Low carb or calories, which is best? which will work?

jamiesokd

So I've been working on losing weight for a few months now. I started just watching calories and lost 4 lbs slowly over a few months, then went to low carb.I lost great my first 2 weeks - 13 lbs. Then for the last 6 weeks, I've consistently lost one more pound and have gone up and down between another 2. 1 lb in 6 weeks does not seem good to me??

I am also finding low carb very restrictive. I would like to go back to counting calories, but I'm afraid it won't work. Now the thing is, by going low carb I have also managed to cut calories. I am usually under what MFP tells me should lose me about a pound a week. So how have I only lost 1 lb in 6 weeks??

Low carb isn't working. Low calorie isn't working. How do I get one of these methods to work?

heybales

Well, to lose weight you MUST eat less calories than you burn.

But you can do that and eat more carbs and still lose weight.


But if you eat low carb and more than you burn, you will not lose weight.

And since the water weight associated with not storing nearly as many carbs in your muscles causes your metabolism to go down, you get to eat even less when doing low carb.

As to why is the math off?

Your food logging is bad, and you are eating more than you think, even low carb method.
If you weigh everything and are sure of that, then perhaps you are using MFP correctly and eating back exercise calories, and those may be more than you really burn, so you are not actually eating less than you burn in total.

If you are not using MFP correctly, and you are weighing all food and are sure that is correct, then you've probably created too big of a deficit for too long and your body slowed down to adapt to such craziness, and you no longer burn what you think you do.

Two directions.
Keep eating less and less and hope you are as suppressed as you'll get, so you'll start losing again. But if a lot of weight to go, what is it going to look like as you have to keep eating less as you weigh less, what is maintenance going to look like, and can you eat that low and comply?

Or....

Take a diet break (though it would appear you are right now), and let your body unstress and recovery and speed back up.
Then take a reasonable deficit.

Because yes, you should have the range now for losing 2 lbs weekly - but you likely were creating bigger than that depending on answers to questions above.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/heybales/view/reduced-metabolism-tdee-beyond-expected-from-weight-loss-616251

jamiesokd

So if I read your reply correctly, I am either eating too much, or not enough, and I should eat less or eat more to fix it?? LOL

I get what you are saying though...

I do not weigh my food, I have just been measuring with cups, tablespoons, etc, so I guess there is some room for error - but when the majority of my food has been veggies I can't see that any errors would put me wayyy over calorie wise...

As for exercise, ha. I kinda don't. I had MFP give me a recommendation based on mostly sedentiary and I do work on my feet all day. I have been working two full time jobs so I haven't had time to exercise, that is why I was focusing on my food. My recommendation was 1750 calories a day, and I have usually been at or under. Even today I cheated with a cupcake and I am still under calories...

missiontofitness

Do you want to eat low carb the rest of your life?
Pick what is more sustainable for you for a lifestyle change. I follow low calorie because I know I can follow that plan until I ultimately up my calories to maintain again.

jamiesokd

calories is definitely most sustainable as a lifestyle change! However, I worry because even though I have had reduced calories for 6 weeks now, I only lost 1 lb in that time. At least with low carb I lost 13 lbs to start with.

missiontofitness

calories is definitely most sustainable as a lifestyle change! However, I worry because even though I have had reduced calories for 6 weeks now, I only lost 1 lb in that time. At least with low carb I lost 13 lbs to start with.

It could be that your deficit isn't what you think it is. Weighing food, measuring it, and logging everything can help you be more accurate. Low carb may also get you fast results, but you also may drop a lot at the beginning of your journey when you suddenly switch your eating habits.

Weight loss is also affected by water weight and normal daily fluctuation. You've lost 18lbs so far, so don't fret! To put it into perspective, I gained 5lbs in one day this week, and then dropped most of it the next. I didn't actually gain that weight; it was most likely due to water retention and just the motions my body went through. I aim for 1/2lb a week, so my results are slow but consistent.

trogalicious

Low carb isn't working. Low calorie isn't working. How do I get one of these methods to work?

then you're left with very few options.
1. you're eating more than you think.
2. you're eating more than what you need to lose
3. there could be medical issues at play (thyroid, etc)

if you're accurately weighing all of your food, logging EVERYTHING, and have done so for 6 weeks.. and not lost, the amount that you're eating is going to likely be your maintenance level.

from there, take another 6 weeks at 100 calories less net per day. reassess from that point.

your diary isn't public, so it's not really easy to give much more than generic/blanket advice.

ETA: just saw that you don't weigh your food. do that. get a food scale. weigh everything. it doesn't matter if you're eating fruits and veggies if it's enough to dissolve whatever deficit you think you had in play.

svandever101585

I use a modification of the fat shredder Diet. I eat 1500 calories which can be adjusted depending on your own personal needs but should not go below 1200 calories. I get 40% of my calories from protein, 40% from carbs, and 20% from fats. I eat lean protein and complex carbs. I try to stick to a clean diet. The true fat shredder is 50% protein, 30% carbs, and 20% fats. I know a bunch of people who are on this plan or a modification of it and are having amazing results.

svandever101585

If you would like more info feel free to message me or send me a friend request. I keep an open food diary so you can see what I eat. Best of Luck.

jamiesokd

mission - I have lost 18 lbs so far, and I am happy with it, don't get me wrong. But 13 of those lbs happened in two weeks. The other 5 lbs have been spread out since January. So really, a little over a pound a month? I should be losing more than that.

trog - I have not been weighing my food, but I do measure it carefully. I already tend to come in between 100-500 calories below my goal, or I have for the last 6 weeks. well. I would say 3/4 of the time I am lower, the other 1/4 is at or slightly higher. So if I am to reduce by 100, I have still mostly been eating at that level. So should I go even lower?

trogalicious

mission - I have lost 18 lbs so far, and I am happy with it, don't get me wrong. But 13 of those lbs happened in two weeks. The other 5 lbs have been spread out since January. So really, a little over a pound a month? I should be losing more than that.

trog - I have not been weighing my food, but I do measure it carefully. I already tend to come in between 100-500 calories below my goal, or I have for the last 6 weeks. well. I would say 3/4 of the time I am lower, the other 1/4 is at or slightly higher. So if I am to reduce by 100, I have still mostly been eating at that level. So should I go even lower?

get a food scale.
weigh everything.

until you do that, you don't know how much you're eating and there's absolutely no way of knowing what else to tell you.

you say you're eating a certain amount, but the fact of it is.. you don't know how much you're eating on a regular basis and we're all just giving guess-work.

don't reduce anything at this point. pick a number. any number eat 1600 calories per day for 6 weeks. if you've gained at the end, look at the amount gained and tweak your intake from there.

ETA: and just flat out ignore these "coaches" that ask you to send them private messages on here. they're out to make a buck.

missiontofitness

mission - I have lost 18 lbs so far, and I am happy with it, don't get me wrong. But 13 of those lbs happened in two weeks. The other 5 lbs have been spread out since January. So really, a little over a pound a month? I should be losing more than that.

trog - I have not been weighing my food, but I do measure it carefully. I already tend to come in between 100-500 calories below my goal, or I have for the last 6 weeks. well. I would say 3/4 of the time I am lower, the other 1/4 is at or slightly higher. So if I am to reduce by 100, I have still mostly been eating at that level. So should I go even lower?

Like I mentioned, a quick drop at the beginning is common. It slows down after that.
You also should be weighing, measuring, and logging everything; like I mentioned before. Most likely you are not eating at a high enough deficit. The advice to test out a new calorie deficit for a few weeks is something I would recommend.

jamiesokd

mission - I have lost 18 lbs so far, and I am happy with it, don't get me wrong. But 13 of those lbs happened in two weeks. The other 5 lbs have been spread out since January. So really, a little over a pound a month? I should be losing more than that.

trog - I have not been weighing my food, but I do measure it carefully. I already tend to come in between 100-500 calories below my goal, or I have for the last 6 weeks. well. I would say 3/4 of the time I am lower, the other 1/4 is at or slightly higher. So if I am to reduce by 100, I have still mostly been eating at that level. So should I go even lower?

get a food scale.
weigh everything.

until you do that, you don't know how much you're eating and there's absolutely no way of knowing what else to tell you.

you say you're eating a certain amount, but the fact of it is.. you don't know how much you're eating on a regular basis and we're all just giving guess-work.

don't reduce anything at this point. pick a number. any number eat 1600 calories per day for 6 weeks. if you've gained at the end, look at the amount gained and tweak your intake from there.

ETA: and just flat out ignore these "coaches" that ask you to send them private messages on here. they're out to make a buck.

I'll be honest, I was hoping counting calories would be easier and less restrictive, but if I can't even use standard tools to measure my food with and have to buy a scale, maybe that isn't easier at all

I think I have my diary visible now, you can look if you like. I'm thinking it won't help though since my food isn't weighed.

trogalicious

I'll be honest, I was hoping counting calories would be easier and less restrictive, but if I can't even use standard tools to measure my food with and have to buy a scale, maybe that isn't easier at all

no one said it's easy. no one said it's hard... but you have to put effort in to get results.

are you worth it?

do you want to put forth the few minutes it takes to weigh food, log it, and get results?

I'm sorry it seems like a lot to take on, but you're spinning your wheels here and folks are trying to give you some traction. Weighing your food is going to help give you a more accurate calorie count. Since you aren't losing, that's what it's going to boil down to.

Knowing exactly how much you're eating is going to dictate how much less you need to eat to lose.

AdventureFreak

both

jamiesokd

I'll be honest, I was hoping counting calories would be easier and less restrictive, but if I can't even use standard tools to measure my food with and have to buy a scale, maybe that isn't easier at all

no one said it's easy. no one said it's hard... but you have to put effort in to get results.

are you worth it?

do you want to put forth the few minutes it takes to weigh food, log it, and get results?

I'm sorry it seems like a lot to take on, but you're spinning your wheels here and folks are trying to give you some traction. Weighing your food is going to help give you a more accurate calorie count. Since you aren't losing, that's what it's going to boil down to.

Knowing exactly how much you're eating is going to dictate how much less you need to eat to lose.

Honestly, I don't know how to answer your questions. I would like to say yes, but I have found this to be very all-consuming and very stressful so I was hoping to simplify. I guess I will have to look and see if I can find a scale - I don't know that I've even seen one anywhere, but then again I haven't been looking.

So if measuring with standard tools is 100% out - what do you do if you aren't at home? Carry the scale in your bag? LOL

trogalicious

So if measuring with standard tools is 100% out - what do you do if you aren't at home? Carry the scale in your bag? LOL

yes.

see the ticker down below my posts?

it works, but you have to put effort into it.

food scales come in all shapes, sizes, and since you're on the internet.. you could check amazon. That's where I bought one that I use regularly. It's a relatively cheap Ozeri.

Walmart has them. They're in the food gadgets section.

My point in asking those questions is just that you seem to be kind "whatever, I thought this was gonna be easy" and pushing back on the idea of weighing your food. It sounds like excuses. It's time consuming to start with, but it gets easier.

Is it worth it? Yes. 150 lbs lost by calorie deficit. No overcomplications, no gimmicks, no "you have to restrict this food group" stuff.

tworthen79

I've lost 55lbs in a year and never once used a scale. But that's me. Every one is different. And this healthy lifestyle at first isn't easy, if it were no one would be over weight. But once you get a routine and find your niche, well it comes naturally. Get a scale or not, do low carb or not. Only you have the say. But what ever you choose, don't give up!

jamiesokd

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come across as "this will be easy", but yes, I was thinking that this would be easIER than tracking carbs - researching every label, stressing over the numbers, did I get enough fat, should I eat this, am I retaining water, lets make separate meals from my family, every meal involves time and prep and there is no "quick", OMG what will the scale say tomorrow morning is quite frankly burning me out. I was hoping this would allow some more freedom and maybe I would be able to relax a bit more, because frankly the other has been causing me constant stress.

but maybe that is the way it is, constant obsessing and worrying and stressing no matter what plan I choose.

trog - may I ask how long it took you to lose all that weight?

amusedmonkey

I'll be honest, I was hoping counting calories would be easier and less restrictive, but if I can't even use standard tools to measure my food with and have to buy a scale, maybe that isn't easier at all

no one said it's easy. no one said it's hard... but you have to put effort in to get results.

are you worth it?

do you want to put forth the few minutes it takes to weigh food, log it, and get results?

I'm sorry it seems like a lot to take on, but you're spinning your wheels here and folks are trying to give you some traction. Weighing your food is going to help give you a more accurate calorie count. Since you aren't losing, that's what it's going to boil down to.

Knowing exactly how much you're eating is going to dictate how much less you need to eat to lose.

Honestly, I don't know how to answer your questions. I would like to say yes, but I have found this to be very all-consuming and very stressful so I was hoping to simplify. I guess I will have to look and see if I can find a scale - I don't know that I've even seen one anywhere, but then again I haven't been looking.

So if measuring with standard tools is 100% out - what do you do if you aren't at home? Carry the scale in your bag? LOL

If you're out of home very often (read every day) and cannot take pre-prepared meals with you, then carrying the scale may be an option (just curious, do you carry your measuring cups with you too?), but if it's a once in a while thing or you can just prepare your meals at home at take them with you to work for example, "eyeballing" the quantities when you go out could be enough.

Take this exercise: what do you usually eat when you go out? try to make it at home, weight it, know how many calories it has, put it in your plate to see how much space it occupies, eat it to see how much of it satisfies you... etc. Basically become familiar with foods, how they look, how much they weigh, how many calories they have and overall learn as much as you could about them. For me, conducting such tests it's fun since I'm always curious about things. If you don't enjoy such a thing, know that it comes with practice and eventually by the time you are at your maintenance weight you will be able to eyeball and estimate things more accurately than you could before, so using the scale whenever you can is a great stepping stone.

trogalicious

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come across as "this will be easy", but yes, I was thinking that this would be easIER than tracking carbs - researching every label, stressing over the numbers, did I get enough fat, should I eat this, am I retaining water, lets make separate meals from my family, every meal involves time and prep and there is no "quick", OMG what will the scale say tomorrow morning is quite frankly burning me out. I was hoping this would allow some more freedom and maybe I would be able to relax a bit more, because frankly the other has been causing me constant stress.

but maybe that is the way it is, constant obsessing and worrying and stressing no matter what plan I choose.

at this point, you can simplify it.
calorie deficit = weight loss.
if you know, accurately, how much you're eating... from a calorie standpoint...

then you know how much to cut back.

don't stress out over macros until you figure out how much you're eating to start with.

and don't weigh every day. your weight is going to fluctuate a few lbs on a regular basis, that's natural. pick one day a week, weigh on that day under the same circumstances.

I lost the majority within a year. I'm 807 days logged on MFP.

jamiesokd

I'll be honest, I was hoping counting calories would be easier and less restrictive, but if I can't even use standard tools to measure my food with and have to buy a scale, maybe that isn't easier at all

no one said it's easy. no one said it's hard... but you have to put effort in to get results.

are you worth it?

do you want to put forth the few minutes it takes to weigh food, log it, and get results?

I'm sorry it seems like a lot to take on, but you're spinning your wheels here and folks are trying to give you some traction. Weighing your food is going to help give you a more accurate calorie count. Since you aren't losing, that's what it's going to boil down to.

Knowing exactly how much you're eating is going to dictate how much less you need to eat to lose.

Honestly, I don't know how to answer your questions. I would like to say yes, but I have found this to be very all-consuming and very stressful so I was hoping to simplify. I guess I will have to look and see if I can find a scale - I don't know that I've even seen one anywhere, but then again I haven't been looking.

So if measuring with standard tools is 100% out - what do you do if you aren't at home? Carry the scale in your bag? LOL

If you're out of home very often (read every day) and cannot take pre-prepared meals with you, then carrying the scale may be an option (just curious, do you carry your measuring cups with you too?), but if it's a once in a while thing or you can just prepare your meals at home at take them with you to work for example, "eyeballing" the quantities when you go out could be enough.

Take this exercise: what do you usually eat when you go out? try to make it at home, weight it, know how many calories it has, put it in your plate to see how much space it occupies, eat it to see how much of it satisfies you... etc. Basically become familiar with foods, how they look, how much they weigh, how many calories they have and overall learn as much as you could about them. For me, conducting such tests it's fun since I'm always curious about things. If you don't enjoy such a thing, know that it comes with practice and eventually by the time you are at your maintenance weight you will be able to eyeball and estimate things more accurately than you could before, so using the scale whenever you can is a great stepping stone.

I do work outside my home (2 jobs, soon to be 1), and have to usually eat 2 meals a day at work. I don't carry measuring cups with me, LOL, but both my workplaces have kitchens where those materials are available. I have eaten 2 meals out in the last 8 weeks, so I am not worried about restaurant meals.

jamiesokd

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come across as "this will be easy", but yes, I was thinking that this would be easIER than tracking carbs - researching every label, stressing over the numbers, did I get enough fat, should I eat this, am I retaining water, lets make separate meals from my family, every meal involves time and prep and there is no "quick", OMG what will the scale say tomorrow morning is quite frankly burning me out. I was hoping this would allow some more freedom and maybe I would be able to relax a bit more, because frankly the other has been causing me constant stress.

but maybe that is the way it is, constant obsessing and worrying and stressing no matter what plan I choose.

at this point, you can simplify it.
calorie deficit = weight loss.
if you know, accurately, how much you're eating... from a calorie standpoint...

then you know how much to cut back.

don't stress out over macros until you figure out how much you're eating to start with.

and don't weigh every day. your weight is going to fluctuate a few lbs on a regular basis, that's natural. pick one day a week, weigh on that day under the same circumstances.

I lost the majority within a year. I'm 807 days logged on MFP.

Congrats on your loss, that is awesome!

I do weigh every day because I would rather know that my weight is fluctuating between 206-208 currently than step on the scale one week and see it say 206 and the next 208. I have been measuring once a week though, and even that has been going up and down and all around, lol

So I guess tomorrow I'll be searching for a food scale.

amusedmonkey

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come across as "this will be easy", but yes, I was thinking that this would be easIER than tracking carbs - researching every label, stressing over the numbers, did I get enough fat, should I eat this, am I retaining water, lets make separate meals from my family, every meal involves time and prep and there is no "quick", OMG what will the scale say tomorrow morning is quite frankly burning me out. I was hoping this would allow some more freedom and maybe I would be able to relax a bit more, because frankly the other has been causing me constant stress.

but maybe that is the way it is, constant obsessing and worrying and stressing no matter what plan I choose.

trog - may I ask how long it took you to lose all that weight?

It actually is not the way it is. Don't stress about labels, just scan something in with your phone to see how much of it you can safely eat within your budget. Takes a few seconds. Don't cook separately for yourself, just enter the meals you commonly eat in your recipe builder and eat with your family, just within your calorie budget. It's only work the first time you calculate the meal, after that it would be a matter of a click. Don't worry too much about what your scale says if the "general trend" is going down. Water retained is not fat gained and will eventually clear out. If scale causes you so much stress, weight yourself only once a month! If you have stayed within your calorie budget throughout the month and logged everything, you will most certainly see change on the scale, water retention or not.

To make it simpler:
1. Do some initial work: gather the recipes to the meals you cook the most for your family and save them as recipes in your MFP recipes section. When you make them, you will not need to enter all the ingredients again, just pick a recipe and how many servings.
2. Every morning visit your diary and add in a few foods that you think you will be eating that day, and all you have to do during the day is edit these foods if you do make changes to your plan throughout the day.
3. Take time to exercise, which would give you a bigger calorie balance and you will not need to restrict yourself so much.

jamiesokd

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come across as "this will be easy", but yes, I was thinking that this would be easIER than tracking carbs - researching every label, stressing over the numbers, did I get enough fat, should I eat this, am I retaining water, lets make separate meals from my family, every meal involves time and prep and there is no "quick", OMG what will the scale say tomorrow morning is quite frankly burning me out. I was hoping this would allow some more freedom and maybe I would be able to relax a bit more, because frankly the other has been causing me constant stress.

but maybe that is the way it is, constant obsessing and worrying and stressing no matter what plan I choose.

trog - may I ask how long it took you to lose all that weight?

It actually is not the way it is. Don't stress about labels, just scan something in with your phone to see how much of it you can safely eat within your budget. Takes a few seconds. Don't cook separately for yourself, just enter the meals you commonly eat in your recipe builder and eat with your family, just within your calorie budget. It's only work the first time you calculate the meal, after that it would be a matter of a click. Don't worry too much about what your scale says if the "general trend" is going down. Water retained is not fat gained and will eventually clear out. If scale causes you so much stress, weight yourself only once a month! If you have stayed within your calorie budget throughout the month and logged everything, you will most certainly see change on the scale, water retention or not.

To make it simpler:
1. Do some initial work: gather the recipes to the meals you cook the most for your family and save them as recipes in your MFP recipes section. When you make them, you will not need to enter all the ingredients again, just pick a recipe and how many servings.
2. Every morning visit your diary and add in a few foods that you think you will be eating that day, and all you have to do during the day is edit these foods if you do make changes to your plan throughout the day.
3. Take time to exercise, which would give you a bigger calorie balance and you will not need to restrict yourself so much.

Many of those problems were what I was finding with low carb. That's why I thought calories would be easier. Unfortunately the general scale trend is not going down, it has been bouncing within the same 2 lb range for weeks. I find it very frustrating and hard to stay motivated (and to find the motivation for doing extra things like weighing food) when I am not seeing results. As for only weighing once a month, I can't fathom it, LOL! How would I know if it is working, or if I am doing all the work for nothing? What would keep me from grabbing that cupcake and saying forget about it? (which is kind of where I am now)

As for taking time to exercise, I know that would make a big difference! However, I currently work two jobs so my time is very limited. Like right now, I am on here getting advice instead of sleeping, lol.

karenrich77

So if I read your reply correctly, I am either eating too much, or not enough, and I should eat less or eat more to fix it?? LOL

I get what you are saying though...

I do not weigh my food, I have just been measuring with cups, tablespoons, etc, so I guess there is some room for error - but when the majority of my food has been veggies I can't see that any errors would put me wayyy over calorie wise...

As for exercise, ha. I kinda don't. I had MFP give me a recommendation based on mostly sedentiary and I do work on my feet all day. I have been working two full time jobs so I haven't had time to exercise, that is why I was focusing on my food. My recommendation was 1750 calories a day, and I have usually been at or under. Even today I cheated with a cupcake and I am still under calories...

Very sadly 1 cup of something can be very deceiving, if you put what you 'think' one cup is and put in on the scales instead, I guarantee you will be shocked about how many calories you truly are eating. It shocked me!

amusedmonkey

lol go to bed! It will get easier, I promise. You will make a few mistakes at first then you will eventually develop strategies that work for you. Don't stress... give yourself a few months and you will become an "expert" lol. When I used to work long hours I used to "skip lunch" or have salad for lunch since the margin of error for salad is not that great and everyone was at my throat for skipping a meal, but it worked for me because I could have a bigger dinner and I loved it! It may not be the thing for you, but keep trying things out and you will find something that works for you with the least amount of stress eventually.

amethyst70

I have done both.

I have Graves and PCOS. I am insanely insulin resistant, which for me means, ANY decent normal amount of carbs puts me under the table within 30 minutes. A bowl of 1/2 cup oatmeal prepared with water in the morning, and 30 minutes later I can not keep my eyes open, and fall asleep sitting up, driving, or whatever, due to my high insulin release and then super quick drop.

As much as I WANT to do a normal eat at a deficit sort of thing, it doesn't work for me. I have always had success on Atkins, HOWEVER, I wouldn't call it complete success as I never stick with it....so...it is what it is.

FOR ME, I am finding my way somewhere in the middle. I started this journey this year, on Atkins. Lost 16 lbs in about 3 weeks. Then stalled. I stall because I can not eat more than 10-15 carbs a day AND high calorie and expect to lose. I have to stay under 10 carbs and really that is just near insane for me to imagine that for life.

I have never counted calories in my entire life. Until now. The simple thing here is, it really isn't hard. MFP does it for you. Just measure and log all that you eat & drink. You will learn rather quickly what is high cal and low cal.

I set my macros with a relatively low carb count, and I try to keep most if not all my carbs from veggies and fruit, however I do eat things like SF pudding, greek yogurt and cream cheese as well as carb control tortillas or bread and protein shakes/smoothies.

I came to the boards, just like you, and didn't really want to listen to the whole measure everything, count calories, eat at a deficit. I too, just want it to happen. I personally am very lazy, and hate exercise. I started body resistance and now do weight lifting with a 2 mile walk 2-3 times a week. The weight is moving slowly, which is the best way for it to move. My body is changing, and I am losing inches. I feel a lot better.

I am 43, and have children ages 4-10 at home. Last year, I wouldn't and couldn't do anything with them. In the last month, I have played soccer, basketball, and just this week jumped on the trampoline with the 4 year old, as well as chased her around the park, and played follow the leader, swinging on swings, and going down slides. A few months ago I could not even fit in the slide. And I have a long ways to go.

My single most important advice is this. Try it. That is all you can do. BUT try it for 90days. Sometimes it takes a good 8 weeks for your body to finally accept that
1. you aren't going to starve it.
2. its ok to do what you want it to do.
3. It needs to readjust from what you have been doing to what you are now doing.

It is also important for you to figure out your TDEE. Or you will be spinning your wheels, guessing at where to set your calories for the day, and end up frustrated as well.

When I stalled, it was because I was only eating around 800 calories a day. Anyone should be able to lose on that but that is actually wrong. Once I bumped up my calories, I started to lose again.

My TDEE is somewhere around 1900 calories a day. To eat at a deficit I should eat 1500-1600 calories, but that depends on if I exert the same amount of energy daily/weekly. THAT is where it gets really complicated to me, so again, FOR ME, the easiest thing to do is follow MFP 1200 calories. You exercise. You log that. You then eat approx 1/2 of those calories back.
Example.
I know I am going to burn 150 calories on my walk today. So I add half of that (75) and now my calorie intake for the day is 1275.
I know from logging I will most likely burn 300-500 calories doing weight lifting, so I will add in another 250-300 calories. Now I am up to 1500-1575 calories to eat for the day. Make sense?

Lastly, unless you have a specific reason to be really low carb, I don't suggest it. You really will be very limited on food choices, and when your choices are limited many people become discouraged. I know I do.

This sight is phenomenal and almost anyone who tells you to weigh your food, knows exactly what they are talking about. Sometimes you just have to dig around a bit to find the articles that explain the whys and hows. When I joined, I almost quit the first week, because I felt nobody was listening to what I was saying. Turns out, I wasn't listening to what they were saying. In life, we are taught if it sounds too good to be true, then it is probably not true. This is one time that the truth is the truth. You have to eat a fair amount of calories to lose weight, but you just have to eat at a deficit from what your TDEE is.

Feel free to friend me

heybales

So if I read your reply correctly, I am either eating too much, or not enough, and I should eat less or eat more to fix it?? LOL

I get what you are saying though...

I do not weigh my food, I have just been measuring with cups, tablespoons, etc, so I guess there is some room for error - but when the majority of my food has been veggies I can't see that any errors would put me wayyy over calorie wise...

As for exercise, ha. I kinda don't. I had MFP give me a recommendation based on mostly sedentiary and I do work on my feet all day. I have been working two full time jobs so I haven't had time to exercise, that is why I was focusing on my food. My recommendation was 1750 calories a day, and I have usually been at or under. Even today I cheated with a cupcake and I am still under calories...

So you picked non-exercise level of sedentary, as in 45 hrs week deskjob/commute - but you work on your feet all day.

So that is extra deficit right there.

And MFP created a deficit with your eating goal too.

And you eat less than eating goal creating a bigger deficit.

You are correct, you'd have to be awful with food logging for vegetables to badly overcome so many deficits.
Usually it's measuring calorie dense foods compared to weighing - and getting many times during the day where you are eating 100 more than you thought.
That kind of mistakes add up.

Vegetables and 10-30 calories extra won't.

So you might reread that link with the knowledge that you are creating a really big deficit.

You might think of it like this.

If no weight loss for several weeks - you are eating at maintenance right now.
Whether your logged foods are dead on correct or not for what shows as calories eaten, and perhaps a tad more than shown, whatever the level is, is maintenance.
The big questions are:
Is it potential maintenance, meaning your logging is so bad you are eating that much more, but your body is humming along at full speed metabolism?
Or is it suppressed maintenance, meaning your body has adapted slower and wiped out the deficit you had, and along with other things that happen when you undereat, you are metabolically efficient now?

Now, you could try eating less first. And guess what happens if it's the second issue ....

If you have a lot of stress in life (2 jobs?), that makes it even harder on your body with stress hormones playing havoc.

How about a 2 week test to destress?

Eat 250 calories more than normal. Find whatever average TOTAL eating level you've been doing for last several weeks - and eat 250 more than that daily for 2 weeks. Meet that goal dead on, gotta accomplish it. Find almonds, peanut butter - weigh them all as they are calorie dense.

If you were truly eating at potential maintenance prior, you will gain 1 lb slowly over the 2 weeks. Reread that. 1 lb.

If you are at suppressed maintenance, you will gain more and/or faster water weight in first week. The same fast water weight you dropped going in to a diet. You were going to gain it back eventually anyway, so don't worry about it.

If you do gain 1 lb slowly over 2 weeks, then prior eating level really was potential maintenance.
Find 500 calories in your diet to cut out from that prior level. No need to even get more accurate with logging, just find 500 real calories to cut.
So while you may log what looks like a low number, it probably higher with inaccuracies.

But, if you do gain fast water weight it means you just topped off glycogen stores with attached water that were depleted, which wouldn't have been depleted eating at potential maintenance, which means prior level was suppressed maintenance.
That week is lost now, do the 2 week test again, with 250 more calories. Yep, 500 in total over prior level.

Now, here's the thing to see that's not that bad.
While you write down the actual number you are going to hit, go ahead and correct your profile setup.
Change activity level to Lightly Active, unless both jobs are on your feet.
If both jobs are standing or moving mostly, Active is correct.
Set weight loss goal to 1 lb weekly.
Notice the maintenance figure shown on results page.

How does that number compare to what you are going to be eating with 250 more?
Still higher than what you'll be eating?
Then I'm betting the first week will be fast water weight gain, and you'll be going up even 250 higher again.
How does that now 500 total higher match the MFP suggested maintenance level?

Just suggestions, but what is 2 weeks after all this time and aggravation?

Springfield1970

You'll get used to popping your food onto the weighing scale soon enough. I use it for everything now, except green veg. It cuts down on waste.

If you really want to do it, you'll find a way to take food with you to work and not have to put your health in other peoples hands.

That 13lb you lost was water and glycogen weight mostly. Don't be fooled by the low carb con.

Get diligent, stop feeling sorry for yourself and get on with it. You'll soon feel familiar with your new habits.

This is not a rehearsal. Claim your body back while you're young and surround you and your family with good habits.

pommychic

I have done both.

I have Graves and PCOS. I am insanely insulin resistant, which for me means, ANY decent normal amount of carbs puts me under the table within 30 minutes. A bowl of 1/2 cup oatmeal prepared with water in the morning, and 30 minutes later I can not keep my eyes open, and fall asleep sitting up, driving, or whatever, due to my high insulin release and then super quick drop.

As much as I WANT to do a normal eat at a deficit sort of thing, it doesn't work for me. I have always had success on Atkins, HOWEVER, I wouldn't call it complete success as I never stick with it....so...it is what it is.

FOR ME, I am finding my way somewhere in the middle. I started this journey this year, on Atkins. Lost 16 lbs in about 3 weeks. Then stalled. I stall because I can not eat more than 10-15 carbs a day AND high calorie and expect to lose. I have to stay under 10 carbs and really that is just near insane for me to imagine that for life.

I have never counted calories in my entire life. Until now. The simple thing here is, it really isn't hard. MFP does it for you. Just measure and log all that you eat & drink. You will learn rather quickly what is high cal and low cal.

I set my macros with a relatively low carb count, and I try to keep most if not all my carbs from veggies and fruit, however I do eat things like SF pudding, greek yogurt and cream cheese as well as carb control tortillas or bread and protein shakes/smoothies.

I came to the boards, just like you, and didn't really want to listen to the whole measure everything, count calories, eat at a deficit. I too, just want it to happen. I personally am very lazy, and hate exercise. I started body resistance and now do weight lifting with a 2 mile walk 2-3 times a week. The weight is moving slowly, which is the best way for it to move. My body is changing, and I am losing inches. I feel a lot better.

I am 43, and have children ages 4-10 at home. Last year, I wouldn't and couldn't do anything with them. In the last month, I have played soccer, basketball, and just this week jumped on the trampoline with the 4 year old, as well as chased her around the park, and played follow the leader, swinging on swings, and going down slides. A few months ago I could not even fit in the slide. And I have a long ways to go.

My single most important advice is this. Try it. That is all you can do. BUT try it for 90days. Sometimes it takes a good 8 weeks for your body to finally accept that
1. you aren't going to starve it.
2. its ok to do what you want it to do.
3. It needs to readjust from what you have been doing to what you are now doing.

It is also important for you to figure out your TDEE. Or you will be spinning your wheels, guessing at where to set your calories for the day, and end up frustrated as well.

When I stalled, it was because I was only eating around 800 calories a day. Anyone should be able to lose on that but that is actually wrong. Once I bumped up my calories, I started to lose again.

My TDEE is somewhere around 1900 calories a day. To eat at a deficit I should eat 1500-1600 calories, but that depends on if I exert the same amount of energy daily/weekly. THAT is where it gets really complicated to me, so again, FOR ME, the easiest thing to do is follow MFP 1200 calories. You exercise. You log that. You then eat approx 1/2 of those calories back.
Example.
I know I am going to burn 150 calories on my walk today. So I add half of that (75) and now my calorie intake for the day is 1275.
I know from logging I will most likely burn 300-500 calories doing weight lifting, so I will add in another 250-300 calories. Now I am up to 1500-1575 calories to eat for the day. Make sense?

Lastly, unless you have a specific reason to be really low carb, I don't suggest it. You really will be very limited on food choices, and when your choices are limited many people become discouraged. I know I do.

This sight is phenomenal and almost anyone who tells you to weigh your food, knows exactly what they are talking about. Sometimes you just have to dig around a bit to find the articles that explain the whys and hows. When I joined, I almost quit the first week, because I felt nobody was listening to what I was saying. Turns out, I wasn't listening to what they were saying. In life, we are taught if it sounds too good to be true, then it is probably not true. This is one time that the truth is the truth. You have to eat a fair amount of calories to lose weight, but you just have to eat at a deficit from what your TDEE is.

Feel free to friend me

great post!