Why isn't this working?

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Replies

  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Ok, everybody in my family thinks I'm the exercise freak because I workout ALOT (I run marathons), currently working out two hours/day, generally. Im not going to even entertain the idea that you should do THAT, but I would say, aside from the food issues, working out only twice a week....not going to cut it to lose weight. I would gain weight if I only worked out twice a week.
    Exercise is not necessary to lose weight. It's calories in/calories out.
    No, its not, but relying on diet alone is not the way to a completely healthy and toned body, and it certainly helps with weight loss, no disputing that since it is CALORIES OUT (not in). If you would like to not exercise, that's your prerogative, me personally, I like to be active.
    Where did I say I don't like to exercise? I run 4 to 6 miles 2 to 3 days a week and heavy weight lift 3 days a week.

    You told her exercising two days a week was not going to cut it for weight loss, and you are dead wrong.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    No, I don't weigh it all. But I do pay attention to whether it says "large" or "medium" banana, for example. Perhaps I'll start weighing more of my food, you aren't the only one to suggest that.
    Food scales are cheap. Go get one and what you see will surprise you.

    Small, medium, and large are all in the eye of the beholder. :smile:

    I have one, I just don't use it for everything. I use it when the serving size calls for it, like when pasta says that 2 oz is a serving.
    You look fantastic, by the way. You've come a long way.

    Another question I forgot: as you've lost weight have you manually prompted MFP to adjust your calorie intake? You should do so every ten pounds because as you get smaller your caloric needs decrease.
  • apathetastic
    apathetastic Posts: 14 Member
    Yes, I have adjusted the calories. 1200 was what was given to me at ~165.

    And thanks! That's very kind of you. That old picture was from 6 years ago, at about 70 lbs heavier than I am today.
  • apathetastic
    apathetastic Posts: 14 Member
    Ok, everybody in my family thinks I'm the exercise freak because I workout ALOT (I run marathons), currently working out two hours/day, generally. Im not going to even entertain the idea that you should do THAT, but I would say, aside from the food issues, working out only twice a week....not going to cut it to lose weight. I would gain weight if I only worked out twice a week.
    Exercise is not necessary to lose weight. It's calories in/calories out.
    No, its not, but relying on diet alone is not the way to a completely healthy and toned body, and it certainly helps with weight loss, no disputing that since it is CALORIES OUT (not in). If you would like to not exercise, that's your prerogative, me personally, I like to be active.

    You're probably correct in that I could add more workouts to my routine. It would burn more. I'm just not as huge on working out as you obviously are! :) I'll try to add an extra one in the week. Thanks for your suggestion.
  • caracrawford1
    caracrawford1 Posts: 657 Member
    Ok, everybody in my family thinks I'm the exercise freak because I workout ALOT (I run marathons), currently working out two hours/day, generally. Im not going to even entertain the idea that you should do THAT, but I would say, aside from the food issues, working out only twice a week....not going to cut it to lose weight. I would gain weight if I only worked out twice a week.
    Exercise is not necessary to lose weight. It's calories in/calories out.
    No, its not, but relying on diet alone is not the way to a completely healthy and toned body, and it certainly helps with weight loss, no disputing that since it is CALORIES OUT (not in). If you would like to not exercise, that's your prerogative, me personally, I like to be active.
    Where did I say I don't like to exercise? I run 4 to 6 miles 2 to 3 days a week and heavy weight lift 3 days a week.

    You told her exercising two days a week was not going to cut it for weight loss, and you are dead wrong.
    aside from the government recommendation of exercise on most days of the week, merely for maintenance exercising only twice a week is not enough. Most days of the week (at least 4-5) there should be some exercise. I did not infer that you do not exercise. Nor did I say you don't like it. Clearly you do some exercise, and its obvious you workout most days of the week (including lifting) not just TWO.
    Everybody is different, certainly exercising most days of the week (not just two) is not an outlandish idea. Now that being said, everyone's body is different. Running only 4-6 miles on only 2-3 days out of the week would NOT keep me in race shape and would result in gain, but that is me. I am in a different age group (you are about two decades older) and a very different exercise and higher experience level(I've run the Boston marathon in addition to 6 others) but its not a bad thing.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Double post.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Ok, everybody in my family thinks I'm the exercise freak because I workout ALOT (I run marathons), currently working out two hours/day, generally. Im not going to even entertain the idea that you should do THAT, but I would say, aside from the food issues, working out only twice a week....not going to cut it to lose weight. I would gain weight if I only worked out twice a week.
    Exercise is not necessary to lose weight. It's calories in/calories out.
    No, its not, but relying on diet alone is not the way to a completely healthy and toned body, and it certainly helps with weight loss, no disputing that since it is CALORIES OUT (not in). If you would like to not exercise, that's your prerogative, me personally, I like to be active.
    Where did I say I don't like to exercise? I run 4 to 6 miles 2 to 3 days a week and heavy weight lift 3 days a week.

    You told her exercising two days a week was not going to cut it for weight loss, and you are dead wrong.
    aside from the government recommendation of exercise on most days of the week, merely for maintenance exercising only twice a week is not enough. Most days of the week (at least 4-5) there should be some exercise. I did not infer that you do not exercise. Nor did I say you don't like it. Clearly you do some exercise, and its obvious you workout most days of the week (including lifting) not just TWO.
    Everybody is different, certainly exercising most days of the week (not just two) is not an outlandish idea. Now that being said, everyone's body is different. Running only 4-6 miles on only 2-3 days out of the week would NOT keep me in race shape and would result in gain, but that is me. I am in a different age group (you are about two decades older) and a very different exercise and higher experience level(I've run the Boston marathon in addition to 6 others) but its not a bad thing.
    Of course exercise has its benefits, and I love exercising. But, you do realize that people can and do lose weight, as well as maintain, who do no exercise? Really, it's not necessary at all for weight loss or maintenance.
  • 1911JR
    1911JR Posts: 276
    I'm 5'1.5", 29 years old, around 161 pounds. For months, my daily calorie goal was set at 1360, and I plateaued. I updated MFP and it gave me a new goal of 1200 with 2 workouts a week to lose 2 lbs per week. (I realize I probably won't actually lose 2 lbs per week.)

    The first couple of weeks, it went great. I lost around 4 lbs. Now it's stopped again.

    I'm a pescetarian and I don't eat very much processed food. Usually in the morning I have non-fat yogurt, berries and a little granola. Most lunches, I eat a homemade fruit smoothie. For dinner I often make fish and vegetables or something with beans or whole wheat pasta. I drink water, sugar free Kool-Aid, or unsweet tea or coffee, no soda. I usually end up with about 1150 calories at the end of the day. I measure everything out. I don't normally eat back exercise calories.

    WHAT is going on? Why am I not losing, even if slowly?

    I know people are going to say that I'm not eating enough, but I think that's BS. I'm quite short and mostly sedentary, as I have a desk job. I do go to the gym, usually 1-2 times per week (pretty much all cardio), and I take an outdoor walk at least once per week. I'm not in "starvation mode," and I don't go hungry.

    Help!

    Drink more water.

    Yes, I know.... You drink lots of water.......

    OK, So now that we are past that, drink more water. And then drink more water. It`s a gallon plus for me daily..
  • njitaliana
    njitaliana Posts: 809 Member
    On the days I looked at, your sugar went over because of: chocolate candy, ice cream, raisins, and Larabars. All have added sugars, which is what made your sugar go over. Fresh or frozen fruit isn't the problem. I'd check ingredients to see which foods you are eating that contains added sugars. Having said that, I'm not sure that the sugar is what's stopping you from losing, since you eat healthily the rest of the time. But, if you want to lower your sugar, I'd lower the foods with the added sugars, not the fruit.
  • njitaliana
    njitaliana Posts: 809 Member
    PS, I know Larabars are "natural," but they do contain honey, dates, and other things that are sugary, just a different form of sugar from table sugar.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Eating sugar does not stall weight loss, eating too much in general does.
  • elsinora
    elsinora Posts: 398 Member
    2lbs a week loss is not aggressive for someone around 160lbs.
    Yes it is, especially since her ticker says she wants to lose only about 25 pounds more.

    It isn't if you're doing it healthily. I averaged around 2lbs a week until the last 7lbs and it has stayed off. I've also lost over 100lbs.
  • skruttan44
    skruttan44 Posts: 86 Member
    While the calories in/out is the factor, for some people, especially us shorties who need a lot less calories to maintain, exercise can be a very important tool. Especially in seeing results fast enough to not be discouraged.

    And since 1200 calories is the minimum recommended to get enough nutrition (i agree), we do not get enough calorie deficit per week from cutting calories alone. I have used different formulas, and if I eat 1200 calories a day, my deficit is 2800 a week, less than 1 lbs per week. Yes, slow weight loss is good, but it can feel frustrating. So adding exercise and not eating back all calories can help boost the weight loss to a level where one can feel happy about it, plus the wonderful "side" effects of exercise are great! :happy:
  • GillianMcK
    GillianMcK Posts: 401 Member
    Think what people are trying to get at for the food scales is, even where you are using a tablespoon of mayo (for example), weigh it and use that as your calorie measurement rather than the tablespoon calorie measurement, you could take 3 different tablespoons of mayo and they would all be different weights and therefore different calories.
    Personally I don't think you're eating enough (remember that even eating boosts your metabolism to burn calories), I have a fairly sedentary office job, but I walk over 5k a day between walking to the train station and then to work and go out for a walk at lunchtime, I also run 4 times a week, PT & weights once a week, on my rest day I eat approx. 1800 calories, on an exercise day I eat 2000 and lose 2lb a week, I screwed up about 3 weeks ago and was logging approx. 200 more calories than I was eating (so in effect I was only eating 1600 on my rest day and 1800 on my exercise day), I gained 2lb a week until I noticed my error (I had taken 2 porridge pots on the morning I done the marathon to fuel me through that and then forgot to put it back to one portion after)!!
  • SEAFOODMAN
    SEAFOODMAN Posts: 342
    unless you have 75lbs or more to lose, you should set the goal at 1.5 not 2..............and shouldn't be eating less than 1400
  • caracrawford1
    caracrawford1 Posts: 657 Member
    While the calories in/out is the factor, for some people, especially us shorties who need a lot less calories to maintain, exercise can be a very important tool. Especially in seeing results fast enough to not be discouraged.

    And since 1200 calories is the minimum recommended to get enough nutrition (i agree), we do not get enough calorie deficit per week from cutting calories alone. I have used different formulas, and if I eat 1200 calories a day, my deficit is 2800 a week, less than 1 lbs per week. Yes, slow weight loss is good, but it can feel frustrating. So adding exercise and not eating back all calories can help boost the weight loss to a level where one can feel happy about it, plus the wonderful "side" effects of exercise are great! :happy:
    Exactly. I'm 5'2. Aside from that I just love encouraging people to exercise. I was involved, as a female marathoner, in the schools helping promote the nike campaign "if you let me play sports...". It keeps girls out of trouble, getting pregnant before they are ready, have higher self-esteem, you name it. When I went from 188 down to 138 from sedentary to 20 percent body fat and running marathons the jump in my esteem was palpable. I'll never forget when I finished new York city marathon (my first) and the lady put a finishers medal around my neck. I cried like a baby and kissed that medal. She asked me why I was crying. I said " I'm crying because I'm happy.". It was everything.
  • marjoleina
    marjoleina Posts: 189 Member
    Weigh all your food. I don't think you are eating enough.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    2lbs a week loss is not aggressive for someone around 160lbs.
    Yes it is, especially since her ticker says she wants to lose only about 25 pounds more.

    It isn't if you're doing it healthily. I averaged around 2lbs a week until the last 7lbs and it has stayed off. I've also lost over 100lbs.
    It's too aggressive because it's generally not sustainable in the long run. You must be the exception to the rule that people who lose weight too fast generally don't keep it off. :smile:

    Congratulations on your weight loss.
  • _Terrapin_
    _Terrapin_ Posts: 4,301 Member
    I haven't read all the thread responses, but I did look at your average daily calorie intake and your exercise calories; your netting at or below 1,000 calories on the days I viewed your diary. You have set your pounds per week goal at 2 pounds, which is too much too fast. You need to adjust the goal, eat more, and give it time.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    How long have you been stalled this second time? If you started by losing 2 lbs a week for a couple of weeks and it's only been another couple of weeks, then that's normal and no reason to think something's wrong. At your height and weight, even at 1200, it's extremely unlikely that you will lose 2 lbs/week without increasing exercise or daily activity, so it might just be the averaging out or monthly fluctuations. (Like I just lost over 2 lbs the last couple of weeks, who knows why, and will be lucky to be down a lb this week on my weigh-in day tomorrow, while doing nothing different.)

    I might be wrong, depending on your activity level (I'm assuming you said sedentary, but need to double check) and since you are younger than me (I'm 5'3 and 170, which is a similar height/weight combination), but I ran the numbers quickly on a calculator and suspect this is so. Look at your goals and see what MFP claims you will actually lose at the current goal. One option if you haven't been stalled for long is just to be consistent with the logging if you feel good and energetic, and expect an average more like whatever MFP says. (If I'm wrong in my guesses here, you can ignore this, of course.)
  • apathetastic
    apathetastic Posts: 14 Member
    On the days I looked at, your sugar went over because of: chocolate candy, ice cream, raisins, and Larabars. All have added sugars, which is what made your sugar go over. Fresh or frozen fruit isn't the problem. I'd check ingredients to see which foods you are eating that contains added sugars. Having said that, I'm not sure that the sugar is what's stopping you from losing, since you eat healthily the rest of the time. But, if you want to lower your sugar, I'd lower the foods with the added sugars, not the fruit.

    I don't really think that's what the problem is. I commented on it to say that it seems to be the only thing that is always over goal. :)

    The Larabars I made myself with items that had no added sugar (dried cherries and dates for example that had none added--I checked). I don't buy raisins with added sugar. You're right that I had an ice cream and/or a candy sometimes, but if I hadn't had so much sugar intake from the fruit, I wouldn't have gone over.
  • apathetastic
    apathetastic Posts: 14 Member
    How long have you been stalled this second time?

    It has only been a couple of weeks. I know I might be rushing it a bit, but at the start it was so quick and then went to a dead stop. After months of being at a plateau (I admit I wasn't trying as hard as possible during that period) and now really trying to get it going again, it's frustrating to see the numbers not change.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    On the days I looked at, your sugar went over because of: chocolate candy, ice cream, raisins, and Larabars. All have added sugars, which is what made your sugar go over. Fresh or frozen fruit isn't the problem. I'd check ingredients to see which foods you are eating that contains added sugars. Having said that, I'm not sure that the sugar is what's stopping you from losing, since you eat healthily the rest of the time. But, if you want to lower your sugar, I'd lower the foods with the added sugars, not the fruit.

    I don't really think that's what the problem is. I commented on it to say that it seems to be the only thing that is always over goal. :)

    The Larabars I made myself with items that had no added sugar (dried cherries and dates for example that had none added--I checked). I don't buy raisins with added sugar. You're right that I had an ice cream and/or a candy sometimes, but if I hadn't had so much sugar intake from the fruit, I wouldn't have gone over.
    I have ice cream or something sweet every day and I've lost 43 pounds and have been keeping it off.

    Also, if it's been only a couple of weeks, as you said in your subsequent post, then you might just have to be patient. Weight loss is nit linear, and it has a mind if its own.