I'm not losing weight..HELP!!

bajoyba

Not everyone can eat WHATEVER they want WHENEVER they want!! I think it is wonderful that you are able to do that! Most of the comments on here are all the same, when trying to lose weight you have to be aware of what you are putting in your mouth and when. If I was to eat at night I would gain. If I was to eat everything I wanted I would gain. We are all on here to help eachother and give advice on how we have found succes. We don't know what this person is eating and when, so I have given an opinion. If they take the advice great, if not thats ok too. Out of all the comments I really hope you find what works for you. Good luck.

If you re-read what I wrote, I said that you can eat whatever and whenever you want AS LONG AS you're in a calorie deficit. In order to lose weight, you have to eat less than your body requires to maintain itself as it currently is. A calorie is simply a unit of energy. If you give your body more energy than it needs, it will store it and you will gain weight. If you give your body less energy than it needs, you will lose weight. It's simple math.

You can give your body fewer calories in fast food or fewer calories in broccoli. You can give your body fewer calories with a large eating window or a small one, spread over lots of smaller meals or a couple of big ones. Your body is working to process the food you give it non-stop, 24/7. If you're eating in a calorie deficit, the result will be the same - you will lose weight.

Not all macros provide the same amount of energy per gram, and your body uses them differently from a nutritional standpoint. But when it comes to weight loss, the calorie deficit is what matters. I'm not a special snowflake or a medical anomaly. It's just good old-fashioned science. If you accurately log everything you consume and stick to a calorie deficit, you may find that this applies to you as well.

QuietBloom

Yes, I do beleive there is a science to what we eat and when we eat it. First off I would cut out all liquids BUT WATER! Always eat within an hour of waking up. Breakfast should always be the largest meal of the day, Never eat carbs alone......meaning having an apple for a snack is a good choice, but add a little PB with it, Only a tbls, but this will help process your carbs better. Try not to eat carbs after 2pm. Load up on your protein, they keep you full longer and stop cravings. The biggest part is not eating an hour before going to bed. And plan and prep out your meals a few days in advance. If all you have to do is heat and eat, it will stop you from eating empty calories. I have a cooler in my car everywhere I go, just so I don't get tempted for those fast food pit stops. Good luck to you, and keep on top of your exercise too!

A bunch of silly rules based on nothing. It doesn't matter when you eat, or in what combination. A calorie deficit is all that matters.

QuietBloom

This is NOT a healthy diet! All those foods are loaded with sodium ( which retains water) Tea is a diaretic just like coffee. Stick to water and natural foods. And eat! Not eating, will not help you lose weight. This is in response to the above lady advising to eat canned soups and turkey bacon.

Coffee and tea can be counted toward your water intake because their diuretic effects are so negligible.

Mr_Knight

Not everyone can eat WHATEVER they want WHENEVER they want!!

Nobody suggested otherwise.

Phoenix_Warrior

Yes, I do beleive there is a science to what we eat and when we eat it. First off I would cut out all liquids BUT WATER! Always eat within an hour of waking up. Breakfast should always be the largest meal of the day, Never eat carbs alone......meaning having an apple for a snack is a good choice, but add a little PB with it, Only a tbls, but this will help process your carbs better. Try not to eat carbs after 2pm. Load up on your protein, they keep you full longer and stop cravings. The biggest part is not eating an hour before going to bed. And plan and prep out your meals a few days in advance. If all you have to do is heat and eat, it will stop you from eating empty calories. I have a cooler in my car everywhere I go, just so I don't get tempted for those fast food pit stops. Good luck to you, and keep on top of your exercise too!

I don't even know where to begin with this... did you read that skinny book? Who decided no carbs after 2pm? Hell, I'm eating ice cream at 1144 pm. Maybe if I wait another 16 minutes to finish my coffee I'll become a gremlin. What are empty calories? Breakfast is actually my smallest meal. Maybe I'm a medical marvel? Since we're talking science here.

SLLRunner

Eat whatever you want whenever you want, but eat less calories than you burn in a day. That's way you lose weight.

No special foods, no cutting out any type of food, and no eating only at certain times of the day.

Relax, weigh your solid food and measure your liquids, accurately log all food and exercise, and work to meet as much of your calorie net as you can each day. If you do these things you will lose weight.

jonnythan

Open your diary if you want constructive help.

Siansonea

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".

My apologies, I guess my nutrition degree is invalid then. Btw, if you log in under 1200 calories into MFP, the following statement appears:

*Based on your total calories consumed for today, you are eating too few calories. Not only is it difficult to receive adequate nutrition at these calorie levels, but you could also be putting your body into starvation mode. Starvation mode lowers your metabolism and makes weight loss more difficult. We suggest increasing your calorie consumption to 1200 calories per day minimum.

I guess MFP is wrong too?

Yeah, you should probably turn in your degree. I mean, tell me, O Sage, how a person who is overweight can be in the same metabolic state as a person with no fat stores to draw from, just because they're cutting calories a bit? You really think that if you dip below a certain calorie threshold, that your body takes all incoming calories and stores them as fat? WHAT DOES IT USE TO POWER THE BODY, THEN? :huh:

'Starvation mode' is a layman's term meant to encompass both what you and I are speaking about. I am not saying you are wrong, I'm only saying that I am not either. You are describing an extreme case which holds true. I am only referring to the slowing of a person's metabolism when they don't consume enough calories. It's like how there are various stages of diseases - just because somebody is on the intitial diagnosis of specific disease, and another person is on the unfortunate end of it, doesn't mean they don't have the same disease. Regardless, we are both trying to offer advice to someone, and from what you have said, it's been relatively good advice. I don't want to turn this thread into something off topic, I truly wish you the best of luck on your weight loss goals.

I've pretty much reached my weight loss goal, I'm a pound away from my goal. I'm transitioning to maintenance these days.

jonnythan

I see no problem with what Roz said. She used the term starvation mode, which is problematic because it gets misused on MFP. However she accurately uses it to mean metabolic adaptation from a VLCD.

jrc180

I read this too, and I know that is absolutely incorrect!!

Stage14

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!!

I'm 5'3", eat 1700-1900 calories a day, eat a lot of "junk" (I live for corn potatoes and rice). I've lost 16lbs in 15 weeks.

jrc180

How?

jrc180

Open your diary if you want constructive help.

how?

jonnythan

Click Food, then Settings, then Public at the bottom. Hit save.

jrc180

Click Food, then Settings, then Public at the bottom. Hit save.

can you see it now?

SLLRunner

Click Food, then Settings, then Public at the bottom. Hit save.

can you see it now?

Yes.

Several days are not logged in, and I notice one day you did not log dinner.

I suggest you get a lot more accurate and make sure you weigh solid foods and measure liquids and log every bite you put in your mouth. You are eating more than you think you are if you're not losing weight.

I also saw one day of the elliptical where you put 20 minutes burned close to 200 calories. That's clearly over-estimated. MFP and the machines both over-estimate. What worked for me to accurately figure out my cardio calorie burns was to buy a heart rate monitor.

jrc180

Click Food, then Settings, then Public at the bottom. Hit save.

can you see it now?

Yes.

Several days are not logged in, and I notice one day you did not log dinner.

I suggest you get a lot more accurate and make sure you weigh solid foods and measure liquids and log every bite you put in your mouth. You are eating more than you think you are if you're not losing weight.

I also saw one day of the elliptical where you put 20 minutes burned close to 200 calories. That's clearly over-estimated. MFP and the machines both over-estimate. What worked for me to accurately figure out my cardio calorie burns was to buy a heart rate monitor.

I used the estimation from the machine. How would a heart monitor inform me of how many calories are being burned? I know that i need to be better about logging. I used to log every day, but got lazy about it recently (oops )

jonnythan

Accurate logging is job #1. If you're not doing that, there's no way to help you with your food intake.

Log first, then analyze if you don't get the results you want.

And weigh everything. Looking at the things you're logging, you're not weighing your portions. That "1 tbsp" of Nutella is probably quite a bit more than you think. Same with the "1 cup" of rice and pasta.

SLLRunner

Click Food, then Settings, then Public at the bottom. Hit save.

can you see it now?

Yes.

Several days are not logged in, and I notice one day you did not log dinner.

I suggest you get a lot more accurate and make sure you weigh solid foods and measure liquids and log every bite you put in your mouth. You are eating more than you think you are if you're not losing weight.

I also saw one day of the elliptical where you put 20 minutes burned close to 200 calories. That's clearly over-estimated. MFP and the machines both over-estimate. What worked for me to accurately figure out my cardio calorie burns was to buy a heart rate monitor.

I used the estimation from the machine. How would a heart monitor inform me of how many calories are being burned? I know that i need to be better about logging. I used to log every day, but got lazy about it recently (oops :

If your heart rate monitor is properly calibrated to your specific heartbeat, it should give more accurate readings for your cardio. I have one with a chest strap and have found the HRM readings for my cardio to be less than both MFP and the machines' by about 100 to 150 calories per session. This is true for me because of my own results.

Both MFP and the cardio machines are calibrated to general profiles.

The other ways to get more accuracy is to either not eat all your exercise calories back to account for error or knock off a portion of the calories when logging.