Could you help a girl out????

I looked through your diary and noticed a few things:

1. You don't log dinner most days. Are you not eating dinner?
2. You are using a lot of "generic" entries. Try to be brand specific - your calorie count will be more accurate. For example, instead of "generic whole wheat toast with butter" for 87 calories, use "1 slice Home Pride Whole Wheat bread" for 55 calories and "1 Tsp I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" for 45 calories (not saying these are the products you are using....just giving an example). 45+55=100. That's different than 87.
3. You aren't eating very much most days (or not logging much) and then you go way over your calories on other days. You need more consistency.
4. You need more veggies and fruit.

You don't need a special diet like South Beach. You just need moderation and to slowly start making different choices. I would suggest that you calculate your BMR & TDEE to determine a more appropriate calorie goal. Check out this link:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

Also, your body may have gotten used to your level of activity. Maybe it's time to switch up those walks? Add in a little jogging here and there? Or maybe do an exercise video a couple of days a week? I would also recommend strength training - maximum bang for your buck!

I hear you! I have been learning about the TDEE thing on here since this 90 day challenge. Go to Fat to fit radio and give them a listen.... very interesting stuff. I had no clue about this stuff either, but I am hoping this is true! I've been an up an down "dieter" for years and can't keep it off, according to the TDEE I think I can make it this time!!

HI I did try to lose weight for the most part of my life. A friend of mine told me about "Hungry for a Change", I googled it and found this interview on the webside. I have to say I was schocked!!! Since about (8 to 9 weeks ) I look into what I eat and the incredience list and calories and so on. I started MFP about the same time and I lost so far 15 pounds. I think there is a lot of truth in what is said in the interview and it isn't that difficult to swich to healthier foods. I don't have gravings for swets or salty snacks anymore and I'm feeling a lot more fit and able to get on with my daily life.:happy:

I was kind of in the same boat as you. I was at the same weight for almost a year. I researched and am now following TDEE-20%.....I did initially gain 10lbs, but it was not fat. More so water weight. But....... my body has now adjusted and is "letting go" of the fat. Before I was eating 1200-1400 calories. Not enough for the amount of working out I was doing. Based on the TDEE i should be consuming 2600 calories. For weight loss I take 20% which leaves me at about 2100.....I have my calories set at 1700 but I always tend to be over by 200-300 cal anyways. It tok four weeks for my body to adjust. I also do ALOT of heavy lifting. My body compsition is changing. Best thing is that I no longer feel hungry, deprived or restricted from anything. I always feel like I am getting "enough".

Hi,

I notice that there are a lot of entries in your food journal that are high in sugar.

For myself, I found that I didn't start losing weight steadily until I drastically decreased my sugar intake. (Not necessarily fruit sugars, but anything that looked like a cookie, ice cream cone, or a breakfast cereal).

Good luck!

I looked at a weeks worth of your food diary. Consider drinking more water and reduce your sugar intake.

I graduated high school at 145 lbs. A year later, I was about 187 and have been heavy every since. At 58 and a picky eater, I'm finally losing weight and keeping it off. I hit plateaus where not only do I not lose weight but gain weight even though I have enough calorie deficit to lose 2 lbs for the week. It is so easy to have the calorie deficit but have too much fat and sugar for the week! You might think about getting a body fat loss monitor and use it once a week, which is what I do. I have gained weight and lost body fat in the same week.

My wife is doing what I'm doing and now she is losing weight as well. You exercise but did not mention any strength training. Lifting weights or some other form of resistance training will help you lose weight. Just use weight that is a challenge for you. If it is easy to do then it is not a challenge. Muscle needs about 50 calories a pound each day just to exist. If you build 10 lbs of muscle, those 10 lbs need 500 calories a day x 7 days = 3,500 calories a week which is the equivalent of a pound of fat. If you only do cardio for exercise, you will probably lose some of your existing muscle mass as you lose weight.

I created a spreadsheet in excel that tracks different things including daily sugar and fat. The spreadsheet also has a weekly average because there will be days that I am over on sugar and fat but if the weekly average is under 100%, I usually lose some weight that week.

My wife and I have made a lifestyle change. We don't diet. Some people would call what we do "Portion Control." We still have days when we don't really eat right. I love ice cream and can eat the entire half gallon container for a meal which really blows my fat and sugar even when it is the low cal, low fat, and no sugar added ice cream.

I found that green tea tablets take care of my need for caffeine without adding other things such as sugar or salt. I used to only drink diet soda, which is one of the worst things a person can do. Now I usually have no problem drinking the 8 glasses of water a day. Diet soda is now a treat.

I try to eat my basic calorie need for the day based on my weight according to MFP and exercise to create my calorie deficit. When I have a day that I don't feel good, I may not even have a deficit. I get plenty of protein and now that my wife lifts weights so does she. We use a protein powder only available at Sam's Club because it does not have any cholesterol in it. I can eat enough meat with out getting too much cholesterol.

My recommendations are:
1. Lift weights
2. Drink more water
3. Exercise every day, we lift M, Tu, W, F, Sat. We don't lift heavy on Th and Sun which are light exercise days.
4. Stretch, warm up, lift weights, cool down, do cardio, cool down.
5. Eat more protein. Use MFP to monitor and eat more than the goal if you lift weights.
7. Use MFP to monitor fat, sugar, and carbs to have some left over each day (I don't always make that goal).
8. Have a reward system for yourself every once in a while. A strict diet without anything you really like will cause most
people to quit.
9. Focus on body fat loss not pounds. My goal is 20% body fat which is fit and healthy for a man. Whatever
the weight is will be the weight. My doctor agrees with this approach. I've gone from 38% body fat to 28% and lost 10
inches of waist line, 2+ inches off the neck, off a bunch of medications with one med to go. It is nice at the gym when
people come up to my wife or myself and say what are you doing because you are smaller.
10. Consider a personal trainer if your budget allows it. My wife and I gained a lot of good knowledge from personal
trainers. We also research about things we hear on the internet.
11. Never never give up, just keep working at it. Over time, you should see success, but know there are bumps and pot
holes along this road. Stay positive!

Have a great day and success!

Most people on MFP want to help, but if you don't like anyone's suggestions, do it your way.