What am I doing wrong? - can you help?

asunnysnowman

I'm incredibly new to the whole eating healthy and exercising regularly. I used to just stop eating when I wanted to lose weight and before that I was very active in soccer and never had to worry about it.
Since about last July I've been trying to lose weight and so far I've lost 25 lbs, but I keep plateauing! I've been at this weight for 2 weeks now (which is better than gaining!)

I don't know what I'm doing wrong (if anything) or what I can do.

I see a lot of people losing twice as much in equal time - I'm starting to think I'm way off here.

Thanks for your help

seansquared

Early on in diet and exercise, loss can be easy. This is why you can lose those 25lbs and then stall, because that 25lbs was likely mostly water. As an example, 3 times now I've been at ~230, dropped into ketosis, and fallen to ~220 in 1 to 2 weeks, tops. Why? Because that's all "junk weight" that your body can just flush out very rapidly. From 220 to 200 or below (again using me as an example), actual work is required.

I only see about a week's worth of your diary (which is fine, I just started tracking again too), but going off that here's what I'm seeing:

* Your caloric intake (1200 cals/day) is too low for your weight and bodyfat%
* You're consistently eating too few calories
* Too many of your calories come from carbs
** You aren't getting nearly enough protein, and fat intake is probably a little low
* You aren't eating back your exercise calories

To address these, we need to take some facts into consideration:

* You are 179lbs (update your tracker, btw!)
* You are some percentage of bodyfat. Without a caliper test or at the least a current photo I'll just assume average American female and say 30% - note this number is critical, you should really get a bodyfat% measurement at a gym, calipers is fine (they should measure 2-3 times and take the average)

Based on those numbers, and a 20/40/40 percent split (carbs/fats/proteins), you should be eating the following:

* 1400 calories a day, including exercise calories (meaning if you burn 400 on the treadmill you need to eat 400 as a post-workout shake or meal - this should be roughly 40/0/60 percent split (again carbs/fats/proteins). Eat a sweet potato and an 8oz serving of chicken breast (no skin) or fish or, if you're a vegetarian, some other no carb, no fat protein replacement
* Always hit your caloric and macronutrient (carb/fat/prot) goals for the day. Play with the Diary to calculate different meals that fit into this diet plan. For example I know the exact 5 meals I can shuffle around in several different combinations to always hit my goals for the day. It's tough at first, but eventually it's like tying your shoes... just comes naturally.
* Use the MFP tools to set Custom Goals! -> click MY HOME -> GOALS -> CHANGE GOALS -> CUSTOM -> CONTINUE -> change your Fat % to 40, Carb % to 20, Protein % to 40
* Start tracking your water consumption on MFP. I often skip this myself but that's because I drink 3 or more full bottles of water from the same 16oz container every single day, like I said it's like tying your shoes

These are huge changes. Nobody says you have to leap into them, and of course the dietary change and all the math and new routines will be hard at first, but ultimately they are the best thing for you.

asunnysnowman

me at 183

cekeys

Make IMG small caps

Captain_Tightpants

I'm posting this link at least once a day now because it's so good. Everything you need to know about sensible, effective weight loss all in one single page, courtesy of mfp's Steve Troutman... you'll never need to read another weight loss article again...

http://body-improvements.com/resources/eat/

asunnysnowman

Thank you so much for your help!
Should I change my caloric goal to 1400 or is 1400 the 1200+exercise?

I don't track my water because there is no doubt that I am getting enough. I drink more than 8 glasses a day.

I have nothing to drink at my house but water (sometimes juice, but the hubby drinks that) and I *might* drink 1 12oz diet coke at work.. sometimes - other than that it is always water and I'm drinking it constantly.

seansquared

Can't see the image at work, but I'll stick with my guess. I can always revise after I check back tonight once I get home.

Should be ~1400 and ALSO any exercise calories. 1200 is too low. I know it's the MFP standard, but it's way too low, and terribly misleading on their part.

So 1400 a day. Burn 400 on the treadmill, eat that 400 back - AFTER working out, never before.

So like this:

1) Meal 1 - 500 cals
2) Meal 2 - 500 cals now we're at 1000
3a) WORKOUT FOR 400 CALS BURNED - now you're back down to 600 cals consumed for that day
3b)Post-workout meal - 400 cals - now you're back up to 1000 cals that you had pre-workout
4) Meal 3 - 400 cals - now you're at 1400

asunnysnowman

Thanks. I'm slowly getting the hang of it