HELP ME!!!!121 days and only 14 pounds!

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OK- I know that I gripe about this a lot, but can any of you who have lost slowly give me some input? I have friends who seem to lost faster than me overall. UGH! So frustrating for me right now!
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Replies

  • traciredjo
    traciredjo Posts: 32 Member
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    Your diary shows you eating 1400 cals a day. You may want to try to up your calorie intake by a couple hundred cals. You may be holding weight because your not eating enough (starvation mode). Are you eating over your BMR?
  • allison0820
    allison0820 Posts: 325 Member
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    Are they bigger than you?? I have definitely had this same question, ppl who have more to lose will lose faster and with less effort than those who have less to lose....
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
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    There could be a lot of reasons, but usually, it's that you're eating too much. We rely on a LOT of estimates in this game. Estimate of our basal metabolic rate, estimate of the calories in food we eat, estimate of the calories we burn off with exercise. It's likely that one of those numbers is incorrect for you. It's usually in the food or exercise calories, though BMR is always possible too.

    Do you weight your food? Or measure? Or eyeball? If you don't weigh it, start weighing everything. A serving size is usually listed on a label as "3/4 cup (27g)". If I measure out 3/4 of a cup of the item, it's almost always more than the stated grams. Sometimes by as much as 20% more! Especially peanut butter LOL. So, start weighing everything so you know if that is accurate with what you've been recording.

    For the exercise, when I was less in shape, MFP actually was underestimating my burn. Now that I'm more fit, it's a slight overestimate, but pretty close. I would recommend using an HRM if you do a lot of cardio and using that to record your burns. Of course, that only matters if you follow the MFP method of eating back exercise calories.

    I'm a slow loser. Over the last 2 years, I've averaged around .8 lbs per week. I've had my BMR tested (higher than expected!), I weigh most of my food, and I use an HRM for the most accurate calorie burn I can do. I'm just a slow loser. It's annoying, but ultimately, it's still coming off so I try to remember it's not a race.
  • canelly
    canelly Posts: 731 Member
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    Slow is better!! Don't worry slow progress is still progress!!!! It took me a whole year to lose 29 lbs.
  • liittlesparrow
    liittlesparrow Posts: 209 Member
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    From looking at your diary, maybe you should exercise more.
  • pianolover2012
    pianolover2012 Posts: 168 Member
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    Your diary shows you eating 1400 cals a day. You may want to try to up your calorie intake by a couple hundred cals. You may be holding weight because your not eating enough (starvation mode). Are you eating over your BMR?

    My weight has stalled for several weeks. I was eating 1600 and my doctor suggested 1400 to see if there was a difference. No difference so far!!! ugh!!!
  • surromom2010
    surromom2010 Posts: 457 Member
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    If you're logging accurately it looks like you exercise to little and eat too little. Up your calories maybe by 150-200, and do something a bit more strenuous than walking. Do you lift weights at all? Or if you only want to start with cardio maybe try jogging/walking in intervals to keep your heart rate up until you can work up to a steady jog.
  • RaquelCasul
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    That's just under a pound a week, which is a perfectly healthy amount to lose for someone who isn't seriously obese.
  • pianolover2012
    pianolover2012 Posts: 168 Member
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    Are they bigger than you?? I have definitely had this same question, ppl who have more to lose will lose faster and with less effort than those who have less to lose....
    Don't think so.
  • pianolover2012
    pianolover2012 Posts: 168 Member
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    If you're logging accurately it looks like you exercise to little and eat too little. Up your calories maybe by 150-200, and do something a bit more strenuous than walking. Do you lift weights at all? Or if you only want to start with cardio maybe try jogging/walking in intervals to keep your heart rate up until you can work up to a steady jog.

    Thanks- will try
  • DozzFit
    DozzFit Posts: 9 Member
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    yeah this is a tricky one - I must say for me the big lesson has been that I need to distribute the calories more evenly throughout the day. They say this turns your body more into a 'furnace' burning calories constantly rather than as previously mentioned going into starvation mode.

    Slow and steady is a good sign that you wont just yoyo back though! (I mean your rate is like almost a Pound a week..That's not bad at all) ! So good Job!
    (From what others are saying you could add more exercise)
  • sunshinesquared
    sunshinesquared Posts: 2,733 Member
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    Maybe more water and less sodium. Processed foods and fast foods are LOADED with sodium!
  • pianolover2012
    pianolover2012 Posts: 168 Member
    Options
    There could be a lot of reasons, but usually, it's that you're eating too much. We rely on a LOT of estimates in this game. Estimate of our basal metabolic rate, estimate of the calories in food we eat, estimate of the calories we burn off with exercise. It's likely that one of those numbers is incorrect for you. It's usually in the food or exercise calories, though BMR is always possible too.

    Do you weight your food? Or measure? Or eyeball? If you don't weigh it, start weighing everything. A serving size is usually listed on a label as "3/4 cup (27g)". If I measure out 3/4 of a cup of the item, it's almost always more than the stated grams. Sometimes by as much as 20% more! Especially peanut butter LOL. So, start weighing everything so you know if that is accurate with what you've been recording.

    For the exercise, when I was less in shape, MFP actually was underestimating my burn. Now that I'm more fit, it's a slight overestimate, but pretty close. I would recommend using an HRM if you do a lot of cardio and using that to record your burns. Of course, that only matters if you follow the MFP method of eating back exercise calories.

    I'm a slow loser. Over the last 2 years, I've averaged around .8 lbs per week. I've had my BMR tested (higher than expected!), I weigh most of my food, and I use an HRM for the most accurate calorie burn I can do. I'm just a slow loser. It's annoying, but ultimately, it's still coming off so I try to remember it's not a race.

    ** I try to measure my foods but maybe I need a better scale or measurements. I will look into this! Thanks for the info.
  • careydesignstudio
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    Definitely need to exercise more. Take that 20 minute walk at "walking the dog" pace up to 45-60 minutes at a very fast pace (15 min/mile or so). Even three days a week at this pace would help. Then you can do the "walking the dog" pace the other 4 days.
  • pianolover2012
    pianolover2012 Posts: 168 Member
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    Maybe more water and less sodium. Processed foods and fast foods are LOADED with sodium!

    Will try with the water and sodium! Thanks!
  • susanwair
    susanwair Posts: 78 Member
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    :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: Don't forget about age- I am 51 and it is a constant battle that I am still not winning. I know you a lot younger than me- but in our 40's is when the metabolism begins to change.
    Don't give up---
    I am going to talk to my doctor to see if she has any suggestions.
    Good Luck
  • surromom2010
    surromom2010 Posts: 457 Member
    Options
    Your diary shows you eating 1400 cals a day. You may want to try to up your calorie intake by a couple hundred cals. You may be holding weight because your not eating enough (starvation mode). Are you eating over your BMR?

    My weight has stalled for several weeks. I was eating 1600 and my doctor suggested 1400 to see if there was a difference. No difference so far!!! ugh!!!

    If you were losing at first with 1600 and then you stalled out you need to INCREASE your calories. Your body has spared probably all of the fat it wants to when all it expects is 1400, or 1600 cals a day, make it known to your body that you aren't limited to that amount and it will release fat again instead of eating your muscles, another thing you may do is measure yourself, not just hop on the scale. For the last 3 weeks of burning 600-920 cals a day and eating 1800-2000 calories I have actually GAINED a lb, but have lost another 3 inches everywhere and am starting to see abs =)
  • pianolover2012
    pianolover2012 Posts: 168 Member
    Options
    Definitely need to exercise more. Take that 20 minute walk at "walking the dog" pace up to 45-60 minutes at a very fast pace (15 min/mile or so). Even three days a week at this pace would help. Then you can do the "walking the dog" pace the other 4 days.

    Exercise is difficult for me. I have a 45 minute commute daily which REALLY annoys me! I leave at 6:45am and return about 6pm daily. I try to walk at work (in dress clothes) on my breaks and at lunch so getting up a really sweat is not what I am looking for- just trying to ge the heart rate up some. I will try to add additional hard-core exercise at night if possible. Thanks!
  • meggonkgonk
    meggonkgonk Posts: 2,066 Member
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    Dude, that's 14lbs in 17 weeks. That's what you are supposed to do. This is a totally reasonable pace. There's nothing wrong with your weightloss, just your expectations.
  • Hezzietiger1
    Hezzietiger1 Posts: 1,256 Member
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    You are not eating much protein, and on some days your calories are pretty low. I'd add in another meal- lean protein- try about 4-6 oz of chicken with lots of veggies- about 2 cups. cook with olive oil, non stick cooking spray, grilled or pan fried.. maybe around lunch time.