Super Frustrated!! 53 pounds down...40 to go...

cherbapp

Also, you only eat three meals per day on average. Split your calories up between 5-6 meals...this makes a considerable difference in metabolism and energy, not to mention, you'll feel less hungry if you eat more often.

I actually eat about every hour. My diary is just divided into 4 sections of the day...but I eat really small meals or pieces of the meals throughout the day. And I'm never hungry...which was a problem when I was trying to eat clean. I did really good the months that I was on 1200 calories but now at 1600 I have room for the crap. I do need to go back to the fresh foods...

jallen1955

I had a look at your diary.

First thing, eat more protein for breakfast. Split your calories over 5 meals a day ( or 3 meals and 2 snacks), eat a LOT of veggies and some fruit (not bananas!), cut out the coffee creamers!!

What I see in the diary is a low calorie count and a lot of "empty" calories. Your nutrition is poor and your body has likely gone into starvation mode.

cherbapp

Thanks everyone! I am feeling good about my bike now...you gave me the motivation to go get on it! Hoping this is the change that will get the scale moving again!

Christi6604

If you stick with it, you will succeed. The only way you won't succeed is if you stop working to be healthy. Here are some things that have worked for my plateaus (my last plateau was six months long before I figured out the problem...so less than 3 weeks? nice.):
- re-doing the weight loss settings on mfp. As you lose, you occasionally need to go in and have mfp recalculate. I didn't know that at first.
- more water
- changing my exercise routine a bit.
- working out with greater intensity. (I hadn't realize the intensity had dropped until I focused on it).
- eating my BMR (I had dropped my net too low without realizing that it wasn't working).

I would recommend incorporating more water (if you aren't), either switching up your workout a bit or upping the intensity (power walking..jog a bit in between...add some inclines or adding a lap, etc.), or maybe dropping your calories 100 a day. You have to find what works for your body. Over and over again. :-) With each plateau. Just don't let the frustration get to you.

chyde4

Have you tried P90X? It would be a good change of routine, as well as a very challenging workout!

jonibeeps

My goodness! I just looked at your food diary and your diet is terrible! You have lost all you can lose by going on calories alone. Now you need to add actual nutrition. You become nutrition starved and your body will hang onto fat. Try making fresh food. Steamed veggies, broiled fish, baked chicken, etc. Limit your sweet stuff to once a day and under 100 calories. Get rid of the fill-me-ups like breads, and eat fruits and veggies with high water content to fill you up instead. Don't do any pre-packed pre-prepared foods.

cherbapp

Hello Everyone,

Well I just getting started and this is my 2nd day on this site, actually logging my food. Not sure if I like it or not, having to log everything that goes in my mouth. But I will give it a good try, who knew that the things that I love had so many calories. I guess not me, I made it a habit not to look and now I find myself looking.

I would be so happy to lose 53, please I can't wait to say that I lost 20 lbs. But I'm determine, I have no choice I need to get off all these meds that this doctor feel I need.

I started the gym last week and haven't weighed myself , will do it Friday morning, wish me luck. I'm looking for a good number, but will be happy with anything as a lost.

Bev

You can do it! And I agree, I was appalled at how many calories were in my favorite foods! I had never eaten any big amount of anything, but when I started counting calories I realized why I was fat on a bird sized diet!

The greatest motivation I get is when the scale moves...when it doesn't, I need people! You will be losing in no time and have tons of motivation to keep it up! Good luck!

alysonleanne

Also, you only eat three meals per day on average. Split your calories up between 5-6 meals...this makes a considerable difference in metabolism and energy, not to mention, you'll feel less hungry if you eat more often.

I actually eat about every hour. My diary is just divided into 4 sections of the day...but I eat really small meals or pieces of the meals throughout the day. And I'm never hungry...which was a problem when I was trying to eat clean. I did really good the months that I was on 1200 calories but now at 1600 I have room for the crap. I do need to go back to the fresh foods...

My trainer once told me..."if you aren't hungry enough to eat fruit or veggies...you aren't hungry."
That's a good way to look at consuming the junk.

ResilientWoman

What works for me is a way of living designed around my health, not weight loss specifically. I've shed 110 lbs. in about 3 years, still have around 65 or so to go. I am a 45 yo single mom to a 6 yo daughter, an independent small business owner for the first time ever, have no family or local support and TONS and TONS of stress.

If it weren't for staying connected to folks that live thousands of miles away via Facebook and my crew here at MFP, I'd never have shed so much belly fat or kept it off.

Stress makes cortisol. Cortisol makes belly fat. Eating sugar can wreck havoc with your insulin response. If you've shed weight in the past and aren't now, you've got a right to your frustration and I was happy to see that you've already been given several pieces of good advice. Here are my thoughts on reading over your original post and many of the replies:

* Where are your calories coming from? Junk or real, whole foods?
* Why did you get fat?
* What are you willing to be consistent at in order to change things?

I became willing to do what actually healed my body, rather than focusing on the morbid obesity which was a symptom and NOT the underlying problem.

What worked for me was 60-85% healthy (saturated) fats from well sourced meats/cold water fatty fish, FCLO, Coconut Oil, and grass fed/pastured butter with the remainder of my nutrition composed of grass fed meats, pastured pigs/bacon, pastured chickens/eggs, grass fed HWC, safer seafoods (salmon, sardines, mackarel), dark chocolate AND under my physician's orders avoiding fruits and veggies and any raw foods like the plague while I healed my digestion.

Adding supplements to heal my body from all the damage that made me morbidly obese was done with several physicians collaboration along with many hours of my own research. (I am not a doctor and cannot tell you what you should do.) My ND prescribed Betaine HCL Acid, Digestive Enzymes, Vitamin D3 in very High, therapeutic doses and B Complex. My physician adjusted my thyroid medication and stayed on top of all of my labs to monitor whether my body was utilizing the supplements. When we stopped feeding the disease process and started feeding my body so that it could digest food, several month long plateaus ended and I began to feel better. Shedding extra pounds was a side affect not a result.

Now I finally have digestion strong enough for veggies as long as I take my supplements. I can have a small serving of berries but usually avoid other fruits. There will be plenty of time to add them back in when I've healed myself sufficiently. Stress increases my need for HCL, Happiness and relaxation decrease my need for them.

In this phase of my healing, I'm working on stress management, meditaion, neuroscience answers to my challenges and finding ways to play more. Looking for tribe is also important to me. Finding ways to increase my authenticity and heal my finances has also been part of my journey.

You might be more successful at your goals if stopped being concerned about your calories and started smartly sourcing your food. I eat between 2000-3000 calories when I"m training and 1400-2400 when I'm at rest. Just depends on what my body needs in the moment. YMMV

gsager

Ok so I read a lot...try hard and thought I had this all figured out, but I have been stuck for 2.5 weeks and it finally got to me.

I lost around 40 pounds doing 1200 calories plus eating back some exercise calories...until I got stuck mid-january. After reading all the eat more lose more stuff on here, I upped my calories to 1600-some, and rarely eat back more than 100. I only eat those because based on my BMR and TDEE, I should be eating about 1750. I mentally can't do the 1750 (BMR) every day if I don't get exercise in. I did lose a little more...but very slowly. I generally walk 10 miles a week. Usually 3-4 times....2-4 miles each. I am a stay at home mom to teenagers but I am a clean freak and spend a good 2 hours on that project daily which I don't enter as any cardio or anything.

So...on April 30 I got down to 215.2....TOM came and went in the past 2 weeks, and I am still up 3 pounds...every morning...exactly the same. No loss of the water weight plus some...as every other post suggested would happen. Ugh! I am so frustrated...this weekend I ate all the crap food my kids had for their party. Only went over by 400 calolries for the entire weekend though...and I am extremely accurate counting calories...erring on the side of putting in too many if anything.

So I desperately need motivation...tell me if I stick to it, the scale will move again?!? Or give me tips to get it going...please? My diary is open though go back to Friday for a typical day in my life...or last week anyhow. I still want to lose 40 pounds...and was hoping to ditch 20 before going to Paris in September, but at this rate I could be fatter for the 9 hour flight!!

And if anyone feels the need to check numbers on me...I'm 5'9", 215lbs, 37 years old...and around 45% body fat.

Thanks!

I really think you should up your calories. I'm 5'2" and eat about 2000 a day and am still losing weight.

juliaamilee

50 pounds down here. Stuck for almost a year. I have made drastic changes in diet and exercise. do strength training, cardio, walk, run bike as soon as the water warms swim. The biggest change was stop working three jobs. I keep things at constant change. I am seeing inches go and toning with all the strength training. Going to kick it up more and buying insanity. If ur able with an ipod or I phone. Nike Training Club is an awesome app. only 30min of circut training that includes strength and cardio.