My rant for the day

ddiestler

So, I've been at this for quite a while, almost 2 years. My weight loss is slow and I mean slow..I am obese..when I started I weighed 195..I am now down to 158. I am short not quite 5 feet. I simply want to cry.. I've been to 2 dieticians, my regular Dr. 3 times, and an endocrinologist who all cannot tell me why I've been stuck or can't lose.

I eat fairly healthy..right now I eat 1400 a day and I workout 1 hour 5 days a week.. last week between running, spinning, and elliptical I did 55 miles.. and nope, no weight loss.

I have been stuck since December with no weight loss. Why is it so easy for others and hard as hell for some? I've altered my whole life, changed my eating habits.. weigh, measure, count everything that goes into my mouth.. I even panic when friends or family want to go out to dinner..but, I've learned to make healthier choices

I am still considered obese with a bmi of 30 and have a good 30 if not 35 to even be considered healthy. Just frustrating!! thanks for letting me vent

DeniseB0711

are you Netting 1400 calories, or only eating 1400 calories and working out?

YOu might want to try eating back your work out calories and see what happens.

BTW, I am 5' 2" and I am a "slow loser" but I can gain weight very easily...I went about two weeks without seriously logging and ate what ever I wanted and gained EVERYTHING I lost in the month of may and jun back.
When I do lose weight its because I am eating roughly 1800 calories and netting 1450 calories a day.

Denise

tryinghard71

I took a glance at your diary. You might want to try to cut out processed foods as much as you can. I try to do 70/30. Try to eat more one ingredient food like Tuna, Chicken, Lettuce, Banana, Apple, Almonds, lean beef, Veggies, etc.. I found the more I cooked at home. Measured and weighed everything I log and try to stay away from processed foods the easier it was for me. I also have a Thyroid problem so losing is slow for me as well.

ddiestler

I am eating 1400 and working out.. I burn between 400-600 cals a workout depending on what I do. I wear a HRM and chest strap for more accurate readings. For the last 6 weeks I've tried netting my bmr which is 1250..so on exercise days I NET my bmr but nothing as of yet:(

I wish MFP had a clearer way to determine calories and not have to worry about eating back..thats what gets me hung up..lol like I see the calories eaten, exercise, then NET calories.. I've read NET calories should be no smaller than your BMR.. I want just one number, this is what I should eat in a day and be done..LOL

I'm trying to fit more food in but its tough

karrielynn80

i agree with the processed foods bit. i also try to eat my calories, and not take into acct my workout calories. I stay at about 30/20/40 when it comes to carbs/fat/protien.

just something i read a bit ago - and have started to instuitute myself, with your cardio, change it up. always be adding endurance or resistance. when i get on the treadmill after a long stent off of it, i loose inches instantly -then after the 1st 2 wks, nothing... but i don't really push myself, the same thing everyday. . . i've started the eliptical and doing interval training - 1m easy pace, 1m all out - it seems to be making quite a difference.

just my 2 cents

AzhureSnow

There's a lot of science behind what I'm about to tell you, but in the interest of brevity....

You have two types of muscle fibers in your body - those we use for endurance, and those we use for strength. Over time, if you're doing the same types of endurance exercises, your body is going to become very efficient and conserving energy and you'll burn less calories for the same workout. Your strength muscle fibers tend to get weak and shrink in size. Your endurance muscle fibers just get really efficient, which you don't want or need unless you're training for a marathon. You have GOT to stress your body. Doing longer bike rides, or more reps with the same weight won't help your body at all. Sure, it gives you endurance, but it will not kick-start that metabolic effect. Add more resistance and strength training. And I don't mean piddly 5 lb dumb bells. I mean LIFT. BIG. WEIGHT. Do less cardio, more strength training. And when you strength train, do compound moves - don't just do a bicep curl. do lunges and squats and dead-lifts, oh my!

AzhureSnow

And as for nutrition - EAT CLEAN. Cut out foods that come with ingredients you can't pronounce and stay "fresh" on the shelf for years. Frozen vegetables are good to up your veggie consumption without as much time or money. Lots of lean meats, seafood, and whole grains (and read the package, sometimes whole grains aren't really whole grains). Lots of beans/legumes, and as many green, leafy vegetables as you can get

therealangd

Have you taken a look at fat2fit radio.

Plug in the numbers of what you weigh, what you want to weigh and how many times you workout per week and it will spit out a number of calories that you should eat to reach your goal weight. Then eat 'em and work out.

Easy peasy.

Personally, I think that if you are only eating 1400 calories per day and putting 55 miles on your body per week, you are nowhere near eating enough. I would guess you could eat at least 2000 calories per day and still lose weight, if you continue to workout that much.

LoraF83

So, I've been at this for quite a while, almost 2 years. My weight loss is slow and I mean slow..I am obese..when I started I weighed 195..I am now down to 158. I am short not quite 5 feet. I simply want to cry.. I've been to 2 dieticians, my regular Dr. 3 times, and an endocrinologist who all cannot tell me why I've been stuck or can't lose.

I eat fairly healthy..right now I eat 1400 a day and I workout 1 hour 5 days a week.. last week between running, spinning, and elliptical I did 55 miles.. and nope, no weight loss.

I have been stuck since December with no weight loss. Why is it so easy for others and hard as hell for some? I've altered my whole life, changed my eating habits.. weigh, measure, count everything that goes into my mouth.. I even panic when friends or family want to go out to dinner..but, I've learned to make healthier choices

I am still considered obese with a bmi of 30 and have a good 30 if not 35 to even be considered healthy. Just frustrating!! thanks for letting me vent

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

rprussell2004

Doing longer bike rides, or more reps with the same weight won't help your body at all. Sure, it gives you endurance, but it will not kick-start that metabolic effect. Add more resistance and strength training. And I don't mean piddly 5 lb dumb bells. I mean LIFT. BIG. WEIGHT. Do less cardio, more strength training. And when you strength train, do compound moves - don't just do a bicep curl. do lunges and squats and dead-lifts, oh my!

This comment in particular made me think - it wasn't until I jumped on the "Jillian Michaels" bandwagon - Ripped in 30 and 30-day Shred - that I really started noticing a steady change.

She is BIG into the compound moves, sometimes to the point where I'm laying on the ground and thinking "oh god shut up and leave me alone you B**ch!"

(But, um, in a GOOD way, if that makes sense...)

She has dedicated strength segments in the workouts which, generally speaking, use your own weight as their source. In my case this means IT IS A BIG. WEIGHT. :grumble:

And I always feel like I've accomplished something when I'm done! :drinker:

So, in short - a second for the mixing-it-up suggestion!

Lyerin

Have you thought about getting a few personal training sessions? I'm just starting out, but starting out with a few sessions with a personal trainer who showed me how to use the equipment and how to structure a workout and talked to me about the best way for me to lift (and how to prevent injury) has been fabulous. I know I'm already stronger, and he definitely emphasized strength training. I love that I can now walk into the gym and structure my own workout with many different exercises and know how to use the equipment and how to have safe and effective form.

mcarter99

I am eating 1400 and working out.. I burn between 400-600 cals a workout depending on what I do. I wear a HRM and chest strap for more accurate readings. For the last 6 weeks I've tried netting my bmr which is 1250..so on exercise days I NET my bmr but nothing as of yet:(

I wish MFP had a clearer way to determine calories and not have to worry about eating back..thats what gets me hung up..lol like I see the calories eaten, exercise, then NET calories.. I've read NET calories should be no smaller than your BMR.. I want just one number, this is what I should eat in a day and be done..LOL

I'm trying to fit more food in but its tough

You don't have to do MFP's (stupid) 'eating back' plan. You don't have to worry about your BMR. That is a myth you will never see anywhere but here. Seriously. Ask your doctor. Pick a calorie level and exercise amount that feels do-able to you for the long-term, but that feels below 'maintenance'. Maybe 1400-1600/day? Then just stick to it and stay off the scale as much as possible. If your exercise level/amount is new to you, the scale will not 'catch up' to your deficits for a while, but you're making positive changes. Be patient and think long term! Good luck!

AmyFett

I lose slowly as well. 5 lbs in about 4 months. I assume they've checked your thyroid if you're seeing an endocrinologist ?

ErinBeth7

I am losing very slowly too. Like someone mentioned, try cutting out the processed foods (stuff in a box, frozen foods etc). Also, try zig-zagging your calories. Every day for a week eat a different amount of calories (within reason). Don't go lower than 1400. So one day eat 1600, the next day eat 1400, the next eat 1500, so on and so forth. I've heard people have success with this. I haven't looked at your diary, but if you're eating the same foods every week, then your body might be adjusting. Different foods help out greatly.

ddiestler

Thanks everyone for your comments and suggestions. I am making baby steps towards eating more "clean." my diet and eating habits have changed significantly over the last 2 years..I still do eat processed food which I am working on getting rid of. My ultimate goal is no prepackaged food but it's tough.

I LOVE going to the gym..I do HIIT workouts on both treadmill and spin bike..in addition, I enjoy elliptical, swimming, and just plain walking..I have to incorporate weights...not my fav:( I have been trained on the circuit weights so maybe I will commit to adding 2 days a week of that along with my cardio.

Given the fact I do workout 5 days a week..(4 very rarely) for at least an hour sometimes 1:30 I think it would be wise to bump up my calories.. I'm going to set MFP at 1500 which is 20% below my TDEE and see where that takes me.

Thanks again!

RuthieCass

Frankly, I doubt that you have been logging inaccurately. For example using quick added calories is a red flag for underestimating consumption. If you actually know the accurate nutritional info, you should be able to add it. If you're not sure, you probably should not be eating it. Also, not logging the entire day (I'm guessing you ate more calories on meals you didn't log). Have you been logging consistently the entire 2 yrs you've been dieting? We tend to remember out good days and forget our bad. Another example is supposedly eating 0.12 of a portion of Chili's chicken crispers (actually, if you really want to be accurate, avoid eating out at restaurants-- those calorie counts are notoriously inaccurate). Do you know what 1 oz of dressing looks like? Did YOU measure it or was it on the salad already (then it was probably more than you think)? Are you weighing the butter you've been adding to your meals? Etc.

Your weight is moving in the right direction, so you are at least eating less than you burn on average. But you may need to get a bit more disciplined if you want to lose faster (or even understand why you're not losing faster). Even if you don't feel you can stick to a more strict diet in terms of your goals, you should try to be more accurate with the logging. At least then you can see why you're not losing faster and where you can improve. Logging on MFP is not going to be that helpful if you're not honest and inaccurate.

ETA: I would also suggest increasing your protein to 100-130 g. This will help you retain muscle as you lose weight and help you with satiety. Good luck!

NikkiSixGuns

My vote also goes for eating less processed foods and varying/amping up the exercise routines.

Throw some challenging exercises in there. I read a neat quote on here a while back (wish I could remember who posted it - thanks to whomever it was!): If it doesn't FEEL hard, IT ISN'T.

Reverse lunges with a forward kick are awesome. So are mountain climbers and burpees.

Add more weight to your weight training! When I doubled the weight I was lifting I thought it was a ridiculous idea, until I saw how fast my arms toned up. Now I'm ready to up it again.

Good luck!

ddiestler

Wow, when I started my journey I was hugely addicted to food. When I look back and see how far I've come and the fitness level I'm at I am overall impressed.

We all make choices..good or bad..are ALL my food choices always the best..no, but who's is. I chose to continue to live life..If I can't go to a restaurant and enjoy a meal or make better choices whats the point. As far as going to chili's and eating 0.12 thats exactly what I did. I ordered a side salad with dressing on the side..I dip my fork sparingly in the dressing and consumed less than a 025 of the dressing. I ate one chicken crisper and 5 fries.

Yes, I measure my butter, olive oil, veggies, I've even gotten out the tape measure to measure the length of a banana. As far as quick add I couldn't find the brand I was eating but knew it was 120 calories..

as far as not logging..I dont always add to mfp that doesn't automatically mean I've ate too much.

as far as being inaccurate or not stict enough I find it offense and rude..I bust my *kitten* at the gym and am obsessed with calories and counting them...again, am I perfect, no.. I eat good 6 days a week allowing one day to go out..I still make better choices than I once did.

RuthieCass

Wow, when I started my journey I was hugely addicted to food. When I look back and see how far I've come and the fitness level I'm at I am overall impressed.

We all make choices..good or bad..are ALL my food choices always the best..no, but who's is. I chose to continue to live life..If I can't go to a restaurant and enjoy a meal or make better choices whats the point. As far as going to chili's and eating 0.12 thats exactly what I did. I ordered a side salad with dressing on the side..I dip my fork sparingly in the dressing and consumed less than a 025 of the dressing. I ate one chicken crisper and 5 fries.

Yes, I measure my butter, olive oil, veggies, I've even gotten out the tape measure to measure the length of a banana. As far as quick add I couldn't find the brand I was eating but knew it was 120 calories..

as far as not logging..I dont always add to mfp that doesn't automatically mean I've ate too much.

as far as being inaccurate or not stict enough I find it offense and rude..I bust my *kitten* at the gym and am obsessed with calories and counting them...again, am I perfect, no.. I eat good 6 days a week allowing one day to go out..I still make better choices than I once did.

Well, that's good that you have been working on improving your diet and health overall. However, the things I mentioned were common mistakes that people make. My impression was that you wanted some honest suggestion about why you might not be losing as quickly as expected, not just people that will tell you what you want to hear.

I think I was clear about weighing food vs measuring. This can make a big difference. Also, there's not much measuring you can do on food if you eat out. Maybe I do sound as if I'm judging you about what you choose to eat, but I'm not. I like eating out as well, but I've realized that it does take some control away from what I eat (as well as temptations). If I eat out a lot one week and don't lose as much as I planned, then I know what went wrong. If you want to continue with your current way, it's not going to bother me one bit. But you should realize those are part of the reason you're not losing as fast as you like.

Anyhow, the overall impression from your diary is that you do not have a good grasp on how much you're eating. You can claim that you never eat more calories on days/meals that you are not logging, etc., but I think anyone that uses MFP for food logging knows that is almost never true. Otherwise, what would be the point of logging at all? If you want to call me "offensive and rude" for pointing out the obvious, then so be it.