Diet, Exercise, Hard Work.... and NOTHING is paying off. Needing help guys!
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stevestaggs wrote: »I'd be willing to take a look at your log if you want. The only real way to help you is to see exactly what you are eating. There are so many variables in this game, and people don't seem to realize that calories are only 1 variable (and that variable is not even as important as most others). In addition, most people don't consider their diet to be that bad. How often have you heard, "I can't lost weight, but my diet is not THAT bad." What exactly is "that bad?" It's a relative term. Anyways, let me know if you want me to take a look at your log.
Strong first post.
OP just joined today so there is no log to look at.
What are these more important variables?
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Losing weight is about 80% what you eat and 20% exercise. You can't eat what you want and exercise a lot and expect to lose weight, even eating a "bunch of vegetables". Create a calorie deficit with what you eat to lose weight, exercise to feel better and build muscle, raise your metabolism so the weight will come off easier.0
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Yes, it is discouraging when your doctor tells you the O word. I got the same news in 2011 along with the additional bad news that I was diabetic. On top of that the doctor wasn't really that supportive of my idea to get back on my bicycle after many years of neglecting exercise. But I had a plan and just needed some motivation along the way. I bought a nice shiny new bicycle and starting riding it. It was painful, yes. And dieting wasn't very easy either. But I kept at it and I eventually got results. I started out at 220 and now I'm down to 150.
It sounds like you also have a plan so you're on your way. You can absolutely lose weight, feel good and look great. If you can figure out where your numbers are off and start to see your weight come down I think it will help wit the motivation. I know that works for me.
Maybe I can offer a few tips that I've found were helpful while using MyFitnessPal and for my weight loss.
First of all I log everything I eat. I have a food scale and I use it to weigh just about everything including the lunchmeat on sandwiches, etc. I read the nutritional information on every label and use that to make choices about what I eat. It drives other people nuts but I don't care. When I shop I make sure I only buy low calorie foods, that way I can't eat something I don't have.
My doctor gave the advice to eat all the vegetables I want to eat and also fruits. I stick to mainly lean meats like chicken and fish. I cut the carbs way back so no pasta, bread, rice or anything like that. No sugary snacks or sugared drinks. When I'm real hungry I try to eat things that will fill me up like salads or fresh vegetables.
Second, I do lots of aerobic exercise. I don't lift any weights at all. Not saying there's anything wrong with lifting to develop muscles but you get the weight loss from aerobics. I like to ride my bike more than going to the gym. When I'm outside the time goes by very quickly. Cycling is a sport that you can do for hours at a time and burn lots of calories. I vary my level of intensity but I generally try to keep my heart rate up to 75% of my maximum as much as I can. But even a casual ride at a lower intensity can really burn the fat. Of course I'm somewhat biased when it comes to choosing a sport and everyone's needs are different but if you can manage it cycling is a great activity to consider. There are bike clubs almost everywhere that turn it into a social activity as well.
When I'm exercising I like to think about how much more I can eat based on my workout. That keeps me motivated. If I want to have an extra snack I workout longer. If I do a workout or bike ride that burns 1000 calories I reason that I can eat back some portion of those calories depending on how I feel and still contribute more to my daily deficit. When I calculate all the calories lost based on MyFitnessPal data it matches my actual weight loss pretty closely so I know that the numbers I'm using are fairly accurate.
Here are some guidelines I use when using MyFitnessPal:
If I have to estimate calories from food such as when I'm eating out somewhere, I tend to make my guesses higher rather than lower. Better to be safe than sorry. I'm sure restaurants are not looking at the caloric content of every ingredent they use to prepare a dish like I do. So if I end up guessing a little high then I'll probably be working out a little longer to make up for it which is a benefit and keeps me on track.
I think MyFitnessPal grossly exaggerates calories burned from exercise. If I simply let MyFitnessPal estimate my calories based on the activity and time I don't think I would be losing any weight. I've seen people log 1,000 calories from riding their bike casually for an hour. That is simply ridiculous. Unless you are Tarzan swinging through the jungle for an hour you're not going to be burning calories like that. I consider myself an athlete and I think the most I can burn is about 700 on the bike and that is at 85% of my maximum heart rate such as when I'm racing or doing intense training. On the treadmill running at 80-75% of my heart rate I can burn slightly more, maybe 750 because I'm using my upper body a bit more. If I see MyFitnessPal exaggerating my efforts I go in and manually change them to more reasonable levels. If I think I can walk on a treadmill for 30 minutes and then go eat a big chocolate bar I'm going to get into trouble real fast.
I make sure that I am well under my calorie goal every day. I don't cheat and if I want to pig out one day I document everything (like Thanksgiving for example when I ate like a 2000 calorie dinner). Of course I was on my bike trainer late at night burning some of those calories off to make my daily goal. If it's late in the day and I'm hungery and want to snack but I'm very close to my intake quota I will do a cardio workout on my bike trainer beforehand. And I'll make sure my workout is many more calories than what I plan to eat. That gets me closer to my goal.
There is a good forum for figuring out where your numbers might be wrong and people that will help with figuring out where you might be off. It's the Eat, Train, Progess group. I think they have outlined most of the mistakes people make when trying to use tools like MyFitnessPal to lose weight. You may want to check it out.
Hope this helps.
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agreeI saw it earlier. Some things to consider is that not all fruits and vegetables are healthy. Rice, potatoes, corn and peas are high in carbohydrates and can help pack on the weight if not closely controlled or monitored. Strictly limit or omit breads, breaded and fried products. You need a little bit of carbs to support your exercise but monitor them closely. Avoid high fat proteins like beef and port. Remember that you are probably also putting some muscle on. In some cases, muscle could cause a weight gain which can be discouraging.
• Buy a scale.
• Weigh your foods 100% of the time.
• Concentrate on lean dense proteins like chicken, fish and turkey.
• Try to limit your proteins to between 4 and 8 oz./per meal.
• Watch out for high sugar fruits. Fruits are healthier than junk foods but some are very high in carbs and sugars.
•Get some protein shakes and try drinking one a day to replace a meal. Make sure they are high in protein, low in sugar and low in carbs. Make sure they have a good amount of other vitamins as well. The one I use is available at Sam's Club, has 30 g. of Protein, 1g. sugar and 5g. carbs.
• Keep tracking in a food log. Pay attention to the nutritional values each day, don't let the calories beat your only guide. There is more to weight control than calories.
• Keep up the exercise routine.
I saw this too. Remember, the scale is just a number. You will know how you are doing by how things fit and how you exert yourself in exercise. The more exercise you can do with less tiring is a good sign. Your getting stronger.
Be patient with yourself. Loss of 1 lb. a week is awesome. Don't expect to lose weight as fast as the folks on TV, they exercise 8+ hours/day, most of us can't.
Good Luck!!
There's nothing wrong with rice, potatoes, corn, and peas. There is nothing wrong with breads or breaded/fried proteins. Nothing wrong with fat either.
And very seriously doubt she's packing on muscle since it seems she's more than likely focusing on cardio.
Your post is full of so much wrong.
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You know the old saying, "You can't outrun a poor diet" You cannot work off excessive calories girl and weight loss is not about working out it's about eating less.
I just recently reached my goal of 60lb loss! I logged every single bite of food including the butter and oils I used to cook it with. I was pedantic about logging and staying at or under my calorie deficit every day. And BTW... I'm 61 years old so my metabolism is probably running WAY under yours.
You absolutely can lose 60lbs if you work hard at eating less. I gave myself a year and lost the weight in 10 months.
Get lots of friends on here to help support you and drop friends if they are supporting your bad eating habits! You need to be obsessed and compulsive calorie deficit, weighting and measuring - but most of all be patient. You didn't put the weight on overnight and it will not come off overnight. Don't try to lose too much too fast or you can't sustain the weight loss or lifestyle. Make this a lifestyle change otherwise, why bother!
- Best of luck! You CAN do this.0 -
You are doing a lot of things right. The scale doesn't always reflect all the good choices I make in a week. I set other targets and rate my success that way.
For instance, fitness goals which you are doing great at!
If your lowest weight was 165, I respectfully suggest that this should be your target. BMI is a useful guide, but it's not the be-all end-all.
I suggest this week make calorie tracking your only goal and see how that works out.
In the following week, set a new, small target and see if that makes a difference.
It's the combined power of small changes that leads to success.
http://www.womenyoushouldknow.net/bmi-charts-put-this-woman-into-overweight-category-she-something-say-about/0 -
I"m sure others have already said this, but you'll never lose weight by working out and "clean eating" alone. Both are great, but the only way to lose weight is to eat less calories than you burn. Based on what you've said, I'd wager you are eating a lot more than you think. Someone wise once said, "you get fit in the gym, but you lose weight in the kitchen". I learned the hard way myself that you can't lose weight by exercise alone. And I'm not even sure what clean eating is; different people define it differently. Believe it or not, you can lose weight on a diet of nothing but candy and french fries if you simply don't eat too much of them. Calories in/calories out is the ENTIRE formula.
Although...I don't recommend the candy and french fry diet if any kind of good health among your goals.
I love how you explained it.. but eating less than you burn.. wont make the body weak.. ???0 -
...snip...
Second, I do lots of aerobic exercise. I don't lift any weights at all. Not saying there's anything wrong with lifting to develop muscles but you get the weight loss from aerobics. I like to ride my bike more than going to the gym. When I'm outside the time goes by very quickly. Cycling is a sport that you can do for hours at a time and burn lots of calories. I vary my level of intensity but I generally try to keep my heart rate up to 75% of my maximum as much as I can. But even a casual ride at a lower intensity can really burn the fat. Of course I'm somewhat biased when it comes to choosing a sport and everyone's needs are different but if you can manage it cycling is a great activity to consider. There are bike clubs almost everywhere that turn it into a social activity as well.
...snip...
I make sure that I am well under my calorie goal every day. I don't cheat and if I want to pig out one day I document everything (like Thanksgiving for example when I ate like a 2000 calorie dinner). Of course I was on my bike trainer late at night burning some of those calories off to make my daily goal. If it's late in the day and I'm hungery and want to snack but I'm very close to my intake quota I will do a cardio workout on my bike trainer beforehand. And I'll make sure my workout is many more calories than what I plan to eat. That gets me closer to my goal.
Lifting weights will help you with your biking. It'll help create stronger bones which at 54yo, you should be concerned with.
And it's a good thing you stay 500-900 cals under your goal since you use a lot of generic entires instead of using the USDA version of the banana entry or a better coffee & milk entry... And measuring things in cups instead of weighing them like your parsnips and turnips. Or describing your sweet potato as "small"0 -
I"m sure others have already said this, but you'll never lose weight by working out and "clean eating" alone. Both are great, but the only way to lose weight is to eat less calories than you burn. Based on what you've said, I'd wager you are eating a lot more than you think. Someone wise once said, "you get fit in the gym, but you lose weight in the kitchen". I learned the hard way myself that you can't lose weight by exercise alone. And I'm not even sure what clean eating is; different people define it differently. Believe it or not, you can lose weight on a diet of nothing but candy and french fries if you simply don't eat too much of them. Calories in/calories out is the ENTIRE formula.
Although...I don't recommend the candy and french fry diet if any kind of good health among your goals.
I love how you explained it.. but eating less than you burn.. wont make the body weak.. ???
Not sure I understand the question. Eating less than you burn is called a caloric deficit, which is required for weight loss.
Now, the deficit CAN make your body weak if the deficit is too large and your body can support the difference in energy stores that it already has.
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I"m sure others have already said this, but you'll never lose weight by working out and "clean eating" alone. Both are great, but the only way to lose weight is to eat less calories than you burn. Based on what you've said, I'd wager you are eating a lot more than you think. Someone wise once said, "you get fit in the gym, but you lose weight in the kitchen". I learned the hard way myself that you can't lose weight by exercise alone. And I'm not even sure what clean eating is; different people define it differently. Believe it or not, you can lose weight on a diet of nothing but candy and french fries if you simply don't eat too much of them. Calories in/calories out is the ENTIRE formula.
Although...I don't recommend the candy and french fry diet if any kind of good health among your goals.
I love how you explained it.. but eating less than you burn.. wont make the body weak.. ???
What they're saying is to eat less than your TDEE - total daily expenditure. What your body burns all day based on your activity level.
You need to eat between BMR (basal metabolic rate - what your body needs to survive and do nothing all day) and your TDEE.
Example: I've got a calculated BMR of 1500 cals and a calculated TDEE of 2300 cals. I can eat under 1500 cals but I run the risk of damaging my body and not getting the appropriate nutrients. I also run the risk of losing muscle which I do not want to do, my muscles are awesome and sexy. So to lose weight safely and comfortably, I want to eat somewhere between 1550 and 2300 cals a day. Because I like my muscles and food and because I'm not overly concerned with losing weight, I'd eat closer to that 2300.
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You look like you're learning fast! Great job on exercise, you seem to have that down pat (people might recommend what you should do but I think you should do what you like to do. You can always change it up later).
My tips for diet:
1) Give yourself at least a month before expecting weight loss. And possibly to also get "used" to it. I was pretty stressed for the first month of my diet changes.
2) You'll likely end up cooking more of your meals - if you're not used to it, it can be stressful and time consuming, but keep in mind you'll get better and faster, and you'll build some basic go-to meals and that really helps!
3) When cooking, always remember to count the oil, butter, etc. They add up.
4) Many people suggest not to drink your calories (except if you're lifting heavy weights you'll likely need protein drinks). You can eat several apples for the calories contained in a glass of apple juice and you'd be a lot more full feeling after eating several apples, right? So drink your water, maybe a diet soda (if you agree with that kind of thing) as a treat.
5) Weigh all your food (which I see you know already)
6) You don't need to cut down to 1200 calories, if that's what MFP suggested. You can slowly decrease and you might be happier for it. You have a lot on your plate with a toddler, a baby, and your exercise so maybe decreasing your calorie goal by 100 cals per day each week might be easier for you? It's up to you though! (Eg. 1st week you're at 2000 calories from Sun - Sat, second week you're at 1900 calories Sun - Sat).
7) Foods that help to keep you feeling full are protein, fat, and fibre. Try to focus on them (I usually try to focus on them in that order).
8) Ask for help when you need it! If you need a hand cooking, or if you need your family to give you recipes of the stuff they make you when you visit so you can calculate the calories, just ask for it. They should understand.0 -
DestinyLittle wrote: »Thanks everyone.
I always thought losing weight was about eating healthy. I think everyone has this misconception at first.
obviously I am new to the sight so I wanted to post and get advice. This is my first day logging, and I am buying a kitchen scale today.
I think that if you are being advised to eat a less-healthy diet in order to get healthier, that isn’t rational advice. Part of being a healthier person is having self-respect, which doesn’t entail shoveling garbage into your body as long as the garbage is within your macros / calorie parameters!
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DestinyLittle wrote: »Thanks everyone.
I always thought losing weight was about eating healthy. I think everyone has this misconception at first.
obviously I am new to the sight so I wanted to post and get advice. This is my first day logging, and I am buying a kitchen scale today.
I think that if you are being advised to eat a less-healthy diet in order to get healthier, that isn’t rational advice. Part of being a healthier person is having self-respect, which doesn’t entail shoveling garbage into your body as long as the garbage is within your macros / calorie parameters!
Define garbage.0 -
I"m sure others have already said this, but you'll never lose weight by working out and "clean eating" alone. Both are great, but the only way to lose weight is to eat less calories than you burn. Based on what you've said, I'd wager you are eating a lot more than you think. Someone wise once said, "you get fit in the gym, but you lose weight in the kitchen". I learned the hard way myself that you can't lose weight by exercise alone. And I'm not even sure what clean eating is; different people define it differently. Believe it or not, you can lose weight on a diet of nothing but candy and french fries if you simply don't eat too much of them. Calories in/calories out is the ENTIRE formula.
Although...I don't recommend the candy and french fry diet if any kind of good health among your goals.
I love how you explained it.. but eating less than you burn.. wont make the body weak.. ???
Not sure I understand the question. Eating less than you burn is called a caloric deficit, which is required for weight loss.
Now, the deficit CAN make your body weak if the deficit is too large and your body can support the difference in energy stores that it already has.
how much deficit is required for weight loss.. based on only food intake..?? according to this site I need to consume 1200 cal (considering my fitness n weight loss goal i guess).. should I consume less than 1200 for shedding weight??0 -
I"m sure others have already said this, but you'll never lose weight by working out and "clean eating" alone. Both are great, but the only way to lose weight is to eat less calories than you burn. Based on what you've said, I'd wager you are eating a lot more than you think. Someone wise once said, "you get fit in the gym, but you lose weight in the kitchen". I learned the hard way myself that you can't lose weight by exercise alone. And I'm not even sure what clean eating is; different people define it differently. Believe it or not, you can lose weight on a diet of nothing but candy and french fries if you simply don't eat too much of them. Calories in/calories out is the ENTIRE formula.
Although...I don't recommend the candy and french fry diet if any kind of good health among your goals.
I love how you explained it.. but eating less than you burn.. wont make the body weak.. ???
Not sure I understand the question. Eating less than you burn is called a caloric deficit, which is required for weight loss.
Now, the deficit CAN make your body weak if the deficit is too large and your body can support the difference in energy stores that it already has.
how much deficit is required for weight loss.. based on only food intake..?? according to this site I need to consume 1200 cal (considering my fitness n weight loss goal i guess).. should I consume less than 1200 for shedding weight??
It's very unlikely that you need to consume as low as 1200 to begin with so don't reduce further.
Please provide your stats: height, weight, age, gender, activity level, etc.
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DestinyLittle wrote: »Thanks everyone.
I always thought losing weight was about eating healthy. I think everyone has this misconception at first.
obviously I am new to the sight so I wanted to post and get advice. This is my first day logging, and I am buying a kitchen scale today.
I think that if you are being advised to eat a less-healthy diet in order to get healthier, that isn’t rational advice. Part of being a healthier person is having self-respect, which doesn’t entail shoveling garbage into your body as long as the garbage is within your macros / calorie parameters!
No one has told her to eat garbage. We're just pointing out that "eating healthy" isn't enough to lose weight, you have to have a calorie deficit. 3000 calories per day of "healthy food" is going to make her gain weight.0 -
stevestaggs wrote: »I'd be willing to take a look at your log if you want. The only real way to help you is to see exactly what you are eating. There are so many variables in this game, and people don't seem to realize that calories are only 1 variable (and that variable is not even as important as most others). In addition, most people don't consider their diet to be that bad. How often have you heard, "I can't lost weight, but my diet is not THAT bad." What exactly is "that bad?" It's a relative term. Anyways, let me know if you want me to take a look at your log.
please explain these other factors….0 -
I saw it earlier. Some things to consider is that not all fruits and vegetables are healthy. Rice, potatoes, corn and peas are high in carbohydrates and can help pack on the weight if not closely controlled or monitored. Strictly limit or omit breads, breaded and fried products. You need a little bit of carbs to support your exercise but monitor them closely. Avoid high fat proteins like beef and port. Remember that you are probably also putting some muscle on. In some cases, muscle could cause a weight gain which can be discouraging.
• Buy a scale.
• Weigh your foods 100% of the time.
• Concentrate on lean dense proteins like chicken, fish and turkey.
• Try to limit your proteins to between 4 and 8 oz./per meal.
• Watch out for high sugar fruits. Fruits are healthier than junk foods but some are very high in carbs and sugars.
•Get some protein shakes and try drinking one a day to replace a meal. Make sure they are high in protein, low in sugar and low in carbs. Make sure they have a good amount of other vitamins as well. The one I use is available at Sam's Club, has 30 g. of Protein, 1g. sugar and 5g. carbs.
• Keep tracking in a food log. Pay attention to the nutritional values each day, don't let the calories beat your only guide. There is more to weight control than calories.
• Keep up the exercise routine.
I saw this too. Remember, the scale is just a number. You will know how you are doing by how things fit and how you exert yourself in exercise. The more exercise you can do with less tiring is a good sign. Your getting stronger.
Be patient with yourself. Loss of 1 lb. a week is awesome. Don't expect to lose weight as fast as the folks on TV, they exercise 8+ hours/day, most of us can't.
Good Luck!!
so much wrong in this post…
there is nothing wrong with rice, potatoes, corn,etc, unless you have some medical condition that makes one sensitive to carbs. The same goes for sugar. You can eat sugar and carbs, be in a deficit, and lose weight.
Meal replacements shakes are a horrible idea, and that is not going to lead to long lasting changes. Do you really think OP wants to drink a protein shake for lunch for the next 40 years????
why one four to eight ounces of proteins per meal?0 -
DestinyLittle wrote: »Thanks everyone.
I always thought losing weight was about eating healthy. I think everyone has this misconception at first.
obviously I am new to the sight so I wanted to post and get advice. This is my first day logging, and I am buying a kitchen scale today.
I think that if you are being advised to eat a less-healthy diet in order to get healthier, that isn’t rational advice. Part of being a healthier person is having self-respect, which doesn’t entail shoveling garbage into your body as long as the garbage is within your macros / calorie parameters!
Define garbage.
yes, please define "garbage"….0 -
I saw it earlier. Some things to consider is that not all fruits and vegetables are healthy. Rice, potatoes, corn and peas are high in carbohydrates and can help pack on the weight if not closely controlled or monitored. Strictly limit or omit breads, breaded and fried products. You need a little bit of carbs to support your exercise but monitor them closely. Avoid high fat proteins like beef and port. Remember that you are probably also putting some muscle on. In some cases, muscle could cause a weight gain which can be discouraging.
• Buy a scale.
• Weigh your foods 100% of the time.
• Concentrate on lean dense proteins like chicken, fish and turkey.
• Try to limit your proteins to between 4 and 8 oz./per meal.
• Watch out for high sugar fruits. Fruits are healthier than junk foods but some are very high in carbs and sugars.
•Get some protein shakes and try drinking one a day to replace a meal. Make sure they are high in protein, low in sugar and low in carbs. Make sure they have a good amount of other vitamins as well. The one I use is available at Sam's Club, has 30 g. of Protein, 1g. sugar and 5g. carbs.
• Keep tracking in a food log. Pay attention to the nutritional values each day, don't let the calories beat your only guide. There is more to weight control than calories.
• Keep up the exercise routine.
I saw this too. Remember, the scale is just a number. You will know how you are doing by how things fit and how you exert yourself in exercise. The more exercise you can do with less tiring is a good sign. Your getting stronger.
Be patient with yourself. Loss of 1 lb. a week is awesome. Don't expect to lose weight as fast as the folks on TV, they exercise 8+ hours/day, most of us can't.
Good Luck!!
so much wrong in this post…
there is nothing wrong with rice, potatoes, corn,etc, unless you have some medical condition that makes one sensitive to carbs. The same goes for sugar. You can eat sugar and carbs, be in a deficit, and lose weight.
Meal replacements shakes are a horrible idea, and that is not going to lead to long lasting changes. Do you really think OP wants to drink a protein shake for lunch for the next 40 years????
why one four to eight ounces of proteins per meal?
I'm going to guess based on the outdated food pyramid.
0
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