Trying to find what works for my body

channing2610

I've been down this weight lost trail so many times. I usually get discouraged when I don't see results and stop. I have never lost no more than 6 lbs....After working so hard it's like my body stops....So I am back at it again. I am 239 lbs, 5'3, 40 years old. I've been told that my metabolism is slow....I find that working out in the morning works for me..I give me energy. I am exploring different goods, different ways of eating and cooking. Taste is important to me..Lol. no fast-food or fried foods.
I am working on increasing my water intake as well.
Any more suggestions? Please I welcome them.

misskarne

Calories. Buy a food scale, weigh and log everything you eat, and stick to MFP's calorie goal.

MelanieCN77

Just to log everything no matter what, be patient, and be active here on the forums. Don't fall for any shake or juice weirdness. It's gonna take time, settle in. Having somewhere to come visit every day where like minded people are working on the same things really helps.

chern123

Increasing water is not necessarily a good thing since it can add weight. Drink water only when you are thirsty, but ONLY water. Avoid soda and juices which have a ton of sugar in them.

dragon_girl26

channing2610 wrote: »

I've been down this weight lost trail so many times. I usually get discouraged when I don't see results and stop. I have never lost no more than 6 lbs....After working so hard it's like my body stops....So I am back at it again. I am 239 lbs, 5'3, 40 years old. I've been told that my metabolism is slow....I find that working out in the morning works for me..I give me energy. I am exploring different goods, different ways of eating and cooking. Taste is important to me..Lol. no fast-food or fried foods.
I am working on increasing my water intake as well.
Any more suggestions? Please I welcome them.

Me too! One thing I told myself a long time ago was that I wasn't going to eat nasty things just to lose weight. No cauliflower substitute whatever or fat free ranch type of things. Blech.
Although, I had a diet pretty high in fried foods, and didn't even realize I'd kicked that habit for awhile because of all of the new things I was learning to make. I just preferred roasted vegetables over french fries, it seems.
I'll never give up DQ ice cream, though..haha!
Anyway, it sounds like your plan is similar...good for you for being open and trying new things! So many times everyone cones in looking to cut out "bad" things rather than increase their variety of foods.
My advice: log everything you eat, even sauces and cooking oils. A food scale can be your best friend. I love mine so much I even bought one to keep at my desk at work!
Be patient and learn to forgive yourself. Good health is a lifelong process. Don't expect to lose it all in a day. You're going to have trip ups along the way..don't let them be a reason for you to give up. You are human and won't always be perfect.

mamadon

misskarne wrote: »

Calories. Buy a food scale, weigh and log everything you eat, and stick to MFP's calorie goal.

This. That's all you need to do.

dragon_girl26

chern123 wrote: »

Increasing water is not necessarily a good thing since it can add weight. Drink water only when you are thirsty, but ONLY water. Avoid soda and juices which have a ton of sugar in them.

Yes..it will add weight, but only temporarily, and not fat weight. Not a good reason not to drink water, though. After all, anything you put into your body adds weight temporarily, such as meals. This is why people who weigh daily are usually advised to weigh only once, at the same time and under the same conditions (clothing or not, eaten or not, etc..) each day. Body weight fluctuates throughout the day naturally as it is.
Also, nothing wrong with soda or juice if they fit into your calories and you want them, OP. Some people prefer to eat their calories rather than drink them. Personally, I gotta have my wine sometimes! I get tired of water all the time.

BecomingMoreAwesome

For me, the two biggest breakthroughs (in addition to weighing and logging my food!) have been taking it much slower than I thought I "should," and not trying to be perfect all of the time. I'm 5'3" and started at 202 pounds. I've lost 33 pounds since December 2015, with another 30+ to go. I haven't lost as quickly as many others have, but I'm working at the right pace for me, which is a 250 cal/day deficit. When I aim for more, I feel too restricted and start worrying too much about what I can have when, and I end up binging. And I don't stress about being perfect anymore. Trying to be perfect is what kept me at 193-202 for 15 years. Giving up on perfect has me merely overweight instead of obese for the first time as an adult.

kommodevaran

Stop listening to woo. Your metabolism is fine. There is nothing special with your body. You struggle with losing weight because you give up too soon. You give up too soon because you 1) do too much, and 2) expect to see instant results.

Stop working so hard.
Instead, just do what it takes, and be patient.
What it takes, is a consistent calorie deficit.

Taste is important to most of us. If you miss something that you're surrounded with, you won't last long. Have fast food/fried food now and then. Not all the time, and not in excessive amounts. But no foods "hinder weight loss". Only not sticking to calorie deficit hinders weight loss.

CattOfTheGarage

It is possible you are over-restricting and trying to eat too little, which may feel fine for a while but ends up making you hungry, frustrated and inclined to binge and/or give up entirely. This is often the problem for people who repeatedly try to lose weight and can't stick to it.

Enter your height, weight, age and activity level in myfitnesspal and set it to lose 1lb a week. See how many calories it gives you. It may seem like a lot, but if you stick to that plan, you will be more satisfied and more likely to be able to stick to it long term.

callsitlikeiseeit

its not what you eat, its how much.

buy a food scale. learn how to weigh and log your foods accurately.

be consistent. be patient.

trigden1991

callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »

its not what you eat, its how much.

buy a food scale. learn how to weigh and log your foods accurately.

be consistent. be patient.

All of this. Create a calorie deficit and you'll lose weight. No amount of gym sessions, restricting certain foods or cardio will work if you're not in a deficit.

bluecrush84

Slow and steady wins the race. It took me years of yoyo dieting to get it. If you look for fast results you set yourself up for failure. Count your calories, don't starve yourself, and drink plenty of water. Find ways to de-stress. And change the way you look at the process. Losing weight should not be torture. You should gradually ease your way into changing your diet and lifestyle. And pick exercises you can do without having to force your self. Walking is great as well as yoga, dance, weight training, etc. pick and portion control the foods you like. And pick the exercises you like and take your time caring for yourself.

TimothyFish

It is rare for someone to have a slow metabolism, but whether you have a slow metabolism or not, your metabolism doesn't determine how much you weigh. The rate of metabolism has no impact on the number of calories you burn.

The number of calories you burn is primary impacted by your activity level. The more active you are the more calories you burn. The number of calories you consume is impacted by what you choose to put in your mouth. Weight loss occurs when you put fewer calories in your mouth than you burn.

channing2610

dragon_girl26 wrote: »

channing2610 wrote: »

I've been down this weight lost trail so many times. I usually get discouraged when I don't see results and stop. I have never lost no more than 6 lbs....After working so hard it's like my body stops....So I am back at it again. I am 239 lbs, 5'3, 40 years old. I've been told that my metabolism is slow....I find that working out in the morning works for me..I give me energy. I am exploring different goods, different ways of eating and cooking. Taste is important to me..Lol. no fast-food or fried foods.
I am working on increasing my water intake as well.
Any more suggestions? Please I welcome them.

Me too! One thing I told myself a long time ago was that I wasn't going to eat nasty things just to lose weight. No cauliflower substitute whatever or fat free ranch type of things. Blech.
Although, I had a diet pretty high in fried foods, and didn't even realize I'd kicked that habit for awhile because of all of the new things I was learning to make. I just preferred roasted vegetables over french fries, it seems.
I'll never give up DQ ice cream, though..haha!
Anyway, it sounds like your plan is similar...good for you for being open and trying new things! So many times everyone cones in looking to cut out "bad" things rather than increase their variety of foods.
My advice: log everything you eat, even sauces and cooking oils. A food scale can be your best friend. I love mine so much I even bought one to keep at my desk at work!
Be patient and learn to forgive yourself. Good health is a lifelong process. Don't expect to lose it all in a day. You're going to have trip ups along the way..don't let them be a reason for you to give up. You are human and won't always be perfect.

Thank you. I have a good scale and using it more too

channing2610

Thank you...I have a good scale and using it more too

channing2610

Thank u all. One thing I am hearing is be consistent......Which I am guilty..I haven't been.
You hear so much of drink water water water....
And don't do too much..Just be patient..
OK..Im on it..
I'll check back in later on...lol

SCoil123

Defintely count your calories and be patient.

As for water I drink a ton and it doesnt make me gain weight. It clears up my skin, helps with digestions, and actually decreases bloat and excess water retention to drink enough water. I drink close to 82oz a day and track my water intake with an app. It has helped me

NancyYale

Don't rely on motivation. Just decide that quitting isn't an option. That's really all it takes.