frustrated, 3 wks MFP--yoyo of 1 lb. Suggestions ?

rivphoenix
rivphoenix Posts: 15
in Health and Weight Loss
I feel like I am depriving myself of most of the foods that I consider my normal diet. About 6 weeks ago, at 59 kg..tired of the tightness of my jeans and at least 2 kg over my "norm" (not ideal) weight..I decided to go without bad carbs (breads, pastas, etc. plus sweets). I would say for about 3 weeks, eating basically fat and proteins (lots of nuts, chicken, full fat dairy products, avocados, etc)...I got down to 56.5 kg..I got to 59 kg by doing 60 min of cardio burning 400-500 cal, 4-5x a week and then eating like mad. Not being satified and going to the sweets cabinet or opening some doritoes. Once something is open, I can not control myself...I keep going back or just finish it at once. I stopped doing that 6 weeks ago too. Doing all that cardio was making me so hungry that I was intaking surely double because my cravings were so bad. I decided to stop 6 weeks ago, therefore getting a hold of the hunger and cravings. After 3 weeks, I started up with the bike again...followed by a protein shake 30 min after. Then being starved 1 hour after that. But I thought protein was supposed to fill up and keep you full because it takes longer to digest. So would go for the nuts or coconut oil in tea.
Since things were not moving and I was on overload from all the infos off the internet...adkins, weight watchers, etc. I contacted an old school friend who is a personal trainer. He said that a protein shake will not keep you full for more than 1 hr. He also told me that I can not just eat as much fat as I want (even though they are all good fats)...he said all those fad diets are not good. He would suggest that I do interval training on the bike for 15 reps...20 sec high, then once the pulse is back to fat burning zone (60-90 sec) go for another rep. This would burn more than 60 min straight..plus have a better post fat burning result. I should only do this up to 3x a week. I also should do resistence exercises (which besides 3x10 reps of push ups, 3x10 squats and a few crunches--maybe only 1x a week---was not enough) at least 3x a week...Then I should try to reach 40/40/20 (fat) in my macros. I have no problem reaching 40 in carbs...but I have set MFP to 35 Protein and have a hard time reaching that---even though I am eating TONS more protein than before...unfortunately often thru protein powder because I can not get those eggs down for breakfast without the yolk, which goes straight to my fat macros...I was eating protein powder and oatmeal for about 10 days for breakfast and missing my cereal.
Anyway, he also said to go ahead and have 1/2 of pasta, reis, etc...but whole wheat. So I also started doing this. He also said he does not yet know my cal intake yet, but he was thinking it was somewhere between 1200-1400 cal.
Except for the resistence training...I was doing what he suggested. MFP calculated 1250 cals...but upon looking at some message boards, I read up on TDEE...when I told him that it looked like I could have 1500..he was very surprised. So I changed MFP cals and no longer add exercise calories to be eaten away. But I still have tried to not eat 1500...so far I have once gone up to 1800 and otherwise, if you look at my avg. weekly graphs, you will see that I actually have finally made it to 1200-1300 daily.
But if you look at my weight progress, you will see that I have spent the last 3 weeks jumping from 56.0 to 55.6 kg.. (I changed it to lbs. to help you with a feel for kg)...I know all about weighing 1x a week, but I have to do it daily. It helps me. But getting on that scale and seeing that despite not having my normal foods--I am so frustrated. The past week, I have allowed myself small treats, but if you look at the size or weights..you will see they are not more than a handful or a few spoonfuls or bites. Nothing like I had eaten before.
When reading many posts of MFP, people say it only comes down to calories in verses calories out...so, even though these "junk" foods like mini ice cream cone, or a 4 teaspoons of pudding, or a 20 choc. covered raisins. ..should not be what is (now) causing the weight not to come off.
What am I doing wrong??????? Eating too much protein for my body? Not allowed to eat those "junky" things AT ALL? How does Weight watchers work...they make it sound like you can , as long as you are in your points. They actually offer all sorts of processed foods (which I am not eating processed meals of any kind) or their chemical desserts...
Sorry, this was so long...Thanks for your suggestions!

Replies

  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    You really should consider having your diary open or otherwise people will just make guesses and give wrong advice. Waste of your time and theirs.

    You seem to be worrying about your fat calories and can't allow the egg yolk you said to help you eat the white so consider cutting out the coconut oil in your tea. There is no need for that. Use coconut oil as you would olive oil perhaps instead. It is not a magic cure all or fat buster but yes it's a good oil to use instead of other oils sometimes. Your protein is more important so eat the yolks! Lots of other things but it's a huge post and you really don't have a ton to loose. Maybe stop stressing so much because it is a fact stress will make you hold on to weight too.

    Open diary :)
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    it sounds like you have tried a lot of different things recently...

    i would suggest you keep to what you are doing now for another 3-4 weeks before changing anything again! the exercise routine that your personal trainer has suggested sounds fine, but i dont really know weight in kg and you havent put your height so i cant really comment on how many calories yo uhsould be eating.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    it sounds like you have tried a lot of different things recently...

    i would suggest you keep to what you are doing now for another 3-4 weeks before changing anything again! the exercise routine that your personal trainer has suggested sounds fine, but i dont really know weight in kg and you havent put your height so i cant really comment on how many calories yo uhsould be eating.

    Agreed. Although I'd almost suggest 4-6 weeks for any change to see results. It takes time.
  • MiniEng
    MiniEng Posts: 1
    I agree, it sounds like you've tried loads & yoiur thread is quite comlex.
    How much are you aiming to lose each week? I found by lessening my target I was in fact losing more. It also gave me the flex to graze during the day.
    I don't try to cut carbs, just eat them wisely & they are so far looking after themselves. I also know if I'm going to eat a carb rich meal, I suppliment it with loads (I mean LOADS!) of veg. That way, I eat less carbs.

    Exercise wise, I alternate between Spinning & Squash but I think the main thing is to reduce the target weekly weight loss.
    A nutritionist has told me that if you start depriving yourself too much, your body will go into starvation mode where it stores as much as possible, then when you 'give in' and eat, your body keeps hold of the fat & stored energy which can have an adverse effect. But she did warn me that if you lose too much, too quickly, you're not losing fat (stubborn li'l bugger) but water & muscle (easy!) & then you can end up 'fat/thin' so when you go back to eating normally, the fat just welcomes the food back like a long lost mate!

    Mostly, I've started eating more protein though & it's certainly helped as my wife & I have lost over 6kg each since mid Jan.

    Finally though, I'd look at your actual weight to start with. You're only 56 kilos from what you say? That's down from 59 in a relatively short amount of time but you're not trying to lose a massive amount as in my money (English) you're under 9 stones which is light anyway. So what are you trying to achieve & in what length of time?

    Hope this helps
  • delekium
    delekium Posts: 40 Member
    bump
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    It sounds like you are making things unnecessarily complicated. You say you feel deprived, that you tried to cut out "bad" carbs, and your frustration is palpable. Try just sticking to your calorie goal for a couple of weeks. Log accurately (weigh your food, enter your own recipes), stick to your calorie goal, get some exercise and be patient. All you need to lose weight is a calorie deficit. IMO you should do that with food you will actually enjoy so that you don't feel deprived.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819925-the-basics-don-t-complicate-it

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    Also opening your diary might help.
  • rivphoenix
    rivphoenix Posts: 15
    Thanks for the responses so far...I have stopped the coconut oil, except when I stir fry my chicken. I also have reduced it to 1/2 tsp. when I do. I like the taste and the type of fat it is, is supposed to be used differently and better from the body than even olive oil.
    Yes, I have tried numerous things in these past 6 weeks. I thought my profile was open to MFP members...I will check what is still wrong. I am 5'1...which is 157.5 cm...so the easiest way to figure norm weight is to take 100 away from the cm...which leaves me with a normal weight of 57.5...but that is not ideal weight, which is minus another 10%..so more like 52.7 kg. Obese would start at 10% over norm weight..would be 62.5 Kg...
    At this point I would be happy to make it to the next lower kg..which I have thought would have happened by 3 weeks. That is 1/3 of a kg per week...but more of a steady movement down but not up and down.
    I will open my log...
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
    It sounds like you are making things unnecessarily complicated. You say you feel deprived, that you tried to cut out "bad" carbs, and your frustration is palpable. Try just sticking to your calorie goal for a couple of weeks. Log accurately (weigh your food, enter your own recipes), stick to your calorie goal, get some exercise and be patient.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819925-the-basics-don-t-complicate-it

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

    ^^ this, this, this! ^^
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    You're already in a healthy weight range. That means that you can still lose weight but it will be slow. Set MFP to lose .5 lbs per week and eat back most of your exercise calories. Your BMR is 1319, so it should be at least that number.

    To open your diary go to Home>Settings>Diary Settings.
  • 3foldchord
    3foldchord Posts: 2,918 Member
    you don't have much to lose, so it will be slower. Half a pound loss a week is about 1/4 a kg.
    stick to ONE method for a month. record/log everything

    and I don't do cardio- it leaves me famished and dizzy.
  • rivphoenix
    rivphoenix Posts: 15
    Thanks for the links..they were very imformative...I guess I am the one that has those "last 10lbs" or those last 5 lbs..and those are the ones that are the hardest. I did not do the adkins or the weight watchers, but tried to incorp their principles in the first 3 weeks. To get off of my carb "junk and sweets" addiction...then to try and eat foods that I enjoy, because most foods on the NO list of adkins or south beach--do not fall into my normal interest of foods/diet. If there is a veggie on the list of NO, you can bet that is the one that I actually like...same with the fruits. Over here in Switzerland, it is not the easiest to find low fat cheeses. If you are going to eat cheese, then they say to eat cheese. The types that are typically low fat like Limburger, I would not be inclined to eat. Same with the ground beefs...not the low fat varities like in the USA. I did find some with only 7% in Germany...normally 18% and I did get one with 9%. Ground Turkey has 10% here.
    Everytime I wake up and feel like I have lost something, and I get on that scale and it is higher--I get so frustrated. My friend the Pers. Trainer said (over 1 week ago) that I still had too much "junk" on my log. I was just starting to say--hey, this protein stuff is not doing it. I will go with some MFP suggestions and have a small portion of ice cream, or 20 choc covered raisins. I weigh everything and log everything...then I try to fix the macros with eating proteins because they fall off, when the carbs and fats fly high. After he said that I was having too much junk and I felt that I was depriving myself, I said that I do not think that I can consider this diet a diet that I can eat for the rest of my life. He said I have to find a way to make it that way. I love food, I get grumpy when I don't eat what I truly like and then have nothing to show for it...
  • rivphoenix
    rivphoenix Posts: 15
    Haha, and yes, on paper it looks like I do not have much to lose...and no I guess I do not, but when you see me...I get the typical "Oh, you are just too short" ...I am bottom heavy and as of the past year (nearing 40 in a few weeks) I have notice that my belly is the new place my body likes to store fat. So, I decided that my norm would be 57 (which I have been between 57-58 kg for most of the time)...and I am under that by 1 kg. I would like to be at 54 kg. That would be my goal. And hold that steady.

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