Discouraged

ttfnweight

help! I am truly in need of ideas or something up help me get back on track. I've lost all motivation. I've been doin MFP since October tracking exercising etc but the problem is I'm not losing. Over the course of9 mo I've only lost 6 lbs!!! I'm so freakin discouraged! I noticed today I just kept eating cookies when I didn't wNt to but it was out of emotion not hunger. My job is very busy. I'm a courier for fed ex. I work hard! So when I get home all I want to do is lay down I'm so tired. I hurt. I'm a 50 year old woman that doesn't know a thing about hoe to get this weight OFF!!! I feel like giving up. But I know if I do I'll end up at 300 lbs and sick like my mother. PLEASE has anyone out there felt this way?? If so how did you break free of it? How did you overcome it and get back to focus.

dramaqueen45

Sorry you are feeling discouraged! I have seen this topic on the forums many times and the themes that come up over and over are:
Do you weigh all of your solid and semi-solid food with a food scale?
Do you log every single bite? Even the cookies?
What are your stats (how tall, how much do you weigh and how much do you want to lose)?
Have you entered your stats on MFP for your job type and stick to those calories (sounds like you are pretty active at your job)?
When you do exercise do you eat back around half of your calories burned?

This is not impossible- you just have to figure out how to be accurate and log everything. If you believe that you are you might want to visit your doctor to look for other possible reasons you're not losing weight. I have hypothyroidism and if I didn't take my medication I would start gaining weight, not to mention feel extremely sluggish. Good luck to you and even it if is only six pounds- it is six pounds so that is going in the right direction.

ttfnweight

I lost 40 back in 08 with no problem. Now I can't seem to lose it at all. The 6 I have lost keeps coming back on too!

debubbie

Try getting a digital food scale to weigh out all of your food to make sure that you are eating at your calorie goal. Do you track every piece of candy, condiment, cookie, food, drink, or seasoning that you consume everyday? Are you selecting accurate entries when you log your foods to MFP? Are you overestimating your calories burned from your work and eating more because you think you have calories to spare? You say that you ate cookies today out of emotion and not hunger, what can you do to prevent this in the future? Finding a workable solution for you for that problem will help you to lose weight as understanding the why behind overeating can be liberating.

What exactly are you doing in your efforts to lose weight? What is your weekly weight loss goal set to? What is your stats (current weight and height, goal weight, age, sex, daily calorie goal, and current exercise plan)?

Your answers to all of these questions will help others to help you better in determining what you need to do or change to help you lose the weight.

strangesoul79

I have been there with you. My work had me hopping at one time bad, plus life just took its toll in a lot of ways. I just got back on track. It was all a matter of I knew I wanted to be healthy and when I looked at the scale one day it just disgusted me and I said no more. I know my life is about to once again be hectic in just over a month, but I am determined. I saw it said you only had 18 to lose and those will be the hardest to get off so don't let that get you down. Just make sure you eat right. With being a courier I know you get a lot of lifting and stuff through the day so that will for sure make you tired. I am not sure what other kind of workout you do or what time you have to be at work but rather than having to think about it after it might be more helpful to do it before. That is what I try to do myself. I have had to do them at 10 at night and did not like it. For one I went into it not wanting to and also it gets me pumped up and I end up being awake til 3 in the morning No matter how tired I was prior to the workout. Just keep pushing forward and you will get there. You may even want to have MFP reevaluate what your caloric intake should be to help you.

ttfnweight

Thank you. Believe it or not I didn't think of doing it in the morning! Haha. Geeez. That would probably help!

middlehaitch

The questions drama queen posed are the ones you need to ask yourself.

Although it is as simple as CICO (calories in <calories out), sometimes life gets in the way.

It doesn't matter how you logged before, set up MFP for a reasonable loss, and keep to your calorie goal. A good food scale will help you with that. The rest is truly up to you, and how much you want it.

Cheers, h.

ttfnweight

debubbie wrote: »

Try getting a digital food scale to weigh out all of your food to make sure that you are eating at your calorie goal. Do you track every piece of candy, condiment, cookie, food, drink, or seasoning that you consume everyday? Are you selecting accurate entries when you log your foods to MFP? Are you overestimating your calories burned from your work and eating more because you think you have calories to spare? You say that you ate cookies today out of emotion and not hunger, what can you do to prevent this in the future? Finding a workable solution for you for that problem will help you to lose weight as understanding the why behind overeating can be liberating.

What exactly are you doing in your efforts to lose weight? What is your weekly weight loss goal set to? What is your stats (current weight and height, goal weight, age, sex, daily calorie goal, and current exercise plan)?

Your answers to all of these questions will help others to help you better in determining what you need to do or change to help you lose the weight.

ttfnweight

I want it. And I have used a scale. For the things I needed to but not everything because MFP has the calculations in already ie: one small banana. Peach. 4 triscut crackers etc. I've been eating the calories it gives. I'm stuck. I had my setting at sedentary. It gave me a cal budget of 1210 which for the most part I stuck with. But because of my busy work life I was advised NOT to have it at sedentary because I would deprive my body of fuel and nutrients and lose muscle mass etc. so I upped it. But how can I lose when the Cals are so high?

tomatoey

This calculator offers a reasonable estimate of your TDEE (the amount burned for everything)

http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced

It's the closest any calculator's come to mine, compared to what I eat and the results on the scale, anyway. (Or, you could get a Fit Bit to get this number)

Subtract 15-20% from that to get your daily intake target. With this method, you wouldn't log your exercise on MFP, it's already figured into the number.

tomatoey

I think the thing is that you're just tired, and you're not really planning right now. So plan for success.

What helped me was initially getting rid of those trigger foods that give you quick a burst of energy when you're tired (cookies etc), and stocking up on food that keeps you fuelled and full. Plan your meals around your macros. Go shopping 1-2x/week so you can be ready for the week, make it easy for yourself.

Pick things that are also fast & easy to prepare. (Or take Sunday and cook a bunch of stuff & freeze it, either way.)

Have treats, after you fit all your macros, but make those a more conscious choice by leaving the house to eat them in single servings only, for now, until you get into the swing of things.

atypicalsmith

Decide you want to do it. Really decide. So what if you're hungry once in a while? Just DO it. If you like being fat, you won't decide to lose weight. Simple as that. If you prefer eating junk to being healthy, then you're going to do it. Only YOU can decide to stop the madness of being overweight and unhealthy. And nobody but YOU can inspire you to do so.

ttfnweight

Wow. THANKS!! That helped too! I appreciate it. I do! I get discouraged because when I lost 40 before it just "came off" now I've struggled for 9 mo and feel as if I'm stuck. But thank you.

tomatoey

Ok also what, you're a FedEx courier and you're trying to eat (gross) 1200?? That's nowhere near enough!

ttfnweight

Ok. Well I did your calculator and it allotted almost 2000 calories. I guess I don't get how I can lose weight with that many calories.?????

gemdiver00

While MFP will have some settings in there, it's best practice to weigh the food you consume.
Btw, I am there with you on being a courier, I would gorge myself on beef jerky while driving and then stop at McDonald's after work for cheeseburgers and a large drink of beetus.

ttfnweight

I don't EVER EVER eat at McDs. I am not a huge Niger fan. Pizza is my downfall. I love cheese. I love pie. OMG I'm getting sidetracked. Lol

Marilyn0924

Using generic measurements for items such as fruit/veggies etc can work against your goals. A "small" banana can vary in weight adding countless calories per serving. Nature doesn't make uniform fruits and veggies, even pre-packaged items can have a weight variance. Using a digital food scale for all of your solid/semi-solid foods will help put you on track. It may seem like a pain at first, but it becomes a habit that is extremely useful in managing your weight loss.

Psychgrrl

If you're not weighing all solid foods, you're already eating more than you think. My Trader Joe's Jumbo Egg is 66g /egg. My egg tonight weighed 84g. A slice of bread may be listed as 50g, but when you weigh it, it's 55. Or 60. Or the cookies you were eating ... each one my be listed as 40g per cookie, but if you weighed them, they could be more. Thus you're eating more calories than you think. You need to really know what you're eating in order to lose.

The other thing that may be happening is with only 1200 calories and your active job, you're binging out of hunger because you're not eating enough to sustain your active job.

When you enter settings for weight-loss, the general idea is to lose .5 lb/week per 25 pounds you need to lose. I'm not sure what your stats or goals are, but your current goal could be too aggressive and resulting in the 1200/day calorie allotment. MFP is only as good as the info we put in.

You want something that is sustainable. Slow and steady is best. Weight-loss is a marathon, not a sprint. The weight didn't come on over night, it's to sing to come off that way either.

Have faith, if you stick with it, it will work!

tomatoey

ttfnweight wrote: »

Ok. Well I did your calculator and it allotted almost 2000 calories. I guess I don't get how I can lose weight with that many calories.?????

2000 is the total amount you burn at your height and weight, you haven't subtracted anything from that?

If so you would go for -15% (-300 calories = 1700) or -20% of that (-400=1600).

to lose 1 lb in a week, you have to have a deficit of 3500 calories over a week.

If you go for 1700 calories:
300x7= a deficit of 2100 over week
2100/3500 = a loss of 0.7 lbs a week

If you go for 1600 calories:
400x7= a deficit of 2800 over a week
2800/3500 = you lose 0.8 lbs a week.

Do that over say 3-4 weeks and see what happens to your weight. Adjust downwards if you're not losing.

When you lose 5 lbs, you plug the numbers into the calculator again (because they'll obviously change a bit).

tomatoey

You would not log any exercise or "eat back" calories, because that's already figured in. You would just eat the same amount every day.

This assumes that your activity level is constant through the week.

It *also* assumes that you're logging all the food you eat & being pretty accurate about it.

tomatoey

ttfnweight wrote: »

I don't EVER EVER eat at McDs. I am not a huge Niger fan.

sorry what does this mean, i don't understand

ttfnweight

Ok! Tomorrow I will use a scale for EVERYTHING I put in my bag for lunch. I will also try and have a 2800 cal deficit for the week. And a workout in the morning. A big "THANK YOU" to all of you. It takes a village for grown ups too.

ttfnweight

Tomatoey I was answering someone's post. I'm still figuring things out. Sorry. I was just saying I never eat at McDonald's. EVER.

ttfnweight

tomatoey wrote: »

ttfnweight wrote: »

I don't EVER EVER eat at McDs. I am not a huge Niger fan.

sorry what does this mean, i don't understand

I was responding to something someone said.

tomatoey

ttfnweight wrote: »

tomatoey wrote: »

ttfnweight wrote: »

I don't EVER EVER eat at McDs. I am not a huge Niger fan.

sorry what does this mean, i don't understand

I was responding to something someone said.

yes i saw that

ttfnweight

tomatoey wrote: »

ttfnweight wrote: »

tomatoey wrote: »

ttfnweight wrote: »

I don't EVER EVER eat at McDs. I am not a huge Niger fan.

sorry what does this mean, i don't understand

I was responding to something someone said.

yes i saw that

Thank you though. Really. I needed support and ideas and thank you to you for yours. ☺️

Merkavar

Sounds like you have all the motivation you should need.

Do you visit you mum often? Call her?

You mentioned you don't want to end up like her?



Niger, is that a fast food chain like McDonald's or is soneone being racist?

ttfnweight

Merkavar wrote: »

Sounds like you have all the motivation you should need.

Do you visit you mum often? Call her?

You mentioned you don't want to end up like her?



Niger, is that a fast food chain like McDonald's or is soneone being racist?

I didn't even see what I had written it rather what the auto correct wrote in for me. It should have read " I am not a huge BURGER fan". So I don't eat at McDonald's.

Merkavar

ttfnweight wrote: »

Merkavar wrote: »

Sounds like you have all the motivation you should need.

Do you visit you mum often? Call her?

You mentioned you don't want to end up like her?



Niger, is that a fast food chain like McDonald's or is soneone being racist?

I didn't even see what I had written it rather what the auto correct wrote in for me. It should have read " I am not a huge BURGER fan". So I don't eat at McDonald's.

Oh. I saw it and a few quoted it but no one seemed to mention anything about it

ttfnweight

Merkavar wrote: »

ttfnweight wrote: »

Merkavar wrote: »

Sounds like you have all the motivation you should need.

Do you visit you mum often? Call her?

You mentioned you don't want to end up like her?



Niger, is that a fast food chain like McDonald's or is soneone being racist?

I didn't even see what I had written it rather what the auto correct wrote in for me. It should have read " I am not a huge BURGER fan". So I don't eat at McDonald's.

Oh. I saw it and a few quoted it but no one seemed to mention anything about it

I see it now. Lol. Stupid auto correct. You'd think it would correct to something similar to the correct word! I'm using my phone though, the letters are small and I have fat fingers tonight.