Need help!

[nada]

Hello everyone
I like LDL because it taught me what to eat, but somehow I am keeping my weight and not loosing any.  I stopped eating bread, brown rice etc... for over a month now but it doesn't seem to make any difference.  I use creamer (powder) with my coffe but never sugar. I also sometimes eat fruits with whip cream.  Could this be the reason?
Thanks to anyone who can help.

[tcasola]

Nada,

First of all, look at the positive. You did not GAIN any weight in the last month.

As for the weight loss, don’t worry too much about it. We all lose weight differently, some faster then others. There are many answers why you haven’t lost weight yet.

(1) Your body may still be getting accustomed to the LDL lifestyle.

(2) Your scale may be wrong

(3) While you believe you are eating the correct foods, you may not. Over the next week make a list of the foods you are eating (not the quantity) , then either post it or send it to me (or another LDL veteran). When I first started I swore I was doing everything correctly. After posting my “menu” I was informed some things were incorrect.

(4) The brand of foods you are buying may contain ingredients that are slowing down your progress. Remember to read the labels carefully. Remember the LDL motto, "ingredients in, ingredients out. Just because a food or drink is "fat-free & sugar-free" or "low-calorie" does not necessarily mean non-fattening. Lots of low-calorie foods have very fattening ingredients in them; likewise, lots of sugar-free foods have very fattening ingredients in them, and lots of fat-free foods have regular sugar in them (very fattening).

I hope this eased your concern somewhat.

[robnveronica]

you can post your foods here or emal me if you like! i KNOW MANY OF THE POWDERED CREAMERS HAVE CORN SYRUP SOLIDS , or MALTODEXTRIN so just be careful and READ THOSE LABELS!

[Forever Young]

WELCOME to LDL and the boards, Nada.  I know from experience that the powdered creamers are loaded with sugar.  My husband got to checking one day and he about hit the ceiling with surprise!  The whip cream is probably not something that you want to have alot.  If you make it yourself, what are you using?  Is evrything LDL approved?  If you aren't sure, please post the ingredients and we will check them out.

I remember at first it seemed like we really ate a lot of food until our bodies became adjusted to LDL and I find that we eat alot (quantity) less.

Just remember to...READ...READ...READ...all the labels on everything.  Manufacturers have hidden SUGARS everywhere.  Jim was eating some stewed tomatoes...and then found out they had...sugar in them.  They want their product to taste good...so they use sugar.  That is why we are so addicted...and so much of our population is heavy...and getting heavier.

Keep on keeping on...on LDL...and YOU WILL LOSE weight.

Jeanne

[nada]

A warm thank you to all who replied to my question and gave me a tip or advice,  one more reason why I love LDL so much.  I am following the LDL and not getting on the scale every minute like I used to do.  I am not losing weight like I should but I am not obsessed  about it any more.  I am glad my eating disorder improved after I started eating more protein.  I also need your help with my coffee addiction, this my be the reason why my weight loss is going slow.  I tried coffee substitutes but it didn't work!
Thank you again, this is a great board.
Nada.

[niki]

hi nada....you have to gradually decrease the amount you're drinking until you wean yourself off....i've had a love hate relationship with coffee all my adult life....i've stopped for a year or two at a time always going back....i stopped just before i started let's do lunch and i've been fine for over a year....i still drink regular tea along with green tea and herbal tea....but that doesn't have the same effect on me at all..........
  try gradually decreasing the amount you drink.....
  if you're not as successful as you'd like,why don't you consider posting what you eat so we can go over it and give you some input?.....................sincerely,niki

[nada]

Hi Niki

Thanks again for everyone.  This is what I eat everyday, please guide me through and let me know where do I do wrong:
Upon rising I drink a glass of luke warm water with juice of half a lemon, right after I eat fruits, I don't wait, ( may be I should!) I eat a banana or two, an apple or two, grapes, an orange or half a grapefruit (all mixed together) right after I drink my gourmet huge cup of coffee with creamer (powder, non-dairy) without sugar.  Shortly after I start longing for popcorn (B4 LDL, never dared eating popcorn).  I eat chicken, fish, or tuna at lunch with soup or veggies and mustard for taste.  Again I consume 1 to 3 cups of coffee at lunch.  Mid afternoon, I will be eating popcorn again.  At night I take fruits, sometimes a coffee yogurt too.  I have to admit that on rare occasion, I gave myself permission to eat 2 to 3 slices of ww bread instead of popcorn.  I don't drink much water, because coffee always satisfies my thirst. Is it difficult for women over 50 to lose weight? 
Thanks again.

[Queenie]

Nada,
I'm not Niki, but I have a few questions for you. 

1.  What type of powdered creamer did you find with no sugar in it?  Could you please list the ingredients?  I've NEVER found any that didn't have regular or hidden sugars in it.

2.  Your coffee flavored yogurt may also have hidden sugars in it.  Check the ingredients and feel free to list them also.  I'm no pro, but there are others on this board that can guide you.  Also, I'm not sure if you should be eating that every day.  Is it fat-free?

3.  Instead of 2-3 slices of WW bread, why don't you have a big bowl of beans, peas or corn?  A few days of this would totally take the craving for that bread away.

Please don't think I'm critisizing - It's just that these things popped out at me.

Carolyn

[nada]

Hi Carolyn

Thanks for your prompt reply.  U r absolutely right, any coffee whitener have hidden sugar in it.  The one I use have corn syrup, I guess this is sugar too.  But I can't drink black coffee,  and milk is not good, how else can I whiten my coffee.  I can't stop drinking coffee because it is one of few pleasures that I can afford!  Rarely do I consume the coffee yogurt, I know it has sugar.    Also I ate the bread only on 2 occasions when I felt stressed out and depressed.  I welcome all feed back because it is helping me a lot on my journey.  Waiting 4 ur feedback.
Thank you again.

[niki]

hi nada.....i'm going to be 55 in july and i was 53 when i started let's do lunch....i lost all the weight i wanted to lose(40 pounds) and have kept it off for months...i was a junk food addict with an underactive thyroid.....that's why i believe that if I could do this, anyone can....in my opinion, let's do lunch is the only way to lose weight AND keep it off.......if you were to poll people with weight problems, you'd find that they've lost LOADS of weight MANY TIMES......the issue is KEEPING IT OFF...i followed the program very strictly...i ate the whole fruit(which roger recommends for optimal loss)..just imagine how many oranges it takes to make a glass of juice.....THOSE oranges will fill you up a LOT more than that glass of juice......i used to drink 4-5 cups of coffee in the morning to wake up(2-3 big mugs)along with as much italian bread toasted(dripping with butter)that i could eat......SEE, noone can say to me "you don't understand how much i love my carbs"...been there...done that....then more often than not, i'd come upstairs and eat a couple of candy bars from my desk drawer while i played computer games......
  THAT'S WHY I BELIEVE THAT IF I COULD DO THIS, ANYBODY CAN...
  absolutely everything carolyn told you is on target.....the powdered coffee creamer is definitely not good...carolyn switched to fat free evaporated milk when she saw that even the fat free half & half had hidden sugar in it....
  roger believes that all dairy is fattening, even fat free stuff so he advises using it sparingly...plus a lot of yogurts have hidden sugars...but actually, the yogurt you've been eating has sugar in it....so all in all, you've been sabotaging yourself with the creamer, the yogurt and the bread.....your blood sugars haven't had time to stabilize to get rid of the cravings.....
  if you have a bread craving in the evening, you're the perfect person to have a big bowl of bean soup and/or salad instead or in addition to fruit....you should eat your fruit right after you drink your lemon juice and water and make a meal out of it......i don't usually eat fruit in the evening....i don't recommend you snack on fruit...stick to popcorn(continue to eat all you want)or soynuts..if you want to eat fruit in the afternoon,consider that the beginning of an evening fruit meal......
  of course, if you crave sweets,you would eat fruit at any of those times.....those are your two weapons...beans and fruit.....fruit for sweet cravings and beans(corn and peas)for most everything else..........
  if i were you, i would gradually cut down on the coffee you're drinking......drinking as much as you drink, you're kind of sabotaging yourself there too......
  in the beginning, take one day at a time.....deal with one craving at a time.....DON'T let yourself be hungry..keep snacks handy....i ate popcorn twice a day for months and sometimes still do.....i think popcorn is great for making you feel nice and full....i bought a sprayer like a misto to spray my popcorn lightly with olive oil and grind fresh sea salt on it and it's great.....i have really gotten my money's worth on the hot air popper i bought...i buy popping corn from walmart for $.88/2lb bag.........................
  and as far as the expense of anything, you can cut down on expenses using dried beans which are so inexpensive....buy fruit in season....costco when it's out of season sells big bags of frozen fruit very reasonably priced.....grapes are on sale all the time again for $.99/lb...last time i bought 14 pounds and froze them.....grapefruits were on sale 5/$1..i bought 25...mangos were 5/$1 and i bought 40...i froze some of the mangos...................
  where there's a will, there's a way........i hope this input helps.....................sincerely,niki

[nada]

Hi Niki
Thanks a million for your input, it gave me lot of hope.  I was 55 last July,  I was OK until 2005 when I started gaining weight (went from 140-145 to 165), and I am only 5 foot 4".  My self esteem is down to zero with the extra pounds I carry.  Based on the useful instructions,  I will adjust my diet and keep you posted.
Thanks again and God bless you all.
Nada.

[niki]

nada...you don't have a lot to lose...set yourself to the task and before you know it you'll be a completed success story..................sincerely,niki

[EnJae]

Nada;

If it helps to compare yourself to someone; I am 5'3" and I weigh 225#. How about if you plan on losing all your excess weight by the time I lose all mine. (That gives you more time, heehee.)

Basically, you are going to be slower losing the weight you want to lose because you need the coffee 'whitener'. If you could learn to drink the coffee black AND completely give up whole wheat you could lose a little quicker. It just depends on which is more important to you. Only you can decide that.

Some people on here use Splenda; I can't bring myself to do it. Others on here would never add honey to their food because it's TOO much like adding sugar; I occasionally add honey, Try to fit this eating plan to your needs. Then if you aren't happy with the results, tweak it a bit. Make this fit your life.

We're rooting for you!
EnJae

[nada]

Thanks Enjae for your support.  You know I have struggled with weight since I was 3 when my mother took me to a dietician because I was overweight.  I grew up very weight conscious and was on diets all my life.  Thanks again and good luck on your journey too.
Nada.

[cm in tn]

NADA. yOU CAN DO THIS GIRL I'AM ALSO 55 YRS OLD I TO HAVE ABOUT 40 PDS TO LOSE! LIKE I SAID IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETER YOU HAVE 100 OR 40 WE ARE ALL BATTLING THE SAME  THING WE LOVE TO EAT  SO HANG IN THERE I TO AM A BAbySTARTED  JAN 1 I HAVE LOST 14 PDS THE FIRST MONTH I AM WORRIED ABOUT FEB BUT I WILL FACE THE MUSIC I HAVE BEEN GOOD MOST OF THE TIME!THE GIRLS REALLY HELPED ME YOU NEED TO EAT BEANS LOTS OF BEANS GOOD LUCK ON YOUR JOURNEY IF I CAN HELP U LET ME KNOW.               
                                      GOD BLESS
                                CM IN TNl

[nada]

Hello  CM IN TNl

Tks 4 ur input, I definetely need help because I gained few pounds and alomost lost hope again.  I don't know what I am doing wrong.  I switched to evaporated milk (fat-free) instead of creamer with coffee.  Give me some ideas about beans, how to cook it or when to eat it.  My main problem is at night when I go home stressed out, tired and alone, I just find comfort in eating!
Nada

[patsyfay]

Nada,
There are so many incredibly delicious soup recipes on these boards that just knowing I have a couple of them cooked up and waiting for me in the fridge tickles my tummy!!!  Coming home to these delectable delights will have you running to your kitchen.  And they are so easy to make.  If you're not a cook, don't be discouraged...these recipes are a snap.  They will fill you up...not out!!!  I went shopping today and as I pushed the cart around the grocery store, I found myself anticipating getting to the bean aisle so I could get everything I needed for Creamy Garlic Soup, Cream of Tomato Soup, Cream of Asparagus Soup, Cream of Cauliflower Soup....hmmmmm, there seems to be a pattern here.  Lucky for me the "cream" is pureed beans!!!  And they taste soooo good! 

You can do this Nada.  Make up a pot and put it in your fridge and have it with some veggies.  (There are also spicy soups, veggie soups, etc.)  You won't run out of recipes for a month of Sundays!  God bless you and strengthen you as you persevere.

Pat

[Queenie]

Yes, Nada,
Pat is right - planning is everything.  Years ago when I lived alone (this was way before LDL) I did my planning on Sundays.  I would cut up, portion chicken into 2 ounces and freeze flat in tiny zipper bags.  Then cook up a box of pasta, portion it out 1/2 cup at a time into more zipper bags.  Then every day when I got home from work all I had to do was saute up the chicken, add onion, veggies, whatever spices I'd choose and then whatever type "sauce" I felt like & voila - dinner.

It's just as easy with LDL - The soups are awesome - and you can prepare your lunches & then have them waiting in containers to just take to work.  After a while, it becomes second nature. 

Carolyn