WHY?!?!

Javancub

So, I've been using MFP for several months now. I started doing great and then hit a stand still.:grumble: After 3 months of stand still, and reading other posts, someone mentioned that I should lower my weight loss per week from 1 pound to .5 pound. So i did, and its been about 3 months and still no movement! :noway: What is going on and why?! I've been doing very well with logging and keeping my calories very close, i'm usually just 20 shy of my goal for the day, but its only 20. If i go over, its usually less than 100. Est daily intake is 1500. I do exercise at least three times a week, sometimes more. For the past 4 days, I've been sick so i haven't been working out as much as i would like to:frown: . I've been doing good with keeping my sodium low, daily is 2500 but i usually take in 1500. Please tell me what i'm doing wrong?!?! I thought maybe when i first starting dieting before MFP, that maybe i got into starvation mode....i was taking in 1200 very few days would i go less than that....and after joining MFP, i thought well, i might gain some and then it would go away and start doing what it should be doing....HELP:sad:

Javancub

So, I've been using MFP for several months now. I started doing great and then hit a stand still.:grumble: After 3 months of stand still, and reading other posts, someone mentioned that I should lower my weight loss per week from 1 pound to .5 pound. So i did, and its been about 3 months and still no movement! :noway: What is going on and why?! I've been doing very well with logging and keeping my calories very close, i'm usually just 20 shy of my goal for the day, but its only 20. If i go over, its usually less than 100. Est daily intake is 1500. I do exercise at least three times a week, sometimes more. For the past 4 days, I've been sick so i haven't been working out as much as i would like to:frown: . I've been doing good with keeping my sodium low, daily is 2500 but i usually take in 1500. Please tell me what i'm doing wrong?!?! I thought maybe when i first starting dieting before MFP, that maybe i got into starvation mode....i was taking in 1200 very few days would i go less than that....and after joining MFP, i thought well, i might gain some and then it would go away and start doing what it should be doing....HELP:sad:

PedalHound

have your thyroid tested. it sounds like you're making good choices as far as the numbers go so it's worth a try. also make sure your calories are coming from whole foods and that you're getting at least 25g of fibre a day and getting complex carbohydrates and lean protein at every meal. That takes some planning but you can do it. HTH!

vdpal

:grumble: I am right there with you. I wasn't doing so well on myfitnesspal at first because I wasn't logging in all the time. I have really been trying hard, but I still have slip ups on the weekends. I am pretty frustrated myself. :grumble:
I am getting married in Feb. and I would like to if not lose twenty pounds at least lose ten , but at this rate I am not sure what I should do. I have been working out so hard. I am also supposed to have my monthly visitor this week, but it has yet to come. I have been told in the past that it is because I workout too much. I don't know the answer either.
I JUST WISH SOMETHING WOULD WORK and someone would tell me what I need to do. My body just seems to hang onto the weight.

PedalHound

Ah, I also noticed that you have only 13lbs to lose. To your body this is a VERY small amount and quite frankly it's entirely possible that your body is happy right where it is. Our bodies are very well-refined evolutionary machines and we tend to want to push our bodies a little below the weight it would like to be at. Your body is still a cave man, basically, and tries very hard to protect you from possible up-coming famines. If you are technically at a healthy weight but want to shed a few pounds for contouring it will be a big task and losing those 13 lbs could literally take you many months. You could go for months and see nothing or only a portion of a lb in loss.

Javancub

have your thyroid tested. it sounds like you're making good choices as far as the numbers go so it's worth a try. also make sure your calories are coming from whole foods and that you're getting at least 25g of fibre a day and getting complex carbohydrates and lean protein at every meal. That takes some planning but you can do it. HTH!

I definitely get my fiber in there. and everything i eat is mainly whole wheat. As for my protein, i'm usually a little over.

Poison5119

Ah, I also noticed that you have only 13lbs to lose. To your body this is a VERY small amount and quite frankly it's entirely possible that your body is happy right where it is. Our bodies are very well-refined evolutionary machines and we tend to want to push our bodies a little below the weight it would like to be at. Your body is still a cave man, basically, and tries very hard to protect you from possible up-coming famines. If you are technically at a healthy weight but want to shed a few pounds for contouring it will be a big task and losing those 13 lbs could literally take you many months. You could go for months and see nothing or only a portion of a lb in loss.

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What she said.

I've only got 15 more lbs to lose, and I'm guessing that I'll slow down after the next 5lb loss.

Just keep at it.

Javancub

Ah, I also noticed that you have only 13lbs to lose. To your body this is a VERY small amount and quite frankly it's entirely possible that your body is happy right where it is. Our bodies are very well-refined evolutionary machines and we tend to want to push our bodies a little below the weight it would like to be at. Your body is still a cave man, basically, and tries very hard to protect you from possible up-coming famines. If you are technically at a healthy weight but want to shed a few pounds for contouring it will be a big task and losing those 13 lbs could literally take you many months. You could go for months and see nothing or only a portion of a lb in loss.

I have heard that before....My body does seem to stay between 143-145. and thats it. Breaking at 140 mark seems an impossibility. And this last 13lbs just seems to hang on...This was my weight through out high school, so i know my body is used to being 145. I'd even settle for 135! Wish it was as simple as negotiating with my body..hey just let me have the last 5 lbs and i will stop this dieting...lol:laugh: :grumble:

lessertess

The numbers aren't exact and even with measuring and weighing food the database can be off. Additionally, most of the exercise calorie numbers are probably inflated. You're going to have to experiment a little bit until you get it right. If you've been doing this for several months and seeing no results than I would assume that you are overestimating your exercise calories or underestimating your food calories and you should probably adjust them.

Americans are not conditioned to see a "single" serving correctly. Unless you're measuring everything you are probably counting as a single portion what might be 1 1/2 or even 2 portions. When it comes to exercise, It's really easy to misjudge how intensely you're working out.

I've been doing some of that myself lately.

Oh, and are you counting all of the liquid calories? Some people forget things like cream and sugar in coffee, sugar in ice tea, the calories in sodas, and even the calories in juice.

Javancub

The numbers aren't exact and even with measuring and weighing food the database can be off. Additionally, most of the exercise calorie numbers are probably inflated. You're going to have to experiment a little bit until you get it right. If you've been doing this for several months and seeing no results than I would assume that you are overestimating your exercise calories or underestimating your food calories and you should probably adjust them.

Americans are not conditioned to see a "single" serving correctly. Unless you're measuring everything you are probably counting as a single portion what might be 1 1/2 or even 2 portions. When it comes to exercise, It's really easy to misjudge how intensely you're working out.

I've been doing some of that myself lately.

Oh, and are you counting all of the liquid calories? Some people forget things like cream and sugar in coffee, sugar in ice tea, the calories in sodas, and even the calories in juice.

Everything i eat is pretty easy to measure-which i do measure everything. As for my exercise calories, i use a HRM Polar f4 to calculate my calories burned. When i log my foods, I check what the nutrition says on MFP and if its incorrect, i'll change it. I pretty much eat the same foods in and out. Like when i eat chicken, they come in an bag individually wrapped, so they are all the same size. We also get the green giant steam fresh and theres usually only 2 or 2.5 servings in it. My oatmeal for breakfast, is 1/2 cup of dry and 1 cup of water. My sandwich is whole wheat bread and 2oz of turkey from the deli with no mayo and no cheese. For salad i have spinach, usually about 2 cups, with onions and fat free ranch dressing. I use measuring spoons on everything (it annoys my other half).

Javancub

I mainly drink water but when i use those flavor packs like crystal light, i do add it in on my log. and i make sure that one packet is for one serving not 2. if i drink soda its diet...and i usually only have 1 or 2 cans in a day.

Javancub

I try my best to log everything as accurate as possible. I read and double read the nutrition facts on both MFP and what i'm eating. Of course there are very few times that i eat something with out a nutrition label, and when i do, i'll estimate it based off of something else thats in the same family and add an additional 50cal to it. We hardly ever eat out...i'd say maybe 2 twice a month we eat out. There is one thing I am wondering...would not taking a multi vitamin have something to do with it?

Javancub

I just read---http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/20343-how-i-have-avoided-plateauing-length-warning and i think i will try some of the things its suggests...i do eat almost at the exact same time everyday...usually the samethings, and i dont take a break. If i have pizza i usually save up so i can have it that day. Starting tomorrow, i will just eat with out thinking about the calories-it will still be healthy, like whole wheat and all, but i'm not going to be as stern about it.

PedalHound

I think you would really like the Eat Clean Diet Cookbook by Tosca Reno (and/or the Eat Clean Diet for Families - this one has fewer recipes and a longer book section up front, but if you can get both do it!!!) It is PERFECT for the phase you are in right now with little weight left and it sounds like you already appreciate the Clean Eating lifestyle.

Javancub

I think you would really like the Eat Clean Diet Cookbook by Tosca Reno (and/or the Eat Clean Diet for Families - this one has fewer recipes and a longer book section up front, but if you can get both do it!!!) It is PERFECT for the phase you are in right now with little weight left and it sounds like you already appreciate the Clean Eating lifestyle.

:flowerforyou: Thank you. I'll look into it. I appreciate the help.