UGHHHHH - need help

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cvstokke
cvstokke Posts: 249 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So apparently the only way I can lose weight is to starve myself and never take a day off.

I have been working out most days for the past month and logging everything I eat/drink. On a BAD day, I get up to like 1600 net and that is a rare occasion. Every other day, I average 1200-1300 net calories per day and I see NOTHING.

I have lost a whopping ZERO pounds in the past month. I started 30DS 13 days ago, did 10 days consecutively, took 2 days off and started Level 2 today. I weighed myself Monday and had lost 3 lbs (my first loss in the entire month) and today I am right back up. I am 30-35 lbs overweight so it's not like this is the last 10 lbs I'm trying to lose. This is like A LOT LEFT to go.

Last summer, I lost a ton of pounds doing MFP but I was very unhealthy about it. I would eat 1200 cals / day no matter what and burn 600-800 a day in exercise (eating none of them back). I lost the weight but it was not sustainable and as soon as I stopped doing this, I gained it right back. I let myself get out of control while dating my boyfriend, not working out or eating healthy and I gained about 30 lbs.

I am SO frustrated and am at a loss for what to do. I'm considering going to see my doctor to see if I'm having thyroid problems or anything like that but I have a feeling it's just me. I don't know what to do and I am tired of being in tears every weigh-in day.

Help!

Replies

  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
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    this may interest you:

    From one of my old posts from a similar topic:

    OK. I'm gonna give this a shot. I am an avid lifelong athlete. I have never been overweight, however, I used to eat too few calories (without knowing it), and a couple years ago, I actually GAINED weight bc of having slowed my metabolism to the point that every little extra treat I ate caused a weight gain, even though overall my calories were too low. THIS DOES HAPPEN.

    It is also the reason so many fat people stay fat. They restrict their calories so low, slow their metabolisms, binge (even a little), gain weight, restrict more . . . . and so on and so on. But they are still fat.

    It is also the reason most people can't lose that last 10-20 lbs. For real.

    1. MFP has a deficit built in. Let's say you're trying to lose 1 lb/ week. That is a 500/day deficit from your BMR (the amount of calories your body needs to complete basic functions.

    2. You exercise and burn 500 calories. Now you are at a 1000 deficit. If you eat back those 500 exercise calories, you refuel your body and you still have a 500 deficit for that 1 lb loss. If you DON'T eat back those calories, you have too little fuel. This is bad. This is too much of a deficit for basic functions. If you do this for a long time, you will STOP LOSING WEIGHT. Why? bc your metabolism will slow down -- it's like a brownout--not quite enough electricity to make the whole city (your body) run, so it has to slow down some things. You will probably start being tired a lot, your skin and hair might start to look worse, and you might even gain weight. But you might NOT be hungry -- your body is getting used to fewer calories. That's bad.


    That's when you start to gain weight. Let's say you're running along, eating 1200 calories a day, and exercising 400 calories a day, so net is 800. You're losing, you think this is great. You keep doing it, but after a while you stop losing. hmmmmm. One weekend you go out to a special event and have a slice of pizza and a beer. 1 slice of pizza and 1 beer. So you ate maybe 2000 calories that day and exercised off 400, so net 1600. BOOM! You gain 3 lbs! What?!

    Next, you freak out and restrict yourself down to 1000 calories a day and work out extra hard, burning 500 calories. Great, netting 500 now. You don't lose any weight, but you sure feel tired. Better get some red bull.

    Are you getting the picture?

    EDIT: When you work out, you need fuel. Food is fuel. If you don't eat back those exercise calories, you will not only have a big calorie deficit, you will have an ENERGY deficit. Remember, the calorie deficit for weight loss is built in when you use MFP. Exercising basically earns you more calories because you must refuel.
    --

    There are many people who will tell you not to eat exercise calories. Before you take their advice, you might want to see whether they are at goal, have EVER been at goal, or have ever been able to maintain at goal. If anyone says to you 'THE LAST TIME I LOST WEIGHT", just stop listening right there.

    Ask some athletes whether or not they replenish their bodies with food equal to the calories they burn. Ask people who are fit and have achieved and maintained a healthy weight for some years. Don't ask people who count walking across a parking lot as exercise.

    Here's an interesting case study about how to stay fat while consuming only 700 calories a day. Take a moment, you'll be glad you did:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

    blessings.
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
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    so . . . make sure to read the 700 calories link at the bottom of my post above too, bc even though you are not obese, you can see how this applies to you and how to correct it.

    You have put yourself into a "brownout"; so to speak. It will take time to correct, but it can be corrected with patience and tenacity.

    You must correct it now--you're only 22! If you don't get your metabolism back under control now, it will only cause you problems as you get older.

    You can do it!

    Check out this group -- lots of stickies to read that will be useful to you:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/search?utf8=✓&phrase=eat+more+to+weigh+less
  • cvstokke
    cvstokke Posts: 249 Member
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    I read the 700 cal article you sent and that totally makes sense. My only thing is - I'm netting 1200+ per day, never more than like 1500-1600 so I'm not really in that starvation mode. My metabolism should be at a normal level right? 1200-1500 is like the perfect range to not harm my metabolism but still lose weight. That's what I'm having such a hard time dealing with. Help?
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
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    I read the 700 cal article you sent and that totally makes sense. My only thing is - I'm netting 1200+ per day, never more than like 1500-1600 so I'm not really in that starvation mode. My metabolism should be at a normal level right? 1200-1500 is like the perfect range to not harm my metabolism but still lose weight. That's what I'm having such a hard time dealing with. Help?

    sent you PM
  • cvstokke
    cvstokke Posts: 249 Member
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    bump for more feedback
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    How long did you go eating a VLCD? Was it just a few months or an extended period of time?
  • gogonunubean
    gogonunubean Posts: 160 Member
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    Have you been measuring yourself? The shred is designed to build muscle and so you may be trading fat for muscle which could make the scale stand still although you are shrinking size wise. Take measurements - you just not be noticing a change!

    I lose this way - Ill drop a few lbs then stay they and drop inches, then a few more lbs and then a few more inches....but never at the same time. :laugh:
  • cvstokke
    cvstokke Posts: 249 Member
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    Thanks guys - I was on the VLCD for probably 4 months
  • Hannah645
    Hannah645 Posts: 75 Member
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    Read this! http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    I'm responding to this because we're about the same age, SW, and GW. It's possible that you could have a thyroid issue, but honestly you also might not be eating enough. I rarely ever net 1200 calories a day.

    I think being a little less aggressive is the best route. Are you set to lose 1lb/week? What calorie goal does MFP give you?

    Best of luck to you!
  • elle77
    elle77 Posts: 150 Member
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    Bump....
  • 2hobbit1
    2hobbit1 Posts: 820 Member
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    Read this! http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    I'm responding to this because we're about the same age, SW, and GW. It's possible that you could have a thyroid issue, but honestly you also might not be eating enough. I rarely ever net 1200 calories a day.

    I think being a little less aggressive is the best route. Are you set to lose 1lb/week? What calorie goal does MFP give you?

    Best of luck to you!

    ^^^^ this^^^^^^
    If you want a double check when you work the numbers give me a shout.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    Thanks guys - I was on the VLCD for probably 4 months

    Thanks for the answer. You likely may not have done any permanent down regulating of your metabolism. When was the last time you did a reset and took a break from calorie restriction for a week or 2?
  • cvstokke
    cvstokke Posts: 249 Member
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    I definitely didn't restrict my calories at all during the school year so I feel like it should have reset then :/ That's why I'm so confused that nothing's changing

    Thank you everyone for the responses and ideas. I may go to my doctor this week to rule out any medical issues and then try upping my calories if there aren't any. Would love more support from any of you - I greatly appreciate it!
  • cvstokke
    cvstokke Posts: 249 Member
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    UPDATE:

    Thank you all for the feedback. I visited my doctor today and she is going to do some blood work to check my thyroid but also told me much of the same thing that you have. She told me to set MFP for 1 pound loss per week so I have a higher calorie goal and still eat my exercise calories but spread my calories out throughout the day better and also make sure everything I'm logging is very accurate (weighing food, etc.).

    Today is my first day at 1410 calories + exercise calories so hopefully this helps. I'm hoping by making it 1410, I won't gain at first like some people do when they increase, but I guess if I do, that's life :-/

    I'm still feeling really discouraged and frustrated and even though I knew there wasn't going to be any quick fix, the fact that I went back and looked and I've been stuck at the same weight for 6 weeks is sickening.

    Thanks for your support.

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