Throwing in the Towel/Waiving that White Flag

LeilaFace

I'm not sure what to do at this point. I feel my body and I are at an impasse. i've been at this whole better food, more exercise thing since Jan. 2012 ... I've lost a total of 10 pounds the most I lost was 20. I've rarely faltered on my healthy eating habits and yet my body is clinging to fat like dogs to a bone.
Stats:
Age: 29
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 185
Daily Calories: 1800-2000
Water Consumption - 10 Glasses a day

I carb cycle when I can so 2-3 days of 80g of carbs or less and a regular day of around 150g of carbs ... I try to eat a minimum of 100g of protein. I stopped tracking the last 2 weeks while I was in Hawaii for a funeral but I didn't really over eat and was going to the gym with my dad as well as hiking, swimming, running, walking and lots of yard work (thanks, dad). My typical schedule includes:
Heavy lifting/strength training - 3x week
Pilates - 3x week
Cardio - 3x week
Hula - 2x week

I have 1 full rest day and one light day. I'm open to suggestions. But I'm ready to give up and leave MFP.

LeilaFace

?

boberrymom

Why would you give up mfp when mfp isn't the issue? Have you thought of a plateau, since your height, and the amount you workout and such, i think its totally normal for your body because you are building muscle mass which you know weighs more. Some bodies aren't designed to be 140 lbs if you are working out steady....i know mine sure isn't! I would be lucky if i got to 150 because of the way my bodytype is. You just have to accept it and move on.

Tell me, how do you feel? Do you feel healthy? Do you feel fit? Do you let the scale defeat you because you don't see the number you want? I did this and realized finally that the scale means nothing! How clothes fit, how your body feels, how your body reacts to exercise is what matters the most.

Do you eat alot of processed food? If so, perhaps sodium? I honestly don't think this is your issue, i think your body is just designed to be more muscular and no scale will ever give you the number you may want to see.

**hugs** don't give up mfp just because some number on the scale isn't moving the way you want.

LeilaFace

I feel like crap ... pretty consistently. I'm exhausted and I had to buy BIGGER clothes because the smaller ones were becoming too small. I'm not happy with the way I look and only go on the scale once a month so I'm not defined by the number on the scale. I'm just extremely unhappy with my progress or lack there of I don't see the point of tracking when there is no progress and when on this site there are so many people telling you what to do but not listening to what you've done. I've gained some muscle which is denser than fat but a pound is a pound but overall I am just SOL with the way my clothes fit, how I feel and how frustrating it is to see so much progress on a site where I simply can't get started after a year of trying.


Like I said I love working out and will keep doing it but honestly I think I just don't have the energy for MFP anymore. I DO NOT EAT A LOT OF PROCESSED FOOD. I buy my fruits, veggies and meat from either the farmer's market or Sprouts I think the only somewhat processed food I eat is Tillamook Cheese and 1% Alta Dena milk which are both hormone free. Maybe my Greek yogurt? My Mozzarella Cheese? Sometimes I have Ice Cream

Trilby16

Are you eating back exercise calories? Cuz if you are, I think your cals are too high to lose weight. Now if you weighed 230, you could lose weight eating 1800-2000 but at 185, that sounds more like maintenance. Your body seems to agree.

Lizzy622

Maybe take a week off from exercise and give your body a rest. Of course, keep tracking and be extra careful on intake. If the fatigue and exhaustion is not better it may be time to see a doctor. Don't give up.

JTick

Do you weight and measure EVERYTHING?

amann1976

why give up???? are you giving up because you can't achieve a certain number on the scale? what about what you ahve achieved. i'm sure you are healthier and your physical conditioning is probably better than those chicks you see at the weight you are striving to be.

keep working towards being better everyday giving it your all. that is all anyone can do.


btw can i see how big your heart is???? :laugh:

bcattoes

I feel like crap ... pretty consistently. I'm exhausted and I had to buy BIGGER clothes because the smaller ones were becoming too small. I'm not happy with the way I look and only go on the scale once a month so I'm not defined by the number on the scale. I'm just extremely unhappy with my progress or lack there of I don't see the point of tracking when there is no progress and when on this site there are so many people telling you what to do but not listening to what you've done. I've gained some muscle which is denser than fat but a pound is a pound but overall I am just SOL with the way my clothes fit, how I feel and how frustrating it is to see so much progress on a site where I simply can't get started after a year of trying.


Like I said I love working out and will keep doing it but honestly I think I just don't have the energy for MFP anymore. I DO NOT EAT A LOT OF PROCESSED FOOD. I buy my fruits, veggies and meat from either the farmer's market or Sprouts I think the only somewhat processed food I eat is Tillamook Cheese and 1% Alta Dena milk which are both hormone free. Maybe my Greek yogurt? My Mozzarella Cheese? Sometimes I have Ice Cream

Have you talked to a doctor to check for thyroid or other hormone issues that may be slowing weight loss? That would also explain the tired feeling. Do you get enough sleep? If not, that can also make you tired (obviously) and affect your hormones making weight loss more difficult.

You might also consider a food intollerance that could cause inflammation and bloating. Lactose, gluten, eggs, and soy are common intollerances but it could be anything. You can systematically eliminate these from your diet and see if things improve, or work with a dietician if finances allow.

And then there is the possibility that you just need to eat less calories to lose.

Lizzy622

Are you eating back exercise calories? Cuz if you are, I think your cals are too high to lose weight. Now if you weighed 230, you could lose weight eating 1800-2000 but at 185, that sounds more like maintenance. Your body seems to agree.

Also this. Recheck your numbers

kkclif

I have been there. Don't give up! Have you gotten your thyroid tested? There could be an underlying problem there. If your thyroid is fine, maybe try cutting your calories, unless you are eating back your exercise calories. You will find something that works for you. If you are unhappy now, imagine how unhappy you will be if you give up and continue to gain.

Calliope610

based on the info you offered (age, sex, weight, height and activity), your TDEE (from fat2fit.com) is between 2547 (Moderately Active - moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk) and 2834 (Very Active - hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk).

To lose weight, eat TDEE-20%deficit, so your daily calories should be between 2037 and 2267. You may not be eating enough. And if you are close to your goal weight, your deficit should be 10-15%.

almc170

Your logging looks...inconsistent...at best. Even going back several weeks. Try eating a set amount, say 1700, every day, and stick with it for a few weeks. Measure and log all your food, and then check your results. This will at least give you a baseline to work from.

acollis1

Sounds like you are doing all the right things. My doctor told me your body sometimes has different ideas than you do! I was having a lot of problems trying to lose on my own I would lose 3 pounds then gain it back the next month, one vicious cycle! I have been using a program called the PINK method, it's a nutrition plan and exercise program, I have lost 18 pounds in 2 months! It's basically eating clean (which you are doing) but no dairy, or gluten, no artificial sweetners. There is a 3 phase workout program on DVD and a book that walks you through day by day. I am not promoting anything but this is what finally worked for me.... it was a structured program. I am currnetly in the 3rd phase and I'm about halfway to where I wann be, might have to repeat it! ALL of us find this weight loss thing challenging and we ALL hit the wall and want to give up! But keep going and you'll find what works for you, and hopefully you will find the success you're looking for Previous post may be right... maybe your caloric intake is too high? try eating back only 1/2 the calories you burn.... somewhere to start! Best wishes!!

LeilaFace

I burn about 500-1100 calories a day and I've done my TDEE research, trust me it's not too high. When I was eating 1200/day I also didn't lose weight I've done pretty much everything considerable within reason. Eaten more, eaten less. More Cardio, less cardio, No Carbs, less carbs, low sodium, etc, etc.

I'm actually not fit looking at all. I'm pretty soft in that aspect. I DO NOT GO BY THE SCALE NUMBER i've been at this for a year I don't like the way I look, clothes don't fit well and I continue to gain weight and/or stay the same.

I Measure EVERYTHING. Neck, arms, waist, chest, hips thighs, and every where in between. I think I've lost a total of 3 inches in my waist in a YEAR. It's super disheartening to not even physically look good after a year of hard work.

Trilby16

based on the info you offered (age, sex, weight, height and activity), your TDEE (from fat2fit.com) is between 2547 (Moderately Active - moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk) and 2834 (Very Active - hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk).

To lose weight, eat TDEE-20%deficit, so your daily calories should be between 2037 and 2267. You may not be eating enough. And if you are close to your goal weight, your deficit should be 10-15%.

Are you serious?

OP- maybe logging your calories would help you get a handle on what you're actually eating.

LeilaFace

I won't do Carb Nite or PINK ... honestly if it's not something I can maintain for a lifetime I don't see the point. Sorry. To each their own but restrictions and I don't work and I already have enough food allergies as it is I don't see the point in willingly giving up the foods I'm not allergic to.

bcattoes

I burn about 500-1100 calories a day and I've done my TDEE research, trust me it's not too high. When I was eating 1200/day I also didn't lose weight I've done pretty much everything considerable within reason. Eaten more, eaten less. More Cardio, less cardio, No Carbs, less carbs, low sodium, etc, etc.

I'm actually not fit looking at all. I'm pretty soft in that aspect. I DO NOT GO BY THE SCALE NUMBER i've been at this for a year I don't like the way I look, clothes don't fit well and I continue to gain weight and/or stay the same.

I Measure EVERYTHING. Neck, arms, waist, chest, hips thighs, and every where in between. I think I've lost a total of 3 inches in my waist in a YEAR. It's super disheartening to not even physically look good after a year of hard work.

I can uderstand that frustration. Please remember that online calculators give you the average TDEE for someone of your stats. It may or may be your TDEE. Many things, including genetics, can made your BMR/TDEE lower than average.

TDEE is the number of calories at which you maintain your fat stores. No matter what any online calculator tells you, that is what TDEE means. You may gain water weight while eating a deficit, but you will not gain fat. If you are not losing fat as quickly as expected, then it could be that your BMR is lower than normal, which will make your TDEE lower than normal.

Nishi2013

Have your thyroid and cortisol levels checked. Both of these bad boys prevent weight loss. In addition, I would revisit your macros. J would also try a cleanse to get things moving a bit.

jfrankic

Edited to take out bad math! Oops!

A suggestion is to take another rest day. You work out ALOT and at your height, weight and activity level, you either need need more food or more rest. Take your pick. BTW, for reference - I'm 5'8, weigh 160ish, work out 3x per week and eat 2,200 a day to maintain....even lose ever so slowly.

Serah87

Maybe it's because you are not logging!!!


Edit to add: I just check the month of May, 90% of the time you didn't log or only partial, a couple days at 1600 cals, 1 day at 1500 cals, one day at 1900 cals, a few days at 1400 and 1200 cals and one day at 800 cals!!

You NEED to start logging!!!! Just a thought!!!

meglettx

I definitely agree 100% to the suggestions that you see a dr. It's hard to find a good one because not all of them know what they're doing in regards to thyroids/hormones but honey I was so fat and so miserable for so long. The more I dieted and worked out the higher the scale went. I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong. I finally got tired and gave up for awhile. Then I went to a dr and found out my thyroid was sluggish. Once I started taking Armour Thyroid to give it a boost the pounds began melting off! I recently hit a plateau about where you are now (I started out at 230 and got down to 185) and after my engagement I've gone back up a few pounds but I had quit exercising. I am SO convinced that if your hormones are out of whack there is NOTHING YOU CAN DO to make the weight come off. You gotta get those hormones figured out. You sound very much like I did with the tired and miserable. I didn't even realize just how badly I felt until I felt better!! Keep your chin up, find a dr in your area who knows about thyroids and hormones and see what yours is doing.

CorvusCorax77

hmmm... you have gotten a lot of advice here and I'm not sure that mine is going to be anything groundbreaking....
In the course of my weight loss, I focused on cardio and calorie counting. When I would hit a plateau, I would incorporate HIIT training. It made all the difference.

After I got to my lowest adult weight ever (123 lbs- less than when I didn't eat at all), I had decided I wanted to eat more and strength train. Since then, I've gained almost 20 lbs. Interestingly, I have only gained about 1.5" on my waist in that time. I think the scale is not the best judge of progress.

LeilaFace

Your math is off 10 pounds in a year is not .5/week.

Did you miss the part where I said I wasn't logging for the past few weeks while I was in Hawaii attending a funeral?

Will try to get my hormones checked. I actually had them done recently when I was a Volunteer Fire Fighter in Fall 2012 but maybe they've changed.

MyOwnSunshine

I am 5'9" and my weight has been in the 170s for over a year. I do strength training and HIIT. I was eating 1800 - 2200 and maintaining in the 170s. I recently dropped my calories to 1600 without eating back exercise calories and started losing again. I agree with others who have said that maybe your calories are a bit high.

I know there are varied opinions about "eating more to lose more" but it doesn't always work for everyone. Some people need to eat less to lose more.

gangstagirl625

I burn about 500-1100 calories a day and I've done my TDEE research, trust me it's not too high. When I was eating 1200/day I also didn't lose weight I've done pretty much everything considerable within reason. Eaten more, eaten less. More Cardio, less cardio, No Carbs, less carbs, low sodium, etc, etc.

I'm actually not fit looking at all. I'm pretty soft in that aspect. I DO NOT GO BY THE SCALE NUMBER i've been at this for a year I don't like the way I look, clothes don't fit well and I continue to gain weight and/or stay the same.

I Measure EVERYTHING. Neck, arms, waist, chest, hips thighs, and every where in between. I think I've lost a total of 3 inches in my waist in a YEAR. It's super disheartening to not even physically look good after a year of hard work.

no offense but it sounds like not matter what anyone says to you, you have your mind made up so good luck with your journey that you have made. but whose to say that if you didn't log and workout the way you do maybe you would have gained 15 pounds the last year.

Duck_Puddle

Weight loss is about calories in vs calories out. I don't see how there's any possibility that you know what your calories in actually are since your diary is 1/2 empty (and I'm talking about all the back in April, not the past few weeks). If you don't know how many calories you are actually consuming, it's impossible to know what to change. You can eat too many calories of nothing but "clean" food. Weigh and measure the food you are eating. Log it all. Do that for 2 months consistently. All day every day. Weigh yourself. If you lost, good. If you gained or stayed the same, you're eating too many calories. Adjust accordingly. But you absolutely must know how many calories you are consuming-which requires weighing and measuring every bite of food and logging it all.

jfrankic

Your math is off 10 pounds in a year is not .5/week.

My bad! I read it as 10 pounds since Jan 2013. Check your tdee again, take a 15% cut from that and reevaluate in another month. Obsessive calorie counting and logging is not necessary. I only use the quick add option and keep up with mine. Hope you find success!

jsiricos

tiredness - check your vit D levels

smn76237

Weight loss is about calories in vs calories out. I don't see how there's any possibility that you know what your calories in actually are since your diary is 1/2 empty (and I'm talking about all the back in April, not the past few weeks). If you don't know how many calories you are actually consuming, it's impossible to know what to change. You can eat too many calories of nothing but "clean" food. Weigh and measure the food you are eating. Log it all. Do that for 2 months consistently. All day every day. Weigh yourself. If you lost, good. If you gained or stayed the same, you're eating too many calories. Adjust accordingly. But you absolutely must know how many calories you are consuming-which requires weighing and measuring every bite of food and logging it all.

Yes exactly this. Log EVERYTHING to the gram for 4 weeks and see what happens.

LeilaFace

I think I'll follow some of the advice here and try to lower my calories while sticking with my carb cycling and track. I really don't have time to measure out my food but I will do better to try and track more. May was a rough month for tracking I was on a business trip where I was working and in sight of my boss 12 hours a day (no time to log, even on my phone) then I was in Hawaii for a little over 2 weeks at the end of May for a funeral.

I do have a lot of food allergies that keep me away from some foods (I can't eat red meat or Mayo for example) I also have an aversion to some of the healthier foods (Avocado, Soy and Cucumbers) so what I can eat is somewhat limited. I stay away from non-whole wheat stuff though my husband hates wheat pasta so we settled on the garden vegetable kind.

We moved to California in Feb and my tracking has truly been hit or miss since then simply because of the move and stress and money.

I will see if I can find a doctor to check my hormone levels. Thanks for making me listen. I'll stick around and see if I can't get things to be better.