Losing hope instead of weight :(

13

Replies

  • TxTiffani
    TxTiffani Posts: 799 Member
    @callsitlikeiseeit Im also 5’1! Short ladies unite
  • JBanx256
    JBanx256 Posts: 1,479 Member
    CrunchyDad wrote: »
    Make sure to get enough protein, 30% of your calories should come from that. Another 30% from fats..

    Where are you getting these percentages from? Do you really think they are optimal for everyone?
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,984 Member
    yirara wrote: »
    Slowfaster wrote: »
    I'm going to suggest something that worked for me and then run away before the bombs land. Try adding in a few tablespoons olive oil everyday.

    About a year ago I started eating 800 calories a day and after two weeks had lost nothing. This time I decided to try again following the Mediterranean diet recommended by my doctor. I'm also logging because I actually enjoy the weigh and measure part. So I've been averaging about 1200 per day and lost 13 pounds by the end of January (I only weigh once a month.) The oil helps break down body fat for fuel.

    https://youtube.com/watch?v=jnDxiD5aD2Y&list=WL&index=3

    It didn’t magically make you lose bodyfat though. 2 weeks is nothing. It was likely being impatient, just hitting that part of your cycle maybe. Storing excess water due to stressing your body with a far too low diet. Or constipation and the oil moved things along. A single tablespoon of oil has about 12g? Thus about 100kcal. Oil is good, but eating fat does not draw out bodyfat. It has calories like everything else

    Here's an anecdote, because we're doing that here, right?
    Years ago, when I started working after uni I was gaining weight. So I found a pattern: whenever I had a bag of crisps the previous day, or some high-fat yogurt, or something else high in fat my weight would be lower the next day. Cool! I was losing weight by eating yummy stuff! I wasn't recording my weight, thus had no idea what trends through time looked like. But oddly, while I had lost weight the day after I'd had a yummy snack I was gaining weight overall in the long turn. The solution? Fat moves things along. I had a very big *kitten* a few hours after eating the fatty food. Mind you, it was likely also around the time my gallbladder was giving me problems, so...
  • dragengofit
    dragengofit Posts: 21 Member
    callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »
    lots of disagrees with the previous post (which is absolutely deserved) but no advice for OP. come on guys. you can do better.

    Alrighty OP, first things first. open up your diary. We can not TRULY help if we can not SEE what you are doing. We can make guesses, give generic advice, etc... but without being able to ACTUALLY see, all it is is generic advice.

    The first thing I will always and forever say to someone (especially who is new here) who is not losing weight or is losing/gaining the same weight is that you are likely eating more than you think you are. It is easy to do and not realize it. Truly, this is almost always the case, when someone bothers to actually follow advice and come back and admit they were doing it wrong ;) Check your logging. open your diary so we can help. We do not care WHAT you are eating. I promise. At least no one who is worth anything on here.

    Useful Links
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1234699/logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide/p1
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101/p1

    fccbvgmszrwc.jpg

    Next... there are many many many reasons why the human body (especially women) holds on to weight. EVEN when you ARE doing everything RIGHT.

    -hormones. Monthly cycles in women can wreck havoc with the scale. You do not say how old you are, but if you are having a monthly cycle you really need to give it 6-8 weeks to really get an idea of what your weight is actually doing. This is kind of true in weight loss in GENERAL, as the first several weeks, or for some people even the first couple of months our bodies can be like 'WTH!' and freak out on us, for lack of a better term
    - If you added in exercise, you can be retaining water from THAT, and that can be masking any weight loss on the scale. Again, give it several weeks for your body to adjust to the new routine youve developed and to adjust to this new pattern.
    - If you have drastically changed the way, or how you eat, your body can freak out a bit. Give it time.
    - Meals high in sodium can make your weight spike up temporarily. Whether at home or eating out.
    - To gain 1 pound overnight in REAL weight, you would have to eat 3500 calories (if I am remembering correctly, someone please correct me If I am wrong) OVER your maintenance calories. Think how much 4 pounds of weight would be.
    - Our bodies naturally ebb and flow weight. Some days up, some days down. Even when EVERYTHING is perfect. My own weight has a fluctuation pattern of +/- 3 pounds on any given day and during my cycle I can be up as much as 7 pounds. Its not REAL weight. And it goes away. A trending app can help you see those trends over time. If you obsess unhealthily over daily fluctuations though, I would not recommend it. I only weighed weekly or a LONG time. Its only been in the past 2 years maybe that I have weighed daily. Try it for a while and see how you do with it. I weigh in the morning and forget the number as soon as its logged (sometimes before i log it and i have to go back LOL). happy scale for ios and trend weight? for android iirc

    One thing I really suggest doing, and that I wish I had done sooner in my process, was to take MEASUREMENTS and PHOTOS. Sometimes these tell us more than the scale. I could see weight loss in those many times before the scale (and now, quite often always see it in measurements before the scale).

    So, are you seeing a pattern here? Our bodies REALLY like to hold on to water. Especially womens bodies. It is just a cruel fact of nature. Ive lost over 200 pounds. Just a bit more to go. No rush. I've had weeks and months even, where I trended up. And more weeks, obviously, where I trended down. But patience is the name of this game.





    Was going to respond to OP, but this pretty much said it all!

    To OP - it's a few days since you started this thread, hope you're feeling better :smile:
  • CrunchyDad
    CrunchyDad Posts: 66 Member
    Yup, everything I said is just a starting point that might set some in the right direction. Calories need to be adjusted after we see the results over a period of time. The only thing we know for sure is, you will lose weight in a calorie deficit. If you aren't losing weight, you aren't in a calorie deficit. You need to be consistent, accurate, and patient.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    xx1chloe5xx wrote: »
    So I have been in a calorie deficit of 500-600 calories a day now for over a month as well as burning 200-300 calories walking everyday but instead of Of losing weight I’m gaining it! I weigh everything and always scan everything and put it in my diary on here. I occasionally have cheat days and from that alone I will gain like 4lbs and it won’t come off. Yesterday I woke up and seen I had lost 1lbs so was happy however I woke up today and I had gained 2lbs?? Yet I didn’t eat anymore than I’m supposed to and burned 200 cals walking. I feel and look fatter i have made no progress yet stuck to my diet perfectly 99% of the time. Feel like nothing is ever going to work for me. By advice

    What exactly is a "cheat day" for you? How often is "occasionally" I could easily wipe out a whole weeks deficit with a "cheat day". I'm not particularly fond of the term cheat...but I have my indulgences about once per week...but it's not an entire day, it's one meal that is a bit off my normal plan, and even then I don't go crazy with it.

    Losing weight takes discipline and consistency. Anytime I've been in the early stages of a weight loss plan, I've been pretty disciplined in my approach...I loosen up a little bit when I get down the road a ways...but I usually start out pretty on point with everything.

    Beyond that, weight loss isn't a linear process, nor is it a tit for tat, I did this yesterday and this happened today kind of thing. This is what it looks like plotted on a graph...

    Weight-Loss-Reality-Feature-1024x538.png

    You would probably be doing yourself a favor to download a trend app like Libra to log your weight and see the overall trend...but also, you probably just need to tighten things up. There are inherent inaccuracies in logging calories, even if you think you're being perfect...combine that with full cheat days...pretty easy to wipe out a deficit. Bottom line, if you're not trending down in weight over time, you're consuming too many calories.
  • ciaoder
    ciaoder Posts: 119 Member
    Looks like Chloe disengaged 3 days ago.

    It's fair to wonder how receptive someone is. I'd suggest it's also fair to question how helpful our responses have been for a post titled "Losing Hope..."
  • Slowfaster
    Slowfaster Posts: 186 Member
    edited February 2022
    snowflake954 wrote: »
    Slowfaster wrote: »
    I'm going to suggest something that worked for me and then run away before the bombs land. Try adding in a few tablespoons olive oil everyday.

    About a year ago I started eating 800 calories a day and after two weeks had lost nothing. This time I decided to try again following the Mediterranean diet recommended by my doctor. I'm also logging because I actually enjoy the weigh and measure part. So I've been averaging about 1200 per day and lost 13 pounds by the end of January (I only weigh once a month.) The oil helps break down body fat for fuel.

    https://youtube.com/watch?v=jnDxiD5aD2Y&list=WL&index=3

    Substituting EVOO for other fats is a good idea, however it's no magic bullet. I live in Italy, we eat Mediterranean everyday, and EVOO is our main fat source. As mentioned, everything should be logged. I'm glad you're successful, but I doubt it's the olive oil on it's own.

    Nope. Never said it was a magic bullet. Never said it was the EVOO on it's own, I did say I was logging 1200 calories a day didn't I? Of course that includes the olive oil, why would I log some foods and not others?
  • Slowfaster
    Slowfaster Posts: 186 Member
    kenlchrzanowski wrote: »
    Looks like Chloe disengaged 3 days ago.

    It's fair to wonder how receptive someone is. I'd suggest it's also fair to question how helpful our responses have been for a post titled "Losing Hope..."

    I agree, we weren't very helpful There were lots of suggestions that she was lying or didn't know how to work a scale. I tried to make a (hopeful) suggestion of something she might actually try and that was pounced on as so much B.S.

    There's more scientific evidence all the time that suggests certain foods affect insulin levels and that the resulting hunger or insulin resistance can sabotage diet efforts -- but talking about that is blasphemy here.

    I'm counting my calories but also trying to follow the diet my doctor gave me because he thinks it will help my hypertension. How that's hurting anyone or deserving of ridicule is a mystery to me.

  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    Slowfaster wrote: »
    snowflake954 wrote: »
    Slowfaster wrote: »
    I'm going to suggest something that worked for me and then run away before the bombs land. Try adding in a few tablespoons olive oil everyday.

    About a year ago I started eating 800 calories a day and after two weeks had lost nothing. This time I decided to try again following the Mediterranean diet recommended by my doctor. I'm also logging because I actually enjoy the weigh and measure part. So I've been averaging about 1200 per day and lost 13 pounds by the end of January (I only weigh once a month.) The oil helps break down body fat for fuel.

    https://youtube.com/watch?v=jnDxiD5aD2Y&list=WL&index=3

    Substituting EVOO for other fats is a good idea, however it's no magic bullet. I live in Italy, we eat Mediterranean everyday, and EVOO is our main fat source. As mentioned, everything should be logged. I'm glad you're successful, but I doubt it's the olive oil on it's own.

    Nope. Never said it was a magic bullet. Never said it was the EVOO on it's own, I did say I was logging 1200 calories a day didn't I? Of course that includes the olive oil, why would I log some foods and not others?

    Well, instead of just hitting "disagree" on your post, I decided to pick out the part that didn't ring true. I wasn't the only one either, so maybe you didn't phrase that part the way you meant it. There are many newbies and "lurkers" that read a thread. They can easily get the wrong idea. And you might be surprised at the people that don't log sauces and condiments.
  • Slowfaster
    Slowfaster Posts: 186 Member
    PAV8888 wrote: »
    My last analogue scale had 270lbs as max on the dial.
    When I was getting on it, it would go around past 0.
    I used to buy AT LEAST one bottle of Kirkland EVOO every three months.
    Because olive oil was healthy.
    I used to drink a lot of regular coke too.
    Because sweeteners were unhealthy.

    I started logging on MFP.
    I stopped buying regular coke and moved to coke zero.
    After three years I also threw out about half an expired bottle of Kirkland EVOO and bought another one.

    At the time I threw out that bottle my weight trend was under 160lbs
    It still is.

    I don't think the reduction in olive oil calories has hindered my ability to manage my weight.

    If pressed I would probably claim the exact opposite! :wink:

    I know people who still think all fat is bad and cut it out completely when trying to lose. I eat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil per day and that's what I was suggesting she might try. I trusted she wouldn't be stupid enough to pour it over everything. ;)
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    edited February 2022
    CrunchyDad wrote: »
    Just scrolled through here quickly and I am concerned that I didn't see anyone mention this, but you need to calculate your TDEE (there are free calculators online) and maintain a modest deficit 300-500 calories per day below that. Too high of a deficit will not be sustainable nor healthy. You want to lose fat, not muscle and bone mass. Make sure to get enough protein, 30% of your calories should come from that. Another 30% from fats. You can adjust these macro goals in the MFP app. This will help keep you full longer and make your goals more achievable.

    DO NOT give yourself extra calories from exercise, these estimates are never accurate. Be consistent and consume 300-500 calories less than your TDEE, you will lose weight. DO NOT rely on the MFP calorie goal calculator, it is not accurate.

    Make sure to exercise a few times a week, go for a walk every day, lift some weights if you can. This will ensure you retain muscle while burning fat. The scale may not move but you will lose inches, look better, feel better, be healthier. Do not watch the scale every day, it's normal to fluctuate. Fat loss takes time. Be consistent and be patient.

    Unlike other sites which use TDEE calculators, MFP uses the NEAT method (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis), and as such this system is designed for exercise calories to be eaten back.

    However, many consider the burns given by MFP to be inflated for them and only eat a percentage, such as 50%, back. Others are able to lose weight while eating 100% of their exercise calories.

    https://support.myfitnesspal.com/hc/en-us/articles/360032625391-How-does-MyFitnessPal-calculate-my-initial-goals-

    gk0ooalqbdof.png

    Here's a reputable protein calculator:

    https://examine.com/nutrition/protein-intake-calculator/

    I shoot for 400 - 500 calories of exercise per day, and when I achieve that, using the MFP default of 20% protein aligns with the protein recommendation from examine. If I were completely sedentary, I'd need to bump it up to 30%.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Walking, brisk pace for 30 minutes: 362 calories burned.

    Where are you getting that calorie count as it seems very, very high.
    paperpudding wrote: »
    That seems a very unrealistic calorie burn to me.

    Now admittedly I havent used spread sheets, calculators and the like (an not as nerdy as some MFP=ers ;) ) - but from my expereince as an average sized woman, about 100 calories per half hour would be about right.

    100 may not be exactly right for you - but is going to be far closer to correct than 362.

    I thought the issue here might be an expectation about "average sized woman" and have been trying to see what a 20 year old 5'6" woman would have to weigh to earn 362 calories for 30 minutes of "Walking, 10.5 mins per km, brisk pace"

    A 400 pound woman of that age and height would burn 345 calories in 30 minutes.

    However, her calorie goal would be 2,250 calories per day and the OP's is now 1,430, up from 1200, so I don't think the OP is anywhere near that weight, which means her calorie burn is indeed way off.

    Chloe - if you come back - do check your settings in https://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals_guided - seems like you have an error somewhere.
  • ciaoder
    ciaoder Posts: 119 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    The responses were extremely helpful in terms of what to do to fix the problem, even after the temper tantrum.

    People who want solely cheerleading and are less concerned about actual useful advice should consider posting in the Motivation and Support forum.
    .
    There’s nothing here I disagree with.

    I guess I view this as a coach. The trick is to program at the highest level that a client can adhere to. While factually most of the advice given has been correct , once it had been rejected the next step is to revise backwards to factual advice that can be accepted. Sometimes the conversation will bottom out to where there just isn’t any more helpful advice to give.
  • ciaoder
    ciaoder Posts: 119 Member
    snowflake954 wrote: »
    Been here 8 years and that is the norm rather than an exception.
    Maybe not a good match for me then?

    Best of luck guys.


  • Slowfaster
    Slowfaster Posts: 186 Member


    All well and good, however, you still don't explain your statement that olive oil breaks down body fat for fuel. Where did you get that idea?

    https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/12-fat-burning-foods#TOC_TITLE_HDR_13

    "Olive oil is one of the healthiest fats on earth.

    Olive oil has been shown to lower triglycerides, increase HDL cholesterol and stimulate the release of GLP-1, one of the hormones that helps keep you full (64Trusted Source).

    What’s more, some studies have shown that olive oil may boost metabolic rate and promote fat loss (65Trusted Source, 66Trusted Source, 67Trusted Source).

    In a small study in 12 postmenopausal women with abdominal obesity, eating extra virgin olive oil as part of a meal significantly increased the number of calories the women burned for several hours (68Trusted Source).

    To incorporate olive oil into your daily diet, drizzle a couple of tablespoons on your salad or add it to cooked food."

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