This weight won't come off... HELP!

kimkim1123

I have a few suggestions for you to try. You would have to decide if you think they are sustainable or not.

Try eating lower carbs, more protein. Maybe try to match up the protein grams to the net carb grams (net carbs are carbs minus fiber).

For protein, try to stay away from the processed meats. If you can't get grass fed beef then I would limit beef and go more for fish, turkey, chicken, pork, eggs, etc. If you are rushed and struggle finding time to prepare meals, get one of those small George Foreman grills and some frozen lean turkey burgers, salmon burgers, etc. They cook from frozen in just 10 minutes on the grill. They can be a life saver on those busy days. Also, you can thaw frozen, cooked shrimp one serving at a time and make home made low carb, low sugar cocktail sauce.

Try cutting down or completely eliminating dairy. Although dairy is not high in carbs, it still increases insulin levels in most of us. This goes for the Whey protein as well. Insulin is what drives fat into our fat cells. I don't think this is a problem for everyone though... not sure.

I absolutely agree on adding fresh vegetables and aiming for more whole foods. I struggle with this myself.

Also, Heinz has a ketchup that is reduced sugar... few calories and low carb.

Good luck to you! Just hang in there... there is an answer, it's just a matter of finding out what works for you!

Kim

squishycow7

it's frustrating- it's also a hell of a LEARNING experience. Short answer - NET at least your BMR every day. That means going to "tools" and "calculate BMR" and manually setting that as your calorie goal. Then, eat back your exercise calories. This is the MINIMUM you should be eating!

And I'd read all these links for my "long" answer:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo&nbsp
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/9433-expectations
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/580019-the-scale-is-a-lying-torture-device-i-m-proof http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/577479-seriously-eat-more-i-did-and-look-what-happened-pics
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

kimkim1123

Thank you for all of those links. I can't wait to go and read them! I'm thinking I'm not eating enough...

CallMeCupcakeDammit

Jackie Warner's "this is why you're fat" :-) haha!!! I obviously haven't been following it correctly though. I feel stupid now... I was thinking if it's under 5g/serving it was okay... which IT IS but NOT if I have over 1 serving - which then doubles the amount of sugar I'm taking in (the stirfry and ketchup).

There are more details to her program but these are the basics...
5 days of clean eating (which I know I've been off on)
All Whole Grain Carbs (where I've also cheated)
Nothing over 5g/sugar per serving (because your body won't register it if it's under 5g's)
2 servings of fruits
2-3 servings of veggies
Lean proteins
2 Cheat Meals on the weekends (the cheat meals CANNOT exceed 1500 calories per meal)

I was just going to ask you if that's what you were doing! Ok, now I'm going to read the rest of these.

glennstoudt

A few thoughts:

Another poster suggested up the protein and reduce carbs. Save all your carb calories for fresh vegetables and fruits.
Consider lower glycemic load fruits and carbs such as berries and nuts.
It is nearly impossible to lose weight if your intake is high in sugars simply because you will burn that first always and not fat. You added a lot of fat cells to your body gaining weight, now you need to shrink them. You can't do that if you keep getting your energy from glucose. Your pancreas keeps dumping insulin in your body to "soak up" the sugar and the fat cells just laugh, knowing they are going to live another day as they are.

The composition of your calorie profile is critical to the level of success you will have and in what time frame.

Another thought... Lose the cheat meals. You are not at 1200 a day if you have an extra possibly 3000 calories on the weekend. Live every day the same way and weigh what you want to. Good luck.

ttillman19

First I want to say congratulations on starting to change your life. That is a big step. Remember it took a long time to put on the weight, so it will probably take twice as long to come off. At your current weight I think 1200 calories is just to little. Your body will go into starvation mode and then on the cheat days it will store everything thinking it will not get anything again. Have you tried looking into the Zig-Zag calorie program. I would cut your cheat days down to 1 and just because it is a cheat day does not mean you get to go all kinds of crazy. You need to drink more water. Some of the food you are eating is high in sodium and without at least 8 glasses of water your body will hold onto the water hence higher weight. Also just because it says low fat does not mean it is better for you. They have to use extra addatives to make up for the flavor. It you cant pronouce something in the ingredients you should not eat it. You could try making your own ketchup that way you know the amount of sugar etc. Instead of canned goods buy frozen or for beans dry. It may take a little more time to prepare, but canning adds a lot of salt. When you are having your peanut butter try putting it on apples or celery instead of crackers. You can get carbs from veggies and fruit which you need to increase anyway. Instead of using Mayo, Miracle whip, etc try hummus. It will add flavor and protein with good fats. Also have you been taking measurements of different body areas. Muscle weights more than fat, so if you are replacing the fat with muscle it will show only in the measurements. Also try speaking with your primary care physician about the minimum amount of calories you need or maybe a nutritionist.

_Kitten_Kate

Ive been on here since January and have "only" lost 16 lbs.
Ever single person will have a different experience with wt loss.
And this time may be different from any other time you may have tried to lose wt.
I agree with LoraF83... Just eat well. Make smart choices with your food.
Truly eat clean. No processed crap. And you will be on the right track.
Go by how you feel and measurements... and less by wt.

If you are working out with wts your body will change in size and less in lbs.... and you will probably need to eat more than 1200 cals if you are.

And regardless of what anyone says....
It is not always as simple as burn more than you consume.

Best wishes.

GreenEyedLady1

yeah, just a quick glance and your BMR is around 1700 calories...at minimum you should be eating that many calories. probably more.