Please help me....In desperate need of expert advice
sunshine12870
Posts: 92 Member
I'm a woman who is always happy to help and give support but very rarely ask for help myself, we are all busy people with busy days and sometimes it can be a struggle just to keep ourselves going never mind picking someone like me up , but......
I'm struggling to keep my chin up today and to keep going. The saying hitting my head off a brick wall and going round in circles and getting nowhere fast springs to mind.
I've gave 100% for some time now (more than I ever have in the past) and worked bloody hard at this .
I took over my kids paper rounds, which is very long and very hard, I also walk every single day no matter what the weather, I do it even tho I'm in a great deal of constant pain, and I even done it when I was in agony with toothache (proud of myself for that).
My calories I've kept a close watch on and are good, apart from the very occasional day, and I do mean very occasional.
Yet......
My weight isn't dropping....it's actually going up
I'm struggling to keep my chin up today and to keep going. The saying hitting my head off a brick wall and going round in circles and getting nowhere fast springs to mind.
I've gave 100% for some time now (more than I ever have in the past) and worked bloody hard at this .
I took over my kids paper rounds, which is very long and very hard, I also walk every single day no matter what the weather, I do it even tho I'm in a great deal of constant pain, and I even done it when I was in agony with toothache (proud of myself for that).
My calories I've kept a close watch on and are good, apart from the very occasional day, and I do mean very occasional.
Yet......
My weight isn't dropping....it's actually going up
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Replies
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sunshine12870 wrote: »I'm a woman who is always happy to help and give support but very rarely ask for help myself, we are all busy people with busy days and sometimes it can be a struggle just to keep ourselves going never mind picking someone like me up , but......
I'm struggling to keep my chin up today and to keep going. The saying hitting my head off a brick wall and going round in circles and getting nowhere fast springs to mind.
I've gave 100% for some time now (more than I ever have in the past) and worked bloody hard at this .
I took over my kids paper rounds, which is very long and very hard, I also walk every single day no matter what the weather, I do it even tho I'm in a great deal of constant pain, and I even done it when I was in agony with toothache (proud of myself for that).
My calories I've kept a close watch on and are good, apart from the very occasional day, and I do mean very occasional.
Yet......
My weight isn't dropping....it's actually going up- Are you logging all of your food and logging it accurately?
- Is it possible you're over-estimating what you're burning from exercise?
- Have you filled in your MFP profile accurately?
- Have you been logging consistently for over a month?
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Are you weighing your food, eyeballing portion sizes, or using measuring cups? Everyone here (including me) strongly advocates using a food scale to log exact portion sizes.
If you are logging food correctly, there may be a metabolic issue, meaning it's time to visit the doctor and have a chat.8 -
Regardless, we ARE with you. You're not alone.20
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Well I'm no expert but from what I've read you should be weighing and measuring whatever you eat or drink including any condiments. Perhaps you are eating more than you actually think. I know from that is easy to do. Now that I am getting closer to my goal weight I am finding it more difficult. There have been times I've eaten the same thing over and over and I say well thats one cup, I know it, but guess what if I measure it I'm always over. So I know I have to be an accurate weigher of foods. Maybe try changing your diet some by that I mean changing what you eat. I tend to eat the same things so when I have a week of not losing I change my plan for a few days and that seems to help. You are doing this so don't give up on yourself it sounds like you are working very hard.2
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You sound very stressed
No one here would advise struggling through constant pain and a toothache (ouch!) That's not really doing your long term health any favors. Do you know the cause of your chronic pain? My advice would be to give the paper route back to the kids and visit with your doctor. You should be able to come up with an activity plan that suits your individual needs and won't leave you in constant pain. 13 -
Yes log all my food every single thing that passes my lips, everything is counted measured weighed etc on food scales to exact gram etc. Can't be over estimating what I'm burning in a day as I go from my FitBit which tells me exactly what I have at end of each day. Profile is accurate and logged everything consistently for over 5 months now.
The thing is not knowing if I'm taking in the correct amount of calories..is it to little...too much. So frustrated right now0 -
My fitbit actually overestimates by TDEE by roughly 300-400 calories/day (from what I gathered from my collected weight loss data) and I haven't figured out how to tweak it to make it more accurate. That's quite a bit over half my deficit wiped out through the calories adjustment. If on top of that I was sloppy with logging, it means no weight lost or even a weight gain.
I actually disconnected my FitBit (even though I love it and its reminders to get off my lazy *kitten*) and went back to manually logging the exercise calories using extremely conservatives values and I'm losing weight again. The HR reading don't correlate to calories burn very well for me. I'd probably need to do a stress-test to get better data, but those are bloody expensive around here.
I'm not saying this is what's causing you problems, but I would take those values with a grain of salt. Maybe start leaving some of the adjustment calories each day (100-200 for starters) and then readjust in a few weeks if it still doesn't give you the results you want.8 -
You sound very stressed No one here would advise struggling through constant pain and a toothache (ouch!) That's not really doing your long term health any favors. Do you know the cause of your chronic pain? My advice would be to give the paper route back to the kids and visit with your doctor. You should be able to come up with an activity plan that suits your individual needs and won't leave you in constant pain.
I'm not usually stressed but this has clearly got to me this time.
The pain is a mixture....partly foot pain...had 7 surgeries on my left foot few years back to try and correct some bone issues and to relieve me of pain when walking, sadly surgery failed and has caused me more pain, so can't stand or walk without pain now, but just have to get on with it as nothing else can be done, so I have no choice but to struggle through the pain as sitting doing nothing is not an option.
The other....comes from a severe B12 deficiency and D deficiency which has quite a lot of effects on the body some of which are lethargy, aches, pains, weakness in bones/joints etc, can be a real struggle at times.1 -
If you, after enough time to get sufficient reliable data points, are losing at the expected rate, you are eating the correct amount of calories. If you aren't losing weight (really not losing, not just can't see it yet), you are eating at maintenance. It's really that simple.
Don't suffer unnecessarily. Get necessary painkillers/treatment. Exercise without exhausting yourself. Don't undereat and then waste your effort on uncontrolled splurges. Eat good food every day, enough food, but not too much.8 -
Make your diary public so we can take a look and see if we can find any problems there. Have you lost weight already since you started? Have you readjusted your calorie goal as you have lost weight? It is recommended to readjust your calories every 5-10kgs , as your caloric needs are lower at a lower weight.
Don't exercise if you can't.All you need is to watch your intake.3 -
ladyreva78 wrote: »My fitbit actually overestimates by TDEE by roughly 300-400 calories/day (from what I gathered from my collected weight loss data) and I haven't figured out how to tweak it to make it more accurate. That's quite a bit over half my deficit wiped out through the calories adjustment. If on top of that I was sloppy with logging, it means no weight lost or even a weight gain.
I actually disconnected my FitBit (even though I love it and its reminders to get off my lazy *kitten*) and went back to manually logging the exercise calories using extremely conservatives values and I'm losing weight again. The HR reading don't correlate to calories burn very well for me. I'd probably need to do a stress-test to get better data, but those are bloody expensive around here.
I'm not saying this is what's causing you problems, but I would take those values with a grain of salt. Maybe start leaving some of the adjustment calories each day (100-200 for starters) and then readjust in a few weeks if it still doesn't give you the results you want.
I second this. In my case, my Fitbit underestimates my TDEE which causes me to have a couple of 4000 calorie days per month due to insatiable hunger. Fitbits can be accurate but can also be inaccurate for many people.2 -
Yes it could be that fitbit is over estimating. Which is why I don't eat back the calories burnt. I'm not all that active so whatever I can manage to burn off can just go toward my weight loss.0
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I think the first thing to do is to try and ease off on that stress. It doesn't need to be this hard. You need to work out an eating and exercise schedule that actually fits your lifestyle and doesn't make you feel like you're killing yourself. So sit down and work out when you could exercise that you would actually enjoy it, and adjust your calories to match the amount of exercise you are actually comfortable doing. I'd give your kids their paper rounds back for a start.
Then maybe try a different method of counting your calories burned in case the fitbit is at fault. If you've been careful about measuring your food intake then an error in estimating the calories burned does seem like quite a likely answer.
Breathe! By sticking to a plan for 5 months you have shown you are really committed to this, so all that's needed is to make some adjustments and you'll be up and running.4 -
Everyone seems to be giving relevant advice, so I really have nothing to add. I did have a couple of questions, with permission:
1. How come you're doing your kid's paper route?
2. Would biking be easier on your foot?5 -
I dont see your stats listed and how much your eating ,, just that your counting . That would be a good starting point . Im No pro ,, but if you have stayed the same for 5 months it kind of tells us ..
good luck0 -
Everyone seems to be giving relevant advice, so I really have nothing to add. I did have a couple of questions, with permission:
1. How come you're doing your kid's paper route?
2. Would biking be easier on your foot?
The kids have had their papers rpunds since they were 14, but they are now 17 (almost 18) and 16, one is in her 2nd year at sixth form the other finishing his first year at college, they have grew out of them so to speak, feel they are grown up now lol, and moved on to other things, so were about to give them up.
I thought....I will take it over, it gets me out and about in the fresh air, walking exercising , and earn a little bit of pocket money (and I do mean a little bit lol) for some new clothes when the weight drops off. I've actually quite enjoyed it except when it minus temperatures and pouring down.
Biking would be easier on my foot definitely, just don't have one but I'm working towards getting one.9 -
you still havent listed stats - weight, height, how many calories are you eating?1
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Muscleflex79 wrote: »you still havent listed stats - weight, height, how many calories are you eating?
Sorry I should have put that in first post
I'm now ....
17 st 2lbs
5ft 4in
Was on 1200 calories
After being told that wasn't enough for someone my size I tried 1300, then 1400
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I've also just made my diary public now. Look quite far back as last 2 days aren't the normal for me that was me edging my calories up to see if I could do around 1500 to 1600 a day as it seemed a lot. Not sure I want to now and thinking about going back down to 12000
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Also forgot to add..I am intending at beginning of March to start swimming, and I'm going to take the plunge and join a gym.
Start weight training mixed with cardio which means I can use things like the bikes (since I don't have one) the elliptical and the rower, which all takes pressure/impact off my foot. I'm willing to do anything I need to before this weight end up giving me even more health issues.0 -
Are you taking any meds. that cause weight gain? I know if I just count calories, it will take me forever to lose just 1 lb. I have to exercise hard to really lose weight. It's always been that way. Being in pain isn't helping you either cuz you are limited as to what you do. Can you bike? Running has been the best thing for me, but I'm thinking that's out of the question for you. How about looking into getting a personal trainer? Maybe they could help you out a bit.3
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How long have you been doing everything? At your start weight, even with a lower than average BMR, the weight should be dropping off at your weight and intake.4
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I took a quick look at your diary, and it appears you are not weighing everything - mostly the pre-packaged foods. Bread, crumpets, cheese, deli meat - it ALL has to be weighed. Often times, the serving information on the package is not what you are eating in a serving. Example - I weighed out the cheese slices I packed in my lunches for this week. The label says that one slice/one serving = 28g. Not ONE slice out of 4 weighed 28g; more like 30-36 grams apiece. It may not sound like a lot, but extrapolate that over the days, weeks, etc. and it adds up.
Please try not to be too hard on yourself. I think if you weigh everything, continue the exercise and don't use the full amount of calories that your FitBit is telling you that are burnt, you will see success.9 -
Maybe the weight going up is because you are increasing your muscle. I know my weight went up years ago as I toned up since I was pretty flabby. I had an infer red BMI done one time and found out I didn't need to lose as much as I thought because if I did I would have to lose muscle and bone. Just a thought, hope it helps.2
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Maybe the weight going up is because you are increasing your muscle. I know my weight went up years ago as I toned up since I was pretty flabby. I had an infer red BMI done one time and found out I didn't need to lose as much as I thought because if I did I would have to lose muscle and bone. Just a thought, hope it helps.
Nope. You can only gain weight if you're eating in a surplus of calories. It's highly unlikely that a female is gaining muscle just walking.14 -
Are you taking any meds. that cause weight gain? I know if I just count calories, it will take me forever to lose just 1 lb. I have to exercise hard to really lose weight. It's always been that way. Being in pain isn't helping you either cuz you are limited as to what you do. Can you bike? Running has been the best thing for me, but I'm thinking that's out of the question for you. How about looking into getting a personal trainer? Maybe they could help you out a bit.
Have to have a B12 injection every 10 weeks for the rest of my life because of that deficiency.
I take a very strong prescription VitD supplement to try to counteract that deficiency.
Pain killers when the pain is literally unbearable.
Apart from that no other meds, I try not to take anything if I can help it.
Can't afford a bike but when I join the gym in March I can use theirs and they will have personal trainers there0 -
Fitbit may be overestimating calories. I actually have a Charge 2 and sometimes I know it does. Also, lack of sleep and stress interfere with hormones that help to burn fat. Sometimes just getting a handle on those help.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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I don't believe in starvation mode, but it still doesn't sound like you're eating enough calories. I don't know your age but your BMR would be somewhere around 1800. I couldn't imagine eating 400-600 calories below my BMR, I would have no energy. It may or may not be related to you not losing weight, but I'd imagine that eating 1200-1400 calories would not be sustainable for you in the long run, especially if you are going to start going to a gym and doing more strenuous exercise, you can't exercise at your full potential if you have no energy.2
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BrunetteRunner87 wrote: »I don't believe in starvation mode, but it still doesn't sound like you're eating enough calories. I don't know your age but your BMR would be somewhere around 1800. I couldn't imagine eating 400-600 calories below my BMR, I would have no energy. It may or may not be related to you not losing weight, but I'd imagine that eating 1200-1400 calories would not be sustainable for you in the long run, especially if you are going to start going to a gym and doing more strenuous exercise, you can't exercise at your full potential if you have no energy.
Sorry keep leaving info out...
I'm 46
Well you see this is what I thought, so when people were saying 1200 calories is no where near enough and leaving no room to manoeuvre as your weight drops, I thought they were probably right, hence why I started upping it, but now I'm gaining weight it's starting to worry me and just left me really confused.0
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