still not happening

fergie2812
fergie2812 Posts: 155 Member
edited November 12 in Health and Weight Loss
Well the initial loss was great and there was me thinking it would keep going but now I keep going 2lb either way up or down everyday and its doing my head in !

Can anyone take a look and see what going on?
I'm embarrassed to share it but I know without someone looking I'll get nowhere
Started 30DS yesterday and now I keep reading people gain weight so I will seriously go mad if I don't get a handle on this soon
Thanks guys!

Replies

  • michelleinpa
    michelleinpa Posts: 68 Member
    I feel your pain - and took a look - It doesn't seem to me that you eat much in the way of fruit or veggies. Also, you don't track it - but I'm guessing your sodium might be high w/some of the processed foods.
  • marbit
    marbit Posts: 108
    Well right off the bat I would say you should eliminate the McDonald's and the Burger King. It also looks like you have some really good days, and then follow them up with days that have Dorito's and Soda. You also go over your calorie limit quite a bit. Its important to keep in mind that what you eat is as important as how much you eat. Even if you stay within your calorie allowance, due to the food from fast food places being so unhealthy, it will sabotage your efforts. I suggest starting small, cut out all soda or something to start with for a few weeks. Then, once you have become used to that, skip burger king for home made burgers instead. After a while you can switch to turkey burgers (which are super delicious). I changed my diet that way about a year ago. Started by getting rid of Dr Pepper (one of the hardest things I've ever done!). Now to be honest, if I drink soda, I am kinda grossed out, it doesnt even taste good to me anymore.
  • LordBezoar
    LordBezoar Posts: 625 Member
    Are you tracking inches as well as weight? Often you will see a loss in inches but not necessarily on the scale.
  • LordBezoar
    LordBezoar Posts: 625 Member
    Well right off the bat I would say you should eliminate the McDonald's and the Burger King. It also looks like you have some really good days, and then follow them up with days that have Dorito's and Soda. You also go over your calorie limit quite a bit. Its important to keep in mind that what you eat is as important as how much you eat. Even if you stay within your calorie allowance, due to the food from fast food places being so unhealthy, it will sabotage your efforts. I suggest starting small, cut out all soda or something to start with for a few weeks. Then, once you have become used to that, skip burger king for home made burgers instead. After a while you can switch to turkey burgers (which are super delicious). I changed my diet that way about a year ago. Started by getting rid of Dr Pepper (one of the hardest things I've ever done!). Now to be honest, if I drink soda, I am kinda grossed out, it doesnt even taste good to me anymore.

    ^^ Also, this.
  • Chairless
    Chairless Posts: 583 Member
    Hi, just had a quick poke at your diary and see it is a little all over the place, sometimes over somtimes under.

    This is probably your sticking point, so heres a couple of recommendations:

    1. Less takeout, seriously, health issues aside its just a pain in the a*** to log correctly.
    2. Try and stay within the calorie limits at least 6 days in 7
    3. Log everything, religiously and accurately, measure everything and be as brutally honest with your diary as you possibly can and stick within the limits.
  • salxtai
    salxtai Posts: 341 Member
    I think you need to eat more - don't be afraid of higher intakes, you do need enough fuel there to fuel your BMR as well as any extra activties you do.

    I was eating 1400/day and not losing cms or kg - switched to 1700 and stopped logging my exercise, based on a recommendation from another member ("eating for future you" concept), and the cms have started dropping off.

    And, I know it takes time but taking fast foods out will help you from going overboard with calories, and helping with nutrition overall. I'd probably be trying to eat more protein as well.
  • msbanana
    msbanana Posts: 793 Member
    I'm about to be brutally honest

    IMHO you're eating a lot of high sodium, high fat, carb laden processed crap. You may be staying within your calorie goals but you're fueling your body with garbage. Clean it up. Eat fresh veg, lean meats, cut the crappy sugar cereals out in the AM and start your day with a high protein breakfast.

    If you're going to say you "don't have time" and that's why you ate McDonalds twice and Pizza once in the last 5 days it's bunk. If you want to lose weight you make the necessary sacrifices.

    Cook at home and eat real food and I'd bet you'll see better results.
  • fergie2812
    fergie2812 Posts: 155 Member
    thanks i think i went giddy when i lost then had a VERY long birthday celebration!
    just need a kick sometimes!:embarassed:
  • cricket_0408
    cricket_0408 Posts: 56 Member
    I have a feeling that with the fast food and some other processed foods you are eating a large amount of sodium, which obviously converts to water weight. Try staying away from fast food for a week and see how it goes. :)
  • katsmo
    katsmo Posts: 219 Member
    I feel your pain - and took a look - It doesn't seem to me that you eat much in the way of fruit or veggies. Also, you don't track it - but I'm guessing your sodium might be high w/some of the processed foods.

    I agree with this. You can keep track of your sodium easily. I didn't pay attention to mine until I stalled, and it has helped to be more cognizant of it. Fruits/veggies are also important. Have you tried subbing in an apple and a yogurt or some veggies and dip in place of some of the processed food? Lastly, log your water. There is none logged for most days. You need a lot of water each day to help flush your system, and sometimes people mistake thirst for hunger. Good luck and hang in there :)
  • marbit
    marbit Posts: 108
    Lol, it happens. Just pick yourself up and start again.
  • maf66
    maf66 Posts: 211 Member
    I don't want to hurt your feelings and tell you your current diet is doing you no good. But I feel I have to, because you asked. You have to change what you're eating. Period.

    Look at my diary, look at other posters diaries, get a feel of the calories, fat, protein, fiber, and the foods associated with them. Losing weight is not about convenience. You have to make time for it in making better food choices and learning portions. Veggies should be your best friends as should healthy proteins.

    Good luck with making some changes!!!
  • bug1114
    bug1114 Posts: 268 Member
    Well the initial loss was great and there was me thinking it would keep going but now I keep going 2lb either way up or down everyday and its doing my head in !

    Can anyone take a look and see what going on?
    I'm embarrassed to share it but I know without someone looking I'll get nowhere
    Started 30DS yesterday and now I keep reading people gain weight so I will seriously go mad if I don't get a handle on this soon
    Thanks guys!


    I'm going to agree with other posters, you are eating WAY to much fast/processed food. You need to learn how to fuel your body properly with good healthy food. Once you do that, you will wind up eating a larger quantity of food but for the same amount of calories and it will be much healthier.

    On the note of the 30 day shred- I did it with a group of about 20 women and ALL of us gained in the first three weeks. Everyone wound up under what they had started at in the end though, however there were more inches lost than pounds.
  • I would say the fast food takeout is killing your efforts. One thing that I had to learn is that the processed foods and all of the sodium in them were just ruining any chance for me to lose weight. I have given up the pizza, burgers, etc while I am on this diet, because I don't lose weight when I eat them. If I eat that stuff for just one meal, it stops me from losing weight for 2-3 days. It's not just quantity of calories - it's the QUALITY of the calories that also are a factor. I shifted to lots of vegetables and lean proteins without sauces or anything extra that would add unneeded calories, and greatly reduced the carbs that I was eating. For example, instead of a chicken sandwich, I'd have just grilled chicken, seasoning it without any sodium. For me, I found I could eat ALOT more VOLUME of vegetables like brocoli or asparagus compared to any processed foods for the same calories. At that point, I was less hungry and it became easier to keep my calorie count lower. Basically, once I switched to making fresh food (not from a box) and exercising a bit, the weight started coming off.
  • GeoJenna223
    GeoJenna223 Posts: 68 Member
    I agree with the other replies of eating healthier.

    Here are some recommendations from my nutritionist that she said are applicable across the board.

    1.) Lots of protein. Protein keeps you full and puts a stop to grazing and cravings that get us in trouble. Aim for 60-90g of protein a day. MFP's protein recommendations are too low.

    2.) Pay attention to what type of starches you are eating. Starches include bread, pasta, rice and starchy vegetables such as potatoes and corn. Switch from white starch to whole wheat starches. White starches are empty calories while whole wheat substitutions keep you fuller longer.

    3.) Be mindful of your carb intake in general. Personally, I try to stay under 130g carbs/day. I find it easy now, but had trouble in the beginning. Also, something that worked for me is not to eat starches at night, keeping my dinner at 10g carbs or less. If you are still having trouble, you could give that a try.

    4.) If you are craving a hamburger, or a pizza or other fast food fare, as other posters have suggested before me, MAKE IT YOURSELF! The amount of calories and sodium and fat you save is astronomical. And, it usually tastes better because you control your spice profile. Plus, its cheaper because you can have leftovers the next day.

    Good Luck!
  • sarajo16
    sarajo16 Posts: 142 Member
    I think there are a few quick wins for you - Rice Krispies are not filling! Start your day off with Oatmeal or a egg white omelette and turkey rashers and turkey sausages or something substantial. You don't seem to eat a whole lot, eat small meals often and increase your fruit intake. For lunch I'd get ride of the Burger King and Pizza and have a something healthier like a multi seed pitta or bagel with salad or something like that. Soup is a great filler with brown bread.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    If you aren't measuring yourself and tracking those measurements, start now. Sometimes when the scale isn't moving, the tape measure is.

    Should you really be aiming at only 1220 calories every day? Unless you are very short, your target should probably be higher than that. From what I see, most days you are coming in under 1200 net calories. You could be under-eating. I know it seems counter-intuitive, but quite often eating a bit more will help you to shed those pounds.

    This last bit will be a bit more difficult but I'm giving you some hard truths here all done with love. You seem to eat a lot of takeaways and processed foods. Now that you're more comfortable with tracking what you eat, it's time to take the next step and start trying to eat a bit more healthy. Yes, you can lose weight on a diet of fast food, but if you really want to help your kids, and yourself, start making more meals at home. Food you cook yourself will have less fat, less sodium and more nutrients. You'll be able to eat more food while eating less calories. Your children will learn that food is cooked in the home, not picked up at the counter. I know sometimes it's about time, I eat out myself more often than I should with my busy life, but my son grew up in a home where Mom and Dad cooked dinner most nights and a meal included at least one serving of fresh veggies. Hopefully, that'll give him a good foundation for when he starts his own family.
  • From looking at your diary, you are pretty much consistantly going over your calories MFP has setup for you. I hate to break it to you, but your not going to lose inches or weight going over your calories everyday.

    It doesn't matter what you eat. You can eat the 1/4 pounder with fries all you want, as long as you are in a caloric deficit and the end of the day or week, you will lose weight.
  • maf66
    maf66 Posts: 211 Member
    4.) If you are craving a hamburger, or a pizza or other fast food fare, as other posters have suggested before me, MAKE IT YOURSELF! The amount of calories and sodium and fat you save is astronomical. And, it usually tastes better because you control your spice profile. Plus, its cheaper because you can have leftovers the next day.

    Good Luck!

    Not only that, but it's actual meat and cleaner (not processed) and you get the added benefit of good nutrition!
  • norariz
    norariz Posts: 18 Member
    I'm about to be brutally honest

    IMHO you're eating a lot of high sodium, high fat, carb laden processed crap. You may be staying within your calorie goals but you're fueling your body with garbage. Clean it up. Eat fresh veg, lean meats, cut the crappy sugar cereals out in the AM and start your day with a high protein breakfast.

    If you're going to say you "don't have time" and that's why you ate McDonalds twice and Pizza once in the last 5 days it's bunk. If you want to lose weight you make the necessary sacrifices.

    Cook at home and eat real food and I'd bet you'll see better results.

    This is soooo true. I tried for 3 months eating whatever I wanted but staying in my calorie limit and exercising 3-4 days a week and lost NOTHING. Then I gave up for 9 months and tried again. This time eating a lot more vegetables and a lot less sweet treats and I am losing an average of a pound a week (since Jan 12 - 2-3 lbs per week the first 2-3 weeks, then it got slower - but still losing.)
  • fergie2812
    fergie2812 Posts: 155 Member
    thank you thank you thank you
    I knonw how bad my diet has been but trust me when I say it is a vase improvment whcihc is why I acm here in the first place
    Its funny I can encourage my children to make healthy choices then never get round to making them myself!
    I am going to ditch takeaways first then then see how I get on from there. I might even risk a salad tomorrow!!!!

    I REALLY appreciate your advice
  • lisahoyle
    lisahoyle Posts: 11
    Think I'm in a similar place to you - lost 10lbs and really chuffed that clothes fit and people have commented on looking better. Also when you have a birthday you work towards that date - and that can be a powerful motivator. You may need to find another point in time to re-envision goals - a holiday perhaps?

    You are doing the right thing looking for support and it takes a bit of courage so thanks for showing me the way with this..I could go on but I'd be talking more about me than you so all I'll say is good luck
  • chicpeach
    chicpeach Posts: 302 Member
    I would recommend changing your food settings so you see how much sodium you're actually getting. Sodium causes your body to retain water and that makes weight loss really slow. Make sure your sodium stays below 2500 and the lower the better. Drink plenty of water and when you have high sodium days drink lots of extra water to flush it out.

    Prepackaged, preprocessed and restaurant food are all very high in sodium and will cause you to bloat and slow down your weight loss, so be mindful of this. You can check content of food in the database before adding to diary, so when I eat out, I check the restaurant's online menu and then check the food database and make a more educated decision about what to eat before I even leave the house.

    Bonus tip: Appleby's - none of the diet selections are under the recommended daily allowance of sodium. Avoid them altogether.
This discussion has been closed.