Calories and weight loss.

[Bonnette]

I have been inching upward ever since I went to a full power wheelchair 6-7 years ago. Getting the calories way down and keeping the fiber intake high enough to keep my bowel program working is a real struggle. Even the high fiber foods come with calories. I have to use restraint with fiber supplements because at a certain point they cause diarrhea. Upping the exercise is a problem too because of painful shoulders. Any practical suggestions? I cannot get my diet down below 1800 calories without running into bowel issues. After nearly 64 years with my SCI my system just does not seem to have much flexibility.

My husband and I have eaten chia seeds for years. They're tasty, packed with fiber and nutrients, and don't need to be ground (we sprinkle them whole on cereal and soups - they're very tiny and absorb a lot of water, so they can also be used as thickeners in recipes). 2-4 tablespoons a day are all that we need to stay regular, and there are many other health benefits. Start with 2 T. and build up, if you need more - 2 T. a day supply most people's fiber needs. Here is an excellent article about chia seeds and their uses: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutriti...es/chia-seeds/

[SCIfor55+yrs.]

How much do you weigh? How much weight do you need to lose?

I am up to about 170 after hanging around 145-150 for most of my pre-powerchair years. When I was working and using a manual chair, I had to pack in 3500-3800 calories a day to keep from wasting away. Cutting back now is a real challenge.

[SCIfor55+yrs.]

My husband and I have eaten chia seeds for years. They're tasty, packed with fiber and nutrients, and don't need to be ground (we sprinkle them whole on cereal and soups - they're very tiny and absorb a lot of water, so they can also be used as thickeners in recipes). 2-4 tablespoons a day are all that we need to stay regular, and there are many other health benefits. Start with 2 T. and build up, if you need more - 2 T. a day supply most people's fiber needs. Here is an excellent article about chia seeds and their uses: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutriti...es/chia-seeds/

Thanks Bonnette, I will check this out.

[Bonnette]

Thanks Bonnette, I will check this out.

Hope you like them, if you try them!

[fuentejps]

I have been inching upward ever since I went to a full power wheelchair 6-7 years ago. Getting the calories way down and keeping the fiber intake high enough to keep my bowel program working is a real struggle. Even the high fiber foods come with calories. I have to use restraint with fiber supplements because at a certain point they cause diarrhea. Upping the exercise is a problem too because of painful shoulders. Any practical suggestions? I cannot get my diet down below 1800 calories without running into bowel issues. After nearly 64 years with my SCI my system just does not seem to have much flexibility.

1800 is way high for a quad especially without exercise.... when in a caloric deficit there will be alot less waste. maybe throw a few 1/2 doses of mirilax in??

[fuentejps]

my plan is for losing not maintenance though.

Wow, that's great. I've been doing a modified version of IF, but I'm going to switch to your plan.

[paraparajumper]

If you eat real healthy calories though, you won't blow through as quickly.

Not really true. I eat tons of vegetables and unless I'm strictly eating non-starchy ones, getting above 1000 kcals is very easy. Meats, good fats, all of those have to really be limited.

If I hit my protein macros based on my current weight without my lower limbs which is truly lower than what it should be, especially for a weightlifter, I'm already at 432 kcals. You're telling me I can get all the necessary nutrients with less than 600 kcals remaining for the entire day?

It's a lot more difficult than you think, even if you eat healthy like me. Just because you eat vegetables doesn't mean you won't run into deficiencies after awhile.

[August West]

We're all different. Find what works for you. For me. bloating is the red flag. Weight gain follows the bloat. If I can keep bloat down to a minimum I don't gain weight.

Foods that lead to bloat include bread, rice, and pasta. As they increase transit time, bloating will follow. Keep it up and I gain weight. On the other hand, I can pig out on fatty foods as long as I eat plenty of fruits, veggies, probiotics, and drink plenty of water. Because doing so leads to low transit times, which keeps bloat down to a minimum.

Of course, exercise, rest, and low stress are also factors.

[Bonnette]

my plan is for losing not maintenance though.

Right. I've maintained my weight pretty steadily over the years, but lately my plan hasn't been working as well and I put on 10 pounds (without deviating from it). So I cut my calories back to between 800-900 a day, and stopped my usual intermittent fasts (which were not as well defined as yours) - but those pounds have really been slow to come off, and some weeks I hit a plateau that doesn't budge for days. I clearly need to mix things up so that my metabolism isn't clinging to those calories. Your plan sounds like a perfect solution.

[fuentejps]

GOTCHA. lmk how u do. imo, key is eating/drinking whatever on sat/sun. keeps my metabolism cranking.
on your 600 cal 24 hr IF days keep that meal clean. weigh everything. food scale is our bff

Right. I've maintained my weight pretty steadily over the years, but lately my plan hasn't been working as well and I put on 10 pounds (without deviating from it). So I cut my calories back to between 800-900 a day, and stopped my usual intermittent fasts (which were not as well defined as yours) - but those pounds have really been slow to come off, and some weeks I hit a plateau that doesn't budge for days. I clearly need to mix things up so that my metabolism isn't clinging to those calories. Your plan sounds like a perfect solution.

[Bonnette]

GOTCHA. lmk how u do. imo, key is eating/drinking whatever on sat/sun. keeps my metabolism cranking.
on your 600 cal 24 hr IF days keep that meal clean. weigh everything. food scale is our bff

I'll get a food scale today. I know the calories of almost everything I eat by heart, but at my age (68) the metabolism has slowed down enough that I'll need to be more stringent about portions every day except Sat/Sun. I really like your plan, it allows for ample nourishment even though overall calories remain low, and it accommodates metabolic changes. I'll keep you posted. Thank you for these tips!

[paraparajumper]

A great and rather unexpected website for getting calorie counts and nutritional info is the search engine Wolfram Alpha. You can type just about any food and amount. For example I typed "0.5 cup sweet potato" and it gave me this:



It provides a lot more information than this little snapshot.

[fuentejps]

i use my fitness pal app. very solid.


bonnette, weighing keeps us more accountable than anything. i weigh everything i eat during the week.

A great and rather unexpected website for getting calorie counts and nutritional info is the search engine Wolfram Alpha. You can type just about any food and amount. For example I typed "0.5 cup sweet potato" and it gave me this:



It provides a lot more information than this little snapshot.

[Bonnette]

bonnette, weighing keeps us more accountable than anything. i weigh everything i eat during the week.

I can see how that would be. So many calorie counts are given by grams instead of ounces these days, it's going to be nice not to make conversions in my head.

Does alcohol have any place in your plan, maybe on Sat/Sun? I drink about 4 lite beers a week, but I'll give them up if it'll help - we buy Miller Lite at the grocery, so alcohol percentage is only 3.2-3.6 (100 calories/bottle). Wine is a thing of the past, too much sugar.

[fuentejps]

I can see how that would be. So many calorie counts are given by grams instead of ounces these days, it's going to be nice not to make conversions in my head.

Does alcohol have any place in your plan, maybe on Sat/Sun? I drink about 4 lite beers a week, but I'll give them up if it'll help - we buy Miller Lite at the grocery, so alcohol percentage is only 3.2-3.6 (100 calories/bottle). Wine is a thing of the past, too much sugar.

i only drink on sat/sun not during the week.