frustrated, confused, and ready to quit. HALP!!

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13

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  • ware_sarah
    ware_sarah Posts: 21 Member
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    I love BEER!! I have had to cut way back to maybe a few- 1 time a week, if that. It sucks like I said I LOVE BEER! But I did notice when I drink I will gain 2-4 lbs then I work all week trying to get it back off! I weigh in on Friday because I will normally drink on Friday or Saturday. I don't know if this will help but Alcohol is very hard on me! Just some thing to think about.
  • MTBrob
    MTBrob Posts: 513 Member
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    There is no set formula or routine for how you eat your meals.....My wife eats about 3 times a day .. I eat about 5 times a day .. Its just how you eat is whats important....

    If you are worried about eating crap and you are a all day muncher Eat smaller meals more times a day.

    I eat a protein shake for breakfast ( after my work out ). ABout three hours later I eat a snack,, another 2 -3 hours I eat a lunch , another 2 -3 hours a snack and then again 3 or so hours later dinner..

    just works for me.. Like I said whats more important is what you put in your system.. Find a routine that works for you..
  • knowwhentoshutup
    knowwhentoshutup Posts: 318 Member
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    If you are serious about losing weight. Start here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    Figure out your BMR and TDEE, and eat around 20% below your TDEE. It is more accurate to eat at this rate (rather than adding in estimated calorie burns when you don't have a heart rate monitor to calculate those). The heavier you are, the more calories you are able to burn. Obviously, I can burn more calories running around carrying my weight (~185) than you can.

    Sodium will be a hindrance to weight loss, and can cause bloating/water retention. Cut back anywhere you can and stick to the 2,500 or less a day. Although this will make the scale go up, it is just water weight. The real loss you should be concerned about is losing fat.

    Good luck.

    but but but ... MATH?!?!?! i will try this also.

    so many good tips today! just what i was hoping for. thanks so much!

    Don't worry - the links do all of the hard work! No calculators necessary. :)

    Besides, after all, this is a numbers game.
  • nefbaker
    nefbaker Posts: 79
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    Also, careful eating back those exercise calories. I'm 5'0, when I go over my recommended 1200, I stay the same weight or go up a pound or 2 (water gain, carb gain I know). Unfortunately, we petites have to be mindful of our calories and from where they come. The guy above is right with WHAT your eating. You have to eat clean. (And those fancy coffee's are a killer, take it from someone who LOVES them)

    would you suggest not eating back the exercise calories? after i work out, i want to eat EVERYTHING.

    If you feel hungry after a work out try just drinking a couple of glasses of water. It will fill you up in no time or have a piece of fruit.


    I have to ditto this. I train for half-marathons (my third is in five weeks) and I've found after a long (hour and a half) run I am STARVING....because my body thinks its hungry. However, I will lose up to 5 lbs from stepping out the door to start a run to walking back in and taking a shower and it's all sweat.
    Drink water while working out - take a water bottle with you and figure drink one bottle for every half hour of exercise. If you are done exercising and don't have to pee, you haven't had enough water.
    You'll still be hungry after you work out, but it won't be so drastic.

    Also, you can purchase sample sizes of different brands of protien shakes. I'm a huge huge fan of GNC's total lean cookies and cream. You can start with mixing it with 1 c milk, add a tsp of a flavored sugar free jello and about a cup of ice cubes and it's not dusty .... then wean off the milk with water instead.
  • squigglypuff
    squigglypuff Posts: 279 Member
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    thanks so much everyone for your tips and support.

    i mostly use MFP from my phone and i didn't realize until today that there's a section in there that tracks sodium. it's separate from the diary area so i guess that's why i wasn't paying attention to it. now that i know it's there, i will definitely keep an eye on it, along with carbs and protein. i was only looking at the calories area and i guess that can be very misleading because 100 calories of chicken does not have the same value as 100 calories of gummy bears, duh.

    so less crap food (that should have been obvious)
    more good food (also should have been obvious)
    less sodium, more protein, less carbs, more water.

    still confused about my workouts, but i guess a "bad" workout is better than no workout at all! i'm definitely going to avoid eating back all my exercise calories until i get an HRM to determine how much i'm actually burning.

    thanks again. i really appreciate it :)
  • squigglypuff
    squigglypuff Posts: 279 Member
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    Also, careful eating back those exercise calories. I'm 5'0, when I go over my recommended 1200, I stay the same weight or go up a pound or 2 (water gain, carb gain I know). Unfortunately, we petites have to be mindful of our calories and from where they come. The guy above is right with WHAT your eating. You have to eat clean. (And those fancy coffee's are a killer, take it from someone who LOVES them)

    would you suggest not eating back the exercise calories? after i work out, i want to eat EVERYTHING.

    If you feel hungry after a work out try just drinking a couple of glasses of water. It will fill you up in no time or have a piece of fruit.


    I have to ditto this. I train for half-marathons (my third is in five weeks) and I've found after a long (hour and a half) run I am STARVING....because my body thinks its hungry. However, I will lose up to 5 lbs from stepping out the door to start a run to walking back in and taking a shower and it's all sweat.
    Drink water while working out - take a water bottle with you and figure drink one bottle for every half hour of exercise. If you are done exercising and don't have to pee, you haven't had enough water.
    You'll still be hungry after you work out, but it won't be so drastic.

    i take a 20oz bottle and refill it once or twice while at the gym. not sure if this is TMI, but sometimes i'll pee 2-3 times when i'm at the gym for an hour. and i sweat like a beast when i do cardio, so i think i'm getting enough water but i could be wrong. a lot of the time i eat ice because if i drink the water too quickly, i feel it sloshing around in my belly and that makes me sort of nauseated.
  • Maryaly40
    Maryaly40 Posts: 551 Member
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    What you said about short people applies to tall people.. Just because people are taller doesn't mean they have bigger stomachs etc .. We're all different..

    Weight training isn't going to bulk you up unless you want to bulk up .. Don't lift heavy .. Lift light with cardio involved..

    My Wife is 4'11 105lbs.. Very tone and I am very jealous ... She runs about 12 miles a week and wight trains with nothing heavier than 10 lbs..

    Her diet consists of a protein and carb rich breakfast ... A larger salad for lunch with protein ( usually chicken or tuna ) she works out in the afternoon and has a protein shake after work out

    For dinner its a leaner protein like chicken and veggies with usually a piece of fruit.

    We are all ravenous after a work out.. This is a GOOD thing it means you really worked your system .. Feed it something right... IF you eat larger HEALTHIER meals while staying in your metrics you will be less hungry all the time and less prone to grab something not good for you.

    You are right! I didn't mean to single any size out. I only know what's best for me being short. Your wife's eating habits sound fantastic. Maybe you can help me with a little ?.....I love running but recently no matter what I eat or when, I get terrible hunger pains about 5-10 minutes into my run. Hurts so bad I can't run through it, feels like I'll pass out. Does your wife eat before the run and what/how much does she eat? Thanks!
  • squigglypuff
    squigglypuff Posts: 279 Member
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    What you said about short people applies to tall people.. Just because people are taller doesn't mean they have bigger stomachs etc .. We're all different..

    Weight training isn't going to bulk you up unless you want to bulk up .. Don't lift heavy .. Lift light with cardio involved..

    My Wife is 4'11 105lbs.. Very tone and I am very jealous ... She runs about 12 miles a week and wight trains with nothing heavier than 10 lbs..

    Her diet consists of a protein and carb rich breakfast ... A larger salad for lunch with protein ( usually chicken or tuna ) she works out in the afternoon and has a protein shake after work out

    For dinner its a leaner protein like chicken and veggies with usually a piece of fruit.

    We are all ravenous after a work out.. This is a GOOD thing it means you really worked your system .. Feed it something right... IF you eat larger HEALTHIER meals while staying in your metrics you will be less hungry all the time and less prone to grab something not good for you.

    You are right! I didn't mean to single any size out. I only know what's best for me being short. Your wife's eating habits sound fantastic. Maybe you can help me with a little ?.....I love running but recently no matter what I eat or when, I get terrible hunger pains about 5-10 minutes into my run. Hurts so bad I can't run through it, feels like I'll pass out. Does your wife eat before the run and what/how much does she eat? Thanks!

    are you sure it's hunger pains and not side stitches? i get those mixed up frequently, and any time any part of my torso is in pain, i assume it's somehow related to food (too much, not enough, wrong type, etc).


    and to the man and wife, you sound like an excellent fitness team! my boyfriend is way taller than me and is a construction worker, so his metabolism is vastly different than mine. he's always eating garbage food and it makes me so jealous. i need to keep in mind that just because he can eat lots of snacks without gaining wait doesn't mean that i can do the same.
  • Maryaly40
    Maryaly40 Posts: 551 Member
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    Also, careful eating back those exercise calories. I'm 5'0, when I go over my recommended 1200, I stay the same weight or go up a pound or 2 (water gain, carb gain I know). Unfortunately, we petites have to be mindful of our calories and from where they come. The guy above is right with WHAT your eating. You have to eat clean. (And those fancy coffee's are a killer, take it from someone who LOVES them)

    would you suggest not eating back the exercise calories? after i work out, i want to eat EVERYTHING.

    What has helped me the most.....PROTEIN! Seriously, protein shake, greek yogurt with an apple or strawberries/raspberries (that's my favorite). Eggs, if your super hungry, make an egg/egg white omelet with veggies some fruit. Lots of water. I'm stuck too, but I know what my problem is.....going over my calories on a binge (been worrying alot lately life stuff in general). Also, concentrate more on the weightlifting. Don't kill yourself with cardio, the more cardio I do, the hungrier I get. If I do a 10 min warmup cardio then my weights then I stretch and go home, I'm not so hungry. There's a book I got too The Petite Advantage Diet by Jim Karas was very helpful to me. I don't follow his suggested diet, but loads of great tips for us shorties. Feel free to add me as a friend too. Hope this helps!

    have you found a protein powder or shake that you would recommend? i don't remember what kind i tried but it tasted very "dusty" to me. i've been trying to use the carnation instant breakfast mixes as a way to re-introduce "dusty" tasting drinks to my diet, in hopes of one day being able to tolerate a protein shake.

    for strength training, do you suggest doing more reps with light weights, or fewer reps with heavy weights?

    i will definitely check out that book and add you as a friend.

    thank you so much for your help!

    Here's a recipe for my favorite: Protein powder is some generic from Price Chopper:

    Sunrise Shake

    1 cup unsweeted almond milk
    1/2 banana
    about 6 frozen strawberries
    1 big scoop chocolate protein powder (tastes great with vanilla too)
    1 tbsp Hershey's cocoa
    1 tsp vanilla
    1 pkt Truvia
    4 ice cubes

    Put in a blender and blend. Makes 2 1 1/2 c servings @ 136 calories each. Tastes Delish!!!!!
  • squigglypuff
    squigglypuff Posts: 279 Member
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    this might be a silly question ... but what part of the chicken is considered "lean"? is it all "lean" as long as the skin is removed and it's grilled or baked instead of fried?
  • Maryaly40
    Maryaly40 Posts: 551 Member
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    Yes about the chicken. No skin and no frying :smile:
  • squigglypuff
    squigglypuff Posts: 279 Member
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    Yes about the chicken. No skin and no frying :smile:

    next question ... is there a healthy substitute for delicious crunchy chicken skin? (ugh, just typing that out makes me feel gross. i'm obviously not a vegetarian but thinking about eating SKIN just seems so disgusting ... but it tastes so good.)
  • lindadevito
    lindadevito Posts: 6
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    I have discovered that any food that brings immediate satisfaction is more than likely bad for you in general. I avoid anything fried and no skin on my chicken. This so far is bringing immediate results.
  • squigglypuff
    squigglypuff Posts: 279 Member
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    I have discovered that any food that brings immediate satisfaction is more than likely bad for you in general. I avoid anything fried and no skin on my chicken. This so far is bringing immediate results.

    it's like a drug almost :(

    i have to remember that the immediate satisfaction of the food is what is deterring me from whatever sort of satisfaction i'll get when i have the body i want.
  • jamie78
    jamie78 Posts: 514 Member
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    Pretty simple fix to your issue..

    STOP

    eating pizza

    McDonalds,

    Ice coffee drinks ..

    and other un healthy foods


    Start

    Eating more fruits and veggies and LEAN protein like Turkey Chicken lean beef....

    Drink more water instead of sugary drinks..


    work out 3- 5 days a week and be consistent... issue is now resolved.

    THIS :)
  • Miss_dannii
    Miss_dannii Posts: 1,351 Member
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    Girl watch your sodium..
  • Maryaly40
    Maryaly40 Posts: 551 Member
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    I like shake and bake's oven fry. It's like baked "fried" chicken. It's easy on the calories too. I can't eat "plain" chicken. Also, try Perdues' single packaged chicken. Some are marinated too, they are delish and only 140 calories!
  • MTBrob
    MTBrob Posts: 513 Member
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    I hear there isn't a substitute for cake either..

    You have to ask your self if Chicken skin is worth more to you than your real goal ...


    Is it ?
  • 4theluvofme
    4theluvofme Posts: 23
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    Try working mailnly large muscle groups on the machines right now, and amp up your cardio daily. Also make sure your eating the right foods, are you stressed? Being that your laid off probably a silly question. Stress does a number on me especially my mid section? I feel for you and the last 10 lbs is hell! I have been trying for 8 mos to get the last 10 off! Good luck! You can do this!
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,106 Member
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    Switch up your routine too. I SWEAR by free weights and old school conditioning... push ups, sit ups, raised planks... if you can do 30 reps- its too easy. Good luck and go by inches, not lbs.

    I agree, if you can do 30 reps, it is way too easy. Increase the weight so you have to work to get to a maximum of 12 reps. If you can do 12 at a weight, increase the weight so you can't do 12 reps any longer. I would actually suggest doing a range of 5-8 reps personally with a weight that keeps you there. Also ditch isolation exercises, that is, those exercises that only work on muscle which are usually ones that only have one joint moving. Do things like squats, overhead presses, rows, deadlifts, bench presses. You will get much more effect from them. Also, after a warm-up, do you weights first, then your cardio, assuming you do both in the same session. I personally like the Turbulence Training approach.

    As for diet, if you maintain a calorie deficit you will lose weight. Your Protein, Carb, Fat amounts have more to do with body recomposition. Ideally you want to do both. I am not going to say what you are eating is the problem, although unless you are measuring your servings carefully, you cannot trust others who process food to do so. This, along with the better nutritional quality, are the primary reasons for eating food you prepare yourself from scratch. Not to mention you will find them much more satisfying.

    Finally, the weigh gain over the past week, assuming you maintained a calorie deficit for the week, was likely water weight. Again, this is assuming a calorie deficit was maintained which depends on how carefully you are measuring and logging your food. Take your measurements as well (chest, waist, hips) as they tell you much more than weight will.

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