dont know what i am doing wrong.

FairyMiss

Okay i am very close to giving up. i have been on MFP for around 6 month now, in that time with the latest pound GAIN this aim i am down a whopping total of 4 pounds, i have been working hard, being careful of what i eat, drink 10 to 12 glasse water, for the past month been doing Insanity , aswell as othere class and general working out at the gym several times a week.

I am getting absolutly nowhere. I am willing to listen to and critques , opinions , suggestions.

my diary will be public for the next 12 hours (its usually just open tofriends)

ninerbuff

Okay so congrats for the 54lbs loss. Now look at it objectively and truthfully................have you been consistent? If not, then that would be the first reason. Have you changed your workout? If you haven't within 2 months, then the body will adapt to it. If you aren't lifting "heavy" then start now. Since there's not a lot of info, those are the couple of things I can advise.

melsinct

I only went back a week in your diary, which looks good food-wise. However, if you are working out as much as you say, you aren't eating anywhere near enough. You are barely hitting 1200 calories on a lot of the days. It sounds counter-intuitive but you need to eat more to lose, especially when working out hard. I sent myself into a 2 month plateau by only eating 1200 calories. Once I upped my calories to a 1700/day goal, weight started coming off again.

Dtho5159

Personally, I think you're netting too low.. You consume around 12-1300 calories yet burn 3-400 which makes your net under 1000.

KathyEarhart

Marking this to see the responses

lisahightower2

Hmm, well your food diary is kinda spotty. Are you not eating some meals or just not tracking? My first instinct whenever anyone says they've stopped losing is to think that they actually aren't eating ENOUGH. You need to eat at least the minimum amount of calories plus your exercise calories. There's also WHAT you eat - getting more whole foods and protein into your diet will help.

My 2nd instinct is exercise. Women in general tend to not want to strength-train or they lift very light weights. But strength training is what boosts your metabolism. Women don't bulk up like men unless they REALLY work at it!

kapeluza

"Overview (why I'm posting this)
Over the course of about 7 months on here, I have seen many people suceed, I have also seen some drop off the map. I expect this is because some succumb to the demon that is temptation, and some to the devil that is dissapointment. I wanted to give a few "heads up"s to both new commers and vetrans to the site. Some may know already, some may not. But either way, if this helps anyone to set more realistic goals in their own head, I feel like it has done it's job.

Phase 1. The start of a brand new day! (or week, or month, or year)
Expectations are sky high, usually so is motivation and intentions. This is where most people lose the most weight. At the start it's not uncommon to see 4 to 8 lb losses per week. The reasons for this are mostly (sorry to disappoint) water weight. You drop excess water quickly, and you can have up to 5 lbs of water weight. The next biggest reason is the fat that is right next to the blood vessels, the stuff that you put on in the last month or three, it will melt like butter usually.

Phase 2. Reality setting in.
At about week 3 to a month or so, people suddenly realize that they are no longer dropping 8, 6, or even 4 lbs a week. This is a crutial phase in your journey. Expect this, it is natural. You have shocked your body by changing both eating habits and exercise routine. Now it has had a little while to become used to the new lifestyle, it's going to compensate. Your body still doesn't believe it's permenant yet, so it will still try to store some fat, so now that it knows how to regulate it's new metabolic levels, it tryies to store fat in earnest. It's not uncommon for people to hit a wall here, no loss for weeks. Expect this as well.

Phase 3. The routine.
At about 2 months or so, your routine is pretty much set, your body is beginning to believe that you really want to STAY the way you are going now. You will start to see more consistant (but lower, usually 1 to 2 lbs a week) loss, also, you should start seeing some muscle tone (depending on how much you had to lose in the first place). If you stop to think, you should realize that you have improved dramatically in your exercise levels. If you do cardio, you should notice how much longer and harder you can work. This is important to realize as it is just as big of an indicator as weight loss. Also, by now you may notice that your clothes no longer fit right. This is also very important. The weight may not be falling off anymore, but you are becomming a smaller person. Weight is arbitrary, if you are building muscle (which your body is doing at a furious pace by now) you won't notice huge losses, but you will notice wholesale changes in the mirror!

Phase 4. Really digging in.
This is where the second wall can happen. You're probably at between 3 and 4 months by now, and if you have gone this far, you feel like you have already suceeded. This is where many people stumble. they are tired of the routine, tired of eating different things from all their friends, limiting their alcohol intake. Basically the shine has worn off. this is when your really need to plant your feet. Maybe change up your exercise routine, make a concentrated effort to find different, but still nutritional food. Talk to people. And examine how far you have come. At this point, no matter how much external motivation you receive, it's all about believing in yourself!

Phase 5. End game.
5 or 6 months in you are probably working on that "last 10 pounds". This can be discouraging for many as it is a slow burn. Remember, your body probably feels like it is where it needs to be, your brain might think you need to lose 10 more, but your body is quite proud of itself now, it feels like it has "Done enough" and it wants to stay RIGHT HERE. The body LIKES to have a little fat around just in case, especially for the ladies (sorry girls, it's just human physiology). If you feel like you still need to lose it, prepare yourself for some guerrila warfare against your body. Design an exercise regimen that is very dynamic, forget the "same thing every day". Make a plan that challenges you both physically and mentally. Make sure you give yourself a day off here and there to just veg. And by all means, remember, muscle burns fat at rest. So get some weight or resistance training involved.
The last 10 may take 3 to 6 months to lose. I know nobody wants to hear that, but it's true. And forget the idea of increasing your calorie deficite, healthy bodies need good nutrition, your body no longer has the fat reserves to handle the large deficites you could when you were 30 40 or 50 pounds overweight. Better to make it a 3 or 400 calorie deficite (NET, please count your exercise calories too!). It may take a bit longer, but your body will like you for it. Plus it feeds those new muscles and keeps them burning fat, keeps your skin healthy (elasticity is important when you want those places that were stretched out to "snap back") and keeps you from getting head aches and depressed.

Conclusion:

this is what I have learned, not just from my journey, but from others as well on here. It saddens me sometimes to see people hit one of these stages and not recognize it for what it is, a part of the process. If we all can have realistic expectations, then we are more prone to win the fight and stay healthy in the long run. Note that some people will hit these stages harder then others, some may take longer, but for the most part, this is the rule that the exceptions will come from.

Best health to you all!

-Banks "

morganadk2_deleted

Are you eating to enough?

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficit


This is just a part of it! please read the link above


Generally someone with a BMI over 32 can do a 1000 calorie a day (2 lbs a week) deficit
With a BMI of 30 to 32 a deficit of 750 calories is generally correct (about 1.5 lbs a week)
With a BMI of 28 to 30 a deficit of 500 calories is about right (about 1 lb a week)
With a BMI of 26 to 28 a deficit of about 300 calories is perfect (about 1/2 lb a week)
and below 26... well this is where we get fuzzy. See now you're no longer talking about being overweight, so while it's still ok to have a small deficit, you really should shift your focus more towards muscle tone, and reducing fat. This means is EXTRA important to eat your exercise calories as your body needs to KNOW it's ok to burn fat stores, and the only way it will know is if you keep giving it the calories it needs to not enter the famine response (starvation mode)


Also this might be helpful http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/00trayn/view/how-to-bust-a-3-month-plateau-87677

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/153704-myth-or-fact-simple-math-3500-calories-one-pound-eat



Good luck on your journey

McKayMachina

I'm right there with you. A few days ago, I changed my weekly goal to lose only 1 lb./week which brought my net goal up to 1420 from the 1200 it's been for the last 7 months. I've been stuck for a month so I hope this helps.

phatsoslim

I only went back a week in your diary, which looks good food-wise. However, if you are working out as much as you say, you aren't eating anywhere near enough. You are barely hitting 1200 calories on a lot of the days. It sounds counter-intuitive but you need to eat more to lose, especially when working out hard. I sent myself into a 2 month plateau by only eating 1200 calories. Once I upped my calories to a 1700/day goal, weight started coming off again.

I totally agree with this. I didn't lose anything for 3 weeks and then I up my calories and the scale is starting to move down again. I was doing the 30 Day Shred at the time so I know I was probably gaining muscle as well as losing fat at the same time.

Good luck and stay focused.

Lightjulesloves2run

You are not eating near ur daily goal. Very few veggies/fruits. 500 cals in veggies and fruit are better for you than 500 cals of pizza. etc. Are you exercising? If you really don't know..talk to a dr. sometimes other things are going on with our bodies. What ever you do..don't give up!!!!!!

srp2011

Looking at your fodd diary, it doesn't look too bad, but it does look like it is very heavy on carbs and fattier foods, and low on protein proportionately. I would suggest increasing lean protein (turkey, chicken, fish - not sausage, wings and ribs), and swapping some of the snacks - more veggies and fruits rather than cheese and tortillas and things like that.

yeabby

You may also consider eating more produce. You are probably missing a lot of nutrients.

Qarol

I'm going to plagiarize myself. I just wrote this on another thread about a similar situation...

Plateaus are just evil. I was on one for 6 weeks. I've only lost 2 lbs in the last 2 months. It's incredibly frustrating and hard to stay motivated and not just throw in the towel. I just kept researching and finding ways to tweak my diet. Then I'd try them out for a week or two and monitor my results. I don't want to jinx it by saying I've broken through it, but I'm currently trying something else that I hope will work. At least I was down to a new number this morning after a few days of it.

You just have to keep researching, learning about your own body, and figuring out what works for you. Problem is, what works for one person may not work for another.

My opinion is, if you're stalling, whatever you're doing is no longer working. Your body has adapted. Your body is getting along just fine thankyouverymuch with what you're doing. You have to change it up. But figuring out how to change it is not always easy.

vim_n_vigor

Adding a lot more fruit and veg could be helpful too. They are very low cal for the most part, and that is where your body gets many nutrients. The more veg I eat, the easier it is to lose weight. I went 2 weeks very low on veg, and am up 8 pounds.

jane130

You are already eating the bare minimum amount of food. I would try eating more. Try not to go more than a few hundred calories below whatever MFP is telling you to eat (talking about net calories). Make sure you are taking care of yourself, get enough sleep, try do reduce any sources of stress, and make sure you are giving yourself rest days.

FairyMiss

when ever i try eating more i tend to gain.
as far as skipped meals, i think those are only on weekends , if i eat a breakfast at 11 not so much eating lunch.

Gary6030

I'll agree with everyone I dont' think you are eating enough calories. You might try jumping up to around 1400 calories. Also something I've noticed with my journey is what I call "Body Monotony" Body Monotony in my mind is this. Eating the same things, Doing the Same Things week after week. I'm a routine kinda person. My food journal is boring. So I have to remind myself each week to throw something new in. A different type of protein, fiber or fat. To keep my body working and challenging it to process food differently. I don't have any scientific knowledge on this subject, but as a general rule in life when we hit a monotonous period don't we just kinda coast? It makes sense that our bodies react the same way. So for me I would say throw out what you are eating and try something totally different. Try some Thai Food or something that would be out of the ordinary for you and really focus on eating more healthy calories. Throw out insanity and get Kettleworx or get a spinning bike.

On a side note why would you ever give up? If you really feel that way you might already have? Just food for thought. *No those aren't extra calories* Have a great day and hang in there!

Tzavush

"Overview (why I'm posting this)
Best health to you all!
.....

-Banks "

Sorry didn't want to quote the lot, but wanted to recognize it and say thanks.
I was looking for something this morning. I've been in a slump for a couple weeks and not really gaining or losing, but feeling just really de-motivated. I think this may have been exactly what I needed to see this morning to start my week off a little better,
so... Thank You

TS65

when ever i try eating more i tend to gain.
as far as skipped meals, i think those are only on weekends , if i eat a breakfast at 11 not so much eating lunch.

Eat more. If you've been eating this few calories for a long period, you might gain a minimal amount initially before your metabolism kicks in (when you up your calories). It's a short term thing.

Gary6030

One other thing to consider. It seems from your food diary you are eating alot of processed foods. Maybe try researching clean eating and see if this helps. Best wishes to you!

kerriknox

"Overview (why I'm posting this)
Best health to you all!
.....

-Banks "

Sorry didn't want to quote the lot, but wanted to recognize it and say thanks.
I was looking for something this morning. I've been in a slump for a couple weeks and not really gaining or losing, but feeling just really de-motivated. I think this may have been exactly what I needed to see this morning to start my week off a little better,
so... Thank You

I agree. This was an awesome post!

Nishka09

Just a thought, but maybe consider making your diary private and only viewable to you, then be extra honest with yourself and log every little thing you eat. I have only been here 2 weeks, but I shared my diary with friends b/c I like to get ideas from other people's entries, and would like to offer the same. But to be perfectly honest, it is a real struggle to log food honestly when I am having a bad day, as I am aware others will be seeing my entries and I may feel embarrassed, afraid of what others will think, etc. I have logged it nonetheless, but in the moment I am doing it, I often wonder, what decision do others make in this moment? For this reason I think an open diary has its pros and cons.
Anyways, you have done great so far!! 54 pounds is an amazing accomplishment.

FairyMiss

Just a thought, but maybe consider making your diary private and only viewable to you, then be extra honest with yourself and log every little thing you eat. I have only been here 2 weeks, but I shared my diary with friends b/c I like to get ideas from other people's entries, and would like to offer the same. But to be perfectly honest, it is a real struggle to log food honestly when I am having a bad day, as I am aware others will be seeing my entries and I may feel embarrassed, afraid of what others will think, etc. I have logged it nonetheless, but in the moment I am doing it, I often wonder, what decision do others make in this moment? For this reason I think an open diary has its pros and cons.
Anyways, you have done great so far!! 54 pounds is an amazing accomplishment.

i am honest, and no totaly private would not be good, there have been times when i have wanted something bad like a candy bar, and the thing that stops me is knowing i would hav to put it in my diary and people woulds see i F'up. Sometimes peer pressure is positive

FairyMiss

if i do try to increas cals. which i will say that almost every other web sit caculater has me eating more, and quite frankly i am not going to loose what i want before my cruise, so well if i do gain anything, i wont have to buy new clothes, and i can just hide in the cabin.

but any suggestions on things to eat, those days that i can get to 1200 -1300 cals eaten, well i push it to get there

lisahightower2

Just my 2 cents: You can't look at eating a candy bar as "f'ing up". It's just food. Don't give it so much power and it won't run your life. Look at it as what it is - a candy bar. An occasional treat. If you have the calories and REALLY want one then go for it! Log it and move on.

Rae6503

if i do try to increas cals. which i will say that almost every other web sit caculater has me eating more, and quite frankly i am not going to loose what i want before my cruise, so well if i do gain anything, i wont have to buy new clothes, and i can just hide in the cabin.

but any suggestions on things to eat, those days that i can get to 1200 -1300 cals eaten, well i push it to get there

But you are gaining doing what you are doing! You have to try something new and seems like everyone agrees that it should be eating more food. You'll never know until you try it (and really try it, give it 2-3 weeks not just a few days).

Rilke

Yup, eat more. /echo

melsinct

if i do try to increas cals. which i will say that almost every other web sit caculater has me eating more, and quite frankly i am not going to loose what i want before my cruise, so well if i do gain anything, i wont have to buy new clothes, and i can just hide in the cabin.

but any suggestions on things to eat, those days that i can get to 1200 -1300 cals eaten, well i push it to get there

But you are gaining doing what you are doing! You have to try something new and seems like everyone agrees that it should be eating more food. You'll never know until you try it (and really try it, give it 2-3 weeks not just a few days).

Exactly. It was scary upping my calories but even scarier to me is I went 2 months without losing a pound, so something had to give. I went from 1200 to 1400 calories, waited a couple weeks, and there was no change. I then upped it again to 1700 calories, waited a couple more weeks, and that is when the scale started moving again. Bodies don't react instantly.

What you are doing is not working and the majority of us agree on what the problem is (not eating enough). You can keep doing what you have been doing, which I wouldn't recommend since you are at the point where you want to give up, but it isn't working for you. You realize a change is needed or you wouldn't have posted. We are here to give you the kick in the pants you need to do this!

Gary6030

You also might consider dropping the Fiber Tab of your Eating Diary and Pick up Fat. I have a suspicion that might also be a culprit between fat and carbs that could be hindering. Anyway I'll shut up keep up the great work.

FairyMiss

You also might consider dropping the Fiber Tab of your Eating Diary and Pick up Fat. I have a suspicion that might also be a culprit between fat and carbs that could be hindering. Anyway I'll shut up keep up the great work.

dont shut up, i f i wanted shut up i would not have oosted