complete breakdown

MaddameKat

Hi all!

I am here because i'm having a meltdown, i have been trying since jan 11 to loose wieght, i have lost 5 lbs to date. I was on slimfast and i now calorie count. Despite going to the gym 4 times a week for about 40 mins and doing jillians dvd when i don't feel like the gym, i have lost NOTHING since feb.. it all hit me on sunday when i stepped on the scales to have a cheeky look and they didn't move..i feel so down about it and i have noone to talk to as my otherhalf is slim and his ex dieted all the time so he gets annoyed if i whinge about it. I have started P90 (not P90x) to see if it helps at all. Would really like a buddy as i fell pretty alone and lost.. really worried that i am about to waste the next 90 days..

denitraross

You have come to the right place - MFP is packed full of support from people going through the same thing as you ..feel free to add me as a friend for support and advice!

this really and truly does work - you just need to find the right combination of healthy eatin and excerising...I have lost almost 30 pounds in 8 months..I have not felt deprived of food, can eat what I want within reason...and this website helps with motivation, ideas, etc.

PoleBoy

make your diary public, so people can make suggestions.

Also, wwhat's your planned weight loss per week, your target weight and target BMI? Do you know what your body fat % is?

aunfire82

You aren't wasting anything if you are learning how to eat right and exercise. MFP has taught me the importance of nutrition. It is all wonderful to exercise your butt off at the gym, but if you slam a high fattening empty calorie meal- the work out means squat. Nutrition is the key! Lean meats, fresh fruits and veggies! Don't breakdown, educate yourself! You can do it!

MaddameKat

Ok i will do, there is nothing in it at the moment.. i have be told i am at 30% body fat, i am trying for 2lbs per week and i want to get down to 168lb currently i am 205lbs

MJKing2

This is the best place for support and advise! Let me ask.....how many calories are you eating? If you are comfortable opening your diary up to the public it might help to get some feedback. I only ask because you sound a lot like how I did at the beginning of the year and the problem was I wasn't getting enough calories and my body went into starvation mode which caused some damage and I lost 4 months when I could have been losing. On the other hand if you are getting enough calories it just might be taking your body some time to adjust to all of the changes. Etiher way...you have come to the right place.

brneydgrlie

When you started back in January, did you record your inches? Do your clothes fit any better now? It is extremely likely that you have lost inches with all your exercise. That might make you feel a bit better and motivate you until the pounds come off.

shulce

Hello,

I have had the same problem in the past with just going to the gym but not calorie counting. I know have been calorie counting for almost 3 months and I have had good results. You don't realize how many calories your consuming until you write them down. Portion sizes look alot smaller until you track them. Good luck to you & hope things get better for you!

liquidsunsine

Hi,
First let me say, don't give up. Second, forget the scale for a minute. Ok?? You say you go the gym a few times a week? Going to the gym will help build muscles, muscles weigh more than fat. It's very possible that you've lost weight, but you aren't seeing it because you're focused on the number looking at on the scale. Don't do that. I've done this once before. I didn't intend to lose weight, I actually wanted to get in shape. I weighed about 120 pounds at the time. One day I stepped on the scale, and I weighed 134. Wow, I weighed that much when I went into labor with first child. But then, someone pointed out to me, the same thing I'm pointing out to you. Well, a few weeks later I went to buy a swim suit with a friend of mine. She kept trying to get me to try one on. I finally gave in. I tried one on. I came out. I looked in the mirror. And my reaction was, "wow, I had no idea I looked that good". And I did. I was at the best I'd ever been. I weighed more, but I looked better. (That was 20 years ago) So please, if you are working out in the gym, keep these things in mind. I don't know how much you weigh. I don't think you mentioned it. But don't fret. And don't try and compete with your husband's ex. Feel free to contact me and we can chat if you like. Now I'm trying to lose weight because I truly need to. Since I remarried 7 years ago, my husband and I have both put on about 70 pounds and my doctor has told me it's either get rid it and get my cholesterol down to normal, or it's meds for me. I hate pills. I'd much rather lose weight. Which I need to do anyway. It'll make me feel better.

And don't forget: calories in = calories out. You have to burn more than you are eating. I've started measuring my foods. And tracking things. It's helped me find where I was making mistakes. You can do this....You will reach your goal.....

bjberry

1. Have you measured yourself? You may have lost fat and gained muscle from all the exercise. A liter of muscle weighs 1.5 times as much as a liter of fat! It would not show as a loss on the scale, but your clothing should fit better, or more loosely.
If you are still the same size, the basics on eating healthily are to keep your fats at or below 30%, decrease salt and sodas, drink lots of water, eat whole grains, lots of veggies, and lean meats. Divide your meals into about 6 per day so you are never too hungry. And I like to reserve about 50-100 calories for some special little treat, so I do not feel totally deprived.
Also, those homemade veggie soups with lots of liquid and different types of veggies and spices taste really good and are very low in calories, as long as you do not add fats to it.
Last, but not least, have your doctor check you out and ensure you are healthy: not anemic, low thyroid, pregnant, etc.
Best of success! :drinker: (lots of water)

2bFitNTrim

It's hard to know what's wrong when we don't know much about you. On the surface, I'm guessing you tried Slimfast, was super hungry and then, maybe went to the other extreme & ate too much.

To be healthy & successful, you have to eat enough. You have to eat nutritiously, and exercise as your body/health allows. Make sure you log your good days and your bad days. Be consistent. And when you've fallen off the wagon, get right back on.

Lots of knowledgeable folks here will be offering great advice. Good luck, you can do this! :flowerforyou:

MaddameKat

i kept a food diary on mayfatsecret up til recently and i do keep alog on my measurement because i try not to weight myself.
they have gone down a bit but not much..
started at

neck 39.5cm
Over Bust 112cm
under bust 96 cm
waist 94 cm
tummy 109cm
hips 113cm

Last time i checked.. which was beginning of april

neck 38
Over Bust 106cm
under bust 95 cm
waist 93 cm
tummy 109cm
hips 112cm

I aim for 1400 cals a day.. a normal day would be bran flakes for brekkie, salad with chicken for lunch and the 200g of lean meat or fish for dinner with steamed veg and then once a week a treat or some alcohol.

I forgot my manners for a second.. thank you all for being so kind and helpful .. i'm off to grab some water now.

2bFitNTrim

i kept a food diary on mayfatsecret up til recently and i do keep alog on my measurement because i try not to weight myself.
they have gone down a bit but not much..
started at

neck 39.5cm
Over Bust 112cm
under bust 96 cm
waist 94 cm
tummy 109cm
hips 113cm

Last time i checked.. which was beginning of april

neck 38
Over Bust 106cm
under bust 95 cm
waist 93 cm
tummy 109cm
hips 112cm

I aim for 1400 cals a day.. a normal day would be bran flakes for brekkie, salad with chicken for lunch and the 200g of lean meat or fish for dinner with steamed veg and then once a week a treat or some alcohol.

Are you allowing extra calories for the exercise that you do?

MaddameKat

no.. i thought that if i ate 1400 and burnt 200 it would be a good thing?

TamiKaye

Kat,
I am new to this site and dieting. the number on the scale can be discerning at times. I have gone years never touching the evil thing. You may want to measure your waist, calves, arms, thighs, etc. Although the scale may not move you may be gaining muscle and losing weight and because the muscle weighs more you are not "seeing' the results on the scale. I weigh a little more than you, I'd be happy to walk this road with you. It is a one day at a time progression. Yesterday was my first day logging and I forgot I was meeting someone at Chick fil A... you can not go to Chick Fil A and not order food. I love .... EVERYTHING.
Normally I would have went for the Spicy chicken but because of the logging I chose the Grilled chix... I still got the large fries and although I ordered a Yogurt Parf... they were out... (Even God helps) When I got home and logged in I was over my caloric intake. So I went to for a bike ride... and almost jokingly did 1 set, yes only one, of bicep curls with an 8 lb weight (lol). When I logged the exercise my calories were under my aloted 1200 a day. Hang in there girl. Wal-mart has a scale that measures BMI, bone mass, aweight and water... I purchased one and I think it is only $20 or $30. When the number on the scale discourages you, read those other numbers and you may see the BMI go from 30 to 27 : ) Good Luck

2bFitNTrim

no.. i thought that if i ate 1400 and burnt 200 it would be a good thing?

Maybe not if you are exercising a lot. You may want to read up on some of the many threads re: eating your exercise calories (some folks do, some folks don't...it's quite a controversial topic sometimes). Then you'll need to decide if that could be the problem for you. Fingers crossed that my copy/paste works!

Nope. Copy/paste did not work. Just type "eating exercise calories" in the search box, it'll get you there! :flowerforyou:

brneydgrlie

Sounds like you might not be eating enough. If you are doing alot of exercise, it is possible you are burning more calories than you think. Some people can burn 200 calories just by taking a long walk around the neighborhood. If you are exercising enough to burn 600 calories daily (for example), and you are consuming 1400 calories daily, that means your body is only left with 800 calories to actually use (net cals). If your body consistently has less than 1200 calories a day, it will go into starvation mode and hold on to every bit of water and fat it can. Log some of your exercises into the MFP diary and see what totals they give you.

lynnie07

Hi,
It might be that you are not eating enough during the day or to much. Use your hand as a guide for portions; a fist for carbs and palm for your protein. If you measure this way, you'll know that you are not over eating. You should eat a healthy snack in between your meals. It really helps to keep your metabolism going all day long. Drink lots of water and if you are doing everything you should and still not loosing, well it could be medical (example: thyroid not working enough). If you follow your calory intake to a tea and do not cheat, you should be loosing. Just know that exercising is really a key element to loosing faster. Why, because when you built muscle tissue, your metabolism elevates and you burn more calories. Maximize your effort while training in 30 min to 45 min/ day 4-5 time a week. Make sure to combine weights and cardio. You'll see results. I know you will.

Domestica

If you've been working out and doing Jillian's dvd's, than you can GUARANTEE that the scale isn't going to be your friend! Because you're building muscle AND losing fat. The scale is not the best judge of that.

I used FatSecret for years and I have seen great results being on MFP -- I think it's more intuitive. Whereas FatSecret factors in your "average" rate of exercise when you first fill out you info at sign-up, this program factors in your weight loss goals into your BASE calories, than if you DO exercise, you get to just eat those calories to recharge your body -- your weight loss is not dependant on that exercise, so to speak. But of course, we all know that the exercise (and extra nutrients your body gets from the extra food you get to eat) is hella good for you.

FYI: Slim Fast didn't work cuz it's a JOKE. You have hit the jackpot, girl! Counting calories is the science behind weight loss...everything else (including slim fast) is just a money grab. Yes, some of those programs might work, but often times they are temporary fixes to a bigger problem. Portion control, caloric intake and exercise habits. You will do this!

Check out my blog (below) for extra motivation -- friend me if you'd like, too. I call it like it is.

natasha

PrfctGdess

We're all happy to support you! In my experience, if you set your mfp goal to 2lbs/week (our whatever your goal), record your food as accurately a possible, and input your exercise, you should eat the calories it tells you to and you WILL lose. I definitely agree it sounds like your body has been in starvation mode. When you set your goal in mfp for each week (2 lbs/week or whatever) it will automatically reduce your calories for you. So if you exercise, you need to replenish with those extra calories to ensure you have the energy for muscle gain, etc - the calories that need to be "subtracted" for you to lose have already been taken into account. I've found that if I shoot for my net calories being *around* zero each day (don't stress yourself about being a little over or under) that I lose right at (our a little more than) my goal each week.

I hope that helps!! Shoot me a friend request if you want more support, and YOU CAN DO THIS!!!

MaddameKat

Thank you so much everyone, i am feeling much better about it all today.. infact i have had a small brekkie and am off to the gym for a bit and then i'll stick my tae bo dvd on later to help destress..