So flippin frustrated !!!! help please!

FordEXP

A few tips for your diet.....

You eat a lot of processed foods (notice how your sodium is usually over? That's because of processed foods). These foods (the cheerios, the cereal bars, etc etc) have very little protein and fiber and are essentially empty calories.

You are pretty short on protein and fiber, especially in the morning. It is SO important to fuel your body properly first thing in the morning.

Instead of coffee, an apple, and cheerios, try Plain non fat greek yogurt with blueberries, cinnamon, and some Kashi Go Lean.

At lunch, add at least a cup or two of vegetables, like steamed broccoli, sauteed peppers and onions, etc.

Add at least 2-3 cups of vegetables at dinner as well.

For both dinner and lunch, you need a quality lean protein; chicken breast, fish, egg whites, etc.

Also to add to Ral263 suggestions.....maybe try burst training when you exercise I have heard nothing but great things about it and it keeps your body burning calories (so I have been told) burning through out the day...I have recently started it this past week along with cycling my calories to help try to break my plateau I come upon....I dont have the results of it but just a suggestion that might help you as well!!

These two quotes are spot on. You may have plateau'd and need to push yourself while working out.

I looked a couple days back in your food diary and it looks like you are snacking a little too much, stop eating the fiesta mix. 540 calories for a snack is not a good idea, think about how hard you have to work to burn off 540 calories and ask yourself is this snack really worth it? Replace it with something like a 100 calorie pack of unsalted nuts, non-fat yogurt or even a 1oz cheese stick. That is enough to satiate your urge to snack.

Also, drink lots of cold water, your body has to burn calories to warm it up to 98 degrees and when combined with a snack it helps you feel more full, resulting in less of an urge to eat more.

5grn9

thanks for the info for the calorie cycling, I don't think that would work for me- I can only have 1200 calories a day- so would you include your excercise calories?

crazy4eachother

I agree with those posting about fat loss and muscle tone. When my scales don't budge... my measuring tape usually does!

4theking

Yes, if you were already counting them than you still would.

Jenlynphi

I'm in the same boat. I read about zig zagging but I'm kind of scared to try it since I have been 1200 or under since Jan. I run everyday and stay at or under 1200 and nothing is happening. The 12.5 pounds came off very slowly.

Lovemydounts

maybe dont eat so much sodium .hang in there there weeks were i dont lose any thing but dont gain.

dlcjr

15 lbs in 3 months--that's great! We all experience plateaus, so just hang in there! I suggest a 2 mile walk on your non-exercise days. That might just make the difference.

TripleJ3

I've been at this since the new year and have only lost 15 lbs!

Please don't ever say this again, *only* should never be listed in front of lost lbs.

Be proud of that 15, you earned that, you did that. I bet if you gained 15lbs you wouldn't think, i've *only* gained 15lbs. Not only that but you have kept it off. Lots of people lose weight, hit a wall then gain it all back plus. Try to not get too discouraged and definitely replace your meals and snacks with more fresh homemade meals. You can always make your own granola/snack bars with lots of less sodium and keep them individually wrapped in the freezer to grab and go.

BlueEyedMomma88

Its been six weeks and you have not seen a loss.....cut calories! I could get scientific or elaborate but no need to. Eat less and lose.

I'm eating about a 1000-1100 a day, exercise about 2- 3 hours (about 1000 cal or more) and I do not eat back my exercise calories. Havent lost more than 0.1kg in the last week while doing it. You can see that your rule doesnt apply to everyone

If u only eat 1000-1100 a day and burn 1000 or more and dont eat back ur exercise calories u r most likely putting ur body in starvation mode and thats y ur not losing weight, sorry :-/.. Try eating at least 1200 calories a day and eat back at least half of ur exercise calories and see if u have a loss after that..

MakingAChoice

Its been six weeks and you have not seen a loss.....cut calories! I could get scientific or elaborate but no need to. Eat less and lose.

I'm eating about a 1000-1100 a day, exercise about 2- 3 hours (about 1000 cal or more) and I do not eat back my exercise calories. Havent lost more than 0.1kg in the last week while doing it. You can see that your rule doesnt apply to everyone

His rule doesn't apply because it does not work. eating 1000-1100 a day and NOT eating exercise calories back is crazy. If you increase your calorie intake you will lose weight. You have your body in starvation mode right now. You need to stay about 1200 a day NET, so if you exercise you need to eat even more. try to make it 4-6 meals/snacks throughout the day and you will see a change. Try it for at least 4 weeks, you might gain some weight while you body comes out of starvation mode, but then you will start losing again after your body realizes you are not going to starve to death.

BlueEyedMomma88

Its been six weeks and you have not seen a loss.....cut calories! I could get scientific or elaborate but no need to. Eat less and lose.

I'm eating about a 1000-1100 a day, exercise about 2- 3 hours (about 1000 cal or more) and I do not eat back my exercise calories. Havent lost more than 0.1kg in the last week while doing it. You can see that your rule doesnt apply to everyone

His rule doesn't apply because it does not work. eating 1000-1100 a day and NOT eating exercise calories back is crazy. If you increase your calorie intake you will lose weight. You have your body in starvation mode right now. You need to stay about 1200 a day NET, so if you exercise you need to eat even more. try to make it 4-6 meals/snacks throughout the day and you will see a change. Try it for at least 4 weeks, you might gain some weight while you body comes out of starvation mode, but then you will start losing again after your body realizes you are not going to starve to death.

LOL we posted practically the same thing at the same time :laugh:

Sonnut

I'm not a pro by any means, but I do know a couple simple rules. First, if you are burning calories (working out), you need to consume extra calories. Your body needs those calories to NOT think it's starving. It is simple math, you need to burn more than you consume, but I believe this site does all that math for you, so if it says you need to consume 1700 calories because you worked out hard, then you need to at least consume close to that amount of caloires, but pick your calories wisely. I see lots of days where you have hundreds of extra calories that you are not consuming. Believe it or not, if you're gonna work out, you need to eat more to loose weight.

I see a lot of processed foods in your diet, which make me think of "empty" calories, meaning calories that don't do much for your body except to make you feel full. Keeping foods as simple as possible keeps those calories pure (fruits, veggies, meats, etc. instead of cereal bars, shakes, etc.). I'm not one to say I eat the best (you can view my food diary as well. I just changed it to public and tried to space out my diary to better reflect when I eat. It'll show accurate for today, but the history isn't accurate as far as when I eat those foods), as you can see I like my chocolate and beverages. I try to balance it all out and watch portions.

Second important thing to remember, we burn calories constantly. We need to be consuming calories all day long, not just three times a day. Eat every 2 1/2 - 3 hours. Nothing major, just a quick snack to keep your metabolism going.

This is just what works for me, you can take it or leave it. I have lost 10 pounds since beginning this site (which is when I first started even thinking about loosing weight). I do not work out at all, with the exception of the extra calories I burn at work (walking, stairs, etc.) and at home doing every day things (cooking, cleaning). I will begin walking more outside and riding my bike as the weather warms up. I will also start some exercises to tone my stomach and legs, once I get closer to my target weight. I only have 20 more pounds to go, then I'll be out of school for the summer and can focus on some exercising. I can assure you I will be consuming more calories to support my exercising.

Either way, you are doing a great job. Even if the scale isn't moving, you are toning up and noticing it in your clothes. That's GREAT! Keep up the good work, it will pay off.

kbloodworth

Its been six weeks and you have not seen a loss.....cut calories! I could get scientific or elaborate but no need to. Eat less and lose.

I'm eating about a 1000-1100 a day, exercise about 2- 3 hours (about 1000 cal or more) and I do not eat back my exercise calories. Havent lost more than 0.1kg in the last week while doing it. You can see that your rule doesnt apply to everyone

I have to agree here. Sometimes cutting calories by too much can cause you to gain weight. If you have a dietician that is advising you, you should listen to them.

One other thing- have you ever been tested for food allergies/intolerances? I was having a really hard time losing weight, and I underwent several tests and found out that I am allergic to gluten and dairy, and have sensitivity to corn. After I removed these foods from my diet (which, not coincidentally, are the ingredients found in most processed foods), I immediately lost 12 lbs the first two weeks, and have continued to lose at a slower rate since then. If you can't afford the tests and your insurance doesn't cover it, you can try an elimination diet to try to test this for yourself. There are lots of sample diets on the web if you look up "Allergy Elimination Diet." Basically, you remove all common allergy-causing foods from your diet for 2-3 weeks, and then add one back to your diet every week, and see if you trigger an allergic response. You have to add foods back in slowly. If you do it too fast, you may not be able to tell which ones are causing physical reactions.

maggieschuck

Thanks every one for all the suggestions. I called my Dr and we are going to check my thyroid and my hormone levels. I have polycistic ovary syndrome. I causes my hormones to rage out of control, witch in turn makes it super hard to loose weight. I do need to cut back on carbs, eat more in the am and figure out a better cal intake goal.

callipygianchronicle

I see a dietitian once a month to help me but so far there has been no results. She wants me to eat 1500 cal a day and I think I should be closer to 1200 to loose weight. I hover between those numbers.

Read what you wrote here and think about it. You have a professional’s advice. A person who studied nutrition, spoke to you about your specific goals and situation, and gave you a VERY reasonable number. Instead, you have decided that you know better than the professional and are doing your own thing. It isn’t working. And rather than follow the professional’s advice, you come to a forum of non-experts and ask for more advice? Why?

techie30

Hey! Good job so far. I agree with some of the other posts regarding your intake of processed foods, it may be a very good idea to cook more unprocessed grains and stick to fresh foods. I think also that you're at the point where you need to add in some cardio and strength training. Your body burns more calories/fat when you build lean muscle, and your metabolism goes through the roof! When you only restrict your calories but not you're not building lean muscle, your metabolism will re-adjust to your new caloric intake and you'll stop losing weight. Good luck!!!

techie30

WHOA!!! Just saw that you're working out 3 hours a day and not eating back your calories!!! Baaaaaad!!! You're keeping your body in starvation mode, and everything you're eating is being stored because you're not consuming enough food! Yikes!!! 1200 NET is a good goal to start with-that means if you're burning 1000 calories working out, you need to eat 2200 calories a day.

lenwie

Thanks every one for all the suggestions. I called my Dr and we are going to check my thyroid and my hormone levels. I have polycistic ovary syndrome. I causes my hormones to rage out of control, witch in turn makes it super hard to loose weight. I do need to cut back on carbs, eat more in the am and figure out a better cal intake goal.

I too am a sufferer of PCOS and most evidence points towards following a diet along lines of a diabetic, unfortunately if you suffer PCOS you could be heading in the diabetic direction, so taking measures now will pay dividends in the end. Try lowering your white carbs/starch.

I feel for you hun, I too had good weight loses for the first 3 weeks and stalled for the last 5 weeks, but yesterday I was down 3lb, I decreased my white carbs/starch and upped my protein. Still eating my fruits and veg, but steering clear if I can of rice/potatoes/pasta. If I feel I need something I'll have a ryvita. Dont get me wrong, I have the odd treat, a small snack mars or baked walkers crisps, but since doing this I have been so full and not feeling deprived at all.

Best of luck

maggieschuck

Thanks every one for all the suggestions. I called my Dr and we are going to check my thyroid and my hormone levels. I have polycistic ovary syndrome. I causes my hormones to rage out of control, witch in turn makes it super hard to loose weight. I do need to cut back on carbs, eat more in the am and figure out a better cal intake goal.

I've been struggling to be at 1500 cal intake based on my dietitian but its feels like a lot of food. There are days like today that I feel like Im shoveling food into me just to get the cal intake up. Its make me feel overly full and sick. Im working out today, mainly cardio and soccer so trying to be at 1500 or a little above. I eat my last meal at 5 pm and I eat every 2-3 hrs during the day.

I posted this topic to vent and to see what ppl think of my diary. Im frustrated with myself and the limitations of my body. I wasn't looking for any medical advice. I know some ppl think they know what they are talking about and they are trying to be helpful. Part of my struggle with eating more is the mental image of " more food = fatter person". Its nice to hear what what ppl have to say (encouragements or advice) and know I not the only one who struggles with the basic cal intake vs weight loss.

kje2011

Keep exercising, eating healthy and you definitely will see the toning happening. Scale--yeh,I get frustrated too. i am in the same boat that I lost just 15 lbs, but I took my measurements and have lost a lot of inches.
Little by little with determination and you will/do feel good about yourself!!
Keep it up!!!
smiles,