Some Diet Questions

QUESTION:

I've been on a diet for 6 months now. I started the diet at 253 lbs and now I'm at 197, but I need to lose at least 30 more pounds.
I have some questions for you, if you can help me, that will be great!
I started working out with a personal trainer 4 weeks ago (twice a week) and I do cardio for on my own twice a week (40 min).
My problem is that I love Mc Donald's and I cant quit eating there :(
Once a week I go there and eat "normal" (a big mac, medium fries and a diet coke).
I would like to know if I can still eat at Mc Donald's or if I have to cut it.

Another question... since I start work out I don't lose any pound... it's normal?


Since the first week I started taking a protein shake after i work out, is that ok? will it make me gain weight?


Thank you very, very much for your help. By the way, your phisycal change is amazing! Congrats!
Best


ANSWER: As long as you are losing weight every week eating mcdonalds once isn't hurting you.  If you are finding it hard to lose weight every week then you should stop eating mcdonalds once a week and instead eat it once every 2 weeks or cut it out all together.  Another way you can do it is to eat mcdonalds but eat less during the rest of the day so your mcdonald's meal does not affect you as much. 

Drinking your protein shake after your workouts will not make you gain weight unless your calories are too high. This shake is beneficial to you because it helps repair the muscle tissue you have broken down during the workout.  

If you continue working out and are not seeing enough weight loss then try cutting back on the foods in your diet that are less healthy and decrease the amount of carbohydrate rich foods that you are eating.  If you do cut back on your carbs make sure you do not do this around the time you workout because those carbs are going to give you energy for your workout. For instance, say you work out in the morning at 9:00

7:00- breakfast ( eat carbs+ protein)
9:00- workout
10:00 ( or right after your workout )- protein shake
10:30- eat ( eat carbs+ protein )
then have the remaining meals in your day be low carb.

If you do not lose 1-2lbs per week for 2 weeks then you will need to decrease your calories and i suggest doing this by decreasing your carbs or by not eating mcdonald's as often. You can also increase the amount of cardio you are doing to 3-4 times per week in order to burn more calories which will result in more fat loss every week.

Tony isn't a licensed nutritionist yet, so he can't give anyone advice on what  to do.  Please consult your doctor for his professional opinion on a diet/nutrition program that will work for you.

Tony's blog is a journal of his experiences and what has worked for him.   He lists general guidelines and suggestions only.  He is NOT a professional.