NEED YOUR ADVICE PLEASE.

torchita

I Began MFP again 1 month ago , In hopes that i would master it to lose weight after failing so many times though i put in the work.. I'm 45 years old so i know it prob contributes to losing weight harder. 1 Month ago i decided i would not eat a thing unless i weight & calulate every bite on a food scale. . I also purchased a treadmill, and carefully measured every meal to be precise in order to stay withing my calories. I aslo calulated how many calories i need to burn weekly to burn 1 lbs by exersice alone besides my diet which is 3,500 burn off & consum1300 calories of healthy food. This worked out for a month & I Lost 22 lbs. , But I have a Problem now and not sure what to do. But for some reason no matter how much walkng/Running i do which happens to be between 1 1/2-2 hours 5 days a week. i Also changed the food i eat & began eating a clean eating diet. NO Processed foods at all. mostly seeds, beans, whole wheat, and Tons of vegies.. Can Some one tell me why My Body is not letting go of the weight now? & what can i do to get it to lose again.. i started at 280 & now 257.8 i lost this weight in a month and wanted to continue the weight loss.. I just want to lose another 30 for now.

IsaackGMOON

Open your diary so we can see your logging.

Eating healthy or a 'clean diet' will not make you lose weight. When you absorb food, your body see's micronutrients and macronutrients - that's it. Eliminating food's does not make you lose weight either.

ASKyle

How are you calculating your exercise burns?

Are you eating all of those calories back?

Just because food is "healthy" doesn't mean it will make you lose weight. It's the calories that matter. Seeds, beans, and whole wheat products can be calorie dense.

middlehaitch

If you have lost 22 lb you need to recalculate your calorie needs. As you get lighter you need less calories to support your body.
This also applies to calorie burnt through exercise. The lighter you are; the less you burn.
Eat the calories MFP allots you for your goal, at the weight you are now, and eat back 75-50% of your calories burnt through exercise.
2 lb a week is a healthy goal.

Cheers, h.

sheermomentum

22 pounds in 1 months is quite a lot. Probably not something that you can keep doing, frankly. So after such a large initial loss, perhaps its time to re-consider your strategy.

You say that you have stopped losing. How long has it been since you saw a loss? If it has only been one or two weeks, then, I'm sorry, but that is perfectly normal. There will be weeks when you lose 1 or 2 pound, and there will be other weeks when you lose nothing. There may even be weeks when your weight seems to go up, if you are retaining water. Sometimes, a large initial loss is even due to water weight loss, so it may be the case that your fluid levels are just fluctuating now because part of your apparent loss has been water and not fat, and your lack of loss this week is actually just your body retaining a little more water.

However, I have to mention that I'm not sure its either healthy or productive for you to be eating 1300 calories per day and working out for 2 hours each day. (Since you say that you have been weighing everything, I'm assuming that we can be confident that the intake you report is correct.) You don't mention your height, but at your weight, you could certainly be eating more and still losing weight. Many people have reported that they actually lose more weight when they eat enough to be satisfied and to fuel their exercise routines. You aren't doing that. I'd start there. Go ahead and get this site to calculate a daily intake for you based on your height, weight and activity level. Try that for 2 to 4 weeks, and see if anything changes. And remember, you just can't tell what is working by only looking at any loss or lack of loss that happens over less than a couple of weeks.

Liftng4Lis

Open your diary.

callsitlikeiseeit

you lost 22 pounds in a MONTH?

Anything more than 2 lbs a week would be unsustainable (and not to mention unhealthy) for most people....

I started with 110 to lose and have lost 70 in 8 months - which is staggeringly good (and not expected to last). Some weeks i lose, some i gain, some stay steady, but if I were you I would not expect to maintain that rate of loss, and I honestly would be concerned about 'burning out' and gaining weight back....

remember- you didn't gain it all in 2 months, you certainly wont lose it all in 2 months!

Bshmerlie

I'm also 45 years old, 5'5" tall and started out at 254 pounds. Pretty close to what you are at right now. I walk on my treadmill for 30 minutes five or six days a week at 3mph. When you average it all out I eat about 1500 calories per day. I very consistently lose 2 pounds per week. I say consistently but of course there are times where it fluctuates all over...but if you average it out over the month it is two pounds a week. The way I do this is i am very meticulous when it comes to weighing and logging everything I eat. For the most part I eat what many might call a "Clean" diet although I can stand that word and I don't believe that plays any part my weight loss. I personally just like simple foods. I don't eat back my exercise calories because I don't really do that much exercise that burns a lot of calories. I simply use it for any logging errors that might occur. Have patience. Losing weight is not something that is going to happen overnight. We all lost weight really quickly at the beginin but it does slow down. Have patience. Losing 22 pounds each and every month is just not gonna happen. If you are truly eating 1300 calories you will lose weight just give it time.

torchita

I'm 5'5 an weight 257.8 today.. i ill try to figure out how to open my dairy ..
I just started walking a month ago at a speed 3.3-3,5 . i was so big that i couldnt go any faster.. i would do that for 1 hour strait , and 20 minutes later do another minutes the same to complete a 90 minute work out . since im still heavy and have bad knees, i still walk fast and then add running 2 minutes of every ten i am walking.. its all i can do since i'm still very heavy... and i began adding the running a week ago to my walking ruetine. And did not lose anything for a week now. .. and i cant figure it out becuase i only rest 1 day a week from walking, My Tread says Im burning off 7,20 calories withing when i comlet walking 100 mintues. but i add an addtional 20 to comlete a 2 hour workout , I also never eat back any burned calories, becuase i thought I was soposed to just eat the calories MFP stated i was allowed.. 1300, but i also make sure to not eat them all. i try to leave at least 100 of those so i never go over.. but burning off 700 and eating not going over my calories, and adding a lil bit of running didnt do a thing to lose this week.. Not Sure what i'm doing wrong.. I wonder if I should have 1100 calorie to eat a day and add another an another hour.. at this point im not sure what else to do , becuase it cant be salt.. iv cut the salt out a month ago also. and now use a few drops of amno acids instead to my cooking.. i also do not use oil. but instead use pam when cooking and to get my fate in i eat boiled eggs & nuts.. i'm gonna continue and hope this doesnt last for more then a a month because i doubt i can continue doing this every day before my knees start gvining me problems again.. im still 257.8 lbs and its hard on my knees.

IsaackGMOON

torchita wrote: »

I'm 5'5 an weight 257.8 today.. i ill try to figure out how to open my dairy ..
I just started walking a month ago at a speed 3.3-3,5 . i was so big that i couldnt go any faster.. i would do that for 1 hour strait , and 20 minutes later do another minutes the same to complete a 90 minute work out . since im still heavy and have bad knees, i still walk fast and then add running 2 minutes of every ten i am walking.. its all i can do since i'm still very heavy... and i began adding the running a week ago to my walking ruetine. And did not lose anything for a week now. .. and i cant figure it out becuase i only rest 1 day a week from walking, My Tread says Im burning off 7,20 calories withing when i comlet walking 100 mintues. but i add an addtional 20 to comlete a 2 hour workout , I also never eat back any burned calories, becuase i thought I was soposed to just eat the calories MFP stated i was allowed.. 1300, but i also make sure to not eat them all. i try to leave at least 100 of those so i never go over.. but burning off 700 and eating not going over my calories, and adding a lil bit of running didnt do a thing to lose this week.. Not Sure what i'm doing wrong.. I wonder if I should have 1100 calorie to eat a day and add another an another hour.. at this point im not sure what else to do , becuase it cant be salt.. iv cut the salt out a month ago also. and now use a few drops of amno acids instead to my cooking.. i also do not use oil. but instead use pam when cooking and to get my fate in i eat boiled eggs & nuts.. i'm gonna continue and hope this doesnt last for more then a a month because i doubt i can continue doing this every day before my knees start gvining me problems again.. im still 257.8 lbs and its hard on my knees.

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strong_curves

Advice about what exactly? How to lose another 22 lbs in a month?

torchita

I understand, 22lbs is a bit in a short amount of time i would like to be able to lose at least 10 a month now. or get some advice from anyone who knows how to get this body to drop lbs again..

Sandcastles61

I just want to say I totally respect your walking and running exercise. Just a thought, but several of us with knee or back issues add in some swimming or pool workouts rather than beat ourselves up running. Not sure that would be an option for you until you get down a bit more so you don't end up damaging your knees.... It's just a thought. Best wishes!!

queenliz99

torchita wrote: »

I understand, 22lbs is a bit in a short amount of time i would like to be able to lose at least 10 a month now. or get some advice from anyone who knows how to get this body to drop lbs again..

You need to open your diary.

Steve_ApexNC

A number of things pop to mind reading your posts:
1. Knee pain - First, check your shoes. A good pair of shoes is imperative. Second, it may well be that you are overdoing the walking. If you have been idle for a long period of time your body simply may not be ready for an hour or two daily walks. The body does adapt, but it takes time. Trying to beat biology here is apt to lead to injury and/or frustration. Try a lighter walking load and increasing the stress (i.e., rate, time, or distance totals) gradually.
2. Exercise calories are often wildly overstated. Do't trust your machine's numbers.
3. Exercise certainly increases your caloric burn, the main factor in weight loss is diet. Weight loss will come from eating at a deficit.
4. Scale measurements of weight loss are not 100% fat loss. Those first 22 pounds is staggering and feels darn good, but it may well be that a lot of it was water. Early drop in pounds is not unusual because of this, but at some point you should try to get to a more sustainable (and healthy) rate of loss. Even after initial water loss, each pound of weight loss isn't a 1 to 1 ratio of pounds of adipose (fat tissue) lost. You will lose lean body mass as well. Nothing you can do about that, but you can limit it with appropriate exercise.
5. plateau can be caused by a lot of things. You said you are weighing and measuring food and logging dilligently. That is good. But starting the new exercise program could also result in water retention (muscles do that) or even some new muscle gains (this happens with newbies, but won't last). Another cause could be high sodium levels. If you are taking in a lot of sodium, you could be retaining water. Also, hormones can cause water issues (especially in women). But, no matter the cause, plateau's happen and so do some ups. Your body is a complex machine and there are lots and lots of variables here so, again, the math isn't going to be a perfect.
6. Stop looking at the scale for all your progress. There are many NonScaleVicotries to be had. One of the first places I noticed weight loss when I started was in my hands, forearms, and calves. We want it all to come off the belly, but that isn't how it works. And, if you think about it, you should see it in the extremities before you see it in the problem areas.

The very best tools you have in your arsenal are persistence and patience. Stick to the logging, weighing, and measuring and the weight will come off over time. Stay the course and before you know it you will see change in the mirror, in your clothes, on the scale and in the compliments people give you. Patience and persistence are the key.

lynn_glenmont

Steve_ApexNC wrote: »

2. Exercise calories are often wildly overstated. Do't trust your machine's numbers.

She's not eating back her exercise calories, so this is irrelevant.

7. plateau can be caused by a lot of things. You said you are weighing and measuring food and logging dilligently. That is good. But starting the new exercise program could also result in water retention (muscles do that) or even some new muscle gains (this happens with newbies, but won't last). Another cause could be high sodium levels. If you are taking in a lot of sodium, you could be retaining water. Also, hormones can cause water issues (especially in women). But, no matter the cause, plateau's happen and so do some ups. Your body is a complex machine and there are lots and lots of variables here so, again, the math isn't going to be a perfect.

^^This, absolutely.
However, I don't see where OP says she is weighing her food, just measuring.
Assuming I didn't miss that: OP, you should get a food scale and weigh your food. It is so much more accurate than measuring volume. (e.g., you say you are getting your fat from eggs and nuts. A quarter-cup of nuts can vary wildly, depending on how large the pieces are and how well settled into the measuring cup they are, etc. Weight doesn't depend on things like that.)

torchita

Thank you Every one for your taking your tme to give me your advice.. I will keep everyones in mind and be more realistic & patient.. i know this will take time and didication. thank you again,..

middlehaitch

Torchita, I am right in there with sandcastles61, you are putting a lot of unsustainable strain on your knees right now.
Some kind of water activity would really take the strain off, and the water gives you a resistance workout that would help towards muscle (lbm) retention.
Aqua fit is great if you aren't a swimmer. The classes are quite often designed towards people with weight and mobility issues. If you don't like yourself in a swimsuit yet a shirt over the top is generally not frowned upon.
Water walking is also really good. You don't walk as fast as on land because you are walking against the water, but the effects can be just as good.

Get your calorie counting correct first. Making sure you are eating enough. Then take baby steps into sustainable fitness.

Cheers, h.

kshama2001

My sister recommended MFP when I told her I was frustrated about not being able to exercise due to bad knees. After losing weight and gradually strengthening my knees, they are much better now. I have Asics gel sneakers. I walk on trails in the woods rather than on pavement. I swim. I do these exercises regularly:

torchita

I Love swiming.. and will beging doing the knee exercises.. Thank you..! I did lose 50 lbs by swimming alone a few yrs back.. I Tjink thats a Perfect idea... I never felt better after swimming and my knees did not bother me.. I happen to live near a gym that as a beautiful olympic lenth pool. I have a feeling its just what i need..8 )

middlehaitch

Woohoo, way to go! We will soon be calling you waterbaby instead of torchita.
Have fun swimming, it will be so much easier on your knees.

Cheers, h.

rosej31

I think 22 lbs is a lot in a month your body does not want to take in less calories than it should. Try to loose 1 or 2 lbs a week and try a different workout such as circuit training with weights