looking for jump start ideas or help in general

kay_bear52

I've been here at MFP now for a month. I've been working out and using the treadmill now for 2 weeks. I work really hard to stay at or right below my calorie intake suggested by MFP. I have lost NOTHING. No clothes size difference. No pound lost. And I am getting frustrated. Any suggestions or brick wall busters>

BerryH

Hey there. Any chance you could make your diary public so we can give informed advice?

First up, it's only two weeks. From MFP experience, people either lose loads at first then slow down to almost nothing for the next couple of weeks, or stay steady for a while then have a sudden loss. Stick with it!

Next, what setting are you on? Make sure it's right for you. Only go for a 2lbs loss if you have a lot to lose, and if you've just got a couple of pounds to go, aim for 0.5lb a week. Otherwise stick with MFP's recommended 1lb loss.

Are you eating healthier or just less? Make sure you make the right choices to fuel your body.

Are you new to exercise? If so, it could be water and glycogen rushing to your muscles to refuel them. Don't forget to eat your exercise calories, but maybe hold back a couple of hundred to allow for the inaccuracy inherent in any method of calculating them

Good luck!

kay_bear52

Good morning. I just made my diary public. I went back and looked at my settings. I had it set on 1.5 lb loss a week which had me at 1295 calories a week. This is pretty doable for me. I changed it to the recommended and it throws me to 1450. It is soooo hard to eat those extra calories....lol. I'm not sure if I can meet the 1450 recommendation
I need to go check my activity settings.
I was doing WW since October and even then...I couldn't lose anything. I don't know why it is so hard for me to lose weight but it is.

mallory3411

Get a kitchen scale if you don't have one already and some proper measuring spoons and cups. Measure everything you eat and drink to ensure you are counting calories properly. Use the nutrional information on packages instead of the tracker to ensure it's correct. Double check packages of things you think is just a serving (eg, little cartons of milk, bags of chips, etc... a lot of the time the serving size is half or less of the package that most think is a single serving).

I have also found the MFP overestimates calories burned for exercises.

Sometimes eating more means more weight loss. Switch to some higher calorie versions of things you eat to help you reach your calorie goal.

busyPK

Based on what I see, MFP has you set at 1795 NET calories to eat. So if you exercise and burn an additional 200 calories you need to eat (thus NET 1995 calories). Based on the last few days, you are not eating enough. Try and add more protein - sea salt almonds, lean meat like chicken and fish, eggs, Greek yogurt, string cheese, etc.. Drink at least 8 cups of water a day.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

I agree, you're not eating enough calories. It doesn't have to be about volume. Eat more calorie dense foods. And give it time. Exercise results in water retention, which can hide scale results.

kay_bear52

Thank you everyone for the help. I do greatly appreciate it!
CAn I ask...what is considered more calorie dense foods? Because in all honesty...and I know it sounds weird...but i hate eating..lol. And it really doesn't take much to make me full which I believe is from bad yo yo dieting in the past. I'm working harder each day to eat at least 5 times a day. First thing in the morning, a snack, lunch, another snack and then supper. And I drink about 72 ounces of water a day. And kmtcm4...those sea salt almonds sounds good I will have to try to find those

MaximalLife

You hate eating?
How did you get fat?
I got fat, because I LOVE to eat - lots of food all the time.
I still eat big but healthy stuff.

Anyway, no biggie, just eat to goal every day.
Getting fit is simple but hard.
Just get started by going into settings to Update diet/fitness profile.
Set your goals for 1 lb weight loss per week.
NO MORE!
And eat lean meats, low fat dairy, nuts, whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies.
Do both cardio and resistance exercise.
AND EAT BACK YOUR EXERCISE CALORIES~!
That's it.
Again, quite simple.
The easy part is the what to do; the hard part is the doing.

Good Luck!

kay_bear52

lol your post made me smile
I gained all my weight after my first child. For the next 5 years I was in a bad marriage and very low self esteem issues. 3 years after my first child I had my second child. During that pregnancy I really didn't eat at all. We barely had money to pay our $80 a week rent let alone food. I only gained a few lbs during that pregnancy. It took another 5 years for me to get out of that relationship and stand good on my own two feet. I met my current husband and we got married. He really loves me as I am which is great for the esteem issues I have. I am 5'2 and weight 167. I have yo yo dieted for about 18 years now. I've done WW and lost down to 132 which my mom then yelled and said I looked horrible. Great...there goes the esteem again...! For many years I would only eat about 500-800 calories a day. Logic would make you think I would be a bean pole but it has done just the opposite.

In my head....it's hard to eat calories because I fear if I eat more calories..I will gain weight. And please don't yell at me...lol...but I am bad about getting on the scale 3 times a day. A long time ago I went to a nutrionist at an eating disorder clinic. She had classified me as having an eating disorder. I thought she was quacky. But I don't know...it's all a head game with me. I feel the less I eat the more weight I will lose. Not so. And it is hard thing to curve what your head has believed for so long.

I must lose what I can. I have a heart problem that currently has me on blood pressure medicine. I don't want to be on the medicine and too much weight is bad for the heart problem.

I appreciate the help here as it is helping me learn more and make right decision. I wish I could of learned this stuff earlier on. Last year I was working out 4 days a week and had a personal training for an hour 2 days a week. Weight lifting and boot camp stuff. Didn't lose a lb. Now I know why...I wasn't eating enough as it was but then I wasn't eating my workout calories either.

I'm sure this was too much info but maybe it will help someone else out there too