Need help....

I have many questions and I dunno who to ask. For calories they say not to go below 1200 myfitness pal tell me to eat like 1500 I wanna lose 100 ounds or so but she far I only lost two, Do I have to eat as close to the caloris it sets for me? Is it ok to eat less? I set 1400 for myself but in 2 weeks at that I didn't lose anything. I'm 5''6 and weight 248 pounds. I exercise atleast 3 times a week. I can walk 3 miles in a hour. Some days I feel like I'm forcing myself to eat to get close to the calorie goal and other days I'm still hungry.. What am I doing wrong? Please help.

Replies

  • It sounds like youre off to a great start! Sometimes it just takes time for your body to adjust to all of the changes that are being made and just because youre not seeing results doesnt mean your body isnt changing. Alot of people dont actually drop pounds but do lose inches which can be better. The best advice I an give you is to make sure you are drinking plenty of water, getting enough protein and lots of fruits and vegetables. Also sleeping atleast 8 hours a night is important for weight loss! I would stick with 1500 calories a day because any less might mean that your body isnt recieving enough and possibly signalling your system to retain weight because it thinks youre starving. Anyways stick with it, and dont give up! Sometimes it is all about trial and error and what works for your own body. Good Luck, you can do it!!!
  • xMallie
    xMallie Posts: 208 Member
    Don't panic- You're going well. I agree with Nina; Water, protein, fruits, vegetables, and sleep are the best way to lose weight! I have lost 14 kilos in the past 4 months (I only started on here a couple days ago...) and as of recently I have completely cut out soda, foods full of unsaturated fats, etc etc. I try to keep to healthy foods that are also filling, such as lean meats, vegetables, fruits. I also don't eat as much bread as I used to. Remember; Every body is different. it could be that 1400 calories isn't enough, and instead your body is storing weight. Try to change up your diet, cutting out foods that turn out to be empty calories and the like. Good luck! I'm rooting for you!
  • Hi, we are all in the same boat here but I hope I can help you some...You must eat your breakfast. Just toast and coffee will get your metabolism started for the day...then have a small snack like an apple and some water for around 10 AM...then eat lunch around 12:30...then have your dinner before 6 PM. make sure you get enough to fill you up for supper by eating a large salad but watch the dressing. Use lemon juice if you like ...then again a small snack and water around 8 or 9 PM. But in addition to counting the calories, you must pay attention to sodium intake. If you go over the sodium requirement then you may retain enough fluid to mask the actual weight you have lost. It is my understanding that this diet is set up to loose a pound a week. Loosing it slow will give a better chance of it staying off. But you saw, I'm sure. where you could set it for more weight per week. My only problem is the high amount of carbs it tells you is the allowable. Too high to loose weight very fast. So I'd try to lower the carbs if you can with green beans and greens and cabbage and such...hope this helped...I am Nightwind 1952
  • phyllisbobbitt
    phyllisbobbitt Posts: 347 Member
    :smile: you are not really doing anything wrong. you should only eat if you are hungry. i can not see your diary but you should eat a lot of fresh veggies, at least 8 glasses of water a day, at least 2 fruits & nuts a day & lots of protein. i would suggest you increase your activity to everyday at least a good walk. as for your set calories are concerned you do not want to eat below to the extreme that you could go into starvation mode which would mean no weight loss or very little. that happened to me at one point of time.
  • Luthien007
    Luthien007 Posts: 281 Member
    My tip would be to make sure you weigh your food. It's so easy to get the serving sizes wrong.
  • Jess81184
    Jess81184 Posts: 2 Member
    Thanks for the replys. I know I did bad last night on calories. My problem is I'm a very picky eater and if I could cut out pasta and bread I would probably lose alot. I would say I'm addicted to it, is that possible? ha ha I don't really eat salads and there are a few vegetables I like. My main meat I ever eat is chicken. I have been baking it without breadcrumbs. Serving size I have been doing good except when pacakges say 2 oz cause I have no idea what that is so I go small and figure its best to round up then think I'm eating less. Last year I lost 50 pounds with myfitnesspal it took a year. I only drank water, drank so much I would go through 3 cases of water a week. Alsmo made my calorie intake goal 1400 and tried to exercise about an hour a day or so. After that I lost my motivation cause I craved all the sweets and sodas so I gained it back. Inches I always lose quick but its the pounds I really wanna lose. I want to be healthy for me and my kids.
  • blu_meanie_ca
    blu_meanie_ca Posts: 352 Member
    If you don't care for most veggies - then eat your veggies first and get them out of the way. Eating a variety of vegitables is good role modeling for your kids, an economical way to fill up if you buy frozen, and, it will be challening to obtain optimal health with out them. If you were to divide a plate using a marker (a smaller plate... the kind you usually get salad on.. dinner plates are too large to visualize servings), half of the plate should be vegitables, 1/4 protien, and 1/4 carbs.
    There are people here who do loose weight, ect with out eating a good amount of veggies, but, it would be hard. Most veg are super low calorie, and higher in fiber, which is a great way to eat a filling meal without building on your butt.
  • Lifesauthour
    Lifesauthour Posts: 10 Member
    We're in the same boat, chica. I've been working out and dieting since the 7th, and only THIS week did I see any difference in the scale. I went online and researched what muscle groups to work out, how long to work out, and all of that. You'll get there. Just stay focused.

    Feel free to add me if you like and need support, I'll happily encourage, yell, cheer, and clap for your success. I'm 5'7" and started at 250ish.
  • Still_Fluffy
    Still_Fluffy Posts: 341 Member
    Figure out you BMR and set your calories based on that, then eat those calories plus whatever you burn working out. I was eating too few calories for a long time and struggled. Also try to move from walking to running. I started running when I was close 400 pounds, so you can run too. Look at the Galloway run walk method. Basically run one minute and then walk one minute. Over time, run longer and take less walk breaks, it takes time but it works. Any reason you can't work out more? Can you buy a dvd to workout at home? Or search the net for at home workouts.

    Good luck!
  • I love pasta too much to give it up & do not think I should have to. I eat pasta once a wk & am still losing weight + inches. I eat the healthier ones they have available, make my own sauces, eat smaller portion & eat it earlier in the day (cook night before & take for lunch the next), I also try to plan my pasta days for days when I know I am going to be doing a heavier/longer cardio workout. I am a sucker for breads, so I did switch to eating some really good, fiber & protein packed wraps instead. I agree with person above about portion control. I usually cook 3-4 days worth of chicken (typically 3-4 different ways) at a time, weigh it & store 4 oz portions in individual small containers in the fridge. This makes it easy to grab something to snack on, toss in a wrap or on a plate with sides, etc. I love salads but I actually have not had a salad since I started on MFP. I love veggies & eat plenty of them but during the winter I find that I prefer hot meals vs. cold salads :) In regards to daily calories, MFP suggested I eat 1200 calories a day but a booklet I have for TurboFire says I should be around 13-1400 per day. I stressed during first few days of bing on here about the calorie amt but finally just decided to go with how I felt. I eat every 2-3 hrs during the day. Some days I consume more than 1200, some days I come in under that by a little & other days I am right at 1200. I'm not hungry, I have plenty of energy & I'm losing weight & inches. I would keep trying to find a balance that works for you. Also, whatever veggies you do like, eat lots of them :)