Should I be eating more?

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dcipolone
dcipolone Posts: 11 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am at a stand still! I cant seem to move the scale. I watch what and how much I eat and work out 6 days a week. Why cant I get the scale moving down? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Help!! Should my caloric intake be higher...lower? What else can I do to lose the weight and get off this plateau? I still have 30 lbs to go...

Replies

  • Nikid1926
    Nikid1926 Posts: 17 Member
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    Are you eating your full calorie allowance?
    Sometimes not eating all of your cals can hold you back :)
  • pursuitoffitness
    pursuitoffitness Posts: 45
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    Maybe try a lower calorie intake and exercise more. Try different exercises then what you've been doing. Maybe HIIT?
  • marycmeadows
    marycmeadows Posts: 1,691 Member
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    i notice you have some days where you eat 1200 or less.... and some days where you're around 1600... If I was you, I'd aim to eat at least 1400-1500/day, and on days with high calorie burns, eat back part of your exercise calories.

    also, I don't think you're eating anywhere near enough protein. MFP seems to grossly underestimate how much protein you need. so eat more.
  • cjc166
    cjc166 Posts: 222
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    From my viewpoint, it's not the amount of calories you're eating, it's where you're getting them from. Hardly any of your calories come from veggies, beans, or fruits. Most of the calories are from processed foods or animal products. If you can make 90% of your calories come from whole plant foods, and the other 10% from the other things, I guarantee you'll see a difference. I've been following "Eat to Live" by Dr. Fuhrman for the past 6 weeks and have lost 28 lbs in that timeframe, eating basically the way I've described above. I think it's at least worth looking into.
  • Bus2012
    Bus2012 Posts: 13 Member
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    I was the same, eating well working hard and not 'seeing' any physical results. It was really frustrating and just made me want to give up trying. However recently I have reduced my sugar intake as although it was mainly natural sugars in fruit it was still quite high and upped my calories slightly.

    I've lost a couple of lbs so it seems to have helped me.

    Good luck - stay strong!
  • sgarrard01
    sgarrard01 Posts: 213 Member
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    Maybe try a lower calorie intake and exercise more. Try different exercises then what you've been doing. Maybe HIIT?

    Do not listen to this person they havent read your diary.....

    Your eating to little, some days your at a net of around 600kcal, you should eat back all your exersize calories... were treading almost exactly the same path... i eat 1500-1600kcal a day NET and some days with workouts i eat around 3000kcal and im still loosing 2lbs a week!....

    I would say aswell not to be lazy with the logging... some days you use 'generic' items... like 'generic egg salad' 89 kcal... well if you ate more than 1 egg and 1 cup of lettuice in it that would be completely wrong, so be a bit more diligent!..... Also if you've been doing the same exersize for a while than try mixing it up a bit, the body can become acoustomed!!

    Simon x
  • beansprouts
    beansprouts Posts: 410 Member
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    What were you doing when you lost the first 20lbs?
  • beansprouts
    beansprouts Posts: 410 Member
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    Maybe try a lower calorie intake and exercise more. Try different exercises then what you've been doing. Maybe HIIT?

    I think that you are making an excellent point!....In the beginning her exercise was apparently more intense (ie greater burn)...Recently the exercise seems to have become less vigorous but she now seems to be eating back more of her exercise calories than she did in the beginning....(result...weight stall!)
  • AzhureSnow
    AzhureSnow Posts: 289 Member
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    From my viewpoint, it's not the amount of calories you're eating, it's where you're getting them from. Hardly any of your calories come from veggies, beans, or fruits. Most of the calories are from processed foods or animal products. If you can make 90% of your calories come from whole plant foods, and the other 10% from the other things, I guarantee you'll see a difference.

    THIS!
  • AzhureSnow
    AzhureSnow Posts: 289 Member
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    Where are your fruits and veggies every day? How can you think it's a good idea to eat 7 chips for a mid-day meal? It looks like you eat a lot of meat, dairy, and eggs, but not a lot of fresh veggies. You should focus on cutting out some of the carbs (chips, pretzels, oatmeal) and dairy, and replacing them with leafy greens and other produce. Add in some beans/legumes for non-animal protein.

    I think you're eating too little to begin with, but especially too little of the right things. Why not shoot for 1500 calories a day, but make a point of eating a serving of veg with every meal or snack? Replace the chips and hummus with sugar snap peas and hummus; scramble your eggs with a handful of spinach and mushrooms; steam baby carrots, cauliflower, or brocolli to have at dinner.

    Also - check your ingredients list... are you eating foods made with processed chemicals and additives? Instead of buying diet "food", buy real food and eat in healthy moderation.
  • dcipolone
    dcipolone Posts: 11 Member
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    Thank you all for the great comments. I have new ammunition to battle with. Especially adding more veges, fruit, and beans. Thanks again and I will increase my caloric intake and see how that works. I'm off and running...
  • beansprouts
    beansprouts Posts: 410 Member
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    Thank you all for the great comments. I have new ammunition to battle with. Especially adding more veges, fruit, and beans. Thanks again and I will increase my caloric intake and see how that works. I'm off and running...

    According to your food log you have already increased your caloric intake once (ie..by exercising less and then eating back more of your lower intensity exercise calories)...So are you saying that you intend to keep doing more of the same thing (that caused your weight loss stall) and yet you expect to see a different result? GOOD LUCK!
  • beansprouts
    beansprouts Posts: 410 Member
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    Maybe try a lower calorie intake and exercise more. Try different exercises then what you've been doing. Maybe HIIT?

    Do not listen to this person they havent read your diary.....

    Your eating to little, some days your at a net of around 600kcal, you should eat back all your exersize calories... were treading almost exactly the same path... i eat 1500-1600kcal a day NET and some days with workouts i eat around 3000kcal and im still loosing 2lbs a week!....

    I would say aswell not to be lazy with the logging... some days you use 'generic' items... like 'generic egg salad' 89 kcal... well if you ate more than 1 egg and 1 cup of lettuice in it that would be completely wrong, so be a bit more diligent!..... Also if you've been doing the same exersize for a while than try mixing it up a bit, the body can become acoustomed!!

    Simon x

    Listen...There is probably more reason for her NOT to be listening to YOU then there is reason not to listen to the person who you are criticizing....To begin with...You are a 25 year old male and OP is a 54 year old woman!...There is NO way that you can give her the same caloric/ exercise regime as you without courting some disastrous results.

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