Struggling!

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  • kirkova
    kirkova Posts: 1 Member
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    Hi... What I experienced before, is that I had not lost weigth but because of the excersise, my body had became a less fatty and more muscular, therefore a bit slimmer. Later I read, that muscles weight more than fat, and mucles are much smaller too. I hope that your efforts will have good results, but I guess, you have already did much for your health by eating so well.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    edited July 2018
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    h1udd wrote: »
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    ‘you’re getting old, you won’t find it easy to loose weight’
    It was untrue and terrible advice, good for you you've come here!

    It was terrible advice .... but considering the nature of the thread, it was true the Doctor was right ... she is getting old and she isnt finding it easy to lose weight
    Ah, yes, in a way he was just presenting objective observations of the situation, and stating the obvious - we're all getting older, day by day, until we die, and the OP is indeed finding weightloss difficult. But another meaning can also be understood, as the one leading to the other, getting older being the reason for struggling to lose weight. That is something that needs challenging. The reason she is struggling, is lack of patience and/or correct logging, not her age.
  • CindyMarie_
    CindyMarie_ Posts: 122 Member
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    liseymoo1972 wrote: »
    Hi MFP peeps,
    I’m dropping in to say hello for the first time.....hello!
    And also requesting some help....help!!

    I’m really struggling to understand what I’m doing wrong, despite trialling a number of variations in my diet I remain unsuccessful in weight loss.... even though when I complete my daily diary mfp tells me I should be losing.

    Using an online calculator I have worked out that my calorie intake needs to be 2400 cals. Based on recommendations I have reduced this to 1300 with a macronutrient split of 40% carbs (130g)
    40% Protein (130g) & 20% fats (36g).

    Over the past 2 months I have recorded everything. Initially, on advice, I split the macronutrients 50%C 30%P 20%F but this had no effect, hence why I changed the split and dropped the carbs a bit.

    I really struggled to keep the fats under target initially but I’ve managed to master that now.

    In the last week I’ve cut the carbs a bit more by just eating less of them but still having 100g of good carbs.

    Still nothing. Have I got the figures way off?

    As for Exercise, it’s limited - Stretch yoga for 60 mins, 1x 30 mins run, 1 x 45 mins cycle.
    Is this the problem?

    I really need to understand how this works, I don’t want to give up and go onto a food replacement programme but I know that works for me!!!! I’m currently tempted .....

    If anyone has the time, I’d appreciate some genuine friendly advice.


    Honestly, if you were suggested to consume 2400 calories, then maybe just doing 1300 is too little and that's what's causing you to get stuck in the same weight. Also your carb intake may be too high. Try more protein than carbs for a couple of weeks and see what happens.
    Another advice is to drink PLENTY of water, green tea and make sure to sleep!!! Don't stress over the scale not moving because sometimes that stress itself prevents you from losing weight.
  • brightresolve
    brightresolve Posts: 1,024 Member
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    Lots of great advice above (and some weight loss woo also, of course; so-called starvation mode is not real!)

    The scale does not lie, but the most important scale is your food scale. Weigh solids, measure liquids, use verified (green-checked) database entries, put in your own recipes if you cook, and log every bite, even the "blow-outs"!! 1300-1400 calories is not much, and it's easy to overshoot that with the best intentions (heaping half-cups, creeping portions, forgetting the butter you cooked the egg in). Then put the "odd blow-out" on top of that and whoops, you're not really eating at a deficit, you're not losing, and it's discouraging. It's really worth the effort because losing is a numbers game.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    arbuckle57 wrote: »
    2000 calories is what the average woman can have. As you get older and sit sometimes to watch tv or do a hobby or for work then less are needed. I am loosing 2-4 lbs a week. I do this by realising 3,500 to 1lb of fat. So eat say 1,200 a day and then count the ones you didn't use and when you reach 3,500 -one pound will vanish. Also eat half a plate of veg or salad and meat the size of your palm. Eat like this, cutting down sugary fruits, nuts, fizzy drinks and treats and it will soon go. Also if your like me and post menopausal then 1,000 should be enough. Try not eating after 6pm and that will help. Black coffee after 6 or tea without milk. Water. Leave rice and pasta alone. Have sweet potatoes and make caulifower rice. Loads recipes on u tube. Cheese, cut down on it. Skimmed milk, no added sugar yogurts.

    While all that stuff might have helped you get into a calorie deficit, none of it is necessary. If you use mfp and log accurately and consistently, you will know how many calories you can eat to lose weight and can eat the foods you like if you can make it fit.

    There are many "older" women here who eat far more than 1000 and even 1200 cals to lose weight. You can't generalize calories like that. Even in post-menopausal women, it's not common to have to eat under 1200 cals to lose weight.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    brightresolve wrote: »
    Lots of great advice above (and some weight loss woo also, of course; so-called starvation mode is not real!)

    The scale does not lie, but the most important scale is your food scale. Weigh solids, measure liquids, use verified (green-checked) database entries, put in your own recipes if you cook, and log every bite, even the "blow-outs"!! 1300-1400 calories is not much, and it's easy to overshoot that with the best intentions (heaping half-cups, creeping portions, forgetting the butter you cooked the egg in). Then put the "odd blow-out" on top of that and whoops, you're not really eating at a deficit, you're not losing, and it's discouraging. It's really worth the effort because losing is a numbers game.

    Great advice here too, just feel a strong urge to warn against the "verified" entries, that can be just as off as others, and against relying on scanning - you still need to verify the entry yourself.
  • brightresolve
    brightresolve Posts: 1,024 Member
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    kommodevaran wrote: »
    brightresolve wrote: »
    Lots of great advice above (and some weight loss woo also, of course; so-called starvation mode is not real!)

    The scale does not lie, but the most important scale is your food scale. Weigh solids, measure liquids, use verified (green-checked) database entries, put in your own recipes if you cook, and log every bite, even the "blow-outs"!! 1300-1400 calories is not much, and it's easy to overshoot that with the best intentions (heaping half-cups, creeping portions, forgetting the butter you cooked the egg in). Then put the "odd blow-out" on top of that and whoops, you're not really eating at a deficit, you're not losing, and it's discouraging. It's really worth the effort because losing is a numbers game.

    Great advice here too, just feel a strong urge to warn against the "verified" entries, that can be just as off as others, and against relying on scanning - you still need to verify the entry yourself.

    Whoops yes, I too have had the experience of switching from cups to grams and suddenly having it calculate 4000 calories worth of something. Good catch and thank you.

    Calories in and out are never going to be more than estimates, so tightening our logging means becoming ever more aware of where those estimates are off.
  • Jixil
    Jixil Posts: 12 Member
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    This is a great tool for tracking how much you should be eating: https://tdeecalculator.net/. Based on what you put for your activity level, it will adjust how many calories you should be consuming. Do NOT add in extra calories after you complete a work out, as this already takes that into consideration. Often times it's those little cheat meals/snacks that end up sneaking up on you.

    An important reminder that your macro splits shouldn't be a percentage. Instead it should be your weight (or goal weight) in grams. So for example, if you weigh 170lbs, try to eat that much in protein, and split the remainder of your calories between fats and carbs. In all honesty, this doesn't matter too much, but it a personal preference on what fits better for YOU.

    The key thing to remember is that you must be consuming in a calorie deficit to lose weight. 500 calories less than what you need to maintain is recommended to lose a pound a week. In order to do this, you must must MUST at the minimum be keeping track of every calorie you eat. Tracking macros is what you ultimately should be doing, but tracking calories is a start. Get a kitchen scale too. You'd be surprised how much you're actually overeating. No matter how "healthy" you think you're eating, you're probably still eating too many calories as a whole, which is why you're not losing weight.

    When you do keep track, make sure to not forget the little things too. Had some cream and sugar with your coffee? Don't forget to add that in. Had a handful of nuts during an afternoon snack? Make sure you weigh and track it. Had "just 1 bite" of a donut? You better track that too! Had a bag of baby carrots because they're healthy? Don't forget to track the calories! If you're truly tracking your calories, you'd be surprised how much extra you're actually consuming!

    Once you do, make adjustments, keep at it and don't give up! It takes a couple of weeks minimum before you'll truly notice a difference, but when you do, it's just motivation to keep going. Good luck!

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