Struggling to lose

katiecramey
katiecramey Posts: 7 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been struggling to lose weight lately. When I started I was 325, and lost 5 pounds that first week. I got down to about 315, and have steadily gone back to 320. I'm counting calories, logging everything, walking/running at least 3 times a week. I recently had blood work done and they said my thyroid is fine. I'm staying under my calorie goal everyday. I don't know what to do, I feel like I'm putting in all this work for nothing, which makes me feel like I'm wasting all this time for a 5 pound difference.

Replies

  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    can you open your diary and provide height.
  • funchords
    funchords Posts: 413 Member
    edited October 2014
    It's okay. Clearly something is wrong, but we'll help you find it. This really does work.

    Go to the Diary Settings page and set your diary to Public so we can see your logs.

    Please also say
    • whether you're estimating your portion sizes by eye or are you using a food scale.
    • what is your daily calorie goal before exercise?

    I'm also concerned about your running at 320 lbs. I went from 298 to around 250 before I even attempted to run a little. My knees started hurting so I'm still just walking and resisting the urge to run for another 20 lbs..

    31773543.png...day 98 today, -59 lbs...
  • trinatrina1984
    trinatrina1984 Posts: 1,018 Member
    What is your calorie goal? Are you weighing / measuring all your food & drinks?

    might be helpful if you opened your diary
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    When you lose weight you need to adjust MFP like every 5-10 pounds. Your amount to eat will decrease as the body decreases. Also do you weigh your food?
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
    "I feel like I'm putting in all this work for nothing"

    Without meaning to sound rude, this is such a spoilt, tired old phrase. What you have said is completely subjective. One person might consider getting out of bed as a lot of work......

    Calorie deficit = weight loss. This is the only relevant factor.
  • pander101
    pander101 Posts: 677 Member
    More than likely you are eating more than you think. If you open your diary you can get more helpful advice. Start weighing your food if you're not already, it is a lot more accurate than measuring cups. Measuring cups are only really good for liquids.
  • katiecramey
    katiecramey Posts: 7 Member
    OK I opened my diary. I'm 5'10. I'm not weighing I'm mostly eyeballing my food and do try to over estimate a bit. I'm not logging exercise so it doesn't add more calories for me to eat. I'm currently at 2400 calories a day and lost my first 5 at 2700.
  • sodakat
    sodakat Posts: 1,126 Member
    edited October 2014
    You can fix the problem by weighing the food you prepare yourself and correctly logging the food that you purchase outside your home. For example if you go to the KFC nutrition website (http://www.kfc.com/nutrition/) you will learn that one biscuit is 180 calories, not 90 and coleslaw is 600, not 130! Logging correctly will make all the difference.

    The amount of sodium in processed/fast food can be horrific and many people, me included, are affected by high sodium foods -- we retain water and weight loss slows. So keep this in mind when you choose what you eat too.

    When you buy yourself a food scale and begin to weigh things like breakfast cereal and the fruits you eat, you will be in for a surprise. But, once you log correctly you will lose weight!

    55835802.png
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
    This is an excellent guide to accurate logging: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1234699/logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide#latest
  • pander101
    pander101 Posts: 677 Member
    Yeah, you need to weigh your food. You'll notice a difference.
  • Unknown
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  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    Get a food scale; your measurements will be far more accurate, and you will be astonished at how far eyeball measurements were off. It's the only way you can know exactly what is going into your body.

    Measuring cups/spoons for liquids, everything else on a food scale.
  • emdeesea
    emdeesea Posts: 1,823 Member
    I plugged in your stats and, according to this calculator below, you should be eating about 2,500 a day. I use this calculator and have lost about 20 pounds so far. Although you have to readjust it for every 5-6 pounds you lose because your intake will change.

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    From what I see in your diary, you eat a lot of fast food and soda. I guarantee you that if you drop the soda you will lose about 10-20 pounds without even trying. There's so many unnecessary calories in soda - all those calories you could be eating instead of drinking.

    Also, fast food is absolutely loaded with salt, so that can throw off your weight. It's fine as a treat once in a while, but you can't live on it.
  • mbbseb
    mbbseb Posts: 124 Member
    trinatrina1984 wrote: »
    What is your calorie goal? Are you weighing / measuring all your food & drinks?

    I wasn't weighing & measuring everything once I started doing this my weight has started to move. Keep moving, tracking and don't give up it will start coming off again.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    You're eating more than you think so take the above advice and weigh and measure everything!
  • katiecramey
    katiecramey Posts: 7 Member
    ChunkeeeMonkeee48 wrote: »
    katiecramey wrote: »
    OK I opened my diary. I'm 5'10. I'm not weighing I'm mostly eyeballing my food and do try to over estimate a bit. I'm not logging exercise so it doesn't add more calories for me to eat. I'm currently at 2400 calories a day and lost my first 5 at 2700.

    um...why are you eating that many calories?

    Because 2700 is what the app suggested to lose 1 pound per week.
  • christinazaia
    christinazaia Posts: 135 Member
    just keep going....change up your exercise routine...change times....drink a daily coffee.....make sure u take fiber....make sure u drink plenty of water...gradually increase your activity intensity and make sure u are getting enough protein and lower carb intake...
  • christinazaia
    christinazaia Posts: 135 Member
    u may have to lower your cals or increase your activity
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    edited October 2014
    If you weigh your solids and measure your liquids, you may find that you're consuming a whole bunch more calories than you thought. Labels kind of lie.

    If you weigh and measure and record your exercise, you'll also have an excellent log to take back to the doctor in six months.

    But if you're too busy to weigh and measure, just try eating about 25% less. See how that goes. If you don't lose, drop it down again.

    Don't forget that the smaller you get, the less food you need!

    If you aren't losing and there's no medical issue, you must eat less or exercise more...or both.
  • katiecramey
    katiecramey Posts: 7 Member
    Thanks for the insight and ideas guys, I'm going to refocus and see if I can make any head way this week. I just have to keep my motivation up.
  • RockstarWilson
    RockstarWilson Posts: 836 Member
    Kalikel wrote: »
    If you weigh your solids and measure your liquids, you may find that you're consuming a whole bunch more calories than you thought. Labels kind of lie.

    If you weigh and measure and record your exercise, you'll also have an excellent log to take back to the doctor in six months.

    But if you're too busy to weigh and measure, just try eating about 25% less. See how that goes. If you don't lose, drop it down again.

    Don't forget that the smaller you get, the less food you need!

    If you aren't losing and there's no medical issue, you must eat less or exercise more...or both.

    Yes! OP, you need to weigh everything. do not measure cups, do not eyeball it. Weigh every little thing. I have a food scale, and I can tell you that it is a VERY important tool in the kitchen. If you eat cereal, you would be very surprised to see how many servings you are actually having. I weigh everything that I cook, and I do not use the "cup" measurement for solids (seriously, how do you measure broccoli in cups?).

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