What am I doing wrong? Advice needed!

otter090812

I managed to gain a lot of weight eating 'healthy'! Now I count calories religiously. On the four or five days I have not been near a food scale / MFP, I've had to make an 'educated guess' of my own. And even with all that experience of counting calories, every single time I underestimate what I've eaten by between 25% and 100%!

mjharman

I may be clueless because I don't count calories, but I believe it IS still possible without doing so. My portions aren't big, and my exercise is consistent...Perhaps I'm looking for advice about exercise more so than food intake.

I understand that you don't want to count calories, but by not doing so, how do you know how much you are actually eating? I had a friend who constantly claimed she wasn't losing weight because she didn't eat enough...until I told her to count her calories. Turns out, she was eating far more than she thought she was.

Dieting is 85% food intake. Excercise is GREAT...moving is AWESOME...but sometimes we, especially women, tend to eat more simply because we have exercised, so we think we can.

If you are serious about losing weight, count your calories...at least for a few weeks. With MFP, it really isn't that difficult. Once you figure out what you're intake really is, then you can determine what you need to change in order to be successful.

Good luck! :flowerforyou:

elizabethmclean1

I would recommend the Trim Healthy Mama eating plan, if you don't want to count calories. You can find them here: http://www.trimhealthymama.com/
and here is the forum that you could read to get an idea of what it is: http://trimhealthymama.freeforums.net/

rjk1503

1200 calories is a minimum! if you are working out and strength training, be sure you are eating at least 1400 calories or your body will use muscle for energy. Also, have you had your body fat % checked? If you are strength training and not losing, perhaps you are building muscle. You can lost fat & gain muscle, which is what you want in the long run. Are your clothes fitting differently?

Check the types of foods you are eating. be sure you are eating enough protein (about 70% of your weight in grams of protein per day) and get rid of the processed carbs like Special K! Switch to steal cut oats for breakfast and quinoa in place of brown rice. What types of fats are you eating? Your body needs healthy fats, such as nut butters and avocado. Are you adding butter and mayo to your foods?
If you are eating clean, with protein and healthy carbs and fats, you don't need to rely on calories.

docbrox87

If I made an educated guess, I'd say I eat approx.1300 calories a day. Is there such thing as an average calorie goal for generic weight loss? I guess I will have to start counting, and see what happens.

Thanks all, any other advice is welcomed!

The overall calorie goal is all dependent on your individual stats, and the rate at which you want to lose weight will dictate how large your calorie deficit needs to be. MFP works all that out for you! You need to account for weight, height, activity levels etc to see what your baseline intake should be. I didn't want to get into calorie counting but I was in the same boat as you. I ate healthily, worked out a LOT and just wasn't getting the results I expected. Once I started calorie counting I saw that even what I thought was a healthy portion size was still too big! It's also important to make sure that you get carbs, fat and protein in the right proportion - again adjusting this has given me massive results.

Give counting a go - it def helps!

tiffanylindenmuth

But do you know how many calories you are burning when you exercise? Are you using a heart rate monitor? If you are exercising you will need to know how many calories you are eating so you can know how many calories you need to burn and what your calorie deficient is. Let me tell you, if you plan to exercise I suggest you use a heart rate monitor. Reasoning being no matter the calculator you use it will never be completely accurate. Even when you put in your exercise into MFP. The amount of calories you are burning depend on you weight, and sex, and also how hard you are working out. Two people can do the exact same exercise at the exact same time and one person can burn double what the other burns just by maintaining a higher heart rate and striving to do so through the workout. It is tough to count calories, but it can help you so much if you at least do it for awhile so you have somewhat of an eye for how much you are intaking.

I do have a question.....how long have you been working out? When you start working out and your body isn't used to something it can take some time (2-4 weeks) for your muscles to adjust. The muscles can swell and make it tough to see results in the beginning.

vim_n_vigor

You are going to need to either eat more, eat less, workout more or workout less. Without knowing your current calories in or out, that is as much help as I can give.

vim_n_vigor

1200 calories is a minimum! if you are working out and strength training, be sure you are eating at least 1400 calories or your body will use muscle for energy. Also, have you had your body fat % checked? If you are strength training and not losing, perhaps you are building muscle. You can lost fat & gain muscle, which is what you want in the long run. Are your clothes fitting differently?

Check the types of foods you are eating. be sure you are eating enough protein (about 70% of your weight in grams of protein per day) and get rid of the processed carbs like Special K! Switch to steal cut oats for breakfast and quinoa in place of brown rice. What types of fats are you eating? Your body needs healthy fats, such as nut butters and avocado. Are you adding butter and mayo to your foods?
If you are eating clean, with protein and healthy carbs and fats, you don't need to rely on calories.

At her height and weight, 1400 calories would not be enough for all the cardio and weight training.

cardinalsfootball

YOU may not be counting calories but your body is. It always was, and always will. If you want to lose weight, so will you.

BUT, if you just want to be healthier, then of course eating better foods and exercising more will do that.

Just don't be sad when the scale doesn't go down.

canadjineh

You might try separating your carb rich meals from your fat rich meals (relatively speaking "rich"). The body's response to insulin is pretty interesting. If the bloodstream is flooded all the time with insulin, the cells start to become resistant and more insulin goes into the system.

" In a perfect situation, glucose from carbohydrates gets cleared rapidly. However, when there is insulin resistance, this does not happen, and sustained high glucose levels become a problem. Insulin resistance can be due to a problem with the shape of the insulin (preventing receptor binding), not having enough insulin receptors, signaling problems, or glucose transporters not working properly. Whatever the specific cause, the function of insulin is impaired.

Insulin resistance develops before type 2 diabetes is diagnosed. To make up for less effective insulin, the pancreas works overtime to increase insulin output. Eventually, some of the insulin works and blood sugar levels remain normal for a while. As insulin resistance worsens and the pancreas cannot keep up with the demand, glucose levels begin to rise and diabetes is diagnosed when levels get too high.

How Insulin Affects Fat Metabolism

Carbohydrate and fat metabolism are closely connected and both influenced by insulin. If insulin is not working properly, problems can occur. For example, high levels of insulin can send the wrong signals to the brain. These signals tell the brain that there is excess insulin and that your cells are starving for glucose. So in response, your brain creates cravings for carbohydrates, signals your body to store fat, and orders carbs to be burned for energy rather than body fat. This is why weight loss can be difficult when you have type 2 diabetes.

Insulin also plays a key role in the development of high triglyceride levels:

In the Liver: Insulin stimulates the creation and storage of glycogen from glucose. High insulin levels cause the liver to get saturated with glycogen. When this happens, the liver resists further storage. Glucose is used instead to create fatty acids that are converted into lipoproteins and released into the bloodstream. These break down into free fatty acids and are used in other tissues. Some tissues use these to create triglycerides.

In Fat Cells: Insulin stops the breakdown of fat and prevents the breakdown of triglycerides into fatty acids. When glucose enters these cells, it can be used to create a compound called glycerol. Glycerol can be used along with the excess free fatty acids from the liver to make triglycerides. This can cause triglycerides to build up in the fat cells.

Normal function: Insulin stops the breakdown of fat and stimulates the creation of fat under the right circumstances.
Impaired function: High insulin levels can signal for less fat loss and more fat storage.

Normal function: Insulin regulates the formation of fat from simple sugars, which can eventually become triglycerides.
Impaired function Triglycerides levels increase inappropriately.

Normal function: Insulin stimulates protein synthesis (creation), which affects muscle growth.
Impaired function: You may have difficulty building muscle."
Quote from and reviewed by a board certified physician: http://diabetes.about.com/od/whatisdiabetes/a/How-Insulin-Works-In-The-Body.htm

Merebelle2014

Thanks for all the advice!!

For those who asked- I've been consistently working out, and eating healthy for around a month now. I've lost 2 lbs, and 3.5 inches. I'm starting to notice little changes, but I guess I'm looking to the scale for encouragement.

Lastly, what does OP mean?? Do I want to know? lol

rml_16

Thanks for all the advice!!

For those who asked- I've been consistently working out, and eating healthy for around a month now. I've lost 2 lbs, and 3.5 inches. I'm starting to notice little changes, but I guess I'm looking to the scale for encouragement.

Lastly, what does OP mean?? Do I want to know? lol

.5 pounds per week actually isn't bad progress. It's on the slow side, but a loss is a loss.

beachlover317

Thanks for all the advice!!

For those who asked- I've been consistently working out, and eating healthy for around a month now. I've lost 2 lbs, and 3.5 inches. I'm starting to notice little changes, but I guess I'm looking to the scale for encouragement.

Lastly, what does OP mean?? Do I want to know? lol

It just means Original Post/Poster. I have one last thought for you. Between inches and scale weight - which will people notice more? Your scale weight is just a fluctuating number that you see when you weigh. No one else sees it unless you carry your scale around. Inches and smaller clothes - everyone will notice. I'll take that every day and 3x on Sunday ahead of weight loss.

Nascha333

I may be clueless because I don't count calories, but I believe it IS still possible without doing so. My portions aren't big, and my exercise is consistent...Perhaps I'm looking for advice about exercise more so than food intake.

I felt/thought the same way at first.... then i didn't lose any weight. I found MFP in Jan and by the middle of Jan i started counting calories and i lost 4 lbs by the end of the month... another 6 pounds this Feb. and that's hardly doing any workouts like i had done in Dec. 6 x a week. Now that i've got my intake under control i'm starting back working out 6 x a week. Each person is different, what works for one may not always work for another but i'm really glad i started counting my calories because is has made a HUGE difference for me. Best wishes

Nascha333

I may be clueless because I don't count calories, but I believe it IS still possible without doing so. My portions aren't big, and my exercise is consistent...Perhaps I'm looking for advice about exercise more so than food intake.

I felt/thought the same way at first.... then i didn't lose any weight. I found MFP in Jan and by the middle of Jan i started counting calories and i lost 4 lbs by the end of the month... another 6 pounds this Feb. and that's hardly doing any workouts like i had done in Dec. 6 x a week. Now that i've got my intake under control i'm starting back working out 6 x a week. Each person is different, what works for one may not always work for another but i'm really glad i started counting my calories because is has made a HUGE difference for me. Best wishes

Oh and i thought i would add that i was eating healthy for the most part and working out 6x a week 1hr each day and my weight fluctuated on a weekly basis, i could never seem to get rid of those first few pounds however, i did lose 11 inches overall so that was a win. I was just getting very frustrated with not seeing the scale budge, so then finally i started counting calories and i started dropping.

Nascha333

annnnndddd.... lol, i swear last post because i see others mentioning portions. I didn't realize how much i was actually eating, my portions were huge. Instead of 1 bagel, i have half, instead of two burgers, i eat 1, you get the idea, your stomach gets smaller and i eat 6 times a day. Now instead of still feeling hungry after eating a bagel, i am FULL on just half. It makes all the difference cutting portions. I'm just really beginning, and i've struggled a lot over the past 12 weeks but i'm finally where i need to be to give it my all. Wishing you the best!!! If you need a buddy, send me a friend request, we can both stay motivated!