Something's not right, but what?

Susie419

For a long time I have been exercising and eating healthy food, but the pounds were beginning to creep up on me, so I set a goal at MFP to lose just six pounds, half a pound a week. I have been carefully watching the calories every day (except one Saturday) for three weeks, and I am losing weight slowly. I have continued to exercise as usual and I eat the same kinds of food, just not as much. There are two problems; first, I find it's really hard to get enough protein and iron and not go over my 1200 calorie limit. Second, I feel tired and lethargic and sleepy and cold much of the time; I can't focus at work; I'm grouchy at home; and I think too much about calories -- when can I eat again? If I eat this for a snack, will I have enough calories left for dinner? Since what I eat is mostly my own cooking, hardly any prepared food, I have to enter every recipe to compute the calories and weigh things or guess about the serving size, and that's just taking away all the pleasure I used to get from cooking and eating. I am about to decide this is not worth the six pounds. But if I stop counting, I'm afraid I'll keep slowly gaining weight.

kayemme

if you're cold, you're likely not eating enough real food. it's hard to tell when your diary is closed, but you need to promote actual energy conversions in your system.

what kinds of foods are you eating? you're obviously not satiated, so i'm (really) guessing maybe there's not enough fiber in your diet? like are you eating all kinds of "diet food"?

if that's the case, you're probably going to gain it all back when you stop the "diet food" diet. but again, i'm only guessing cuz i can't see your diary.

acstein

do you eat your exercise calories? that was a big help for me as I felt "starved" rather than just hungry. One thing I've been reading recently is that you can exercise too much, well to intensly, to provide positive results. Not sure how true that is, but the trainer I see says that's the rule she goes by in her exercising with me and for herself. She keeps track of the intensity with a heart rate monitor. Also, the estimates given on MFP are just that, estimates. Play around with the numbers a little bit. You may need more calories simply because you have more muscle than the "system" accounts for or any number of other reasons. Also, you're body gets used to doing something. Change it up, whether it's the exercise or the food. I hope you feel better. I'd check with a doctor too just to make sure it's not something else, like a cold or pneumonia.

MisdemeanorM

it is work, and will be very time consuming, but you will also learn by it. You will get good at measuring accurately w/out a cup or scale and you will learn what cals go with what ingredients... should I use oil, or maybe I can do some white wine instead... baking with oil or applesauce - and really see the #s! (I just saved over 1000 cals a loaf using applesauce not oil in zucchini bread this weekend!) You also say that you are eating the same food but just less of it... depending on what you are eating, that is not going to work - you should look at some of the food diaries. Some days I am like - wow, I ate ALL of that and still have calories left over!? Also, try bumping your cals up to like 1500 (i had my lifestyle listed as still but changed it to somewhat active which turned out to be more accurate) and those extra 300 cals a day make a HUGE difference. Also, if you exercise, be sure to eat those cals too.