is anybody nice enough

aniqa109

Hi all
is anybody nice enough to help me out please! I didnt imagine this weight loss would be so stressful!

aniqa109

So im just under 5" i weigh 165 pounds. Need to lose about 50 pounds!
I logged for 3 weeks and im not sure if i lost anything as my health trainers scale showed a loss of 0.5kg!
Im currently eating 1350 cals and logging and weighin my food. I eat 2 meals a day no snacks! I eat what i want as long as it fits in my calories!
Im not exercising much mainly tryinh to get my diet under control.
please anybody who has an answer for me! I just want someone to tell me..do this n il do it!!
Im going 2 weigh myself in 2 weeks time at health trainers office and im going 2 give up if i dont see the scale move!
If exrcise isnt important for weight loss why isnt
The scale moving as im watching every calorie i eat!
Help! Has anyone else gone through same thing! What can i do!

glenmchale

why so stressful, all you need to do is:
- eat at a calorie deficit... doesn't matter what you eat in reality as long as you eat at a deficit
- weigh everything you eat and log it so you track it and know that you are eating at a deficit
- do some cardio if you can, walking, cycling, swimming or anything you can do, housework/cleaning or anything

where's the stress?

AJayy77

I'm no expert, but I really like cereal and would advocate having a bowl with skimmed or semi-skimmed milk when you get up in the morning. Breaking the fast gets your metabolism going and it only costs around 250 kcals. Did I say I really like cereal? Best of luck. Andy.

TavistockToad

aniqa109 wrote: »

Im going 2 weigh myself in 2 weeks time at health trainers office and im going 2 give up if i dont see the scale move!

to be honest if you're not going to put in any effort for more than a couple of weeks then you're getting the results you deserve! you didnt put 50lbs on in 3 or 4 weeks, so it'll take longer than that for it to come off!

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

You said you lost a pound, right? So the scale is moving. Maybe not as fast as you'd like, but it's moving.

If you just started exercising it's likely you're retaining water for muscle repair. You need to give it more time. You're going to need patience and persistence if you're going to make a go of this whole weight loss thing.

Calorie deficit is what causes weight loss. You can get it from limiting what you eat or by exercising, or both. Most people find that it's MUCH easier to eat 500 calories less than it is to burn 500 calories at the gym. Personally I do a combination of the two.

FoodFitnessTravel

The one thing i realised the hard way: it's 10% diet, 10% exercise and 80% patience. Just exactly how much do you want it? Work for it and be patient. Up your calories and think about how you will look in a year. 1350 is very little and it's not gonna take you long before you binge eat everything in sight or worse, give up. Again, it took me three years to figure this out. Don't repeat my mistake.

aniqa109

Thanks everyone. My whole issue was that so many people on these forums have lost a lot more than 0.5kg in 3 weeks! I just felt maybe im doing something wrong somewhere!

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

aniqa109 wrote: »

Thanks everyone. My whole issue was that so many people on these forums have lost a lot more than 0.5kg in 3 weeks! I just felt maybe im doing something wrong somewhere!

I realize it's hard but comparing yourself to other people isn't a good idea. I glanced at your diary and that are some things you can do to improve your logging. I see a lot of "homemade" entries from the database-- don't use those. They're not accurate. Instead, use the recipe builder for anything you make at home. My lasagna is not going to be the same as someone else's, so using their calorie count isn't going to be accurate. For more information, read this:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1234699/logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide/p1

aniqa109

Thanks!!!i will try that!

jonjhayden

I think it is so important to include exercise. Yes, it IS the deficit that counts for WEIGHT loss, but with exercise (including strength training) you will maintain or even build muscle. While the muscle will put on weight from its mass, it will also help raise your resting metabolic rate. This means you will burn more calories and hence lose even more fat. Really isn't the focus on losing weight a little misplaced? The true goal is to lose fat and (usually) in the process lose weight. BUT would you prefer to lose more weight but have excess fat on your body or lose more fat but weigh a little more because you gained some lean muscle?

I would encourage you to get an hour of cardio everyday and to strength train 3 days each week. If you want some good reading, get "Where Did All The Fat Go?" by Dr. Robert Huizenga.

MamaP47

Don't give up! The scale is moving!! I know you said you only eat twice day, but maybe you should eat a little more often, but smaller portions so that (1) your metabolism stays engaged and (2) your body doesn't go on starvation mode. I know for me, I make sure I eat something in the morning so that I can kick start my metabolism (since my body didn't get any fuel for like 8 hours). Eggs are a great source of protein that your muscles love and helps out with recovery from a hard work-out. I mainly do protein shakes with my vitamin supplement (in powder form) thrown in.

And don't pay attention to other people's results. Every person is different and will lose/gain weight a little bit differently.

FoodFitnessTravel

What jonjhayden said. You don't need an hour of cardio every day. You also don't need to start lifting weights, even though people on this forum often promote it as the ONLY way to work out your body properly. That being said, i love lifting weights and absolutely hate cardio-i do it for 10 minutes at most. I lost weight without cardio, i could have lost weight without lifting weights too, it's all about calorie deficit. The most important thing, if you want to start working out, is to find something you enjoy doing, because workout is something you will have to repeat over and over again for it to have any benefits. So, if you don't like treadmills, or weights, or pilates classes but you enjoy walking or swimming, brilliant, go ahead and do it. Any workout will do.

Jams009

TL/DR; take the long term view, find what works for you.

It's not easy for anyone, especially at the start. We all have ups and downs but it shouldn't be that stressful; if you stress yourself out you won't stick to it. What specifically is causing you stress?

Bear in mind your weight can fluctuate 2-3lbs day to day in water weight alone, so the scales are not that accurate on a day by day, or even week by week basis; if you weighed yourself last week and your water was low and weighed yourself this week and it was high you might appear to have not lost much weight even though your body fat has reduced quite a bit. It's much better to take an average over several weeks to see if something is working or not. Take the long term view.

With that in mind remember that fitness and health are a long term project by nature. An average weight loss of 1-2lbs a week is the recommended rate. At that rate 50lbs could take 6-12 months to lose, and that’s only if you stay on track 100% of the time... If we account for hiccups along the way (which everyone has) then it will take even longer. The upshot of this is that if you don't lose much weight over 2-3 weeks it's nothing to worry about in the grand scheme of things. As long as, on average, your weight is trending towards where you want to be then you are doing just fine.

As for exercise vs diet... There are 2 factors involved with weight loss; the amount calories you take in (diet) vs the amount you burn off (being alive + exercise). If you want to lose weight you need to take in fewer calories than you burn off (be in a caloric deficit). You can either eat less to take in fewer calories, or exercise more to burn off more calories. Either one will create/increase the deficit and cause you to lose weight, but you get double the benefit if you do both. Simple as that.

If you are not losing weight after several weeks then it means you are eating the same amount of calories you are burning off. Regardless of what any trackers or calculators tell you, that is what is happening; the scales don’t lie. Either eat a little less or exercise a little more and see where you are a few weeks later. If there’s still no difference increase the deficit a little more and repeat until the scales start to go down.

In my opinion it is better to add more exercise than take away calories, because exercise will improve your fitness, energy levels, mood, motivation etc. and you need a minimum amount of calories in order to get all your essential nutrients; more calories means you are more likely to get everything you need. But that’s just my view; I love exercise so might be biased. Find out what works for you and do that.

You do not HAVE to track your diet if it stresses you out, but it makes things a LOT easier to manage if you do. It can be as simple as setting a routine and watching the scale over a number of weeks, and either eating less or exercising more each week until it starts to go down. Like everything else; find what works for you and do that.

Good luck.

esjones12

I has taken me 2.5 years to lose 40 pounds.

If you really want long lasting weight loss you need to decide WHY you want this. Just "being skinny" probably isn't a good enough reason for people to lose a significant amount of weight with long term results. Then you have to fight for it. It really is as easy as counting your calories, but it is hard work to stay on track and keep on doing it for weeks on end.

Good luck.

malibu927

AJayy77 wrote: »

I'm no expert, but I really like cereal and would advocate having a bowl with skimmed or semi-skimmed milk when you get up in the morning. Breaking the fast gets your metabolism going and it only costs around 250 kcals. Did I say I really like cereal? Best of luck. Andy.

Your metabolism never stops, and eating breakfast isn't necessary for weight loss for some people.

OP, you still lost weight, so you're doing something right! My first two weeks I gained two pounds. It's possible you could have had some water weight jump on due to sodium intake or TOM that would mask your loss. Keep doing what you're doing, log everything accurately and honestly, and you should see something bigger in two weeks.

aniqa109

Thanks
I Think i will keep going and try a few other things such as adding exercise. I love cardio. I used to dance a lot when i was younger.
ive increased water intake and if i see a loss on the scale in 2 weeks time then il be happy!

MaxPower0102

You will also see the needle move if you limit your carb intake, even for a week or two. Keep your carbs to 80g/day, while staying within your calorie budget. You will see pounds drop and maybe that will motivate you to keep at it.

grateful120

Did you take measurements before you started as well? If you are exercising, you may be gaining muscle and losing fat. Muscle weighs more than fat. Are your close changing at all? Be patient. Don't quit. What you are doing is changing your behavior and habits. It is a slow process. Persistence, not perfection. Hang in there!

earlnabby

aniqa109 wrote: »

Thanks
I Think i will keep going and try a few other things such as adding exercise. I love cardio. I used to dance a lot when i was younger.
ive increased water intake and if i see a loss on the scale in 2 weeks time then il be happy!

Ooh, dancing is great cardio! So many people focus on running and lifting weights but the best exercise is something you enjoy and will do on a regular basis, and that gets your heart rate up. Go dancing, take a zumba class, take ballroom lessons, take a ballet or jazz class, put on your favorite dance mix and dance around the house for 30 minutes. All of that will help! Personally, I am not a dancer but I love the water so my workouts are water aerobics classes and lap swimming, and I dare anyone to tell me I am not getting a "proper" workout from it.

If you are getting stressed by the numbers, start by simply eating better and moving more, then work on perfecting it. BTW: if you feel good eating 2 meals a day then eat 2 meals a day. If you get hungry, you could try dividing those meals up into more frequent, smaller ones. Whatever works for you. I eat 5-6 times a day which keeps me fueled and satisfied.

ladybugny

Please remember its not the number of calories that count so much as the quality of the calories. Chose foods that your body can work with.

For me, I found cutting out processed foods was the biggest difference. I also worked hard to cut down on sugar and I have SO much more energy. The scale is moving but even more importantly my body "feels" happy and makes me want to exercise and move. I wish I had looked more closely at food quality before.

aniqa109

Thanks if i dont get results doing what im currently doing i will have to consider reducing carbs or sugar! I dont think i eat too bad! Every morning for breakfast il have toast with jam or cheese and beans! And second meal is home cooked food. I dont eat crisps choc ice cream and ive stopped eating from chip shops! I do feel exercise will be key for me as last year i followed same diet but i exercised daily and i lost. But for some reason im really struggling to exercise ..i just feel unmotivated and i am finding it hard to stick to regular exercise. ANYHOW! Will try to keep going and give an update in a few weeks!

aSaltandBattery

I'm under 5 foot tall and I weigh a bit more than you still. I found that sticking to just the calories limits (I do 1200 a day) wasn't enough to make me feel good and I didn't lose as quickly as I had hoped when I felt like I was giving up so much. However, by beginning to walk/incorporate other exercises I found that I could 'earn back some calories' (my settings are at sedentary) so that I didn't feel like I was starving. I also lost weight a bit faster when I was exercising. I eat what I want too as long as I stay in my calorie goal and I could probably lose faster if I stuck to something more specific like low carb or less sugar, but I want to do something now that I will keep doing later and I know I'm not at a point where I want to give up certain things. Also being so short (I'm 4 foot 10 inches) having my goal at 1200 actually sets me up for between 1.5 and 2 lb loses a week because shorter people burn less calories in general than taller people. I wouldn't recommend eating less (and neither would MFP), but with shorter stature unless you ate even less then you probably aren't going to see the significant losses that others post about. In the end when I'm feeling bad about the speed of my progress I think of it like the tortoise and the hare - slow and steady wins the race. Try to focus on doing something that you could see yourself continuing for a long time, not just a quick fix. Then as long as the scale is moving in the right direction (or you are losing inches, gaining muscle, etc) it is a successful journey no matter how fast you are going.

aniqa109

Thanks for that. Im just going 2 keep trying different things and see if i can find something that works! I shall try not to.compare myself to others because its disheartening reading about people who have lost a lot of weight in such a short space of time.

cosmichvoyager

hi I looked at your diary and 2 glaring things I see are: you need more fiber and more lean protein.
Do you like to/have time to cook more? Prep food in advance?

White bread, naan, etc--switch it for a kind of bread made out of seeds and whole grains like spelt and rye. Eat that with a hardboiled egg if you like, maybe some sliced tomato and cucumber and a wedge of low fat laughing cow cheese, just for example. I don't log as much as I used to but if you want to friend me and take a look at my diary or message me for ideas feel free. I eat A LOT and lose slow but I'm not often hungry and I am losing consistently--meal planning is my #1 weapon against this stubborn fat. I am also short.

Not trying to make you feel bad, but I would be super hungry if I ate what you are eating.

middlehaitch

Hi, I am 5'1 and not new to counting calories. I am doing a maintainable log right now and it has taken me 60 days to lose 4 lb- that is 1/2 lb a week.
My calories are set at 1200 and I log 200 cal (average) exercise 5 days a week. 1 hr aqua fit or Zumba.
Because my maintainance is so low I have to exercise to burn the calories needed to lose.
I think if you got your own scale to keep track of your weight you may be able to track it more accurately . I keep mine in the same place and weigh myself as soon as I get up and have been for a pee so there are few variables to influence the result.
I also think getting a food scale may help in tracking your food accuracy.
Because you are short like me you would probably get better results if you could get an hour of exercise in a few times a week. It will also help you retain your lean muscle mass as you lose fat.
If you like to dance try Zumba toning- hand weights are used to help keep your muscles.
Good luck, and stick with it, results can be slower for us shorties.
Cheers, h

aniqa109

Thats the thing though im not hungry after eating what i eat. Its enough for me! Sometimes i have to force myself to eat dinner to make up the calories.
i wanted to eat stuff i would be eating forever..not sure if i could stick to naans with salads or eggs for too long. I dont like wholemeal bread i had it for years and it didnt seem to make any difference so i started white again.

cinnamon0033

I'm not going to repeat everything everyone else is saying because I think you know this already. I am going to say this. Your outlook is off. This is not something you should be doing on the short term. This has to be a lifelong commitment. I think if you stopped focusing on the scale and just focused on eating right the weight problem will take care of itself. Just my two cents.

aniqa109

You are right! I just wanted to know if what i was doing was right whch would be shown through the scale or inch loss. I wanted to kind of figure out what i need 2 do to get the results and then id commit 2 doing it! But im going 2 try my best to not give up just yet!

999tigger

You need to show some patience.
Id advocate the inclusion of exercise because it has several benefits and makes keeping a deficit easier, although exercise cna be hard work. You have 39 friends on your friends list, arent some of them giving you advice, checking your diary and suggesting what you might be doing? It requires you to have.

1. A healthy mindset.
2. Know how to use MFP properly, the foundations being accurate , complete and consistent logging. It also includes weighing your food and setting the correct deficit.
3. A diet that you can live with that has the correct deficit, but also supplies you with enough nutrition.
4. Exercise that makes managing your deficit easier and that you can sustain.

If you sort this out then follow the plan for ten weeks consistently and you will lose weight.

aniqa109

No they dont comment or advise! Half of them dont have any interaction with me. Most of them will just like my completed diary entry.