NEED HELP! dieting and exercise not working.

Di3012

You might not be eating enough calories if there are calories left. Some peoples bodies will hold the weight if it is not getting enough calories. Try eating every calorie it has for you. Do you have it set for 1 or 2 pounds a week?

She is averaging around 1800 calories, she is eating by far, enough.

OP, look at WHAT you are eating rather than the calories.

Try to cut out fast foods such as MacDonalds, they are not filling enough, you eat a burger and no sooner is it swallowed then you get peckish again. 800 odd calories on a pizza, you could have had a massive dinner on that amount of calories.

Watch those "quick calories" meals, often people log like this because they are guessing the calories, this can be a fatal mistake. Underestimating calories in foods is a common error as is overestimating calories burned during exercise. How do you measure your burned calories for exercise?

600 calories yesterday for instance, went on sweet desserts, that is 600 calories that would have been better off spent on a proper meal. Those sweet desserts will not be protein based which is what your body needs when you are doing exercise, especially if, as you say, you are working very hard at.

It isn't the calories consumed, it is WHAT you eat and what you eat is extremely important, if all your body is living on is high carb food that contains little of anything else, where you do you think it will get the protein and everything else it needs from? The answer is your muscles.

Rethink the whole of your meal plans because the reason you are not losing weight is staring you right in the face when you look honestly at your own food diary x

kimikko

It sounds like you need to change up your exercise. Your body gets use to what you are doing, example do strength training one day and then do cardio the next day.

elsinora

Truthful - with all the quick adds in your diary -it's hard to tell but I honestly think its a case of underestimating calories in and overestimating calories out.

rockerbabyy

also feel free to take a peek at my diary. im not on the "clean eating only' bandwagon - i still have my treats...but it can be done in a balanced way.
ignore last night >.> it was an unplanned trip out and ill be working my *kitten* off the next few days to make up for it lol

tmandras

Sorry, but your diet is abysmal. Try shopping around the perimeter of the food store instead of the aisles. You will never be able to achieve sustainable weight loss and life long health unless you eat better. This is as simply as it can be said:
1.) Eat mostly plants
2.) Eat lean proteins
3.) Eat healthy fats
4.) Stop eating processed food

^ this!
drink lots of water, eat smaller portions, more often and add some strength training to your workouts, cut down on sugar ... patience with all of the above , it takes time for change & for your body to get used to it

Di3012

I do not think you have given this enough time, if in 2 months you do not see results then I would be worried

Two months??? That would be one abysmal diet if it took two whole months to even start to see any weight loss.

If a diet is done correctly, weight loss can occur in the very first week.

bjohs

To elaborate on what people are saying about eating too many calories: Never trust what you find in the MFP food database. Even labels at the stores are really an 'estimate'. For the best results, assume two things:

1. That you are actually eating more calories than you think you are. Estimate your calories consumed on the high side.

2. That you are not burning as many calories as you think you are. Estimate your calories burned on the low side.

sziemba1

Watch the carbs too. Those nasty carbs I think are more important to watch than calories as if you have them under control then the calories will take care of themselves. In 2010 I went on a diet to lost 70 pounds and I did it in 4 months by keeping carbs at 115 on average per day, drinking 8 cups of water daily, staying away from anything made with flour, sugar, potatoes, and rice, and doing aerobic exercises 3 times a week.. I am not saying that I was "good" every day but when I got off the wagon one day I jumped back on the next. Good luck!

realme56

Your food choices are definitely not the best.Less fast food and processed food.
Portion control is big too, smaller portions more often.
Do not utilize the exercise numbers in a data base! HRM is best, if you cannot afford that fitbit is inexpensive and gives a better idea of activity level. If neither of those are possible check your heart rate during exercise and get an average then use a site like: http://www.triathlontrainingblog.com/calculators/calories-burned-calculator-based-on-average-heart-rate/
but be sure to put in the 35% where she says to be more accurate.

AZKristi

What is your activity level set at? If you've said you are lightly active, don't include normal things like cleaning or cooking or gardening as exercise. If you've said your highly active because you go to the gym every day (but sit at a desk all day) and you are also entering exercise, you could be double counting normal activity as exercise. My activity level throughout the day varies a LOT, so I just set my activity level at sedentary and enter all my exercise. If I end up walking several miles at work, I just log that as exercise

How are you calculating your exercise calories? MFP tends to overestimate calories burned during exercise, anywhere from 20-50%. For me, if I am completing a vigorous spin class, a moderate jog, or rapidly climbing on the stairmill - the max burn for me is usually averages about 12 cals per min based on my HRM.

I only looked at a few days but I saw restaurant food on each day I looked at. I find it very hard to loose weight when eating out, perhaps due to the salt or perhaps just because the calorie load can vary so much depending on who prepares the food.

How much water are you drinking? I find the weight comes off more easily if I am drinking plenty of water. 8 cups is not enough for me. My goal is 12 cups, but it is sometimes hard for me to get there.

I typically loose 1.5-2 lbs a week eating 1700 cals per day doing 7 hours of High Intensity Cardio (running or spin or stair climbing) per week and 4-5 hours of strength training (pilates, yoga or lifting).

Good luck on your journey!

EbbySoo

Start weighing your food on a small capacity food scale if not already. More than likely your taking in much more than you think you are by using volume measurements.

spinqueen72

hey there every one, so iv been doing this for about 19 days (15 on mfp and 4 on another site before this) i started at 290 i lost 7 pounds but now its all come back. Yes im following mfp, i ALWAYS have calories remaining when i complete an entry, i burn what it tells me i should and more most days. I am eating healthy food, though im sure i could eat healthier but i eat as healthy as i can. i have even tried the protein shakes to help me feel full longer and they don't do anything for me at all. I ALWAYS feel hungry even when i eat back my calories burned. for work outs i use a stationary bike till my butt hurts or my child yells for me. i run in place as long as i can or until my asthma acts up and i do crunches and push ups (girl style) every few days and iv been walking a lot more, i live in a neighborhood with tons of hills so walking is a pretty good work out. i just really don't know what to do. i want to make this life style change but im only 3 weeks in an its already not working so PLEASE HELP!!

Relax!
Your body is adjusting to all the things you are putting it through!
It will start kicking in..give it time!
As for the protein shakes..you may need to try a Whey/Casein blend (like I use). It will keep you fuller, longer...and protein helps repair muscle damage from exercise. I use Dymatize Elite Gourmet Whey/Casein Blend. Here's the link:
www.dymatize.com

Stick with it...don't give up! Leave the scale alone! Measure yourself...see how your clothes feel....log your exercise, and look back at what you are able to accomplish now.

alise_lmx

Taking a quick look at your diary, it seems like you'll have to start making small changes. I agree with everyone that said to watch your sodium, try not to add quick add calories, and try to cut out the processed and fast food. Don't be discouraged, you don't have to make ALL of these changes all at once. Start with one thing at a time. Maybe the easiest is to try and drink more water. Work on that for a week, then move on to another small change. Don't try and do it all at once, no one can do that much change at once and be successful. It's just too hard. For me, I started with the water. I drank a glass first thing in the morning, and tried to choose water over soda at least once a day. Now i rarely drink soda bc im so used to water. Then i started to change one meal at a time. Logically I started with breakfast. I found healthy, easy options that worked for my schedule, and I eat almost the same thing every day. (I switch it up usually each week, but for that week I pretty much eat the same thing but maybe with different ingredients, for example, I make a smoothie but switch up the fruits). Slowly but surely, you will learn more, get new recipes and find what works for you. My advice is to read as much as you can about nutrition and just try LOTS of things. If something doesn't work for you, change it until it does.

Best of luck to you, and if you ever feel discouraged, know you're not alone and that we are all dealing with the same issues, or we wouldn't be here!

justmel4now

I love that everyone has an opinion, but the only fact is figuring out by trial and error what works for you. So try different suggestions, but keep the constant of adequate water intake, that's a fact.

pea2pod

Taking a quick look at your diary, it seems like you'll have to start making small changes. I agree with everyone that said to watch your sodium, try not to add quick add calories, and try to cut out the processed and fast food. Don't be discouraged, you don't have to make ALL of these changes all at once. Start with one thing at a time. Maybe the easiest is to try and drink more water. Work on that for a week, then move on to another small change. Don't try and do it all at once, no one can do that much change at once and be successful. It's just too hard. For me, I started with the water. I drank a glass first thing in the morning, and tried to choose water over soda at least once a day. Now i rarely drink soda bc im so used to water. Then i started to change one meal at a time. Logically I started with breakfast. I found healthy, easy options that worked for my schedule, and I eat almost the same thing every day. (I switch it up usually each week, but for that week I pretty much eat the same thing but maybe with different ingredients, for example, I make a smoothie but switch up the fruits). Slowly but surely, you will learn more, get new recipes and find what works for you. My advice is to read as much as you can about nutrition and just try LOTS of things. If something doesn't work for you, change it until it does.

Best of luck to you, and if you ever feel discouraged, know you're not alone and that we are all dealing with the same issues, or we wouldn't be here!

^^^ AGREED! It helped me a lot, too, to check fast food restaurant nutrition information so that I could still choose something that wouldn't be incredibly unhealthy or calorie/fat filled if I went. For example, I still go to Taco Bell, but now I get their fiesta taco salad (no sour cream) and don't eat the shell. Saves a couple of hundred calories and it's good. At McDonald's, choose a grilled chicken wrap. Remember grilled or baked is always better than fried and to watch your starches (potatoes, pastas, white breads, etc.). I pretty much totally gave up soda and stick to iced tea or water. No chips or candy if I can at all avoid it. Good luck to you!! Give it lots of time, and I'm sure you'll see results!

tataliciousd89

When I first started out on MFP I would lose a ton of weight and gain it all right back, then I would give up and stop logging for a couple of months and start all over again. I have found that it all really has to do with knowing EXACTLY what you put into your body and that means more than just calories. You need to track carbs, fats, protein, sodium, sugars... you really need to know for sure how much you are taking in and what calories are comming from what in your diet. Also I have my activity level set at sedentary, but even then I never ever log things like house cleaning or moving furniture or a day at clinicals, because it is all relative. The intensity that you clean your house will be different that the intensity that I clean mine. For me MFP underestimates calories burned in an exercise, but for most people it overestimates, the only way to know for sure is to wear a heart rate monitor everywhere. I've looked over your diary and I think the problem is just that it isn't specific enough. Don't just add quick calories, figure out how to log them with all the nutrient information and if someone else has entered something into the database, don't just trust that it is correct, investigate it yourself. All of these things are very important.

kris4chloe

Sorry, but your diet is abysmal. Try shopping around the perimeter of the food store instead of the aisles. You will never be able to achieve sustainable weight loss and life long health unless you eat better. This is as simply as it can be said:
1.) Eat mostly plants
2.) Eat lean proteins
3.) Eat healthy fats
4.) Stop eating processed food

This...you have lots of convenience foods, and lots of high calorie meals. Add veggies, lean protein, healthy fat. Stop eating fast food, chocolate, etc.

TamsinEllis

I'm probably repeating everyone else here but, track your sugar and sodium intake and drink plenty of water. Try to avoid eating take out food like McDonalds and subway, whilst subway are just sandwiches I was shocked at how much sodium one I had a while back had in it.

Also do you use a HRM when you exercise? If so ignore this but you say you eat back your exercise calories (and I've seen you do mostly from your diary) but if you are going by MFP's suggestion of what you burnt then minus about 25% of those calories away from it, just assume you're burning less (even if it's untrue and you're burning more) since you might find you are overeating because MFP tells you you burnt Xcalories when really you only burnt Ycalories.

Also do avoid quick add calories, it really won't help you in the long run since you won't know what nutrients your body is getting form food that way. Also like someone else said the calorie content is always an estimate for these things so give yourself a bit of space for if it underestimated the calories in something.

You might find you think a protein shake does nothing for you purely because (and I might be wrong because I don't know what the quick add calories come from) you don't get anywhere near enough protein, I mean everyone says 1g protein for every lb of lean body mass, but ignoring that and just looking at what MFP has set your protein as you don't eat enough. I aim for 100g protein a day, I generally hit around 70-80g, that's less then my lean body mass but it's just a rough number for me to hit and I tend to look at my dairy once I've had lunch and if my protein is lacking I'll plan out dinner and snacks to include lots of protein to boost it up. Protein keeps me full

garbanzalo

If you are feeling hungry all the time then as others have said, eat less carbs and sugar and eat lots more proteins and vegetables. Avoid all processed food as much as possible since they contain lots of sodium and result in your body retaining water.

In the macros you are tracking, you might want to track sodium as well.

If you are still plateaued after 3-4 weeks of doing this AND you think you have been eating fewer calories, then you are doing your calorie counting wrong.

countrygirl_717

The only way we can actually give you helpful advice is if you open your diary - otherwise, all we can tell you is to eat nutritious, well-balanced meals and snacks in sensible portions, drink plenty of water, and move your body.

what she said

countrygirl_717

Start weighing your food on a small capacity food scale if not already. More than likely your taking in much more than you think you are by using volume measurements.

do this!

zafferFL

Stop with the McDonalds, Subway and Pizza hut. These are not GOOD calories at all. I'd say the same for the V8 juice, there's too much sodium.

I would imagine that keeping your calories the same, but cutting out the junk and replacing with clean food will make a difference on it's own.

If your workouts are not intense enough, then don't eat the calories back.

zafferFL

I just looked at exercise diary as well, I think that some of those caloric numbers are too high, you are probably eating back too many calories.

15 minutes on the bike at a slow pace says 170-180 calories? I weigh 200 lbs and I can only burn 300 or so calories in 25 minutes of very high intense spinning (average of 150-160bpm)

instructor03

You are not logging any water intake. Are you getting the recommended 8 cups per day? I think you should add sodium intake to your diary. I bet it would be over every day with the pizza hut, crackers and the like that you are eating. Sodium helps the body retain water, especially without adequate fluid intake.

I urge you to go to www.foodpyramid.gov or choosemyplate.gov. This will guide you in what you should be eating on a daily basis.

Also, caution to what MFP databases give you for exercise expenditure. If it gives you more calories than what you really earned and then eat those 'exercise' calories back, you are sabotaging your efforts. AND check calories for yourself when it comes to the food. I have looked up food and have found different calories for the same thing. Create your own recipes if you cook.

Question: you had a turkey sandwich for lunch 2 days in a row..... how can you eat 1.01 or 1.06 of a sandwich?

Remember: ACCURACY AND DEDICATION WILL LEAD TO SUCCESS!!!

sarahc001

Watch the sodium, DRINK WATER, and start cooking your own meals....it will be good for your whole family. If you are a stay at home mom, plan healthy meals with lean protein sources and fresh vegetables. If you're eating fast food, chances are your daughter is, too. Introduce her to fun crunchy snacks like carrots, sugar snap peas, and celery, fresh fruit and nuts. If you are in a hurry in the morning, an egg white omelet for breakfast takes almost no time at all- certainly less than the mcdonald's drive-through. Add some pre-shredded lite cheese and a slice of whole wheat toast, and you're set!

Do you have a scale to weigh food? That would be a great help to cut back on the quick-add calorie "guesstimates."

Re: your exercise diary- Understand that two minutes on an exercise bike likely will not burn 45 calories, and that six minutes probably doesn't burn 135cal, and light cleaning for two hours probably doesn't burn 636cal. Make sure you haven't listed yourself as more active than you actually are- anything less than sedentary assumes some sort of movement/physical work and calculates it into your total base calories. For example, I list myself as "lightly active" because I coach figure skating 7 days a week- I am not super active on the ice, though I spend the whole time on my feet and may be skating some of the time. I figure I'm pretty efficient and skating requires little effort due to the fact that I have been doing it for 30 years. However by listing myself as "lightly active" I don't count the time I skate, choreograph, lift my students on the pole harness, etc. It is a shortcut so that I don't have to stop a lesson and say "hey, let me check out my HRM for the last 15 minutes that I was really skating with you rather than standing around." If you are lightly active this probably assumes cooking, cleaning, (and chasing around your daughter. )

Also, feel free to add me as a friend, and I will help you stay on top of this.

KansasRain

the quick added calories are from things i wouldn't find in the database, but i ALWAYS used the label to get my info and i didn't add the rest of the info such as sodium fat and everything because i have a 1.5 yr old and don't always have the time, also mfp never seemed to save the info one the few that i did complete. also i dont drink pop or anything, i do have juice because i just cant force myself to drink water, its ALWAYS tasted and smelled like fish to me, even bottled water.so yes i know i need to drink more water and i try hard. i also don't use any salt on my food anymore, other then whats it in already. the ice cream and chocolate were valentines day and well another part of the month that i just couldn't resist it. i know my food's aren't as healthy as they could be but compared to what i use to eat they are amazing and iv new to this so i don't really know much about making up a healthy diet another thing i need help on. also for everyone telling me to do weights, i don't have access to any. memberships are really expensive and i have no one to watch my kid while i go. also for the few who think this is about loosing weight for vanity its not. i have a child and im over weight, i cant play with her with out getting winded or tired, that's not fair to her or to myself so im doing this for her and for my health. the weight thing is just a bonus, but its confusing because i don't understand why doing what i have been doing helped me loose the weight and though i haven't changed what im doing im gaining it all back.

i am thankful for all the advice and if someone would like to email me a list of healthier foods and where to get them in Canada that would be awesome. if you could even send me a link to a site that could automatically generate me a menu plan for the month or something i would follow it. i just find soooooo many different solutions and options on here and any other site that its just more confusing. im trying it might not seem like much to a lot of you but to me it really has been a huge change in life style. i am open to all suggestions though.

zafferFL

What kind of juice? Are you logging those calories as well?

Googling will find you a thousand healthy diets, but just use commonsense, fast food is bad, fresh food is better.

Lozze

I dont know how tall you are, but 1600 calories seems like too much. I do not eat back my earned calories, I eat right at the recommended 1200 for the day and that is how I have been finally been able to move the weight!

Really? When I was the OPs size I was eating 1800 and losing.

Sorry, but your diet is abysmal. Try shopping around the perimeter of the food store instead of the aisles. You will never be able to achieve sustainable weight loss and life long health unless you eat better. This is as simply as it can be said:
1.) Eat mostly plants
2.) Eat lean proteins
3.) Eat healthy fats
4.) Stop eating processed food

Crap. This is NOT needed to lose weight. The OP can improve what she's eating (more fruit and begs for sure) but one does not need to eat clean to lose weight.

Taking a quick look at your diary, it seems like you'll have to start making small changes. I agree with everyone that said to watch your sodium, try not to add quick add calories, and try to cut out the processed and fast food. Don't be discouraged, you don't have to make ALL of these changes all at once. Start with one thing at a time. Maybe the easiest is to try and drink more water. Work on that for a week, then move on to another small change. Don't try and do it all at once, no one can do that much change at once and be successful. It's just too hard. For me, I started with the water. I drank a glass first thing in the morning, and tried to choose water over soda at least once a day. Now i rarely drink soda bc im so used to water. Then i started to change one meal at a time. Logically I started with breakfast. I found healthy, easy options that worked for my schedule, and I eat almost the same thing every day. (I switch it up usually each week, but for that week I pretty much eat the same thing but maybe with different ingredients, for example, I make a smoothie but switch up the fruits). Slowly but surely, you will learn more, get new recipes and find what works for you. My advice is to read as much as you can about nutrition and just try LOTS of things. If something doesn't work for you, change it until it does.

Best of luck to you, and if you ever feel discouraged, know you're not alone and that we are all dealing with the same issues, or we wouldn't be here!

I normally hate delisting but this is perfect.

OP there's a lot of advice here the best one I can advise is drink water. I had days I had to scrunch up my face and force myself to drink it. I HATED water. It has no taste and felt yuk. It's still not my favorite drink but seven months down the track I crave it. If I don't get my 2L a day I feel yuk. Start with two glasses a day and build up. If you do go over on sodium it helps flush it out too!

For weights you can do body weight exercises. Or use your baby ;-p If you Google 'at home strength exercises' you will find stuff to do.

I started about 10lbs heavier than you and have lost 63lbs. I do Jenny Craig so cant help with mains but I eat a lot of fruit, tuna and so on. If you wish add me and I can try to help.

bear_nakey

Most have pointed out the obvious but something I noticed right off the bat: you listed some cereal for breakfast. . . what about milk? Did you add a dash of sugar?! leaving little things like that out can really add up! I used to forget to add dressings and condiments, and when I finally did, it came out to an additional 400 cals a day!!! Thats a lot!!! Make sure you are logging evvv-eeerrr-yyyy-thing! p.s. I am a HUGE chocolate fan too!!! I switched to dark, as it is slightly better!! Hope that helps!!

stroken96

bump