Getting Frustrated- help, suggestions, input needed!

mjkingsbury

Good Morning! Let me apoligize in advance for the length of this post...
I have never posted before seeking assistance- I always think I can figure it out but now I'm even more frustrated thatn I have been in awhile and am looking for any input to help. OK- quick rundown, I have always had to watch my weight- it runs in the family, and as long as I can remember, I have been aware of what I eat, frequently counting calories, trying programs, such as weight watchers, and even was taking weight loss medication at one point. I have been a member of MFP on and off for quite some time. Recently, I have been back and putting forth significnat effort. In the last couple months I have been bobbing back and forth with the same 5 pounds. I do not exercise but know I need to- I know there really is no excuse, but I work full time, am a full time student, take care of a household and have 2 kids- so I stay pretty busy and fairly sleep deprived. Last week my husband told me he wanted to loose 30 pounds- so we talked about various ways to make it easier. He decided that Slim Fast was the simplest way for him to go, so I figured, if he's going to do it, I'm going to do it with him- maybe the support will make it easier for me to stick too. It has. For the last week, I have stayed on plan- consuming my suggested calorie limit of 1200, sometimes 1300. I did slip up one night but for the most part I have been doing really well. An example menu is as follows: breakfast (about 6A)- Special K with skim milk, about 10A, a banana. For lunch a SF shake and some strawberries, about 3P a piece of fruit and some almonds, SF snack bar or pretzels and finally a dinner that may consist of a baked chicken thigh, some corn and 1/2 cup or rice-a-roni. I have upped my water intake and am trying to chew gum to keep me from "tasting" while cooking. My husband and I weighed this AM- after a week, he is down 7 pounds! I on the other hand am up 0.2! The only difference between what he has been doing and what I have been doing is: he is not consuming as much during the day- leaving out snacks, and he sleeps much of the day... but how can he possibly loose so much?! Last week, although I did pretty well, I stayed the same, I attributed no lose to my cycle, but this week? I just don't get it! Do I need to up may caloric intake maybe? Since I have been trying to stay at this number (1200) for so long?! I am going to make it a point to incorporate some kind of exercise a few times in the upcoming week, as I know that can't hurt- but I am desperately looking for any suggestions and/or advice! Sorry for the lengthy post, I wanted to ensure I covered all my bases! I am not giving up- I really want this, I just am feeling stuck. Thanks for any positive and healthy tips and/or criticism!

Arkhos

hello,

First of all 0.2 is not really a gain, you maintained. How is this food plan different from what you were doing before? You're including Slim Fast shakes? Obviously, exercise is the big answer for you, and along with the exercise you can increase your calories to 1400. Your profile shows you want to lose 70lbs? You should be dropping weight at 1200 calories. Are you accurately logging everything you eat, every day? How big was the 'slip up'?

megsmom2

Relax...patience. pay attention to your snacks and such....log accurately...and it will happen. Keep in mind that men lose weight differently than women do....usually faster. Not fair...lol! Hang in there, you can do this.

hsmaldo

A few things...based on the amount of weight you are trying to lose, I would say that yes, you need to up your calories. How tall are you? Maybe google BMR/TDEE. But I'm thinking 1500 (based on the limited info given) may be more realistic than 1200. But try to incorporate protein to help fill you up and more veg.

Try not to be frustrated by your hubby losing more/faster than you. It's just the way most men are and I'll admit I'm guilty of comparing myself to my hubby and it's just a set-up for frustration and failure!

As far as being too busy to exercise, I totally understand that...I work FT and am a mom of 2 kids too and there just are never enough hours in the day. However, I am able to take walks during my breaks/lunch at work. Find SOMETHING you can do during your breaks whether it's climbing a few flights of stairs or walking around your building/parking deck/block etc. It's SOMETHING and it will start adding up. But hang in there! It's tough, but it's worth it!

Friend me if you'd like!

mjkingsbury

Thanks for the input thus far- to answer a few of the questions- I have incorporated Slim Fast into my days, but typically it is just for lunch and maybe a snack. I have been pretty good in the past with watching my breakfasts- I was wondering, I wonder if my body has just gotten used to the calorie count? I know in the past I have slipped some on my documenting- but the last week I was really accurate. I am 5'7", and yes- I need (want) to loose about 70 pounds. My slip-up was 2 (yes-2) donuts; I knew I was setting myself up by saying I was going to have JUST 1... obviously I didn't listen... anyways- todays a new day and those donuts are outta the house! LOL- I thought about upping my caloric intake but when I put all my info into the calculator on MFP it recommends the 1200; maybe I'll try increasing it for a week and adding a bit of exercise and see what happens. Thanks for listening to my vent and all the help and input!

Francl27

Ditch the shakes. One a day is fine. But 1) it's not enough food, 2) it's not filling, 3) unless you want to drink shakes all your life, you're not learning good eating habits, 4) you'll just gain the weight back again, and probably more, because your metabolism will have slown down.

If you have 70lbs to lose, you should probably be eating 1600 calories a day... but if you've been eating 1200, your metabolism probably sucks now. Frankly, I'd eat 1800-2000 for a month. You'll probably gain, but then your metabolism will be better and you'll be able to lose on 1500.

The ONLY way MFP is telling you 1200 is if you're selecting the 'lose 2lb a week' setting. They say the 'lose 1lb a week' setting is recommended for a reason - so you don't starve yourself and binge on donuts.

birdgal

I agree, ditch the shakes and focus on lean protein and green veggies. Cut out some of the carbs, and limit fruit to two servings/day. Are you measuring and weighing your food? Exercise is really mandatory for sustained weight loss and maintenance.

mlogdog

If you can't exercise, just try to add more walking into your life. Park your car in the furthest spot when you go out shopping, take walks in the morning, at lunch, and after work. If you can do that, you'll be burning extra calories.

The rest is up to our vigorously you enter your meals on MFP. Account for everything. If you can keep up the walking and absolutely stick to your calorie goals, you won't be crossing your fingers when you step on the scale. You'll know how much you ate that week, you'll know how much you walked, and you won't have to "hope" to lose weight anymore. It will just be basic math.

Do not give up!

Mark