Never losing

grandpoobah12

I have used MFP for 3 years. I haven`t lost any weight using it. I heard all the advice, measure, don`t eat exercise cal., eat exercise cal. Be very exacting , make sure you eat at your bmr at least. Eat more than your bmr. I tried them all. Make sure you do it for six to 8 weeks to make sure. Plateau, you know the drill.

Except a plateau is when you have lost some weight and now your weight is stagnant. Is is a plateau if you haven`t lost any at all?
Have tried eating at 900 cal per day. 3 weeks lost about 1 lb in 3 weeks.

Last 5 weeks at at around 1500 cal per day.
stats
5'8"
181lbs
goal weight 160 (want to lose 20 lbs)
body fat 26%

Activity level medium to active medium exercise 3-5 days a week. sometimes more.

Fat2Fit reccomendation 2300 cal per day to weigh 160.

Omron activity calculator stats worn like a fitbit.
avg cal burned per day 2870 taken over a period of a week.
20% cut would be about 2300.

so If I eat about 1600 weekdays and about 2000 weekends. Why don`t I lose? I eat too little? sounds ridiculous when I look at friends diaries and they net about 1000 every day. They lose weight. I never do. I tried metabolism reset for 3 weeks but gained weight and freaked out and quit going back to my 1500-2000 pattern of eating. I don`t eat out much and cook a lot of vegetables. I eat healthy darn it. There isn`t much more I can change about my lifestyle. Do I have to accept that I will be flabby for ever? I exercise a lot! How do I get this paunch off??

_Zardoz_

If your being accurate with your food amounts and weighing everything and counting everything that is passing your lips ( and I mean everything). I would suggest a trip to the doctors to get a check up.

luziferl

id get a check up if i were you..


i have a pretty hard time losing weight, too... but not loosing for 3 years seems really strange.

shaunap3

Have you talked with your doctor about this? I gained 40lb in a year and had a really, REALLY hard time losing. After some blood work I found out I had a slight thyroid issue. Nothing serious, but enough to make losing weight and staying awake and lively difficult. On a whole other note have you tried anything like the blood type diet? It's something new I heard about recently. My A&P teacher, plus a few people on this website, were telling me some amazing transformation/life saving stories thanks to it. I'm a huge skeptic, but if I can find out my blood type I was thinking about looking into it. Good luck!

mazdauk

First step is to get yourself checked out by your doctor. Tell them about your weight battle and what you have tried. If the tests come back blank, here's what has worked for me so far.

1. Set goals to lose 1lb a week set at sedentary.
2. Log and eat back exercise calories, but be honest with yourself - are you really walking 4mph or are you just tired and sweaty from walking 2.5mph because you are out of shape? If you are not sure then get yourself a HRM OR go by MFP calories BUT select the lowest level of the activity (for example low impact aerobics instead of aerobics, general)
3. Weigh and log food - all food, every square of chocolate, every "spare" potato left in the dish, everything.

After 4 months of this MFP reset my calories to 1210, so I upped them to 1400 because I found it just too low. I have continued to lose weight at that level, still set a t sedentary but eating back calories. I still enjoy cheese, wine, chocolate - just not so much of them.

You can do this!

grandpoobah12

I do Jillian Michaels ripped in 30 twice a week. I log everything! I bike more than 6 miles twice a week. I snowboard in the winter every weekend. I surf and go to the beach every weekend in the summer. I teach little kids and jump and dance all day long. If the fit bit says I burn 3000 cal a day. I could eat just about anything and lose weight couldn`t I?

Unfortunately, I live in Japan. Visiting a doctor would be problematic. There will be a pretty difficult language barrier, and could it really be that? I am 20 lbs overweight. I am in good shape under the layer of fat. When I push on it the underneath is hard. People are very practical here, let`s be real I want to lose vanity weight, or fat. I look fine for my age, just very squishy.

I did lose 50 lbs in 2 months by eating 500 cal a day three years ago. I gained back 30 in 6 months after. I looked like a piece of beef jerky. I worked on getting my muscle back since then. I won`t starve myself again. Especially since it doesn`t work this time. Even starving I lose very little.

I should be so thin. But 3 years later. I am not, I am still 20 lbs overweight.

grandpoobah12

How tall are you? 1400 is under my bmr. That is how much to eat if I am in a coma. My rmr is 1700. that`s how much I need to sit around and digest food.

cbuggy75

Wow, I totally understand your frustration. To bad you cannot see a doctor because it sounds like maybe you need to have some bloodwork done.

nomeejerome

I do Jillian Michaels ripped in 30 twice a week. I log everything! I bike more than 6 miles twice a week. I snowboard in the winter every weekend. I surf and go to the beach every weekend in the summer. I teach little kids and jump and dance all day long. If the fit bit says I burn 3000 cal a day. I could eat just about anything and lose weight couldn`t I?

Unfortunately, I live in Japan. Visiting a doctor would be problematic. There will be a pretty difficult language barrier, and could it really be that? I am 20 lbs overweight. I am in good shape under the layer of fat. When I push on it the underneath is hard. People are very practical here, let`s be real I want to lose vanity weight, or fat. I look fine for my age, just very squishy.

I did lose 50 lbs in 2 months by eating 500 cal a day three years ago. I gained back 30 in 6 months after. I looked like a piece of beef jerky. I worked on getting my muscle back since then. I won`t starve myself again. Especially since it doesn`t work this time. Even starving I lose very little.

I should be so thin. But 3 years later. I am not, I am still 20 lbs overweight.

To be real.....when would you be able to see a doctor?

mazdauk

Would there really be a barrier? Why not ask your embassy for details of a Doctor who speaks English - there must be some or what would happen to all the daft tourists who need patching up?

If the fitbit says you burn 3000 calories a day, sure you can eat anything and lose weight - as long as its 2,500 calories'-worth a day. If you eat 3000 calories you'll stay the same. If you eat more you'll put weight on.100 cals surplus a day puts on 1lb in a month - so if you burn 3000 calories a day but add a 2-finger kitkat you'll put on 1lb in a month.

I read the other day the average Brit eats 3,450 cals a day and the average American 3,750. If that is average, once you take off all the poeple restricting their calories for whatever reason there's a whole lot more eating twice that!

ETA your diary and activity are both closed, so I can't comment on your food and exercise. Are you really logging everything - food AND exercise - all the time? Have you set up your profile to lose around 1lb a week? If any of your iinputted info is inaccurate then it will affect your progress.

grandpoobah12

I saw a doctor about it here once. He told me I should eat more cabbage. That is what made me go on such a strict diet. Really, people here do not worry about these things. I have a sneaking suspicion that absolutely nothing is wrong with me any way. Trying to find a way to fit in a doctor`s appt or appointments sounds like just another wild goose chase. Especially to lose 20 lbs. Which for a 38 yr old woman is de riguer. I live in Japan.

Practical people will laugh at me. And they have that is why my diary is closed. I appreciate your comments. Possibly it is a kit kat or two. 100 cal extra a day will make me gain weight? Isn`t a lb 3500 calories? I guess if I do it for 35 days straight then it would. I am really sure that it isn`t that.

Since I have been using calorie counting for 3 years I think I have a good idea of how much is in what I eat. If anything, I am exact. Finding out the difference between gross cal and net cal for exercise might help. Maybe the inflated exercise cal is defeating me. Even still, I should have lost more. Your calls to go to the doctor are not going unheard. But maybe I am being a little too selfish in obsessing over this. I do have kids, and a husband and work that all need my attention.

what kind of blood work do you ask for? Is there a word for it. I wouldn`t know what to say at the doctors. I need blood tests, for what? I think it would be a very unusual request here, but since I have never asked I don`t know.

I am due for my check up any way. thanks to nationalized health care is very low cost. Maybe I could ask for a blood test in there.
Please someone tell me, what would the doctor be looking for?
aren`t I just fat. ?

mazdauk

No-one is "just" fat. If you are not eating more calories tha you are expending, then you might have a hormone or thyroid imbalance - that is what you should ask your Dr about at your appointment. At 38 you might also be heading for an early menopause, which could also have an impact. (It happened to a friend of mine - she was never particularly bothered about food and suddenly piled on 3 stone).

grandpoobah12

I haven`t gained any weight recently, but was really wondering about the starvation mode ideas on this site. Some say it`s bollocks. Some say it`s real.

I took a thyroid questionnaire on line. It doesn`t look like I would have the disease but I`m sure a blood test will be more conclusive. I will do that soon.

Until then what do you think about starvation mode? If I burn 3000 cal a day with fit bit. I eat 1600 a day for 3 years. My deficit is too big. If I try for 2000 daily will I start to lose? Right now I am upping slowly and averaging about 1800 per day.

ladynocturne

I did lose 50 lbs in 2 months by eating 500 cal a day three years ago. I gained back 30 in 6 months after. I looked like a piece of beef jerky. I worked on getting my muscle back since then. I won`t starve myself again. Especially since it doesn`t work this time. Even starving I lose very little.

I should be so thin. But 3 years later. I am not, I am still 20 lbs overweight.

This can cause quite a lot of metabolic damage, and if you're been still trying to diet all this time, it never got the chance to repair. I think it could possibly explain a lot of what's going on here.

grandpoobah12

So upping my calories is the only way to go I guess...

Gee45

I upped my calories to 2000 and made sure my protein was 100g and lost 2.5 this past week after being plateaued pretty much since I started at the beginning of June. I"m 5'3ish, 47 and 157.5 lbs. We'll see how the next week goes but it's making me a believer of the whole, you can eat too low thing.

Ge0rgiana

I found $70 to get my RMR tested to be money well spent. You breathe into a machine for 10 minutes. Sometimes when you have this much problem it's best to have a real number to work with. The nutritionist dietician whatever he was guy gave me basic calorie ranges for weight loss, maintenance, and gain. Very useful.

Pixi_Rex

Are you sure you are moderatly active?

I know sounds like a stupid question right? well I thought i was moderatly active until yesterday. I just got a body media fit and actually learned that I am quite sedentary. And by quite sedentary I mean.... VERY.

Granted yesterday was not an exercise day (well it was supposed to be the police wouldn't let me into the park I use for my work outs for some reason) but I work in a metal shop and figured I was fairly active in my job. Yesterday was a busier day for me and I was still well below the activity level I thought was normal for the day.

Commander_Keen

My advice, since you can not see a doctor is this.
Eat 1500 calories, and do Insanity, instead of JM.
Start to run and not bike.
Try to figure out how to burn 1000 calories though the entire day. (morning, afternoon, night)
See if that helps... It wont help over night, but after a week or two

issyfit

I looked at your diary and most of your entries are quick added calories only. It might be helpful if you were aware of the breakdown of marcros and also sugar. Quick added also often means you are guessing and not as accurate. Maybe try entering each food. I know I always stall if my carbs are too high even if my calories are ok. Personally I have to keep carbs around 100g/day in order to lose.

SanteMulberry

You didn't mention whether or not you are lifting weights. Weight-lifting heavy weights does an incredible amount of calorie burning. (It isn't so much the lifting itself as the calorie used in repairing and strengthening your muscles). I don't lift heavy yet (I have arthritis and I am being very cautious). But even the body weight workouts (which are pretty safe) I do and my lifting of 7 pound dumbbells has done a LOT to help correct some of the flab and to burn more calories. Have been on this routine for about four months now, and even though I've only lost 8 pounds during that time, my body fat has continued to drop--my tummy bulge continues to shrink. It has obviously boosted my metabolism. I actually get hungry now--on more calories than I was eating when I was just maintaining before. Oh--and I am hypothyroid, but that has been improving since I started lifting weights. I have had a reduction in my thyroid medication and I may be able to eliminate it entirely one day.

Another thing you might want to look at is the amount of carbohydrates you are eating. As you get older, your body becomes less efficient at burning carbohydrates for energy and more efficient at storing them as fat. :frown: Carbohydrates that are high on the glycemic index (like white flour, sugar and white rice) boost blood sugar higher and faster than other carbohydrates (like vegetables and fruits). High blood sugar promotes fat gain (among other undesirable effects). I don't eat very low carb but I do eat lower carb. Most days, I eat around 100 grams of carb--sometimes less, sometimes a bit more (on my cardio days). I never eat more than 120 grams of carb in a day. I find that if I eat 150 grams or more, I will gain body fat, no matter how few calories I eat (it makes some sense bio-chemically but too long to go into here).

I only do two days of cardio a week. It can be self-defeating to do too much cardio (again, too long to go into here but you can look up "body composition" and it will give you some answers). I hope I will eventually lift three days a week with 25-pound dumbbells, but since I am 65 (and arthritic), I have to be careful about pushing the weight-lifting too fast. The older you are, the more recovery time you need. Some experts say that no one should lift more than three days a week and that if you are older, you may not even be able to get to lifting three times a week (many older people need more than 48 hours of recovery time.) Hope this has been helpful. Good luck.

mabelbabel1

I do Jillian Michaels ripped in 30 twice a week. I log everything! I bike more than 6 miles twice a week. I snowboard in the winter every weekend. I surf and go to the beach every weekend in the summer. I teach little kids and jump and dance all day long. If the fit bit says I burn 3000 cal a day. I could eat just about anything and lose weight couldn`t I?

If your Fitbit says you burn 3000 cals a day and you only have 20lbs to lose I would suggest your deficit is too great.
You're very active and Fitbit probably doesn't account for all the varied activities you do so you'd be better off with a much less aggressive cut of not more than 500 cals a day max.

grandpoobah12

My advice, since you can not see a doctor is this.
Eat 1500 calories, and do Insanity, instead of JM.
Start to run and not bike.
Try to figure out how to burn 1000 calories though the entire day. (morning, afternoon, night)
See if that helps... It wont help over night, but after a week or two

I burn 1000-1200 a day every day according to fit bit. I`ve been eating around 1500 for 3 years and lost nothing. I don`t think it makes a difference which exercise I do as long as I do it. I ran couch to 10k training during the winter. I am dedicated! I actually like exercise. It`s 105 here now. I won`t be running. I think it is heroic that I continue to bike outside.

mmouse90

I stopped listening to what the devices say I was losing and trying to calculate my calories from that. The devices were not calculating it correctly. It took me a bit to play around with it and weighing myself everyday to see what was actually working. I have also been hooked up to a machine to calculate my RMR accurately (using calculators on websites always say I am burning more than what I really am), I eat just under that number to get my weight to come down. I lost 5lbs in 10 days doing it that way other wise I don't lose. Medications can also be a problem like birth control tends to cause a girl to gain weight. I would have the doctor run blood test to see if your thyroid is acting wrong, if you are B12 or Vitamin deficit as well as that has been known to cause weight issues too.

grandpoobah12

Are you sure you are moderatly active?

I know sounds like a stupid question right? well I thought i was moderatly active until yesterday. I just got a body media fit and actually learned that I am quite sedentary. And by quite sedentary I mean.... VERY.

Granted yesterday was not an exercise day (well it was supposed to be the police wouldn't let me into the park I use for my work outs for some reason) but I work in a metal shop and figured I was fairly active in my job. Yesterday was a busier day for me and I was still well below the activity level I thought was normal for the day.

I have a fit bit. I exercise with purpose 4 days a week. This means 30 or 40 min of dedicated something. Aerobics video or bicycling using gps app. so i know how far I`ve gone, or jogging and walking. I also do body weight exercise like planks, push ups and squats 5 days a week. The aerobics videos I like to do are circut training type videos. These too have weight bearing exercises. Hike, surf or snowboard on the weekends with family. Fit bit claims I exercise 1000 cal per day with all my activity. What gives huh?

grandpoobah12

You didn't mention whether or not you are lifting weights. Weight-lifting heavy weights does an incredible amount of calorie burning. (It isn't so much the lifting itself as the calorie used in repairing and strengthening your muscles). I don't lift heavy yet (I have arthritis and I am being very cautious). But even the body weight workouts (which are pretty safe) I do and my lifting of 7 pound dumbbells has done a LOT to help correct some of the flab and to burn more calories. Have been on this routine for about four months now, and even though I've only lost 8 pounds during that time, my body fat has continued to drop--my tummy bulge continues to shrink. It has obviously boosted my metabolism. I actually get hungry now--on more calories than I was eating when I was just maintaining before. Oh--and I am hypothyroid, but that has been improving since I started lifting weights. I have had a reduction in my thyroid medication and I may be able to eliminate it entirely one day.

Another thing you might want to look at is the amount of carbohydrates you are eating. As you get older, your body becomes less efficient at burning carbohydrates for energy and more efficient at storing them as fat. :frown: Carbohydrates that are high on the glycemic index (like white flour, sugar and white rice) boost blood sugar higher and faster than other carbohydrates (like vegetables and fruits). High blood sugar promotes fat gain (among other undesirable effects). I don't eat very low carb but I do eat lower carb. Most days, I eat around 100 grams of carb--sometimes less, sometimes a bit more (on my cardio days). I never eat more than 120 grams of carb in a day. I find that if I eat 150 grams or more, I will gain body fat, no matter how few calories I eat (it makes some sense bio-chemically but too long to go into here).

I only do two days of cardio a week. It can be self-defeating to do too much cardio (again, too long to go into here but you can look up "body composition" and it will give you some answers). I hope I will eventually lift three days a week with 25-pound dumbbells, but since I am 65 (and arthritic), I have to be careful about pushing the weight-lifting too fast. The older you are, the more recovery time you need. Some experts say that no one should lift more than three days a week and that if you are older, you may not even be able to get to lifting three times a week (many older people need more than 48 hours of recovery time.) Hope this has been helpful. Good luck.

Jillian Michaels ripped in 30 is a strength training circut using weights. I did go the bodybuilding route last year. No loss with low cardio high lifting either. Upped my protein and gained some weight. When I went back to what I like , a more normal diet and more cardio .a few months later the lbs came off and I was right back at a big fat 0 lbs lost. I`m beginning to think I should be very pleased just that I haven`t gained weight in the 3 years.

SanteMulberry

You didn't mention whether or not you are lifting weights. Weight-lifting heavy weights does an incredible amount of calorie burning. (It isn't so much the lifting itself as the calorie used in repairing and strengthening your muscles). I don't lift heavy yet (I have arthritis and I am being very cautious). But even the body weight workouts (which are pretty safe) I do and my lifting of 7 pound dumbbells has done a LOT to help correct some of the flab and to burn more calories. Have been on this routine for about four months now, and even though I've only lost 8 pounds during that time, my body fat has continued to drop--my tummy bulge continues to shrink. It has obviously boosted my metabolism. I actually get hungry now--on more calories than I was eating when I was just maintaining before. Oh--and I am hypothyroid, but that has been improving since I started lifting weights. I have had a reduction in my thyroid medication and I may be able to eliminate it entirely one day.

Another thing you might want to look at is the amount of carbohydrates you are eating. As you get older, your body becomes less efficient at burning carbohydrates for energy and more efficient at storing them as fat. :frown: Carbohydrates that are high on the glycemic index (like white flour, sugar and white rice) boost blood sugar higher and faster than other carbohydrates (like vegetables and fruits). High blood sugar promotes fat gain (among other undesirable effects). I don't eat very low carb but I do eat lower carb. Most days, I eat around 100 grams of carb--sometimes less, sometimes a bit more (on my cardio days). I never eat more than 120 grams of carb in a day. I find that if I eat 150 grams or more, I will gain body fat, no matter how few calories I eat (it makes some sense bio-chemically but too long to go into here).

I only do two days of cardio a week. It can be self-defeating to do too much cardio (again, too long to go into here but you can look up "body composition" and it will give you some answers). I hope I will eventually lift three days a week with 25-pound dumbbells, but since I am 65 (and arthritic), I have to be careful about pushing the weight-lifting too fast. The older you are, the more recovery time you need. Some experts say that no one should lift more than three days a week and that if you are older, you may not even be able to get to lifting three times a week (many older people need more than 48 hours of recovery time.) Hope this has been helpful. Good luck.

Jillian Michaels ripped in 30 is a strength training circut using weights. I did go the bodybuilding route last year. No loss with low cardio high lifting either. Upped my protein and gained some weight. When I went back to what I like , a more normal diet and more cardio .a few months later the lbs came off and I was right back at a big fat 0 lbs lost. I`m beginning to think I should be very pleased just that I haven`t gained weight in the 3 years.

If you've done all that, it sounds like a metabolism problem. A lot of people here pay for a "resting metabolic rate" to be done (usually $70 to $100, I'm told). Did you say that you've had your mineral levels checked? A magnesium deficiency can stop fat burning. A sufficient quantity of magnesium ions in the blood are essential to the conversion of T-4 to T-3 (thyroxine to the more active form of the hormone). It is also essential for the transport of ATP to the muscles. Good luck.