Need serious advice from someone who has been there

OliveBruises · February 2013

As of today I've logged in for 55 days in a row and I've also lost 13 lbs. First I want to say that I am very proud of this loss!!
However, recently I've started to feel a bit discouraged. Bear with me, this is a bit long but it's detailed to hopefuly make it easier for you to help!

I eat clean for the most part (I ate a little bad this past weekend though since it was my birthday, so try not to focus on that). I lost 10 lbs the first month (Jan)... but this month I've only lost 3 lbs.. and those 3 lbs were an up & down battle with the scale. Now I know you aren't supposed to judge everything by what the scale says. But I haven't really felt different in the past couple weeks either. I definitely don't expect to lose 10 lbs every month, but this past month has been a bit frustrating. So, I guess I basically want to make sure I'm doing everything correct.

Per MFP, I should be eating 1200 calories a day. Per the BMR calculator, I should be eating 1420 calories a day. I went with 1350. I set my carbs at 40% and fat/protein at 30% each. I don't always succeed at this - usually when it's off I've eaten too many carbs & not enough protein but I'm going to guess most of those carbs come from veggies. And I've really been making a point to try and get more protein in. The fat is mainly good fats – avocados, nuts, EVOO, coconut oil, etc. I work out at least 4x per week - when I go to the gym I typically run on the elliptical (sometimes intervals) for about 30 minutes and then do strength training for 30+ minutes. When I can't get to the gym 4x a week, I fill in the missing days with a Jillian Michaels video. On non-work out days, I still do things to stay active such as take my dog for a walk, clean the house, run errands, etc… basically NOT sitting around unless I’m at work. I do work full-time at a desk job though so I am sitting at the computer during my job for the most part… you know, unless I’m getting up to make copies, get more water, or use the rest room cause I’m trying to drink at least 12-16 cups of water per day! :drinker:

As far as eating is concerned, I eat pretty clean (like I said, besides this past weekend - where I didn't even stray off too bad - just a little worse than the norm due to it being my birthday). The only thing I've really changed from last month to this month is that last month I drank fresh juice each morning. This month we bought a Vitamix so I started replacing the morning juice with a morning smoothie. The morning smoothie is some fruit (today had 1/2 banana and kiwi with the peel), but also veggies & whey protein etc., but I figured smoothies would be better because of the extra fiber! Then if I'm hungry before lunch, I have a small snack. Lunch time I usually eat some protein, veggies & smart carbs (brown rice/quinoa/cous cous/lo carb tortilla/Ezekiel bread, etc). I sometimes have an after lunch snack (Greek yogurt or nuts usually). And we started doing VEGGIE smoothies for dinner as well so that we aren't eating as much right before bed AND we are getting more nutrients in our bodies. [When I say we, I am referring to my boyfriend and I].

I read so much on here that I don't know if I'm eating too little.. too much... or if I'm eating fine and I'm just at a point where my body is adjusting. I plan on sticking to this even though I’m getting discouraged, I just want to make sure that what I’m sticking to is going to work eventually. My mind is in such a good place with my diet this time around & I know I’m going to finally get where I want to be! I guess I just need some reassurance or possibly a little direction. Thanks in advance to anyone that answers! I’ll go make my diary public right now. Oh and if anyone needs to know what we put in our dinner smoothies, I can share the ingredients.

Docmahi · February 2013

1) I think you are doing great, make sure to keep doing what you are doing and not get discouraged - we have all been there where it feels like we are doing everything right and progress slows and its frustrating as hell.

2) Just from briefly reading I saw that you are doing the elliptical as a major exercise, I don't really say it much to people on my news feed that use it (cause I know for me it was one of the few exercises I could do comfortably for the longest time) but I think MFPs elliptical calculator is way off - I used to log these huge 1000+ calorie/workout session burns on the elliptical because I figured the MFP calculator was accurate for me (220-240 lb guy at the time) But I really think it was vastly overestimating. This ended up with me in the same boat where i was doing everything right but the weight was coming off about 2-3 pounds a month which was just super frustrating and caused me to take a 3 month diet hiatus where I just maintained.

I found with a bit more accurate exercise logging (my workouts are more intense now then ever really) where they are around 500-600 cals per session I am losing about 1-2 pounds a week which is where I wanted to be.

just my 2 cents may be a potential area to look at

Hevpais · February 2013

First thing is, well done. Don't lose heart now! I wonder if you have a little or a lot to lose? If it is only a little, it is much more difficult. I must say, I am surprised you aren't seeing a good weight loss given that you are exercising so much too. I have lost 17.5 lbs in 6 or 7 weeks, but i have quite a lot to lose. I can only offer two thoughts, which may or may not help. First, are you guessing your portion/ingredients sizes? I keep a digital scale on the worktop and weigh everything. I don't find it annoying, its just a habit now. And I put every single thing onto my diary, and I use an app on my ipod that syncs with the website. Also, I think that you should try sticking to the calorie allowance set by mfp - forget the carbs, fats and protiens for the moment - just try say one week sticking at 1200 cals and bulking up meals with veggies. Try it for a week and see what you get. Good luck

AmazonRDH · February 2013

not sure if this will help but i used to eat totally clean, paleo 100%, and whenever i'd eat nuts i'd gain or stop losing. and i LOVE nuts, but i gave them up. i never lost very well on paleo. i gave it up and switched to weight watchers and the weight is coming off very well, but i eat maybe 1100 cals a day, sometimes a little less, but i eat a LOT (mainly in the form of salads, loads of veggies, etc) minimal fruit, some breads, etc. --if it were me, and i know there would be lots of disagreement to this, but if it were ME, i'd lower my cals a bit and ditch the nuts. :sad:

preslyann50 · February 2013

You should be proud of what you are doing. 10lbs is impressive and it's a big loss for one month. 3lbs isn't bad for short month either. But I really think you should pay attention to your BMR if you are exercising as much as you say you are. And I don't say that like I don't believe you, obviously with 13lbs in two months you are. But BMR is a very important number to pay attention to. It's how many calories your body needs if you did nothing but sleep. Plus as cliche as it is to say. you lose more in the long run and keep it off if you eat more now. I'm not saying go up some crazy number but your BMR calorie requirement is a decent number and it's what your body needs. I doubt your body is in starvation mode but it will make a difference if you aren't eating enough.
I was stuck in the low 160's, I was doing 1325 for a pound pound a half per week, bumped it up to 1450 and I've seen more weight loss. Good luck!

OliveBruises · February 2013

1) I think you are doing great, make sure to keep doing what you are doing and not get discouraged - we have all been there where it feels like we are doing everything right and progress slows and its frustrating as hell.

2) Just from briefly reading I saw that you are doing the elliptical as a major exercise, I don't really say it much to people on my news feed that use it (cause I know for me it was one of the few exercises I could do comfortably for the longest time) but I think MFPs elliptical calculator is way off - I used to log these huge 1000+ calorie/workout session burns on the elliptical because I figured the MFP calculator was accurate for me (220-240 lb guy at the time) But I really think it was vastly overestimating. This ended up with me in the same boat where i was doing everything right but the weight was coming off about 2-3 pounds a month which was just super frustrating and caused me to take a 3 month diet hiatus where I just maintained.

I found with a bit more accurate exercise logging (my workouts are more intense now then ever really) where they are around 500-600 cals per session I am losing about 1-2 pounds a week which is where I wanted to be.

just my 2 cents may be a potential area to look at

Thank you so much for your input! I actually use a Heart Rate Monitor so my exercises should be pretty accurate

OliveBruises · February 2013

First thing is, well done. Don't lose heart now! I wonder if you have a little or a lot to lose? If it is only a little, it is much more difficult. I must say, I am surprised you aren't seeing a good weight loss given that you are exercising so much too. I have lost 17.5 lbs in 6 or 7 weeks, but i have quite a lot to lose. I can only offer two thoughts, which may or may not help. First, are you guessing your portion/ingredients sizes? I keep a digital scale on the worktop and weigh everything. I don't find it annoying, its just a habit now. And I put every single thing onto my diary, and I use an app on my ipod that syncs with the website. Also, I think that you should try sticking to the calorie allowance set by mfp - forget the carbs, fats and protiens for the moment - just try say one week sticking at 1200 cals and bulking up meals with veggies. Try it for a week and see what you get. Good luck

Thanks! I have about 19 lbs left to go. Possibly more after that - but once I lose the initial 32 lbs I'll be considered "healthy weight". I can still lose more at that point & remain in the healthy range, but I want to see how I feel once I get there. I don't want to focus on a number as much as how my body looks & feels, but the darn scale is still so disappointing some days! Especially when you I'm feeling like I haven't made progress for a couple weeks. When I'm at home, I'll enter things like "half a mini cucumber" or "half a vine tomato" but I make sure it's the most detailed entry available. I also use a scale for meat & some other things. Measuring cups for everything else. I use an app on my phone.
Also, bulking up on veggies is one of the reason we switched to smoothies for dinner. It's helped - but I'm not sure my body feels the same way - or if its still adjusting. Or if that isn't the issue at all

OliveBruises · February 2013

not sure if this will help but i used to eat totally clean, paleo 100%, and whenever i'd eat nuts i'd gain or stop losing. and i LOVE nuts, but i gave them up. i never lost very well on paleo. i gave it up and switched to weight watchers and the weight is coming off very well, but i eat maybe 1100 cals a day, sometimes a little less, but i eat a LOT (mainly in the form of salads, loads of veggies, etc) minimal fruit, some breads, etc. --if it were me, and i know there would be lots of disagreement to this, but if it were ME, i'd lower my cals a bit and ditch the nuts. :sad:

Damn! Even but butters? Those are my usual fix! I guess it wouldn't hurt to try it out. Although I'm not necessarily eating a paleo diet... I guess slightly similar to it though. Basically cut out about 95% processed foods and am trying to eat a "clean" diet. I still eat legumes, grains and sometimes cheese (in moderation). I also try to buy organic when possible.

mryak750 · February 2013

not sure if this will help but i used to eat totally clean, paleo 100%, and whenever i'd eat nuts i'd gain or stop losing. and i LOVE nuts, but i gave them up. i never lost very well on paleo. i gave it up and switched to weight watchers and the weight is coming off very well, but i eat maybe 1100 cals a day, sometimes a little less, but i eat a LOT (mainly in the form of salads, loads of veggies, etc) minimal fruit, some breads, etc. --if it were me, and i know there would be lots of disagreement to this, but if it were ME, i'd lower my cals a bit and ditch the nuts. :sad:

Damn! Even but butters? Those are my usual fix! I guess it wouldn't hurt to try it out. Although I'm not necessarily eating a paleo diet... I guess slightly similar to it though. Basically cut out about 95% processed foods and am trying to eat a "clean" diet. I still eat legumes, grains and sometimes cheese (in moderation). I also try to buy organic when possible.

As stated earlier i would lower the carbs and beef up the protien and fats...lean protien chicken breast/turkey/fish/seafood....treat yourself to a steak 1-2 per week...try 40/40/20...As for the nuts...i think it depends on the person...everyong is different....I can eat nuts all day and not gain a single pound and they are high in cals....so play with your diet a little...what works for you may not work for someone else...good luck to you

OliveBruises · February 2013

You should be proud of what you are doing. 10lbs is impressive and it's a big loss for one month. 3lbs isn't bad for short month either. But I really think you should pay attention to your BMR if you are exercising as much as you say you are. And I don't say that like I don't believe you, obviously with 13lbs in two months you are. But BMR is a very important number to pay attention to. It's how many calories your body needs if you did nothing but sleep. Plus as cliche as it is to say. you lose more in the long run and keep it off if you eat more now. I'm not saying go up some crazy number but your BMR calorie requirement is a decent number and it's what your body needs. I doubt your body is in starvation mode but it will make a difference if you aren't eating enough.
I was stuck in the low 160's, I was doing 1325 for a pound pound a half per week, bumped it up to 1450 and I've seen more weight loss. Good luck!

Shhh don't tell anyone but that's about where I'm stuck too!!

It took weeks of up & down to get in the 150s and now I'm stuck at 159 and the scale is back to the same up/down shenanigans!
I've read up on people not eating enough and that's what I'm kind of worried about - but at the same time I'm scared to bump my calories up! I feel like I'm making smart choices food-wise, but I'm also hungry some days (usually the days after a workout - especially if I wasn't able to eat all my exercise calories back the night before - so now I try to plan ahead). I don't think I'm in starvation mode either which is why I didn't think the extra 100 calories were a big deal - but it seems like with your results it actually could be my problem. I just don't understand why MFP doesn't use everyone's BMR instead... wouldn't that make more sense if people lose more weight that way? I think I read somewhere that as long as you're eating clean (organic eggs & cheeses, grass-fed meat, veggies, fruits in moderation, brown carbs, etc.), you can eat more. But then again, some times I feel like I lost more weight on days when I actually ate LESS the night before. And I think that is why I'm scared to up my calories.

mryak750 · February 2013

also stop eating at around 5-6pm...start eating at around 10am....

OliveBruises · February 2013

As stated earlier i would lower the carbs and beef up the protien and fats...lean protien chicken breast/turkey/fish/seafood....treat yourself to a steak 1-2 per week...try 40/40/20...As for the nuts...i think it depends on the person...everyong is different....I can eat nuts all day and not gain a single pound and they are high in cals....so play with your diet a little...what works for you may not work for someone else...good luck to you
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Most of my carbs seem to come from my smoothies though & my smoothies are: little fruit in AM with veggies, protein powders, chia/flax or wheat germ, almond milk or coconut water, etc. And only veggies at night (sweet potato, kale, spinach, cucumber, carrots, avocado sometimes, wheat grass, etc.) You still think I need to lower my carbs if they are mainly from veggies? I really only eat solid carbs like brown rices or sprouted bread with my lunch. Also, when you say 40/40/20 do you mean fat/protein/carbs in that order?

OliveBruises · February 2013

also stop eating at around 5-6pm...start eating at around 10am....

Unfortunately that's not really possible with my schedule. I drink 2 glasses of water upon waking with a little fresh juice added to it from 1/2 a lemon & 1 inch of ginger. Then I drink my smoothie when I get to work around 8:30 AM. I can try and stop eating an hour or so earlier but 5-6pm just wouldn't be able to work for me.

mryak750 · February 2013

As stated earlier i would lower the carbs and beef up the protien and fats...lean protien chicken breast/turkey/fish/seafood....treat yourself to a steak 1-2 per week...try 40/40/20...As for the nuts...i think it depends on the person...everyong is different....I can eat nuts all day and not gain a single pound and they are high in cals....so play with your diet a little...what works for you may not work for someone else...good luck to you

Most of my carbs seem to come from my smoothies though & my smoothies are: little fruit in AM with veggies, protein powders, chia/flax or wheat germ, almond milk or coconut water, etc. And only veggies at night (sweet potato, kale, spinach, cucumber, carrots, avocado sometimes, wheat grass, etc.) You still think I need to lower my carbs if they are mainly from veggies? I really only eat solid carbs like brown rices or sprouted bread with my lunch. Also, when you say 40/40/20 do you mean fat/protein/carbs in that order?
[/quote]

your diet sounds very healthy...but for some reason its not helping you lose the weight you wish/eat more green veggies...they have less sugar and carbs...yes...fat/pro/carbs...also one day a week I fast for 24 hrs....say on tuesday my last meal is at 6pm...I don't eat again until wednesday at 6pm...one meal and thats it...consisting of lean protien, a sweet potato, brocholi, and black beans...a meal low in fat and equal in carbs and protien....it is not "starvation mode"...you body will use fat as energy and your weight will drop...

OliveBruises · February 2013

As stated earlier i would lower the carbs and beef up the protien and fats...lean protien chicken breast/turkey/fish/seafood....treat yourself to a steak 1-2 per week...try 40/40/20...As for the nuts...i think it depends on the person...everyong is different....I can eat nuts all day and not gain a single pound and they are high in cals....so play with your diet a little...what works for you may not work for someone else...good luck to you

Most of my carbs seem to come from my smoothies though & my smoothies are: little fruit in AM with veggies, protein powders, chia/flax or wheat germ, almond milk or coconut water, etc. And only veggies at night (sweet potato, kale, spinach, cucumber, carrots, avocado sometimes, wheat grass, etc.) You still think I need to lower my carbs if they are mainly from veggies? I really only eat solid carbs like brown rices or sprouted bread with my lunch. Also, when you say 40/40/20 do you mean fat/protein/carbs in that order?

your diet sounds very healthy...but for some reason its not helping you lose the weight you wish/eat more green veggies...they have less sugar and carbs...yes...fat/pro/carbs...also one day a week I fast for 24 hrs....say on tuesday my last meal is at 6pm...I don't eat again until wednesday at 6pm...one meal and thats it...consisting of lean protien, a sweet potato, brocholi, and black beans...a meal low in fat and equal in carbs and protien....it is not "starvation mode"...you body will use fat as energy and your weight will drop...
[/quote]

So do you just drink water during your fast? No juice or anything? I'm interested, I just need some more details. Also when you eat one meal you mean that Wed night after your fast is when you eat it, then you go to bed & back to normal the next day?
Maybe I'd be better off not doing my night time smoothie. Even though it is veggies... this way I can eat protein with that meal. Actually, this is what we used to do for dinner before we started on the smoothies and now that I think about it, I was losing more weight then. We'd have a low fat protein, some green veggies & either a sweet potato or quinoa/couscous/brown rice. Or sometimes black beans - your one meal reminded me of it. I don't know why it took this entire thread for me to think of that. Maybe this is my issue after all. You think I'm alright with my calories where they are though? That was my only other concern.

Duck_Puddle · March 2013

also stop eating at around 5-6pm...start eating at around 10am....

OMG! For real? No wonder I've only lost 70-something lbs! I'm totally not following this schedule! Or maybe, what time zone do you mean?

OP-eat when it fits your life. Not some arbritray time limit. Matters how many calories you eat, not when you eat them.

blues4miles · March 2013

We are similar weights (though maybe not height). Let me just say that your weight loss so far has been good and you should be proud of yourself. Even 3 lbs in a month is not bad. I am losing about 2 lbs a month, and it is kind of as you describe, so slow and the scale jumping up and down all the time that's it difficult to see or believe.

1) Take measurements. These are way better to track progress over time and you'll wish you'd started sooner and kept track sooner. Sewing stores or 99 cents stores have the cloth measurement tape for pretty cheap.
2) Make sure you're only weighing (or at least "recording") one weigh-in per week, possibly might want to switch one weigh-in per month. Your weight will bounce around a lot (as you know). I still weigh in fairly frequently, but only "count" that one weigh-in a week, and it makes it much easier to see progress.
3) You can probably get by with eating more. I started at 1340 per MFP's "1 lb per week" deficit. Then bumped to 1450. Then bumped to 1600, and have been eating closer to 1800 since January (though the 1600/1800 are with me not eating exercise calories back). None of this has magically sped up my weight loss. Instead, weight loss has been the same. So why not eat more and lose at the same rate.
4) Lift weights! You'll probably see the scale stall the first month you do this, but long term building muscle will keep your metabolism higher and keep you losing mostly fat and not losing too much muscle.
5) Don't be afraid to take a diet break at some point. 2ish weeks of eating at maintenance and maybe dial down the intensity on the cardio for a week as well.

Good luck, but honestly you should feel proud of yourself. 3 lbs in a month is great. You just need to stick with it and you will get to goal. No need to be in a hurry.

crystaljohnsongendron · March 2013

I've lost 65 lbs so far and have finally realized that one very important aspect is to limit the carb intake. If you are eating something you know has quite a few carbs, make your portion of that smaller and eat more of whatever is on your plate that is better for you....such as greens. Also, depends on how you are preparing your foods....i see you are using good fats but they have to be in moderation as well. Maybe changing up your exercises would help as well. Your body may be getting used to them. There has been a lot of good advice in the other posts too. I learned some from them too. lol Good Luck! and be proud of how much you have lost!!!

CJ_Holmes · March 2013

You don't need tricks, a dietary revamp, or to stop eating at a certain time of day. It's normal to lose a lot at first then slow down.

You are active- please don't listen to the people telling you to eat fewer calories. Derby is pretty intense- you don't want to lose muscle or energy. I don't think you are eating enough- your diary has large deficits on a lot of days. Eating too little will stall you out for sure, and won't create the lean an capable body that you are going for.

Search on the threads for TDEE-20% and "In place of a road map."

Rock on! :drinker:

Duck_Puddle · March 2013

My suggestion is ditch all the smoothies. Just eat food. Whatever you were going to blend into a smoothie-just eat it.

mryak750 · March 2013

As stated earlier i would lower the carbs and beef up the protien and fats...lean protien chicken breast/turkey/fish/seafood....treat yourself to a steak 1-2 per week...try 40/40/20...As for the nuts...i think it depends on the person...everyong is different....I can eat nuts all day and not gain a single pound and they are high in cals....so play with your diet a little...what works for you may not work for someone else...good luck to you

Most of my carbs seem to come from my smoothies though & my smoothies are: little fruit in AM with veggies, protein powders, chia/flax or wheat germ, almond milk or coconut water, etc. And only veggies at night (sweet potato, kale, spinach, cucumber, carrots, avocado sometimes, wheat grass, etc.) You still think I need to lower my carbs if they are mainly from veggies? I really only eat solid carbs like brown rices or sprouted bread with my lunch. Also, when you say 40/40/20 do you mean fat/protein/carbs in that order?

your diet sounds very healthy...but for some reason its not helping you lose the weight you wish/eat more green veggies...they have less sugar and carbs...yes...fat/pro/carbs...also one day a week I fast for 24 hrs....say on tuesday my last meal is at 6pm...I don't eat again until wednesday at 6pm...one meal and thats it...consisting of lean protien, a sweet potato, brocholi, and black beans...a meal low in fat and equal in carbs and protien....it is not "starvation mode"...you body will use fat as energy and your weight will drop...

So do you just drink water during your fast? No juice or anything? I'm interested, I just need some more details. Also when you eat one meal you mean that Wed night after your fast is when you eat it, then you go to bed & back to normal the next day?
Maybe I'd be better off not doing my night time smoothie. Even though it is veggies... this way I can eat protein with that meal. Actually, this is what we used to do for dinner before we started on the smoothies and now that I think about it, I was losing more weight then. We'd have a low fat protein, some green veggies & either a sweet potato or quinoa/couscous/brown rice. Or sometimes black beans - your one meal reminded me of it. I don't know why it took this entire thread for me to think of that. Maybe this is my issue after all. You think I'm alright with my calories where they are though? That was my only other concern.
[/quote]

Yes...after my last meal of the day...I dont eat again until the same time i ate dinner the day before....You cals seem fine...just keep adjusting document how your body reacts....also when I'm fasting I'm drinking only water...I also have maybe two cups of coffee with a little cream, no sugar just to hold me up...

Need serious advice from someone who has been there

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