Help!!! Server that can't loose weight!

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  • ModernRock
    ModernRock Posts: 372 Member
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    There's no getting around it. Based on the evidence, you are not moving so much that you can get away with not tracking your food and still expect to lose weight. In fact, you might not even be moving as much as you think. Being busy is not the same as being active, and servers do plenty of standing between short walks from table to table and station to station. Borrow a pedometer from somebody and see how many steps you are actually taking. You might be surprised that in a full shift you might only take as many steps as what somebody walking non-stop could do in 90 minutes.

    You have to take control of your food intake to create a deficit. The foods you are eating "on the go" are adding up, but you also need to eat something throughout those long days to avoid over-eating when your shift is over. Plan what you'll eat at work, and plan what you'll eat when you get home.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    edited February 2016
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    Its easy to find excuses and you have listed several here. Pick one or two and tackle them - it may be overwhelming to feel like you have to do everything at once.

    Coke Zero, nothing wrong with it. But drinking water is also necessary. So alternate.

    You should not have to be hungry in order to lose weight. You do need to make some choices in terms of what and how much you eat though. And as someone else has suggested, it is easy to confuse thirst and boredom with hunger. So when you're hungry, drink water first. Or do something else for 20 minutes. Then have a snack (if its not meal time). Plan snacks for these situations.

    Good news: you don't have to exercise to lose weight. It does have other benefits, for your general health & fitness levels.
    Ok so I am gettin married in two months and have been restarting a diet for months now. I'm not big, just a bit chubby, so I only want to loose like 15 lbs. I can't seem to stay on track though because I'm constantly around food and soda. I have been eating a lot healthier and have tried to stick to water. I tend to get really hangry tho and get mad super quick if I'm hungry or need sugar. So I end up drinking a coke zero. I seem to never have time to work out, or if I do I'm too tired from being on my feet all day. I would think by the amount of calories I burn and how much I sweat at work would suffice fir me too loose weight but I am still stuck. I think the most I have lostt is 3 lbs within the last couple months. What should I do?!

  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    Ok so I am gettin married in two months and have been restarting a diet for months now. I'm not big, just a bit chubby, so I only want to loose like 15 lbs. I can't seem to stay on track though because I'm constantly around food and soda. I have been eating a lot healthier and have tried to stick to water. I tend to get really hangry tho and get mad super quick if I'm hungry or need sugar. So I end up drinking a coke zero. I seem to never have time to work out, or if I do I'm too tired from being on my feet all day. I would think by the amount of calories I burn and how much I sweat at work would suffice fir me too loose weight but I am still stuck. I think the most I have lostt is 3 lbs within the last couple months. What should I do?!

    Start logging everything you consume as accurately as you can.
    If you are not losing weight then you need to decrease the amount of calories you put in your body or burn more calories. If more activity is out then you have to adjust your intake.
    Try to get enough protein, fats, and fiber to help you feel satisfied and more even. Watch your sodium level. Drink water.
    Trying to lose 15 lbs in 2 months is too aggressive of a goal most likely. If you only have 15 lbs to lose then .5 lbs a week is an appropriate goal. I would not try to lose more than 1 lb a week. You might lose 4-8 lbs in 2 months if you work at sticking to your calorie goal.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,897 Member
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    When I was a waitress, the only addition activity I did was gardening. I managed my weight by not eating more than I burned. I had short-ish shifts, so was able to eat before and after I worked. When my former housemate was a server with longer shifts, she brought smoothies to work and sipped on them as time permitted.
  • nmorwessel766
    nmorwessel766 Posts: 4 Member
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    erinc5 wrote: »
    How many calories are you eating per day and how do you determine that (do you weigh what you eat)? How much do you weigh and how tall are you?

    I don't weigh what I eat and I'm 5'7 at 180 lbs. I have just consciously been cutting foods out and eating better. Instead of ground beef I eat ground turkey, turkey bacon instead of regular bacon, etc. I just never have time to work out.
  • erinc5
    erinc5 Posts: 329 Member
    edited February 2016
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    erinc5 wrote: »
    How many calories are you eating per day and how do you determine that (do you weigh what you eat)? How much do you weigh and how tall are you?

    I don't weigh what I eat and I'm 5'7 at 180 lbs. I have just consciously been cutting foods out and eating better. Instead of ground beef I eat ground turkey, turkey bacon instead of regular bacon, etc. I just never have time to work out.

    Making smart replacements like that is a start, but you may never make progress unless you are counting calories. Weighing everything ensures you are accurate. If all you can do is estimate, then it will probably take you longer to lose weight, as it may take a while to realize if your estimations are true or not.

    I am also 5'7" and I have been 180 lbs before (very recently, actually). I lost a decent amount of weight in January - I started the new year at 177 lbs. I am currently 168 as of this morning and making my way down to around 140/145. You can look at my diary if you would like to see what I eat. You can friend me if you'd like any support.

    I suggest eating 1400 calories and adding back half your exercise calories. I don't really work out consistently either, so no reason to stress about not working out. Also, I have a desk job whereas you are active all day, so if you feel that 1400 is not enough, you can probably bump up to 1600 or so and still lose at a decent rate.

    I also started a while ago and lost about 20 lbs for my wedding. Wedding bliss kind of got the best of me and gained almost all of that back. My goal now is to be at my wedding weight for our 1 year anniversary, which is in April. I am 8 lbs from that goal, so that is my next milestone. After that, I plan to be at my ultimate goal weight by August for one of my best friend's weddings where I am a bridesmaid.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,725 Member
    edited February 2016
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    erinc5 wrote: »
    How many calories are you eating per day and how do you determine that (do you weigh what you eat)? How much do you weigh and how tall are you?

    I don't weigh what I eat and I'm 5'7 at 180 lbs. I have just consciously been cutting foods out and eating better. Instead of ground beef I eat ground turkey, turkey bacon instead of regular bacon, etc. I just never have time to work out.

    All of it is fine, including the Coke Zero. To lose weight, you need to consume fewer calories than your body burns, overall. Setup your account to lose at most 1 lb per week and try to stick to that calorie limit. If you're that active as a waitress, to some people you actually may do a fair bit of working out, since many people walk for exercise! Other than that if you really want to add a little something, look up body weight exercises on YouTube and maybe try to do 10 minute workouts to start. If you can add on to that as time goes on, so be it

    Aren't you worried about your dress fitting properly? You're so close to the big day!

    Read this, and most of the posts linked in the Announcement post at the top of the General diet and weight loss forum:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101/p1
  • _Figgzie_
    _Figgzie_ Posts: 3,506 Member
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    the words "too busy" REALLY mean "it's not a priority" in most cases. I have that written on my mirror at home, "IS IT A PRIORITY?" Nobody is that busy, you don't have to kill yourself in the gym for 3 hours. I do 80% of my routine at home, a circuit of 200 push ups, 200 kettlebell swings, 200 burpees. It sounds like you have a tough job and you are tired when you are off but you're getting married and you want to look better? Eat less, exercise more..........is it a priority?
  • blues4miles
    blues4miles Posts: 1,481 Member
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    I'm not big, just a bit chubby, so I only want to loose like 15 lbs....I think the most I have lostt is 3 lbs within the last couple months.

    You don't have a lot to lose, and may not even be overweight. You are really close to healthy weight / goal weight. 3 lbs over a couple months is perfectly normal in that scenario. Adjust your expectations.

  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,521 Member
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    A couple of ideas:

    - Get a fitbit to estimate calories for the day. You are definitely burning more than a desk worker. It works well for this sort of thing and syncs with MFP.
    - Focus on reducing carbs first.
    - Eat 1/3 of your daily calories for breakfast with at least 1/2 from fat. (Nuts, nut butters, cheese.)
    - Bring all your own food for the day, including snacks (fruit, nuts, cheese-- the good stuff). Make your lunch right after breakfast, when you're least hungry, and eat it on schedule, before you're too hungry. Anticipate all the times you will need something to eat and plan for it. Don't let yourself get too hungry.
  • tara_means_star
    tara_means_star Posts: 957 Member
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    I'm not big, just a bit chubby, so I only want to loose like 15 lbs....I think the most I have lostt is 3 lbs within the last couple months.

    You don't have a lot to lose, and may not even be overweight. You are really close to healthy weight / goal weight. 3 lbs over a couple months is perfectly normal in that scenario. Adjust your expectations.

    Actually, at 180 and 5'7 she's well into the overweight category. Normal bmi starts at 159 for 5'7
  • dolliesdaughter
    dolliesdaughter Posts: 544 Member
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    I hope you didn't purchase a super small wedding dress.
  • andrasita30
    andrasita30 Posts: 24 Member
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    Ok so I am gettin married in two months and have been restarting a diet for months now. I'm not big, just a bit chubby, so I only want to loose like 15 lbs. I can't seem to stay on track though because I'm constantly around food and soda. I have been eating a lot healthier and have tried to stick to water. I tend to get really hangry tho and get mad super quick if I'm hungry or need sugar. So I end up drinking a coke zero. I seem to never have time to work out, or if I do I'm too tired from being on my feet all day. I would think by the amount of calories I burn and how much I sweat at work would suffice fir me too loose weight but I am still stuck. I think the most I have lostt is 3 lbs within the last couple months. What should I do?!

    Drinking diet sodas will make you feel hungry. Drink a lot of water and do intermittent fasting. Try with an 8 hour eating window when you can eat what you want HEALTHY FOOD THOUGH and fast for 16 hours. Bare in mind that often when you feel hungry you really are thirsty. So drink a lot of water be on a calorie deficit and the fat will melt off of you. You are looking to lose around 2-3 lbs a week
  • pootle1972
    pootle1972 Posts: 579 Member
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    Before losing weight ask if your dress can be taken in and how much it can be taken in.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    I don't think she's been back since the 'get a time machine' advice.
  • misskarne
    misskarne Posts: 1,767 Member
    edited February 2016
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    Drinking diet sodas will make you feel hungry.

    No, they won't.

    Intermittent fasting can work for some. It's not a requirement.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,725 Member
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    I don't think she's been back since the 'get a time machine' advice.

    She made the post about what she felt was making better food choices
  • myheartsabattleground
    myheartsabattleground Posts: 2,040 Member
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    I don't think she's been back since the 'get a time machine' advice.

    Nope, just been busy :)