Can NOT lose!!!!

becalee26

also to add. if I remember correctly in the past sometimes I had to go through 2 cycles(periods) before my body would let go of the fat. Not sure if it's just coincidence or not.

stormieweather

Ok, I am actually going to suggest that you NOT eat back your exercise calories, unless you go over 200 calories in exercise. THen eat back only half. I suspect you may be overestimating how much you're burning. Your exercise is minimal and I've found since monitoring mine with a Fitbit, that I do not burn anywhere close to what I thought I did (my body is efficient, unfortunately).

Second, I would cut way back on the processed foods. If it comes in a box, or can, or drive thru...don't eat/drink it.

Third, measure, weigh and log every single thing you eat/drink. Ketchup on fries? LOG IT! Sugar in your coffee? LOG IT. Soy sauce in your stir fry? LOG IT! Measure the olive oil, count the almonds, weigh the pasta before you cook it. You can underestimate your calorie intake by hundreds due to errors in this area.

Are you measuring yourself? Have you lost any inches?

And be patient. If this doesn't work after another 4 weeks, maybe you should get your doctor to check you out.

Adding...do NOT cheat. Cheat days/meals can completely demolish your cumulative deficit. If you go out to eat or have some sort of special occasion, eat up to maintenance...no more than. You can find out what MFP calculates your maintenance to be by going to Home > Goals and looking at the right hand side of the page under "Calories Burned During Normal Daily Activity". Never, ever go over this. Then you must realize that this is going to slow down your weight loss by the time it takes to earn back that lost deficit. And if you cheat, log every bite. Be honest.

AmeMahoney

Now I am confused! Eat the excerise calories or dont?
I realize that I am not eating "clean" but holy moly...I sure thought I was!!!!
This is so discouraging...I dont know how much cleaner I can get!

Would changing from yogurt each day to oats help?

Please go look at some Clean Eating books or websites. If you really thought you were eating clean, these will help you immensely. There really is too much info to provide here - there are entire books written about it. You can eat plain yogurt, especially Greek yogurt and add your own fruit as part of a clean eating plan. You can also eat oatmeal - not the instant or packaged kind. The books will really, really help you. Your local library probably has them. :bigsmile:

vegheadmomma

I would recommend reading the eat clean books as well. I have done so and found alot that i could change... and being a vegetarian helps in the sense that i stick to the perimeter of the store. If it comes in a package--- try not to eat it. I know that you think that if it has little calories it is good, but that is not the case, alot of the time things that are low in calories have alot of preservatives and additiives as well as sodium. Try to stick to lots of veggies and if you want yogurt have it be greek yogurt, you are getting alot of protein and it is much better for you than regular yogurt.
try to consume lots of greens, spinach, kale, lettuce, broccoli they are full of vitamins and fiber. and i cannot express this enough, try not to use the microwave to prepare your meals. Many people dont know this but the microwave breaks down the molecules of the food and makes then carcinagenic, which means they are now cancer causing molecules that you are putting in your body.
if you want to eat clean, just think the closer it is to the way it came off the tree, vine, out of the ground the better.

vegheadmomma

oh yeah, and don't eat your excersise calories.... you want a defecit in order to lose. just eat the original amount of calories that are given... but if you burn an excessive amount then eat a little extra. i will eat more if i burn say 400 or more.

stormieweather

oh yeah, and don't eat your excersise calories.... you want a defecit in order to lose. just eat the original amount of calories that are given... but if you burn an excessive amount then eat a little extra. i will eat more if i burn say 400 or more.

MFP already has a deficit in your calorie goal, depending on what you enter as your weight loss goal. The idea on this site is to maintain that deficit in order to lose weight at a healthy pace and keep it off. Thus, the exercise calories are added back, keeping the deficit the same.

But in this poster's case, she only burns about 100-200 each session and there is no room for error with that little. She's not losing, so would try eating half if she burns 200+ in a workout session.

Cristy_AZ

just at a quick glance at your diary I'd say too much sodium and not enough protein.
loose the packaged food and try to eat whole foods
I hit a plateau and posted on here "help I think I'm eating the wrong things" (maybe you could find it) and got lots of suggestions that helped...
I started eating smaller meals more often and more protein and it helped a lot!!
Also there's lots of people on here that have really really good food diaries that are open and you can look at them for ideas of what's working (I'm just getting started here and struggling with sodium and sugars myself!)
Good Luck!!!

Cristy_AZ

just at a quick glance at your diary I'd say too much sodium and not enough protein.
loose the packaged food and try to eat whole foods
I hit a plateau and posted on here "help I think I'm eating the wrong things" (maybe you could find it) and got lots of suggestions that helped...
I started eating smaller meals more often and more protein and it helped a lot!!
Also there's lots of people on here that have really really good food diaries that are open and you can look at them for ideas of what's working (I'm just getting started here and struggling with sodium and sugars myself!)
Good Luck!!!

melodyg

Now I am confused! Eat the excerise calories or dont?
I realize that I am not eating "clean" but holy moly...I sure thought I was!!!!
This is so discouraging...I dont know how much cleaner I can get!

Would changing from yogurt each day to oats help?

Yes, it would... but get the old fashioned or quick cooking oats, not the instant in packets (lots of added sugar in those!)

Don't get overwhelmed... just make one change at a time!

A couple of things I have found to help me eat cleaner and healthier...
1) Snacking on fruits or veggies instead of "snacky" foods like chips, cookies, 100 calorie packs... (I didn't really do those kinds of snacks to begin with but I know many do!)
2) Eating breakfast (if you aren't now)
3) I like to buy chicken tenders when they are on sale (for under $2/pound) and then cook them up to eat on during the week. I usually grill them with taco seasoning (I make my own) or a bit of garlic salt. They are great over salads, in stirfry or fajitas or wraps, or just to snack on. They are better for you AND cheaper than the deli meats! You can do lots with ground turkey too!

gaeljo

Women retain fluids and nutrients before their period because their body is saying I could be pregnant I need nutrients to feed a fetus. Often cravings increase the week before a cycle because the body is storing to feed a potential fetus. Once you menstrate the body purged fluids and stored nutrients. That's why its common to drop 3 pounds all at once after you have your period. You are still losing fat all month but the scale may not show it until your cycle is over. A sports dietition just shared this w me. Gael

AmeMahoney

Now I am confused! Eat the excerise calories or dont?
I realize that I am not eating "clean" but holy moly...I sure thought I was!!!!
This is so discouraging...I dont know how much cleaner I can get!

Would changing from yogurt each day to oats help?

Yes, it would... but get the old fashioned or quick cooking oats, not the instant in packets (lots of added sugar in those!)

Don't get overwhelmed... just make one change at a time!

A couple of things I have found to help me eat cleaner and healthier...
1) Snacking on fruits or veggies instead of "snacky" foods like chips, cookies, 100 calorie packs... (I didn't really do those kinds of snacks to begin with but I know many do!)
2) Eating breakfast (if you aren't now)
3) I like to buy chicken tenders when they are on sale (for under $2/pound) and then cook them up to eat on during the week. I usually grill them with taco seasoning (I make my own) or a bit of garlic salt. They are great over salads, in stirfry or fajitas or wraps, or just to snack on. They are better for you AND cheaper than the deli meats! You can do lots with ground turkey too!

Good advice, except do NOT get the quick cooking oats. They are more processed. Just put boiling water in your regular oatmeal, cover with a plate, and leave it for 10 minutes to cook if you do not want to cook it for 20 minutes on the stove.

Also, don't buy processed chicken tenders. You can make your own by cutting up some chicken. It's really easy. :bigsmile:

Until you get some of your eating on track, I wouldn't even worry about the "eat vs don't eat the exercise calories" question.

PhoenixFire975

Hi There, I have lots of suggestions, my first one is, don't listen to the calories burned by fitness pal, I find them to be a gross over estimate. When you work out, think about that you are really burning about 200 calories per half an hour. Off hand, make sure you are eating no less than 1200 calories per day and don't increase your calories with your workouts. Unless you are buring like a 1000 calories a day, you don't need to increase your calories with your workouts.

Actually, This seems to be a seriously debatable topic that I keep running into. You ABSOLUTELY NEED TO EAT THE CALS YOU BURN!!!! Good gracious!!! I CANNOT stress this enough!! You need to make sure that your net cals equal your cal goal, so if you burn off some cals, but are still under your goal for net cals, EAT SOMETHING!! It will not help you or your body to starve yourself of the food that you need.

P.S.
If you are really having issues with losing weight, but keep doing everything right, then you need to consult/see a doctor to make sure there is no underlying problem as to why it is so difficult for you to lose.

willimh

Her diary is available to see if you click on her name.

gaeljo

Someone here invited me to be their friend and I accidentally declined. I'm so sorry. Please try again. The buttons are too close together using my phone. Grrrr.