Complete frustration!

Bucky2BeBetty

Please help me here. I am to the point of completely wanting to quit. After months of no change, last week finally saw two pounds drop. I was so happy... Until I weighed myself today and they are back. I am putting in lots of exercise time, eating at my calorie level, eating most of my calories used back, gave up soda, drinking lots of water, etc. My weight loss has been very,very, very, very slow but at least it was happening. To go backwards just makes me want to quit. And I am not losing inches, either. Just measured because I thought that might make everything ok.

I know I eat treats but I measure everything and do not leave things out of my diary so I know I am eating the right numbers of calories.Can I not lose weight if I am not eating "clean"? Do I need to eat only fruits and veggies to lose? Other people have treats and still lose. What am I doing wrong? Started in March and have lost 12 pounds. Seems like I have sacrificed a lot for minimal reward. Losing a pound a week sounds like the stuff of fairy tales.

Please don't tell me I am in starvation mode. I've researched it thoroughly and I am not. Please don't tell me it is because my fat is turning into muscle. Trust me. The fat is still here. The inches are not coming off which would be true if there was muscle coming on.

My diary is open. I have nothing to lose at this point- except the same fat *kitten* I've always had. I would appreciate any help.

Pidders89

I can't actually help you as i am going through the exact same thing but just wanted to let you know i know how frustrating it is!!


x

dittiepe

Ok, my suggestion to you would be that you are insulin resistant. Which means that you might want to try decreasing your carbs a little bit to give you that kick-start you need. I'm not talking a low carb diet, but some people are resistant to things that others can eat without a problem. I'm one of those people.
Try cutting out things like flour, pasta, potatoes and decrease your sugar slightly, and see what happens.

Pam3

i am going through the same thing , for the month july the scale has not moved.....so i just changed it up where i am eating a lot less carbs(i was eating over 200g) even though i was keeping within the calorie range.....and in the evening which is when i really want a snack ill have some protein(turkey slices, chicken or cottage cheese) i am weighing in on monday...keeping my fingers crosssed...but at my age it just seems a lot slower...good luck:flowerforyou:

pardeepmalik

I have a question; who can I ask

nananie2

I took a look at your diary, and I think you might need to lower your sugar intake. I'm no expert, but I AM a sweet tooth, and that's what I had to watch more closely to lose some weight...

lulu1962

Maybe menopause? I've been in menopause for 2 years & find it's harder to lose weight, along with lots of other issues...I'm 48; started MFP in March & have lost 34 pounds without exercise...friend me if you'd like motivation to keep going on this journey!!!:flowerforyou:

debcarv

Please help me here. I am to the point of completely wanting to quit. After months of no change, last week finally saw two pounds drop. I was so happy... Until I weighed myself today and they are back. I am putting in lots of exercise time, eating at my calorie level, eating most of my calories used back, gave up soda, drinking lots of water, etc. My weight loss has been very,very, very, very slow but at least it was happening. To go backwards just makes me want to quit. And I am not losing inches, either. Just measured because I thought that might make everything ok.

I know I eat treats but I measure everything and do not leave things out of my diary so I know I am eating the right numbers of calories.Can I not lose weight if I am not eating "clean"? Do I need to eat only fruits and veggies to lose? Other people have treats and still lose. What am I doing wrong? Started in March and have lost 12 pounds. Seems like I have sacrificed a lot for minimal reward. Losing a pound a week sounds like the stuff of fairy tales.

Please don't tell me I am in starvation mode. I've researched it thoroughly and I am not. Please don't tell me it is because my fat is turning into muscle. Trust me. The fat is still here. The inches are not coming off which would be true if there was muscle coming on.

My diary is open. I have nothing to lose at this point- except the same fat *kitten* I've always had. I would appreciate any help.

I have issues with very slow weight loss also, it is frustrating for sure. I'm hypothyroid so it takes alot of exercise and 1200 calorie a day for me to drop 1 pound. I have been aMFP member since January and has taken me this long to lose the weight that I did. I see others on here losing the same amount in a one month period, very frustrating so I feel for you!

tabithaanne

Ok, my suggestion to you would be that you are insulin resistant. Which means that you might want to try decreasing your carbs a little bit to give you that kick-start you need. I'm not talking a low carb diet, but some people are resistant to things that others can eat without a problem. I'm one of those people.
Try cutting out things like flour, pasta, potatoes and decrease your sugar slightly, and see what happens.

ckmama

I looked at your diary and it looks like, unless you aren't logging it, you aren't eating your exercise calories. I would aim to at least eat 50% of them back. You are getting around 1200-1350 calories a day and that doesn't seem like enough. I know that sounds crazy, but I would dare say you aren't eating enough.

Of course I don't know how much you weigh and how close to goal you are.

Drink lots of water 10-12 cups a day. See if this helps.

Good Luck.

Oh and edited to add....while you may lose faster and more fat eating clean...i've lost weight eating what I like to eat as well. I have to live in my real world with my kids and husband, they aren't going to eat veg and fruit all the time.

tabithaanne

I totally agree. I used to be a "calorie counter" and the weight never came off. Once I got rid of starches and sugars and exercised the weight came off. Not everyone has the same "makeup" and there are those who can eat whatever they want and still maintain their weight. You can't compare or you'll go crazy.

Brannock8

Yeah I would pay attention to the sugars, gets me every time

scapez

I looked through about a week in your diary and the two things that stood out were a pretty consistant amount of processed and fast foods (full of yuk and sodium!) and though you may be staying within your caloric limit while having treats nearly everyday -- you might want to consider treating yourself with sweets sparingly.

Get your (healthy) fats from things like nuts and the like.

Try making more healthy choices of food at home in advance; lean proteins, veggies, fruit. Try swapping out the Yoplait (full of sugar!) for Greek Yogurt - a much healthier option. You can get the plain and add berries, nuts, honey, etc.

Replace some of those iced teas (lots o' sugar) with water. Many days you don't have enough water logged.

Weight loss is 80% food and 20% exercise. Make a commitment to eating cleaner. There's nothing wrong with the occasional 'bad' food - but don't let your diet consist of mostly bad foods.

Good luck!

mrmanmeat

Please help me here. I am to the point of completely wanting to quit. After months of no change, last week finally saw two pounds drop. I was so happy... Until I weighed myself today and they are back. I am putting in lots of exercise time, eating at my calorie level, eating most of my calories used back, gave up soda, drinking lots of water, etc. My weight loss has been very,very, very, very slow but at least it was happening. To go backwards just makes me want to quit. And I am not losing inches, either. Just measured because I thought that might make everything ok.

I know I eat treats but I measure everything and do not leave things out of my diary so I know I am eating the right numbers of calories.Can I not lose weight if I am not eating "clean"? Do I need to eat only fruits and veggies to lose? Other people have treats and still lose. What am I doing wrong? Started in March and have lost 12 pounds. Seems like I have sacrificed a lot for minimal reward. Losing a pound a week sounds like the stuff of fairy tales.

Please don't tell me I am in starvation mode. I've researched it thoroughly and I am not. Please don't tell me it is because my fat is turning into muscle. Trust me. The fat is still here. The inches are not coming off which would be true if there was muscle coming on.

My diary is open. I have nothing to lose at this point- except the same fat *kitten* I've always had. I would appreciate any help.

Did you put all the weight on overnight, or over a 2 week period? Probably not.

It's not going to happen overnight, you're not going to drop 10lbs in a week, etc. It's a process. There's a lot of things it could be, but quitting isn't going to satisfy anyone, not even yourself.

It's all mental at this point.

Elanesse100

The only suggestions I have are eating quality foods and exercise. Just because you meet a calorie goal, doesn't mean the food is the best calorie to protein ratio.

P90X developed a relatively good Fat Burning Nutritional Plan that leaves you fulfilled at the end of the day, and most often I can't even eat all the calories it suggests. Now the plan goes hand in hand with their exercise program. They give you enough calories to exercise with. That is about 2400 calories. Take out the 600 calories burnt and 1800 is just fine.

Their plan is 7 servings of meat/protein (That's 700 calories), 4 servings of vegetables (4 cups), 3 servings of dairy (3 cups), 1 serving fruit, 1 serving carbs (rice, potatoes, bread etc.)

It is possible you are eating too much carbs, or too much bad quality carbs. My suggestion is eat lots and lots of lean meat. Instead of buying ground beef, buy ground turkey, it's a great substitute, healthier, and cheaper.

Also, this is gonna be the killer. You can have your snacks, just don't have them right before bed. Most anyone will tell you not to eat a thing 3 hours before bed. Your body will eat away at fat over night if it has nothing else to eat. If you feed it and then go to bed, it won't have enough time to digest it and turns it right into fat.

morganadk2_deleted

Just thought i would we send you some advice as daft as it might sound if your not eating enough , you are more prone to pick or give up . so advice below on eating your calories back and what goals to aim for according to your bmi..

Also looked at your diary i'm not seeing much fruit & veg!! Or much water..


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

P.s feel free to add me as a friend

flimflamfloz

I know I eat treats but I measure everything and do not leave things out of my diary so I know I am eating the right numbers of calories.Can I not lose weight if I am not eating "clean"? Do I need to eat only fruits and veggies to lose? Other people have treats and still lose. What am I doing wrong? Started in March and have lost 12 pounds. Seems like I have sacrificed a lot for minimal reward. Losing a pound a week sounds like the stuff of fairy tales.

Please don't tell me I am in starvation mode. I've researched it thoroughly and I am not. Please don't tell me it is because my fat is turning into muscle. Trust me. The fat is still here. The inches are not coming off which would be true if there was muscle coming on.

My diary is open. I have nothing to lose at this point- except the same fat *kitten* I've always had. I would appreciate any help.

It depends on how much you have to lose, how much weight you have in excess at the start... As you progress through your journey, progress will generally be slower...

Anyway, on to the more specific stuff:

- Well, have you gained some inches? Are you still "soft" or can you feel you are building muscles beneath? If you're not losing fat, at least check if you are gaining muscles.
I can see that the majority of your cals come from carbs, and I would up my protein intake a bit if I where you, while decreasing carbs (that is - if you don't feel you are building muscle). Muscle will up your metabolism.
(2inch fat + 0 inch muscle = 2 inch, but 2 inch fat + 1 inch muscle = 3 inches so you could be gaining muscle but not losing fat...)
Losing fat is different from building muscle. Also it might take a while for your body to readjust, especially as you get older - so you might need to give it a bit more time to get the machine started.

- Look into interval training (it seems to burn more calories).

billsica

I've noticed that just going back a week or so, your calories are perfect. Have you looked into zig zagging your calories? Eat more and then less. It might jump start your metabolism.
Stop being so perfect.

I also went though all my "other tracking" I took out fat because I never was going over it, so why track. I put sodium on it. Try to find your problem numbers and track those.

I think when people say all those you are gaining muscle stuff, they are just really in the end talking about metabolism, if they diagnosis isn't true, but the cure is still the same, does it matter?

ACook42

I took a look at your last week or so, your water intake is a bit shy of 8 glasses a day. I know it is hard but it really is important to get it into your daily habits. Try diet green tea/Lipton makes it and it is good but it also carries 25g of sodium per serving. But I like it much better than Snapples version so give those a try.

Also, try to lower your carbs like others have suggested, as well as the sweets. I don't want to sound awful while you are going through a tough time but try to make them special rather then a part of your meals. You may want to stay away from the skinny cow stuff because they are pretty high in calories....I like to eat a sugar free chocolate pudding which is about half the calories and still gives you the feeling of being bad when you not. I also like it better than the fat free because the fat free has more sugars (which ultimately go directly to fat as well)

Hope some of this helps

mrmanmeat

I've noticed that just going back a week or so, your calories are perfect. Have you looked into zig zagging your calories? Eat more and then less. It might jump start your metabolism.
Stop being so perfect.

I also went though all my "other tracking" I took out fat because I never was going over it, so why track. I put sodium on it. Try to find your problem numbers and track those.

I think when people say all those you are gaining muscle stuff, they are just really in the end talking about metabolism, if they diagnosis isn't true, but the cure is still the same, does it matter?

It's highly unlikely she's gaining muscle, it's a longer process to gain muscle.

The biggest thing I found is a lot of sweets.


Personally, I would change breakfast to eggs/chicken and work on taking out the ice cream/sweets for snacks/dinner etc.

oddyogi

First of all, you're eating a lot of processed foods. Second of all, you might not be eating enough, depending on how intense your exercise is.

And most important, you can't have 300 calories worth of treats every day.. even if it is skinny cow or small portions, those are still empty calories, and you're getting most of your fat from unhealthy sources. Aim to eat more omega-3's and omega-6's like in olive oil, canola oil, raw nuts, and natural peanut butters.

Eat more whole foods and your body will respond dramatically.

FireSwan

I would take a copy of your diary to your doctor (I just copy and paste it into excel or you can print it). Have them run some tests to see if you are insulin resistant or if there is anything else wrong. This is what I am going to do next month when I have my doctor's appt.

I have the same issue, and for me, if I have too many simple carbs I will not lose weight...even if I am killing myself in the gym and drinking a ton of water. I've gotten frustrated and given up a million times. This time, I'm not giving up. I'm trying to get most of my carbs from fruits and veggies and I'm upping my protein (since I'm working out so much). I feel better when I'm eating right and exercising regularly. I'm trying not to worry about the scale as much. Also, make sure you are weighing yourself at the same time each week. Our bodies (at least mine) can fluxuate 5 lbs during the day.

It sucks, I know, but don't give up. Even though you aren't losing weight..think of how much better you feel and how much healthier you are getting. Good luck!!

SHBoss1673

OK look, first things first, there's no way anyone can intelligently comment on your situation without first knowing everything we need to know. I.E. at a MINIMUM we would need your height, weight, activity level, exercise schedule, exercise duration, Active metabolic rate, body fat % or at least BMI (much rather have BF% but...) and what you set your weekly goal at (although with everything else, we can deduce that). Until we receive that info, everything anyone on here suggests will simply be shots in the dark. Also relevant would be any medical conditions you have/had in the past that could (even remotely) affect your metabolic rate or exercise levels, and that includes a family history of things like PCOS, metabolic syndrome, Thyroid conditions, blood diseases, diabetes (type 1 would be more relevant, but both types would be important), liver disease, kidney problems, heart conditions, lung conditions...etc.

These are all important factors that could play a role.

I await your response.

-Banks

curiousmissclay

i defiantly agree with people when they say your eating way to many sweets and your sugar is very high so id try and cut down on that and altho it will be hard if your used to alot of sugar it will be worth it.

Also someone said ground turkey instead of the beef which is a great idea and way nicer beef is yukky!

good luck x

jennyocox

My tuppence....... you need to drink more water. I notice a shift in my weightloss when I drink plenty of water.

Ahluvly

Hello me dear,

Right....take note of the first thing I say: Don't fret pet, we can sort this out.

I've had a look over your diary and the things I noticed were:

You are not eating your daily calories, some days you are several hundred calories under.
Your sugar levels are rather high.
You don't drink enough enought water.

I don't know your goals or your stats, or whether you have any medical conditions so purely based on what I've read in your diary, I will say.....If I was in your position, I would do the following (please note I am going on what I know about diet, exercise and nutrition - I'm no professional):

Today is a new day, put a smile on your face and believe in yourself that you can rectify this starting today.
Re-calculate your goals and see if your daily cals is any different.
Measure yourself: chest, tummy, hips, legs and arms - insert the necessary values into the tools on here.
Aim to weigh yourself once or twice a month, no more.
Aim for at least 5 portions of fruit and veg a day.
Aim for at least 10 glasses of water a day (this can also come from tea, coffee, diet drinks, juice - go easy on the latter, they're high in natural sugars).
Cut down on your sugar intake - when we don't burn off sugar, it turns to fat (same happens to carbs)
Vary your type of exercise you do each session e.g. swimming session, cardio session, training session etc

I hope this info helps and feel free to add me, we're all here to help each other!

Sarah

kimbux

Hi - I understand your frustration but you MUST cut out the SUGAR - nearly everyday your sugar intake is well over what is recommended. Even though you are logging your snacks, you are eating two or three sugary snacks a day: Mc Donald's Frozen Strawberry Lemonade, Cookies, Skinny Cow Ice cream treats - all full of sugar.

One small change like cutting back on your sugar intake will yield results.

One meal at a time, one day at a time, one pound at a time - Good Luck!

buller03

With respect, I would look at the types of food as well as the absolute calories. Aim for more vegetables. Ice creams, chocolate puddings, bars and brownies etc are not helping you reach your goals.

There's a lot of brand name, processed food in there with high sugar and salt values. The word "light" on the label only ever means lightER in fat or sugar...probably with the other increased.

One meal was just chicken breast and a banana. If thats the case, perhaps your meals aren't appealing enough, causing you to snack...or maybe you're not recording the sauce etc?

Bucky2BeBetty

Thanks for the advice so far. I feel heartened by so many quick responses. And, yeah, I kinda thought so about the carbs.... But I love them so much! I AM menopausal. Ugh.And I do have a hard time getting all the water I ought.

Okay. Rethinking this trip. More fruits and veggies. More protein. Less sugars. More water.

ratkaj

With respect, I would look at the types of food as well as the absolute calories. Aim for more vegetables. Ice creams, chocolate puddings, bars and brownies etc are not helping you reach your goals.

There's a lot of brand name, processed food in there with high sugar and salt values. The word "light" on the label only ever means lightER in fat or sugar...probably with the other increased.

One meal was just chicken breast and a banana. If thats the case, perhaps your meals aren't appealing enough, causing you to snack...or maybe you're not recording the sauce etc?

I was looking at the same thing. MOST of your calories in a day are coming from very unhealthy places. Fast foods, pizza, ice creams (even skinny cows) brownies, etc. These things are not helping maters at all. By limiting these, you will be doing your body a favor and helping yourself reach your goal.

Also, Are you being honest with yourself about your intake? Are you logging everything?? Every little thing adds up.

dittiepe

Thanks for the advice so far. I feel heartened by so many quick responses. And, yeah, I kinda thought so about the carbs.... But I love them so much! I AM menopausal. Ugh.And I do have a hard time getting all the water I ought.

Okay. Rethinking this trip. More fruits and veggies. More protein. Less sugars. More water.

You can do it! We're all here for you, and we're all in it with you Feel free to add me, if you'd like some additional motivation!

Best of luck!