Struggling to reach my 'Goal calories'

mrskatiepowell

I've struggled with my diet for a long time but in the last 4 years have gone from 195lbs to 160lbs in a steady loss, however, i'm now flickering between 157 and 160 and can't seem to get out of the rutt! I'm 5ft 7 and my BMI is showing as borderline overweight so ideally I'd like to lose another 7-14lbs.

I have a desk job which means that through the day I am pretty sedatory, but every evening I walk my dogs for at least 30 minutes through the countryside at a brisk pace (my 6ft 2 husband has a pretty long stride!)

MFP gives me 1360 calories per day to lose 1lb per week, but I find it difficult to meet that, generally coming in at 1000 calories, unless I force extra food down even though I'm not hungry.

My weight loss seems to have stopped and I am left with no appitite and no motivation as the scales remain the same.

Any advice would be appreciated. :ohwell:

toffee322

can you please share your diaries?

mrskatiepowell

done

mrskatiepowell

Bump

psuLemon

You need to eat higher calorie foods and stop living off of salads for each meal. Adding stuff like nuts, avocado, cooking meats in extra virgin olive oil and even eating spoonfuls of peanut butter will help. I would also look to increase your meat intake.

mrskatiepowell

Thanks for the reply. I know your advice is right, but I struggle to add calorie high food when I have fought for so long with my weight. I try to keep everything to a minimum in case I slip up - like today - the sun is out so I have had some Rose wine, instead of going over my calories I've ended up skipping dinner....

psuLemon

Thanks for the reply. I know your advice is right, but I struggle to add calorie high food when I have fought for so long with my weight. I try to keep everything to a minimum in case I slip up - like today - the sun is out so I have had some Rose wine, instead of going over my calories I've ended up skipping dinner....

Well you have to ask yourself, do you want to maintain your fat or muscle? If you want muscle and not fat, then you need to fuel your body in order to cut fat. You didn't get fat off of 1500 calories or even 1800 calories a day. It was probably 2500-3000+.


Btw, whats your exercise routine. We can figure out your caloric needs.


Based on the math, your base calorie needs are around 1400. So when you exercise, it's going to be more.

mrskatiepowell

My main exercise now is walking - not just down the street, mainly inclines for 1 - 6 miles per day. I had a personal trainer for a year leading up to my wedding but stopped as it was costing a fortune in time and money. Since then I dance, walk and do weight training at my convenience.

mcarter99

How long has this plateau lasted? I mean, how long with zero weight loss or body changes?

mrskatiepowell

I've fluctuated a few pounds since my wedding in October but I've only just started the really strict diet for the last month

Anna800

Seems like there's too many calories coming from beverages. It's 1200 calories a day if you never want to exercise but want to lose weight.
You should change the settings to track your sugar too, I see a lot of cheat sweets which can all add up.

mrskatiepowell

Seems like there's too many calories coming from beverages. It's 1200 calories a day if you never want to exercise but want to lose weight.
You should change the settings to track your sugar too, I see a lot of cheat sweets which can all add up.

Thanks for the advice - couple of questions:
What is wrong with getting calories from beverages? I only drink a couple of glasses of wine per week & the only other drink is coffee.
What do you mean by 'cheat sweets'?

bazfitness

Editing original as have lookd further at your diary.... Your recent days aren't too bad - but some days your calorie intake is wayyyy too low like others have said.

Your breakfast seems particularly low cal - I'm really a fan of getting a proper breakfast - at least 300 cals to get your day started. These Jordan frusli bars - I don't know exactly what they contain, but I know a lot of these type of diet candy bars are not really that good for you after all! Still tends to be processed food with too much sugar.

Exercise exercise exercise. Start doing some high intensity exercise and that will burn your fat. Personally I think you could cut out some flour based foods. I've cut out bread and it makes a big difference, also I noticed some processed foods in there like fish fingers - not particularly great either. Candies, cakes and all that sugary junk is best ditched also. Like some others have said, you are not going to do this, at least not in a proper, healthy and sustainable way by cutting back further on your food intake, if anything you could do with a lot more, but at least your recent protein intake isn't too bad compared to a lot of people eating low cal diets, no harm to have even more protein though.

There's not much excuse to not do some exercise daily, Even 20 -30 minutes a day of high intensity exercise will make a massive difference. I burned over 500 cals on my first day of Insanity last week in 40 minutes, not saying you should do Insanity but at least some form of exercise that REALLY gets your heart pumping and fat burning. To those that say they don't have 30 minutes out of their day to do exercise... my first response is how many hours do you spend watching TV, browsing internet etc etc? If it's more than 30 minutes - then you definitely do have 30 minutes for exercise - all about getting priorities right and no excuses!

What is wrong with getting calories from beverages? I only drink a couple of glasses of wine per week & the only other drink is coffee.
What do you mean by 'cheat sweets'?

Your beverage intake isn't too bad really - not a lot. But you have had some sweets - like Milkybars, drinking chocolate and biscuits.

Seriously though. Increase your food intake, start burning 300-500 cals a day from exercise and you'll start shifting those last few pounds I reckon and feel much better for it.

coatsie79

Eat a handfull of nuts....job done.

JesterMFP

Seems like there's too many calories coming from beverages. It's 1200 calories a day if you never want to exercise but want to lose weight.
You should change the settings to track your sugar too, I see a lot of cheat sweets which can all add up.

There's nothing wrong with calories from beverages if you're meeting your goals and getting adequate macronutrients. Cutting liquid calories seems a bit silly when the OP is already struggling to reach the calorie goal. Also, it's not 1200 calories for everyone.

OP - it's not uncommon for your appetite to drop when you're not getting enough calories. Although it might feel like you're forcing it down at the moment, if you can consistently get to 1360, you'll probably find that your appetite increases and you actually want to eat that amount. That happened to me, and I've heard other people say the same thing.

A lot of people will say "listen to your body" and I doubt you're going to starve on 1000 calories - some people manage on very low calories for long periods of time. There's a good chance you will run into problems though, and it looks like you already have. The metabolism naturally slows down when calories are restricted, but keeping a smaller deficit can minimise that. I presume you want to keep as much of the lean mass (eg. muscle) that you already have? Most people lose a bit when losing weight, but larger deficits can make this worse. With so little to lose, you probably should be set to lose half a pound a week, not 1 pound. Eat closer to your TDEE and you should continue to lose, albeit slowly.

A simple way to eat more without feeling like you are eating more is to choose more calorie-dense foods like avocado, seeds, nuts, cheese, full-fat products instead of low-fat ones. Have two eggs instead of one. Spread some butter on your toast when you have a poached egg. Add olive oil to your salads or cooking.

As hard as it seems, I think you're at a point where it's mind over matter. Your body might not be telling you to eat, but maybe you need to put your brain in charge for now to get to where you want to be. Check out the Eat More to Weigh Less group for some ideas: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/3834-eat-more-to-weigh-less

mrskatiepowell

Thanks for the advice Jester! I definitely need to add in some nuts etc. Jordan bars are pretty good, they are oats and fruits and a quick fix if i have no appitite - better than nothing I guess

Baz, if you look at my exercise pages i do exercise at least 30 minutes everyday and either do a 6 mile walk with my dogs or play 18 holes of golf once a week. I suffer from a blood pressure issue which makes it hard to do high impact cardio, particularly in the heat as my blood pressure can randomly drop and i blackout.

The only reason you see things like milkyway or a hot chocolate is to boost the calorie intake at the end of the day. I don't have a chocolate bar and go over the calorie intake, I have one to try and reach it. But i appreciate your comments and will take onboard your comments.

territhefrog

I have had the same issue......reaching my calories for the day because I am not hungry. I have to make myself eat something. Sounds weird now that I say it because I used to eat everything in site. Exercising for me is strictly inside because it's so stinking hot where I live (Dallas TX) and my body can't tolerate heat because of multiple sclerosis. I know I know....then why don't I move to a cooler climate......because my family and the one of the world's top ms neurologists are here in Dallas.
I love all the replies everyone is giving about reaching the calories and exercising. I appreciate it. I have been stuck at the same weight for 2 weeks and it's not good. I should have joined mfp a long time ago. You guys are the best.

mrskatiepowell

The advice is definitely great.
Although we all really know what we should be doing, it helps to get a brutal and honest outside view.
My diet has changed dramatically, particularly with alcohol and junk food. So i do allow myself the odd treat from time to time. i.e. a milkyway at 198 calories instead of an entire 120g bar of dairy milk at 600+ calories. And 2 fish fingers and one slice of bread once in a blue moon instead of a kebab!
Most people are here for the same reason, to support and advise each other on a new way of life :happy:

mrskatiepowell

bump

sarahrbraun

I've struggled with my diet for a long time but in the last 4 years have gone from 195lbs to 160lbs in a steady loss, however, i'm now flickering between 157 and 160 and can't seem to get out of the rutt! I'm 5ft 7 and my BMI is showing as borderline overweight so ideally I'd like to lose another 7-14lbs.

I have a desk job which means that through the day I am pretty sedatory, but every evening I walk my dogs for at least 30 minutes through the countryside at a brisk pace (my 6ft 2 husband has a pretty long stride!)

MFP gives me 1360 calories per day to lose 1lb per week, but I find it difficult to meet that, generally coming in at 1000 calories, unless I force extra food down even though I'm not hungry.

My weight loss seems to have stopped and I am left with no appitite and no motivation as the scales remain the same.

Any advice would be appreciated. :ohwell:

It IS hard to get enough healthy calories in sometimes. Carbs are my kryptonite, so I have to limit them. Many days I have to eat like it is my JOB to make sure I have enough calories. What I have found helps me is eating meal replacement bars as a snack--for me, Atkins or Metrx have the calories I need, limited carbs, and flavors that make them taste like I am splurging.

mrskatiepowell

It IS hard to get enough healthy calories in sometimes. Carbs are my kryptonite, so I have to limit them. Many days I have to eat like it is my JOB to make sure I have enough calories. What I have found helps me is eating meal replacement bars as a snack--for me, Atkins or Metrx have the calories I need, limited carbs, and flavors that make them taste like I am splurging.

Thanks for this!
That's a good suggestion. I find that I am eating crap late at night to bump up the calories. I'm not eating because i'm hungry but because I have to get my intake up. I also don't record some of my exercise because it ends up giving me too much surplus calories and I can't keep up!

Nuts seem to be the most suggested way forward :happy:

Whitezombiegirl

I have this problem too. I don't drink alcahol, juice or soda, eat grains, sugar or dairy (in general)- so its really hard to get calories up. I think I may need at add fats but I hate the feel of fat in my mouth. Ho- hum.

blonde71

Two tbsp. of oilve oil will bump up your calories by 240. That's what I do. Think fats but the good ones as some have mentioned before. Works for me. Good luck.

mrskatiepowell

Two tbsp. of oilve oil will bump up your calories by 240. That's what I do. Think fats but the good ones as some have mentioned before. Works for me. Good luck.

it wouldn't kill me to add some olive oil into my salad
thanks

bazfitness

The advice is definitely great.
Although we all really know what we should be doing, it helps to get a brutal and honest outside view.
My diet has changed dramatically, particularly with alcohol and junk food. So i do allow myself the odd treat from time to time.

Well sometimes people don't actually know what they are supposed to be doing I think is part of the problem. Women in particular have been targets of low cal diets that inevitably fail for decades now. Also some of the 'success stories' on here imo are not always good examples to follow, people losing too much, too fast in particular. I do think you have got some good advice in this thread though. Personally I don't think you have a lot of junk food but obviously the less you have the better. What you really need to do imho is up those cals, as has been said already. If you take anything away from this thread that should be your number 1 thing.

Regarding exercise soz that I missed the fact you did some, all the more reason why you should be eating more though. Nevertheless on a daily basis though you still aren't doing a helluva lot. I understand though that If you have health issues that mean you can't do intense cardio then ok it's an issue, unfortunately!. I guess try to burn as much as you can on a daily basis without compromising your health is all I can suggest. Doesn't have to be cardio either, strength training might be an idea for example.

If you want to avoid eating junk food to make up your cals at end of day, another idea would be to do some pre-planning for the day.

I'm going to reiterate eat a bigger breakfast also to fire up that metabolism.

Somebody else suggested nuts earlier - that's actually very good advice. Some good healthy fats and some fibre, would give a nice boost to your calorie intake and always good to have more fibre.

mrskatiepowell

Thanks Baz, ultimately I know I need to increase my activities, be it cardio / weights. The problem is that I trained solidly for so long initially that I fell out of love with fitness and it became a real chore and a burden financially. So now I begrudge it! Particularly because even though my measurement and my body fat were decreasing, my weight stuck at 157lbs - never going under!

Nevertheless, I know I won't be the size or shape I want to be without exercise so it's time to get my backside back to the gym.

I'd just rather play in the sunshine :glasses:

DrMAvDPhD

Just. Eat. More. You had to have eaten more than 1000 calories to get overweight. If you can't bring yourself to eat more than that now, it is 100% mental, you need to seek medical counsel because you are developing an unhealthy relationship with food.

mrskatiepowell

Just. Eat. More. You had to have eaten more than 1000 calories to get overweight. If you can't bring yourself to eat more than that now, it is 100% mental, you need to seek medical counsel because you are developing an unhealthy relationship with food.

Wow harsh!
It was mainly that I drank a lot of calories and made bad food choices.
Yes I ate more then, but this has changed for the better. I'm not starving myself - just struggling to force down high quantities of healthy food to meet the calorie goals.
Thanks to other posts I do feel that adding nuts and olive oil into my diet will help.

bazfitness

The problem is that I trained solidly for so long initially that I fell out of love with fitness and it became a real chore and a burden financially. So now I begrudge it! Particularly because even though my measurement and my body fat were decreasing, my weight stuck at 157lbs - never going under!

Nevertheless, I know I won't be the size or shape I want to be without exercise so it's time to get my backside back to the gym.

I'd just rather play in the sunshine :glasses:

There's no need to spend loads of money. Don't spend what you can't afford. A gym is not a prerequisite. I don't use a gym at all, not saying anything wrong with going to a gym btw, but you can do stuff at home. personally I find gyms are a bit soulless a lot of the time. Anyway... Insanity for example doesn't require any equipment, I do it at home, prior to that I was doing calisthenic exercises to help with flexibility and strength, all done at home.

Also this weight loss/fitness thing I believe can be fun. Obviously some exercise can be damn tough - and doesn't always feel like fun at the time, but certainly feels like fun after when you're all invigorated. Play around trying out different things. Also I'm sure there's plenty of things you can do that can be both fun and good for fitness. Tennis is perhaps a good example - I used play a lot many years ago and no wonder I was in good shape when I did coz now that i'm on here and one of my MFP pals plays tennis a lot I can see it's great for burning cals and is good fun too and can be quite a social game if you play doubles. If you can't do Tennis for health reasons then perhaps there's alternatives....

Basically if you want to play in the sunshine - play in the sunshine!