anyone else out there eating right, excersising like they sh

sunflowerhcb

HELP
:sad: I am feeling a bit low. I have been eating right, excersising like wonder woman 5 times a week for an hour, drinking lots of water. logging all my food and eating some of my leftover calories after excersising and still only 2 pounds lost in months.

I dont get what I am doing wrong? I have had my thyroid checked. It is fine. I dont get why Im not losing weight!? Anyone else in the same boat? Have any good suggestions? Thanks

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Open your diary-- we don't know what "eating right" means to you. We need to see your calorie goals, what you're eating, and whether you're eating exercise calories.

Contrarian

If you open your diary, you will get better advice.

sunflowerhcb

now the diary is opened. sorry forgot that part.

liesl78

Are you measuring yourself? Maybe you're gaining muscle - which won't make much of a difference on the scale. But you are losing inches.

taxidermist15

looking at your past two days everything there is extremely processed, no fresh veggies, fruits or non processed meats
(i saw cheese cake in there somewhere too....yum!)

eat real food, rather than meal replacement stuff, fills you up, and its more satisfying.
just my 2 cents

cshine06

Watch your sugar and carb intake closely. Avoid as much food out the box as possible, preferably 85% unprocessed foods and your scale will move. Research paleo.

juliesummers

Change your settings to show you your sugar and sodium intake.
I know you think you're eating right, but to me it just looks like sweets and peanut butter all day. Just because it's under your protein and fat category does not make it healthy, sustainable or conducive to weight loss.

Eat fresh foods! Vegetables, legumes, lean proteins, fruits, whole grains, etc.

aweightymatter

If I may be respectful but honest... I checked out your diary and while you are in fact staying under your calorie goal, you have some room to improve food quality.

It is great that you are watching your portions! This is a huge step. However, I think your next big step is to back away from some of your packaged and pre-made foods -- even the "diet" type foods like the South Beach bars, Skinny Cow chocolates, etc. Those all have a ton of sodium (not to mention other chemical stuff you don't really want) and can make you retain water, which will appear as scale weight.

Almost everything is fine in moderation if you really like it, but it seems like these products are making up an overwhelming daily proportion of your diet. If you start to make small changes and swap some of these out for foods closer to their natural states, you may well have a "whoosh" where you lose water you've been retaining due to all the sodium.

You should also try to add in some vegetables and fruits to your diet. The fiber and nutrients will do a lot to improve your well-being, and maybe the fiber will make you "go." It's kind of gross to consider, but you could have a couple of pounds of stuff just "backed up" because of your current low fiber levels.

Good luck!! I have had my best successes when I ate tons and tons of produce and let the rest sort of come together around fruits and vegetables as the cornerstone of my diet.

Kissybiz

I know it's frustrating. I'm in the same exact boat. I'm doing what you are doing, eating healthy, working out, drinking water, limiting alchohol consumption, etc.. I actually feel guilty eating back my exercise calories, but I'm doing the best I can. My scale has actually increased and hasn't gotten down in two weeks.

The good news is that my clothes do feel looser. And I'll bet yours do too! Besides, stop worrying about the scale. Don't you feel healthier and better in general for all the good you're doing lately? Sometimes the victory isn't in the numbers, it's in you.

karinaes

Change your settings to show you your sugar and sodium intake.
I know you think you're eating right, but to me it just looks like sweets and peanut butter all day. Just because it's under your protein and fat category does not make it healthy, sustainable or conducive to weight loss.

Eat fresh foods! Vegetables, legumes, lean proteins, fruits, whole grains, etc.

^what she said.
too much sourdough bread, too much cup of noodles, too much Caramel Macchiatos ... you need fresh food. your sodium intake maybe through the roof

cuteness81104

I have th same problem I eat all organic fresh foods I eat a ton of veggies they are my fav food lean meats and I only ever drink water I work out 8hrs a week min both cadio and strength mixing it up and yet I can lose weight and my pants are still as tight as before I eat virtually no sugars and never add salt to anything I only eat whole wheat whole grain foods and yet no movement on the scale

aippolito1

I had the same thing happen to me. Been eating pretty clean and working out hard since the beginning of December, but hadn't lost since end of December, so about 3 weeks ... but then one of my MFPs said eat more fat, so I readjusted my macros... a week later, lost 1.5 lbs! :] Sometimes our bodies need a little more of something and/or a little less of something else.

karinaes

If I may be respectful but honest... I checked out your diary and while you are in fact staying under your calorie goal, you have some room to improve food quality.

It is great that you are watching your portions! This is a huge step. However, I think your next big step is to back away from some of your packaged and pre-made foods -- even the "diet" type foods like the South Beach bars, Skinny Cow chocolates, etc. Those all have a ton of sodium (not to mention other chemical stuff you don't really want) and can make you retain water, which will appear as scale weight.

Almost everything is fine in moderation if you really like it, but it seems like these products are making up an overwhelming daily proportion of your diet. If you start to make small changes and swap some of these out for foods closer to their natural states, you may well have a "whoosh" where you lose water you've been retaining due to all the sodium.

You should also try to add in some vegetables and fruits to your diet. The fiber and nutrients will do a lot to improve your well-being, and maybe the fiber will make you "go." It's kind of gross to consider, but you could have a couple of pounds of stuff just "backed up" because of your current low fiber levels.

Good luck!! I have had my best successes when I ate tons and tons of produce and let the rest sort of come together around fruits and vegetables as the cornerstone of my diet.

well said and totally agree

aweightymatter

One more thing... I see in your diary that there are several days where you've ostensibly burned 700, 900, 1000 calories from exercise. Are you *sure* you are burning that many? What activities are you doing, and on what are you basing your burn? Gym machines notoriously over-calculate burn rates, and even some of MFP's calculations overestimate. For example, it takes about a 10-mile run to burn 1000 calories -- an average turn on the elliptical trainer, etc. does not really compare.

You may not be burning as much as you think, and you may be inadvertently eating back all of the caloric deficit you would need to lose weight.

Just one more suggestion on places to look. I hope this comes off as helpful rather than critical, because it is intended as the former! We all hit plateaus and it is very frustrating, so I am just sharing some places where I have had to improve myself in the past to get past them!

osorio1

Hang in there i am in the same boat too!! Gotta keep motivating myself to keep going cuz i am sooo ready to throw in the towel. Still playing with my cals to see when the weight lose will start. Dont give up though eventually the weight should start coming off. I tell myself that too.

xosmsox

I would suggest more fresh foods, veggies and fruits. I would even add a glass of fresh non fat organic milk to your dinner everynight. The calcium and healthy fats are good for you!

dealluver

Same thing happened to me...so I cut the junk and the unhealthy carbs, white flour, sugar, starches. Started dropping weight immediately. It's hard, but worth it.

jwenick

You're not alone.....I'm also going through this but I'm plundering on....I figure the weight has to come off at one point -- However, I DID measure myself....while I have not lost any weight, I've gone down 1 1/2" in my waist. Measure yourself and see if anything's changed.....

sunflowerhcb

One more thing... I see in your diary that there are several days where you've ostensibly burned 700, 900, 1000 calories from exercise. Are you *sure* you are burning that many? What activities are you doing, and on what are you basing your burn? Gym machines notoriously over-calculate burn rates, and even some of MFP's calculations overestimate. For example, it takes about a 10-mile run to burn 1000 calories -- an average turn on the elliptical trainer, etc. does not really compare.

You may not be burning as much as you think, and you may be inadvertently eating back all of the caloric deficit you would need to lose weight.

Just one more suggestion on places to look. I hope this comes off as helpful rather than critical, because it is intended as the former! We all hit plateaus and it is very frustrating, so I am just sharing some places where I have had to improve myself in the past to get past them!

thank you! Very well said

feduh86

Change your settings to show you your sugar and sodium intake.
I know you think you're eating right, but to me it just looks like sweets and peanut butter all day. Just because it's under your protein and fat category does not make it healthy, sustainable or conducive to weight loss.

Eat fresh foods! Vegetables, legumes, lean proteins, fruits, whole grains, etc.

^what she said.
too much sourdough bread, too much cup of noodles, too much Caramel Macchiatos ... you need fresh food. your sodium intake maybe through the roof

100% agree with these, snack on the veggies n fruits instead of ice cream n peanut butter, treat yourself wit that stuff once in a while but not often, hopefully this helps All the best

sunflowerhcb

Hang in there i am in the same boat too!! Gotta keep motivating myself to keep going cuz i am sooo ready to throw in the towel. Still playing with my cals to see when the weight lose will start. Dont give up though eventually the weight should start coming off. I tell myself that too.

thank you!

sunflowerhcb

One more thing... I see in your diary that there are several days where you've ostensibly burned 700, 900, 1000 calories from exercise. Are you *sure* you are burning that many? What activities are you doing, and on what are you basing your burn? Gym machines notoriously over-calculate burn rates, and even some of MFP's calculations overestimate. For example, it takes about a 10-mile run to burn 1000 calories -- an average turn on the elliptical trainer, etc. does not really compare.

You may not be burning as much as you think, and you may be inadvertently eating back all of the caloric deficit you would need to lose weight.

Just one more suggestion on places to look. I hope this comes off as helpful rather than critical, because it is intended as the former! We all hit plateaus and it is very frustrating, so I am just sharing some places where I have had to improve myself in the past to get past them!

thank you! I have been doing the arc trainer for an hour. The calculation could very well be off. You are probably right.

TanyaCurtis

TAKE UR MEASUREMENTS!!!! U will gain weight if u are gaining muscle! and a scale is never accurate! I didn't lose any weight either after 6 weeks of strenuous exercise! But I did lose 5"!!!!! Much better than losing weight I must say, and I feel alot better than I did then! Also make sure ur eating 1200 calories at the least, u'll lose weight faster! Also make sure ur eating small frequent meals throughout the whole day, from breakfast till after supper snack! It'll keep that metabolism burning on high, and burn that fat right off!

sunflowerhcb

TAKE UR MEASUREMENTS!!!! U will gain weight if u are gaining muscle! and a scale is never accurate! I didn't lose any weight either after 6 weeks of strenuous exercise! But I did lose 5"!!!!! Much better than losing weight I must say, and I feel alot better than I did then! Also make sure ur eating 1200 calories at the least, u'll lose weight faster!

I just took measurements and I am about the same. Maybe if I re adjust some eating habits and add more fruits and veggies it will help. Thank you for your advice. ;

nas24

I say one, take your measurements, two, try to eat less processed things (things in a box or package) more veggies, fruit, lean meat. And 3, when you are on those machines, try to long in your weight, age, and whatever they ask for. That helps it give you a better reading that mfp can give you. I started doing all three of these things and saw 2lbs drop within days. You can add me as a friend if you want more food ideas. I dont skip on having sweets, and i love food with flavor. if you want any tips, you can always ask me.

porcelain_doll

Since weight loss comes down to calories in vs. calories out, I would focus on your estimated calorie burns during exercise. For a long time, I seemed to be breaking even because of the way I was logging exercise, meaning I wasn't burning as much as I thought I was. Compare what the machine tells you (which isn't always accurate, either, unfortunately) and what MFP tells you for the same activity, and go with the lower number for a while. Or you could go even a bit lower to be on the safe side.

If MFP says you burned 800 calories during an hour of vigorous biking, for example, but the machine said you only burned 615, log it as 600 cals, and then eat back about 80% of your exercise cals. This could help you see where your margin of error might be.

I went through the same thing and one of my big faux pas was that I was logging my weight training as "circuit training," which was generating a larger calorie burn in my diary than it should have.

P.S. I just skimmed your diary, but I know a lot of salt can bloat us women and mess up scale readings. You might want to keep an eye on that for a while, too. Good luck!

GDavis25

Im in a similar boat but I have found that if I vary my calorie intake (for example one day around 1300, another around 1500, and once in a while a little over my calorie goal) and drink a protein shake (I like Eas soy protein in vanilla) within an hour of working out and even on days I dont exercise if Im not getting enough protein that day that the scale is starting to go down. Ive lost 2 lbs in one week. I hope this helps and good luck with your goals . Oh and get a heart rate monitor that also shows calorie burn and has a chest strap. If you put all your info into the watch it is a lot more accurate than the machines at the gym.

sunflowerhcb

Since weight loss comes down to calories in vs. calories out, I would focus on your estimated calorie burns during exercise. For a long time, I seemed to be breaking even because of the way I was logging exercise, meaning I wasn't burning as much as I thought I was. Compare what the machine tells you (which isn't always accurate, either, unfortunately) and what MFP tells you for the same activity, and go with the lower number for a while. Or you could go even a bit lower to be on the safe side.

If MFP says you burned 800 calories during an hour of vigorous biking, for example, but the machine said you only burned 615, log it as 600 cals, and then eat back about 80% of your exercise cals. This could help you see where your margin of error might be.

I went through the same thing and one of my big faux pas was that I was logging my weight training as "circuit training," which was generating a larger calorie burn in my diary than it should have.

thank you!


































great advice! Thank you

P.S. I just skimmed your diary, but I know a lot of salt can bloat us women and mess up scale readings. You might want to keep an eye on that for a while, too. Good luck!

ahinski

Since weight loss comes down to calories in vs. calories out...

I have to respectfully disagree with that first statement, and I strongly caution anyone else struggling with plateaus and the feeling of "but I'm doing everything 'right'" not to indulge in that, what I consider to be, mind boggling philosophy. Weight loss comes down to QUALITY calories in vs. low-quality calories out. As you can see, the original poster to this thread (as well as my former self) is struggling most likely due to her diet that consists mainly of highly processed foods, even though she is usually under her recommended caloric limit and exercising regularly. You can calculate and deprive yourself of all the calories in the world and still not lose very much weight, and the weight you do lose will come back very easily, if you're not considering quality of foods you eat. It's what you're putting IN your body that matters--what you're NOT eating has very little to do with weight loss.

To the original poster: you get it by now, as most people have informed you, your diet has too many highly processed foods. Humans weren't meant to live their lives on "diet" foods. IGNORE labels on the front of foods! Things that say "low calorie" or "reduced fat" only say that IN ORDER TO GET YOU TO BUY THEM. Look at the INGREDIENTS first. Then the nutrition facts, and completely ignore what it says on the front. Don't feel any shame in making the mistake of falling for those false claims, as I'm sure most of us have (myself included), but it wasn't until I learned about Eating Clean that I understood how to really get healthy (and in turn, lose excess weight practically without trying).

It's simple! Just eat things with ingredients that you can identify. If there are ingredients that start with mono-, poly-, di-, or end with -ine, ide, etc etc--DON'T EAT IT. Even "treating" yourself to those foods could end up sabotaging your diet because those foods produce cravings. No more artificial sweetener. If you crave something sweet, treat yourself to something sweetened with honey or agave. Take it from a former Diet Pepsi junky. Once you stop eating those foods--you won't even miss them! In fact, I'm kind of repulsed by them now.

Fruit, veggies, whole grains, lentils, legumes etc will fill your stomach unlike any of those processed laboratory concoctions. It only took me a few weeks to rid myself of that junk and I saw results like I'd never imagine. Not only did the weight just start falling off (with the help of rigorous exercise), but I FEEL AMAZING! I mean I have energy and positivity just oozing from my pores--and speaking of pores, my skin looks fantastic! I can't impress upon you enough how important it is to just take all the processed junk in your house and get rid of it. While your at it, seriously limit (or completely cut out) white flour and sugar. Drink water all day long (never be without a bottle of water). And get 7-8 hours of sleep every night, generally around the same times. Keep your food intake predictable and your exercises unpredictable (research High Intensity Interval Training and Muscle Confusion Strength Training).

I'm only saying this from my own personal experience and because you expressed the desire to change something up--this is what did it for me and I so hope you'll give it a shot! If you'd like to know more tips, please send me a message and I'll tell you more about how I completely transformed my body (and in turn, my life).

Helloitsdan

Drop your routine down to 3 days a week.
Allow your body to fully recover.
This is known to break plateaus.