I can't do this and get nothing in return!

charityateet

I have to jump in with everyone else here and say to eat more! It may sound counter productive to be eating MORE, but whe you work out as hard as you do - and rock it every single day - your body need fuel! It's so afraid to let those pounds go because it's afraid it won't get fuel again!
I'm not sure how you feel about protien shakes, but they are awesome if you are picky or don't have time or whatever. I get the LEAN kind - and maybe mix half a portion with water before a workout (quick digesting for fuel to help push you) and then after for a "treat" throw in some fruit and make a smoothie (watch calories though, I don't go over like 350).
Eat, eat, eat. Eat in the morning, eat a snack, eat lunch, eat a snack, eat dinner, eat pre and post workout...........you will see a difference.

Also, if you KNOW you go over on sodium - I would suggest drinking a TON of water. I drink 16 cups a day - and it helps flush out the sodium.......

Hang in there! You can do this!!!

Caharleygirl

I agree with everyone else...I looked at your diary and you do not eat enough calories for how active you are. Also not to be critical but to help you...I noticed you eat lot of sugar and carbs. I know everyone is different but for me if I eat too much sugar or carbs I won't lose weight no matter what else I do. I'll just sit there stagnant. I don't know why that is for me but it is. So I try not to eat any of the low fat treats like skinny cow cause they still have a ton of sugar in them. That's how they make them still tasty with no fat by adding sugar or salt. So try cutting back on them and try to make most of your carbs fruits and vegetables...also try upping your protein a little more. I also noticed you eat alot of sodium (one day was over 5000)...that can cause you to retain water. I try to keep it down to under 1500 mg a day (cause I have health problems) and that helps. I also weigh myself everyday because I know that your weight flucuates everyday. BUT and this is a BIG BUT...DO NOT get upset if it goes up one or two days...that is how it works. You HAVE to look at the trend of is it going up or down overall (a whole week's weigh in's)...does that make sense? How do you know you didn't weigh in on a day after you ate alot of sodium and were retaining water if you only weigh in once every two weeks???

Also you are striving for a healthier lifestyle not a diet...diets are short term and only work short term...you want to be healthy for the rest of your life, for your children, for yourself...so try to think along those lines. If I can help you in any other way, please don't hestitate to ask. We are all in this together!!! Also feel free to friend me if you like...

amandavictoria80

I don't understand how I could hit a plateau. I only started this lifestyle of working out and eating well 27 days ago.
I change up my exercise almost everyday.

crisanderson27

Oh...one other thing!!

Instead of long...slow calorie burning exercises on the treadmill...I would love for you to try something a little different.

Instead of slowly killing your muscle tone on the elliptical...DEVASTATE your body for 10 minutes total with some interval sprints. You'll feel absolutely stupid at first...but the results are going to blow your mind. If you don't want to do interval sprints...do jumping jacks in the privacy of your home...at the FASTEST PACE YOU CAN MAINTAIN...for thirty seconds to a minute...then rest for thirty seconds...then do it again...ten minutes total. Then GO DO SOMETHING ELSE!! You can do this any time throughout the day...the more times the better...but be sure to get sufficient rest in between.

Now, I'm going to explain why (in simple terms). Right now, you believe that the only calories your body is really burning is happening why you're actually exercising...and in your case, that would be correct. Your metabolism is CRUSHED at the moment from a lack of caloric intake, and doing long, drawn out cardio. Your body believes you're on a LONG march across some wasteland where there's no food! Fat people can walk just as well as skinny people, and as a matter of fact...at the end of that march those fat people will be the only ones that made it. What YOU need, is for your body to think you're being chased by a tiger across a lush island covered in nutrient rich foods. Can you picture a fat person in THAT scenario?? She would be called 'dinner'!! The fast, lean...skinny person would be the one to survive there.

Trust me...the real benifit in exercise is NOT the exercise itself...it's the metabolic boost in hormones that tells your body 'THIS FAT IS GOING TO GET ME DEAD!!'. Long slow cardio doesn't do this hun. Do it if it makes you feel better (people clutch it as a security blanket so they can eat more), but don't skip strength and/or interval training!!

Take a look here...the proof is in her pictures!

http://members.rachelcosgrove.com/public/The_Final_Nail_in_the_Cardio_Coffin.cfm

Anyhow...I hope that helps a little. Shaking up your body and putting it in fear for its life has incredible effects on your metabolism and your ability to burn fat.

I truly hope this helps you...

Cris

marianne_s

Have you read this ?

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/186814-some-mfp-basics


You probably need to set your goal correctly, it depends on how much you have to lose.
Also, you need to set your activity level correctly which will cause MFP to allocate the correct calories for you.

basschick

I have been pushing myself. Hard.

I don't track sodium because it goes over with breakfast alone. If I tracked sodium I couldn't eat anything. It's like tracking sugar.
I just ended up finding out tracking those two leaves me VERY hungry.

I am a picky eater. Don't like a lot of veggies. Can't eat lots of fruit because of calories. It's a no win situation.

I eat lots of sodium some days too, but drinking lots of water flushes some of it out. I'm with you on the veggies...very few that I like so I eat the few that I do... and fruit is not that high in calories. You have lots calories to spare on your food journal at the end of the day so you can certainly afford to add in an apple or two!

crisanderson27

I don't understand how I could hit a plateau. I only started this lifestyle of working out and eating well 27 days ago.
I change up my exercise almost everyday.

I hit a plateau 30 days after I started losing weight. I lost 20lbs in a month...then NOTHING for three weeks. I'm just coming out of it now.

And you're not understanding...if you don't eat vegetables, and you DO eat crap processed foods...you'll never lose weight. You can't have both. NOTHING tastes as good as HEALTHY feels, I promise.

For the record...I eat healthy...TASTY foods every single day...and my sodium is rarely over 3000mg. My diary yesterday is proof of how silly anything in a box or from a drive through is for food! I had two small taco bell burritos for lunch, and boxed macaroni and cheese for dinner...because everyone in my house including me was vomiting our guts out...and I didn't feel like cooking. My calories and sodium SKYROCKETED...and I only ate THREE meals yesterday (I normally eat 4-5). You CAN'T HAVE BOTH.

Once you're thin and your metabolism is a blast furnace...you can see about integrating some crap food into your diet...but I can tell you it rarely works long term. Good food, lots of it...and good exercise...and a healthy body. Crap food, starving yourself...and the the same TYPE (doesn't matter if you change the actual exercise...if it's the same type, your body can't tell the difference) of exercising...and you're going to be stuck where you are. There's no way around it =(.

Jenscan

You are not losing because you are not eating enough! Trust us on this.

You've got some really good input on this thread. Read it, and consider what we're telling you. Switch up your workout, switch up your diet, EAT MORE, and you'll get there.

beccyleigh

increase your protein & also get fruit vegi n you by drinking veggie juice or smoothies. not eating enough (min 1200 every day) will do you no favours & you are seeing so this last 2 weeks. you need to eat.

you have received a lot of great advice on here, up to you to chose to follow it.

amandavictoria80

I am not sure what day this was. I always eat at least 1200 every day. I just don't eat my workout calories.

amandavictoria80

Maybe you should try some new forms of exercise? I notice 90% of your exercise is eliptical trainer. If you do the same form of exercise all the time your body gets really good at it and requires less calories to do the same exercise.

Alternate eliptical with bicycling, running, swimming or some other form of exercise that engages other muscle groups.

I wish I could swim. But there is no way I am putting on a bathing suit and going in public.

RainDodger

Up until your weigh in... how were you feeling? I havent lost a pound either. in fact, Ive gained 3, but I feel better, eat better, sleep better, my moods are more stable. I mean, Yes, I want to see a reduction in weight when I step on the scale next too, but in the mean time I am satisfied to just feel better and be happy. I know im doing good for myself even if the scale is a jerk

I'd love some new "friends" and supporters as well, anyone can add me if they like. My request to you is sent. Chin up!

LilChickPea

In talking to my nutritionist and a personal trainer, you don't necessarily need to eat the calories that you burn from exercise. However, in looking at your diary I would say maybe add 200 calories a day for a week and try not to eat 2 hours before you go to bed. I stopped eating after 9:30 and I dropped 4lbs last week. It was amazing. Don't give up. It's just like a science experiment. You have you keep trying different ways until you get the results you want.

Good Luck to you!

GaveUp

I have been pushing myself. Hard.

I don't track sodium because it goes over with breakfast alone. If I tracked sodium I couldn't eat anything. It's like tracking sugar.
I just ended up finding out tracking those two leaves me VERY hungry.

I am a picky eater. Don't like a lot of veggies. Can't eat lots of fruit because of calories. It's a no win situation.

Sodium will slow weight loss down. It causes you to retain water.

charityateet

I am not sure what day this was. I always eat at least 1200 every day. I just don't eat my workout calories.

In my oppinion, that's the problem. Your body can't function on less than a certain amt. of calories. You are not eating enough. 1200 without working out would be FINE. But you are working out and burning a lot - so YOUR NET IS LOW. LOW.

Believe me, IT WORKS.

Chris has a ton of great info - please, listen to him. You are getting a great bit of advice, I'd follow it. For the next 2 weeks, eat your workout calories - even if you do 1/2 shake before working out and a full one after - YOU WILL SEE A DIFFERENCE IN THE SCALE.

westcoastSW

BUMPing this to save the plateau advice

Heather75

Are you sure you really want to do this? You seem to have a lot of reasons for why you can't change. Maybe you're not ready.

This site is an extremely supportive environment, but if a bunch of total strangers have to sell this to you, it isn't going to work. You know what you have to do, so just do it or don't. It's that simple.

crisanderson27

BUMPing this to save the plateau advice

Not just plateau advice!! Good overall advice for dieting =D. I see too many examples all the time of people that went from long drawn out 800 calorie cardio sessions, to a couple 10 minute interval sets a day (you can interval ANYTHING!!! Strength training OR cardio!)...and bam, they start shedding weight like shaking water out of their hair. You want your body to think that the fat is detrimental to your ability to survive.

The rest it will do on its own.

As for the original poster...between all of you guys (way to come to her support by the way!) comments...she has the tools. I see a lot of excuses from her as to why she can't do the things we're suggesting...which suggests that maybe she's just not ready to really commit yet. That's ok!! When she does, the information will be here and we can all cheer her on as she transforms herself. Willpower and desire are the keys to commitment. With them, there is nothing a person can't do. Without them...nothing they can.

Cris

crisanderson27

Are you sure you really want to do this? You seem to have a lot of reasons for why you can't change. Maybe you're not ready.

Lol you posted this while I was typing...well said hun =D.

Barelmy

I really think you should speak to someone about your poor body image. You don't deserved to be attacked like that, especially not by yourself. You should not feel that bad.