Tried everything, STILL NOT LOSING WEIGHT!!

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  • PhilyPhresh
    PhilyPhresh Posts: 600 Member
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    If "still not losing weight" I can assure you, you have not tried everything...
  • torrini
    torrini Posts: 78 Member
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    Hey, another Finnish girl :) The only thing I can think of is also eating a bit more calories. I eat around 1560 calories a day (and I eat my exercise calories also) and I have lost 4 kilos in a couple of weeks. If eating more stuff feels difficult try something like a banana, yoghurt etc. Whatever you like in moderation. It might seem funny to eat more to lose weight but that's just how the body works. If nothing works maybe go see the school nurse to determine it's not something medical. But anyways, good luck and feel free to add me as friend if you want.
  • kingofcrunk
    kingofcrunk Posts: 372 Member
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    Even if you 'should be eating more' as the majority of people will fear monger you into doing it is still a fact that if you are exercising that much and eating that little you would be losing weight. It is physically impossible for your body not to. Unless you are a wizard.
  • kimosabe1
    kimosabe1 Posts: 2,467 Member
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    I'm just saying it may be a health issue going on with your body. Perhaps your thyroid or something...... You should get a check up.....
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
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    After having tried the weight watchers, every sort of diet there is and losing few pounds but then gaining them back, i am sick of it.

    Recently i became so disgusted by what i saw in the mirror i decided to join here and make a change; healthy diet and more exercise. Results? None. Absolutely zero. Instead, I am gaining weight.

    I weight about 210 pounds (96 kilos) and am 167cm long. I eat about 1200 calories a day, try to drink at least 8 cups of water daily. I try to balance my diet by eating a lot of fruits and vegetables, meat for protein and some carbs but definitely less than usually. I have given up candy, sodas, ice cream, chips.. Basically all junk food. At some days i slip out of my diet and might have a piece of chocolate or something like that, but usually compense it with workout if that happens..

    I do Jillian Michaels workout dvds every day (About 25 minutes), go for a walk/run at least twice a week and start to play ice hockey few times a week again as soon as the season starts. How come i am still not seeing results?

    What in the world am i doing wrong for not losing any weight?


    Some will say you need to eat more, and some will say you need to eat less. Only YOU can decide and should with the help of your doctor.

    Since I'm short and have a lower BMR than most people "eating more" didn't work until I got leaner (documentation below on why that works).

    Going up in calories works better for taller people with a higher BMR and more room to go up and down with their calories.

    You'll have to experiment to see what works for you.

    Taller people have more room in their calorie budget to go up or down. Shorter people like me have less room and get frustrated with "eat more" because that typically does not work for us. If you are confused about it don't just listen to what all of us have to say, do some research and get approval from your doctor, then do what you need to do and tune the rest of us out.

    Once I got leaner I had to taper UP my calories. The leaner you get the less of a calorie deficit your body can handle. It needs to be a long slow shallow deficit. For me still under a doctor’s care, this is around 1000-1200 calories because I am so short, petite, and am under 12% body fat where I truly can go into starvation mode if I ate under 1000 calories. I have supporting documentation below. Again, you must seek your doctor’s advice. No one here can tell you how many calories to eat, either up or down.

    Seek advice from your doctor. Myself or anyone else on here can’t tell you how much to eat, or to go up or down. If you have a lot of body fat reserves you would be surprised at how little you can eat (unless you have emotional eating issues or disorders). The leaner you get the less your body has to draw from and then you have to taper up your calories. There is no such thing as starvation mode for woman over 12% body fat or men over 6% body fat. I pretty much proved that for myself by staying strong and building muscle and doing what I did. I'm the leanest, most muscular, and most fit that I have ever been in my life at almost 52 years old. My doctor looked at my blood work throughout my journey and it remained fine even with “taking breaks from eating” for periods of time and eating less. Even now at less than 12% body fat everything is A-OKAY. I am healthy, active, and vibrant, muscular not skinny. I have never had eating disorders nor do I now. If you have eating disorders you should not be on a diet unless you are under a doctor’s care and/or get those issues resolved first. I do not advocate unhealthy eating or promote eating disorders.

    While there is no one size fits all I listed the things that worked for me here --> http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/740340-i-lost-60-lbs-at-age-51-anyone-can-any-workout

    I found the following quotes helpful for sorting through all the myths plastered all over the place.
    What is the exact number of calories for you?

    We’ve been trying to figure out an exact NUMBER of calories that everyone should be eating, without recognizing that everyone is slightly different. In truth, the calories aren’t the end game. Your body is. So the EXACT amount of Calories that are right for you is the EXACT amount that will allow you to maintain your ideal bodyweight no matter what some calculator or chart says.

    In other words, an online calculator might tell you that you need to eat 2,500 calories
    per day to maintain your ideal bodyweight. But the only way to know for sure if this is
    the right amount for you is to test it out. If you gain weight or can’t lose weight eating
    that much, then you know you need to eat less to lose weight no matter how many
    calculators and text books say otherwise.

    This doesn’t mean your metabolism is broken, it just means the estimate of your needs
    was just a bit off.

    -John Barban (The Body Centric Calorie Guide from the Venus Index and Adonis Index Manuals)

    The Theory of Fat Availability:
    •There is a set amount of fat that can be released from a fat cell.
    •The more fat you have, the more fat can be used as a fuel when dieting.
    •The less fat you have, the less fat can be used as a fuel when dieting.
    •Towards the end of a transformation, when body fat is extremely low you
    may not have enough fat to handle a large caloric deficit anymore.

    At the extreme low end, when your body fat cannot ‘keep up’ with the energy deficit
    you've imposed on your body, the energy MUST come from SOMEWHERE. This is
    when you are at risk of losing lean body mass during dieting (commonly referred to
    as ‘starvation mode’). This happens at extremely low levels of body fat, under 6% in
    men and 12% in women [Friedl K.E. J Appl Phsiol, 1994].

    -Brad Pilon and John Barban (from The Reverse Taper Diet in The Adonis Index and Venus Index manuals)
  • Heather_Rider
    Heather_Rider Posts: 1,159 Member
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    You are 5'6", 210 lbs, exercising regularly, and you are only taking in 1200 calories? You need to eat more. Without knowing your exact activity level I'd hafta go off of a guess of around 1900 calories for you.

    Eat more.

    Ok, so assuming you are "lightly active" your daily calorie needs for maintenance are around 2400. Your BMR seems to be around 1800. So 1900-2100 calories is a good goal for you.

    Oh wow, that seems like A LOT of food! I never thought you'd have to eat that much though.. I can some days barely make it to 1200 calories especially if has been a "salad" day.

    Allow me to say this the nicest way possible...you didn't get to 210 lbs by not ever eating more than 1200 calories. Find calorie rich foods you love...and eat! Throw some nuts or chicken into your salad...or even a spoon of avocado. You have to eat more though.

    WOW. really? because i got to 233 pounds by having to take steroids for 2 years almost straight for a lung disease... i cant remember a time that i ate as much as a piece of cake before. Hell, i eat more junk NOW that im ona diet than i did before! So dont be so backhanded rude... you CAN get overweight by not eating.
  • tom_olech
    tom_olech Posts: 139 Member
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    Have you tried weight training to increase your muscle mass (which raises your metabolism)?
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
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    You are gaining muscle, that's one reason why you are not seeing the scale go down. Take measurements and go by that, especially doing workouts like Jillians. Also, go by your NET calories. When you work out and log in your calories burned, MFP tells you how many calories you've earned. Eat most of those back.

    If she's eating at such a large deficit, she's not gaining muscle. She is, most likely, actually losing lean body mass. But I agree that she needs to eat much more than she currently is.

    If she was losing lean body mass, it would have shown on the scale right? I don't know what went wrong but something is not right here.
  • fionarama
    fionarama Posts: 788 Member
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    I think when you are feeling this way its actually a great place to be because you are REALLY fed up and ready to change. So take the frustration you are feeling as a positive energy for motivated change!
    I don't believe (personally) that anyone ever needs to eat MORE to lose weight, it goes against basic principles of weight loss. However I think when you try to stick to 1200 calories a day it is too low to be consistent and the cheating, even if it seems minor at the time, slips in. So setting a higher rate by eating your exercise calories can mean you are much more consistent in your eating.
    You only need to eat a couple of hundred calories a day to stop your weight loss as the margin for error can be only 2-300 calories. (if I want to lose its supposed to be 1200 but my maintenance is only 1600, tha'ts an extra sandwich or something, just to get an idea. Worth checking out what your maintenance goal is to compare). So everything counts.
    Practically everyone gets FANTASTIC results from Jillian Michaels DVD's, if you do them 5 times a week as she advises. I found these coupled with as much cardio as I could do (30-60 minutes almost daily) has worked for me and would work for most people if they are eating correctly.
    Cut out alcohol if you haven't done so already and also I find plainer cleaner food is best because it is lower calorie so y ou can eat more and more nutritionally dense so encourages your results.
    I think if you are frustrated the best way you can ensure results is to get some help, not the myriad of advice on these forums, much of what is not correct, but rather some face to face contact, a weekly session with a personal trainer, or even something like Jenny Craig where you have your food prepared for you and weekly counselling that way you can get the idea of the basis for a balanced diet. Many gyms have nutritionists who you can see weekly with food diary in hand and get some really personalised advise.
    Don't give up, you will get there because you really want to, but not until you have really got your head around just how consistent you have to be and how much work you need to put in because it does take dedication to change. Once you have done so you will find it all becomes second nature to you.
    Good luck with your journey, we all look forward to the happy post you will be posting in six months time when you have got through this!
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
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    You are 5'6", 210 lbs, exercising regularly, and you are only taking in 1200 calories? You need to eat more. Without knowing your exact activity level I'd hafta go off of a guess of around 1900 calories for you.

    Eat more.

    Ok, so assuming you are "lightly active" your daily calorie needs for maintenance are around 2400. Your BMR seems to be around 1800. So 1900-2100 calories is a good goal for you.

    Oh wow, that seems like A LOT of food! I never thought you'd have to eat that much though.. I can some days barely make it to 1200 calories especially if has been a "salad" day.

    a "salad" day? yikes. sounds like you're taking extreme measures in an unhealthy manner.
  • FACTEX
    FACTEX Posts: 2
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    First, find out what your true resting metabolic rate is. The best way to do this is with an indirect calometric test. This will tell you how many calories you are expending at rest. If you can't get the test done, then you can guess at it with one of the formulas for calculating it. If you use one of the formulas, you need to take into account what your percentage of body fat is. You will need to deduct your body fat from you total body weight. You should only use your lean mass when calculating your RMR. I would not take into consideration how much you are expending with exercise right now, most people don't expend as much as they think they do in the gym. If the routine has not been fine tuned on at least a monthly basis, the body will get efficient at what you are doing. Once you figure out your RMR I would only under eat it by about 150 calories per day for weight loss. I would take your bodyfat first and then take it again on a bi-weekly basis. Don't use the scale, it is a terrible indicator of change. There will be times that you are adding muscle and losing fat and the scale doesn't change. If your bodyfat is going down and lean tissue up, that is a perfect combo. It is really hard to tell what progress you are making without having your bodyfat taken. I would suggest having it down on a DEXA machine or Bod Pod. Don't use the hand held devices as they are not very good. If you have it taken, it's best to have someone experienced take it. There is much more but this is the short version, good luck.
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
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    First, find out what your true resting metabolic rate is. The best way to do this is with an indirect calometric test. This will tell you how many calories you are expending at rest. If you can't get the test done, then you can guess at it with one of the formulas for calculating it. If you use one of the formulas, you need to take into account what your percentage of body fat is. You will need to deduct your body fat from you total body weight. You should only use your lean mass when calculating your RMR. I would not take into consideration how much you are expending with exercise right now, most people don't expend as much as they think they do in the gym. If the routine has not been fine tuned on at least a monthly basis, the body will get efficient at what you are doing. Once you figure out your RMR I would only under eat it by about 150 calories per day for weight loss. I would take your bodyfat first and then take it again on a bi-weekly basis. Don't use the scale, it is a terrible indicator of change. There will be times that you are adding muscle and losing fat and the scale doesn't change. If your bodyfat is going down and lean tissue up, that is a perfect combo. It is really hard to tell what progress you are making without having your bodyfat taken. I would suggest having it down on a DEXA machine or Bod Pod. Don't use the hand held devices as they are not very good. If you have it taken, it's best to have someone experienced take it. There is much more but this is the short version, good luck.

    you would eat UNDER your RMR? That's terrible advice. Caloric expenditure is a byproduct of just living--walking back/forth to your car, cooking, cleaning, running errands, exercising. Taking into account one's total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) and subtracting either 15-20% or 250-500 calories would be a much better approach.
  • mitsi94
    mitsi94 Posts: 64
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    After having tried the weight watchers, every sort of diet there is and losing few pounds but then gaining them back, i am sick of it.

    Recently i became so disgusted by what i saw in the mirror i decided to join here and make a change; healthy diet and more exercise. Results? None. Absolutely zero. Instead, I am gaining weight.

    I weight about 210 pounds (96 kilos) and am 167cm long. I eat about 1200 calories a day, try to drink at least 8 cups of water daily. I try to balance my diet by eating a lot of fruits and vegetables, meat for protein and some carbs but definitely less than usually. I have given up candy, sodas, ice cream, chips.. Basically all junk food. At some days i slip out of my diet and might have a piece of chocolate or something like that, but usually compense it with workout if that happens..

    I do Jillian Michaels workout dvds every day (About 25 minutes), go for a walk/run at least twice a week and start to play ice hockey few times a week again as soon as the season starts. How come i am still not seeing results?

    What in the world am i doing wrong for not losing any weight?

    I have been in the same boat as you, for many many years, until this year. I have always been pretty active (play softball all summer, ride my bike to work, walk everywhere, etc), but it never seemed to make a difference until now. I am finally starting to lose some weight this year, and there are three things I think I am doing differently this year that I think have made the difference for me:

    1. Eating small amounts (200 - 400 calories at a time) every 3 hours (or so). For me, it is important to never go to long without feeding myself something.

    2. Cut out any kind of artificial sweetener. No diet Coke, Crystal Light, snack bars, nothing! I think this has made a HUGE difference for me. I think the chemicals in the artificial sweeteners were making me retain the weight.

    3. Added Flax seed to my diet. I try to get in at least 2 tablespoons per day. I just mix it into the foods I eat (salads, soups, smoothies, etc)

    It took me YEARS to finally "stumble" upon the right combination of healthy habits that work for me. I am so glad I kept trying. I am finally feeling successful this year, and can't wait to keep going! I do agree with everyone here that has said you just need to find what works for you, so keep trying! You can do it!
  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
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    You are 5'6", 210 lbs, exercising regularly, and you are only taking in 1200 calories? You need to eat more. Without knowing your exact activity level I'd hafta go off of a guess of around 1900 calories for you.

    Eat more.

    Ok, so assuming you are "lightly active" your daily calorie needs for maintenance are around 2400. Your BMR seems to be around 1800. So 1900-2100 calories is a good goal for you.

    Oh wow, that seems like A LOT of food! I never thought you'd have to eat that much though.. I can some days barely make it to 1200 calories especially if has been a "salad" day.

    Allow me to say this the nicest way possible...you didn't get to 210 lbs by not ever eating more than 1200 calories. Find calorie rich foods you love...and eat! Throw some nuts or chicken into your salad...or even a spoon of avocado. You have to eat more though.

    WOW. really? because i got to 233 pounds by having to take steroids for 2 years almost straight for a lung disease... i cant remember a time that i ate as much as a piece of cake before. Hell, i eat more junk NOW that im ona diet than i did before! So dont be so backhanded rude... you CAN get overweight by not eating.

    And you don't have to be so overly sensitive. No where did the OP say that she was on medication that causes weight gain. Therefore, she did not get to be 210 lbs by eating under 1200 calories. Your circumstances do not dictate others.
  • 0MissErin0
    0MissErin0 Posts: 92 Member
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    Have you been to a doctor?? Sometimes it can be something as simple(well not really simple) as a hormonal imbalance, thyroid, insulin etc. preventing you from losing weight.

    EDIT: i would suggest getting these things checked out from a doctor. Then you can work out what the best form of nutrition and exercise is for you :) But you have to hassle doctors sometimes to get them to test all these (i've had this problem and through persistence i finally found out what was wrong and found the correct type of foods and exercise for me)
  • ezzziii_candoit
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    Hey guys, I got all my blood, cholesterol etc checked couple of months ago and everything was in normal values.

    And to quote what i said before, of course I haven't gained this weight by not eating more than 1200 calories. However, unlike most, my calorie intake has never been too high and I have always been sportive. It has always been more of what i ate rather than how much i ate, so yes, i have never been eating that much which is why i said increasing your calorie intake right now seems A LOT.


    I've been to a doctor about weight loss couple of times in my life and always seem to get the same response; eat less exercise more. So I really don't see the point in going there again as every medical condition has been ruled out as well as I always end up getting the same advice.
  • missymuffet
    missymuffet Posts: 116 Member
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    In answer to the stone question...........Its how the English and Euro too I believe measure their weight lol. My friend lives in England that's the only way I know lol


    Well hang in there--cut out any soda if you're drinking that it will make a huge difference. Watch your sodium, drink lots of water and make sure you eat a lot of fiber rich food so your digestive system is cleaning out properly...........AND MEASURE YOURSELF!! You're probably losing inches. :)
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
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    Hey guys, I got all my blood, cholesterol etc checked couple of months ago and everything was in normal values.

    And to quote what i said before, of course I haven't gained this weight by not eating more than 1200 calories. However, unlike most, my calorie intake has never been too high and I have always been sportive. It has always been more of what i ate rather than how much i ate, so yes, i have never been eating that much which is why i said increasing your calorie intake right now seems A LOT.


    I've been to a doctor about weight loss couple of times in my life and always seem to get the same response; eat less exercise more. So I really don't see the point in going there again as every medical condition has been ruled out as well as I always end up getting the same advice.

    Well, you said you got bloodwork done, but thyroid levels are not checked in routine bloodwork. As you're a young, generally health female, you are even less likely to have been checked for thyroid issues.

    So, I might get *too* personal, but now I'm kind of curious since we keep ruling out many things... but how are your bowel movements? Seriously. GI issues can also result in difficult to lose weight.
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
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    You are 5'6", 210 lbs, exercising regularly, and you are only taking in 1200 calories? You need to eat more. Without knowing your exact activity level I'd hafta go off of a guess of around 1900 calories for you.

    Eat more.

    Ok, so assuming you are "lightly active" your daily calorie needs for maintenance are around 2400. Your BMR seems to be around 1800. So 1900-2100 calories is a good goal for you.

    Oh wow, that seems like A LOT of food! I never thought you'd have to eat that much though.. I can some days barely make it to 1200 calories especially if has been a "salad" day.

    Allow me to say this the nicest way possible...you didn't get to 210 lbs by not ever eating more than 1200 calories. Find calorie rich foods you love...and eat! Throw some nuts or chicken into your salad...or even a spoon of avocado. You have to eat more though.

    WOW. really? because i got to 233 pounds by having to take steroids for 2 years almost straight for a lung disease... i cant remember a time that i ate as much as a piece of cake before. Hell, i eat more junk NOW that im ona diet than i did before! So dont be so backhanded rude... you CAN get overweight by not eating.

    You are the exception, not the rule.

    I'm here to lose weight that was gained from a medical issue, too, and I knew what that poster meant. Chill.
  • ezzziii_candoit
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    Hey guys, I got all my blood, cholesterol etc checked couple of months ago and everything was in normal values.

    And to quote what i said before, of course I haven't gained this weight by not eating more than 1200 calories. However, unlike most, my calorie intake has never been too high and I have always been sportive. It has always been more of what i ate rather than how much i ate, so yes, i have never been eating that much which is why i said increasing your calorie intake right now seems A LOT.


    I've been to a doctor about weight loss couple of times in my life and always seem to get the same response; eat less exercise more. So I really don't see the point in going there again as every medical condition has been ruled out as well as I always end up getting the same advice.

    Well, you said you got bloodwork done, but thyroid levels are not checked in routine bloodwork. As you're a young, generally health female, you are even less likely to have been checked for thyroid issues.

    So, I might get *too* personal, but now I'm kind of curious since we keep ruling out many things... but how are your bowel movements? Seriously. GI issues can also result in difficult to lose weight.

    I went back a few doctors reports and i did have thyroid checked... Normal as well :/

    and haha, it's alright, i actually got that checked as well, nothing wrong with bowel movement :)