Working out, eating well, and no results- advice?

Hi all,

First, I apologize if this has already been brought up by someone else, I'm still a bit of a newbie :) So, basically here's my story. 22 year old student, on the curvy side with most of the unwanted weight in hips and thighs, maintains a pretty healthy diet all year round (tons of fresh veggies like kale, spinach, etc almost every day, high in proteins like chicken breast, tofu, lean beef, good fats like avocado, organic nut butters, and limited carb intake--almost always whole grains, things like steel cut oats, quinoa, whole wheat couscous, etc). I work out 3-4 times a week on a good week (usually strength training with a bit of cardio mixed in, and lots of Jillian Michaels), but usually average out to 2x a week cause of school and work. I've been doing this since August 2012 and have seen absolutely no results (neither in inches or pounds). A friend who's had great success with 4 Hour Body Slow Carb Diet recommended I try that--I've been doing it for 15 days so far (+ working out), and I'm taking Garcinia Camobogia extract and tons of fibre and still no progress, NOT A SINGLE POUND! My calorie intake is 1200-1300.

I know all the "rules" to healthy weight loss, I know all about eating smaller meals more frequently, including good fats, etc, etc. Trust me, I've been researching this stuff for years--and yet nothing seems to be working for me, I'm basically just maintaining my weight.

Is anyone else going through something like this? Anything I'm missing?And on a side note, I've tried upping my calorie intake (for a few months, not just a few weeks, so obviously I wasn't expecting instant results) and no cigar--so eating more clearly isn't going to help. I've also had thyroid levels and blood work done a few weeks ago and it's all good there too.

Replies

  • Xiaolongbao
    Xiaolongbao Posts: 854 Member
    Maybe check out the "eat more to weigh less" people. Perhaps you actually need to be eating more.
  • Xiaolongbao
    Xiaolongbao Posts: 854 Member
    Also you say you're not overweight but you want to lose 25lbs. Those 2 things don't really mesh. Perhaps you're already at a healthy weight in which case your body won't be keen to change (although on 1200 calories with exercise it's hard to imagine you're getting enough fuel).

    The other thing I'd ask is how sure are you that you're actually eating that number of calories? Are you weighing out food etc or just guessing portions?
  • okremix
    okremix Posts: 38 Member
    Your not eating enough...IMO
  • Textmessage
    Textmessage Posts: 387 Member
    Start by giving us more info. Height, weight, and opening your food diary. Otherwise, it's a bit difficult to lend a helping hand.

    If you'd rather not share more, then try this out:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013
  • _Lori_Lynn_
    _Lori_Lynn_ Posts: 460
    Same here, no results, but I am double your age + some. Have you had your thyroid checked?
  • Textmessage
    Textmessage Posts: 387 Member
    Same here, no results, but I am double your age + some. Have you had your thyroid checked?

    She said she did...
  • Rmabad
    Rmabad Posts: 4
    Hi guys, thanks to everyone who responded...sorry for the lack of detail I've just realized this now. Ok, so I'm female (pretty obvious though), 5 foot 6, 154lbs, so yes, I don't think I'd be classified as "overweight" in the traditional sense, but I am a bit heavier than I should be for my frame and have been advised to lose a few pounds by my GP, she suggested 15lbs, but I personally would like to see 25 because of my own body image issues. I do measure out my food, and I have tried taking in more calories, and even going back to complex carbs in the past, and I still seem to be at a plateau. I've gotten a body assessment done at my gym and the trainer said I needed to be under 1400 calories to lose, plus I need to be focusing more on strength training and less on cardio--I did that for about 12 weeks and again, no results. I don't expect overnight loss, but I would have thought that by now I might have seen a little bit of progress. I personally think that maybe the problem is more to do with working out than with eating well, because as I've said before, I've eaten pretty healthily for most of my life, so going on diets like the Slow Carb isn't really a "shock" to my system and is therefore not producing that boost that I'm looking for. I don't expect any answers, but I just wanted to see if I was the only one going through something like this...
  • Rmabad
    Rmabad Posts: 4

    If you'd rather not share more, then try this out:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013

    Also, thanks for this, lots of great information here.
  • savithny
    savithny Posts: 1,200 Member
    Maybe find a gym or health center that will test your RMR to see what you really are burning?