I'm not losing weight..HELP!!
jrc180
Posts: 6
I am 5 ft 2 and about 142 pounds 20 year old female. I would like to be around 130-135 pounds within the nest 3-4 weeks. I've been using myfitnesspal since March and I did lose about four pounds, but then I gained it back. I realize that the problem is the amount/quality of food that I am consuming. Can someone please tell me SPECIFIC foods to eat (and when) that would help me reach my goal? I usually work out about 3-4 times a week, but with finals coming up, because I am a student, I haven't been working out at all. For me, this is all about diet. I'm open to any tips and suggestions!
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Replies
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You don't need specific foods. You need to eat at a caloric deficit to lose weight and that can be done eating anything. Weigh and measure your food and log it. It's that simple.
Also, you need to have patience. A 7-12 pound loss in 3-4 weeks is pretty unlikely.0 -
There are no specific foods you're supposed to eat, and it doesn't matter what time you eat them. You simply have to eat less than you burn. That's it. There is no magic foods/drinks that will help you lose weight faster.0
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there are no SPECIFIC foods to eat... you could just eat mars bars and lose weight if you were eating at a deficit...
also, you need more realistic goals than losing 10lb in a month... set MFP to lose 1lb per week, and stick to that calorie number. weigh and measure everything you eat and drink and you WILL lose weight.0 -
Hello!
The key to success is to really look at the size off the portion (we usually eat way more than we need to).
There is no magic food, but you might want to replace some of the things you are eating by food that will actually fill you (nuts, proteins, etc.).
If you want to maintain your weight afterward, you might need to change a few habits
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You don't need specific foods. You need to eat at a caloric deficit to lose weight and that can be done eating anything. Weigh and measure your food and log it. It's that simple.
Also, you need to have patience. A 7-12 pound loss in 3-4 weeks is pretty unlikely.
unless you have alot of weight to lose.. calorie deficit is correct0 -
I'm 140lbs now, and 5'2" and honestly I'll be lucky if I get down to 138lbs by Christmas. At our size, 10lbs in 1 month is just not possible. I lose an average of 1lb a week but sometimes that means 2 weeks of now loss, one week of 0.5lb loss then a big week of 2-3lbs.
Don't set yourself up for failure. Pick a realistic goal of 0.5lb - 1lb a week and just eat a healthy deficit and if possible add some exercise.0 -
Agree with everyone else. There are no specific foods to eat. The only thing that will cause you to lose weight is a calorie deficit. You can eat whatever you want, but the only way to know for sure how many calories you're eating in the first place is to accurately log everything you eat and count your calories.
Just plug all of your info and your goals into MFP and eat that calorie amount every day plus at least some of your exercise calories. If you have less than 20 pounds to lose, you should aim for a pound a week or less. Yes, it will take longer than you want it to, but the key to lasting success is to build lasting habits.0 -
Right now I am trying to eat 1200 a day (or more with exercise) and I try to eat:
*Progresso light soups (between 100-200 caloresi)
*Green Giant Steamers like Garden Vegetable Medley and Brussel Sprouts (between 140-180 calories)
*Almonds for the healthy fats (180 for a 1/4 cup serving which I measure out in a food scale and bag individual servings)
*lots of hot tea (0 calories) with splenda or diet swiss miss hot chocolate (25 calories per cup) so I don't feel so hungry throughout the day - also flavored water
*Breakfast I will eat Quaker Oatmeal (appx. 130 calories per pack) or butterball everyday turkey bacon (35 calories for 2 pieces)
I also like these foods because if you watch for them to be on sale you can get them cheap - about $1 per piece. Progresso soups will go on sale for a dollar a can about every 2 to 4 weeks at most grocery stores. Same for the Steamers; they will run 10 for $10 every few weeks. If you are on a budget, you can watch stores ads and then buy 30 boxes or 30 cans at a time and get a major discount.
I like these foods because they are prepackaged into servings (easy to track), relatively healthy, and provide variety, and they taste good. Also, I recommend a food scale (you can get one at Walmart for about $20), so that you can track everything you eat and make sure you aren't accidently overeating. A good example is an apple. A serving (medium at 154 grams) is 80 calories but a big one can be double that, so learning to recognize correct portion size is important.
I also take a multivitamin and currently supplement with Airborne (high doses of vitamin C and other nutrients - 25 cals for 4 tablets). Wheat germ is also good for high doses of vitamin B and only has 50 calories for 2 tablespoons. I just mention this so that your body is getting proper nutrients while eating lower amounts of calories.0 -
I'm 140lbs now, and 5'2" and honestly I'll be lucky if I get down to 138lbs by Christmas. At our size, 10lbs in 1 month is just not possible. I lose an average of 1lb a week but sometimes that means 2 weeks of now loss, one week of 0.5lb loss then a big week of 2-3lbs.
Don't set yourself up for failure. Pick a realistic goal of 0.5lb - 1lb a week and just eat a healthy deficit and if possible add some exercise.
All great responses but I wanted to quote this one because I love how you mentioned the fluctuating losses. Weight loss isn't linear as the scale changes can be influenced quite a bit by water weight, especially for us females on our monthly cycles.0 -
You don't need specific foods. You need to eat at a caloric deficit to lose weight and that can be done eating anything. Weigh and measure your food and log it. It's that simple.
Also, you need to have patience. A 7-12 pound loss in 3-4 weeks is pretty unlikely.
unless you have alot of weight to lose.. calorie deficit is correct
Correct, but OP does not.0 -
Try and cut out ALL carbs if you can.
ummm no? your body needs carbs to work. carbs are not the enemy. carbs are your friend.
but yea, what everyone else said. eating at a deficit is your best option. no magic foods.
and also, where did you get the goal of 130 from? Is it because you used to be that weight and want to be again? Or because you think your body will look better at that weight? If a thinner, lean body is what you are after, try adding heavy lifting to your routine. you will SHED inches faster than you can believe if you start a heavy lifting routing like starting strength or stronglifts.0 -
Try and cut out ALL carbs if you can.
ummm no? your body needs carbs to work.
and carbs are delicious!0 -
if you are only 5ft 2, I would suggest you would need a pretty strict calorie regime - 800-1000 calories, plus some exercise.
also i just noticed this nestled in there. PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DON'T EAT ONLY 800 CALORIES AND THEN ALSO EXERCISE.0 -
Also, I forgot to add, that I like to eat small amounts throughout the day. My MFP account is set up as Breakfast, Midmorning Snack, Lunch, Afternoon Snack, Dinner, Evening Snack. When dieting, I try to eat every few hours (for example, eating 200 calories 6 times a day but you could mix up the amounts too - 100 here, 400 there). I like this set up of eating less more frequently because it gives me something to look forward to and my body usually tells me though hunger when it's time to eat again. Since you mention that you aren't exercising through finals and will be more sendentary, eating smaller amounts more frequently may work well for you.0
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Hi, I am a student as well and I know how hard it can be to eat at the dining halls with all the junk food available. Unfortunately, I gained the freshman 20 (which is why I'm here on MFP). When I eat in the dining halls I typically eat a lot of soup. Everyday they usually have one cream soup (which you probably know is no good for you and high in fat) and one brothy soup. I usually eat a bowl of the broth soup everyday. They usually have all the vegetables I need for a small amount of calories. This alone usually will not keep me full so if there are no beans or meat in the soup, then I will add some black beans or kidney beans from the salad bar (it is an all you can eat dining hall). Or I add chicken cubes from the salad bar. Some of the soup is high in sodium but they can keep me full, nutritious and under my calorie goal. If you are not a dining hall eater, then I suggest looking up some soup recipes on your own. I know weight watchers has some really low calorie vegetable soups. Hope this helps!0
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It's true - technically you can eat whatever you want and still lose weight. Portion control really is the killer. I suggest you buy a food scale and start watching how much of everything you are eating; you can buy a food scale for $5 at Walmart so they really aren't expensive.
1 lb of fat can equate to approximately 2800 to 3700 calories. Typically the maximum amount of weight you should lose each week and still be healthy is about 2 lbs. Unless a health professional says otherwise, more than that could cause nasty health side effects later, and it could mean that you are starving yourself which kills your metabolism.
You don't need to cut out anything out of your diet - however eating the right foods can really make your dieting life easier (and not make you feel like you a sacrificing your happiness). You can typically eat more of healthier foods that you can the yummy desserts. Try to eat lean cut meats, high fiber, and high protien foods as they typically fill you up more (and longer) than what a serving of cookies or donuts would. Foods with high sugars tend to give you a quick boost of energy and then a crash later on. And when you are tired, typically people do one of 2 things: sleep, or eat/drink.
Also, since you are in your 20s I'll assume you are like many 20 year olds who like to go out and drink. Alcohol itself is a sugar. Try and track how many drinks you have in 1 night and correlate it to calories - it could be quite revealing.
Last but not least, the occasional work out really helps. mix up weight lifting and cardio. If you add 1 lbs of muscle, it requires energy (anywhere from 15 to 100 calories each day) to maintain it, depending on your metabolism. Even if you just went for a fast paced/ brisk 1 mile walk 3 times a week, you would see your results sooner than not doing any type of physical activity.0 -
Use smaller plates / bowls - should help you with your portion sizes0
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Specific foods don't matter, as everyone has stated. I would try to keep carbs on the low side, and make sure that you get enough fat and protein, so you don't feel ravenous. I've lost all of my weight eating fast food every single day. The fact is, most food is perfectly fine for weight loss if you just watch your calorie total. If your calorie total is ACCURATE each day, you'll lose weight. And don't panic, just do math. Math is your friend in this instance.
If you're just looking for meal ideas, check out the diaries of people who are losing weight. Mine is pretty boring, I eat a LOT of fast food. But you can lose weight that way if you want. Our bodies are really good at eating whatever is around, thanks to evolution. :drinker:0 -
I'm 5'4", began at 155 lbs and am now at 139. It took me nine months because I CANNOT give up eating. So here's what I'm doing:
1. logging everything I eat and trying to stay within my TDEE. Admittedly I fail a LOT and that's okay.
2. When I get that "snacky" behavior going, I snack on a piece of boneless/skinless chicken if I have it, or an apple, because it fills me up both mentally and physically.
3. Walk as much as possible. Try walking around campus, to each building/class, don't take the elevator, park far away, etc.
4. Exercise every day. Either I walk my 3-mile circuit, or I dance for 30 minutes, or use my stationary bike for 30 minutes. FIND the time to exercise - it's important.
Best wishes and stop beating yourself up; it'll happen, but it takes time. At our height, or lack thereof :grumble: it takes longer to get the pounds off if we intend to keep them off. We just don't have as many calories to shave as someone bigger, so everything counts.
If you're in a tough spot because of a temporary issue (finals), relax your expectations for now and worry about a tighter schedule of weight loss in a couple of weeks. Best wishes!0 -
I was thinking the same thing!! 800 calories a day is ridiculously dangerous! You have to find YOUR body's base level of caloric intake.0
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Eating 800 calories per day will slow your metabolic rate. You will lose the weight intially but there are 2 very important things to consider: 1. that is extremely unhealthy- ask your doctor, and they will agree and give you a multitude of reasons on how it will affect your body negatively. 2. Once you decide to eat like a normal person again and not lose any more weight, you will find it extremely difficult because your body will be in 'starvation mode'. That means that your metabolism will be slower than it typically should and all the extra engergy you now consume will be stored as fat.0
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Whomever said to eat 800-1000 calories a day is starving there body of ANY nutrients!!! THEY ARE NUTS!!! It DOES matter what you eat!! Even if you try and stick to caloric diet, eating the right foods IS what is going to help you lose weight!! You cant eat 1500-1800 calories of crap all day.... because the sugar and fat in those crappy foods alone will make you gain weight!!
Take it from me.... ive lost 120lbs by EATING!! 5 - 6 small meals a day. eat every 2-3 hours.cALORIES INTAKE IS BASED ON HOW MUCH YOU NATURALLY BURN IN A DAY, AND THE AMOUNT OF EXERCISE. Just cause I take in 1500-1800 a day doesnt mean that will work for you.
But you should Have protein, green veggies, veggies, fruit and healthy complex carbs, like quinoa, brown rice, sweet potatoes. Stay away fromt eh strachy carbs, like corn, potatoes, pasta, white rice, bread.
EXAMPLE of eating plan
Breakfast- such as a large egg white omelette with any veggies and ham.have it with a small bowl of strawberries
mid morning snack have a greek yogurt.
Lunch- spinach salad with 30z chicken breast, crushed walnuts, blueberries, and table spoon of olive oil/ apple cider vinegar. mid afternoon snack 1/4 cup of dry almonds with an orange.
Dinner- Any protein (fish, chicken, pork- limit red meat - to once a week) 1/2 cup of quinoa, kale/ broccoli salad.
If you have a sweet tooth like me, buy dark chocolate 70%. Dont restrict yourself, cause the moment you do, you end up falling off the wagon. Your body needs fuel in its tank in order to give you muscles the nutrients to grow and the fat loss to fall off!! message me if you need more tips!
REMEMBER YOU HAVE TO EAT TO LIVE, NOT LIVE TO EAT!!0 -
800-1000 calories a day----NUTS!0
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I'm 5'3" and 141...at my age it's harder to lose weight and if I can do it then anyone can....it's not specific foods that help...it's eating less calories than what you burn. Since we are small even a 1lb a week is hard as that is a 500 calorie deficit a day. You can eat the same and burn 500 calories a day extra or you can eat 250 less calories AND burn an extra 250 off...or any combination. To be honest a half pound a week is more sustainable and eating too little food or crappy food will end up being gained back. Choose greek yogurt, lean meat, fish, fruits and veggies and be active. I'm a college professor and if you are having trouble balancing exercise with study then take your book and get on a treadmill and read/study while you walk.....listen to a podcast while you run....pace the house while you read....in between chapters run up and down the stairs at home...whatever it takes. Just don't use "too busy" as an excuse.0
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if you are only 5ft 2, I would suggest you would need a pretty strict calorie regime - 800-1000 calories, plus some exercise.
also i just noticed this nestled in there. PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DON'T EAT ONLY 800 CALORIES AND THEN ALSO EXERCISE.
Yeah, WTH with the dangerous advice here??0 -
Whomever said to eat 800-1000 calories a day is starving there body of ANY nutrients!!! THEY ARE NUTS!!! It DOES matter what you eat!! Even if you try and stick to caloric diet, eating the right foods IS what is going to help you lose weight!! You cant eat 1500-1800 calories of crap all day.... because the sugar and fat in those crappy foods alone will make you gain weight!!
Take it from me.... ive lost 120lbs by EATING!! 5 - 6 small meals a day. eat every 2-3 hours.cALORIES INTAKE IS BASED ON HOW MUCH YOU NATURALLY BURN IN A DAY, AND THE AMOUNT OF EXERCISE. Just cause I take in 1500-1800 a day doesnt mean that will work for you.
But you should Have protein, green veggies, veggies, fruit and healthy complex carbs, like quinoa, brown rice, sweet potatoes. Stay away fromt eh strachy carbs, like corn, potatoes, pasta, white rice, bread.
EXAMPLE of eating plan
Breakfast- such as a large egg white omelette with any veggies and ham.have it with a small bowl of strawberries
mid morning snack have a greek yogurt.
Lunch- spinach salad with 30z chicken breast, crushed walnuts, blueberries, and table spoon of olive oil/ apple cider vinegar. mid afternoon snack 1/4 cup of dry almonds with an orange.
Dinner- Any protein (fish, chicken, pork- limit red meat - to once a week) 1/2 cup of quinoa, kale/ broccoli salad.
If you have a sweet tooth like me, buy dark chocolate 70%. Dont restrict yourself, cause the moment you do, you end up falling off the wagon. Your body needs fuel in its tank in order to give you muscles the nutrients to grow and the fat loss to fall off!! message me if you need more tips!
REMEMBER YOU HAVE TO EAT TO LIVE, NOT LIVE TO EAT!!
While I agree with some of your post, you're repeating two very common misconceptions.
Meal timing does not matter to weight loss. Some people do very well with 5-6 small meals and others do well with one big meal or an 8-hour feeding window. Assuming no medical conditions, meal timing is entirely about personal preference and what each dieter finds easiest to stick to.
You really can eat sugar and fat and "junk" and still lose weight. Even if it makes up your entire day. Is it optimal for health? Maybe, maybe not. It really depends on what you're eating, whether or not you're hitting your macros, and eating a variety of foods to get your micronutrients. If someone can do that with foods commonly labeled as "junk" then more power to them.0 -
Whomever said to eat 800-1000 calories a day is starving there body of ANY nutrients!!! THEY ARE NUTS!!! It DOES matter what you eat!! Even if you try and stick to caloric diet, eating the right foods IS what is going to help you lose weight!! You cant eat 1500-1800 calories of crap all day.... because the sugar and fat in those crappy foods alone will make you gain weight!!
Actually, if you eat 1500-1800 calories of whatever...as long as that has you in a deficit, you'll lose weight.0 -
Whomever said to eat 800-1000 calories a day is starving there body of ANY nutrients!!! THEY ARE NUTS!!! It DOES matter what you eat!! Even if you try and stick to caloric diet, eating the right foods IS what is going to help you lose weight!! You cant eat 1500-1800 calories of crap all day.... because the sugar and fat in those crappy foods alone will make you gain weight!!
Actually, if you eat 1500-1800 calories of whatever...as long as that has you in a deficit, you'll lose weight.
Ya, I want an explanation as to how I'm losing a pound a week at 1550 to 1700 a day eating McDonalds, ice cream and pizza... am I medical anomaly?!0 -
I feel bad that the OP got a few pieces of good advice hidden in the mess that is the rest of this thread.0
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Eating 800 calories per day will slow your metabolic rate. You will lose the weight intially but there are 2 very important things to consider: 1. that is extremely unhealthy- ask your doctor, and they will agree and give you a multitude of reasons on how it will affect your body negatively. 2. Once you decide to eat like a normal person again and not lose any more weight, you will find it extremely difficult because your body will be in 'starvation mode'. That means that your metabolism will be slower than it typically should and all the extra engergy you now consume will be stored as fat.
Bullfeathers. "Starvation mode" is something that happens to people WHO ARE LITERALLY STARVING. As in, rail thin, close to death, no fat stores left, etc. Overweight people who are trying to lose weight don't go into "starvation mode", that's just an old wives' tale. :huh:
And by the way, people who are in "starvation mode" (those who are literally starving) are still losing weight, so this concept really has no place in a weight loss argument except for when discussing advanced anorexia nervosa and related disorders.
Of course, eating 800 calories is not healthy for most people. But not because of "starvation mode".0
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