I reeally need help, but HI :)

cinthyathreeohfive

I'm Cinthya, I'm 22 and I'm desperate to get out of this weight rut I'm in. I had a baby October 2012 via c-section and I've heard horror stories about how no matter how hard I try, my tummy will never be flat. Currently I'm 166 lbs, my goal weight is 125. I've been counting calories like crazy and drinking nothing but water, but my weight stays the same. I'm hoping to join a gym soon and find something that will help me out. Good luck to everyone

Quadzilla4425

Welcome and joining here is a great start. Diet is sadly everything and we all hate that part lol but try and make it exciting so you actually look forward to your daily diet. Set lots of small daily goals to keep you motivated and I'm sure you will make your goal.

chaaalgeo

maybe you are not eating enough i know it sounds daft but your body may have gone into starvation mode i am 160 and eat approx 1500 a day and i am losing more now than i did eating 1200

cinthyathreeohfive

Thank you Quadzilla!

Chaaalgeo, sooo do you think I should up my calories?

tempted2touch

I don't know if I'm the best person to offer advice on this but here goes. I had a c-section 6 years ago and I also heard the horror stories about not getting my flat belly back! I wasn't exercising and I still ate like I was pregnant so I never saw my flat belly again until recently LOL One day I looked in the mirror and was disgusted by what I say. 10 weeks ago I decided to change how I ate and 3 weeks ago I joined a gym and I have lost a total of 12 lbs so far. my stomach looks the best it has ever looked since I had my daughter. Its not completely flat (like there is no 6 pack or anything) but its getting there. I read about foods I should avoid eating and foods I should eat to get rid of belly fat. I also take zumba and kickboxing classes which seems to be really helping with the toning of my belly. Good luck and if you find the instance secret to a flat stomach short of lipo (cause I can't afford it) please let me know

paxbfl

First of all, don't listen to anyone who tells you that you can't do it. My wife had two kids and she looks awesome. I'm not going to promise your body will look exactly like it did before your pregnancy but you can look amazing. So put that negativity aside and just do it.

To give you help, we need more information. Do you know your BMR and TDEE? If not, try this calculator:

http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

If you eat fewer calories than you burn, you WILL lose weight. That is a FACT.

How many calories are you eating each day? Are you sure that's accurate? Measure and count things out. You may be eating more than you think. Most people underestimate their calories. I definitely did.

Diet is #1 but exercise helps a lot. It burns calories, boosts your metabolism, builds muscle (which helps increase your metabolism further), helps you tone up and makes you feel strong and energized. Just to give you an idea, I aim for a 500 calorie burn every day (6 days a week). That's made a big difference for me.

As long as you're eating over your BMR (and over 1200 calories), you probably don't need to eat back your exercise calories. MFP will add your exercise calories in and say you have XXX calories remaining, but ignore this and stick to your original exercise goal.

Hope this helps!

andrederosier

Hi, I just joined recently too and 1 thing I am finding out is that calories don't matter that much. Before here I thought I was eating healthier and I was eating less calories but nothing was moving much. I started tracking here and was surprised at how much sodium I was getting (hate salt and never use it) because it is 'hidden' in so much low calorie stuff. Sodium helps you retain water which is a big component of your body weight. Fat free cheese=extra sodium. Nice lean chicken find out injected with salt water. Ate salads using low calorie dressing only 20 calories for 2 TBSPs and each serving over 500mg of sodium. So far tracking I have no problem being under in calories and usually half my allowed fat but struggle to meet the sodium tracking. It was eye opening when I focused on the nutrients I should be getting instead of having calorie 'blinders' on.

Now lost little over 2 lbs. in 3 weeks just by switching to as many lower sodium options in my diet. Nice to be off plateau again.

cinthyathreeohfive

Thank you so much everybody! I guess I do need to stop stressing over calories so much. Joining the gym this weekend and seriously thinking about doing the Zumba classes. I dance salsa, hopefully this wont kill me. Again thanks so much for your awesome advice, feel free to add me! I need more friends and support