sources of leaner protein - help!

[Carri]

I love meat and dairy foods, But I think I may be eating too much fat in my protein intake. I eat things like string cheese, cheddar cheese, full fat yoghurt, butter, all sorts of meat with their skin and fat, nuts and nut butters, I cook mostly with Olive Oil, eat more vegetable than before starting PP so I am getting more fiber than before too. But I've hit a point where I am not losing any more weight and in fact have been gaining!:eek: Yikes! How can I cut some of the fat out of my protein sources without going to those low fat "plastic" sources of fake protein food. I don't care that much for cottage cheese either. Are these the proteint sources you all use too? Could I be getting too much fat? I've only lost 10 to 13 pounds since starting this diet. Any suggestions?

One other reason I may be gaining weight right now too is that my thyroid medicine was knocked down by 1/4 and it's been ever since that I've noticed plauteauing off and then actually gaining as well as the physical symptoms of fatigue and aches and pains. I'm hoping it 's not what I'm eating and just a case of needing more thyroid hormone cause I don't want to have to limit my choices any more than I do already if you know what I mean. I'm discouraged right now and am going to stop the diet until my thyroid medicine is bumped up more. Then my efforts won't be in vain. :(

Thanks you all,
Carri -fat chick in England

[LisaS]

when you say "only 10-13 pounds since starting this diet" -- over what period of time?

Might this be around the 10-15% mark of what you intend to lose? Many temporary stalls seem to happen aroudn that time.

My guess is that if you have been gaining, it is water fluctuation and not fat (if that is what you were concerned about).

don't freak out. maybe post your daily menu and you can get specific feed back. Have your exercise practices changed since you started?

[Gaelen]

I love meat and dairy foods, But I think I may be eating too much fat in my protein intake. <snip> Could I be getting too much fat? I've only lost 10 to 13 pounds since starting this diet. Any suggestions?

One other reason I may be gaining weight right now too is that my thyroid medicine was knocked down by 1/4 and it's been ever since that I've noticed plauteauing off and then actually gaining as well as the physical symptoms of fatigue and aches and pains. ... Carri -fat chick in England

Carrie, along with Lisa's question about whether you're at the 10-15% mark (she's correct, that's a common place for our bodies to slow down and regroup for a bit), you may have given your own answer. If your thyroid meds have changed and you're back to being symptomatic (fatigue, aches and pains, etc.) then the meds may be interfering with how your body is processing food, and/or your body may just be saying "Whoa, baby, let's change one thing at a time!"

I wouldn't stop eating in a way that makes you feel better; instead, get thee to your doc and find out what's going on with your thyroid meds!

[Mitra]

It's difficult to know if you're getting too much fat without knowing how much you are getting. It may be helpful for you to journal for a few days, so you know the quantities you're eating. If you eat the bulk of your protein from very fatty sources, then you may find you need to stay quite close to your protein requirement, rather than eating unlimited quantities.

But I agree with Pat. Before you make drastic changes in your food, get the thyroid meds checked out.

[cmcole]

My only interjection might be to evaluate your menu, as well as the meds.

Are you eating exactly the same as when you started? Perhaps the problem is that you are feeding the larger "you", rather than the smaller "you". Perhaps just cutting back a bit on the portion size is called for, as you adjust to your new reality (less of you to feed).

[Carri]

Ok, I've been doing PP for myself more seriously since around December of 05. My thyroid medicine changed in February. Now I'm slowly gaining weight. My husband thinks I may be eating too much fat in the form of nuts. I'm not sure what amount of fat I'm really getting. One thing for sure is that I don't always get my minimum protein count in with each meal. Maybe I'm eattin more carbs than I realize. Not sure cause I don't always chart it. I hate the measuring and weighing part of this diet so that is my weakness. But when I first went on PP and lost the 13 pounds, I was alot looser than I was later on. So am hoping it's just my thyroid.

To answer someone else's question; no, unfortunately I don't exercise anymore. Used to belong to a gym but recently dropped out. I have some mysterious health problems that make me feel sick (flu like) when I exert myself and it's a real problem for me. So my exercise is walking my dog IF I WALK HIM and mowing the lawn and strenuous house work. If I overdue it, I pay for a week or more in feeling sick, achie and really exhausted. Bodies, what a pain!

So thanks for all your input, BUT I am enjoying potatoes and grains for awhile until I can get my hands on my new prescription from my Endo. which I am expecting soon. I don't eat junk food so I don't go off the rails in binging on bad foods. I'm very nutrition consciencious.

Cheers,
Fat and sassy Carri :D