No success!?!?

sarah1211

Hi all. I am 5'6 and 260 pounds. I have decided that I need to make a lifestyle change and eat healthier. I had a sedentary lifestyle and ate very badly. I had previously lost 30 pounds by taking in 1200 calories a day in a matter of two months. After gainig it back I am on a mission to loose it. Anyway... The scale hasn't budged! I have been doing an intense treadmill workout for 30 min a day. Uphill... And eating a relatively sound diet under 1300 cals a day for a week. If possible, can someone look at my diary and tell me if I should eat more. Less. Different foods. Different workout. All the advice I can get is appreciated!! Thanks!

JessicaHenry1984

Sarah I am not sure I am one to give advice since I just started today but it looks like you are doing pretty well. I think it just takes a while for some people to get started. I have done diet and exercise before and got discouraged and quit after a few weeks because I felt I was working hard but not seeing any results. I would say just stick with it and make sure to watch your Sodium too it can cause you to retain water and can add weight and it seems everything has too much sodium in it anymore (sodium is a killer for me). I think you are doing great.

JessicaHenry1984

Something else I noticed was that I don’t see any drinks logged in your diary. Drinks can add a ton of calories and sugars without us even thinking about it. Make sure to log your drinks as well, even diet drinks can lead to weight gain because of the way the artificial sugars work in your body.

quiksandy

It doesn't look like you are logging your water intake. Make sure you are getting enough water...especially with doing an intense treadmill workout.

My other suggestion is trying to replace some of the processed foods with real foods. For instance, instead of the peaches in light syrup, go for an actual peach.

Also, on your workouts, are you only doing cardio? It's my experience that you need cardio and strength training.

meeperoon

looking over a few days you have a VERY high sodium intake, everyone says on here that sodium (salt) will really make you retain water and not help you shift pounds.

hummingbird71

The only thing I see is that your sodium is fairly high and I don't see where you are drinking any water. On some days I know my sodium levels are off the chart but on those days I really really really try to drink EXTRA water. I generaly get in 6-7 glasses a day. On my high sodium days I add an extra 2 glasses if not more. If you are drinking your water then I am not sure where the issue is. I know I try to eat a lower calorie meal in the evening, just a personal preferance, but it helps me. I also DO NOT eat past 7:00 PM unless I just have too. Some nights are crazy and I do have to eat my dinner later then I really want too but for the most part I don't. Simply because I feel like it helps me out in the long run. Plus I go walking with my dog in the evening and I want to make sure I have digested enough before we head out. Keep doing what you are doing, you will see a change!

sneezles

I only looked at a few days but noticed you are not eating enough, you are consuming too much sodium (try to keep it at 1,500mg), and you're eating too many processed foods...cereal being one, pop tarts-really? Try getting away from things that come in a box, reduce your carbs and increase your protein, more veggies and fresh fruits...not canned. JMHO!

jwaltz13

I agree that Sodium is a huge factor, it's something that I try and keep an eye on after I realized when I joined MFP that it was my biggest problem area! I also started tracking my Sugar which is very easy to go over on. Your diary looks great though and it may just take some time. I'm on day 11 of being healthier and on MFP and my body is still adjusting to the new diet/exercise. Definitely consider maybe replacing your 'Cholesterol' option in your diary with 'Sugar' just to see if managing it more closely gives you better results? I'm not an expert but that's what I did and I believe that Sugar/Sodium are huge factors.
All the best!!

DinaLKeil

I had a similar feeling as you for a little while. It seemed that I couldnt get the scale to budge. But, after keeping at it and trying to not get discouraged-I found that after these little mini-plateaus lasting 3-4 weeks I would lose 4 or so pounds in a week. I also mix in a kind of cheat day every week or two....seems to help start my metabolism going again. Nothing too crazy mind you-maybe 2000 calories for a day...as I try to stay at about 1200 calories a day normally. A friend told me that I was probably building a lot of muscle and it was canceling out the weight loss on the scale even though I was getting fitter. Do you feel more fit and more comfortable in your clothes?
Anyway-I'm still working on it too..feel free to friend me and I'll try to offer as much support as I can. one day at a time :smooched:

sarah1211

I always forget to log in my water intake... I generally drink approx 2 gallons of water a day ( I have always done so). Thanks for all the advice and I will lower the sodium intake and watch my processed foods thanks again for all the advice!!

BeSkinnyBeStrong

Sometimes it's not about how much you eat but what you eat.

When I first started two and a half months ago, I was told to stop eating anything that had white flour, white sugar or was packaged. Believe me, it was hard but it may have been one of the best things for me. Egg whites and fruit became my bestfriend. I'm not a big vegetable person so I have to compensate with fruit. I would eat whole weight tortillas, part-skim mozzarella cheese and whole weight bread about twice a week maybe.

It was a total shock and a struggle at first but after you realize how bad everything else is, you don't want to eat it.

Since July 15, I've gone from 169.5 lbs to 147 lbs. My mom, who's also following the same 'rules' went from 212 lbs to 184 lbs. I usually go to a fitness class 3 times a week for 45 mins and she walks 5 km almost everyday at lunch.

Hope this sort of help..

ShapeUpSidney

I see a lot of carbs. A lot of sugar. A lot of processed crap (pop tarts, miracle whip, honey nut cheerios)

Try slashing all that sugar from your diet in favor of more protein, complex carbs, and WATER.


Also, it looks like you're logging cereal but not the milk?

lmarshel

Hi all. I am 5'6 and 260 pounds. I have decided that I need to make a lifestyle change and eat healthier. I had a sedentary lifestyle and ate very badly. I had previously lost 30 pounds by taking in 1200 calories a day in a matter of two months. After gainig it back I am on a mission to loose it. Anyway... The scale hasn't budged! I have been doing an intense treadmill workout for 30 min a day. Uphill... And eating a relatively sound diet under 1300 cals a day for a week. If possible, can someone look at my diary and tell me if I should eat more. Less. Different foods. Different workout. All the advice I can get is appreciated!! Thanks!

In the end, weight loss is really based on calories in vs calories out. I have lost almost 40 pounds over the past few years, and my advice would be:

You need to use the guided feature on MFP rather than setting your own calorie goal. I am about your height, 5'5" and weight over 100 pounds less than you, and I consume more calories per day than you do right now. I would suggest to start setting your weight loss goal at 1 pounds per week or 1.5 pounds per week and see what MFP suggests for you. Chances are you will see quite a change in the amount you can eat every day. Keep in mind that once you start using the guided feature to calculate your calorie goal, you need to update it every time you update your weight in MFP.

And it really sounds like you want to see too much weight loss too fast. You mention that you previously lost 30 pounds in 2 months. That rate of loss is WAY too high. Chances are that you will not be able to sustain a loss that came that fast. Have a little patience and be willing to commit to a long term goal. 30 pounds in 6 or 7 months would be more realistic.

Best of luck to you with your journey! It's not easy, but the results are soooo worth it.

dewgirl321

Congrats on getting started again, and for asking for help.
I think the following things would help you:

1. Mix up your workouts. Don't just do the treadmill every day. You will get tired of it very quickly. I recommend Jillian's 30 Day Shred. It is a great workout in only 20 mins, and the moves vary so you don't feel like you're doing the same thing over and over. You will need hand weights. People just starting out tend to start with 3 pound weights and move up as you get stronger.

2. Eat more calories. Using the stats you gave, I looked up your estimated BMR (1978) and TDEE (2740 if you do nothing other than work out for 30 mins per day). Even subtracting 1000 from your TDEE (giving you an estimated weight loss of 2 pounds per week) would give you a calorie goal of 1740. Just remember your TDEE already includes exercise calories, so you wouldn't add those in again (not that you have been so far).

3. Improve the quality of your food. I agree with the other posters: less processed food and less sodium. Maybe you could try steamed rice and/or steamed veggies? Use fresh, natural, unprocessed ingredients in place of prepackaged foods when you can.

4. Keep going! Keep trying, stay motivated, and keep asking questions (and learning from other people's questions) on MFP's boards. Learn from the many success stories on here!

lucky1ns

Did you come up with that calorie count yourself> I amd 5'5" and 195 and get more calories than you do.

Did you utilize use the MFP proflie? It seems to me that you arent eating enough to cover those workouts.

As mentioed above, slow and steady wins the race.

raevynn

besides not eating enough, it is actually quite possible that you are over-exercising.

Fat burn is accomplished at a lower BPM than aerobic fitness is. Do you have a Heart Rate Monitor? I finally invested in one, and I think I've discovered how I could have spent over a YEAR doing an hour of high-intensity workouts at the YMCA without losing an ounce...

My source of info for this comes mainly from "Fit or Fat" by Covert Bailey, where he discusses how extremely obese people should exercise for long periods of time at rather LOW intensity, otherwise their "fat burner" just shuts off. Yes, you'll have a healthy heart, but still be fat.

When I started slowing down my workouts and eating more, I started (and, I've just started!!) losing weight.

cantjustcant

Are you eating your cereal dry? You aren't logging any milk with that either.

As others have said....Sodium and carbs and sugar!

It's a struggle of mine too.

I also don't think you are eating enough. Check what mfp says for calories on day. That seems low!

itontae

you are eating too few calories.

You are eating too many processed foods. Some of that stuff is barely classed as proper food.

You meed more lean proteins , fresh fruits and vegetables.

Good luck

JeSuisPrest

you are eating too few calories.

Shape Magazine had recommended (and oops, I didn't check first to see if the op was male or female, so my apologies if I am wrong) that average woman eat 1500-1800 calories a day in order to lose weight. I lost nothing at 1200 calories. Now I am eating between 1500-1600 calories with exercise and am steadily losing.

kandrews24

Though I agree with what others have said (eating healthier, keeping sodium low), I don't think any of those things would keep you from losing weight (especially at the onset and at your starting weight). There are just tons and tons and tons of people losing weight eating all sorts of things and keeping their calories between 1,000-1,200. It is rare, but I've seen folks have a hard time in the beginning. Usually folks start off with a bang and stall down the road, but it is possible to stall at the onset. Sorry to say, I think this is happening to you. I suspect you'll see a huge drop within 4 weeks. This happened to one of my MFP friends. And over the long haul she has averaged 1.5 lbs per week. Keep up the great work and your hard work WILL pay off!!!

sarah1211

Thanks again to all for the advice. I noticed a few people asking about the milk for the cereal. I ate it dry I am going to revise my caloric intake. I feel as if the more i eat the more I will gain but I know that this is not the case. Thanks again!!

Cathy92

Sarah, it looks like you're eating alright. You are under your calorie goal. I don't think there's anything wrong wtih carbs, sugar, salt, etc. if you count calories, and don't go overboard. I mean, you should try to eat healthy food, but you can 'tweak' your diet as you go along and progress and become stronger. Persevere and you will lose weight. Personally, I'd avoid 'chips' though as they don't do anything good for you (except maybe satisfy a craving and If you logged the proper calories in, then 'bravo' to you).

kyylieeeeee

I also took a look at the % breakdowns...your goals for fat and protein intake seem very unrealistic for your general diet. Let MFP do calculations for you, rather than inputting your own goals (unless you've worked out a plan with a dietician).

It seems like you also use A LOT of dressings/condiments like relish, ranch dressing, miracle whip, etc. Calories like that add up very quickly and provide no positive nutional value. Instead of using those on salads, use olive oil and/or balsamic vinaigre-- olive oil is excellent for you!

I think the biggest way to change these issues would be to buy more fresh produce and fresh meat (you can always split up a package of chicken/steak/fish/etc and freeze them individually). You're not eating too much overall, which is a great start! Now you just need to get some more fresh veggies and fruit and lean protein into your diet!

Best of luck!

lucky1ns

Try using the MFP system to determine your calories. You might be surprised at how well it works.