I need help! Please! What am I doing wrong?
Replies
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As others have said, you could try eating better. All the fast food and takeout is high in sodium which may be causing a problem.
However I think you may be eating too litte-- try this reading
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing
If you go on a daily 30 minute walk, Scooby's calorie calculator says you need 2282 calories a day in order to lose weight (and 2853 to stay at your current weight). Maybe it sounds high, but 2282 calories/day will supposedly lose you 60 pounds in a year at that rate (it will shift as you lose weight, recalculate every 10 lbs or so.)
The calorie counter is here
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
Good luck...0 -
Work out your BMR eat less than that, you will lose weight
Do not do this.0 -
Though I'm no expert, I think the people who are saying 'eat healthier/whole foods' are probably correct.
If I may make one suggestion though, it would be to make changes GRADUALLY.
There's no need to immediately cut the foods you're used to eating. If the goal is to lower fat or sodium, see if you can do it over the course of several months. That way, your body will have time to adjust and your cravings will have less power over your decisions.
I have no health background...just my 0.02 cents.0 -
So if my calorie goal is to eat 1800 and I burn 500 with exercise that give me a net of 1300. Do I need to make my NET 1800 or just my food? I am so confused. Sorry, I'm such a noob, but I'm trying really hard. I am trying to not get discouraged. It is especially frustrating when my friend is eating everything in sight and losing 2-4 lbs per week! Haha!
Well if your calorie alottment BEFORE exercise is 1800 and then you exercise a 500 cal burn and you eat them back, you are actually taking in 2300 cals a day minus the 500 cal = 1800 net. As opposed to if your gross intake is 1800 minus 500 exercise cals = 1300 net unless you eat them back which puts you back at 1800 net. Everyone's body responds differently and with exercise I usually get an allowance for 1600 to 1800 cals (sometimes more on a heavy exercise day). I never eat them all back and I feel fine no matter who says I shouldn't do that and according to my measurements today I've lost quite a few inches in several places in addition to pounds. I find that if I eat much more than 1400 calories or so, even if the calculator says I can, I stop losing and sometimes even gain a pound or two back. That's just how my body works. I don't claim to be an expert, but I just experimented until I found the level that works with my particular metabolism and body factors without causing undue hunger, sickness, dizziness, fatigue, etc. I would recommend that you do the same and eat at a certain level for a week or so and see what happens. If it works, stick with it. If it doesn't tweak something else and try again. I got off my latest plateau for instance by cutting my sodium allowance to 1500 (per Mayo Clinic recommendations) instead of the 2500 that MFP allows and eliminating added salt to most recipes (except baking), using unsalted butter and choosing low sodium ingredients when I go shopping whenever available. So I hope that helps and gives you some ideas of what to try next.0 -
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 know this sounds basic, but I agree that FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS really helps.
When they give you 1800 calories, that means you should net 1800 calories.
You can think about that two ways: what you eat minus your exercise calories should be 1800. OR, be lazy and skip the math. It automatically adds your exercise calories to your allotted calories and that's how many calories you should eat for the day.
That's how the site is set up. As a baseline, on average, it works well.
You should also look at where your calories are coming from and eat as healthy as possible. That means good healthy, nutritious choices so you get your nutrition with those calories.
I also, as someone older than you, also find lowering my carbs A LITTLE (I try for 40% but always achieve under 50%) really helps me a lot. It also makes it way easier to keep my calories low because things with lots of simple carbs (sugar, white flour, bread, pasta, cookies) also have a ton of calories. Dropping my carbs a little makes it easier to stay under my calories and also seems to help me avoid insulin spikes, which aren't great for you long term. If your older or have been overweight for a while, that is particularly important.
IF THAT DOESN'T WORK FOR A MONTH then I would think about changing your calories.
Personally, I find it more accurate to list myself as sedentary and log all my exercise than to guess my exercise level and then not make it.0 -
I am new here, but have tried every diet, exercise, whatever program over a few decades.
I looked at a few days of your diary and wow, you are eating the wrong foods. You won't lose weight with fast food, fried food, even if it adds up to 1800 calories. You need healthy, fresh, and..uh oh she's going there..home cooked food.
Now it gets worse: this is the most success I have had with an eating regimen, 3 months ago I went totally vegan. No animal products whatsoever, no eggs, dairy, meat, fish, chicken. Tried it just as a 3 month experiment, 20 lbs later, I won't go back.
My nutritionist helped me set the goals as 140 carbs/day, 50 grams protein (non-animal), 57 grams of fat (6 of those saturated).
1400 calories. 1.5 lbs a week lost with light exercise.0 -
Got the HRM..Just have to figure out how to work the thing now. How accurate are these things anyway?0
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is it possible you take snacks with instead of eating out? one thing I know that has helped me is that I carry my snacks and breakfast ( usually a cheese stick, a yogurt, a banana etc. something easy to throw in my bag). I find i don't feel the desire to eat out this way. Number one rule when eating out automatically put half the plate in a to go box. Number 2 all dressing, mayonaise etc. on the side. this has helped me I hope it works for you. PS I work crazy hours and sometimes must eat out.0
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Work out your BMR eat less than that, you will lose weight
Actually, you should NEVER eat less than your BMR. That's the number your body needs to survive. Eating less than your BMR will result in nutritional deficits. You lose weight by eating at least your BMR but below your total calorie expenditure (TDEE).0 -
Sometimes I have to eat out for my job and stuff. I'm an actress and usually can't eat until after a show, which can cause a problem since I have to eat late. This can many times invovle eating out with cast/crew. I try to make good choices when I eat out but that's not always possible. I am also a teacher and have had a crazy schedule so my eating patterns are so screwed up. That's why I skip breakfast sometimes. My goal, though, is to eat something every morning before class so I am not starved by lunch. I've got a lot to change.
So I have a new question...this HRM is showing I am burning WAY fewer calories doing aerobic step than ALL of the online calculators and MFP. How accurate are these things for showing calories burned because that can make a huge difference on what I do and don't do as far as eating is concerned.0 -
Are you varying your exercise? If you are doing the SAME aerobics routine -- and if you have been doing the same aerobics routine for a while -- your body may have gotten used to the regimen. Try switching some exercises...maybe elliptical or stairmaster...throw in a very light free weights, even.0
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500 calories for a 20-30 mins excercise is too much,get a HRM so you would get an accurate burn numbers.Food wise you are good at 1800.0
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Not sure if anyone pointed this out or not but first off you should be eating small meals every 3 hours beginning when you wake p to keep you energized and you metabolism running and second off your carbs are through the roof.. Try to stay away from the carbs and sodium.. I am only 24 and I can look at a carb and gain weight so I am sure it has to do with that as well as not enough water intake.. I didnt read everyones posts but that is my input..0
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That's a good suggestion. I have been doing step for a few weeks now. Getting ready to start tap dancing class again after labor day, though, so that should vary it up a little bit. It will be interesting to see if it changes then. I should start tapping a couple times a week and see if that changes it.0
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Got the HRM..Just have to figure out how to work the thing now. How accurate are these things anyway?
So I have a new question...this HRM is showing I am burning WAY fewer calories doing aerobic step than ALL of the online calculators and MFP. How accurate are these things for showing calories burned because that can make a huge difference on what I do and don't do as far as eating is concerned.
Depends on what you got, and what stats it asks for, and what you can correct.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/459580-polar-hrm-calorie-burn-estimate-accuracy-study
The biggest correction will be the HRmax stat. If you worked out at say 140 bpm, it HRM thought 150 was your max - that would appear to be a huge effort, worthy of huge calorie burn.
But if actual max is 180, then 140 was not actually that hard an effort, and should not be a big calorie burn.
If you really want to test it, go for a walk on treadmill of known incline of say 1%, speed about 3.5, ect.
Use this site to nail how much energy it literally takes to move mass so fast so far, and compare to HRM.
Use the GROSS figure for comparing to HRM, but use the NET figure for how much to eat back.
http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/WalkRunMETs.html
There is also a calculator for step routine, but still compare the treadmill test too.
http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/StepMETs.html0 -
Just going to throw out a few ideas ---
It seems like you eat out a fast food restaurant alot -- Try having ONE cheat day, or maybe even just a cheat meal... Staying under your calories is good, but QUALITY calories are important. Healthy fats, complex carbs, and protein, there is alot of trans fat in fast food (Not good for you). Also try and up your water consumption, water is VERY important.
When working out if your going to dedicated 20-30 minutes then make that time worth it. Work hard, push yourself ... Everytime you go to the gym, try and make it better then the workout before . Also you need variety in your workouts, if you do the exact same thing everytime your body will adapt. Try using different cardio machines, maybe throw some weight training(or machines) into the mix. If possible take a spinning class, or different classes at your gym. Keep your body guessing.
If you want to add me as a friend feel free, ill try and share as much knowledge as I can ... Good Luck on your journey.0 -
Consider trying a low glycemic index diet and minimize all flour and processed sugar (basically, you want to eat everything in its least processed/most natural state). Weight has a lot to do with hormones, and high glycemic index foods cause spikes in insulin levels, which causes hormonal changes. I have had a lot of succeess with switching to a low glycemic index diet and completely avoiding processed sugar and flour when in terms of calories, there is no explanation why I'm not losing weight. You should also feel more energetic on this type of diet due to no extreme rises and falls in your blood sugar. You can google low glycemic index to find a list of foods.0
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You want to drink half your body weight in oz when it comes to water...
ex. 200lbs = 100oz water
If you find you have trouble drinking that much water, there are lots of things you can do to flavor it up with fresh fruits and such. Message me if you want to talk more one on one. I struggled for almost 3 years at the same weight before things started turning around for me!0 -
Thanks for the input! I actually do drink water throughout the day but I have never bothered much in logging it. I guess I need to do that. Ha! Thanks for the reminder. I didn't think it made a difference the calculator. <----newbie0
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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.0
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Ok.. I went for my weigh in on Friday and asked my nurse practitioner about the exercise cals, to eat or not to eat , as I hear so much about EAT THEM ALL!
Well she says no. Eat 1/2 of them. You will still have enough energy cals for your body and healthy weight loss.
I am 51 now. Started this last July. I have lost 42lbs so far.
My intake is 1200. But I exercise ALOT. I walk almost 3 miles at lunch most days at work in addition to aerobic step 60 min, some weights etc.
I would say keep up with your calorie intake , be sure to DRINK WATER! And lots of it. Watch the foods you eat.
no more than 10% fat calories as much as possible. And exercise! Even if its a mile or 2 walk. you do not have to run. 1 mile is 1 mile no matter how fast you are going!
And also maybe have your hormone levels checked? You are young but you never know!
Exercise will boost your metablism. And be sure to get your Vitamin B's!
You may want to look into a FitBit also. I got one and I swear its how I FINALLY broke a 7 month plateau!
Keep up the good work and again WATER and EXERCISE! CONGRATS TO YOU BTW on your new healthy habits!
Angel0 -
It's really hard when you have to eat out, but try checking your fiber. I find when I'm having trouble, I've usually not been eating enough fiber (a bit more than MFP suggests for me) or it's the wrong time of the month (and I'll lose that a few days later).
And as someone else suggested, try following the MFP guidelines to start with. Then try adjustments if you still want after a month.
Good luck!0 -
So I have a new question...this HRM is showing I am burning WAY fewer calories doing aerobic step than ALL of the online calculators and MFP. How accurate are these things for showing calories burned because that can make a huge difference on what I do and don't do as far as eating is concerned.
The machine that is attached to your body will be correct. Not the calculators online.
I personally have to use MFP because I can't afford a HRM by I routinely take 100-200 calories off.
I'm someone who started about your weight. At that weight what you eat doesn't have a lot to do with weight loss. The amount of calories you're eating determines weight loss. Health is of corse a Completly different matter. Where he fast food makes a difference is sodium which if too high can make you retain water masking your actual loss.
Eat to 1800 calories. Eat your exercise calories (from your HRM) back if you're hungry. Do it for a month and then reevaluate if not working for you.og EVERYTHING!0 -
Eat Breakfast! It kick starts your metabolism. Also drink lots. It will stop bloating and weight fluctuation0
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Okay, the issue is easy, you are eating crap.
I do not care who comes in and tries to say you can eat 1200 calories of twinkies and lose, it is the quality of the calories that matter.
Stop eating out and start eating good, fresh whole foods. If you can not cook and must go out to eat, make better choices. We do not just get fit and eat healthy to be pretty and skinny, we do it so we can be there for the people that love us and we love in the long run. Captian Ds , Chilis and Pappa Johns are not going to get you there.
I have an open diary, please feel free to look at it to get some ideas. I also have a healthy cooking page on facebook , if you are interested in looking at it, private message me and I will give you the link to check it out.
Since I do not make money on it, I will post my facebook page on here for people to look at if they please. https://www.facebook.com/TheSassyGourmet
I agree. You need to change the quality of what you are eating. What I have learned from mfp is how many calories, carbs, and sugar are in that junk I used to love. I still eat out, but I plan ahead. I am only allowed 1200 calories per day, so I have to make careful choices. I have also switched yoplait for Greek yogurt. I like Fage with strawberries the best. It's really creamy and has lots of protein. Request me as a friend nd I would love to help.0 -
I just use this as a guide. My nutritionist says that 1500 is the goal for anyone. Don't add or subtract the amount due to exersice. Try to do at least 30 min of exersice a day.0
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in the last 4 days, you have had candy, crappachino (sorry, i hate coffee.. lol) papa johns pizza & captain D's, which is deep fried..
So i would say thats what you are doing wrong.0 -
I agree with most of what people are saying- less junk food, and you've over estimated your exercise. Another really great tool I have come to love is a body fat scale. While not as accurate as medical tests, they do give you a base line so you can tell if you are loosing body fat. I can't tell you how defeated I used to get not losing weight for weeks until I got a body fat scale. Sometimes I gain a pound or two, but I lose several percentages of body fat. Ultimately this means gaining muscle and losing fat. It's important to remember that fitness is not all about weight!0
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I looked over your diary for the past couple of days. I can only say that even if you stay with in your calorie range if you aren't eating high quality foods you will not be successful longterm.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news but I worked at WW for several years and there were literally TONS of people who ate within their point range and did NOT lose weight. Their food choices contained too much restaurant food and too many 100 calorie snacks.
I do not follow WW or any other organized plan, but I know one thing after several years the quality of the calories consumed matters greatly. Any food consumed from a restaurant is going to be full of sodium and make losing weight very difficult if they are indulged in more than here and there.
Sometimes when you undertake this journey it helps to change just one thing at a time, give yourself time to adjust before undertaking another . You said you had given up coke and were drinking water and you are walking.
I do not eat my exercise calories but lots of people do and are successful, that is a personal choice. You are going to have to change the quality of the food you eat to see some success. Please hang in there!0 -
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ and as everyone else said, watch sodium, drink water, and eat your veggies. ;-)0
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