8 diet. Go to http://www.jhm.org for information on ordering this book. You can eat all you want to and lose weight naturally without feeling deprived. I wish you the best.

Answer 2

Diet soda is not a real problem unless you have a calcium deficiency. Of course, water is better, and electrolyte drinks are better still. Your real problem is that any diet when you start will cause your body to drop weight fast at first because it's a nutritional change that your body has to get used to. Once it gets used to the new diet, the dramatic weight loss will stop. You have to combine the new diet with exercise. In other words, the fact that you did nothing differently from one week to the next is the reason you stopped losing weight!

Answer 3

i'm not too familiar with diets so i can't help on the first. as for your second question, its possible but i wouldn't say its the only reason. soda, regardless of being diet or not can cause bloating. i stopped drinking soda for a month and drank nothing but water (not a water person either!) and surprisingly felt alot better, less gaseous, and lost some pounds to boot!

Answer 4

lose the diet sodas. they do nothing for you except taste okay. if you want to do the diet thing go all in or don't go. drink water and plenty of it. surprisingly you will eventually get used to the taste of water. I used to drink cases of soda before and never even liked bottled water before. now I drink about 5-6 bottles a day and barely even touch soda. if you dont like plain water, get some crystal light or something and mix it in there

Answer 5

Please avoid diet soda! Not only is the artificial sweetener really bad for you, but so is too much carbonation! Try adding real lemon juice and honey or maple syrup to water, over ice, or hot! (This is also a good cleanser for your kidneys, and helps make your body more alkaline) Are you gaining muscle? It wieghs more than fat. I hope you are being active as well, and not just trying to lower you caloric intake. Good calories are essential, as is physical activity!

Answer 6

the first 10 lbs a person usually loses when they work out is known as 'water weight'. after you lost the 6 lbs, it sounds like you might have gained muscle. just change your diet a little more and try different workout lessons.

Answer 7

Diet is no good without exercises, Try walking a mile a day.
Yes Soda could be a big factor , try Gatorade, or flavored water.

Answer 8

yea thats why your not losing the weight you want to cause of soda diet is even more worse then the regular kind cause it has more suger than the regular kind so cute down on the soda just drink it for your cheat day hope i helped

Answer 9

Even if you drink diet soda's you gain. Try drinking flavored water. Or exersize more.

Answer 10

getting your output above your input is key. a pound, i believe, is roughly 3,500 calories, so if you have net caloric difference per day of 500 calories, then, in a week you'd lose a pound.
what has happened is your body has adjusted to it's reduced input. you need to increase output. resistance training (lifting weights) or cardio (walking) are key. you can use a gallon jug with water in it if you don't/can't buy weights.
you might want to check out a book called "body for life".

Answer 11

are you eating the right balance of foods, some foods can boost your metabolism better than others, example if you are eating 1000 cals a day in toast with butter or mac and cheese your body will interpret these foods as sugar thus making your metabolic rate sluggish, if you are eating 1000 cals in fruit veggies whole grains lean meat and fat free dairy your metabolic rate gets really happy. give it a try and dont forget a little excercise 20 min a day