OK what am i doing wrong????!!!

Sh1tsRainbows

Ive been on MFP every day since around Holloween..lost 26lbs YAY...but no weight loss for almost a month now..HELP..my diary is public...any ideas greatly appreciated!!!!

laceylovespink

i couldn't find your food diary on your profile...

bjohs

Could you re-check your diary privacy settings? I am unable to view it. Thanks!

stormieweather

WIthout seeing your diary, I can only suggest being patient. I recently was on a plateau that lasted 6 weeks. VERY frustrating. But I stuck it out. I upped my protein, dropped calories by 100, began different form of exercise (running) and finally broke it. Been losing steadily ever since.

Hang in there!

erickirb

Ive been on MFP every day since around Holloween..lost 26lbs YAY...but no weight loss for almost a month now..HELP..my diary is public...any ideas greatly appreciated!!!!

Diary is not public,

How much are you eating?
How much do you exercise?
What types of exercise?
What is your weekly loss goal?
Are you eating your exercise calories?
What types of food do you eat?
What are you Macros (carbs/protein/fat ratios)?

kimmerroze

Without seeing your diary I cant say much as to what kinds of food you are eating... IFFFF you are eating healthy foods and not a lot of processed junk then I would strongly encourage you to read the link in my signature about busting through a plateau... this is a brilliantly written blog and will give you ideas about how you can bust through your plateau.

*** I just looked at your diary... I would say that along with switching up your routine, you need to eat a little more natural... Eat more fruit. Instead of the fiber bars (they are alright not the best tho) eat some all natural granola and a few dark chocolate chips
The frozen dinners are all processed, and aren't really that good for you. Sure the calories are low, but they are really high in sodium and sugar. Opt for a grilled chicken breast or hamburger patty, and a side of freshly steamed veggies, or Rice or something more natural. When you make your food from scratch at home you have all the control as to what goes in it. Frozen meals take that control away from you and it results in you ingesting lots of preservatives and additives along with lots of sodium which will stall weight loss. Opt for steel cut oats or plain oats instead of the pre packaged packets of oatmeal.. they will be better for you, and less processed sugar and other things. Use agave nectar or Raw honey to sweeten it.

fcrisswell

Somertimes you just need to shake things up a bit. Change the exercise routine...up calories once or twice a week (zig zag)...up protein or lower processed carbs.

Sometimes the body just needs a break to catch up with what you have been doing. As long as you are accurate about your calories in and out, stick with it.

Sh1tsRainbows

sorry..diary fixed!!

bluellies

Without seeing your diary I cant say much as to what kinds of food you are eating... IFFFF you are eating healthy foods and not a lot of processed junk then I would strongly encourage you to read the link in my signature about busting through a plateau... this is a brilliantly written blog and will give you ideas about how you can bust through your plateau.

I absolutely LOVE the link that you posted! Puts everything in plain English, reiterates the important points enough for it to stick....love it!

erickirb

I just looked at your diary and for today, there was not one healthy thing thus far. Instead of instant oats try quick oats and add your own fruit. Try and ditch the frozen meals and granola bars (not much better than a candy bar), and energy drinks are not healthy at all. Your body may be fighting you as your are not giving it what it needs, which is real food. Try eating fresh fruit and veggies and fresh lean meats, and drink water, and for carbs stay away from refined sugar and stick with whole grains (complex carbs)

Sh1tsRainbows

I just looked at your diary and for today, there was not one healthy thing thus far. Instead of instant oats try quick oats and add your own fruit. Try and ditch the frozen meals and granola bars (not much better than a candy bar), and energy drinks are not healthy at all. Your body may be fighting you as your are not giving it what it needs, which is real food. Try eating fresh fruit and veggies and fresh lean meats, and drink water, and for carbs stay away from refined sugar and stick with whole grains (complex carbs)

thank you...i know that the amount of processed food could be a problem...im dont cook too much and $$ is tight also

thumper44

If your ok with your fiber amounts - I would replace that column with sugar.

You might be taken in a lot of hidden sugars you aren't aware of

bjohs

I just looked through your diary and it's pretty obvious why the weight is not coming off. First, I would suggest replacing the empty calorie meal choices (i.e. pizza, McDonald's, soda, energy drinks, chocolate, etc.) with foods that provide your body with proper nutrition. You could also try increasing your breakfast to be the largest caloric intake for the day with more protein. Add fruits and vegetables too.

You are getting close to your calorie goal every day, but not with foods that will sustain your body or increase your metabolism. If you can make those changes, you should see your weight start to drop again. Good luck!!!

JenKoz4

thank you...i know that the amount of processed food could be a problem...im dont cook too much and $$ is tight also

I understand money being tight, but you can buy a bag of frozen chicken breasts cheap, and frozen veggies are cheap as well. Its more expensive to eat lean cuisine every day than it is to throw a chicken breast in the oven, cook up some rice and steam some frozen veggies.

The part thats expensive is the Fresh produce but most stores now have it frozen which is much cheaper as long as its in season.

barbacasec

based on your diary-
Not to be a jerk,.... however you are stating that money is tight.... I bet if you cut out the energy drinks and bars you could save a bunch of $$$. those aren't cheap!

You can eat healthy on a budget.... just find things in season, by protein (chicken etc in larger packages and spilt before freezing)
veggies- especially now find farmers markets or local farm stands and your veggies are going to be a lot cheaper.

your sodium is wayyyyyy high from all the processed foods- it is good to see that you are drinking that much water but your body is also going to hold on to the water to help flush all the sodium out... could be one reason scale isnt moving.... water weight.

anyway hope it helps...

Sh1tsRainbows

i agree..energy drinks are not cheap...im totally addicted

jojoworks

Ditto most of the responses I've viewed. Too much processed food and too much sodium. The best way to get out of the processed food rut is to buy fresh foods and make your own. This is the only way you can control what ingredients go into what you eat. I have a couple ideas for you:

1: regarding sodium: the MFP states 2,500 mg / day as a "goal". This should be restated as the very most outer limit. Most doctors now recommend no more than 1,500 mg / day. The best way to achieve this is to make your own sodium controlled food.

2: making all your own food from fresh ingredients: you need a routine. I cook on the weekends. I make a big pot of steel-cut oats that I dish from the rest of the week for my breakfasts. I make a batch of my own salad dressings that go on my daily salad that is my lunch. I make a big pot of soup that is usually my dinner and I make a batch of roasted beets that I usually dress in vinegar and spices that I use a a salad topping.

3: as much as possible eliminate refined carbs (white flour, white pasta, white rice and white breads): these foods have very little nutritional value and they take up too much space in a calorie restricted diet.

4: as much as possible reduce or eliminate "added sugar": by added sugar I mean sweeteners that aren't inherent in the fruit or fresh food item you're eating. Sugar has emerged as the most likely contributor to obesity. Fat used to be viewed as the culprit but more and more the focus is on sugar.

what seems hard to do can be manageable in no time, you just need to get used to the routine and changing what you view as "food"!

good luck and happy eating!!!

thumper44

You got some great advice.
I see you changed to monitor sugar.. That's good.
To give you an idea. Your power bar had 26grams of sugar, like someone said, just like a chocolate bar.
To compare

Kit kat - 20grams of sugar
Snickers - 28 grams of sugar
Can of Pepsi - 27 grams of sugar.

Sh1tsRainbows

Ditto most of the responses I've viewed. Too much processed food and too much sodium. The best way to get out of the processed food rut is to buy fresh foods and make your own. This is the only way you can control what ingredients go into what you eat. I have a couple ideas for you:

1: regarding sodium: the MFP states 2,500 mg / day as a "goal". This should be restated as the very most outer limit. Most doctors now recommend no more than 1,500 mg / day. The best way to achieve this is to make your own sodium controlled food.

2: making all your own food from fresh ingredients: you need a routine. I cook on the weekends. I make a big pot of steel-cut oats that I dish from the rest of the week for my breakfasts. I make a batch of my own salad dressings that go on my daily salad that is my lunch. I make a big pot of soup that is usually my dinner and I make a batch of roasted beets that I usually dress in vinegar and spices that I use a a salad topping.

3: as much as possible eliminate refined carbs (white flour, white pasta, white rice and white breads): these foods have very little nutritional value and they take up too much space in a calorie restricted diet.

4: as much as possible reduce or eliminate "added sugar": by added sugar I mean sweeteners that aren't inherent in the fruit or fresh food item you're eating. Sugar has emerged as the most likely contributor to obesity. Fat used to be viewed as the culprit but more and more the focus is on sugar.

what seems hard to do can be manageable in no time, you just need to get used to the routine and changing what you view as "food"!

good luck and happy eating!!!

thank you very much!! i know i asked for mean comments..i made my diary public.. i know i dont make the best choices but i TRY to exercise and i almost always stay under in calories...but anyway thank for being nice about it :flowerforyou:

milaxx

Looks like too much processed food and not paying attention to your macros. Processed foods contain loads of sodium and sugar. I realize not everyone will eat want to or can eat clean, but I would try to at the very least limit the amount of processed food in your diet. As for your macros, I know many people ignore them as long as they are under the calorie goal, but I would recommend trying to stay under them as much as possible. As for sodium try to keep it around 1,500 ish.

Nonetheless, 26 pounds is great. Keep working at it.

stormieweather

What I do is buy chicken and package it into 4 oz servings, then freeze. Same with very lean (93%) ground beef, and uncured baked ham. So one package of boneless, skinless chicken breast (1 pound) is 4 servings, one package of beef (1 1/4 pound) is 5, and the ham is usually 6 servings. For dinner, I defrost one serving and mix with salad and veggies and maybe a small potato or uncle ben's boil-in-bag brown rice.That is 2 weeks+ worth of dinners, although I sometimes have an Amy's veggie burger on a chef-style salad or an omelette instead of meat. I eat nitrite free ham or turkey breast on a whole grain wrap for my lunch every day.

If you feel you have to eat a bar of some sort, check into Think Thin bars. They have ZERO sugar, high protein and nothing artificial in them. They run about $1.75-$2.00 each.

jojoworks

Ditto most of the responses I've viewed. Too much processed food and too much sodium. The best way to get out of the processed food rut is to buy fresh foods and make your own. This is the only way you can control what ingredients go into what you eat. I have a couple ideas for you:

1: regarding sodium: the MFP states 2,500 mg / day as a "goal". This should be restated as the very most outer limit. Most doctors now recommend no more than 1,500 mg / day. The best way to achieve this is to make your own sodium controlled food.

2: making all your own food from fresh ingredients: you need a routine. I cook on the weekends. I make a big pot of steel-cut oats that I dish from the rest of the week for my breakfasts. I make a batch of my own salad dressings that go on my daily salad that is my lunch. I make a big pot of soup that is usually my dinner and I make a batch of roasted beets that I usually dress in vinegar and spices that I use a a salad topping.

3: as much as possible eliminate refined carbs (white flour, white pasta, white rice and white breads): these foods have very little nutritional value and they take up too much space in a calorie restricted diet.

4: as much as possible reduce or eliminate "added sugar": by added sugar I mean sweeteners that aren't inherent in the fruit or fresh food item you're eating. Sugar has emerged as the most likely contributor to obesity. Fat used to be viewed as the culprit but more and more the focus is on sugar.

what seems hard to do can be manageable in no time, you just need to get used to the routine and changing what you view as "food"!

good luck and happy eating!!!

thank you very much!! i know i asked for mean comments..i made my diary public.. i know i dont make the best choices but i TRY to exercise and i almost always stay under in calories...but anyway thank for being nice about it :flowerforyou:

I know it can be hard to open your diet up to scrutiny. Most people on here ARE nice, but ALSO opinionated. By and large your well-being and success is what people want for you. When feedback is solicited, though, feedback is what you'll get!!

milaxx

I just looked at your diary and for today, there was not one healthy thing thus far. Instead of instant oats try quick oats and add your own fruit. Try and ditch the frozen meals and granola bars (not much better than a candy bar), and energy drinks are not healthy at all. Your body may be fighting you as your are not giving it what it needs, which is real food. Try eating fresh fruit and veggies and fresh lean meats, and drink water, and for carbs stay away from refined sugar and stick with whole grains (complex carbs)

thank you...i know that the amount of processed food could be a problem...im dont cook too much and $$ is tight also

You actually save money by not buying processed foods. Buy meat in bulk and split it up either before freezing or cook and separate. Find a farmer's market or produce market or even buy veg/fruit on quick sale at the market and blanch, roast and freeze the veg & freeze any fruit that you can't eat before it goes bad. Use the frozen fruit in smoothies. Buy a inexpensive crock pot from walmart or Kmart. Mine was $10. Then you can cook your own beans. I make a pot of beans and rice or grain (usually quinoa) once a week and use in a variety of meals throughout the week. Brown rice and potatoes are dirt cheap as are onions. There are a zillion meals that can be made from them. Slowly stock up on seasonings and spices beyond salt and pepper.

Remember the less processed food is, the better it is for you. If you take the time to prep at the beginning of each week, meals should never take more than 15mins to prepare throughout the week.

SHBoss1673

been some great responses so far, so I won't reiterate them.

I will say this though, just looked back about 2 weeks and I saw maybe 3 entries total for veggies. That's a no-no. Besides the healthy complex carbs they give you, veggies are VITAL super super important VITAL for your micronutrient levels (vitamins and minerals). 6 Servings a day is what you should be shooting for. At a minimum 1 serving with each meal. And vitamin supplements don't cut it, they're not the same. Nor are energy bars and drinks, they don't deliver the micronutrients in the same way as natural foods. There's no way around eating veggies. Remember, this isn't just calories in vs calories out, that's a big part, but having the correct chemical balance and hormone function is also very important to fat loss and proper health, and micronutrients play a big part in that.

Can you still lose weight without eating veggies, yes, but it'll take longer, and you'll have far more imbalances doing it that way.

LainMac

Hi

I agree totally with SHBoss1673 about the veggie eating.

When I have had success, it has been when I've vegged up.

And the processed stuff has so much hidden salt. I like to see my salt personally.

milaxx

Just came across this Youtube. These guys shopped for 3 days on $20. That's less than $50 a week on groceries.

http://youtu.be/y5BSwWqFkgw

MakingAChoice

I just looked at your diary and for today, there was not one healthy thing thus far. Instead of instant oats try quick oats and add your own fruit. Try and ditch the frozen meals and granola bars (not much better than a candy bar), and energy drinks are not healthy at all. Your body may be fighting you as your are not giving it what it needs, which is real food. Try eating fresh fruit and veggies and fresh lean meats, and drink water, and for carbs stay away from refined sugar and stick with whole grains (complex carbs)

thank you...i know that the amount of processed food could be a problem...im dont cook too much and $$ is tight also

One thing that will help a lot is starting to cook your own foods. processed foods, even the 'healthy' ones are loaded with sodium at a minimum. I find that I spend less money eating unprocessed foods than I used to buying the processed stuff. Why is that? Because veggies are cheap, fruits are cheap if you watch sales. Brown rice and pinto beans (staples of mine) are dirt cheap by the bag and will fill you up. Eating healthy does not have to be expensive, that is a myth. Even if you replaced 1/2 of the processed foods you eat with healthy unprocessed food you would be better of.

Also you might not be eating enough, you can go to www.fat2fitradio.com/tools to calculate your BMR. This is the number of calories your body needs if you are in a coma. If we eat below that the body's metabolism compensates by slowing down and sabotaging your attempt at weight loss. These guys at fat2fit also have 3 years worth of podcasts on iTunes, well worth listening too, they have a ton of good info. No fad diets, just real food and solid information to help.