Ok so what am I not doing rite?

Jeepinmom4

I've been here about a month,I've lost about 4 lbs,I kinda thought Ida lost more than that?! I quit soda entirely and I thought that alone would have don't the trick. I know it takes time I'm just wondering if there's something else i could be doing? Any advice would be preciated. thanks in advance,Kim

jvkh127

Stick with what you are doing. 4 lbs in a month is not bad. 1) you are 4 lbs lighter right??? thats good!! 2) anymore than 1-2 lb loss a week is not healthy for your body and usually results in gaining it back.
Stick with your program and be proud of what you have done so far!!!

rileysowner

While I can understand wanting to lose faster than a pound a week, which seems to be about where you are, that is a very good goal per week. I don't think you are doing anything wrong except for maybe wanting to lose faster. Look at the time it takes as your opportunity to re-learn how to eat properly. With a nice slow rate like you have, it will give you the time you need to really do that. Keep up the good work.

bhb301

I looked at your diary, you are eating junk. You need to eat better foods. If you are trying to lose wieght little debbies are not the answer. It is as important to stay under as it is too full those cals with good for you food. Try to eat les processed foods and eat more natural not in a box food.. I bet it will make all the difference

MB_Positif

I took a look at your diary and I would recommend less processed foods, and go into settings and add in tracking for your sodium and fiber. You'll get there! 1 pound a week is great!

halobender

You don't really talk about what you're doing in terms of exercise, or where you're really starting from.

If you're not exercising at all then of course you can't expect to be losing more than four pounds a month, but considering your surprise I'll assume that you are doing that. You also need to monitor the types of food that you're taking in—not just how much. Also, if you have only a small amount of weight to lose then four pounds in a month is fine; that is a relative matter.

Don't just use MFP's estimations for calories burned, either ... in my experience it's actually been about 70% of their estimations.

SimplyDeLish

Your body is starving for nutrients! Try to make healthier, cleaner, choices and cut out the majority of your junk food. Once in awhile is fine...every day doesn't work.

One to two pounds per week is the maximum you should aim for for healthy and sustainable weight loss.

You can do this!

Jeepinmom4

I looked at your diary, you are eating junk. You need to eat better foods. If you are trying to lose wieght little debbies are not the answer. It is as important to stay under as it is too full those cals with good for you food. Try to eat les processed foods and eat more natural not in a box food.. I bet it will make all the difference

Ok so I can totally cut out little Debbie junk! But what would you recommend me to eat? As far as non processed foods? I'm so ignorant as to what I should and shouldn't be eating! Any advice would be great!!

guppygirl322

I was in the same boat you are. Ditch the cupcakes, ditch the Pilsbury pastries, ditch the ice cream, ditch the burgers and pizza. I used to scream what am I supposed to eat!!!! lol.

All those things are okay, but maybe ONCE a week have a cupcake.

Breakfast options are a bowl of cereal (NOT Lucky Charms, like I used to eat, lol). There are a lot of high fiber, low sugar cereals, that with milk and fresh fruit will keep you under the calorie count of a 400 calorie cupcake, give you more nutrients that you need and keep you fuller waaaaay longer. Feeling full is VERY important to me. I also like to make myself a parfait for breakfast. 1/2 cup non fat plain greek yogurt, assorted fresh fruit, a sprinkling of granola for crunch, and a tsp of honey to sweeten. About 200 calories, fiber from the fruit, tons of protein from the yogurt. Keeps you full AND makes you feel like you've had dessert for breakfast. I alternate between cereal and parfait.

Lunch can be a sandwich on whole grain bread. Choose your protein (lean turkey, chicken, or a vegetarian option). Add lettuce, tomato, grated carrot, thin slices of cucumber or whatever else you can think of. VERY FILLING. Go easy on the mayo and learn to like mustard. Homemade soups are good too. You can make them and freeze them into portions, then thaw them as you need them. Less calories and way less sodium than canned soups.

Dinner can be steamed veggies, a lean protein, brown rice, etc. There are a lot of options out there.

BACK AWAY FROM THE BOXES AND CANS. (lol)

You get more bang for your buck by eating whole, real, unprocessed foods. They are more filling, healthier, and will help you ditch cravings for junk. I used to LOVE sugar first thing in the morning. Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, I cringe now when I think of the boxes of cereal I used to keep. I tossed them ALL. I do keep a box of Mallow Oats handy, it's sort of an organic version of Lucky Charms, but I only eat it once in a while, not every day, not even every week. I can't even imagine going back to all that sugar first thing in the morning. The more real foods you eat, the less you will want things like muffins, cakes, pizzas, etc. You just won't want them.

It is so hard making the switch to 'real' food, but so worth it.

You can add me as a friend if you need more support from a previous junk food junkie.

shonasteele

I looked at your diary and I'd have to say that you're eating too much processed food. That stuff is sure handy but it's loaded with sodium for one thing. A lot of it is kind of empty calories too. I know we all need some treats but lots of your meals are missing nutritional value. You need REAL FOOD. I know, it sucks to be cooking and preparing all the time but you really do need to get real fresh actual FOOD into you. Veggies, fruit, protein, whole grains. So much of what you're taking in is crap calories. Like I said, I eat my share of treats and snacks but i'm also getting in some nutrients and fibre as well and that's what your body needs to thrive. Some days you're not eating enough as well. It might seem backwards but you won't lose weight (at least not in a healthy way) if you're not eating enough.

If you have a hard time with completely changing your diet, start with small changes one at a time. This week make a point of it to eat more vegetables and fruit - start small and work your way up. Another week, concentrate on getting healthy protein in the form of chicken, fish, lean beef, etc. and make sure that it's not all processed stuff, some of it has to be cooked fresh. Another week, work on getting healthier breakfasts. Each week make a few changes that you can fit into your life and make work for you.

Losing a pound a week is actually a perfectly healthy weight loss and some reports say that the slower you lose it the more likely you are to keep it off. But you really need to work on what you're putting into your body. Feel free to add me as a friend and I'll do whatever I can to help you out.

MB_Positif

Just start reading up on clean eating online. I absolutely love Oxygen Magazine for food recommendations and recipes as well as inspiration and workouts. It's $19.97 for a year subscription. I believe you can also individually order their back issues of special magazines. Early this year I got one called "Fat Loss" and it was AMAZING!

rundgrenfan

If you are not used to eating fresh fruits and vegetables, just buy one new fruit and one new vegetable each week. Look up recipes online that are simple and don't add too much oil or fat. And don't give up on a fresh food after one or two bites. Try it a few times!

There are also several websites -- two I found real quick were momswhothink.com, and tasteofhome.com -- that have menu planners. This will help you figure out your grocery list so you will have the healthy foods in your house, ready to go.

And good job for taking the first step and logging the food you have been eating! It's only by knowing what's going in that you can start figuring out how to improve your eating. Good luck!