Right Choices, Wrong Results?

cmfruin2012

If you don't want to read another borderline whining "I'm so frustrated" post - you may want to move along down the board. If you aren't a fan of long and well-written posts, well, you also may want to move along.

Okay, you've been warned.

I sat in my car before work this morning, crying and fighting the urge to beat my hands against the dashboard.

I feel as if I am doing all the right things -- but not getting the results. At least not the results that those around me seem to be getting. I don't want to give up -- far from it. Instead, I feel like I need to take more drastic and what I would ordinarily consider unhealthy measures, to get this damn weight off.

Some background - I have been heavy, morbidly obese heavy, for nearly my entire life. I joined MFP in January 2013 and for the first time in my life made a lasting commitment to get healthy. In January 2013, I was 447 pounds (I am 5'9" and currently 42 years old) and on medication for high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Using the calories and macros MPF calculated for me, and swimming for about 15 minutes at a time 4-5 times a week, I set forward on my journey. The first 20 pounds came off really fast -- unrealistically fast. The next 45-48 pounds have come off PAINFULLY slow -- and now weight loss seems to have completely stopped.

Currently, MFP allocates me 2060 calories per day. The macros I carefully monitor are sodium, cholesterol, saturated fat, and potassium. My sodium has been a struggle -- I have definitely not been consistently successful with this. I know all the evils of high sodium - not only for my blood pressure but also for water retention. I am still on high blood pressure medicine but have been taken off cholesterol medicine (although my last blood work showed that my cholesterol is borderline high again -- and as a result I have made new dietary changes -- lowered my daily cholesterol, started taking fish oil).

I swim 2-3 times a week (usually about 1000 meters during each swim) and do cardio/strength training 2-3 times a week (riding the bike and lifting free weights or doing weight machines). I recently started a boxing training workout, also. When weather and schedule permits, I try to get out during the day at work and go for a 1/2 mile - 1 mile walk. I log my workouts and use Fitbit -- I rarely eat back ALL of my exercise calories because I am skeptical of the calorie burn calculations.

Every day I try to make the right choices. I always weigh/measure my food and log honestly. I drink plenty of water, although I don't always log as much as I drink. I refill my mug frequently and don't always log a glass every time I refill. I workout and get a good sweat going. I recently started wearing an HRM but have found this to be less than helpful because the blood pressure medicine I am on lowers my heart rate dramatically and my target heart rate is much lower than others.

And yet, despite all this, the weight simply isn't coming off. I don't feel that 68 pounds in 14 months is much to be proud of. Since December 1st, I have fluctuated between 382-385 pounds. I did dip down to 379 right after I started boxing, and I erroneously thought the plateau had finally been broken. But today I weighed for the first time in a little over 2 weeks and disappointingly saw that I'm at 385.

Is it muscle? Is it water? Am I doing something wrong? Is something wrong with me? These are the questions that are plaguing me -- interrupting my concentration at work, leaving me irritable at home -- because I cannot figure out what I'm doing wrong.

Friends in my feed are dropping pounds left and right -- and while I feel sincere joy at their success, I find it also leaves me feeling like such a tremendous failure. They praise my efforts daily, and I wonder what they must really be thinking. How can I be doing so well on paper, and yet barely losing any weight? I have been taking my measurements, and while I have seen some reductions the last couple months, they are not so dramatic as to make me feel better about my progress otherwise.

What should I do? Like I said, I have no desire to quit -- so don't worry about that. I like being healthy; I like eating better and exercising. But I find myself looking at chemical laden pills, thinking about cutting my calories dramatically and starving myself, cutting out entire food groups -- and I know these are NOT healthy options (at least for me). But why is the tried and true method not working all that well for me? Is this a plateau? Is there really such a thing as a plateau? How do you find the strength to keep going when your efforts aren't being rewarded?

Dear MFP community, what say you?

scubasuenc

Have you had your doctor check your blood sugar and thyroid recently? Problems with either of those can make weight loss difficult.

Another possibility is to work on shifting your mix of carbs/protein. Some people lose better with higher protein / lower carbs even with the exact same calorie totals. I noticed in your diary you are often well below your protein goals for the day.

wilsoje74

I only looked back a few days, but at least 3 of them you didn't log anything after lunch? And one day you had 1000 cal burned? I'm wondering what exercise you did to burn so much??

Bshaw2442

First you have done an amazing job this far!!! so congrats!!!

When I first started I had to play around with calorie intake because my days vary. Add more for a week and if that doesn't help, the next week take a little away. You have to adjust it around to suit your needs. Also I have done a ton of reading about plateaus. They say that if you mix it up by eating normal on day one ( calorie intake) the 2nd day you increase them vs what you normally consume, and the next day by even more (no more than 500 extra total). Then go back to normal.The theory is that it will shock your body to get back on track. I personally have noticed on days where I eat over my calorie goal I end up loosing more that week. So you can def try this to see if that fixes it.

Also have you had your thyroid check to see if it is under active? The medication you are on could also be preventing you from loosing. Its rough when you are doing everything right and not seeing results. You will get past this and feel so awesome for not giving in. Always stay on the healthy track though, If you loose it by not doing the healthy way its more likely to come back at a faster rate!! No one wants that Good luck and remember how far you have come.

cmfruin2012

Yes, thyroid and blood sugar have been checked are all normal.

Carbs/protein -- I guess I could think about this, but this is one of those radical food exclusion changes that I am wary of. Also, there is a risk of higher protein amounting to higher fats/cholesterol, which I need to watch.

cmfruin2012

MFP says I burn over 1000 calories when I swim for 45 minutes.

And this past weekend is not the best example of how I log -- I was gone a lot over the weekend at events and didn't log what I ate when out. This is not the norm for me.

beachlover317

It does seem that you're doing things right. I had a look at your diary. There are some days that are significantly lower than others. Not sure if you're eating that low or not logging everything. Also, for liquids, you can use measuring cups. For everything else - if you're not weighing it yourself - it might be inaccurate (such as cheese, bacon, etc). There's no way to know if you ate .25 cups of cheese, unless it was a liquid.

It's frustrating, but the best way to keep the scale/inches moving down is to be very consistent with weighing and logging your foods. Every single day. Once you have the calories in correct, then work on meeting your macros (protein, then fat, then carbs). It's hard to make those numbers work sometimes, but important to maintain your nutritional needs.

Looking at your profile picture - that's an awesome change girl! It's very hard for me to see it in myself sometimes - maybe for you too. The most important thing I have done to keep moving forward is to focus only on being healthy. If I am eating right, exercising every day, etc. the weight loss is secondary.

Good luck. Patience is crucial. Glad to hear you intend to keep going. Good luck! :flowerforyou:

LivviLosing

I have found MFP's estimates to be off by a lot, so you're right on not eating back all those calories.

I'm curious, have you been weighing portions with a scale? It's easy to be eating much more than you think, if you're just using measuring cups/eyeballing.

By the way, I think you're playing yourself down too much. You should be proud of yourself, even if you're not hitting the milestones exactly where you thought.

MaiLinna

I only looked back a few days, but at least 3 of them you didn't log anything after lunch? And one day you had 1000 cal burned? I'm wondering what exercise you did to burn so much??

Yeah you could start by actually logging...

cmfruin2012

Thank you for your kind words.

And I use a food scale and measuring cups. So the measurements of non-liquid foods are accurate 90% of the time. Can't really control it when I'm away from home but use my best guesses.

WBB55

First off, you're doing excellent. Don't kick yourself. It's hard to keep losing weight and keep losing weight and not feel like it's fast enough. You ARE losing weight at a healthy rate. You ARE improving your health.

Some things I'd note from looking at your diary, though.

I think you're overestimating your exercise burns. Like burning 1000 calories thru exercise is A LOT. When I burn 1000 calories, I am drenched in sweat and drink about 4 liters of water during that time. If you're not drinking that much water while you're working out, you probably aren't burning quite as much as you think. I don't know. I'm not you. I'm not there. I'm not monitoring your heartrate. I'm just sayin': 1000 calories of exercise is a LOT.

But that being said, you leave a lot of calories per day uneaten. And also, I see a lot of days unlogged. To be consistently successful at weightloss, it really does help to consistently log and consistently be honest. I'm sure there's days you feel hopeless and stop logging. And that's ok. Just jump back on the horse the next day and try again. But then when you stop logging, know that your results aren't going to be what you want them to be. Ok?

Keep at it. You're doing great.

nomeejerome

MFP says I burn over 1000 calories when I swim for 45 minutes.

And this past weekend is not the best example of how I log -- I was gone a lot over the weekend at events and didn't log what I ate when out. This is not the norm for me.

But, it could be the reason why your weight is up.

Congrats on the 68 pound loss.

SezxyStef

weight loss is about calories in being less than calories out.

I looked at your diary and you don't use a food scale. Typically if you aren't losing weight and exercising it is because you found maintenance.

Buy a food scale and start weighing your solids..ie bread, cheese etc.

As well your burns are high but you don't eat a lot of them back...

As well the macros you track are typically irrelevant. Calories, Fat and Protien are important. Carbs too to a certian degree.

Protien helps you keep muscle along with Strength training....fats are essential and carbs for energy.

As well "shocking" your body by changing up workouts and calories is broscience. Get your calorie goal and exercise and stick to it....but most importantly....weigh your food.

To help you better understand why that is most important check these links out.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1186508-weighing-food-vs-measuring-wow?hl=Wow&page=4#posts-18526270
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

mccindy72

Looking at your diary, I see a lot of measuring of dense foods like bread and dressings. It's important to weigh these foods on a food scale, not go by the serving of "1 muffin" or measuring out a tablespoon.

For example, the gluten-free bread I eat says on the label that 2 slices is one serving, and that this equals 130 calories. It also says that 49 grams is one serving, which would equal that 130 calories. When I weighed two slices of the bread, it weighed in at nearly 70 grams. That's nearly 186 calories. So, if you are using "1 muffin" as a serving, and counting it as 100 calories, and the muffin is much heavier than the grams listed on the label, you could be quite a bit under your calories on your log. As you can see, I would have been 56 calories over just from that 2 pieces of bread. The same thing happens with things like salad dressing, etc. You're much better off weighing all of your solid foods to be as accurate as possible; it's quite possible that you are eating more calories than you think you are.

cmfruin2012

Yeah you could start by actually logging...

Not logging dinner for one day does not mean I don't log. I log 95% of the time -- I was at two different events this weekend and didn't log -- this is a rare occurrence. Please don't judge me one one day. If you look back over weeks or months of my diary (if you really feel compelled to take the time to do that) -- then you will see that I do consistently and regularly log.

cebreisch

When I first started, I was at 376. My dietician wanted me to have 1500 calories a day, and I was really struggling with it. My therapist suggested I join Weight Watchers just as a measure of accountability in having someplace to go weigh in every week and go to the meetings for extra support. They actually had me down for about 2200 calories, and I was losing weight with it, and not exercising.

I log my food in MFP so I can have everything calculated out with fat/fiber/carbs/protein, which are the things that WW uses to determine the number of points you consume in a day; Then I just convert the information to Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner, or snack.

I use MFP numbers as my low end, and WW numbers as my higher end.

I guess what I'm saying in a round-about way is, you may need to consume more - particularly with the swimming and extra activity you're doing.

SezxyStef

Thank you for your kind words.

And I use a food scale and measuring cups. So the measurements of non-liquid foods are accurate 90% of the time. Can't really control it when I'm away from home but use my best guesses.

I looked at your food diary...1/4c of cheese needs weighed...2 slices of bread need weighed...egg beaters need weighed, bacon 1 slice, muffin 1 muffin...

you aren't weighing food based on what I see

cmfruin2012

Looking at your diary, I see a lot of measuring of dense foods like bread and dressings. It's important to weigh these foods on a food scale, not go by the serving of "1 muffin" or measuring out a tablespoon.

For example, the gluten-free bread I eat says on the label that 2 slices is one serving, and that this equals 130 calories. It also says that 49 grams is one serving, which would equal that 130 calories. When I weighed two slices of the bread, it weighed in at nearly 70 grams. That's nearly 186 calories. So, if you are using "1 muffin" as a serving, and counting it as 100 calories, and the muffin is much heavier than the grams listed on the label, you could be quite a bit under your calories on your log. As you can see, I would have been 56 calories over just from that 2 pieces of bread. The same thing happens with things like salad dressing, etc. You're much better off weighing all of your solid foods to be as accurate as possible; it's quite possible that you are eating more calories than you think you are.

This is a really good point -- to not rely upon solely what the labels say but do actually weigh the serving size.

mccindy72

When I first started, I was at 376. My dietician wanted me to have 1500 calories a day, and I was really struggling with it. My therapist suggested I join Weight Watchers just as a measure of accountability in having someplace to go weigh in every week and go to the meetings for extra support. They actually had me down for about 2200 calories, and I was losing weight with it, and not exercising.

I log my food in MFP so I can have everything calculated out with fat/fiber/carbs/protein, which are the things that WW uses to determine the number of points you consume in a day; Then I just convert the information to Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner, or snack.

I use MFP numbers as my low end, and WW numbers as my higher end.

I guess what I'm saying in a round-about way is, you may need to consume more - particularly with the swimming and extra activity you're doing.

No. Eating more will not increase weight loss, it will decrease it.

lisaabenjamin

First of all, 68lbs in 14 months is spot-on!! It's not good to lose more than 2lbs a week, and 1lb a week is perfect, so you're absolutely on track!!

Secondly, I agree with previous advice - WEIGH and LOG EVERYTHING!! Even if you have a bad day or week, it's important to know what's going into your body.

Third, I think MFP has probably overestimated your swim cals (this is common with MFP!) When I swim for 45 minutes I cover almost 1500 metres and burn around 500-600 cals depending on which stroke I do or how hard I'm going.

Fourth: The food you eat contributes very little to your blood cholesterol levels. Watch your saturated fat, but love that protein! Seriously, protein doesn't magically turn into fat or cholesterol, they are completely different substances. Protein helps you keep fuller for longer and helps repair your muscles after all that working out you're doing! http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Cholesterol/Pages/Causes.aspx

wilsoje74

Yeah you could start by actually logging...

Not logging dinner for one day does not mean I don't log. I log 95% of the time -- I was at two different events this weekend and didn't log -- this is a rare occurrence. Please don't judge me one one day. If you look back over weeks or months of my diary (if you really feel compelled to take the time to do that) -- then you will see that I do consistently and regularly log.

The weekend before you were missing meals too, so those one or two days a week could be enough extra calories that you aren't losing. People are just trying to help. You said you aren't losing, and to be honest, you are probably eating too much.