im having a nightmare losing weight and toning help!

shellinch

right guys i know you are all gunna shout at me to up my eating but both mine and my famillies matabolisms are messed up and all my familly suffer with over weight issues.

if i eat more than one meal a day i pile on the pounds! im very very active and i sprinted as a teenager for wales i was 10 stone after i binged over the summer and had a thing for takeaways and multipacks of crisps and chocolate. but i was still exercising and just put on muscle which is what my body does as i have a very athletic body where i have very strong thighs being able to lift more than my weight with my legs and i also ride horses so strong legs and core.

september i thought screw this as i was size12 and podgy and iv been eating about 500-1000 caleries or one meal a day.

iv lost 1 stone and now weighing 9st but i still want to lose another stone to be able to fit into size 8 as currently size 10 im also very small at 5ft2-3 so i know that ladies are meant to burn 2000 callories a day but surely as im smaller that amount should be lower anyway.

meals i eat are porridge, cerials like crunchy nut, egg noodles with sweet chili sauce (addicted to this lately), chicken, soup, coffee and tea with 1 sugar, bannana's.
weekends i normally have mcdonalds happy meal and some icecream or few slices of pizza as a treat.

my energy levels are great and i do between 30 atleast and at most 60 minutes of cardio atleast 5 times a week. but i can feel my muscles underneath my belly fat which iv always had this issue but cannot get the top layer of fat to shift.

im really worried to up my levels of food as il pile on the weight as i always do and my familly are the same as all my familly are above size 18 and all have health problems apart from my dad who used to do marathons. dads side are skinny and mums side are huuuuge!

my mums side of familly also hold our weight around the belly but mine is made up of muscle i am really muscly so i want to get less bulky if that is possible but also lose the top layer of fat. my tummy looks great inthe morning before the water kicks in and it goes that top layer of fat over the top. rather annoying lol

anyway sorry for the long message and i hope to make new friends and please i know i need to eat more but literally my whole familly pile on weight so easily

Oblivion13

It sounds like you are doing the right thing by staying active. I am not sure the advice I would give is right because it is hard to beat the metabolism. My only advice I would say is to drink plenty of water.

If you do up your food consumption then I would spread them out. When I had my kids I know I would eat 5-6 small meals a day, by doing that you always keep your body burning calories and your metabolism will stay going.

I'm sorry I couldnt be more of a help to you. Maybe if you go read some stories at get-thin-again.com you can find a better solution then what I am giving. I have found some real good diet plans over there. Theres even one that talks about foods you can eat that actually helps you burn faster.

shellinch

thankx oblivion13 really appreciate any advice so thankx allot for replying. our bodies are hard things to work out lol

xidia

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

Seriously - read it, follow it, and you'll do fine.

If you've been starving yourself for weeks or months then you will pile on pounds initially when you eat more as your body tries to guard against the next famine. Re-aligning your metabolism can take 4-6 months, but if you're consistent about eating a healthy amount of the right sort of food, it will happen.

darrensurrey

How much do you eat a day?

mikeschratz

I am not telling you what to do, I am telling you how it is.
Your metabolism isn't going to get any better if you don't start eating right. You are not eating enough to fuel your body!
To do the exercise you do, you need to eat more! You have to give it about 30 - 60 days of eating right for your body to get used to being fueled properly.
I ran your numbers and here is what I came up with.
"Mifflin-St Jeor
(FOR WOMEN)"
BMR 1,276
Maintenance 1,787
Cut (@ 15%) 1,519
Cut (@ 20%) 1,429
Build (@ 15%) 2,055

I hope that you consider this and what others are going to say about eating enough and healthy.
Good luck and congrats on asking the right questions!
If you would like a copy of the spreadsheet so you can educate yourself, message me and I will get you a copy!

2hobbit1

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

Seriously - read it, follow it, and you'll do fine.

If you've been starving yourself for weeks or months then you will pile on pounds initially when you eat more as your body tries to guard against the next famine. Re-aligning your metabolism can take 4-6 months, but if you're consistent about eating a healthy amount of the right sort of food, it will happen.

^^^^^^this^^^^^
Less is not more - understanding how hormones drive weight gain and how we fall into the must starve to lose weight trap is huge. Once you get your metabolism reset you will do fine. Be patient with your self follow the roadmap and it will happen.

hendinerik

Glad you posted on the forum! You can totally do this!
I am no expert but if you can make it through a few weeks eating "clean" I bet you will feel a whole lot better and see a difference from the cardio you already do. If you can focus on the healthy food you want to eat - like getting enough protein and fiber, and at least for a time lay off the pizza/etc, I think it will take you far.

I find having lots of little healthy meals can really help - believe it or not sometimes I have chicken breast with a banana for breakfast! and a mid morning plain greek yogurt with some fruit and nuts.

Your body needs fuel to burn stuff, and if you eat frequently you are less likely to starve.

Strength/resistance training can also go a long way in getting toned - I have been doing it since July and HUGE difference.

The above helped me lose over 25 pounds in six months and I have maintained that for several months now.

It may just be a matter of calories number-wise but to me health is more than that - and my guess is you are looking to not just lose weight but get toned and feel healthier.

Once you have a routine that better suits you, then one day of hearty eating will not throw you off in the same way.

Good luck!

briannadunn

I get where you are coming from, my family is right there with you, any thing over 2000 calories and we are packing the pounds..saying that spread your large 1 meal into 3 small meals throughout the day. You will notice a change. My Aunt has to eat 900 calories a day because she has the same problem as you, needs to eat barely anything to lose, she has a low thyroid but just like me the doctors will not put her on medication..you might want to get that checked out before anything else is done. Also, eat things that don't pack on the pounds, salads, beans, vegetables (nonstarchy)..it all helps and you will not have to worry about the weight gain and may actually lose...eat half of your calories in the morning, eat a big salad topped with veges for lunch and have your the other half of your calories for dinner and see what happens.

glennstoudt

Try substituting more nutrient dense foods for some of the simple carbohydrates you (may) eat regularly. The simple carbs are known to increase insulin and cause more fat storage. A no carb diet is very impractical but a reduction in the carbs you eat daily over time (and substituted with healthy fats and protein) should help to balance the fat burning and fat storage you are looking for. There is plenty written on the subject so good luck.

healthylife56

From experience of undereating, my advice is to eat eat eat!

Think about whether you can sustain your entire life at 500-1000 calories a day? Can you? No. Then don't eat that low to lose weight in the first place. Trust me, eating properly and exercising will lead to weight loss. It just takes time and maybe whole lot of time but you'll be so much better off in the end.

If you've been not eating and then do start eating, yes you'll gain some pounds but as your body adjusts, the weight WILL come off. It's all about Calories in vs calories out! But calories in have to be sustainable for your body. 500-1000 is not for any women.

I know I've said nothing new but I've gone through periods of undereating and it sucks. I gained everything back because I couldn't do it for the rest of my life. I wanted to eat everything in site after awhile (and that's what I did lol). This time around I'm taking it slow and steady.

Just have patience.

shellinch

thankx everyone if any one has any 1 wee eating plans and exercising plans for me that would be great. my main issue is i run my own business so keeping time to eat is a total nightmare! and i normally dont get chance to eat my main meal in evening until 8-9pm.

my normal day includes waking up not feeling hungry as morning i just cannot eat and if i do it will be porridge or bowl of cerial. then i literally work until 6-8pm and dont get chance to sit down or if i am sat down its onthe computer doing stock ordering. i run my own pet boutique and grooming salon so im always busy!

my little girl eats everything! and anything so its really hard to cook chicken nuggets or macaroni chees and hot dogs for her without eating then as if i start eating i binge badly! so thats why iv kinda stuck to one meal a day which is at night so i can stop myself from openingthe hole so to speak lol last week however i have been trying to have 2 bowls of cerial one for breakfast and one for lunch and then protein for dinner but finding time for breakfast and lunch is really difficult with running the business.

thank you guys so much for the advice!

darrensurrey

Don't worry if you can't eat every meal. As long as you eat at a reasonable (SMALL!) daily deficit you will lose weight without problems. Try to rush it or binge and you will experience problems sooner or later.

nhradeuce

i run my own business so keeping time to eat is a total nightmare!

Try not to take this the wrong way, but that is just an excuse for not doing what you have to do. Trust me, I know because it's the exact same excuse that I used to use. I own my own business as well and if I am not working, I am not getting paid.

It's just a matter of better time management. Keep a daily schedule and put EVERYTHING you need to do on it. EVERYTHING. Then stick to it. Make sure you put in time to eat several meals a day and for exercise. If you spend 3 hours a day eating and exercising that still leave you 8 hours for sleep and 13 hours for running your business. There are enough hours in the day if you plan ahead. Even with my crazy schedule I eat 4 times a day, play soccer 4-5 times per week and work out 5 days a week. It can be done if you really want to.

shellinch

well done for having time dunno how you do it lol
but literally i dont have time i have up to 25 dogs in a day to groom, then im up till about 12 ordering products and i have my little girl to sort out and my horses and i cant eat atleast 2 hours before exercising as i suffer really bad with indigestion so i cant do as good workout therwise lol and all the shop bought stuff tends to be so bad for you or you need to cook it and im not a fan of salads i like warm foods lol. i run such a physical job i literally cannot settle to eat its a proper pain inthe *kitten* lol im so good at my job that everyone wants my attention and the room is so full of dog hair an other lovely stuff last thing i wanna do is a dog anal glands then eat even when iv washed my hands 5 times lol but yeah i do know i need to make time so hopefully with my new shop and new staff i might start to get some time to myself lol

briannadunn

thankx everyone if any one has any 1 wee eating plans and exercising plans for me that would be great. my main issue is i run my own business so keeping time to eat is a total nightmare! and i normally dont get chance to eat my main meal in evening until 8-9pm.

my normal day includes waking up not feeling hungry as morning i just cannot eat and if i do it will be porridge or bowl of cerial. then i literally work until 6-8pm and dont get chance to sit down or if i am sat down its onthe computer doing stock ordering. i run my own pet boutique and grooming salon so im always busy!

my little girl eats everything! and anything so its really hard to cook chicken nuggets or macaroni chees and hot dogs for her without eating then as if i start eating i binge badly! so thats why iv kinda stuck to one meal a day which is at night so i can stop myself from openingthe hole so to speak lol last week however i have been trying to have 2 bowls of cerial one for breakfast and one for lunch and then protein for dinner but finding time for breakfast and lunch is really difficult with running the business.

thank you guys so much for the advice!

I run and own a grooming/training/ and boarding kennel and manage to Homeschool 4 kids and have a 9 month old and own farm animals and exercise an hour a day. I completely understand where you are coming from. It isn't easy finding time in the day to do things some days, but you have to make time for your health. Cut down on your Gym time and eat something. How do you manage to groom 25 dogs??? I Groom 5-6 dogs and it takes most of my day and that is moving non stop, I don't have a bather or cage dryer though so everything is by hand. It sounds like you need staff and yes you will have more time to yourself.

shellinch

thankx everyone if any one has any 1 wee eating plans and exercising plans for me that would be great. my main issue is i run my own business so keeping time to eat is a total nightmare! and i normally dont get chance to eat my main meal in evening until 8-9pm.

my normal day includes waking up not feeling hungry as morning i just cannot eat and if i do it will be porridge or bowl of cerial. then i literally work until 6-8pm and dont get chance to sit down or if i am sat down its onthe computer doing stock ordering. i run my own pet boutique and grooming salon so im always busy!

my little girl eats everything! and anything so its really hard to cook chicken nuggets or macaroni chees and hot dogs for her without eating then as if i start eating i binge badly! so thats why iv kinda stuck to one meal a day which is at night so i can stop myself from openingthe hole so to speak lol last week however i have been trying to have 2 bowls of cerial one for breakfast and one for lunch and then protein for dinner but finding time for breakfast and lunch is really difficult with running the business.

thank you guys so much for the advice!

I run and own a grooming/training/ and boarding kennel and manage to Homeschool 4 kids and have a 9 month old and own farm animals and exercise an hour a day. I completely understand where you are coming from. It isn't easy finding time in the day to do things some days, but you have to make time for your health. Cut down on your Gym time and eat something. How do you manage to groom 25 dogs??? I Groom 5-6 dogs and it takes most of my day and that is moving non stop, I don't have a bather or cage dryer though so everything is by hand. It sounds like you need staff and yes you will have more time to yourself.

haha thank you i also hand dry but my blaster dryer is my best friend lol and i have washer/dryer staff i dont dont trust anyone to do the final cut so thats where im so busy. hard work our jobs arnt they lol i wouldnt be so picky if it wasnt my main income as one day i will own my own livery stables lol as i love ebing inthe outdoors more than anything lol

Helloitsdan

thankx everyone if any one has any 1 wee eating plans and exercising plans for me that would be great. my main issue is i run my own business so keeping time to eat is a total nightmare! and i normally dont get chance to eat my main meal in evening until 8-9pm.

my normal day includes waking up not feeling hungry as morning i just cannot eat and if i do it will be porridge or bowl of cerial. then i literally work until 6-8pm and dont get chance to sit down or if i am sat down its onthe computer doing stock ordering. i run my own pet boutique and grooming salon so im always busy!

my little girl eats everything! and anything so its really hard to cook chicken nuggets or macaroni chees and hot dogs for her without eating then as if i start eating i binge badly! so thats why iv kinda stuck to one meal a day which is at night so i can stop myself from openingthe hole so to speak lol last week however i have been trying to have 2 bowls of cerial one for breakfast and one for lunch and then protein for dinner but finding time for breakfast and lunch is really difficult with running the business.

thank you guys so much for the advice!

What a load.
You cant give 30mins-1 hour 3x a week to work out?
Thats 90mins-3hours a week.
/out of 168hours you cant give 90mins-3hours?!?!?
You cant make good decisions to eat right 70% of the time?
Eat right!
Lift weights!
Walk!
Drink water!
Sleep!
Repeat!


Come back when you are ready for this.

xidia

It sounds like you need to reevaluate your life and your priorities, then start living by them.

You want to be healthier? Great! Do you want it more than your business?

More to the point, though, it isn't either/or. You need to work out how much of your life you want to spend in each area (you, your job, your home life, anything else that is important to you) and then make it happen. It sounds like you need time management help more than you need diet advice, to be honest. You knew when you posted the answers would be to eat more - so why post? If you're looking for validation of your choices, you won't find it on MFP, because this site is about health and fitness and that's not your lifestyle right now. If you're looking for ways to change your lifestyle to be more healthy, you'll find endless support as long as you're willing to do the work and make the changes. We can't do that for you!

Yes, this is a bit of tough love. I'll make no apology for that.

stardancer7

"my little girl eats everything! and anything so its really hard to cook chicken nuggets or macaroni chees and hot dogs for her without eating then as if i start eating i binge badly! so thats why iv kinda stuck to one meal a day which is at night so i can stop myself from openingthe hole so to speak lol last week however i have been trying to have 2 bowls of cerial one for breakfast and one for lunch and then protein for dinner but finding time for breakfast and lunch is really difficult with running the business. "

One thing you might want to do, since your little girl eats everything and anything is to provide her with healthy choices that don't trigger your binges. That's a win/win.

shellinch

any nasty comments will just be ignored and go strait over my head as thats the type of person i am so if you havnt got anything nice to say dont be apart of this community thats meant to help each other as you really think making someone feel horrible is a way to get through to someone? i think not!

but seriously dude this website is meant to make people happy and your meant to support each other so maybe you should rethink your blunt comments as saying anything that blunt could push someone over the edge who is maybe not so strong a personality and thats dangerous and stupid to say the least. either learn to say things nicely or dont say them at all! simples! there is no need to be so nasty or judgemental. if you cant say anything nice do not say it! please as you never know who may be at the end of a computer and take it the wrong way. i have first hand experience of someone saying somthing nasty to someone and that caused a close friend to no longer be with me. you mak no apology well bad on you! maybe some advice for you learn to apologise and be nice rather than judgmental!

and to answer the quetion about my little girl she eats super healthy but she eats lots of carbs something i cant have too much off soit can only take a peice of white toast to set me off with jam lol i love sweet and salty foods if she is eating salty things though normally the olives get cracked open to reduce my cravings lol

and yes i do need to make more time for myself i have said that is my downfall no need to be so rude! if you cant be nice then dont speak! simples!