At My Wits End

TRISTAR

Almost 4 weeks in and I'm not losing. I read so much confliscting advice. Up your calories, reduce them. I'm just so confused. I can't alter what I'm actually eating much as I'm a VERY fussy eater, and there's probably alot more foods I don't like, than actually like. People have also said ditch the scales, and go bt measurements, but my measurements have increased.

Just wish I would see results, and know how many calories I should consume to get the desired results, as I'm adhering to what it tells me on here, yet it's still not working.

bazaar1982

No expert here but looking at your diary I can see your eating a lot of carbs, maybe too many? You also seem to eat processed food (chicken burgers etc) which are massively high in sodium - which will affect weightloss.

Are you eating all of your exercise calories back? Maybe just eat 50% of them?

Ladronzz

Hey i can tell you one thing you have to stick with something for a longer period of time. Don't keep changing your routine or you will never see results. You have to try something give it a few this could be 2 or 3 weeks even....If that doesn't work then tweek it and try something else to see if that works....It took me a few tries to figure out howto shed my stomach fat but i finally got it....Hope this helps...

tjk71

Looked at your food diary. You are eating a lot of processed foods & carbs. You need to start eating cleaner (unprocessed) get rid of your sodium filled foods (frozen dinners) & start adding veggies & fruits get your carbs from them. Instead of apple juice eat an apple so much better for you then juice & keeps you fuller for longer! Drink a ton of water. You say you don't like many foods but start experimenting w/ cooking the meals you like from a recipe and make them healthy. Start trying new fruits & vegetables.

TRISTAR

Hi thanks for your reply. The chicken burgers have 0.4g of salt, is this high? I went back to processed foods since being out of work, I just buy what's on offer, and what I can afford. Also being a fussy eater restricts me even more. I know alot of the ready meal companies and supermarkets are now ver aware about cutting salt content, so i do try and moderate it where I can.

No expert here but looking at your diary I can see your eating a lot of carbs, maybe too many? You also seem to eat processed food (chicken burgers etc) which are massively high in sodium - which will affect weightloss.

Are you eating all of your exercise calories back? Maybe just eat 50% of them?

Bobby_Clerici

Don't be confused with what's simple.
Follow the MFP recommendations. I had to tweak my calorie burn rates and activity settings.
I was not eating enough. It boggles my mind that I need to eat over 3000 calories to feed my body and lose weight.
I was crash dieting. It just seemed like the thing to do.
MFP makes this all so simple. Just find your zone.
Good luck - All Is Possible!:flowerforyou:

TRISTAR

I'll try and add some green veg. I like green beans, broccolli and brussel sprouts. I tried a nectarine the other day and ended up spitting it out. I'm not a fan of fruit. Like you said, I can just keep trying things.

TRISTAR

Thank you so much. How did you know you weren't eating enough? I currently have it set to aim for a 2lb a week loss, as I need to lose a good chunk before I go to Spain. Maybe I should try and lower this weekly target loss to 1lb

Don't be confused with what's simple.
Follow the MFP recommendations. I had to tweak my calorie burn rates and activity settings.
I was not eating enough. It boggles my mind that I need to eat over 3000 calories to feed my body and lose weight.
I was crash dieting. It just seemed like the thing to do.
MFP makes this all so simple. Just find your zone.
Good luck - All Is Possible!:flowerforyou:

manda_c_182

I think you should try and drink the 2L of water a day. It helps fill you up, gives you energy, and is good for your complexion and hair Also, try and eat as many fruits and vegetables as you can, less calories for how big they are.
I'm not an expert or anything, I've only been on here a week, but I try and eat 3 meals a day of around 350 cal, and 2 snacks around 150 cal each. This only puts me at 1350 for the day, and I set my self a max of 1500. I noticed your daily goal is set was set at over 2000 for one day. Did you set that or did MFP?
You mentioned you are fussy, what kinds of foods do you like and dislike?

Manda

TRISTAR

Hi, the meals aren't frozen, just refrigerated. I will try and look at the salt and carbs though. I lost alot of weight on a low carb diet, but with me not liking lots of foods, I was just eating the same food every day.

Looked at your food diary. You are eating a lot of processed foods & carbs. You need to start eating cleaner (unprocessed) get rid of your sodium filled foods (frozen dinners) & start adding veggies & fruits get your carbs from them. Instead of apple juice eat an apple so much better for you then juice & keeps you fuller for longer! Drink a ton of water. You say you don't like many foods but start experimenting w/ cooking the meals you like from a recipe and make them healthy. Start trying new fruits & vegetables.

havingitall

I was told by a trainer to watch your sugars, carbs and sodium. You do eat a lot of processed foods and your body just doesn't know how to deal with those the same way it deals with whole foods. I see what you said about being a fussy eater. Sometimes that can be changed. My son was a very fussy eater but wanted to become a chef. He now eats things I wouldn't even consider eating ( and I am not a fussy eater) Picky eating is all a state of mind.

That being said, your food preferences are what they are. Do you eat salad? Instead of pre packaged meals, make a large salad and have some chicken with it. If you get greek yogurt, get plain greek yogurt and add some fruit to it. Don't buy the sweetened flavoured stuff.

It is possible to eat well on a restricted budget, you just need to be selective. It will take you some time to grocery shop at first but you are better shopping around the perimeter of the store. That is where the healthier choices are. Stay away from things that come in a box.

Good luck.. I know this isn't easy but it is doable.

dittmarml

Green beans, broccoli and brussels sprouts are all terrific foods. What other vegetables do you like? The internet is loaded with recipes; recommend looking for "fat free/vegan" recipes for those veggies - those have no added dairy or animal products (e.g., fat.) That's not because I'm trying to convert you to vegan; it's because these recipes are typically far better for weight loss (and they're healthier).

Like most of us I have a busy week so I set aside a few hours on the weekend (usually Sunday afternoon) to cook for the week. I'll bet you can come up with at least one new recipe for each of those foods. Or, some night bake a potato, steam some broccoli with garlic (if you like it), top the potato and add some salsa. That can be done in 15 minutes if you have a microwave.

Since you're a fussy eater I'd start by listing the foods I like and then seeing what I can build from there. I agree with other posters; get off the processed/frozen foods. I lived on them for years and only gained weight over time even when I thought I was monitoring calories pretty well.

Dave198lbs

your diet needs a major over haul. no one here started out knowing anything or every thing either so dont fret over that. do some reading on nutrition and use several sources. the less packaged goods the better (imo)

your carbs are high. MFP guidelines for the macros are way out of whack. they love carbs and dislke protein for some unstated reason.

hang in there...it gets easier with some time and persistence

TRISTAR

You are all making sense to me. I think I need to go halfway back to when I was low carbing, but not to the same extreme. I think once I have finished the food I have, I will buy some chicken fillets, and have chicken with veg. I don't like salad, or raw cold food, but I do like steamed veg.

I will take on board all of your good advice everyone, and go back to keeping it simple.

BIG THANK YOU! It sometimes takes people to point out the simple stuff, before it goes in

I was told by a trainer to watch your sugars, carbs and sodium. You do eat a lot of processed foods and your body just doesn't know how to deal with those the same way it deals with whole foods. I see what you said about being a fussy eater. Sometimes that can be changed. My son was a very fussy eater but wanted to become a chef. He now eats things I wouldn't even consider eating ( and I am not a fussy eater) Picky eating is all a state of mind.

That being said, your food preferences are what they are. Do you eat salad? Instead of pre packaged meals, make a large salad and have some chicken with it. If you get greek yogurt, get plain greek yogurt and add some fruit to it. Don't buy the sweetened flavoured stuff.

It is possible to eat well on a restricted budget, you just need to be selective. It will take you some time to grocery shop at first but you are better shopping around the perimeter of the store. That is where the healthier choices are. Stay away from things that come in a box.

Good luck.. I know this isn't easy but it is doable.

hbunting86

Hey

First off good on you for giving this a go - losing weight isn't as easy as everyone makes out sometimes, especially if you're not overly fond of different or new foods!

Anyway here's my two cents: first off I'd knock as much of the processed food on the head as possible. Whilst technically *yes* it may be reduced sodium/whatever - it's still pumped with a myriad of chemicals, and been through multiple chemical processes to turn it into the food item that ends up on your plate. I work in a department where new food products are conceptualised and produced and tested... and what goes into making that chicken burger or kiev would certainly put you off if you saw it in action!

Budget wise it's really easy to recreate these things at home - and it'll no doubt taste a million times better and save you money (and trees from the cardboard packaging!). Turkey/chicken mince is SO cheap, and it's easy to make your own burgers. You could make a batch and freeze them, that way it's EXACTLY the same as using the stuff you buy premade. Kievs are also easy - if you make a slit in a whole chicken breast and put some herb butter in and then breadcrumb it using home breadcrumbs (you can do wholegrain which is even better) and bake it, it's way more nutritious and tasty!

Anyway, that aside (sorry to go off on one) - give yourself time! As others said, water is key - that 2 litres really does make the difference I find. I struggled at first but now think nothing of chugging back a 750ml bottle near enough in one go. Stick in some fruits and veg - frozen is just as good (and cheaper probably) as buying fresh, and is a good source of natural fibre to keep things regular haha.

Good luck!

dsjohndrow

I have been working with a nutritionist and a doctor for a year. Here is what I did to lose over 60 pounds.
- I set my caloric intake for the weight I want to be.
- I set my macros for protein, carbs and fat at 35% / 35% / 30% (GOALS tab >> Change Goals >> Custom) I used MFP and lost 50 with the regular settings, but it was tough.
- I set my sodium to 2000 per day. (You won't be able to eat a lot of processed foods at that level. IE: Bread, cheese, pickles, cold cuts, diet meals and soup.)
- I eat only whole grains (not the same as some whole wheat junk)
- I got rid of some of the high carb items like white flour (pasta, bread), potatoes, and rice.
- Because higher protein works better for me, I eat a lot of beans - especially black and garbanzo. Lots of recipes to use them in from brownies to Mexican.
- I only eat 4oz of lean red meat, fish, chicken breast or turkey per day.
- I switched to low-fat dairy. Mostly Greek yogurt 0%. But some 30% less sodium 2% cottage cheese and low-fat organic Swiss.
- 2 cups of fruit and/or veggies per meal.
- No soda, or fruit drinks except for 3 0z of OJ in the morning because I can't seem to get any vitamin C (proven with blood tests) from supplements.
- I eat nuts every day.
- I take joint supplements and vitamin D, nothing else. I am getting everything I need from my diet. (Proven with blood tests.)

I still have some chocolate, a rare slice of pizza, and go out to dinner once or twice a week. MFP has helped me make better choices when eating out. Google the nutrition for the restaurants you are going to. Makes it a LOT easier.

I exercise 6 days week (some is because it's good for you, and some is just fun), and if I didn't have some many physical issues, I would be at my goal weight.

You can do it, god luck. Friend me and you can see my diary.

Minner_Tinner

I was told by a trainer to watch your sugars, carbs and sodium. You do eat a lot of processed foods and your body just doesn't know how to deal with those the same way it deals with whole foods. I see what you said about being a fussy eater. Sometimes that can be changed. My son was a very fussy eater but wanted to become a chef. He now eats things I wouldn't even consider eating ( and I am not a fussy eater) Picky eating is all a state of mind.

That being said, your food preferences are what they are. Do you eat salad? Instead of pre packaged meals, make a large salad and have some chicken with it. If you get greek yogurt, get plain greek yogurt and add some fruit to it. Don't buy the sweetened flavoured stuff.

It is possible to eat well on a restricted budget, you just need to be selective. It will take you some time to grocery shop at first but you are better shopping around the perimeter of the store. That is where the healthier choices are. Stay away from things that come in a box.

Good luck.. I know this isn't easy but it is doable.

This is wonderful advice. I just started my "lifestyle change" and I didn't even realize that we, now, do 90% of our grocery shopping around the perimeter of the store until I read this. Once you start the change and realize how great the foods taste it's like you've always shopped this way. You can get a lot of great recipes from everyone here!

Search the message boards for a "Recipe Website" thread. I was on it a couple days ago and now I can't find it for you but it had wonderful ideas on it and I ended up starting my own little cookbook of my favorite recipes from the different websites. I wrote a couple down.

Www.skinnytaste.com
www.food.com
www.allrecipes.com
www.simplyrecipes.com
www.honeywhatscooking.com
www.momvsfood.blogspot.com

Good Luck and God Bless :bigsmile:

glennstoudt

Change as much or as soon as you can your definition of "fussy eater". The new fussy you will eat unprocessed foods. You will be fussy about limiting (not eliminating) your carb intake. You will be extremely fussy about grains and other high glycemic foods that drive your pancreas crazy daily, jack up your insulin production and forces your body to burn carbs for energy,instead of desirable fat.
You will be fussy about reducing your sodium (.4 g or 400 mg is more than 25% of a sodium limited diet of 1500mg average per day) that holds onto water that has limiting factors in body fat loss. You will be on the other hand, fussy about drinking water when you are thirsty and when you are hungry instead of only eating when you are hungry. Welcome to the new fussy you and good luck. Stay with it. It's worth it.

spoonful

There's a lot of great advice on here and a lot of great people willing to help. When you find the right groove you will know it. Your body will let you know. You will feel great. If you're feeling sluggish and tired you are doing something wrong. Keep some notes about what you eat and and drink and how it makes you feel.

It's very common that when someone is carrying too much weight they can suffer from sleep apnea. If that is the case with you, it is a very vicious cycle. You'll wake up tired and stay tired. Then it's almost impossible to advance. You might want to check it out just in case. There are things you can do that do not cost anything.

You'll get there. Once you get that ball rolling it will be easy.

Bobby_Clerici

Don't be confused with what's simple.
Follow the MFP recommendations. I had to tweak my calorie burn rates and activity settings.
I was not eating enough. It boggles my mind that I need to eat over 3000 calories to feed my body and lose weight.
I was crash dieting. It just seemed like the thing to do.
MFP makes this all so simple. Just find your zone.
Good luck - All Is Possible!:flowerforyou:

Thank you so much. How did you know you weren't eating enough? I currently have it set to aim for a 2lb a week loss, as I need to lose a good chunk before I go to Spain. Maybe I should try and lower this weekly target loss to 1lb

Ah, I see...
Too often people set goals based on some planned event like a wedding or vacation. Big time mistake.
Just follow the MFP recommendations - 1 lb per week.
Don't get in a race you can't win. Let it just happen. It took me 2 years to drop 70 lbs.
That's less than a pound per week. That's OK.
Again, follow the MFP guidelines. You can do this!

supplemama

You are doing ok calorie-wise, and that's good because you are learning to control your overeating. But what you are eating, not so great. Where are the fruit and veggies? Where is the water?

You are still eating a lot of processed, salty foods.

I understand you are a picky eater, but no human being comes into the world not liking food that humans are meant to eat. I mean really, think about it. That you may prefer processed, salty foods over wholesome, natural foods just means that you have an acquired taste, is all. Just like you learned to like some things, you can learn to like others. You can learn to like fruit and veggies, for example.

Some food you may just have to stop eating for a while. Like peanut butter, butter, and garlic bread, stuff like that. I have found certain foods to hinder my weight loss no matter how little of it I eat LOL. For you, for example, I notice every time you have butter you have 100 calories worth! Salted butter is only 34 calories a teaspoon, so you are choosing to have quite a bit each time. Either reduce how much of it you're having or stop eating it. For me, for example, creamy peanut butter is only 94 calories a tablespoon, but I'm a pig when it comes to peanut butter, I just can't stop at one or even 2 tablespoons. So I rarely eat it now.

You MUST drink water. I cannot stress this enough. It's just overall a good thing to do. It helps you lose weight, helps your skin, helps your organs and other insides to function, keeps your bowels healthy and moving regularly, flushes excess salt out, everything.

Exercise...I don't think you are moving enough. It's great that you are walking, but you are moving so slowly. 2mph on your walks? Maybe bump it up a bit. Try walking just 1 mile in 20 minutes. That's 3mph. And stop counting things like cleaning and food preparation as exercise. Do you break a sweat while preparing your meals? Is it really a workout? The swimming you did was AWESOME though. Maybe try to do that on a more regular basis? and if you can swim like that, then walking faster should be no problem for you.