What can't I lose weight?

JacksMom12

I dunno why everyone just said what I said is unhealthy without knowing me. For me, its not. My dr and dance instructors know how much I eat and excersize, and say for my body it is healthy. I dont have any negative medical side effects from the way I eat. Everyones body is different.

Yeah, the negative side effect is that you can never eat more than 800 calories without gaining, because of what you've done to your metabolism. You said it yourself, you gain on 1200. That would hardcore suck. I weigh 117 and can maintain on 2000+ calories because how I've NOT starved myself.

elvensnow

I think a lot of people have already given you great advice but I will add my 2 cents:

If you are exercising a lot (which it sounds like you are) I would definitely advise trying to eat more. I used to have my goals set at 2 lbs a week with light exercise, so it gave me a calorie target of 1200. But I found that 1) This was very hard to eat so little 2) I was hungry all the time and 3) I actually was GAINING weight or staying the same. So I figured I was probably eating too little, especially since I was starting to exercise more.

So then I changed my goal settings for 1 lb a week and it gave me a more reasonable target around 1400 calories a day + what I get from exercise which can be 200-300 calories. And I have started losing again!

But I will say it is SLOW. I am about 15 lbs from goal and the weight loss have been just slow as anything. I used to lose 10 lbs a month when I first started (about 100 lbs overweight). Now I am lucky to lose 3-4 lbs a month. So yes it's a big difference but I accept that it is slow and that I will get there someday. I am certainly in better shape than ever so that is a huge plus for me and I enjoy working out and getting fitter every day.

Point is, if you exercise a lot I think the best thing you can do is EAT MORE. Your body needs energy to work. My biggest clue is that if you feel hungry, EAT! If you are getting hungry every day that is likely a sign that you are just not eating enough to fuel yourself. So try to incorporate more calories. And also, the calorie goals assigned to you are not end all be all. Sure they are good guides but even if it says eat 2000 calories and you are still hungry you can probably still eat more.

Also when increasing food, make sure it's healthy (of course!). I lose best when I eat more fresh fruits and veggies. You will need carbs if you do a lot of cardio, just make sure they are healthy whole grains. Also protein is a great filler and necessary for muscles. I would recommend tracking your nutrients and really trying to meet those goals as well.

Anyway, this is long but hopefully it might help a little

nomes_89

Basically I had the same problem as you - wanted to lose the last 10lbs and no matter what I did - either eating the 1200 regardless of exercise or 'eating back the calories - nothing was working. The scale was set firmly at 142 lbs. The fat was all on my stomach which is the area I want defined the most.

First of all, working out 'a lot' is not the same as working out hard. Decrease your time on the treadmill and instead up the intensity. The same goes for your weight training. You should be doing heavier weights (basically as heavy as you can possibly do with correct form) on fewer reps. With your cardio, start to do intervals, sprinting for 40 secs and going at a walking pace for around a 1 minute and a half. For me 10.0 is a fast jog and I sprint between 12.0-13.5. This is what I did and I managed to lose weight without having a great diet. Unfortunately because I'm not that big and I'm close to my goal, the weight loss just stopped and even a couple of weeks of 'clean' dieting i.e. NO starchy carbs or grains and only a small amount of nuts, fruit and lots green veg and chicken and/or eggs but still reaching the prescribed 1200: I still saw minimal difference in the belly bulge.

A couple of weeks ago I read an article about 'cheating' the starvation mode by basically eating crap every 7th day so I decided to give it a go. During the week I have lowered my intake to around 800 and then 'cheated' on sundays with fried food and ice cream, maintaining the same level of exercise. I have lost 4lbs in the last two weeks and for the first time since I was 13, I don't have rolls when I sit down any more. I'm 6lbs away from my goal weight.

This has worked for me but it might not work for you. Every body is different so I wouldn't take everything you read as gospel and just try different things to see what works for you.

SteveO5198

I know how you feel. 2 years ago I lost over 100 lbs in just over a year! The weight seemed to fall off of me. Unfortunately I gained nearly all of it back. Well...I am back at it but this time I am having the hardest time losing anything! I am doing nothing different than I did 2 years ago and I am stuck! Hopefully we will both find a solution to get the ball rolling.
Best of luck to you!

jamiesadler

I looked at your diary and it looks like you are eating too few calories and not the right type of calories. Try for more lean proteins and fruits and veggies. Good luck.

SassyCalyGirl

what works for one doesn't work for all......just sayin

when I was losing weight I was at 1061 cals per day not eating my exercised cals back-I lost the weight and body fat-not lean mass.

melameeee

I have you ever thought about your thyroid? I eat very healthy and work out too, but I tend to keep weight on my stomach. You might just have a slower thyroid or have to balance your hormones. I've been eating coconut oil and feel a LOT better. It might help you to check out this website: http://www.coconutdiet.com/weight_loss.htm

TLC1975

I usually don't respond to forums, because it always becomes a battle of who knows best, ideally no one on here is an expert, even dieticians and doctors dont know all there is to know about nutrition and fat loss...so everyone's "advice" take with a grain of salt, including mine, these are opinions only and most likely most are incorrect.
What I knew 7 yrs ago about nutrition was a lot less than I know now, and mostly incorrect, over the years I have done a lot of research. A few things i notice....food..food is the most important part of fat loss..not exercise not caloric numbers but WHAT you are eating.. your diary consists of a LOT of processed, highly modified sugars...your macro nutrients are totally out of whack and no matter what ppl say about moderation, if you consume sugar it will hinder most fat loss efforts, especially with the little bit you want to get rid of and where you say you hold it. Revamp your diet...get rid of sugars and processed foods, eat whole foods, fresh veggies, one piece of fruit a day, complex, whole grains, lean proteins (fish, chicken, eggs etc). Make sure you take in at least 10 (8oz) cups of water a day...this is vital...its required to flush toxins and fat...each meal (incl snacks) should consist of one lean protein, one complex carb (brown rice, sweet potato, etc) and veggies. It take time and experimentation to determine what works best for you...things like genetics, medication, any underlying conditions, diet, stress, sleep etc...ALL play a part in successful fat loss.....Exercise is a beast all on its own....just doing straight cardio is not enough and may hinder fat loss, you need some resistance training and some cardio...good luck...

mfp_junkie

I looked at your diet for Mar 16 to 31 ( I noted you didn't log in April, which you explained, so I ignored April). With all due respect, your diet is not providing the proper type of food or enough energy to be considered healthy.

I'm not a nutritionist, doctor or trainer, so I can only speak to what is working for me.

Eat a wide variety of foods from the major food groups. You need carbs, fats, proteins, and macro nutrients each day. A typical day for me would include a bagel with a low fat protein for breakfast (low fat cream cheese, peanut butter, egg) and coffee (because I must have coffee). A snack is a piece of fruit, not a processed bar or shake. Eat an apple, orange, and perhaps a small cube of cheese. Lunch - lean proteins, veggies. Think tuna salad, or grilled chicken or fish with steamed veggies. Same for dinner. Snacks, again - fruit, veggies, cheese wedge, crackers, etc.

On all of these, monitor your sodium and macros. Get enough calories. I'm concerned when I see 800 consumed with 450 in exercise. That's half of what you needed that day.

So, try to eat whole foods, with less processed the better. Enjoy a treat that fits into your calories, and eat close to your calorie amount each day. It works. I'm down 20 pounds, and have maintained for several months.

Most importantly, keep at it! Good luck!

Gagaluvr

I try to eat fresh foods but as a mom I'm on the run a bunch with the kids. So eating a Luna bar or cliff bar can be my breakfast or a snack. I thought those bars were better for you than just a regular granola bar. I do make a protein shake too if im jst running out the door because i figure i need to have some kind of nutrients then nothing at all. Are there any suggestions you guys have that are fast breakfast or snack meals that arent full or sugar or processed as some of you say im eating too much of? Also I'm not usually hungry in the morning but I make myself eat something. Then after my morning workout I'm more hungry.
I did have my thyroid checked. All is normal. Thanks everyone again for your help. And btw I did up my calories to 1700. We will see how this helps.

Lightbulb1088

I don't know if this will help you or not, but I added 1 glass of water a day and it is making a difference for me. it is something so simple too!