3 months, ZERO PROGRESS

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  • costahobo
    costahobo Posts: 20 Member
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    This is going to sound brash...

    Minnesota Starvation Experiment, done by Dr. Ancel Keys at the University of Minnesota. Participants were put on a very low calorie diet for a year. Guess what happened? They all lost weight - a ton of weight. Granted, they went crazy and their metabolisms dropped, but they still dropped the weight. And why wouldn't they? Nobody's body can defy the laws of physics. Absolutely positively nobody. It is a scientific impossibility.

    It truly does come down to 4 words "eat less, move more".

    If you really think that your body is that special, I challenge you to go to Google Images, and do an image search for "starvation in africa". Notice that you won't see any fat people. And why would you?

    Or just in case it hasn't hit home yet, do another Google Image search, this time for "holocaust victims starving".

    You're not special. Your body isn't different. Eat less. Move more. Have an awesome day!
  • Zanthina
    Zanthina Posts: 6
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    Changed my mind on replying after I posted, sorry.
  • aimeejolene
    aimeejolene Posts: 51
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    Saying "End of story." in this context is the conversational equivalent of crossing your arms, turning around and walking away. Is that your intended message?

    I don't know if you mean me or someone else, but I don't think anyone can really offer anything to the conversation at this point that hasn't already been said.
  • ElizabethFuller
    ElizabethFuller Posts: 352 Member
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    Measuring cups are good for liquids but really not so good for solids, it's easy to get the amount wrong -best to use a kitchen scale that weighs in ounces or grams. I weigh pretty much everything other than salad veg and I can still surprise myself at how inaccurate my eyeballed portions can be. Try not to be too frustrated, think back to when you were over-eating and not exercising you must be so much fitter and healthier now even if you aren't seeing the numbers drop on the bathroom scales. Weigh your food more and yourself less and keep up your good work.:wink:
  • Poutie
    Poutie Posts: 2
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    AimeeJolene, I was literally about to post exactly what you have written in your original post. I am 5'6", 200lbs. I am 4 months in to my diet and fitness, with absolutely no results. I've had a series of blood tests, all of them clear. I religiously track all food and drinks, all my portions are weighed. According to MFP, I should be eating 1200 a day. I generally come in at 1100- 1200. I exercise 4-5 out of 7 days, alternating 5k runs with 30 day shred.
    My lifestyle prior to last May was pretty sedentary, and I was overeating to the tune of approx 3000 calories a day, mostly junk, sugar filled foods. So i did assume, even by cutting my intake by 1000 a day and a little exercise, that I would see a difference. But nothing. Considering the lifestlye changes I have made, I would have expected to see some movement on the scales, or in my clothes. I am sticking at it because I do think it has to happen at some stage, and I am not letting all my hard work go to waste. I am so puzzled, I know I am not overeating, I have read hundreds of blogs and checked hundreds of websites, and they all basically are coming down to the same thing. To lose weight, eat less, move more. I'm beginning to think I am the exception to that rule!!!
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    Aimee,

    I learned the lesson early on about how easy it is to overestimate burned calories and underestimate food calories. I did not see progress for a few months and it was frustrating.

    I was eyeballing those portions because I ate the same things every day, but then I learned my eyeballs were a bit bigger than I thought. Now I weigh the solids and measure the liquids. I weigh meat prior to cooking and not after.

    I was using the MFP calorie burned estimations, but I learned those are off too. My pedometer estimates are fairly close to the treadmill and elliptical machines at the gym, so I take the lower of the two. NOT has me burning 100 calories for 30 minutes of circuit training, but that's bogus. I enter 50 calories.

    I was not logging accurately, thus I missed putting down some calories. No wonder I wasn't losing. I learned this lesson by starting to log accurately and saw I was eating more than I thought I was.now, I plan my food for the day, log anything extra I might eat, and make sure I log ccurate amounts and calories for food. I don't have a HRM, but I I have heard they can be inaccurate anyway.

    I have lost 23 pounds and have 10 more to go, and the changes HAPPENED when I reassessed my food, exercise, and logging methods.
  • Debbie_Ferr
    Debbie_Ferr Posts: 582 Member
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    Calories from alcohol do not fall into the 3 macro nutrients.

    sugar is a carb

    Alcohol calories are not sugar(carb). Alcohol is COMPLETELY seperate from carb,protein, fat.

    Per http://www.mckinley.illinois.edu/handouts/macronutrients.htm

    "Besides carbohydrate, protein, and fat, the only other substance that provides calories is alcohol. Alcohol provides 7 calories per gram. Alcohol, however, is not a macronutrient .

    WHAT ARE MACRONUTRIENTS?
    Macronutrients are nutrients that provide calories or energy. Nutrients are substances needed for growth, metabolism, and for other body functions. Since “macro” means large, macronutrients are nutrients needed in large amounts. There are three macronutrients:
    Carbohydrate provides 4 calories per gram.
    Protein provides 4 calories per gram.
    Fat provides 9 calories per gram."
  • Julzanne72
    Julzanne72 Posts: 467 Member
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    AimeeJolene, I was literally about to post exactly what you have written in your original post. I am 5'6", 200lbs. I am 4 months in to my diet and fitness, with absolutely no results. I've had a series of blood tests, all of them clear. I religiously track all food and drinks, all my portions are weighed. According to MFP, I should be eating 1200 a day. I generally come in at 1100- 1200. I exercise 4-5 out of 7 days, alternating 5k runs with 30 day shred.
    My lifestyle prior to last May was pretty sedentary, and I was overeating to the tune of approx 3000 calories a day, mostly junk, sugar filled foods. So i did assume, even by cutting my intake by 1000 a day and a little exercise, that I would see a difference. But nothing. Considering the lifestlye changes I have made, I would have expected to see some movement on the scales, or in my clothes. I am sticking at it because I do think it has to happen at some stage, and I am not letting all my hard work go to waste. I am so puzzled, I know I am not overeating, I have read hundreds of blogs and checked hundreds of websites, and they all basically are coming down to the same thing. To lose weight, eat less, move more. I'm beginning to think I am the exception to that rule!!!

    I would have to say if you are working out 5-7 days a week and only eating 1100-1200 calories, you are not eating enough. I started at 200 3 weeks ago, I have my profile set to 2lbs a week and I eat back my exercise calories, and have been averaging 2lbs a week and I am 5'4". I work out 6 days a week, Cardio 3 days and strength training 3 days.
  • TisheaDH
    TisheaDH Posts: 32 Member
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    One of the things that helped me get over my stall was purchasing an armband by Body Media. One of the first things I found out is that my BMR is higher than I previously believed based on calculations/calculators in general use. Once I had that number I realized that I wasn't eating enough.

    I brought this up because a lot of time we forget that we are individuals and most things are based on averages. You may need to tweak your fitness routine a bit or you may have to work out more than average.

    Also, it might be a good time to visit your doctor. There may be an underlying cause to your issues. I hope you find your solution soon.
  • 0321MarineMom
    0321MarineMom Posts: 15 Member
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    If your fitness goals are set to lose weight, it already calculated a deficit *for* you. I'm likely MUCH smaller than you and I'm supposed to net 1400 (food-exercise=net). Set it to lose half a pound a week and aim for netting that number.

    YES....THIS. So when you have a 300-500 calorie deficit...you actually have much more than that depending upon what you set up your MFP to calculate. If you set it up for a 2lb a week loss that's 7000 calories a week that you are eating LESS than you need (need to maintain your current weight)

    I DO agree that you may be over-estimating your calories BURNED too. It takes a LOT to burn 500 calories....at least for ME.

    I have played with the numbers for YEARS. It is NOT just a matter of calories in/calories out or I would weigh 100lbs right now. I am METICULOUS about EVERYTHING that goes into my mouth. If I steal ONE m&m...I count it! I count GUM. So I DO know the frustration of the numbers not working as they should.
  • costahobo
    costahobo Posts: 20 Member
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    It baffles me why anybody would recommend consuming more calories in order to lose weight. Physics, not even once.

    To anybody that says they just can't seem to lose weight, try going on the "3rd world country diet". Eat a bowl of rice and beans for every meal along with some fruits and veggies, including root veggies like potatoes. Eat a serving of protein once a day (or with every meal if you can afford it - many people in 3rd world countries can't afford meat with every meal, or even daily).
  • 0321MarineMom
    0321MarineMom Posts: 15 Member
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    It baffles me why anybody would recommend consuming more calories in order to lose weight. Physics, not even once.

    Because it works??

    I am not a scientist. I just know that when I was eating 1800 calories I was losing, but not what I wanted to...I was only losing about a pound a week and I have 100+ to go so I felt I should be losing more. (3 months) I dropped it to only 1400 calories a day I was NOT losing weight at all. (4-1/2 months) When I bumped it back up to 1600...I started losing again 3-5lbs a week. I did NOTHING else different....so explain that?
  • josephnjava1
    josephnjava1 Posts: 11 Member
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    I don't know if you are weighing and/or measuring your food......

    One thing I do know is that you can very easily miscalculate by eye leveling your food if you are new to this process. I was very very shocked when I weighed my first chicken breast at 3 ounces.... I mistakenly bought the thin sliced boneless skinless chicken breast from Costco rather than the bigger sized breast.

    Initially, my thought was that I messed up..... but during that same weekend I pulled out my food scale I purchased a couple of years ago. Basically that's when reality set in for me and I realized why I hadn't been losing weight. ..... SIMPLY EATING TOO MUCH!!!!
  • turquoise_elephant
    turquoise_elephant Posts: 83 Member
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    Aimee, just wondering, where did you calculate your BMR? Because the one I used put your BMR at 1692.45 which means if you're only eating 1500 calories and exercising, you're not getting anywhere near your BMR in net calories. Maybe you need to eat more? I'm certainly not an expert, but I've always been told to eat above your BMR and below your TDEE.
    This is the site I used, and there's a link under the BMR calculator to work out your TDEE:
    http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/
  • MikeGayner
    MikeGayner Posts: 2
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    Why do people keep saying that to lose weight you should eat more? Seriously WTF this place is terrible for advice.

    Before telling someone to eat more to lose weight, please find me a comprehensive list of (quality) literature that backs this up. I will then squash this tiny (non-existent?) pile of literature with the thousands of studies which have universally and repeatedly shown that fewer calories = more weight loss, PERIOD.
  • fatoldladyonamission
    fatoldladyonamission Posts: 572 Member
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    Can't believe I just sat and read this entire thread and people are still doing the starvation mode thing. It's a myth, sorry but that's the truth and I know so fro. Personal experience. Back in 2005 weighing 231lbs I decided to do Lighterlife. The idea being you have nothing but 3 of their foodpacks a day and 4 litres of water. Each foodpack was approx 130 calories and contained all the vitamins etc you need (!) I lost 12lbs in my first week and went on to lose around 5lbs a week every week. I even got to the point where I was only having 1 or maybe 2 of the foodpacks each day. I still lost 5lbs a week on average. I did this crazy diet for 18 weeks, lost 95lbs and thought it was fantastic. Well it was except.... my hair started falling out, my nails stopped growing, I felt weak dizzy and tired, and I had a headache for most of those 18 weeks.

    Roll on 3 years and I'd put it all back on. Roll on another 5 years and I was almost 100lbs more. Starvation mode is a myth, and I'm the proof. If you aren't losing near enough all the odds say you aren't in a deficit. Read the link to the a calorie counter blog.

    I've been back with MFP since the middle of August, I log religiously and I measure and or weigh everything. I've lost 32lbs since 18th August. It does work if yiu commit to it and use it right.

    Or you can just insist you're the exception to all the laws of physics and flounce.

    Either way, I hope you find the right path on your journey.
  • dunnodunno
    dunnodunno Posts: 2,290 Member
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    Do you measure your food? If not then I suggest buying a cheap device to measure your food in grams & ounces.
  • orangebluesun
    orangebluesun Posts: 26 Member
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    I went through and still going through the same exact thing as you. Our stories match to a "T". I have one point of advice due to seeing a little results though and that is " Do Not Weigh Yourself" I repeat "Stop Weighing Yourself on the scale". It will only put you in a "give-up Mode" Trust Me. If you have to weigh in do it only 1 time a month. I prefer last day of month.

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