New to calorie counting after lipotrim

Hi, I am Mary and I have successfully lost some weight with lipotrim, but I still want to lose about another half a stone - 13lbs, but my Pharmacist wont allow me to do the rest on total food replacement.

I have bought a calorie counting book, its called 'The calorie counter' by Dr Wynnie Chan and its pretty good along with reliable old Mr Google for things I cant find.

I am still taking 1 lipotrim sachet each day until they run out, which will be about 5 days, then I have about 20 lipotrim maintenance sachets/bars. I intend to use these for breakfast each day until my supplies are finished.

Even though I have been aware of calories all my life (50 this year) I have never followed a calorie counting diet, but I am having fun experimenting this week.

My only concern is that I have not reached 1000 calories any day yet and I dont want to start having a choccy bar or crisps etc just to fill a calorie void, as munching on these things in the first place is what got me here in the first place.

I just wondered if anyone could have a quick look at my refeed diary and give me any help, tips, or suggestions on how I can improve. I am having a mixture of things and once my supplies have finished, I will probably go for porridge or weetabix with skimmed milk and berries for breakfast.

Any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated.

Copied and pasted each day's menu so far.

Day 1

Breakfast, Choc/Coffee shake (142 calories)

Lunch, Vanilla/Cinamon shake (142 calories)

Dinner, 2 tablespoons of cabbage (24 calories)
205g cod (170 calories)

Drinks, 2.5 litres of water. 2 black teas, 1 black coffee, 1 coffee with 1 tablespoon of skimmed milk (11 calories).

Total calories 489.

Day 2.

Breakfast, Vanilla/Coffee shake (142 calories)

Lunch, 130g drained Tuna, (135 calories)
75g lettuce, (9 calories)
50g red onion (16 calories)
50g beansprouts (14 calories)
40g green pepper (11 calories)
3 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar (15 calories)

Dinner, 175g grilled trout stuffed with sun dried tomatoes and peppers (260 calories)
2 tablespoons of cabbage (24 calories)

Drinks, 1 black tea, 2 coffees with 1 tablespoon of skimmed milk (22 calories) 3.5 litres of water. Half a can of diet coke, but couldnt finish it, it tasted too sweet.

Total calories 648.

Day 3


Breakfast, Vanilla/Coffee shake (142 calories)

Lunch, 4oz chicken breast marinated with chilli, garlic, ginger and soy sauce (140 calories)
Tomato (20 calories)
Green pepper (15 calories)
Red onion (16 calories)
Cucumber (8 calories)
Lettuce (9 calories)

Dinner, 4oz chicken leg marinated with ginger, chilli, garlic and soy sauce (180 calories)
6oz potato (100 calories)
Leeks (10 calories)
Cabbage (24 calories)
Swede (10 calories)
Carrots (10 calories) All veg small desert spoonfull.

Drinks 1 black tea, 1 white coffee (11 calories) 3 litres of water, 1 can of diet coke.

Total calories 695 calories.

Day 4

Breakfast, Strawberry shake (142 calories)

Lunch, 1 wholemeal pitta bread (140 calories)
1 desert spoon of fromage frais (15 calories)
1 tin of sardines in brine (160 calories)
Tomato (20 calories)
Green pepper (15 calories)
Red onion (16 calories)
Cucumber (8 calories)
Lettuce (9 calories)
1 apple (72 calories)

Dinner, 4oz chicken breast marinated with chilli, garlic, ginger and soy sauce (140 calories)
6oz potato (100 calories)
Leeks (10 calories)
Cabbage (24 calories)
Swede (10 calories)
Carrots (10 calories) All veg small desert spoonfull.
1 muller yogurt small (59 calories)

Drinks 1 black tea, 2 white coffees (22 calories) 3 litres of water, 1 can of diet coke.

Total calories 972 calories.

Day 5

Breakfast, Vanilla Shake (142 calories)

Lunch, Home made chicken broth (160 calories)
1 apple (72 calories)

Dinner, Home made chicken broth (160 calories)
2 rashers bacon, fat trimmed (180 calories)
2 grilled tomatoes (28 calories)
1 muller yogurt small (62 calories)

Drinks 1 black tea, 3 white coffees (33 calories) 3 litres of water.

Total calories 837 calories.

Day 6

Breakfast, Chocolate Shake (142 calories)

Lunch, 2 pieces of Wholemeal bread (small loaf) (164 calories)
Half a can of tomatoes (38 calories)
1 apple (72 calories)

Dinner, 1 tin of tuna (135 calories)
Salad, lettuce, onions, tomatoes, cucumber, red peppers, (50 calories)
3 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar (15 calories)
1 muller yogurt small (62 calories)

Snack 1 apple, (72 calories)

Drinks 1 black tea, 4 white coffees (44 calories) 3 litres of water.

Total calories 794 calories.

http://www.minimins.com/lipotrim-refeeding/84589-kereds-refeed-diary.html

Hiya Mary

kered said:

I just wondered if anyone could have a quick look at my refeed diary and give me any help, tips, or suggestions on how I can improve. I am having a mixture of things and once my supplies have finished, I will probably go for porridge or weetabix with skimmed milk and berries for breakfast.

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Diary looking good :clap: Perhaps you could add some more protein though. On so few calories you need a higher level of protein than normal. You have your shake, and the tuna, but a little more would be good to increase your calories until you are up to a higher level.

You could add some grated cheese (weigh carefully!) on top of your toms on toast, or have a poach egg with it.

Or maybe finish the meal with a few nuts.

All good sources of protein :clap:

Doing fab

Thanks for that KD, I have had protein at both meals every day except today, just wasn't that organised today as I am working nights tonight and tomorrow.

I will probably have eggs about twice a week in my breakast too once these shakes are finished. My main thoughts are on the calorie intake too, as I cant get to 1000, but once the shakes are through, then I should be able to manage this.

Once I get to target weight, is it the norm to start increasing my calories to say 1100 per day for a week, and if still losing up it to 1200 for the following week until I get to an intake of calories that will keep me maintaining?

Thanks for your help, its great to have someone look and give advice. I might copy and paste my daily menu into the top thread to save anyone having to look through the whole lot, probably a lot of me warbling on and on etc in it.

kered said:

Thanks for that KD, I have had protein at both meals every day except today, just wasn't that organised today as I am working nights tonight and tomorrow.

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Ah. Good. I try to have some protein with everything. I'm not obsessive about it, but do find it helps. Got this tip from a nutritionist. Eat choc, have some nuts with it. Have a smoothie, or some porridge...put yoghurt in it etc. It was a good tip and seems to help keep me satisfied, though obviously whilst you are 'moving up' you just have what you need to have. An idea for later on though

I will probably have eggs about twice a week in my breakast too once these shakes are finished.

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I love eggs and they are so good for you. Was so pleased when all the health scares about having too many went out of the window. A hard boiled egg makes a good snack too.

My main thoughts are on the calorie intake too, as I cant get to 1000, but once the shakes are through, then I should be able to manage this.

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Yep. It's pretty easy to do 1000 when you know how The CD 1,000 cals was a big step for me. Not calorie wise, but 'head wise'. I went through swings of "this is too much!! I can't eat it all", to falling off the wagon and eating much more Have no idea why because I wasn't prone to falling until then

I think it was because it felt more like normal food and maybe coming out of ketosis and all that. It really tested me.

Once I get to target weight, is it the norm to start increasing my calories to say 1100 per day for a week, and if still losing up it to 1200 for the following week until I get to an intake of calories that will keep me maintaining?

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Yes, that sounds right. On CD, we have 810, 1000, 1200, 1500 cals and two weeks on each plan, but the time frame is tweakable depending on weightloss etc.

I did up to the 2 weeks on 1500, then did another 2 weeks of 1500 of my own choices, then moved up gradually to 1800 of my own choices.

Sometimes the scales would show a small gain as I moved up, but it would go back down again as the week moved on, so basically, I maintained on all these steps

It would have been easy to stop at one thinking that was my maintenance level because I had maintained, but I was determined to push my leptin levels up and get my metabolism revved up to the highest possible level for me, which meant I needed to move up to at least 1800 cals Thankfully it worked!

Wow...bit of a ramble there KD :copon:

Brilliantly explained ramble there KD, thanks so much for your help. At the moment the scales are not showing any loss this week, do you think this would be because of coming off TFR and going straight to this amount of calories. I know within a week or 2 it would be impossible not to lose at this amount of calories as I am surely burning off a lot more than this, but I dont mind a STS or even a small gain if its only for a week or 2, then hopefully the losses should start.

Thanks again for your help, I really do appreciate it.

KD said:

Ah. Good. I try to have some protein with everything. I'm not obsessive about it, but do find it helps. Got this tip from a nutritionist. Eat choc, have some nuts with it. Have a smoothie, or some porridge...put yoghurt in it etc. It was a good tip and seems to help keep me satisfied, though obviously whilst you are 'moving up' you just have what you need to have. An idea for later on though !

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Is there protein in yogurt?

KD said:

I love eggs and they are so good for you. Was so pleased when all the health scares about having too many went out of the window. A hard boiled egg makes a good snack too.!

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Have they scrapped the 7 eggs a week thingy now?

kered said:

Is there protein in yogurt?

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Yep :clap:

Have they scrapped the 7 eggs a week thingy now?

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Yep. The main concern was cholestrol, but it's now turned out to be fine. In one research paper I read, they gave people 15 a day!! and their cholestrol stayed the same. In a couple of people it actually went down.

I did hear something about certain people being advised to limit eggs. I think it was those folks who have a serious cholestrol problem, but for the majority of folk it's fine.

Still. I'm a great believer of everything in moderation, so guess I would think twice about having more than 2-3 a day each day..

kered said:

At the moment the scales are not showing any loss this week, do you think this would be because of coming off TFR and going straight to this amount of calories. I know within a week or 2 it would be impossible not to lose at this amount of calories as I am surely burning off a lot more than this, .

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Yes, it will be glycogen. And glycogen holds 3-4 times it's own weight in water. it's good to get it back up. It would be wise to have more LT a day to keep your nutrients up...sorry I had to add that

Thanks for that KD, so helpful as usual.

I could possbily finish all my lipotrim normal sachets, which will run out on Sunday, then I have enough maintenance bars/shakes to last me for 2 weeks if I have 2 a day.

So I could have a maintenance bar for breakfast, then my usual type of lunches, but add a maintenance shake to lunch, and that would be another 200 calories. Does that sound about right?

kered said:

So I could have a maintenance bar for breakfast, then my usual type of lunches, but add a maintenance shake to lunch, and that would be another 200 calories. Does that sound about right?

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I really can't advise on that as I don't know enough about LT and the maintenance bars. It certainly sounds better though (IMO)

Thanks for all your help. I will finish the 14 day refeed, then hopefuly all these glycogen levels have evened out and then start to increase the calories and monitor the losses until I get to target.

Thanks again KD, you have explained a lot and it makes a little more sense now.

No problem All the very best with it