Please help! Not a single response from earlier post....

BeautifulScarsWECHANGED
BeautifulScarsWECHANGED Posts: 749 Member
edited September 21 in Health and Weight Loss
I posted this earlier today, and haven't gotten a single reponse. :huh:

Ok,so I've plateaud. The system calculares 1580 calories for me daily (before exercise) in order to lose a lb a week. I know I'm supposed to increase my calories to help bust this wall (system calculated 2030 cals to maintain current weight), but for how long?

To answer any exercise questions....I was doing a run/walk routine on treadmill before purchasing an elliptical machine over Memorial Day weekend. Since then I use it about 4-5 days a week for 30 minutes. I know I'm supposed to switch it up so I've increased to the preprogramed weight loss function 3 times and still find level 3 challenging since I just upped it yesterday. I also tried Zumba for the first time yesterday....and although I looked like a total tool in class (massively uncoordinated and my family missed the 'dance' gene somehow) I'm going to do it again. There are classes on Tuesday and Saturday each week with two different instructors.

Oh and I know the muscle vs fat thing, and trust me, I have not built enough muscle to qualify. I'm sure I've lost an inch or two, but I have a lot of fat to lose still. I know I am capable of losing another 25 pounds or more because I used to weigh that before I became preggo.

Help please?

Replies

  • cdavis1126
    cdavis1126 Posts: 302 Member
    I can't see your food diary so I don't know what you are eating but here are some hard and fast rules from my food program that have helped me lose 76 lbs since October.

    No white flour, white sugar or high fructose corn syrup.
    I eat within one hour of waking up. Usually a bowl of low sugar instant oatmeal with a scoop of protein powder.
    I eat every 2 to 3 hours all day long. This keeps the fat burning process going.
    Protein in every meal 15 to 30 g. Sodium is kept below 700 mgs in every meal. I drink at least 10 to 12 cups of water every day. No alcohol.

    When we plateau, our nutritionist recommends boosting. Every 4th day for one meal, we consume a double portion of protein or carbs. All carbs are not the same, there are fast carbs (sweet potato, brown rice) and slow carbs (most veggies). Every meal I eat consist of a protein, fast carb and a slow carb. This along with eating frequently keeps your blood sugar even and helps you to lose weight.

    You can check out my food program at www.myfoodlovers.com and my food diary is open to the public. If you have any other questions, let me know. Christine
  • skygoddess86
    skygoddess86 Posts: 487 Member
    How long has it been since the weight has gone down? I read the post earlier but didn't respond. You are doing everything right and you will see results in the long term. I don't change up my routines or food too much at all and I still get results but they have slowed down considerably from the beginning.
  • MariaATX
    MariaATX Posts: 14
    I know, it is so frustrating!!!!
    I am going through the same thing now....so i have decided to ditch the scale for a while. I will continue to monitor my calorie intake as before and eat my exercise calories only when i am hungry.

    I am going to focus on workouts instead of weight, i think the scale can be totally misleading at times. If you feel good and look better, if you are losing inches and your clothing is fitting better than you are SUCCESSFUL! who cares what the scale says as long as we are looking and feeling better, right?

    If you are not losing inches it is time to up your workout intensity and take it from there.

    You are doing an amazing job! Keep up the great work! You are doing an amazing thing for yourself!
    :)
  • lilchino4af
    lilchino4af Posts: 1,292 Member
    Do you have/use a HRM or go by what MFP says for exercise calories burned?

    Next, do you eat your exercise calories and how much? If all and using MFP's numbers, start eating only 80% because I find MFP to be higher than my HRM. If using a HRM, check to make sure the information you set is correct. After I lost 10 lbs, I went back in and updated my HRM profile with my correct number and the amount of calories burned dropped slightly.

    What about empty calories, i.e. soda, that adds up fast. I cut out soda in January and that has helped me lose weight. Also, make sure you're drinking enough water otherwise you're body will retain fluids. Recommended amount is half your body weight in ounces.

    Lastly, what's your sodium intake? Try to stay around 2,500mg of sodium a day. If you go over, drink extra water (about 8 ounces per 300-500mg over).

    Not seeing your food diary makes it a little difficult to suggest anything else not knowing what you're already eating, so these ar just starters. Hope it helps!
  • sharonsylvester
    sharonsylvester Posts: 52 Member
    I would suggest adding some strength training to your routine. This will help build muscle and it in turns burn calories.
  • sunshine79
    sunshine79 Posts: 758 Member
    Well done for your achievements so far. I posted something similar on Friday and I got some fabulous responses. Please read my post and the responses on this thread http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/102422-what-am-i-doing-wrong it should clear things up for you?

    Are you eating your exercise caloriees you have to eat those too!!

    Add me as a friend if you like :smile:
  • cbirdso
    cbirdso Posts: 465 Member
    1. Get at least 8 hours of sleep every night
    2. Eat ALL your exercise calories
    3. ELIMINATE aspertame, preservatives, msg, high glycemic foods, and all foods that contain unpronounceable names
    4. Drink lots of water (NOT diet soda, or crystal light, or caffeinated drinks)
    5. Space your calories throughout the day.

    You can do it, and it will work!
  • sunshine79
    sunshine79 Posts: 758 Member
    sorry, me again. Read this post too as it will help you to understand where you are a little better http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/9433-expectations

    good luck
  • jgfarned
    jgfarned Posts: 5 Member
    My advice would be to pack on some muscle. I didn't start seeing real results (I've lost 2 dress sizes) until I started working out with weights more intensely. It sounds like you've gotten yourself pretty fit in cardiovascular terms, so you could probably tackle a relatively intense program.
    I'm halfway through P90X (I do the Lean version) and I can tell you it works, and the moves aren't complicated. The recipes included with it are also surprisingly tasty. Jillian Michaels and some of the Biggest Loser workouts are also good for having an effective (sweaty!) mix of cardio and strength work, and are low on fancy footwork. I follow the calories/diet model included in Jillian's Making the Cut book, and it works for me.
    I don't know what kind of diet you're following, but try cutting your carbs until you start to lose energy (workouts get difficult, you're constantly hungry), then gradually add them back in. I've found that I'm now fit enough that I need more carbs than I would have thought (yay!) because I have more muscle to support, but it's taken a little experimenting to figure out how to have enough energy for intense workouts while still running a calorie deficit. So, in a nutshell: work on building strength, experiment with your diet a bit.
    I hope this helps, good luck!
  • BeautifulScarsWECHANGED
    BeautifulScarsWECHANGED Posts: 749 Member
    I never drink soda (water mostly), my sodium is rarely over my daily limit, my water intake is usually 8 glasses or more. I will make my food diary open for the public to see in just a sec. I ordered a HRM and it's on its way. I'm curious to see if my calories have been off this whole time.

    Thanks for the advice....I was starting to feel abandoned there for a sec.
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