ugggg.. can't lose weight. now trying no carbs..

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TeacherTurnedNurse
TeacherTurnedNurse Posts: 15 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I can't seem to lose any kind of weight. i've been trying with very few falls off the wagon since the middle of January. i keep losing and regaining the same pound or two it seems.. i've been following the "road map" way.. at first i was eating too few calories, i ate more.. nothing has worked. I thought it was working at times and saw some slightly smaller numbers on the scale.. but I was so sad that after eating whatever for a few days.. basically just not tracking and going a bit over, but now 23094 calories or anything... i went to my dr this week when i hadn't been there since January and when i was weighed they said "Stayed the same!" as if that was a good thing.. ;(

So this no carb thing was suggested.. it's ok most of the time.. i guess.. but i think i'm going through carb withdrawal...

my doctor did order blood tests and i have to go get it drawn.. tomorrow morning.. but i don't have any other symptoms of a thyroid problem..

my body is just 'broken".. ;(

sorry.. needed to have a pity party for a few minutes.
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Replies

  • abrodniak
    abrodniak Posts: 47 Member
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    Try counting calories and fat grams. At first it may be hard to get the two counts in sync, but I have found that counting both has worked much better for me. I hope you find what works for you. I understand the frustration. If you need a new friend feel free to add me. :smile:
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
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    how much do you eat? Are you tracking everything? How active are you?
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
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    Please do not try "no carb." Try low carb, if you must, but low carb would basically be a caricature of Atkins, where you eat nothing but meat. Not the most nutritious diet.
  • TeacherTurnedNurse
    TeacherTurnedNurse Posts: 15 Member
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    i've been tracking everything.. i quit for like a week but i was for months and i'm back at it now.. eating around 1200-1500... started at 1200 .. upped it to 1500 when i was told to eat more.. i am moderately active.. gym like 3x per week for an hour. i'd say.. i was working out almost daily.. but have backed off a bit.. right around the 'eat more' happened since i found eating back gym calories plus the original was sometimes hard for me..
  • TeacherTurnedNurse
    TeacherTurnedNurse Posts: 15 Member
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    you can look at my diary and see what i've had today.. i'm at like 25g of carbs today... started yesterday (after i had already had a banana and twizzlers) so i was just over 100g of carbs yesterday...
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
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    i've been tracking everything.. i quit for like a week but i was for months and i'm back at it now.. eating around 1200-1500... started at 1200 .. upped it to 1500 when i was told to eat more.. i am moderately active.. gym like 3x per week for an hour. i'd say.. i was working out almost daily.. but have backed off a bit.. right around the 'eat more' happened since i found eating back gym calories plus the original was sometimes hard for me..

    So, 1500 is a deficit from your TDEE? I eat at a 12% deficit from moderately active and it is 1850 per day (similar time in the gym as you). If it is based on your TDEE, do not eat back exercise calories because they are already factored into your daily gross calories.

    I would not do a no carb or even really low carb diet. We are supposed to be learning to eat right for the rest of our lives, right? Will you be able to maintain that forever? I wouldn't. So, I eat whatever I like in moderation and within my caloric goal. I try to meet 125 grams of protein each day (don't always make it, but always average out by the end of a week), and keep carbs to unprocessed carbs - fruit, vegetable, potatoes (but, the bag of chips and cookies do seem to get in there too!). I try to keep carbs around 125 - 150 per day, but do not really focus on them so much.

    Finally, give it some time. Weight loss is not linear - I tend to see a "stall" for a few weeks then a drop of 2-4 pounds all at once.
  • cindyhoney2
    cindyhoney2 Posts: 603 Member
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    If you normally eat the 'high carb' foods like white potatoes, rice, bread, pasta I suggest cutting your carbs down. I have done Atkins and it is not the healthiest way to eat and your long term goal is to eat better so you keep the weight off...right? I still don't eat rice or pasta, they were never my favorites, I will have a sweet potato, whole grain bread or wrap or something else that has benefits to my body other than just filling my stomach and to do that you can't stay at 20 carbs a day especially if you workout (you won't have any energy). If that's you in the photo I don't see how you could possibly need to lose weight but everyone needs to feel comfortable in their own skin I guess. Oh and lift some weights, build some muscle, don't just do cardio. Muscle burns fat faster.
  • kaylindeschanel
    kaylindeschanel Posts: 105 Member
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    I would suggest reducing your fat intake.
    Reducing carbs helps - because I'm in the same situation as you - but whole grains do more good than harm. The only carbs you really have to stay away from are sugars and simple carbohydrates.

    You have to fill up on fiber and protein - those keep you full for longer so you won't feel the incentive to eat more. And the common sugars found in carbohydrates are the taboo - stay away from simple sugars and you're good. These simple sugars spike insulin levels and trigger hunger.

    Bottom line: increase fiber and protein --> eat less = healthier diet + [hopefully] declining weight.
  • TeacherTurnedNurse
    TeacherTurnedNurse Posts: 15 Member
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    it's me in the pic.. i'm 5'6 and about 158lbs. My goal is 138lbs. i have been there before and feel great at that weight. i have lost weight before just cutting calories but this time it isn't working for some reason. AT. ALL.
    That being said i think i'm going to just keep my carbs to under 100g/day... less if i can, but not sooo restrictive. I was feeling very jittery and just "off" so i just ate an apple. my body isn't loving this extreme low carb idea. ;( but i just want something to work. ugh.
  • KenosFeoh
    KenosFeoh Posts: 1,837 Member
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    O.k., well, looking at your diary, you don't track at all on some days, and I'm assuming those are not fasting days. Also sodium appears to have a tendency to be high.

    I don't track at all for days at a time, though I try to keep sane eating habits. I realized that I really can't complain about not losing weight because I don't have specific records to prove that I've been eating within my calorie budget. Considering that I keep gaining and losing the same 2 pounds in recent months, I have to conclude that I'm eating at maintenance on average.

    Of course I don't know about you. Maybe you weigh and measure everything and keep a hand-written record? Or you have a log at some other site?

    But if you're not being specific about your portions (guess-timating is notoriously inaccurate), you're probably under-estimating the number of calories that you're eating.
  • TeacherTurnedNurse
    TeacherTurnedNurse Posts: 15 Member
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    as i said.. i fell off the wagon for a bit recently since it's been so crappy.. but really i've never had an issue losing weight before.. with doing the exact same thing.. actually less, i never exercised before.. and this time it isn't working. f you look back to say, february.. you will see how consistant i was.. and i still didn't really have any results then either.

    it's ok, you don't have to believe me.. i'm just venting.. and upset. so.. it is what it is. i
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,701 Member
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    I can't seem to lose any kind of weight. i've been trying with very few falls off the wagon since the middle of January. i keep losing and regaining the same pound or two it seems.. i've been following the "road map" way.. at first i was eating too few calories, i ate more.. nothing has worked. I thought it was working at times and saw some slightly smaller numbers on the scale.. but I was so sad that after eating whatever for a few days.. basically just not tracking and going a bit over, but now 23094 calories or anything... i went to my dr this week when i hadn't been there since January and when i was weighed they said "Stayed the same!" as if that was a good thing.. ;(

    So this no carb thing was suggested.. it's ok most of the time.. i guess.. but i think i'm going through carb withdrawal...

    my doctor did order blood tests and i have to go get it drawn.. tomorrow morning.. but i don't have any other symptoms of a thyroid problem..

    my body is just 'broken".. ;(

    sorry.. needed to have a pity party for a few minutes.
    I'll take a stab at this: I'm guessing you don't sleep much.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • nicoleknapp754
    nicoleknapp754 Posts: 53
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    Well...first of all ...it is impossible to go NO carb as fruit and vegetables all have carbs.. I am guessing your issue is portion sizes..I would get a scale and a measuring cup and start measuring your portions and logging them every day. You are probably underestimating what you are eating. Also perhaps cut your meat portion sizes and/or substitute other protein with less fat . It is easy to eat way more fat than necessary. Good Luck !
  • TeacherTurnedNurse
    TeacherTurnedNurse Posts: 15 Member
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    i sleep at least 7-8 hours a night usually.. sigh.
  • Proyecto_AN
    Proyecto_AN Posts: 387
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    Hydration and sleep.
  • Briargrey
    Briargrey Posts: 498 Member
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    I log everything I put in my mouth. Slice a sliver of cheese off and eat it while prepping dinner? On the log it goes. I track it on MFP and also in a notebook. The notebook I also track times I ate each thing and anything else like if I got a migraine or had a light headache or something else -- since I periodically have migraines, I figured it would be another tool to help me figure out if there were a food connection. I carry the notebook with me everywhere, so I can log my food immediately, and then I can get to a computer and put it into MFP so I can look at calorie intake.

    With that, I'm looking at keeping fat around the recommended, keeping carbs at or under, sodium under. For sugars, if I'm eating a lot of fresh fruit, then I'm more forgiving if I go a bit over. I don't want to go over if it's from anything other than fresh fruit or vegetables!

    Atkins--don't do it. I lost 90 pounds on it, plateaued at 200 pounds, and then started to gain back. I tried it a second time and it didn't work at all. I think I lost weight the first time just out of sheer motivation and nothing to do with Atkins. And I felt TERRIBLE on Atkins -- no carbs/extremely low carbs = license to eat crap that is not only really bad for you without moderation but also can keep you addicted to wanting fatty foods instead of adjusting your taste buds to enjoy natural foods.

    Now, you only have about 20 pounds you want to lose -- that's going to go way slower, starting at 158, then say me, who started at 291! I have so much to lose that 20 pounds is a drop in the bucket and I kicked that off in 6 weeks, but I also know that my body is evening out to the healthier 1-2 pounds per week loss. Also, some weeks I won't lose at all. For you, you may have several weeks with no discernible loss. That's okay! Keep at it consistently, eat healthier, fresher, and exercise, and find a good calorie range for you. I don't do TDEE or any of that -- I plugged in what I wanted to lose (2 lbs per week) and MFP set me at 1360 calories per day. If I want more, I exercise. That may not work for you - you may need to figure out the whole TDEE stuff.

    Bottom line though - don't get discouraged! Log every day and overstate it rather than understate it so you aren't hiding calories from yourself. The goal is to get healthier and feel better, so don't look at just the scale for your results. Take measurements and think about how you feel. You can do this! Hook up with some people here going through similar things (or who have gone through them) and get a motivational team going for you :)
  • karivarner
    karivarner Posts: 17
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    If you are going to go low carb/no carb you are going to need resources.
    Low carb does NOT mean no veggies, or fruit or grains. Only those who have no clue say that.
    There are many low carb, no carb, paleo & keto blogs, books & sites out there.

    I have chosen a low carb lifestyle & it works well for my energy level, my health & my weight loss.
    But I did all the research first.

    I suggest you google keto diet, or by the Atkins book before you take off on this path.
    There are also Keto, paleo & low carb groups on here.

    Best of luck to you.
  • ronrstaats
    ronrstaats Posts: 294 Member
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    I suggest if you are serious about doing "LOW" carb is to do research on it (Google is your friend), join Facebook groups that deal with low carb, read The Adkins 72 induction book...

    I am coming up on my two year low carb anniversary (with one year of that being on maintenance) and my suggestions are what I did. (and none of my organs have exploded)
  • Dunkirk
    Dunkirk Posts: 465 Member
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    One thing that stalled my weight loss was not weighing fruit. What I considered an average size piece of fruit (maybe fruit is bigger in Australia) was grossly underestimated. I was eating 300 to 600 more calories by logging medium fruit, rather that logging it by weight. Same applies to nuts.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,701 Member
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    i sleep at least 7-8 hours a night usually.. sigh.
    Okay, then it's apparent that AGE has caught up with you and dieting alone isn't going to do it anymore. As you age, your metabolism slows down. Not to mention that dieting alone to lose weight reduces lean muscle to a higher extent and reduces your metabolism even more.
    It's time to start exercising.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

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