Cant lose weight, please read my diary

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Slim140
Slim140 Posts: 66 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Ok..I am reaching out to the community because i cant seem to lose weight on less than 1500 cal. A day. I think I eat very healthy, but seems like i am in maintenance. I work out everyday doing an hour of hiking 3 days a week i work out with a trainer. On the weekends i hike for about 3 hours.

i have been at 180-185 lbs and sometimes temporality jumping to 191 lbs if i don't keep track of my food. After logging in everyday for the last 30 days i have been at 182-183. I am desperate.

If i am working out too much for my calories. What do you suggest i add to my diet? Eat more protein? Today i decided not to work out at all as i am so upset over this...also my body is exhausted from working out so much, preparing meals, etc.

As i read the success stories it just seems like people were losing the most at the beginning and were steadily losing. I see those who have losses of over 100 (so awesome) and it seems so impossible for me to even lose 20 lbs.

Replies

  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
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    How long have you been dieting? If it's been a significant amount of time you could use a break. Take 1-2 weeks and eat at maintenance and reduce some exercise. You'll see some spike in weight, it will be water. This could help to reset hormone levels. Just a guess.
  • kenazfehu
    kenazfehu Posts: 1,188 Member
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    I remember reading recently that people who limit cardio to 30 minutes per session lose more weight than those who do longer sessions. I can't imagine why that would be, but studies have been done.

    I lost 9 pounds on my own, then joined MFP and promptly gained 2, then stayed there for about a month. Suddenly I'm down nearly 4 pounds. Sometimes you just have to keep the faith that you're doing the right things. If you are, you'll get the results.
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
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    How long have you been dieting? If it's been a significant amount of time you could use a break. Take 1-2 weeks and eat at maintenance and reduce some exercise. You'll see some spike in weight, it will be water. This could help to reset hormone levels. Just a guess.

    ^^This is the first thing I would try.

    Also, looking at your diary, your calorie intake kind of jumps around. Try to buckle down and keep things roughly consistent before you declare a plateau.
  • bpotts44
    bpotts44 Posts: 1,066 Member
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    How long have you been dieting? If it's been a significant amount of time you could use a break. Take 1-2 weeks and eat at maintenance and reduce some exercise. You'll see some spike in weight, it will be water. This could help to reset hormone levels. Just a guess.

    ^^This is the first thing I would try.

    Also, looking at your diary, your calorie intake kind of jumps around. Try to buckle down and keep things roughly consistent before you declare a plateau.

    I agree with all these recommendations, but I would add that maybe you should try some resistance exercises.
  • hipsdontlie1
    hipsdontlie1 Posts: 294 Member
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    It looks like you are eating healthy and definitely getting enough exercise.... I would try making sure you are eating enough. One of your days you only ate about 1400 calories but you burned 1300 in exercise, you only net 100 calories!! That is super low and by the looks of it you are not fueling your body enough. Another day you only ate 1600 calories and burned 1700! That is -100 net! I would try eating back most of your exercise calories...... I was stuck at a plateau for awhile and I upped my calorie intake to 1500 net and I lost 7 pounds since then. It's worth a try.
  • Melo1966
    Melo1966 Posts: 881 Member
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    If you are tired you could be working out too much and eating too little to fuel your body. Keep your calories and workouts more consistent not going under 1,200 cals or working out more than 800. On days you working out more than 500 eat more.:happy:
  • Slim140
    Slim140 Posts: 66 Member
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    thanks for all your suggestions. I really appreciate all the help I can get cause I am really really tired of keeping a diary and exercising to lose weight. I just want to eat healthy and enjoy my exercises. I already like what I eat so if I could lose weight and just maintain, I would be happy.

    Today i didnt work out at all and wont this evening. I do resistance training with a trainer as well. When I do stop exercising for a couple of days, I do see a weigh loss.

    The only time I did lose weight consistantly was when I went on a very restricted diet of 800 cal, but that was too limited and I got bored.
  • enewsome2
    enewsome2 Posts: 355 Member
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    1500 calories a day seems way too low. I used to eat 1200 calories or less a day, and I platued for a long time. Now I eat almost 1900 a day, and am still losing weight (not to mention I'm not tired and moody all the time.)

    I would recommend this calculator:
    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

    Keep up the weight training, and think about upping your intake. :)
  • Slim140
    Slim140 Posts: 66 Member
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    Ok...so this morning I am at 180.5. Had I skipped TDay maybe would have been more. At some point during the month I was at 179. I just want to see 175 to feel successful at this. This week I am skipping my usual mini bagel with my coffee..my coffee I now drink without cream. Hopefully that will make a difference this week.
  • RHSheetz
    RHSheetz Posts: 268 Member
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    Looking at your diary, you need to eat more. Increase your protien, and stop stepping on the scale. If you are going to do any type of lifting the scale is the WORST way to measure your progress. Use measurements and pictures. That is what is important. I looked at several days, and it seems that you are always signicantly under on your Protien and calories.
  • atvfanatics1
    atvfanatics1 Posts: 6
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    I was looking at your diary and you are on CARB overload. Too many carbs in your system turns to sugar. You should be eating about 55% in carbohydrates, 30% fat and 15% protein. Plus you need to be sure they are health carbs like lots of vegetables and stay away from the white breads, grains and pasta. Use 100% whole wheat instead. I also saw you like bagels which are NOT the greatest when trying to loose weight. You also need to be very, very honest about everything you eat. Do you add sauces or marinades to your dinner items? Or are they really just a plain piece of meat and a vegi? Track, track, track everything. Even if it's a chip or two or one cookie you have got to be honest with yourself and track everything.

    You would be surprised how much the little items that you don't track add up. Be sure you track your water and all other drinks also.

    Best of luck to you!
  • wibutterflymagic
    wibutterflymagic Posts: 788 Member
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    From what I see in your diary, you are VERY inconsistant. One day you had 404 calories eaten and worked out giving you an additional 1700. Then a day where you ate well over 1500 calories and still had leftovers from working out. You need to meet your basic calorie goal or slightly under and then if you work out you need to take back a good portion of those. I think you're working out too much and not eating enough so you body is starving. That's probably why you're so tired.

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