been MFP for over a year- no loss- open to suggestions

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  • beachlover317
    beachlover317 Posts: 2,848 Member
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    What helped my husband is to quit eating at night. I know it sounds ridiculous but it's just when his metabolism slows to a crawl. Also, do you know what blts are? (Bites, licks, tastes) if you have kids, huge huge problem! Gotta drink that water, I've been told that dead fat cells are actually urinated out! So it serves two purposes when you're trying to lose weight chemical changes require water. I'm a horrible logger, I give you props for being much better than I am!

    Did I just read what I thought I read?

    Okay. Fat cells die and you pee them out? Where does this come from??? :laugh:
  • pcastagner
    pcastagner Posts: 1,606 Member
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    it's simple math: If you burn more calories then what you eat, you're going to lose weight.

    Unless you eat too few calories...or ingest too much sodium, or too many carbs, or not enough carbs, or too much protein, or don't drink enough water...or any of a dozen suggestions given to people in the OP's shoes seemingly every day on this site.


    Yes, overall, caloric intake is important, but that alone won't necessarily get you where you want to be. The relationship between net calories and weight loss is not necessarily linear, and definitely not over the entire range of values. So it isn't "Just that Simple".

    No, not unless ANYTHING. That is actually how it works, and how I went from fat to what I look like now.

    Lately, I've been in Japan working, and eating lots more carbs, salt, and sugar (yes I know it's a carb) than normal. I struggle to get all the protein i used to. And my weight has been falling precipitously and I am leaning out. I am eating all the things that are supposed to hold me back, and I've been able to put a big dent in the pesky last bits of unwanted body fat.

    Bro science really, really annoys me. If you want this bad enough, you need to stop looking for special loopholes. Eat less, move more, not too little of either. Done.
  • Cindyinpg
    Cindyinpg Posts: 3,902 Member
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    it's simple math: If you burn more calories then what you eat, you're going to lose weight.

    Unless you eat too few calories...or ingest too much sodium, or too many carbs, or not enough carbs, or too much protein, or don't drink enough water...or any of a dozen suggestions given to people in the OP's shoes seemingly every day on this site.


    Yes, overall, caloric intake is important, but that alone won't necessarily get you where you want to be. The relationship between net calories and weight loss is not necessarily linear, and definitely not over the entire range of values. So it isn't "Just that Simple".

    No, not unless ANYTHING. That is actually how it works, and how I went from fat to what I look like now.

    Lately, I've been in Japan working, and eating lots more carbs, salt, and sugar (yes I know it's a carb) than normal. I struggle to get all the protein i used to. And my weight has been falling precipitously and I am leaning out. I am eating all the things that are supposed to hold me back, and I've been able to put a big dent in the pesky last bits of unwanted body fat.

    Bro science really, really annoys me. If you want this bad enough, you need to stop looking for special loopholes. Eat less, move more, not too little of either. Done.

    AMEN! http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1032429-you-re-not-special?hl=You're+not+special
  • herblackwings39
    herblackwings39 Posts: 3,930 Member
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    I've been logging food and within cal range(mostly) for over a year and no loss. Exercise 30 min/day 4 times a week and still, no loss. Low (not no) carb, no loss. Went to the Dr.- no thyroid prob, no prob at all... anyone??? Understandably, I am pretty frustrated gaining, losing and never getting under my start weight of 190 2 years ago!! Open to suggestions.

    I'm going to suggest, what I'm sure many others have, that you invest in a digital kitchen scale and weigh your portions. It will help with honest logging and makes a huge difference for me at least. Measure liquids as well. Sometimes things don't seem like such a big deal, but little things add up quickly sometimes. If, after weighing and measuring your food you're still not losing it might be easier to figure out why with an accurate food log.
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
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    Drop the sweets (cookies, ice cream, hersheys bars) even if you stay in your calorie range for the day. They are taking up vital calorie space that should be filled with nutrient rich whole foods. Once you get closer to your goal you can re-introduce the treats as a reward for making progress - but try to keep it to only one or two times per week.

    If you've reached your nutritional needs...it doesn't really matter where the rest of your energy needs come from. You don't get extra credit.
  • RaggedyPond
    RaggedyPond Posts: 1,487 Member
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    You are probably not eating enough for being 190. The days you exercise a lot you are not eating enough and other days you are going over calorie budget. I would suggest trying 1400 cal net a day.
  • guessrs
    guessrs Posts: 358 Member
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    Smaller portions in every meal.
  • pcastagner
    pcastagner Posts: 1,606 Member
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    You are probably not eating enough for being 190. The days you exercise a lot you are not eating enough and other days you are going over calorie budget. I would suggest trying 1400 cal net a day.

    Riiiight. Not losing weight? You must not be eating enough.

    Lets end world hunger and solve malnutrition for good. All we need to do is stop giving people food, and they will all turn into fat Americans.

    Seriously? How did that ever become a thing? If you aren't losing FOR A WHOLE FREAKING YEAR, you are eating too much to lose.
  • ihad
    ihad Posts: 7,463 Member
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    Take this advice. Read the above article and see if it fits. Take a harder look at your assumed activity level and estimated calorie burn from exercises.
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
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    You are probably not eating enough for being 190. The days you exercise a lot you are not eating enough and other days you are going over calorie budget. I would suggest trying 1400 cal net a day.

    Riiiight. Not losing weight? You must not be eating enough.

    Lets end world hunger and solve malnutrition for good. All we need to do is stop giving people food, and they will all turn into fat Americans.

    Seriously? How did that ever become a thing? If you aren't losing FOR A WHOLE FREAKING YEAR, you are eating too much to lose.

    It's starvation mode, man. Don't you know? People in Japan are so thin and healthy because their portions are hyooge!!!
  • progressplease
    progressplease Posts: 5 Member
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    I appreciate the insights and feedback- processed foods, sugars, too many cal/too little(?), and a general distrust of logging foods and exercise (though I used the references in MFP) - I will work with the input I asked for in hopes of progress.
  • Jameson1984
    Jameson1984 Posts: 100 Member
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    Bumping for suggestions.
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
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    I appreciate the insights and feedback- processed foods, sugars, too many cal/too little(?), and a general distrust of logging foods and exercise (though I used the references in MFP) - I will work with the input I asked for in hopes of progress.

    Seriously. Buy the food scale. Peanut butter, protein powder, nuts, anything with oil, and any other high calorie foods are very hard to properly measure without weighing them. Portion size and control has to be learned, we don't do it naturally.

    Sugars, carbs, etc. really don't matter outside of the context of calories.
  • 2stella2
    2stella2 Posts: 3 Member
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    You might try to eat a larger breakfast ... 100 calories for breakfast is very low ... the two ways to rev-up your metabolism is to eat and exercise. So try to eat less calories at the end of the day and more in the morning to rev-up your metabolism first thing.
    Also, hang in there! Be very proud that you haven't gained weight over the last two years... because this weight-loss process can be very frustrating!
  • amyschintler
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    I haven't looked at your diary, but would suggest getting a heart rate monitor . That way you know for sure exactly how many calories are burnt and not guesstimated. Two people doing the same exercise for the same amount of time can have very different calorie burns. Keep an eye on your sugar intake and your sodium intake and drink water!!! Processed food is not good either. I hate veges, but have started to eat homemade stirfrys 2-3 times a week. This is en easy way to get them into your system and believe me they taste great too. Homemade pumpkin soup is another good one. You can make a batch that will last for 4-5 meals and just freeze them into the correct portion size. Hope some of this helps you. If you want my recipes just let me know, will be happy to share them :smile:
  • pcastagner
    pcastagner Posts: 1,606 Member
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    You might try to eat a larger breakfast ... 100 calories for breakfast is very low ... the two ways to rev-up your metabolism is to eat and exercise. So try to eat less calories at the end of the day and more in the morning to rev-up your metabolism first thing.
    Also, hang in there! Be very proud that you haven't gained weight over the last two years... because this weight-loss process can be very frustrating!

    My breakfast is coffee, black.

    Progress pics on my profile,
  • Slimon191
    Slimon191 Posts: 32 Member
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    My 2 cents for this situation,simple math works
    If you dont do anything whole day, your body needs around 1900-2000cals to maintain the weight.
    Lets say you weigh X and eating 2000 cals and doing nothing, you will weigh X at end of day,

    Now to loose 1lb in a week you need to have deficiency of 3500cals that means you either eat 1500cals/day or eat 2000cals/day and exercise for 500cals.

    In this case you might think that you are already doing this, but there is another concern of metabolism
    If you are eating too less, then your body will go in starvation mode, Lets say you are eating only 800cals then you are pulling down your metabolism and your body thinks as its not getting enough food so it tries to go in starvation mode and tries to save all the extra fat for worst time. That actually reduces weight loss and eventually you eat even less to make weight loss faster but that wont work and it will help starvation mode to be more dominant

    Try eating little more than what you are eating now but less than your goal limit, activate your metabolism a little more and see the results.
    Beside this be very accurate in what you are logging, sometimes we miss a tiny bit of food in log and that is actually all the cals in the meal ;)

    Hope its a help, good luck
  • pcastagner
    pcastagner Posts: 1,606 Member
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    My 2 cents for this situation,simple math works
    If you dont do anything whole day, your body needs around 1900-2000cals to maintain the weight.
    Lets say you weigh X and eating 2000 cals and doing nothing, you will weigh X at end of day,

    Now to loose 1lb in a week you need to have deficiency of 3500cals that means you either eat 1500cals/day or eat 2000cals/day and exercise for 500cals.

    In this case you might think that you are already doing this, but there is another concern of metabolism
    If you are eating too less, then your body will go in starvation mode, Lets say you are eating only 800cals then you are pulling down your metabolism and your body thinks as its not getting enough food so it tries to go in starvation mode and tries to save all the extra fat for worst time. That actually reduces weight loss and eventually you eat even less to make weight loss faster but that wont work and it will help starvation mode to be more dominant

    Try eating little more than what you are eating now but less than your goal limit, activate your metabolism a little more and see the results.
    Beside this be very accurate in what you are logging, sometimes we miss a tiny bit of food in log and that is actually all the cals in the meal ;)

    Hope its a help, good luck

    Simple math at the start, total hooey at the end. You're not in starvation mode. Take a break from your diet if you need to, then get back to it.

    Scooby's workshop has a calculator for adjusting you calorie goal based on data you collect yourself. Projected loss compared to actual loss will tell you what to do next. MFP uses averages, and you might need more or less than that to maintain. On top of that, even with a scale your caloric values for food are also estimates. You can cut down on that error by eating the same thing over and over for a while if you want.

    It is really easy to use measurement and estimation error to construct for yourself a false narrative of "I started eating more and I lost weight". Just remember, if your story seems to defy the very laws of physics, chances are its your story that is wrong.
  • penutbuttercups01
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    I was like that too, but once i completelly removed white flour, sugar, simple carbs , juices, soft drinks, energy drinks and any sort of pre packaged processed foods, the weight strated dropping off quiet easily...

    I was excercising cardio & weights mixed...
    also not eatin enough calories will cause mass damage to your weight loss... so becareful of over training and undereating.
  • Mcgrawhaha
    Mcgrawhaha Posts: 1,596 Member
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    well, there are a few options.

    1) you are logging incorrectly, underestimating your portions, or not logging everything.
    2) your calculations regarding your metabolic rate / bmr are incorrect and you are eating the wrong number of calories.
    3) you have an underlying medical condition and should go see a doctor.

    pick one... or two... and go with it...