Help and encouragement, please :)

sigmastar

I've been trying mfp for a couple months now and have had no success. The site itself is great, but I find myself over-indulging for the sake of "special occasions" too often (my anniversary, Thanksgiving, a night out with friends, etc.). I also have difficulty sticking to my calorie goals because I find that eating so little makes me very groggy all through the day and I can't get work done.

I guess some background might help. I reached my peak weight at about 215lbs when I was a senior in high school. I went to fat camp that summer and lost 15 lbs, and lost another 40lbs on my own over the next two years. I didn't have to think about what I ate, I didn't have to push myself to exercise, the weight just kept coming off. It was awesome, and I maintained a weight of 165 for about a year. Then I had gall bladder surgery. I gained about 15 lbs in three months, and 8 more on top of that over the next year. Now I've been stable at 188 for about 6 months and I'm ready turn this around. I feel so uncomfortable in my own skin at this weight and I need to get back down to where I felt healthy and good about myself. I work out at least 3 times a week doing Jillian Michaels tapes (circuit training) and get in 10,000 steps a day minimum on top of that. On days I don't "work out", I bike about 10 miles. Still, I'm not losing weight.

Does anyone have any advice or encouragement? Also, how can I avoid feeling lethargic and groggy while dieting?

Edestiny7

Do you have a heart rate monitor? If not, invest in one. Polar is a good one. Eat your exercise calories back, enough of them, if not all of them, to keep your net calories above 1200. Change your setting for sodium to 1500, which is the AHA recommendation for everyone. Drink mainly water. Drink 8 cups a day. Minimize processed food. If you eat over your daily calorie goal for a special occasion or otherwise, make up the extra calories in exercise that day or the next. Or under-eat that amount of calories the next day.

You can do it! :flowerforyou:

TateFTW

You're burning a crap load of calories. Are you eating them back? If not, then there you go, you're under-eating. Go to "exercise" on top of the MFP page and enter everything you do, then eat the extra calories that are added to your food diary.

sigmastar

Do I need to add the walking that I do to my daily activities or is that included in mfp's "moderate activity" question in the initial questionnaire?

Rynatat

The moderate activity is your job: I have a desk job & while I do move around (I fall asleep if I sit still for too long!), I'm considered sedentary.

See if you can view my diary & progress (you may have to friend me): I had HORIBLE issues trying to lose and since December last year I've lost 21lbs, it doesn't sound like a lot, but I look like I've lost close to 40 due to all the toning & firming.

Good Luck - add me as a friend if you would like xtra inspiration & "hint' for what I've been doing (no magic pills just found "me"). :flowerforyou:

bobdubya

When I started I put "Sedentary" ( just staying alive ) as my life style. So now ANY walk or activity can be listed as extra calories earned. It's working great for me.... My initial daily calorie goal is low (1600) but if I want a few hundred more I go on a long walk, elliptical, etc...