Struggling With Weight Loss

littlechris1980

Hi there,

I started eating healthier about 10 days ago and I actually gained weight. :noway:

Before starting this my diet mostly consisted of lots of coffee, eating out at least once a day usually at a drive thru, and the other meals was mostly packing on carbs or fatty food.

So here's what I've changed to:

-Slimfast shakes (premade ones) 2 times per day. Each of these is 250 calories and I'm finding they are quite filling
-Taking a multi-vitamin every monirng
-When I get hungry during the day I try to stick to fruit, cheese, or vegetables
-At dinner I try to make food, but it's not the healthiest.

There have been times that we've eaten out with really unhealthy food (pizza, McDonalds, etc) but it's less than what it was. In the past week I think I've had 3 fast food meals instead of 7-10 that I would have normally have.

What I think I need to change next is:

-Getting exercise. Right now I hardly get any, I want to get my dog out for 30-60 mins per day consistently. The challenge I'm facing is I will get her out for 2-3 days in a row, and then stop and not realize it.

-No more takeout.

I'm not sure what else I can do.

FaithfulJewel

#1 question: Are you weighing and recording everything? It doesn't matter what you eat (I eat takeaway cause I have "oh screw it" days) as long as it's under your calorie allowance.

I don't do exercise because I am lazy, but I've still lost weight through monitoring what goes in my mouth! Easier to not eat that 250kcal chocolate bar than walk an hour to burn it off (I could be doing other stuff in that time, after all)

rgrady33

Without being able to see your diary and knowing your height/weight it is hard to say where you might be having an issue. Are you tracking all of your calories and staying under your target? I was eating healthy before I started MFP, but the QUANTITY I was eating prevented weight loss. It might be too that if you are eating healthier foods you may think you can eat more as the trade-off for eating less junk food.

asimonep

Try setting an alarm on your phone to go off every day at the same time, as a reminder to go walk. After a while, it will become habit.

rh7847

First, if you are tracking your calories, you may be eating too few of calories to start with. I mean, 500 calories with 2 meals (SlimFast) isn't nearly enough. That should be closer to 1 meal as opposed to 2. If your starting weight is 260 (based on the graphic in your picture), you'd probably want to aim for a calorie goal of around 2400 or so.

Second, the quality of calories is a huge factor too. The food at dinner needs to be healthy. Lots of veggies (green ones like broccoli, spinach, green beans, etc), proteins (chicken, beef, turkey, fish), and keep the carbs low.

Third, exercise, you need to start. Even something as simple as walking for 25min is better than nothing. Build yourself up to a bit more intense workouts. It's a slow process, and it will have ups and downs, but with persistence and constant tweaking, you can do it.

If you want, shoot me a friend request on facebook. We can chat more there: facebook.com/rob.hale

soopaang

It's all about the calorie deficit. Have you checked your recommended daily caloric intakes to see how many cals you need to maintain your current weight? MFP has some good tools for this and that way you can set your calorie goal in a deficit. I'm not a fan of diet shakes or meal replacements because they just aren't a long term solution and I'd rather get my nutrients from whole foods. You'll have to do what's comfortable and easy for your lifestyle so don't obsess too much about the type of foods but rather focus on an accurate measure of the calories you are taking in. As long as you are taking in your deficit goal you will lose weight. Good luck!

Uselessly_Irrelevant

Give it time! In the scheme of things, 10 days is not a lot to notice any significant weight loss. Look at my last month:



If you take it out of context and just focus on a crappy 10 day window this is what you see:


My high was around 166, my low was around 162 - but it's bouncing up and down all through there. It's easy to look and the flat areas and think, "this isn't working. screw this" but it is... overall over the months it's a downward trend.

I also don't exercise, all I do is try to stay at my calorie goal. I weight my foods usually, and I track anything I put into my mouth.

Are you weighing your food? Also remember, just because you make it at home doesn't mean it's gonna be low in calories. So when you make dinner, pay attention to what you're doing and serving sizes. Keep track of everything that goes into your mouth, be honest with yourself and be patient and you will start to notice a downward trend. Good luck!

Uselessly_Irrelevant

Second, the quality of calories is a huge factor too. The food at dinner needs to be healthy. Lots of veggies (green ones like broccoli, spinach, green beans, etc), proteins (chicken, beef, turkey, fish), and keep the carbs low.

Third, exercise, you need to start. Even something as simple as walking for 25min is better than nothing. Build yourself up to a bit more intense workouts. It's a slow process, and it will have ups and downs, but with persistence and constant tweaking, you can do it.

The quality of of your calories isn't that big of a factor - it's a big factor for health, but not for weight loss. you can lose weight by eating what you normally eat - just eat LESS of it.

and you don't NEED to exercise to lose weight either. exercise is great for health, it's great to get moving but you don't HAVE to exercise to lose weight.

Lleldiranne

Sooo ... are you tracking daily calories? What is your calorie goal? How are you weighing and measuring your foods to ensure that you get the proper portion size?

It's great that you are trying to focus on eating more healthful foods, but remember that it's not an "all or nothing" thing.

Slim fast shakes are okay, but you can get similar calories, better macro balance, and more satiety, not to mention much lest cost, from something like 2 eggs, 1 slice of wheat toast, and some fruit (all of those for the same as 1 slimfast). The shakes aren't *bad* for you, but I don't think they are going to be a long-term solution.

Snacking on fruits, veggies, cheese and such is fine as long as you account for those calories. Cheese is pretty calorie dense (~100 calories for just 1 oz, which can add up really quickly!) so it's especially important to track those snacks. You can also eat nuts (again, calorie dense, but worth it as long as you account for the calories), whole grains, etc.

Try to plan your dinners in advance. I've found that a protein (beef, chicken, pork, fish, beans, etc) is a good start, with a starch as a side dish (potato, pasta, rice, or bread), and of course plenty of vegetables. Home-made stew, chili, fish with mashed potatoes, stir-fry (chicken+carrot+broccoli+onion in olive oil with a bit of soy sauce). If you're cooking for one, it's just as easy to make enough for 2 and save half for tomorrow (lunch or dinner).

Don't demonize any food. Pizza, burgers, etc are okay once in a while, as long as you account for the calories and stay within your goal (homemade burgers are a great dinner!!) Even chocolate, donuts, and ice cream are ok as occasional treats as long as they fit in your daily calorie goal. Cutting anything out completely often leads to feelings of depravation, then binging, then guilt and giving up. It's a vicious cycle.

Exercise is a great thing to add in. But you still have to track your calories! Try walking the dog 30 minutes every other day to start, then you can go to every day, then add time. Put the leash where you will see it as a reminder, set an alarm on your phone, something to keep you on task. Also try an app like runkeeper or mapmywalk, they help you see how fast and how far you go, which can help keep you motivated (ie beating your personal best).

It all boils down to calories. Eat more than you use, you gain. Eat less that you use, you lose. (Of course, there are also daily and weekly fluctuations, you can't gauge success on just 10 days, it often takes a month to see how it's going)

likitisplit

There are four things that will give you the biggest benefit:
- Macros: make sure that you are eating to your MFP calorie goal and getting enough protein and fat
- Micros: make sure you are eating a balanced diet that includes the RDA of all micronutrients over a week's time.
- Moderation: you don't get bonus points for eating more than your RDA of your micros, so you can usually work in some "treats." This makes the lifestyle change more sustainable in the long run. Also, try setting your weight loss goal a little less agressively.
- Movement: Your metabolism receives huge benefits - well beyond calories burned when you get 30 minutes of vigorous activity five times a week.

stayfocus10

I have been successful in my lose weight goal and now I am struggling with it and staying focus. In the past couple of months I have gone through a lot of changes in my life. I have already lost 90 pounds and need to lose 50 by April. I need some advice on how to stay focus and reach my goal. Is there any one that can help me.