Need help please......:O(

happystars82

Hi all, firstly i apologise to anyone on my friends list reading this, they must be so fed up with me moaning....

I am so so low right now and on the floor begging for help...

im currently eating at 1500 and exercising every week day burning between 500-1000 calories a time
no i don;t eat back my exercise cals ..well sometimes.. but not all..

i sweat like an idiot at the gym and i get a real sense of achievement working out and sweating but i/m soon shot down when i weigh myself every week and i'm the same or even more!!!
what the fudge is that all about???

i know that muscles retain water to a degree and i know that fat burns and replaced with muscle but i'm doing mainly cardio so yes i have lost some inches but i'm 243lbs! i gotta lose something surly!

i mean i know they work out for longer and eat nothing but biggest loser never seem to get this problem and you never see them working out and then eating back thier calories..

i'm so confused right now and i really don;t want to give up but i do need some guidance from you experience lovely bunch.. i know i can find help here... ive ask for help at my gym but never seem to get a straight answer...

for anyone that wants to work out what i should be eating at here are my details;
age - 31
female
243lbs
5ft 3 inches
lifestyle is stay at home mum
workout every week night 4-5 days a week for one hour burning between 500-1000 calories.

please please please help me. xx

forever grateful
Amy from the UK

elyelyse

BIGGEST LOSER IS NOT REALITY.

Their "week" is usually more than 10 days, sometimes up to 2 weeks. ALL they do is work out. The day before a weigh in they eat almost nothing and are encouraged to refrain even from drinking water, in order to dehydrate themselves for a lower weight in. Several of the former contestants report having developed disordered eating related to the overly restrictive program followed during the show, and many put the weight back on once the show is over. The show is edited to portray contestants as lazy or making excuses when they are injured or sick, even after the staff doctor has declared a significant injury and suggest a rest period. PLEASE do NOT look at a show like Biggest Loser as an example of real people losing real weight in a real and sustainable way. PLEASE don't do that to yourself.

I haven't looked to see if you keep a diary, and I'm sure you'll get dozens of people here giving you advice...I just wanted to address the fact that that show doesn't even come close to reality.

happystars82

ok, thank you for taking the time to reply. x x

kespinoza2013

You may not be giving your body enough fuel to function and it may be storing everything you eat as fat...I encounterd the same thing when I first started I was so frustrated and wanted to give up....I would eat way under my goal hoping to lose quicker but I just gained....when you work out you need to eat those calories back because by working out you are increasing the need for fuel so you have to eat them back.

It doesn't make sense but your net has to be 1500 at the end of the day to lose weight, it's not a good idea to net less than 1200 because you're body will store everything you eat as fat....I started out at 245 three months ago, and now I'm down by twenty pounds! So you need to eat to lose weight it doesn't make sense but speaking from experience it works! Also I only weigh myself every two weeks or so because it takes that long for my loss to show up and that way I don't set myself up for failure. So keep your head up you can do it!

TavistockToad

firstly, you dont have to eat/net so little to lose weight

secondly, you're losing inches so you ARE losing fat....

Hestion

So on days you burn 1000 cals you're netting 500? You need to eat more. Try and eat half your exercise calories back, I've not looked at your diary for type of foods, but if you're not fueling your body it will hold onto what its got!

Sarahndipity30

^ agreed with Kesp. If you are staying strict to 1500 and still working out, i would eat your calories back. If you eat 1500 Today and go and burn 500, you are only netting 1000 calories. If you burn 1000 calories, you are only netting 500 cals. IMO That seems really low. i would stick to the 1500 if it works for you and you dont feel hungry, but on days you work out, eat your calories back.

gigglesinthesun

please do not kill yourself in the gym, seriously, don't. Weight loss is 80% diet.

Are you weighing everything, measuring only the liquids? Are you logging everything you put into your mouth? Itemised logging?

I found this a little blunt, but true. Once I started weighing some 250 calories miraculously appeared in my diary :-)
http://www.acaloriecounter.com/blog/why-am-i-not-losing-weight/

mamadon

You are burning too many calories every day and not eating enough. If you eat 1500 calories and burn 1000, you are only netting 500. You need to either start eating more or exercising less to even it out. Or eat your exercise calories.

SezxyStef

Well I took a peak at your diary and from what I can see...

you are not logging consistently...some days are empty, meal slots are empty...are you eating and not logging?

you are not using a kitchen scale to weigh your food.

And the calories burned how are they measured? HRM with a chest strap? Machine?

Typically when you are not losing weight it is because you are over estimating the calories burned or under estimating intake

Based on your logging and burns could be both.

TavistockToad

had a quick look at your diary... first off, you need to log EVERYTHING, every day...

weigh everything on scales

looking at a few days that you have logged there was no fruit or veg - you dont have to eat it to lose weight, but its good for your health regardless of weight loss, and who doesnt want good skin, shiny hair etc etc??

also, look at increasing your protein, aim for 100g per day, it'll keep you full and help you retain muscle as you lose weight.

lauren3101

You are netting 500 calories a day? :huh:

MFP tells you to eat back your exercise calories, so why would you ignore that?

I know you don't seem willing to eat them back, but at the end of the day what you are currently doing is not working, so what have you got to lose by doing it the healthy way - aside from fat, of course.

tonipaffel

have you ever had your thyroid tested?

happystars82

firstly, you dont have to eat/net so little to lose weight

secondly, you're losing inches so you ARE losing fat....

oh i know but just can;t get my head around that no weight is not coming off..

Ophidion

Well I took a peak at your diary and from what I can see...

you are not logging consistently...some days are empty, meal slots are empty...are you eating and not logging?

you are not using a kitchen scale to weigh your food.

And the calories burned how are they measured? HRM with a chest strap? Machine?

Typically when you are not losing weight it is because you are over estimating the calories burned or under estimating intake

Based on your logging and burns could be both.

Didn't check your diary but if these observations are true you are definitely not going to see the results you want because you lack consistency and reference points for adjustments...also your approach for weight loss seems a bit off.

Some helpful links...

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1069278-acronyms-and-terms-for-new-mfp-members-v-6

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html

Blueloubie29

Hi Amy........I have the same issue but for sure if you are exercising you will be losing inches!! So better that than the weight you'll soon be looking and feeling great.

For four weeks I either stayed the same or was increasing, despite honestly keeping within my calories and not eating back my excersiose calories except on the weekends with a little too much wine - too felt depressed and thought why the hell am I bothering -

I do aqua aerobics twice weekly, walk my dog twice everyday and try and fit in zumba for at least 20 minutes a week too - when I got the tapemeasure out I had lost an impressive 7 inches off my waist and 9 inches from my hips (but honestly in my head I still felt like a failure) last week I juggled up my diet and drank at least 5 glasses of water every day (YUK!) but this week I have surely seen the results on the scales I had been waiting for - 6lb off YIPEE!

I guess what I am trying to say is be strong, juggle your diet, drink more water measure yourself and it will give you the push you need to continue, good luck my friend xx

TavistockToad

firstly, you dont have to eat/net so little to lose weight

secondly, you're losing inches so you ARE losing fat....

oh i know but just can;t get my head around that no weight is not coming off..

it will do. look at your water intake & sodium level as well as water retention will affect the scales.

happystars82

Well I took a peak at your diary and from what I can see...

you are not logging consistently...some days are empty, meal slots are empty...are you eating and not logging?

you are not using a kitchen scale to weigh your food.

And the calories burned how are they measured? HRM with a chest strap? Machine?

Typically when you are not losing weight it is because you are over estimating the calories burned or under estimating intake

Based on your logging and burns could be both.

i think the days i didn;t log i just was frustrated..
i;ll admit i don;t eat the best of foods but its always within goal.. on such a tight budget that i have to eat what we got in house..i use HRM in gym with chest strap to get my readings

Go4it1985

Hey there,
I'm so sorry to hear you are feeling discouraged (

I'm not sure if you have been doing some number crunching to figure out how much you need to eat/exercise to lose weight so forgive me if I'm telling you stuff you already know...

For you to lose 1/2kg you need to be in deficit of 3500 calories per week, similarly for 1kg weight loss you would require 7000 calories.

You need to figure out your Base Metabolic Rate (BMR) - this is the rate that your body already burns energy if you were to do absolutely nothing all (if you were in a coma etc.). Alternatively you could use your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) score - which tells you how many calories you normally use a day (I believe this factors in your activity level (like if you sedentary). The BMR score would be the lower one because it does not take into any account any walking you do etc.

From your BMR/TDEE you need to create at minimum a deficit of 3500 calories.
So I am of a similar weight to you (a bit lower I think) but my BMR is around 1800 calories/day.
To create a deficit of 3500, I need to eat -500 calories per day (-500*7 = -3500).

But it seems you are already doing something like that (but I don't know how you came about your numbers because if you are taking them from MFP then it's not entirely accurate.

Gaining weight/not losing could be:
*because of muscle (maybe!)
*water retention (especially if you are not drinking enough and your sodium (intake of salt) is high - this may the case if you are eating a lot of packaged foods. You actually need to drink more water, to lose that water retention.
*how you have worked out the numbers (how much to eat/exercise does not give you enough deficit to create a 1/2kg weight loss)

It might depend on what you are eating (if they have high fat content, that will go directly to your body without being burnt?)

I'm no expert but I hope things improve for you!! *hugs*

terri_journey

You are burning too many calories every day and not eating enough. If you eat 1500 calories and burn 1000, you are only netting 500. You need to either start eating more or exercising less to even it out. Or eat your exercise calories.

This is exactly right!! Your body is hanging onto every bit of food you put into it because your actually only eating 500 calories a day. You NEED to increase you calories or eat back more if you burn that many calories in on day.
Sending you a PM. :flowerforyou:

happystars82

You are netting 500 calories a day? :huh:

MFP tells you to eat back your exercise calories, so why would you ignore that?

I know you don't seem willing to eat them back, but at the end of the day what you are currently doing is not working, so what have you got to lose by doing it the healthy way - aside from fat, of course.

your right hun,,,, everything eveyone has said makes sense... new day me thinks..O)