What went wrong?

Will_Thrust_For_Candy

Sorry OP but I will echo what many of the others have said.

Chances are very likely that not losing was not due to your birth control but rather to not having a caloric deficit. That is most certainly the case regarding the 25lbs that you gained after the fact.

First off, 4 weeks really is nothing. It took you a long time to put on the weight, you most certainly are not going to lose it that quickly, not in a healthy manner anyway. Food scales are really not horribly expensive. I have bought some at Liquidation World for $7 and really it does make a huge difference. If you don't want to use MFP to figure out your calories, you can use a site like:

http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

I can't recall right now if you mentioned what your exercise routine is like, but I would still opt for the lightly active activity level.

As for there being other ways, there really isn't. Weight loss is based on calories in vs calories out. That's it. Your goal is to lose weight at this point, not to recomp or anything else. Calories in vs calories out is the theory that will work for you. As for the types of foods, that is not the reason you didn't lose either. I mean within reason, you could have retained some water from sodium, if you were eating high sodium items, but overall you could eat poptarts and if you are in a deficit, you will lose. Will you feel awesome, probably not, but you get the point.

Naturally from a health perspective, you want to try to eat as much whole food as possible, but a few processed items won't throw everything out the window.

So here's how it breaks down. Determine a calorie goal and STICK WITH IT. At least 6 weeks. Either MFP method or based on that link I provided you. Weigh all solids, measure all liquids. This includes condiments, cream in your coffee,etc. Log all your food. Exercise to be healthy and because it's good for your body. BE PATIENT!

Will you need to weigh and measure and log forever? Maybe.....maybe not. But often times we are vastly underestimating how much we're eating. We have all done it, it's not just you.

Good luck.

tegalicious

I would say not giving it enough time and not weighing your food. As an example.... I had been previously measuring pb2 with measuring spoons. Finally got a scale and weighed out the measuring spoon portion. It was DOUBLE the portion. My little measuring spoon portion that should have been 45 calories was really 90 calories worth of pb2. Not that big of a deal if I had only been having what I thought was one serving. A huge deal though considering I was having 8 measured servings a day. Which was really 16 servings. An extra 360 calories in pb2 alone. Not to mention the countless other items I was underestimating. Like pasta. And bananas. And nuts. No wonder my weight loss stalled when I started upping my calories as I got close to my goal weight. I was completely negating my deficit by measuring instead of weighing!

so when you look up calories for a banana, it is listed in ounces? I'm not trying to be a dunce. But do you take your scales to restaurants with you?

I look up "banana USDA" in the mfp database. That gives me a list of bananas in the database with the serving in grams. I weigh my banana. The digital food scale gives me it's weight in grams. I record that in mfp. My diary is open so feel free to take a look. I just got the scale two weeks ago. I don't eat at restaurants often but when I do I go to places that have the calories online. I often add 50-200 quick add calories to the meal to account for the chef's ability to be creative with the ingredients . It is cheaper and tastier for me to eat at home. My boyfriend is a great cook .

Thanks for explaining how that works. I don't cook on weekends at all and that might be a hard point for me.

I don't know where you are located but typically most chain restaurants have their calorie counts online. And you can make your own database entry for the food based off of the restaurants online calorie count. And then add a few quick add calories like I said.

susie3g

Measuring cups work fine for liquids but for most solids I would opt for weighing. It's more accurate. I would even weigh cold cuts and cheese slices that are labeled per slice (and grams) because as I've experienced, the actual weight per slice can be really off from what's on the label and it adds up. Other things to consider: your exercise cal burns might have been overestimated so when you ate them back you actually too much; including all condiments; including liquid cals, etc.

How can I make sure I am not over estimating calories burned by exercise? Also.. I'm really confused about whether you are supposed to eat back the calories or not.

Marcelynh

Good for you for coming back and starting over. That's a HUGE first step! Now determine to stick with it. You will have good weeks, and bad weeks, good days and bad days but that's just life.

I don't weigh my food but I do measure and assume that I'm eating a tad bit more than I really think I am. For weight I did practice by estimating weights by comparing it to things I knew the weight of. Perhaps if you have a friend that has a scale you can borrow it and make a couple of little baggie weights of flour that weigh 4 oz., 6 oz. etc and practice recognizing the weight of food. Of course you aren't going to pick up your steak at a restaurant and see how much it weighs. lol

Definitely take measurements! There are many months where I don't lose a single pound but I do lose in inches. Measurements are huge indicators.

Many people may disagree with me but I do think that birth control hormones (and menopausal hormones) can affect your ability to gain or lose weight. Being aware of that may help and talking to your doctor to see if there is an alternate for you can help. I also have hypothyroidism and take my medication every day, even missing one day can send my system into weight gain territory. Being diligent with your medication helps.

Mostly though I'd encourage you to drink plenty of water, cut sodium intake, keep measuring your food and to add five extra minutes of exercise every day, even if it's going out and walking around the house. I do a lot of "little" extra by parking the farthest away from a store door that I can. Yes sometimes I have to haul a basket of food to the car farther than i want but it's exercise. I walk everywhere that I can, I push the stroller when walking with my daughter and grandkids (pushing a stroller adds calorie burn!) And I keep a snack on hand that fills but doesn't add too many calories. (for me it's carrots) And #1 advice.... stick with it! You can do this and good job at coming back!

tegalicious

If you have your mfp account set to sedentary and to lose two pounds a week I would recommend eating back at least 75-100% if you aren't using a heart rate monitor with a chest strap and at least 25-50% if you are using the machine or mfps calorie count for exercise. If in 6 weeks you aren't losing as much weight as it says your should be you could try eating back less exercise calories. And if you are losing more than it says your should be you can eat a little bit more.

susie3g

I would say not giving it enough time and not weighing your food. As an example.... I had been previously measuring pb2 with measuring spoons. Finally got a scale and weighed out the measuring spoon portion. It was DOUBLE the portion. My little measuring spoon portion that should have been 45 calories was really 90 calories worth of pb2. Not that big of a deal if I had only been having what I thought was one serving. A huge deal though considering I was having 8 measured servings a day. Which was really 16 servings. An extra 360 calories in pb2 alone. Not to mention the countless other items I was underestimating. Like pasta. And bananas. And nuts. No wonder my weight loss stalled when I started upping my calories as I got close to my goal weight. I was completely negating my deficit by measuring instead of weighing!

so when you look up calories for a banana, it is listed in ounces? I'm not trying to be a dunce. But do you take your scales to restaurants with you?

I look up "banana USDA" in the mfp database. That gives me a list of bananas in the database with the serving in grams. I weigh my banana. The digital food scale gives me it's weight in grams. I record that in mfp. My diary is open so feel free to take a look. I just got the scale two weeks ago. I don't eat at restaurants often but when I do I go to places that have the calories online. I often add 50-200 quick add calories to the meal to account for the chef's ability to be creative with the ingredients . It is cheaper and tastier for me to eat at home. My boyfriend is a great cook .

Thanks for explaining how that works. I don't cook on weekends at all and that might be a hard point for me.

I don't know where you are located but typically most chain restaurants have their calorie counts online. And you can make your own database entry for the food based off of the restaurants online calorie count. And then add a few quick add calories like I said.

The restaurants here have that, too. .. most of them anyway.

servilia

Measuring cups work fine for liquids but for most solids I would opt for weighing. It's more accurate. I would even weigh cold cuts and cheese slices that are labeled per slice (and grams) because as I've experienced, the actual weight per slice can be really off from what's on the label and it adds up. Other things to consider: your exercise cal burns might have been overestimated so when you ate them back you actually too much; including all condiments; including liquid cals, etc.

How can I make sure I am not over estimating calories burned by exercise? Also.. I'm really confused about whether you are supposed to eat back the calories or not.

Well you'll never have 100% accuracy but a heart rate monitor is more accurate than the machines and more accurate than MFP in many cases. You should eat back exercise calories although if you're not sure about accuracy you can choose to eat back just 75% or something like that.

tegalicious

I would say not giving it enough time and not weighing your food. As an example.... I had been previously measuring pb2 with measuring spoons. Finally got a scale and weighed out the measuring spoon portion. It was DOUBLE the portion. My little measuring spoon portion that should have been 45 calories was really 90 calories worth of pb2. Not that big of a deal if I had only been having what I thought was one serving. A huge deal though considering I was having 8 measured servings a day. Which was really 16 servings. An extra 360 calories in pb2 alone. Not to mention the countless other items I was underestimating. Like pasta. And bananas. And nuts. No wonder my weight loss stalled when I started upping my calories as I got close to my goal weight. I was completely negating my deficit by measuring instead of weighing!

so when you look up calories for a banana, it is listed in ounces? I'm not trying to be a dunce. But do you take your scales to restaurants with you?

I look up "banana USDA" in the mfp database. That gives me a list of bananas in the database with the serving in grams. I weigh my banana. The digital food scale gives me it's weight in grams. I record that in mfp. My diary is open so feel free to take a look. I just got the scale two weeks ago. I don't eat at restaurants often but when I do I go to places that have the calories online. I often add 50-200 quick add calories to the meal to account for the chef's ability to be creative with the ingredients . It is cheaper and tastier for me to eat at home. My boyfriend is a great cook .

Thanks for explaining how that works. I don't cook on weekends at all and that might be a hard point for me.

I don't know where you are located but typically most chain restaurants have their calorie counts online. And you can make your own database entry for the food based off of the restaurants online calorie count. And then add a few quick add calories like I said.

The restaurants here have that, too. .. most of them anyway.

So before you head out for the day, plan where you will be eating. Go online and check the calorie counts for the restaurants and add your meals to your diary before you leave the house. That way you know what you are having and won't have to do the guess work in the heat of the moment.

susie3g

Good for you for coming back and starting over. That's a HUGE first step! Now determine to stick with it. You will have good weeks, and bad weeks, good days and bad days but that's just life.

I don't weigh my food but I do measure and assume that I'm eating a tad bit more than I really think I am. For weight I did practice by estimating weights by comparing it to things I knew the weight of. Perhaps if you have a friend that has a scale you can borrow it and make a couple of little baggie weights of flour that weigh 4 oz., 6 oz. etc and practice recognizing the weight of food. Of course you aren't going to pick up your steak at a restaurant and see how much it weighs. lol

Definitely take measurements! There are many months where I don't lose a single pound but I do lose in inches. Measurements are huge indicators.

Many people may disagree with me but I do think that birth control hormones (and menopausal hormones) can affect your ability to gain or lose weight. Being aware of that may help and talking to your doctor to see if there is an alternate for you can help. I also have hypothyroidism and take my medication every day, even missing one day can send my system into weight gain territory. Being diligent with your medication helps.

Mostly though I'd encourage you to drink plenty of water, cut sodium intake, keep measuring your food and to add five extra minutes of exercise every day, even if it's going out and walking around the house. I do a lot of "little" extra by parking the farthest away from a store door that I can. Yes sometimes I have to haul a basket of food to the car farther than i want but it's exercise. I walk everywhere that I can, I push the stroller when walking with my daughter and grandkids (pushing a stroller adds calorie burn!) And I keep a snack on hand that fills but doesn't add too many calories. (for me it's carrots) And #1 advice.... stick with it! You can do this and good job at coming back!

Thank you so much for the encouragement! ! Keeping everything you said in mind.

Marcelynh

How can I make sure I am not over estimating calories burned by exercise? Also.. I'm really confused about whether you are supposed to eat back the calories or not.

I think everyone kind of does what works for them. If I have a calorie burn of 200 calories I may not eat them back but if I have a big burn, like 600 calories I might eat back some of them. If I don't I tend to binge the next day because my body is trying to play "catch up" I don't have a problem with leaving 200 calories on the book though as that works for me. For others it may not. Just pay attention to your body. You don't want to starve it of calories so that it starts to store fat (go into starvation mode) so be aware of how you feel. I always have a good high protein snack after a workout and that helps me. (protein bar etc).

also I think MFP overestimates exercise calories. If you really want an accurate burn you can get a heart rate monitor and wear it. Do be aware though that the more you weigh the more calories you burn for the same amount of exercise.... a 200 lb. person will burn more calories walking 10 minutes than a 125 lb person so what someone else may show as a calorie burn is not accurate for your weight. Don't compare to others but be realistic about how much effort you put out. If you walk slow that is fine, you are walking, just don't claim moderate speed if you aren't doing it.

susie3g

If you have your mfp account set to sedentary and to lose two pounds a week I would recommend eating back at least 75-100% if you aren't using a heart rate monitor with a chest strap and at least 25-50% if you are using the machine or mfps calorie count for exercise. If in 6 weeks you aren't losing as much weight as it says your should be you could try eating back less exercise calories. And if you are losing more than it says your should be you can eat a little bit more.

I have it set for sedentary and 1.5 pounds a week.
So zero weight loss in the first month is normal? ?

Eleonora91

The only way to ensure success this time is trying harder and longer! One month might not have been enough. Maybe you were losing some weight, and putting it back because of other factors (period, etc) so you might not have noticed a loss. I'd suggest you to definitely try again, I know that birth control pills can make you bloated but I thought it was just water? So you shouldn't worry about it if you eat at a deficit. Exercise is also important, track your food carefully, ensure you're eating enough (but not too much) and if you feel like you're not having any result, you might need to ask a dietician because of your thyroid. I don't know much about it, but I know that people with hypotyroidism usually find it harder to lose weight, but still lose a lot if eating less and working out constantly try to be as careful as possible and give yourself some time. It's going to work!

luckydays27

a food scale costs $20-25. You dont need to spend a fortune on one for it to work. Not having $20 for a food scale is just another excuse. I am sure there is something that you are buying that lacks nutritional value and is calorie dense. Stop buying that for a while and get a food scale. 2-3 fast food meals will take care of the cost of a food scale, if you are eating that regularly.

As for restaurants and weighing. You can ask the server what the portion size is or ask for the nutrition menu. Chain places will have this info online and until you are adept at figuring out those cals, you should avoid restaurants or go to places with known cals available to you. eventually you make better choices when eating out and get a good idea of what the food weighs the more you practice at home.

Weight loss takes a crap load of desire to acheive. I desired to be thinner and more fit than I desired to be fat. I have lost 67 lbs so far. Its hard work. I never gave up because I know that this is not a diet, this is the way I live my life. And how I plan on living my life from here on out.

ETA: read the sexy pants link you were given. read it twice. That has all the info you need to get the weigh off.

Ang108

Ok.. I resent that people think I have come for advice and I'm not being honest with you guys or myself. That's not very encouraging at all. I have a sneaky suspicion that my failure has something to do with the birth control I was taking at the time.. as it's notorious for helping women pack on the pounds. But just in case that wasn't the problem, I wanted to see others' ideas about what could have went wrong and what I can do differently this time. I didn't come here to be told I am a liar.

It is possible that birth control plays a role in that, but usually not to the tune of 25 pounds. What often happens is that certain medicines increase our appetite and many of us fall into the trap of eating more and then gain weight. So, yes it is possible that you BC plaid a role, but it is mostly up to you to exercise some discipline and not give in, or at least not as much too often.

The same is true for thyroid problems. Once a person is well adjusted on their meds, there should not be a problem with losing. I have no thyroid at all, take my meds ( admittedly , it took two years to find the right medication and dosage ), but now I am fine and have lost 45 plus pounds since April 2013. What I think also helped me lose, was that after a rocky start I did not give up.
I would suggest that you try again, find the means to get a food scale ( I bought mine in the US at Target for under 10 dollars ) and then measure everything and stay as much as possible within your calorie deficit and keep in mind that you cannot out exercise an inadequate diet. You need to eat at a continuous caloric deficit to lose weight and add exercise to gain health and fitness.
Good Luck to you !

jstout365

First off, congrats on coming back. Now is the time to really arm yourself with information and knowledge about this so you can make it longer and work through the points that don't give you the results you would expect. You are correct in thinking that what you did last time was somehow wrong. There really isn't a way to determine WHAT was wrong. So now you need to start over and move forward. Here are a few more links that will help you look at tracking food, why some people seem mean with their advice, and then even more info that goes into things like TDEE/BMR, exercise plans, and a boat load of other topics.

in line with the sexypants link:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think?hl=eat+more+than+you+think

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1088600-dear-mean-people-of-mfp?hl=mean+people

And an uber link to yet more helpful links:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833026-important-posts-to-read

tegalicious

If you have your mfp account set to sedentary and to lose two pounds a week I would recommend eating back at least 75-100% if you aren't using a heart rate monitor with a chest strap and at least 25-50% if you are using the machine or mfps calorie count for exercise. If in 6 weeks you aren't losing as much weight as it says your should be you could try eating back less exercise calories. And if you are losing more than it says your should be you can eat a little bit more.

I have it set for sedentary and 1.5 pounds a week.
So zero weight loss in the first month is normal? ?

It can be if you aren't weighing your food and are overestimating your intake . And if you start a new workout routine and are holding onto some water weight for muscle repair .

_AwesomeSauce_

Consistency is the key to your success. Start over, eat within your caloric deficit, exercise, monitor your caloric intake like an MFP nazi, and give it more than 30 days.

By the way, how much cardio and resistance training did you accomplish when you worked out 5x a week?

charbear94

Hey there! Hopefully I am not repeated what others have said too much but here is my take on it: part of it could be you need a food scale to use at home. I am looking into buying one myself, because I know it is more accurate than measuring. Also, since it would be silly to take that to a restaurant, you can always have a look at their menu before you go and pre-plan your meal. but when you eat out, you really should always only eat half the serving and take the rest home--restaurant portions are grossly oversized. And is your thyroid over active/under active? I had a friend in college with an over active thyroid and he had weight problems constantly if he didn't take his medicine. So it may not be a bad idea to speak with your doctor about how that is related to controlling your weight. And lastly, I know it can be hard to find time to exercise! I used to go run every single day in college, but after graduation I haven't had the time because I started working. But I found a GREAT website you can use to workout. It's pop sugar fitness, fitsugar.com, and they have all kinds of 10 minute workouts on video you can watch and workout along with. it's great! they are designed to burn lots of calories in 10 minutes and that fits into almost any schedule! Trust me just try it one time, you will love it, I use it every day. hope that helps!

sweetpea03b

I have been at this for about 10 months.... I just hit 8lbs lost. I lost a few... gained a few back... finally losing again and just came off of a 2 week plateau. Your body is weird sometimes. Sometimes you can do EVERYTHING "right" and the scale just won't budge. It happens. You have to look at this of more than "losing weight". You have to look at it as... well I didn't lose weight this week but I did have a healthy week. Then healthy weeks will turn into months will turn into years. Eventually the weight will come off.... like you said.... atleast while you were not losing you weren't gaining. I look at it like that alot these days. Those 2 weeks I didn't lose.... atleast I didn't gain. Some days... when I just don't feel like only eating 1500 calories.... I let myself eat all the way up to maintenance.. just never over. It's OK... this is a LONG process. (Note: I only lost 8lbs... but I also lost 8inches.... inches matter too)

As for weighing and measuring.... yeah... that's great and all... but I don't want this to be a tedious thing. I don't want to have a love hate relationship with food. Sure I'd probaby be alot farther along in my weightloss... but i'd be more likely to quit too because its too much of a hassle. Sometimes I measure.... i'll even count how many chips I eat, etc... but I don't let this weightloss "project" I call it... to take over my entire life. Hang in there... take one step at a time... make good choices as often as you can.... and as long as you're not GAINING... you're winning Good luck!

JenX15

Just in case MFP has my calorie range screwed up, what calorie range would all of you suggest for me? I am 39 years old, female, 5'3", mostly sedentary at the present time, and I weigh 200 pounds.

I am 36, female, 5'2" started at 205 - was eating 1400-1600 a day. My exercise at the time consisted of a morning walk - about 4K, took me about 45-50 minutes to do that at the time. I was losing for the first couple of weeks, then stalled for 3 weeks, then consistently lost 1.5-2 lbs for the next month.

Weigh your food - a food scale is $10 at Walmart - they really are NOT that expensive. Be honest, consistent and push forward.

Last thought - MFP overestimates the calorie burn quiet a bit - if a heart rate monitor is out of bounds financially I would suggest eating back half to two thirds of the calorie burn that MFP suggests.

Good luck.

Ifly4free

It took me almost 6 weeks to lose my first pound and then in those 6 weeks I gained about 2. I started working out and walking/running and was very careful with my daily calories. It takes time, but I didn't give up. It had the opposite effect on me. I was determined to see that stupid scale go down after all the hard work I was putting in. Once it started moving, I got to my goal weight in almost 3-4 months time. I lost 21 lbs.
Don't give up! It will happen. You have to have patience. I'm 45 and I went from 136 to 115 lbs.

SLLRunner

The results are never good when giving up is the first option.

Weighing food is the only way to accurately measure calorie intake. I also know many people who claim that they "ate healthy" and stayed within their calorie goal, who, in reality went over at least half the time.

I'd start with accurate measurements and a diary open to analysis.

Ok... giving up was not my first option. The definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over again, expecting different results. I finally chose my sanity. That's all.

Weighing food is the way to go. I get that. I didn't have extra money to spend on a food scale. So does this mean that if one doesn't have a scale, then it's pointless?

I agree with weighing food. Got about 20 bucks? Walmart, KMart, Target.

SLLRunner

Ok.. I resent that people think I have come for advice and I'm not being honest with you guys or myself. That's not very encouraging at all. I have a sneaky suspicion that my failure has something to do with the birth control I was taking at the time.. as it's notorious for helping women pack on the pounds. But just in case that wasn't the problem, I wanted to see others' ideas about what could have went wrong and what I can do differently this time. I didn't come here to be told I am a liar.

Susie, nobody is suggesting your are lying, but rather suggesting you are possibly unintentionally underestimating your calories intake. This is soooo common, and a food scale really does help.

Did you know that 2 tablespoons of peanut butter generally weighs more than 32 grams, as indicated on the package? One banana is supposed to be 110 calories, but if you weight that one banana it usually comes out to more than just the grams. Yesterday one banana was 133 grams and today it was 122. Both of those are over 110 calories.

See where i"m going with this? It's about accuracy not lying.

SLLRunner

Measuring cups work fine for liquids but for most solids I would opt for weighing. It's more accurate. I would even weigh cold cuts and cheese slices that are labeled per slice (and grams) because as I've experienced, the actual weight per slice can be really off from what's on the label and it adds up. Other things to consider: your exercise cal burns might have been overestimated so when you ate them back you actually too much; including all condiments; including liquid cals, etc.

How can I make sure I am not over estimating calories burned by exercise? Also.. I'm really confused about whether you are supposed to eat back the calories or not.

Whatever MFP or a gym machine gives you, either take about 100 calories off from those, or only eat about 50% to 75% of your exercise calories back. The only other solution is a heart rate monitor, but not everybody agrees with this.

Hang in there and keep on keeping on. You can do it!

thatgirlkellib

Awhile back I was trying to lose weight. I was exercising 5 days a week and counting calories, eating healthier, the whole bit. After a month, I had not lost any weight at all, so I gave up. What things besides hormonal birth control and thyroid issues could have been the cause of my failure? Doing all that was at least helping me maintain my weight because I've gained about 25 pounds since I gave up. Now I'm starting all over again... what can I do to ensure success this time?

", I had not lost any weight at all, so I gave up. What things besides hormonal birth control and thyroid issues could have been the cause of my failure?"
this also stoped my weight
I got off of birth control because it made my hormones wacky, and It was a contibuting factor to weight gain and Depression for me....
As soon As I did, continued my routine, the weight was flying off- Im down the first 30lbs to be continued...

KetosisTina

PLEASE stop with all the calories in calories out. It just doesn't work that way. Please go grab a copy of the Calorie Myth by

Jonathan Bailor.

I know MFP is all about the NUMBER of calorie... but more important is the quality of calories. My husband lost 85 lbs and

NEVER counted a single calorie not one. Yes he logged his food but more to keep track of macro nutrients. NOT calories.

Weigh your food. Please. Yeah sure weigh 200 calories of spinach. (that's like 28 cups folks) What is weighing it going to tell

you?

I mean your body will not treat 200 calories of donuts the same as 200 calories of spinach. The donuts will spike your blood

sugar and cause insulin to be released and cause you to be hungry again in just a short time. 200 calories of spinach would not

do this. Plus I am guessing it would be difficult to finish off 28 cups of spinach.

So many folks on here say to eat at a deficit to lose weight. It's better to each large quantities of healthier SANE food so

you don't have room for the bad stuff.

Yes eating healthier DOES work you just have to know what healthier eating is. Hint, it isn't healthy whole grains.

Lower the sugar (or things that turn to sugar in your body), more non starchy veggies, more heathy fat (butter, avocados,

coconut oil) quality protein, grass fed beef, seafood.

Eat real food and stay away from the processed junk.

This works people.

Abs are made in the kitchen, muscle is made during exercise. You need both.

Check out my hubby's before and after pics on my profile.

FlaxMilk

Weighing food is the way to go. I get that. I didn't have extra money to spend on a food scale. So does this mean that if one doesn't have a scale, then it's pointless?

Nope. I rarely weigh my food and have little room for error. If you are going to use measuring cups and spoons, keep yourself extra honest. Don't heap, don't pack the food in. When in doubt, go for the higher calorie count. (If you have a ginormous apple, it's not going to be apple, medium.)

Have you had your thyroid tested? It seems strange that with a deficit set to lose 1.5 lbs a week, you'd lose nothing in a month. Even with estimating errors, you'd honestly have to be making a lot of mistakes to make up for that much deficit to lose nothing.

Don't go by the #'s on the exercise machines, they are notoriously off and often don't even ask for crucial stats like your weight. If an exercise burn sounds too good to be true, it probably is. A nearly five mile walk would get me an extra 140 calories. That sucks, but that's more realistic than 1000 for Zumba. (I'm not saying high calorie burns are impossible, but since OP is not losing, and is asking about how to estimate calories for exercise, it's unlikely she's clocking in huge calorie burns.)

lthames0810

I'm among the heathen that don't weight their food. I do log my food and excercise (in fact, I pre-log my intended meals) and I estimate low for excercise burn and high for food. If I stall out in my weight loss for a month, I just eat a little less or excercise a little more. I can accept that there may come a time when I'll have to suck it up and weigh stuff, but I still hope to avoid that.

If you eat and excercise and don't lose weight, tada!... you have found what your maintenance amount is. Now you just have to tweak things, make small changes, until your weight starts to budge.

As far as starting over, it's ok, many of us have done that. Just get back to it. Now, at least, you know what to expect and have some ideas what to do.

LoosingMyLast15

Ok.. I resent that people think I have come for advice and I'm not being honest with you guys or myself. That's not very encouraging at all. I have a sneaky suspicion that my failure has something to do with the birth control I was taking at the time.. as it's notorious for helping women pack on the pounds. But just in case that wasn't the problem, I wanted to see others' ideas about what could have went wrong and what I can do differently this time. I didn't come here to be told I am a liar.

the problem with using measuring cups is it's not always 100% accurate. we all measure things differently with them. food doesn't fit perfectly into measuring cups. gaps are formed when certain foods are measured with a measuring cup. i'm notorious for using measuring cups which is why i am always stuck on a plateau. does it bother me not really but we are all very different. i like food and if it takes me 2 years to loose 18lbs then so be it.

if you can't afford a fancy food scale then buy a cheap food scale or start checking local thrift stores for one. i have a pretty cheap one that's not digital and it works for me. i think i found it on clearance somewhere for less than $10.

i'm 41, female and 4' 11-3/4" (yup that 3/4" is very important). so i'm short and my metabolism is not as fast as say a 20 yr old. these things are against me. i eat 1385 and i eat back my exercise calories but like i said we are all different.

there's a site you can go to (at this second i can't find the link), plug in your information and it will help you determine how many calories you should eat to loose weight. have you entered your information into this site? how many calories does it give you?

maybe it's less about the number of calories you were eating and more about WHAT you were eating. instead of going back to eating the same kinds of food try eating more protein dense foods they will keep you fuller longer.

first step would be to change your sedentary lifestyle and get back to being active.

I agree. I definitely need to be more active. I can't afford a gym membership and don't have the time away from my daughter to do that anyway. I'm somewhat limited to exercise I can find on dvd or you tube. I understand about the weighing thing now but how does that work when you are not home? Do you take scales with you and every thing is listed in MFP by weight?

what's wrong with going for a walk outside. exercise doesn't have to be the gym, a dvd or youtube. if you're in a very cold climate i get the dvd but as the weather warms up go outside, walk, hike, play tennis, play basketball even if you can't do these things so what attempt it. attempt something.

i work 9/5 job i bring my lunch to work. i weigh out my food in the morning because that's what works for me. i make my breakfast in the morning. for a while hubby cooked dinner and it was very calorie heavy but now he's learning how to cook using healthier options. we also take turns cooking dinner.

if i'm going out to dinner to me that's a treat i'm not going to restrict myself from enjoying a night out. with that said i stopped putting butter on my bread, i stay away from heavy cream sauces and now hubby and i split a dessert instead of me just getting one (i have a huge sweet tooth - it barely fits in my mouth). i also drink at least 3 glasses of water while we're at dinner and yes i have a glass or two of wine. with this all said i don't go out to dinner that often (maybe 2-3 times a month). i also make sure i get in a GREAT workout earlier in the day. it makes me feel good and i know i just burned a ton of calories so i can enjoy myself at dinner.

no i do't take my scale with me everywhere i go. it's all about discipline (to a point). I don't have a second helping of food at a friend's dinner party. i pile salad on my plate and take tiny single scoops of food at a bbq. at a friend's tupperware party i indulged in eclairs i think i had 6 minis SO GOOD. did i kick myself for doing that no. did i log that day nope. oh well. again i'm not doing this to loose the weight in 3 months. this isn't a diet. this is my life and this is how i live it. right or wrong doesn't matter i'm loosing albeit at a snails pace but i'm loosing.

if you truly are ready to change. take that restaurant money and buy a food scale. i promise it IS worth the money way more than 1 night at some chain.

Annie_01

You guys are pretty COLD. Assuming she's doing/not doing things w/o asking!

I wouldn't call it cold...just brutally honest. The OP came here for help supposedly...not to be coddled.

The fact is that no one can accurately tell her what she did wrong without a tremendous amount of info...so all they can do is list the things that someone typically does wrong.

She probably knows what she did wrong...if she is honest with herself. I have been there before...it wasn't until I got brutally honest with myself that I have had success.

Cold hard facts are brutal at times...they cut to the chase a whole lot quicker...