Terrified to ask this...

LindaLouLu

Please be gentle, but I need some help figuring out what is WRONG!?

I've been on my journey to a smaller me for a year officially and on MFP for 160 of those days (as of this morning). My malfunction goes like this:

I started MfP at 177lbs
After the initial weight drop associated with keeping track of what I'm actually doing (tracking calories/exercise/water) I can't seem to drop but 1lb every 6th week?! :noway:

On average (minus a few gym bans thanks to my youngest) I spend 5 days a week at the gym for at LEAST an hour doing various activities. I use the treadmills, the elliptical, walk the track (I'm working on running, but I have a short leg, so I still fall down a LOT), I pick things up and put them down.... You get the idea.
I try to eat as best I can (minus some pizza here and there when there just really ISN'T any time to cook). I avoid soda most of the time (Root beer is my weakness and I KNOW I downed 2 mountain dews in one day, but it was hot and the water was only lukewarm vs. the ice cold soda). I've got a budget of only $160 a month to feed all 5 of us, so I make mostly everything I can from scratch. So, yeah. The foods not ALWAYS the best, but I try.
I track my water and I must admit, the first few times I saw how MUCH it was, I was afraid I might drown in my sleep, but I'm over that little scare :laugh:

How on EARTH am I only losing 1lb every 6th week?!?!

I'm 5'8.5"
CW: 156
Loss goal per week set at 1lb because I've got 20 some lbs left to drop.

I (think) I have opened my diary to MFP.
Please, if someone could just tell me what the heck is going on here???
Pretty please? :flowerforyou:

lilpoindexter

I think you're going to have to tune up your diet a little to see some more weight loss. I also think the pizza here and there and the root beer here and there without planning are killing any progress you might make. I used to allow myself a "cheat day" where I pigged out every week, but I had to scale that back to a cheat meal a week, and now maybe every 10 days.
I used to drink as much soda and beer as I wanted, but I just stopped that stuff because I realized I wanted to lose weight more than I wanted to enjoy that beer or soda. Getting rid of soda and beer made a big, immediate difference.
Tracking your meals, every single thing you put in your mouth, right here on MFP is a real eye opener as to where you are going wrong in your diet.
As far as drinks, I pretty much just drink coffee, OJ in the morning, and sparkling water with lime.

duhblond

Hello
Congrats on the weight you have lost Great job!
Your food diary is not open, having it open should help.
Are you taking your measurement to find out if you are losing inches even if the scale is moving slowly?

LindaLouLu

Hello
Congrats on the weight you have lost Great job!
Your food diary is not open, having it open should help.
Are you taking your measurement to find out if you are losing inches even if the scale is moving slowly?

Thank you. I thought I had opened it. Let me go try again.
And I haven't measured lately, but the last round of no loss on the scale was also a no loss in inches.
Let me go see if I can get that diary opened up

duhblond

I know how frustrating that is.
Just keep at it - you know you are doing this to be healthy too so don't give up hope.
Have you tried backing off on your dairy consumption?
And try and stop the soda's or limit it to a weekend treat
Instead of processed meat try fish.
I know being on a budget is hard but you can get things like eggs for really cheap.
Also you might try doing things like lifting weights, dancing, swimming and pilates to get some more variety in your workout as your body can get accustomed to your workout.
Wishing you all the best of luck on your continued weight loss journey,

japruzze

Consider changing your macros (% breakdown of carbs, protien and fat). Your diary shows that you are drinking a lot of calories, and you seem to consume more fat than protien! Switch Non-fat milk for 2%, cut back on the cheese or switch to low fat. Also, don't assume ground turkey is a better option. I had a steak last night that had less fat than the ground turkey! I know shopping on a tight budget is tough. But your entire family will benefit from healthy choices. Good luck!

oranb

Maybe you are not eating enough? Some days you net below 1000 calories, so maybe your body isn't getting enough food?

I used to net around 1000 a day and things stalled until I stumbled upon the eat more weigh less group on this site. I went to this site: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ and calculated my BMR which I try not to eat under and most days eat my TDEE-20% and have been slowly losing about .5-1 pound a week.

Also, more fresh fruits and vegetables couldn't hurt either )

Hope this helps.

lelstar

It might also be worth going to see a naturopath or doctor to find out if there are any underlying issues

shaynak112

Cheese is expensive and unhealthy and it looks like you have a lot of that. Cut out some cheese.
Also baked goods, breads, etc. Not really healthy. OK in moderation but it seems like sometimes you have a lot.

Fruit! Veggies! So cheap and delicious.
(Veggies are so much cheaper).
You can do so much with veggies. Add tons of spices.

SOUP is a really cheap and easy thing to make. Put some beans and veggies together and make some soup!

Rice is cheap and filling as well, of course, don't have large quantities because it's higher calorie. But putting some veggies with rice is great.

cbevan1229

When I looked back through your last week, I noticed that you were significantly under your target calories on a lot of days. Could you have scared your body into storage mode?

sfmenkhaus

I think any change is going to make a difference whether it is diet or exercise,since most of the posts I saw were about diet I'll go the exercise route. It sounds like you've been doing the same routine at the gym for a while. You could try some strength training, most gyms tell you to ask if you don't know how to use a machine ask an employee so if you're not confident with free weights you can ask for advice about the machines. Or try checking out an exercise DVD at a local library (eBay is a good place to check for cheap second hand ones).

To change up your cardio, on the treadmill try increasing the incline or do a run/jog using a power walk pace for the "run" setting if you can't run. Try a stair climber instead of a treadmill, the stair mill gets me sweating even at a seemingly slow pace.

Good luck!

LindaLouLu

I know how frustrating that is.
Just keep at it - you know you are doing this to be healthy too so don't give up hope.
Have you tried backing off on your dairy consumption?
And try and stop the soda's or limit it to a weekend treat
Instead of processed meat try fish.
I know being on a budget is hard but you can get things like eggs for really cheap.
Also you might try doing things like lifting weights, dancing, swimming and pilates to get some more variety in your workout as your body can get accustomed to your workout.
Wishing you all the best of luck on your continued weight loss journey,

I can't even begin to afford fish. Where I'm at, one good sized piece (enough to feed 5 people) costs 3 times as much as any other meat. Even a can of Tuna costs as much as a gallon of gas.
Dairy... Well, I'm out of everything except for milk for the baby, so I guess I can cut that for a few weeks and see what it does.
Soda is gone (minus a single root beer on mowing day- about once a month)
Thanks for the different workout ideas. I'll have to see if there are any classes during my regular cardio days.
Thank you for your input and ideas! :flowerforyou:

LindaLouLu

Consider changing your macros (% breakdown of carbs, protien and fat). Your diary shows that you are drinking a lot of calories, and you seem to consume more fat than protien! Switch Non-fat milk for 2%, cut back on the cheese or switch to low fat. Also, don't assume ground turkey is a better option. I had a steak last night that had less fat than the ground turkey! I know shopping on a tight budget is tough. But your entire family will benefit from healthy choices. Good luck!

You wouldn't happen to know how to walk me through that would you? Changing the Macro's I mean? When I started the journey, the Dr. recommended a 40/30/30, but I'm not sure how to set that on here?
There was a sale on the turkey. That's the only thing it had going for it. It was either that or the 80/20 hamburger :ohwell:

LindaLouLu

Maybe you are not eating enough? Some days you net below 1000 calories, so maybe your body isn't getting enough food?

I used to net around 1000 a day and things stalled until I stumbled upon the eat more weigh less group on this site. I went to this site: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ and calculated my BMR which I try not to eat under and most days eat my TDEE-20% and have been slowly losing about .5-1 pound a week.

Also, more fresh fruits and vegetables couldn't hurt either )

Hope this helps.

Eating way too few calories is what got me here trying to track my stuff in the first place. I will try and do more, but sometimes, honestly, there just isn't any more food to HAVE.

LindaLouLu

It might also be worth going to see a naturopath or doctor to find out if there are any underlying issues

Seriously thinking on this idea. I've NEVER heard of someone actively trying to lose and stalling for 5 weeks, then losing a pound the next week only to stall for another 5 weeks!

LindaLouLu

When I looked back through your last week, I noticed that you were significantly under your target calories on a lot of days. Could you have scared your body into storage mode?

Possibly? Maybe. Probably.
I will have to figure out how to get more food.
Though, I must admit. For a while, my biggest achievement was "breakfast". :laugh:

LindaLouLu

I think any change is going to make a difference whether it is diet or exercise,since most of the posts I saw were about diet I'll go the exercise route. It sounds like you've been doing the same routine at the gym for a while. You could try some strength training, most gyms tell you to ask if you don't know how to use a machine ask an employee so if you're not confident with free weights you can ask for advice about the machines. Or try checking out an exercise DVD at a local library (eBay is a good place to check for cheap second hand ones).

To change up your cardio, on the treadmill try increasing the incline or do a run/jog using a power walk pace for the "run" setting if you can't run. Try a stair climber instead of a treadmill, the stair mill gets me sweating even at a seemingly slow pace.

Good luck!

I LOVE strength training. I lack a regular spotter at the moment, but that's about to get fixed this week. Also, starting up a Women ONLY weight lifting class tomorrow. I tried to do it a couple months ago, but my little guy got us booted from the gym so I only caught 4 days of an 8 week class.

I'm beginning to wonder.... Is there maybe a body type that just DOESN'T do well with cardio training? Everyone else I know can shrink and burn like CRAZY with just cadrio activities.... but it just doesn't seem like it works for me.

Thanks for the settings tip. And I never even CONSIDERED the stair machine thingy. I'll have to give that a try too.
Thank you!! :flowerforyou:

mcarter99

If you've lost 21 lbs. in 160 days that's about a pound a week on average. That's not a bad loss level, especially for someone (now) at a healthy BMI.

LindaLouLu

If you've lost 21 lbs. in 160 days that's about a pound a week on average. That's not a bad loss level, especially for someone (now) at a healthy BMI.

No no. 42lbs in 370 days. I've got 21 left to go.

megleo818

Forgive me if these have already been suggested, but I don't have a moment to read through the thread and I really want to help:

1) NEVER drink soda. Just never. Don't. Ever.
2) Cereal makes just as good (if not better) an"instant" dinner as pizza. Even better if it's old-fashioned oatmeal. Only takes 5 minutes, you control the sugar and there's NO fat or sodium in there. Do your kids and yourself a favor and NEVER bring home a pizza. Just never. Don't. Ever.
3) Get yourself a 32-oz, refillable water bottle and keep it with you at all times. Drink. Refill. Drink. Refill. Drink. Refill. Try not to float away.
4) Log EVERYTHING you put in your mouth. No cheating. Not even a bite! If you think it's too small to log, it's too small to bother putting in your mouth. No excuses.

Honestly, you will see a difference if you do the above. YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!

lostinureyes17

I'm def. no expert and still trying to find the right balance for me but maybe you are underestimating the calories eaten (by not weighing) or overestimating calories burned with exercise. I know a lot of people go off what the machines say but those are usually set using male athletes ages 18-21 in peak physical condition so even if you enter your height and weight they can be inaccurate.

niciemetts

this is my problem............when i am full i am full..............i don't want to stretch my stomach or eat something just cause it high in calories..........i made myself eat a salad and a grapefruit..............when i didn't have all that crap making my stomach puff out.....i realized how just a little meat and veggies filled me up.......yesterday i had a cup of cooked pasta and two cups of pasta sauce and felt bloated........had 5 low cal beer and still was under lol..........

KaitieBean

Something else you may want to try (it worked for me!), is cutting dairy out of your diet. Even just for a little while! It's a tough thing to do but it definitely helps. Putting a little almond milk in your coffee instead of cream. Use daiya (dairy-free cheese) instead of tex mex, the flavor is so potent that you need a lot less. Plus it's lower in cals and also, like a lot of dairy-free food replacements, is cholesterol free!

Another thing that I would definitely suggest is ditching the soda. Sugar may be a huge contributor to your weight retention.

IAMDDAY

Judging by you picture you have lost something.. have you measured to see if you are dropping inches.. muscle weights more the fat so at times it can appear you are not losing anything but you are and building a stronger foundation that can help in the long run. If not.. see a nutritionist for help with your diet. Some insurance will even pay for it because a healthy you is a cheaper you for them.

BeautyFromPain

Cheese is expensive and unhealthy and it looks like you have a lot of that. Cut out some cheese.
Also baked goods, breads, etc. Not really healthy. OK in moderation but it seems like sometimes you have a lot.

Fruit! Veggies! So cheap and delicious.
(Veggies are so much cheaper).
You can do so much with veggies. Add tons of spices.

SOUP is a really cheap and easy thing to make. Put some beans and veggies together and make some soup!

Rice is cheap and filling as well, of course, don't have large quantities because it's higher calorie. But putting some veggies with rice is great.

Are you serious? Cheese = dairy for strong bones. Protein. Good for you.

Also, as scary as it sounds try upping your calories to your BMR.

Bobby_Clerici

People are giving some great feedback.
According to your diary, you are eating way under goal daily as some have stated already.
Eat more.
Eat all those calories in green. No excuses!
Just read up and follow the MFP recommendations; and eat lean meats, low fat dairy, whole grains, nuts, fruits and veggies.
No processed foods, junk foods, sodas or going out to eat.
Simple!
Track your diet and exercises - again simple.
You will do fine if you do this - ALL IS POSSIBLE:flowerforyou:

ummommyme

May i suggest you ditching the gym membership and adding that money to your grocery bill for the month, it would benefit all of your family. And you can do plenty of at home workouts for free. Just look it up on the internet and buy some dvd's. It doesn't have to get boring. Good luck to you:)

triciab79

You have to cut out the pizza and soda. People who are at goal can sneek some in and then burn it off but while you are losing those are no nos. The only person you are cheating on a cheating day is yourself. I know what it is like to feed a crowd on a budget. I have 6 boys and everything is scratch or close to it. If you are short on time and have to grab something make it Subway not pizza.

evansrabbitranch

I can't even begin to afford fish. Where I'm at, one good sized piece (enough to feed 5 people) costs 3 times as much as any other meat. Even a can of Tuna costs as much as a gallon of gas.
Dairy... Well, I'm out of everything except for milk for the baby, so I guess I can cut that for a few weeks and see what it does.
Soda is gone (minus a single root beer on mowing day- about once a month)
Thanks for the different workout ideas. I'll have to see if there are any classes during my regular cardio days.
Thank you for your input and ideas! :flowerforyou:

If you have an Aldi near you, you can get tuna for around 40 cents a can. At Walmart Tilapia is less than $10 a bag. Tilapia is soooo good! Each piece is about 1.5 servings too so its easy to make 3 and feed 4 people. Watch for sales too. I never get beef of any kind unless its a really good markdown. We only eat meat 4 times a week. The rest is good grains, fruits and veggies. Fruit tends to be cheapest in season or frozen in bulk. Watch for coupons for canned too. There are some things I stock up on when I have a good coupon.

concavity

I was thinking you could stop going to the gym and use that money you spend there for a bigger food budget for your family so you can eat a bit healthier.
I agree to cut out the cheese or go for a low-fat version.

Jules2Be

to change your macros click MY HOME...click GOALS...scroll down...click CHANGE GOALS..choose custom, click CONTINUE...you will be able to change the percentages.

upping your protein will be a great thing.
and watch the sodium!!!

and i love weight training...you can pick up your kids and squat...i used to do that with mine.