I need help! Please! What am I doing wrong?

My first thought is you need to eat more. I am allotted 1600 and I'm under 200 lbs. I also eat more on workout days. Although, I've been struggling to lose too -

Get a HRM. I find that MFP overestimates my calories burned by A LOT on all my workouts. Second, incorporate weights 3x a week and cardio 3x a week into your workouts. Cardio alone won’t cut it. If you have been doing the same thing over and over eventually it will stop working. You need different types of cardio so get creative. 3rd Look into HIIT or ladders as well. You can read about them online. 4th make sure you are tracking everything accurately. With these equations, you should be loosing. Try investing in a scale for your food. 5th think about a body fat tester and a measuring tape instead of a scale. Those are more accurate.

These are just some ideas but really play around with them and see where you go. If I were you I wouldn’t eat more though. 1800 is pretty good. I might even go down 100 calories to play with it and see what my body does. It is calories in vs. calories burnt. Something isn’t mathematically adding up here.

Work out your BMR eat less than that, you will lose weight

I've been having the same problem since March. Last summer I was able to lose 20 pounds (which I've since gained completely back) through lots and lots of exercise (700+ calories burned every day for months).

My personal problem is that my ideal diet and activity level don't match my lifestyle. I need a ton of exercise. 20 - 30 minutes isn't enough for me. Try adding a little bit extra to the aerobics and you may see some more loss. Just don't go crazy and do too much and hurt yourself (like I tend to do )

Your age could be a factor, 36 isn't old, but metabolism starts going downhill in the 20s. You may need to just keep at it a bit longer before you see more results.

The obvious could be food. A lot of the entries on here (especially for homemade food) aren't correct so it's best to double check elsewhere as you could be eating more than you think. Also are you measuring everything out or just guesstimating? When I started actually measuring things out I realized I was that I was eating a lot more than I thought I was, and therefore going over on calories more often than not.

One thing you can try is more, smaller meals throughout the day. You seem to stick to a more traditional eating schedule according to your diary. It's a little more to keep up with, but eating small amounts at the first sign of hunger really helps me with not eating a lot during mealtimes and it supposed keeps metabolism up.

It's really important to remember that food is not the enemy. Food is simply fuel for your body. If you don't have enough fuel, you will feel yucky and your weight loss will slow down. I wouldn't go lower than 1800 calories. You wouldn't have any energy and you'd be STARVING! I read the post about the heart rate monitor. That's a pretty good idea, and I might end up getting one myself. I see a lot of people posting that MFP overestimates how many calories we're burning. Maybe try to vary your workouts. Whatever you do, DON"T GIVE UP! We all hit that wall, and the only way to reach your goal is to knock the stinking wall down or climb over it. You can do it!

Since it seems like you haven't been following MFP's guidelines for very long, the logical place to start would be to do that. So, eat your 1800. Then eat some or all of your exercise calories. A lot of people find the exercise calorie estimates to be high and will eat only 50-75% of their cals back, while others find it works to eat 100%. You should be eating at least some of them back. I would say 500 for only 20-30 minutes of aerobics seems high, but at your current weight it could be fairly accurate. I would personally probably eat around 300 of those. Try that for four weeks to get an accurate gauge of whether it's working. One or two weeks is not enough time to measure how a change is working.

I'm having the same issue. My first week of 1200 calories and exercise I lost almost 6 lbs, now today I weigh myself and gained 4lbs even though I'm still following the 1200 calories and exercising - I take a 60 min zumba class 3 - 4 times per week. It is frustrating but I'm not going to give up.

try taking your measurements as well. you may be exchanging fat for muscle, yet toning, I watch my carbs as well. good luck, no matter what-- it is a day to day mindful effort,

hi......what about your sodium level. Several times you had Pringles...and you had Chili's several times. I know for me, if I eat potato chips, even a small amount.....I gain weight.

You don't seem to be drinking enough water? If you start exercise your body is likely to retain water, Untill
Your muscle are used to working out! When you consider how much of the body is made up of water
You need to drink this stuff, if your properly hydrated you can work out more effectively
And your body won't retain it! Also you cant skip breakfast it boost your metabolism after sleep!
Eat breakfast like a king, lunch of a queen and dinner like a pauper! Stick with it, you have lost and ur body my
Just be adjusting, as frustrating as this is, by eating healthy you will get threw this! For me I was
So impatient I thought the weight would drop
Off, despite the 20 off years it took me to gain it, when I stopped stressing and reliased weightloss was a marathon not a sprint
I relaxed and enjoyed it, I am not dieting just choosing to eat better meal by
Meal and day by day, I also choose to have a "binge" once a month, it's not that I have fallen off the diet but made the choice!
Good luck you will get there

Hey girl, Several thing could be going on. First, our bodies are amazing in its ability to adapt. You may need to change up your exercise. 2 months doing the same class for the same 20 -30 min, you'll hit a plateau. Your body may need a shock to the system. Instead try zumba or perhaps a recumbent bike, walking. Just whatever you enjoy that is different from what you are now doing. Also maybe try doing 45 minutes or two 20 min. sessions. Basically just shake things up. 1800 is fine but keep in mind skipping meals causes your body to store fat. Small meals throughout the day are best . Another tip I give my clients is to put lots of raw food into your diet. Our bodies have to work harder to break down those foods. I like to put flax seeds in my yogurt or oatmeal in the mornings. Nuts, fruit, raw veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers etc..) The goal wouldn't be to only eat those thongs but to pair your foods with something your body must break down at every meal. I have been a trainer for 8 years, and trust me there are so many people who have the same problem. The main reasons people quit trying is- no results, lack of motivation, and time. Don't be discouraged this is a normal hiccup on your road to good health. Be proud of yourself. 13 pounds is an awesome accomplishment. Switch up that exercise routine and enjoy getting off the next 13:) Good Luck.

I'm not going to get on here and harp on you about the type of foods you eat because personally I have lost 75 pounds ( a lot before MFP) and have eaten pretty much anything I wanted. I will say that I have done aerobics and ran for years at different weights and 500 calories for 20-30 minutes of aerobics is WAY overestimating what you are burning. I would bet you are burning closer to 200. (I am also a group fitness instructor and know how many calories people burn in my classes.) If at all possible get you a HR monitor ASAP...good luck and keep trucking along..you CAN do this!

I'm not going to get on here and harp on you about the type of foods you eat because personally I have lost 75 pounds ( a lot before MFP) and have eaten pretty much anything I wanted. I will say that I have done aerobics and ran for years at different weights and 500 calories for 20-30 minutes of aerobics is WAY overestimating what you are burning. I would bet you are burning closer to 200. (I am also a group fitness instructor and know how many calories people burn in my classes.) If at all possible get you a HR monitor ASAP...good luck and keep trucking along..you CAN do this!

This ^^^, and meanwhile, eat less, work more.