What am I doing wrong????

cstelzer

I totally agree with Neotiger. Sodium levels are way too high....you have to be retaining alot of water. Your foods are all processed. Start eating fresh fruits, vegetables and lean meats. Listen to how your body feels after you fuel it with good things. See how your body responds to giving it good nutrition. You WILL have more energy, your skin will glow and your hair will shine. Being skinny and making healthy life changes are all about the choices we make on a daily basis. Teach yourself how to lose weight the correct way and the weight will come off and stay off. I don't mean to sound harsh but I do preach the truth because if you continue to sugar coat everything, you will never make the changes it is going to take to lose weight for the last time!!

aberkdaber

Thank you Thank you Thank you....Ok so I need to work on my diet and I will admit the last week I gave in a lot Because Im tired of eating healthy and it not paying off. I do try to get fresh fruits and veggies in but its also hard I am on a very tight budget... I know these are excuses but its so freakin hard : ) And here is another problem I hate meat. Dieting SUCKS! But I keep telling myself it will eventually pay off but its not so I will take a lot of your advice and see what happens. Again Thank you to you all. I think I needed that reality check about my diet.

cobaltis

So I would like to help you out and some are going to disagree with my advice but I would refer you to Alan Aragons blog, Google him, he is a nutritionist with more than a decades experience, earned his masters and phd with top honors etc etc etc.

Calories are calories so my first thought is make sure you are accounting for everything. Drinks, snacks, everything. Secondly make sure you verify what MFP and say a USDA nutritional value states for calories. (Such as grilled chicken on here is about 28 calories per ounce but that is an uncooked weight despite being labled as grilled. Grilled chicken cooked is about 46 calories an ounce.)

So with that said, you can not gain significant weight in muscle when on a calorie deficit and even a natural bodybuilder struggles to build more than a few pounds of muscle when new and eating at a calorie deficit. Some weight is gained when first starting to lift weights but that is due to the cells storing more glycogen and water for energy.

It is possible that your body is in starvation mode if your calories are being acurately accounted for IF you were eating the same calories for months prior to these 7 weeks and losing lots of weight. If this is the case which seems next most likely then it is often recommended you do a refeed, or replenish your bodys glycogen stores by eating your maintenance level for a week.

Also people use the word "clean" far to much, I did at one point in time but what does it really mean? The difference between brown rice and white rice wont make a bit of difference in your lifetime unless it was the only thing you ate. With that said "healthier or cleaner" foods that are less processed etc will tend to make you feel better but dont play a role in weight loss otherwise.

You should make sure you get an appropriate amount of protein in a day to prevent muscle loss (your body will burn it instead of fats if it doesnt get enough, and enough fats as they regulate your hormones as well as other things like lubricating joints etc.

If you have more qustions I will try to help.

Dont give up, keep up the hard work.

P.S. Your sodium also will not effect weight loss but it can cause high blood pressure. If you dont have hypertention problems then you dont need to worry about this as much.

Edit: I would also like to say dont just take anyones word for it, I dont refer to Alan Aragon just because I agree with him, its because he analyzes the research and makes informed decisions, even changing his own opinions as new research comes out.

flamnfrekelz

i would def suggest switching your am oatmeal from the maple/brown sugar to jstu a plan instant oatmeal..its loaded in fiber and has WAY less sugar....it will keep you full longer also. I usually add a few chopped pecans or almonds to mine but NO sugar allowed! you can even eat it with a piece of wheat toast for some added flavor. I know it is not the best tasting choice but i usually consider it a "vitamin" and shovel it down.

AlsDonkBoxSquat

If you hate meat look for others on here who are vegetarians (there were some great posts yesterday looking for friends, do a search) and embrace that lifestyle. Being a vegetarian may be a great option for you, and having resources will help you do it right. Also, if you have a farmers market in your area (we have a few where I live) you can get produce very inexpensively, especially if you eat what's in season and not just what you're craving.

cuckoo879

sometimes your body gets bored and go into starvation mood. To keep your body interest, lower sodium intake and increase protein intake. It takes a lot more energy for the body to convert protein than simple carbs.

neotiger

As far as which way burns more calories you hear it both ways from different people. I know for me personally I feel way more exhausted when I do weights and then cardio but I've had good results the other way as well. If you are doing both either way as long as it's getting done is the key. Endeavor to persevere through all the ups and downs. Persistence will pay off. Also, I'm circuit training right now with the Men's Health Spartacus workout. If you want to try something different it has done amazing things for me over a few weeks. I highly recommend it.

juscallmeb

Just my 2 cents here, you aren't dieting.. you are changing your lifestyle. Getting yourself healthy is a lifestyle change.
Eating healthy and losing weight will not happen overnight. Sometimes it takes your body alittle longer to lose weight, that doesn't mean it's not working.
Like everyone has said though, definitely take away the processed foods. Also, incorporate some fiber in your meals. Protein is great too. Those will help you stay full and give you fuel to work out harder and longer.
I see you eat protein bars - for breakfast or a snack. Try to find natural protein and fiber to incorporate in your meals. If you eat a protein bar, sometimes it has all that other processed stuff.

Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. You said you don't like meat? But you are eating cheeseburgers.. i'm a little confused.

If you don't like meat, then you need your iron and protein from other sources. Eat beans - all kinds, boil them, put them in your salad. There are great recipes out there for people who don't like meat. Broccoli is a good source of iron too.


Don't get down on yourself and stay focused! You can do it! You are already on the right path because you want to do it.
Keep up your hard work and you will see how much it really pays off.

Hope that helps.

neotiger

I'm a vegetarian and have been vegan on and off for the past five years. I started out as what I would call a junk food vegetarian thinking that being a vegetarian was a good thing. It is for me.. but not if you live off garbage. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.

cobaltis

So the benefit to lifting weights when trying to lose weight is mostly preventing muscle loss. Muscles require more calories to sustain than fat and without the right "motivations" your body will burn muscle. The best two things you can do is lift heavy weights (a relative term but meaning you can only lift it about 8-10 times before needing a break) for all muscles (when not muscular as most women arent full body workouts are often plenty) and also eat enough protein to promote protein synthesis for your muscles to repair themselves and not be broken down for energy.

To look lean and fit you need low body fat and a solid muscle base.

Additionally more muscle means you burn more calories when doing anything (though no benefit when sitting on the couch).

Edit: Refer to above post about weight loss...

mumma2boyz

Good sources of protein (non-meat):
Edamame beans
eggs
Whey protein shakes
Milk
Soy
Protein Bars

you don't like chicken?

MinnieInMaine

Looking at your food diary, I think you're still not eating enough, you need to make sure your NET calories (that's the top number of the three that are at the bottom of your food diary, or you can check your home page) is never lower than 1200. According to the last week or so of your diary, you're mostly under that.

Sure, quality of food can help but I'm also a believer in calories in vs calories out. The only "however" to that, is if you are feeling like your choices don't stick with you as well as you think they should and you're hungry a lot, try eating more protein (especially since you're exercising) as it tends to last a bit longer than carbs will.

Good luck!

SHBoss1673

FYI, moving this post to Motivation and Support as this is not a success story (yet).

All the best

SHBoss1673
MyFitnessPal forum moderator.

sche1amy

You also should make sure you are getting enough fiber, protein ect... I had the same problem when I first started. it is so very frustrating and I understand totaly. I am stuck right now trying to lose my last 12 pds and take some more inches off. Just keep up the workouts and watching the food intake. More fresh fruits, vegies and clean meats. Good Luck!

MrsSki

I looked into your diary and from what I can see, you're not eating enough. Most days you are barely hitting 1000 calories. Eat, girl, eat! You are starving yourself, so your body won't let go any of your fat reserves. While loosing weight is 80% diet and 20% exercise, you need to be doing the right kind of diet, which includes eating enough to fuel your body.

mdayishere

I hear you loud and clear! I had a buddy suggest this website to me and it may also help you! Go to Bodybuilding.com they have exercises and other advice for free. I wish you the best

mdayishere

:happy:

chevy88grl

I looked at your diary and honestly? I don't think you're eating enough. You HAVE to eat in order to properly fuel your body. When you don't eat, your body doesn't want to lose weight.

The fad diet companies have taught us that we can't eat if we want to lose weight. But, that isn't how it is .. you HAVE to eat to lose. Plain and simple. I see so many women on here who stay within a strict 1000-1200 calorie diet and don't lose weight. I tell them the same things - EAT. No, this isn't a free for all to eat JUNK - but, try eating 200-300 more healthy calories. I bet you'll see a difference.

You'd be shocked to know I eat 2200-2500 calories a DAY and am maintaining my weight - 145lbs.

aberkdaber

ok thats fine but no one was helping or replying when it was under that category!

Jorra

One small thing that might help is being more precise with your logging. I see you logging a lot of things as generic. For example, a generic cheeseburger. It would be better to log each ingredient separately. The type of bread, cheese, and meat you use can vary the calorie count by a lot. How thick is the bread? Is it white or wheat? How lean is the burger? What type of cheese do you use? Are there any condiments or toppings? Logging each thing separately will show you what you are really eating. Take a look at my diary if you'd like to see ideas.