Super Frustrated!!!

rockerbabyy

Also, I dont really pay attention to WHAT i eat but more of how much I eat, I just keep my calories under 1200 so maybe thats it? But I just figured you could eat what you wanted as long as you stayed under your daily caloric intake?

thats prettyyyyyy much true - weight loss-wise.
but if you actually want to be healthier and actually feel satisfied, you should eat as fresh and as much home made as possible.
i still eat pizza, and burgers, and fast food and cake.. i just make sure thats not ALL i eat.

mlc3409

I know the feeling.........................i'm tracking well below my calorie intake for the day and exercising 3-4 times a week.....what am i doinf wrong????

For this person All I can say is You have to EAT to lose. Make sure your settings are accurate for you and then eat AT LEAST what MFP Has said you have to. Even if you track your exercise and dont eat back your calories you have to at least eat the Minimum that your body needs to function or it will shut down and you will not lose NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU EXERCISE!!

For the Original poster All I can say is that you need to make better Choices for your meals. From what little I saw in your diet it is all fast food and drinks Not anything real for your body to use. You need to eat Healthier to lose. Healthy proteins, fruits, veggies, dairy and like I just told the person above YOU HAVE TO EAT TO LOSE. If MFP says eat 1700 calories a day Dont drop it to 1200 You body may start thinking it is starving and you will not lose anything and YOU WILL BE STARVING.

Even if you have to eat out all the time make better choices. Half the days in your diary are blank. so it really is hard to figure out how much you truly ate those days.

anthrfosh11

how are you burning 2000 calories? Just a question.

Also try to stay away from fat donalds

azwildcatfan94

and now we know why people keep their diaries private...

emrys1976

A lot of people (including myself) have had much better results when making sure that we aren't just under calories, but also meeting our nutritious needs. Your diet is a lot of processed and fast food and while it's not too big a deal to have some of it, when most of your diet consists of it, it can be a big problem for weight loss (not to mention health). I know a lot of people stick to "calories in, calories out" but our bodies aren't that simple. They are adaptable and if neglected, they do what they have to in order to survive. I would recommend that you start moving toward getting about 3/4 of your diet from healthful sources. It takes time to get to a place of enjoying healthy foods and it helps to make small changes over time. Best of luck!

betsygw

You are not eating enough. I know, sounds weird. This program has the deficit already built in. You should aim to have a MINIMUM of 1200 calories a day for your body to function properly (ie, heart and organs etc...). Its ok to go below 1200 here and there, but your metoblism will slow and you will not lose weight if you keep the calories too low for too long. I don't always eat back all of my calories from exercise, but I ALWAYS make sure my net calories are close to that 1200 mark minimum. Too few calories for too long not only slow your metobolism and prevent weight loss, but it is very unhealthy and can cause electrolyte imbalances, which can cause all kinds of very serious health problems (and can even lead to death if done for too long of a period of time). Try to eat more whole grains, veggies and fruits (for health reasons) as they help to rid your body of water weight/retention. I know its hard to eat super healthy all the time. I think its ok to eat what you want in moderation, but try to add some healthier choices now and then (salad at mcdonalds with fat free dressing, or grab the turkey subway sub with tons of veggies and apple slices) just to help get some of those healthier foods built into your daily diet:) I have followed their calorie guidelines and kept my daily net minimum above 1200 and have lost a total of 54 lbs (10 before I joined) since September. Good luck!

stroken96

If you use the "search" function you'll get better details about the Olivia method, but the long and short is....


1. Set your calories to "Maintain" your current weight instead of "Lose 0.5, 1, or 2 lbs a wk." (Maintenance calories are your TDEE- total daily energy expenditure-- the calories you'll burn just by your normal daily activity)
2. Record all your exercises.
3. Aim to have 500-1000 calories remaining at the end of the day. (Try not to have over 1000 left because that's more than 2lbs a week loss and is considered to be unhealthy)

I use this method and LOVE it. But, I am a tax accountant so I know the whole number aspect attracted me lol. I like not having that "restiction" of Don't go over 1200 or 1500 or whatever your allotment is. I can see exactly how "fast" I'll be losing. If I have 500 left over every day for a week, I should lose a pound (500*7=3500 which is equal to one pound). I also know that as long as I don't go over my calories I won't gain. So if there is a day I just don't feel like working out and eating healthy, it's ok. It's just easier for me.

Like I said, if you use the "search" function you can get all the beneficial info and how its calculated and all that jazz, but this is a quick abbreviation of it. :-)

This sounds good, going to have to give it a try, Thanks for sharing

emrys1976

Yes I know i eat out a lot I live on a university campus and have no kitchen and the cafeteria is closed by the time i get off work so I have to eat out, but I guess ill just try to eat more thanks everybody lets see how it goes!

"I have to eat out" - it may seem that way but you don't HAVE to. Think outside the box - make your lunch or breakfast your biggest meal and leave dinner to be something simple that doesn't need to be cooked. Go to the grocery store instead of going to a restaurant and get a yogurt and pre-made salad or something. Pick up something to eat for dinner while you're at the cafeteria eating lunch. Get creative!

stroken96

This is what I found:


Let me start by saying I've been successful with my weight loss journey. I'm 5'8, I went from 190 to 169 using Weight Watchers and then wanted a more accurate (and free) way of tracking what I was eating so i switched to MFP. I then went down to 158 with some bumps along the way - kept trying different things: eating more, eating less - and ultimately hit a plateau, and then gained 4 pounds - eek!

So I went to a nutritionist specialized for runners (as I run typically 35 - 40 miles per week) and I came back with some knowledge that suddenly just makes good sense. Thought I would share

I realize there are LOTS of ways to lose weight and I'm not saying one way is better than the other - but when you have less to lose it gets a little confusing and sometimes it's helpful to hear what's worked for other people - so here it is.

Rules:

1) Figure out your BMR
2) Figure out your maintenance calories before exercise
3) Set up MFP goals to maintain your weight
4) NEVER eat less than your BMR
5) NEVER create a deficit larger than 1000 calories.
6) Aim to eat the same calories every day (at or a little above your BMR) - unless you burn more than 600 calories with exercise, then eat more.

This will allow you to keep a small deficit on your off days, and create a larger deficit on your workout days. You can safely lose up to 2 pounds a week - even if you have less to lose, without being unhealthy and still giving your body the nutrients it needs.

This is how it worked for me:

BMR = 1500
MAINTENANCE CALORIES (without exercise) = 1970
Daily calorie goal for MFP = 1970.
Actual calorie goal = 1600.

If I don't workout at all, I create a 370 calorie deficit. If I burn 200 calories in exercise I create a 570 calorie deficit. If I burn 600 calories I create a 970 calorie deficit.

Anything over 630, I have to start eating more, so one day this week I burned 1200 calories working out (running 10 miles and walking my dog for an hour). My TDEE was 3170 (1970 + 1200). To follow my rule of never creating a deficit larger than 1000 calories, I aimed to eat 2170 calories that day.

By setting up my calorie goal for that maintenance level without exercise, my total remaining calories ends up being my total deficit for that day: For example, this is what my food diary looked like yesterday:

Goal Food Exercise Net Remaining
1970 2127 1123 1004 966

I, too, have heard that you shouldn't net below 1200, but my nutritionist told me that it is safe to net around 1000 on heavy workout days to create a larger deficit as long as I am meeting my nutrient goals.

This is what my day off looked like:

Goal Food Exercise Net Remaining
1970 1600 0 1600 370

I averaged a deficit of 870 last week and I lost 4 pounds (but I'm always a range so this could be more like 2, but I'm back where i was - 158). I'm having enough energy for my workouts, and feel like I have complete control of the deficit I create each day. On thanksgiving, I ate 2888 calories and still had a deficit of 657.

Anyway, it's working which makes me VERY happy It's just another way to work with MFP if you're looking for a change - that's nutritionist approved.

lafeye

You should try to eat all your calories alotted to you...I eat more to weigh less. I eat my mfp calories and then my exercise calories, too. It has worked and I have continued to lose instead of stalling. I do not feel hungry or deprived either. Don't be to discouraged...If you don't quit, you Win!