Been doing great on my weight loss program.  Was down to 228 two days ago.  I was 267 at the beginning of January.

Yesterday, someone brought in lunch for everyone at work and my will power crumpled like a f-ing dixie cup.  Pizza and subs.  I had three slices of pizza and two portions of sub (probably about the equal to a 4" sub total.  The stuff tasted so good I nearly cried.  (yeah, I know, here's a corner off the man card...)  Came home and had probably double the size plate of supper I've normally been eating, then way too many almonds as a snack afterwards.

I am not even going to weigh in again until next Thursday so I can get four more heavy workouts out of the way first, but I feel like if I was a recovering alcoholic this would be the day I really needed to go to an AA meeting for an attitude check.  So I'm posting here to do something similar.

Hello.  I'm silentmajority, and I'm a Food-a-holic.  It's been 15 hours since I ate poorly.

Actually, you might be pleasantly surprised at how little effect (if any) one binge has on your weight.   YMMV.  

CONGRATS on the progress you've made so far.        I know how hard it is.  

Quoted: Actually, you might be pleasantly surprised at how little effect (if any) one binge has on your weight.   YMMV.

QFT

Your weight might spike due to food weight, retained water, etc, but your actual weight will return to normal in a few days.  It's not a bad thing to splurge every now and again.  I recommend it.

I feel your pain my friend. Sugar is my addiction. We gave it up for lent and I felt GREAT. Then came Easter. I ate sugar until I was sick. I woke up the next morning feeling like I had a hangover, eyes puffy, stomach ache felt horrible.
We've limited ourselves to a little dark chocolate and some occasional ice cream now, although I fall off the wagon and eat cookies till I almost puke sometimes. (there's a theory that the sugar in ice cream does not cause an insulin spike- I'm going to put that theory to the test! and dark chocolate has little sugar)
Hi I'm Roland, and I'm addicted to sugar.

Quoted: Quoted: Actually, you might be pleasantly surprised at how little effect (if any) one binge has on your weight.   YMMV. QFT Your weight might spike due to food weight, retained water, etc, but your actual weight will return to normal in a few days.  It's not a bad thing to splurge every now and again.  I recommend it.

yes i have heard that once you get a few weeks into your diet it is good to splurge 1 day per week (NOT go crazy and eat 50 gallons of ice cream, but have some pizza and a few snacks, ect...)

 I think you'll be okay.

I gave up my beloved Mt. Dew.  I miss it so badly but I know what it's like to go without.

BTDT, during my journey, yes it is a shitty feeling, but you'll be OK as long as you don't let it become habit - and you might find the cravings to be a bit worse again, for a bit.    Probably a good move not to weigh yourself right away, as AGW mentioned, you might go up quite a bit in the next day or so as you retain water, but it'll go pretty quick.

Quoted: Quoted: Actually, you might be pleasantly surprised at how little effect (if any) one binge has on your weight.   YMMV. QFT Your weight might spike due to food weight, retained water, etc, but your actual weight will return to normal in a few days.  It's not a bad thing to splurge every now and again.  I recommend it.

+1...my wife does weightwatchers and gives herself one "splurge" meal a week, within reason. helps keep her halfway sane.

man that's nothing. my work catered in maggiano's 2 wks ago. i had 2 huge meatballs, a CRAP TON of spaghetti, 4 smaller sized chicken breasts, 5 hugantic sized stalks of broccoli, some salad, 2 cookies and lemonade......i was stuffed like a turkey on thanksgiving but still made myself go workout (felt worse afterwards) and then that night felt about as guilty as a fox in the hen house.

needless to say, i haven't binged again like that since then and don't plan on it AT LEAST for the rest of my program (another 6 wks).

it just gets to the point where you don't want to do it i guess bc you know it's not worth losing out on the hard work you've been putting in, that's the case for me anyway.

Thanks everyone.  I appreciate the advice and support.  Been settling back down into more typical sizes and types of meals through the weekend, and getting back to work today has helped put me back in my routine, too.  Got two good workouts in over the weekend, and will get two more in tomorrow and Wednesday (the only nights I'm not on call), and will weigh-in on Thursday to make sure everything is staying on track.  I hit another plateau for the last week or so, where my weight loss slows down, so I was hoping to see a better drop this week, but after Friday I'll just be happy to not have gone up.  In five more weeks, I want to see where I'm at, and if I can get close to 200, I want to change from a weight loss regimen to keeping where I'm at, and start adding a lot more weight lifting to the mix.

Sometimes, you benefit from a splurge.  Your body might reach a little plateau, and a splurge, then getting back on the diet kind of jumpstarts the metabolism, and your continued efforts will be more fruitful.

don't be so hard on yourself.

Just sounds like you had a "cheat" meal to me.  Usually about 1 a week won't hurt you to bad, just don't go over board.

Quoted: Been doing great on my weight loss program.  Was down to 228 two days ago.  I was 267 at the beginning of January. Yesterday, someone brought in lunch for everyone at work and my will power crumpled like a f-ing dixie cup.  Pizza and subs.  I had three slices of pizza and two portions of sub (probably about the equal to a 4" sub total.  The stuff tasted so good I nearly cried.  (yeah, I know, here's a corner off the man card...)  Came home and had probably double the size plate of supper I've normally been eating, then way too many almonds as a snack afterwards. I am not even going to weigh in again until next Thursday so I can get four more heavy workouts out of the way first, but I feel like if I was a recovering alcoholic this would be the day I really needed to go to an AA meeting for an attitude check.  So I'm posting here to do something similar. Hello.  I'm silentmajority, and I'm a Food-a-holic.  It's been 15 hours since I ate poorly.

Your starting weight in January is exactly where I am now, and around 220 is where I'd like to end up (I'm 6'4" and any less than 215-220 probably isn't going to happen.  Care to share a little about what you've done to get such great results?

Quoted: Your starting weight in January is exactly where I am now, and around 220 is where I'd like to end up (I'm 6'4" and any less than 215-220 probably isn't going to happen.  Care to share a little about what you've done to get such great results?

Everything should be in this thread: www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=75&t=686919  My post is about 18 down on the 1st page, and I added it in the quote box below.

I'm kind of bummed seeing the post below that I've REALLY stuck at this weight.  I only lost 3 pounds from March 16 to April 3rd.

When I started swimming in January, I was so out of shape the 1st night that I stopped after 5 laps not because I was so tired, which I was, but because I didn't want to risk having a heart attack.  In a week I was up to 25 laps, and now I do 50 and have to stop because of time schedule constraints and boredom, but not from fatigue.  My current schedule only lets me swim 4x/week, but in about a week that will change and I should be able to swim 7 days a week.

The diet change was radical.  I ate for years like I had a death wish.  I'm hoping to get my weight down and then be able to eat a little more than now and hold steady instead of losing more.  I've cut out chocolate pretty much entirely.  I had a thin slice of my daughter's birthday cake, and one single Whopper malted milk ball since I started, and that is all.  Chocolate is something that could totally blow it for me.  I've had zero ice cream.  Other than this past Friday, the only bad things I've had are nuts (I try to stick to almonds, but have had some peanuts and cashews which are both horrible for fat), and I'll have a few plain tortilla chips with salsa sometimes with a Smart Ones dinner.

It comes down to logic. Exercise as much as possible and eat as little as possible.  For me, the first two months were unreal as far as how fast I lost weight, and since then it has tapered but still losing 1-3 lbs per week.  I had to buy a smaller belt, and my kids and co-workers are going from polite to more pointed comments about my clothes looking too big and baggy on me.

Very best of luck if you do it.  There's a lot of great advice in this section of the forum.  I'm sure you'll find some regimen from the people here that will work for you.

Chesh97, excellent thread. I didn't know there was 40 cal/slice bread and that is something I have been avoiding because all the breads I've seen are 90-95 cal/slice. I've been substituting pita since it's 90-100 cal/pocket but you only need one to make a sandwich. I started a diet and exercise plan the first of this year, and have lost 10% of my body weight. Most of it was in the 1st month, but I am still working hard. I did a complete 180 degree change in my diet, which could only be described as "suicidal" before. I was probably eating 4000 calories on a normal day and up to 6000 on many days. I went from that to about 1000-1200 cal/day overnight, and started swimming 4 days a week. Swimming is the only exercise that seems to work for me since I passed 30 years old, and I have tried everything I can think of. I usually do 40 laps (I count 1 lap as going to one end and back again) in our college Olympic size lap pool. I would like to do more, but time is always the limiting factor - either the pool schedule or work or family obligations. Since my rate of weight loss has dramatically slowed down without me changing my diet or exercise, I am going to start trying to swim 5-7 days a week. People at work notice it and say stuff all the time. One person last week said "I was disappearing before her eyes". Believe me, in the bathroom mirror it doesn't look like I have changed at all, but I know it's happening because I went from having to make extra belt holes to fit the belt more loosely without my ccw, to being at the tightest belt hole and it still not being snug enough - even with my IWB holster and gun in there. If anyone has any advice on what I can do to get back to a faster rate of weight loss again, I am going to detail what I have been doing. I would really appreciate any good suggestions. In addition to a multi-vitamin and an extra vitamin C and vit. E supplement daily, my diet consists of the following: Breakfast: One packet of instant oatmeal (maple & brown sugar) made w/hot water & no milk. (160 Cal) - or - One single-serving container of probiotic light yogurt (various fruit flavors) with about 1 to 1.5 teaspoon grape nuts mixed in for texture. (90 - 100 cal + guessing about 30 cal for the grape nuts) Coffee. Lunch: Either a Smart Ones microwave meal (try to stick with the 4 point or lower ones - roughly 170 - 220 cal) - or - Progresso light or Weight Watchers variety soups (100 - 200 calories, depending on the soup) [ETA] - or - Pita with hummus, lettuce, shredded slice of 95% fat-free ham or turkey, fat-free balsamic vinaigrette dressing (estimate 250 cal total) [/ETA] Salad (about 60 total calories: bagged lettuce = about 30 cal, fat-free balsamic vinaigrette dressing = 7 to 10 cal, one slice of 95% fat-free Oscar Meyer lunch meat (ham or turkey) ripped into pieces on top of it -package says 3 slices is 50 cal, so one slice should be about 17 calories for ham, and not sure on the turkey). Water. Dinner: *usually* Either a Smart Ones microwave meal (assorted - anything from 170 - 290 calories) - or- Grilled boneless, skinless chicken breast. I use a cast iron, ribbed grilling skillet, no oil, with rosemary, paprika and lemon pepper on top. Side veggie like green beans or black beans, sometimes some white rice. Usually about 2 tablespoons of salsa and some added hot sauce on top of the chicken. Honestly not sure of the total calories, but guessing about 300 to 500. The chicken breasts are usually pretty big - maybe 1/2 lb before cooking. Green beans are 30 cal per serving. Rice I don't know for sure. Salsa is about 60 calories, I think. No calories in the butter spray I put on the green beans, according to the label. - or - Fresh fish grilled in the same pan with lemon pepper and "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" spray. Side of green beans and sometimes white rice. Not sure of the calories, but guessing about 300. Sometimes another salad with supper - about 60 calories. Water. Taking all the highest calorie options for each meal, it comes to 1000 calories/day. Sometimes I will get hungry between lunch and dinner and have either a yogurt (~130 cal.) or a snack bar (~160 cal). One night a week (or even less frequently on average), I will have one (rarely, I'll have two) shot-sized serving of bourbon (about 100 calories each). Problems I am having so far: My work and family schedule, combined with the college's pool schedule, make it VERY difficult to get enough exercise time. I have tried going over lunch, but can only get in 20 laps and still have time to shower afterwards and drive there and back. Plus, I can only do that maybe 2-3 times a month because it's just too busy usually to get away for an hour during work. I pretty much always work through lunch, even if it is relatively basic stuff I only need to keep an eye on (while at the same time catching up on threads on this site, etc), but it still gets stuff done that I would otherwise not get finished. Between the kids' dance lessons, karate, other places they need to be transported in the evenings, and my on-call obligations at work, in order to shoehorn in swim time according to the pool's schedule, I have to either swim right after eating supper (which REALLY sucks) or delay supper until I get back from the pool at 10:30 - 11 PM (which I don't mind, but I am sure is very bad for losing weight). Until summer, there is only one other (indoor) pool in the area, and their hours are even worse than the one I go to. On the nights I cannot swim after work because of being on-call for work, my biggest problem is snacking after dinner. This is where I am having some problems staying on track. I know I should not be doing it AT ALL, and it is because of habit, not real nutritional need. I have been sticking to 1/2 cup (unpopped amount) of air-popped popcorn with that no-cal butter spray, or a couple handfuls of nuts (almonds or peanuts). The nuts make me feel very guilty because they're nearly all fat. The popcorn makes me feel guilty because I know it is still reinforcing my need for my stomach to feel stretched out full of food. Another problem is a few times I have been burnt out on the Smart Ones or grilled chicken and fish, and just had what the rest of the family is having for supper - and it's never a diet-conscious meal, but things like a cheeseburger or pasta dish. That has only been maybe 5 times since Jan 1, so it's not too bad, but every calorie counts, so I still feel guilty about it. The only thing I can think of to lose more weight is to have time to swim more laps each time I swim, so my only choice is to hit the pool at the later time slots - after 8 PM. After next month, my work schedule will ease up a bit for the rest of the year and I should be able to swim 7 nights a week if home obligations permit. Sorry this became such a long post. [ETA] Jan 1 2008: 267 LBS. / Mar 16 2008: 231 LBS.

Quoted: Quoted: Actually, you might be pleasantly surprised at how little effect (if any) one binge has on your weight.   YMMV. QFT Your weight might spike due to food weight, retained water, etc, but your actual weight will return to normal in a few days.  It's not a bad thing to splurge every now and again.  I recommend it.

Good for the soul.

Quoted: Quoted: Your starting weight in January is exactly where I am now, and around 220 is where I'd like to end up (I'm 6'4" and any less than 215-220 probably isn't going to happen.  Care to share a little about what you've done to get such great results? Everything should be in this thread: www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=75&t=686919  My post is about 18 down on the 1st page, and I added it in the quote box below. I'm kind of bummed seeing the post below that I've REALLY stuck at this weight.  I only lost 3 pounds from March 16 to April 3rd. When I started swimming in January, I was so out of shape the 1st night that I stopped after 5 laps not because I was so tired, which I was, but because I didn't want to risk having a heart attack.  In a week I was up to 25 laps, and now I do 50 and have to stop because of time schedule constraints and boredom, but not from fatigue.  My current schedule only lets me swim 4x/week, but in about a week that will change and I should be able to swim 7 days a week. The diet change was radical.  I ate for years like I had a death wish.  I'm hoping to get my weight down and then be able to eat a little more than now and hold steady instead of losing more.  I've cut out chocolate pretty much entirely.  I had a thin slice of my daughter's birthday cake, and one single Whopper malted milk ball since I started, and that is all.  Chocolate is something that could totally blow it for me.  I've had zero ice cream.  Other than this past Friday, the only bad things I've had are nuts (I try to stick to almonds, but have had some peanuts and cashews which are both horrible for fat), and I'll have a few plain tortilla chips with salsa sometimes with a Smart Ones dinner. It comes down to logic. Exercise as much as possible and eat as little as possible.  For me, the first two months were unreal as far as how fast I lost weight, and since then it has tapered but still losing 1-3 lbs per week.  I had to buy a smaller belt, and my kids and co-workers are going from polite to more pointed comments about my clothes looking too big and baggy on me. Very best of luck if you do it.  There's a lot of great advice in this section of the forum.  I'm sure you'll find some regimen from the people here that will work for you. Chesh97, excellent thread. I didn't know there was 40 cal/slice bread and that is something I have been avoiding because all the breads I've seen are 90-95 cal/slice. I've been substituting pita since it's 90-100 cal/pocket but you only need one to make a sandwich. I started a diet and exercise plan the first of this year, and have lost 10% of my body weight. Most of it was in the 1st month, but I am still working hard. I did a complete 180 degree change in my diet, which could only be described as "suicidal" before. I was probably eating 4000 calories on a normal day and up to 6000 on many days. I went from that to about 1000-1200 cal/day overnight, and started swimming 4 days a week. Swimming is the only exercise that seems to work for me since I passed 30 years old, and I have tried everything I can think of. I usually do 40 laps (I count 1 lap as going to one end and back again) in our college Olympic size lap pool. I would like to do more, but time is always the limiting factor - either the pool schedule or work or family obligations. Since my rate of weight loss has dramatically slowed down without me changing my diet or exercise, I am going to start trying to swim 5-7 days a week. People at work notice it and say stuff all the time. One person last week said "I was disappearing before her eyes". Believe me, in the bathroom mirror it doesn't look like I have changed at all, but I know it's happening because I went from having to make extra belt holes to fit the belt more loosely without my ccw, to being at the tightest belt hole and it still not being snug enough - even with my IWB holster and gun in there. If anyone has any advice on what I can do to get back to a faster rate of weight loss again, I am going to detail what I have been doing. I would really appreciate any good suggestions. In addition to a multi-vitamin and an extra vitamin C and vit. E supplement daily, my diet consists of the following: Breakfast: One packet of instant oatmeal (maple & brown sugar) made w/hot water & no milk. (160 Cal) - or - One single-serving container of probiotic light yogurt (various fruit flavors) with about 1 to 1.5 teaspoon grape nuts mixed in for texture. (90 - 100 cal + guessing about 30 cal for the grape nuts) Coffee. Lunch: Either a Smart Ones microwave meal (try to stick with the 4 point or lower ones - roughly 170 - 220 cal) - or - Progresso light or Weight Watchers variety soups (100 - 200 calories, depending on the soup) [ETA] - or - Pita with hummus, lettuce, shredded slice of 95% fat-free ham or turkey, fat-free balsamic vinaigrette dressing (estimate 250 cal total) [/ETA] Salad (about 60 total calories: bagged lettuce = about 30 cal, fat-free balsamic vinaigrette dressing = 7 to 10 cal, one slice of 95% fat-free Oscar Meyer lunch meat (ham or turkey) ripped into pieces on top of it -package says 3 slices is 50 cal, so one slice should be about 17 calories for ham, and not sure on the turkey). Water. Dinner: *usually* Either a Smart Ones microwave meal (assorted - anything from 170 - 290 calories) - or- Grilled boneless, skinless chicken breast. I use a cast iron, ribbed grilling skillet, no oil, with rosemary, paprika and lemon pepper on top. Side veggie like green beans or black beans, sometimes some white rice. Usually about 2 tablespoons of salsa and some added hot sauce on top of the chicken. Honestly not sure of the total calories, but guessing about 300 to 500. The chicken breasts are usually pretty big - maybe 1/2 lb before cooking. Green beans are 30 cal per serving. Rice I don't know for sure. Salsa is about 60 calories, I think. No calories in the butter spray I put on the green beans, according to the label. - or - Fresh fish grilled in the same pan with lemon pepper and "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" spray. Side of green beans and sometimes white rice. Not sure of the calories, but guessing about 300. Sometimes another salad with supper - about 60 calories. Water. Taking all the highest calorie options for each meal, it comes to 1000 calories/day. Sometimes I will get hungry between lunch and dinner and have either a yogurt (~130 cal.) or a snack bar (~160 cal). One night a week (or even less frequently on average), I will have one (rarely, I'll have two) shot-sized serving of bourbon (about 100 calories each). Problems I am having so far: My work and family schedule, combined with the college's pool schedule, make it VERY difficult to get enough exercise time. I have tried going over lunch, but can only get in 20 laps and still have time to shower afterwards and drive there and back. Plus, I can only do that maybe 2-3 times a month because it's just too busy usually to get away for an hour during work. I pretty much always work through lunch, even if it is relatively basic stuff I only need to keep an eye on (while at the same time catching up on threads on this site, etc), but it still gets stuff done that I would otherwise not get finished. Between the kids' dance lessons, karate, other places they need to be transported in the evenings, and my on-call obligations at work, in order to shoehorn in swim time according to the pool's schedule, I have to either swim right after eating supper (which REALLY sucks) or delay supper until I get back from the pool at 10:30 - 11 PM (which I don't mind, but I am sure is very bad for losing weight). Until summer, there is only one other (indoor) pool in the area, and their hours are even worse than the one I go to. On the nights I cannot swim after work because of being on-call for work, my biggest problem is snacking after dinner. This is where I am having some problems staying on track. I know I should not be doing it AT ALL, and it is because of habit, not real nutritional need. I have been sticking to 1/2 cup (unpopped amount) of air-popped popcorn with that no-cal butter spray, or a couple handfuls of nuts (almonds or peanuts). The nuts make me feel very guilty because they're nearly all fat. The popcorn makes me feel guilty because I know it is still reinforcing my need for my stomach to feel stretched out full of food. Another problem is a few times I have been burnt out on the Smart Ones or grilled chicken and fish, and just had what the rest of the family is having for supper - and it's never a diet-conscious meal, but things like a cheeseburger or pasta dish. That has only been maybe 5 times since Jan 1, so it's not too bad, but every calorie counts, so I still feel guilty about it. The only thing I can think of to lose more weight is to have time to swim more laps each time I swim, so my only choice is to hit the pool at the later time slots - after 8 PM. After next month, my work schedule will ease up a bit for the rest of the year and I should be able to swim 7 nights a week if home obligations permit. Sorry this became such a long post. [ETA] Jan 1 2008: 267 LBS. / Mar 16 2008: 231 LBS.

Wow man, that is really hardcore.  I don't know that I can put that much into it, but if I can do it at half that rate of loss, I'll be happy.  Kudos to you for deciding to do it and just getting it done.

Quoted: Everything should be in this thread: www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=75&t=686919  My post is about 18 down on the 1st page, and I added it in the quote box below. I'm kind of bummed seeing the post below that I've REALLY stuck at this weight.  I only lost 3 pounds from March 16 to April 3rd. When I started swimming in January, I was so out of shape the 1st night that I stopped after 5 laps not because I was so tired, which I was, but because I didn't want to risk having a heart attack.  In a week I was up to 25 laps, and now I do 50 and have to stop because of time schedule constraints and boredom, but not from fatigue.  My current schedule only lets me swim 4x/week, but in about a week that will change and I should be able to swim 7 days a week. The diet change was radical.  I ate for years like I had a death wish.  I'm hoping to get my weight down and then be able to eat a little more than now and hold steady instead of losing more.  I've cut out chocolate pretty much entirely.  I had a thin slice of my daughter's birthday cake, and one single Whopper malted milk ball since I started, and that is all.  Chocolate is something that could totally blow it for me.  I've had zero ice cream.  Other than this past Friday, the only bad things I've had are nuts (I try to stick to almonds, but have had some peanuts and cashews which are both horrible for fat), and I'll have a few plain tortilla chips with salsa sometimes with a Smart Ones dinner. It comes down to logic. Exercise as much as possible and eat as little as possible.  For me, the first two months were unreal as far as how fast I lost weight, and since then it has tapered but still losing 1-3 lbs per week.  I had to buy a smaller belt, and my kids and co-workers are going from polite to more pointed comments about my clothes looking too big and baggy on me. Very best of luck if you do it.  There's a lot of great advice in this section of the forum.  I'm sure you'll find some regimen from the people here that will work for you.

First, congrats on your loss so far.    Second, so you know where I'm coming from, I was ~325lb @ 5'10" 7 years ago when I finally "woke up" and realized I needed to change.  Within 2 years, I was down to less than 135lbs, but I'm really not sure I was any healthier at that point as I took it way too fast and way to far.    Emaciated would be the best word to describe where I had been - now I'm much healthier at 147lbs and currently lifting to gain more lean mass back.   I am very much a person of extremes and find moderation difficult, and given what you've posted, it seems like you're of the same bent.

I would say it is hard to argue, given what you've lost so far, but if you say you are stalling in your losses fortunately makes it a bit easier.   Quite simply (and you may find this hard to believe at first), I think you need to eat more.   At 1k calories/day for that sustained time period, if you aren't losing your metabolism is probably shot and the last thing your body wants to do is expend any of its stored energy.

Without sitting down and breaking everything down, my second observation (first being not enough) is that you are taking in too many carbs and not enough protein and fat.     Yes, fat is not necessarily a bad thing - the trans fats that most americans ingest are, but  things like olive oil and especially fish oil are good for you, in moderation.   What you posted seems to be around a 60/30/10 C/P/F split and I'd shoot for more around 40/30/30.

If you are at 1000-1200kcal/day now, I'd try to gradually ramp up your intake to about 1800 (you probably even need to go higher) and see if that doesn't get you back on track.   Once every 1.5-2 weeks, I'd try to eat at or above maintenance (don't pig out, do it clean) to help keep your metabolism from taking a dive again.   If you, like me, tend to be an  "all or nothing" kind of person this will be difficult, but it is better for you and learning to live in moderation is necessary.

Without sitting down at fitday.com and calculating your macros and totals (I suggest you create an account there, if you don't have one already), I'd suggest:

-Sub yogurt out with cottage cheese instead
-Add 10g fish oil/day (there seem to be very few things that people in the nutrition and fitness worlds consistently agree on, but consuming fish oil is one of them, so I pay attention)
-Replace the frozen meals with whole foods.   I know you said you have a busy schedule, but if you are making chicken for dinner anyway, it isn't that much harder to buy the family back and cook up enough for 2-3 days worth of lunches at a time - it will keep just fine.
-Don't be afraid to use some olive oil on your salad
-Eggs are a great source of nutrition for the time-challenged individual.   Yes, even whole eggs, but if you are calorie-phobic for now (and believe me I understand), then just eat the whites (it is pure protein - about 4g/egg) or mix a few whites with a whole egg.
-Why do you say nuts are bad?!  Yes, the contain fat and so are very calorie-dense, but you need to get away from the idea that all fat is bad for you.   Taken in moderation, these are good!  Although, I'd tend to stick with almonds/walnuts/pecans over peanuts.

I think those changes will balance out your macros a bit, but ultimately, I think your body just needs more.

ETA: I was reading the big quote where it said you stalled, but then I read the new reply to this thread again where it said you are still losing up to 3lbs a week.   I still think your metabolism is shot and you need to eat more, but realize that 3lbs/week is quite a bit to lose (although not really unusual at your size), so you may need to rethink your expectations as well - much of the big loss at the beginning was just water.   Also read further that you are getting burnt out in the diet - this is where the "re-feed" every 1.5-2 weeks where you eat at or above maintenance helps out.  

Quoted:<snip>

Wow thanks much rocko for your insights.  I have not gone to any websites or anything for diet tips, only to look up calories / calories from fat in different foods.  I will check out that fitday site.

Thanks again.


[ETA]:  4/9 - working on the C/P/F - 40/30/30 ratios you suggested.  



Now I just have to figure out what to have for supper that will keep that balance, and fight the snack urges.

[ETA]:  4/13 - Rocko, I have to say thanks again for that fitday site.  The tracking and reporting features are very helpful.  I really like that I can add a new custom food by entering the info straight from the Nutrition Facts table on the food's label.  It's also great for planning what to eat next, as I can enter different things into the daily table in advance to see how various choices would change the calories and the ratios of Carbs, Fat, and Protein.  The one thing I had to learn fast was to stop going over on calories just to try bring the ratios into the C-40/F-30/P-30 range.  It's all well and good to be perfectly balanced, but not at the expense of an extra 1000 calories to get there. ;)

I also like that I can convert my swimming distances into miles easily.  There are 2 pools where I go, and one is 25 yards, and the other is 25 meters.  With Fitday, I can enter each one exactly, and then convert it as fast as dropping down the selector and clicking recalculate.  I've noticed since I upped my calorie intake, my energy level swimming has really improved.  I can swim faster and harder for more continuous laps.  In fact, I've nearly sprinted the whole session a couple times, and still felt great afterwards.  I'm sure it's a complete coincidence that both times I did that, there was a young lady in a lane next to mine.  

Had a good surprise this morning.  We have a digital scale at work, so I got on it without shoes first thing when I got in the office today.


200.4 lbs.      

That was my primary weight loss goal.  I started at 267 in January.

If I make it to 185-190, and pending the results of an MRI tomorrow for a recent back injury, I am going to look into healthy supplements to promote building muscle mass, and resume weight lifting.

I will probably regret this, but...
Before/After pics

January 2008 - 267 lbs.  
Since I had no idea I was really starting on a path to success, I did not take any real "before" pics, but here are some random pics that show me at, or near that weight.  I had been living at that weight, give or take about 5 pounds, for many years.
One pic shows part of my face to show how bloated I was.  I have no shirtless pics from before, but take my word, I was a whale.





July 2008 - 190 lbs.
Included part of my face in one shot to try to show that my face is not bloated anymore.
Last pic is wearing shorts that fit me back in January.

Pic with sucked-in abdomen is to prove I wasn't holding it in in the other shots.




Now I need to start getting back to the weight lifting, but I herniated a disk in April and my doctor has forbidden my to lift anything.  I am about to start ignoring him, as I cannot stand my physique right now.  My biceps took a real beating from the severe dieting I did.  What's there is rock-solid, but the mass is way, way down, and my triceps are almost nonexistent now.  I also need to work my abs and legs.

Overall, not many stretch marks and very little loose skin, thanks to plenty of exercise.  I know I'm not going to win any modeling or bodybuilding prizes, but I feel great physically and feel great about myself psychologically.

Well, here goes... click.

Quoted: Now I need to start getting back to the weight lifting, but I herniated a disk in April and my doctor has forbidden my to lift anything.  I am about to start ignoring him, as I cannot stand my physique right now.  My biceps took a real beating from the severe dieting I did.  What's there is rock-solid, but the mass is way, way down, and my triceps are almost nonexistent now.  I also need to work my abs and legs. Overall, not many stretch marks and very little loose skin, thanks to plenty of exercise.  I know I'm not going to win any modeling or bodybuilding prizes, but I feel great physically and feel great about myself psychologically. Well, here goes... click.

NOT a good idea. I was out of the gym 2 years due to 2 HD's back when I was 26. It woulda been LESS than 2 years except I IGNORED MY DOC.
Now, I'm bouncing back from a torn rotator cuff. Haven't lifted anything 'cept a martini glass since Sept.
I FEEL you pain...but listen to the doc!

Quoted: Quoted: I am about to start ignoring him, as I cannot stand my physique right now. NOT a good idea. ...  I FEEL you pain...but listen to the doc!

What eventually happened to permit you to resume lifting?

Quoted: Quoted: Actually, you might be pleasantly surprised at how little effect (if any) one binge has on your weight.   YMMV. QFT Your weight might spike due to food weight, retained water, etc, but your actual weight will return to normal in a few days.  It's not a bad thing to splurge every now and again.  I recommend it.

Yup, my trainer did the same.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I am about to start ignoring him, as I cannot stand my physique right now. NOT a good idea. ...  I FEEL you pain...but listen to the doc! What eventually happened to permit you to resume lifting?

Had to heal...but alot of stuff I did routinely was either totally removed/slowly introduced back. No more sled, lunges were shelved until I brought my hip flexers up to par (with leg raises)--lowered the weight on all.
Did alot of ab work to take the strain OFF my back.
I got back into shape and stayed healthy for years. Now I'm sidelined with a shoulder injury that won't quit. Started back today and it's complaining.
I *had* nice delts <<sigh>>