What am I doing wrong? Help!
jvl1973
Posts: 36 Member
I am a yo-yo dieter. I go up and down every year. So, this is my story and I welcome any input or advice.
Every year I always gain weight during the fall/winter months (because I don't track my calories and I stop exercising - my fault - I stress eat because I am a teacher and that is the way I cope), and around March I begin eating and exercising to lose the weight because I feel awful about myself and I want to get back in the clothes I have in my closet that I can't wear anymore. I seem to do this every year As soon as it gets warm and the sun is shining I get motivated to get back on track.
So, when I have done this in the past I usually lose 5 pounds within the first 2 weeks, then I taper off and lose 1-2 pounds a week. Well, not this time. I have been eating 1200-1400 calories a day and even exercised 5 days last week. Since I have started doing this (almost a month) I have lost nothing! Actually I go up and down a pound every week.
People say don't worry about the number, but how you feel and how your clothes fit. No Way!!! The number really needs to go down. I am overweight and my BMI is too high.
So, after doing this for a month and no weight loss should I get my thyroid checked? Should l give it more time since I am almost 40 and it gets harder to lose? At this point I really want to lose weight, and just need someone to tell me what to eat, when to eat, and what exercise I should be doing. I really wanted to lose 25 pounds by June, but don't know how to accomplish it. HELP!!!!!
Every year I always gain weight during the fall/winter months (because I don't track my calories and I stop exercising - my fault - I stress eat because I am a teacher and that is the way I cope), and around March I begin eating and exercising to lose the weight because I feel awful about myself and I want to get back in the clothes I have in my closet that I can't wear anymore. I seem to do this every year As soon as it gets warm and the sun is shining I get motivated to get back on track.
So, when I have done this in the past I usually lose 5 pounds within the first 2 weeks, then I taper off and lose 1-2 pounds a week. Well, not this time. I have been eating 1200-1400 calories a day and even exercised 5 days last week. Since I have started doing this (almost a month) I have lost nothing! Actually I go up and down a pound every week.
People say don't worry about the number, but how you feel and how your clothes fit. No Way!!! The number really needs to go down. I am overweight and my BMI is too high.
So, after doing this for a month and no weight loss should I get my thyroid checked? Should l give it more time since I am almost 40 and it gets harder to lose? At this point I really want to lose weight, and just need someone to tell me what to eat, when to eat, and what exercise I should be doing. I really wanted to lose 25 pounds by June, but don't know how to accomplish it. HELP!!!!!
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Replies
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I have been eating 1200-1400 calories a day and even exercised 5 days last week.
Well, there's your problem.0 -
I was eating around 1500-1700 before and no weight loss and was told I was eating too much. So I reduced it to 1200-1400. I am confused!0
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I have been eating 1200-1400 calories a day and even exercised 5 days last week.
Well, there's your problem.
Second.0 -
Could you elaborate on how this is a problem? It may help my efforts. Thanks!0
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Being 40+ is definitely a factor. It's entirely possible that, after so many years of yo-yo dieting, you've programmed your body to expect it, and now it is. Despite the exercise, your body could currently be in "starvation mode," and is refusing to give up any of the fat/calories because this has become the routine. Constant gaining and losing is also hard on your body, so you're compensating. I would maintain what you're doing for a little while, rather than forking over money for expensive bloodwork. That's just me and my cruddy insurance plan, though. BELIEVE ME, I'm right there with you. I'm an insurance agent, and 4th quarter is our busy time (annual enrollment), so I do the same thing. I've been struggling to get back in the mindset of weight loss. I think I'm there, or nearly there, but I need to NOT get off track anymore.0
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Also - I drink plenty of water every day (plain water and propel zero). I drink 1 diet soda every other day.0
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Id say its time to shake up the work outs and diet, if you usually have a small breakfast and big lunch switch them up. If you usually do cardio in the morning and weight training in the evening switch them. You have to trick your body and jumpstart it again..
just my 2c
and by the way to the poster above.. I eat 1200-1400 and go to the gym 6 days a week and dont seem to have a "problem" loosing.0 -
In my experience losing weight the healthy way takes longer BUT remember if you do it right it's forever. Don't give up, be patient. It will come but you have to work for it. You can do it!0
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Could you elaborate on how this is a problem? It may help my efforts. Thanks!
Eating 1200 calories or less per day over a prolonged period of time will repress your metabolism to the point were you cannot burn fat without starvation.0 -
Don't worry about the weight. When you start working out you are going to add weight because you are building muscle. Get a scale that can calculate body fat % and worry about that, but don't freak when it fluctuates. BMI is a horrible calculation to watch. Body fat % calculated by isometric resistance isn't consistent and drinking a lot of water can throw it off a couple of points, but its much better than watching weight and BMI.0
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HI,
I have lost 100 pounds and yes gained some back. As woman we need to make sure we get in enough pure protein every day and drink a lot of water. I drink 84 ounces of water a day and get 125 grams of protein in a day. I have had great results with this and make sure your sugar intake isn't to high in a day.
I hope this helps...0 -
Also, this time I started exercising and eating lower calories at the same time. In the past I did not start exercising until after I lost 20-25 pounds. I feel like concentrating only on my diet worked better for me, but I know that makes no sense. I need both exercise and a better diet.0
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I agree 100% ...Change your workouts...0
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Thanks! for the info. I lowered my calorie intake last week to 1200 calories a day. I planned to do for a couple of weeks. I also workout. I have had a little success. But, it sounds like the success won't last long so I should increase my calorie intake.0
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The yo-yo dieting has probably wrecked your metabolism. Stick to eating 1500-1700 NET calories. If you've only been doing this for a month and reduced your calories to 1200-1400 then you didn't give it enough time. You didn't put this weight on overnight and it won't come off overnight either. It's much healthier and you're more likely to keep it off when you lose it slowly. What you really need to do is make a lifestyle change and get off the yo-yo dieting wagon. Gaining and losing weight over and over again puts a lot of stress on your body. Good luck.0
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Thanks! for the info. I lowered my calorie intake last week to 1200 calories a day. I planned to do for a couple of weeks. I also workout. I have had a little success. But, it sounds like the success won't last long so I should increase my calorie intake.
Bingo. Good luck. :-)0 -
40 was my year to start the upward climb on the scale...I will be 60 this month, just started The Fast Metabolism Diet, I'm on day 3 and have lost 3lbs. This is supposed to reprogram your broken metabolism. I suggest taking a look at the book, written by a nutritionist with a proven track record. Good luck to you on your journey.0
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Your diary is not open. Contrary to what many people will say here, for most of us, WHAT you eat does matter.
My best advice that I could give is that you need to find a healthy lifestyle that you can maintain year round, all the time. Going up and down damages health more than just staying over-weight all the time. True story. Been there, did that.
I still have 30+ pounds to lose and I only lost 1.2 pounds in the last month. Oh well. It just means I have to increase my fat and lower my carbs and do more strength training. I also increased my calories because 1500 may not have been enough and if the body thinks it's starving, metabolism will slow down. I have a metabolic disorder from years of doing exactly what you are doing and the only way to repair the damage has been to drastically change my lifestyle permanently.
Honestly, I LOVE eating healthy high fat food and becoming well and losing weight without struggling with hunger. However, for me, my dietary changes are a permanent thing now, not once per year.
Edit: someone below advises you to eat low fat. That is the worst possible advice, but certainly the most common advice seen on MFP. Most of us need MORE healthy fat, especially if there are metabolic issues. And basically, anyone that is fat has metabolic issues. Although I do agree with avoiding processed foods and restaurants absolutely.0 -
The yo-yo dieting has probably wrecked your metabolism. Stick to eating 1500-1700 NET calories. If you've only been doing this for a month and reduced your calories to 1200-1400 then you didn't give it enough time. You didn't put this weight on overnight and it won't come off overnight either. It's much healthier and you're more likely to keep it off when you lose it slowly. What you really need to do is make a lifestyle change and get off the yo-yo dieting wagon. Gaining and losing weight over and over again puts a lot of stress on your body. Good luck.
Agree 100% your metabolism is probably all over the place....you need to just stick it out until it regulates itself. Stop Dieting and just live a healthly lifestyle, a little goes a long way trus me....it will eventually work in your favor and lbs will come off. my progress is super slow but it's coming off none the less!
All the best!0 -
It's the yo-yo'ing plus age factor. It seems to be harder to loose when you get older, and your body (as was mentioned by others) is stressed from it and is used to you doing it. Just because it's worked in the past doesn't always mean it will. There are hundreds of people out there who have the same issue as you, slammed stuck at a plateau starting off. It's incredibly frustrating, but it's just a plateau.
I will second the comments about switching up your exercise, switching up your eating habits, and upping your calories. It seems bass ackwards to eat more calories, but especially because you're working out, your body needs the fuel, and not just the 'eating back your workout' calories in this case. Stick with it, and try and stick with it all year long. Try and find some other way to relax, rather than eating stress relief.0 -
From my experience. It's not just how many calories you eat and exercise but WHAT you eat and WHAT kind of exercise you do.
Extreme examples:
DIET
If you are eating 1400 calories from McDonlads high fat, wrong CH food you probably won't loose weight. Cause ur body will be hungry. However, if you give ur body good nutrients from Salad, Whole wheat pasta, fruits and lean meat or good fat (avocado/olive oil) the same amount of calories will be good for you - you won't be hungry and MORE IMPORTANT, ur insulin levels will be kept in a low range thus u will lose weight.
EXERCICE
In order for you to start loosing weight you have to be doing cardio for 20 min at a high heart rate. According to your age will vary . The key is, do some cardio - get tired for 20 min at least- and then move to weights (low ones) do different exercises that will help you tonnify you body and create little muscle (muscle burns more calories daily that fat).
Doing this you should feel a nice change in your body. If your in a gym, i would recomend you to get a personal assistant for a day or two so s/he shows you the right way to do the exercices.
Hope it help. GOod luck
Eva
Pd: Sorry for my "bad" english, my main language is spanish and switching languages makes my english go down the hill xD0 -
Thank you everyone! I completely understand that yo- you dieting is awful for my body. I just can't break the cycle - when I am stressed I eat or crave bad, unhealthy foods! I have never been overweight until I hit my 30's. I have always been very thin (size 4/6) until I got older. Now I am a 12 and hate it! I gained 22 pounds durinng the months Oct - Feb - YIKES!!!!!!!!!
I am going to stick to my healthy eating lifestyle and continue to workout and retrain my brain to not go to food during stressful times!0 -
40 was my year to start the upward climb on the scale...I will be 60 this month, just started The Fast Metabolism Diet, I'm on day 3 and have lost 3lbs. This is supposed to reprogram your broken metabolism. I suggest taking a look at the book, written by a nutritionist with a proven track record. Good luck to you on your journey.0
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I'm right there with you and around your age - I'm almost 42.
I lost 20 lbs and close to 30 inches off my body for my October wedding last year. I "honeymooned" for several months and this past February - I realized I gained almost everything back.
I got back on the wagon in late Feb and by mid-March, I'm up to working out 5 days a week. No weight loss after 2 weeks but noticed clothes are roomier. April 1st, I started strengh training 2x per week and this week I had my first loss of 3lbs and lost 5 INCHES off my body and dropped a size (16 to 14). I remember reading "TAPE TRUMPS SCALE" and I believe that 100%
I eat approx 1500 calories a day - (set to 1200 but I eat about half of my exercise calories back). On strength training days, I eat approx 100 calories more. I have faith that if I keep doing what I'm doing - weights 3x per week - adding lil more weights each time and cardio (zumba) 3x per week - the weight will come off.
Stay patient - keep working and it'll happen. Have you lost any inches at all? If you're not tracking them, please do.
Good luck to you!!0 -
This is me too! I was in gymnastics for 10 yrs, ran track and field in middle and high school and stay obsessively active until 5 years after my son was born. All of a sudden I got lazy. Well that's what I call it.
I have been exercising since Nov 2012; 3-7 miles per day consisting of power walking/jogging/running/bicycling and I loose 5 gain 5, etc. About the same time the year before, Nov 2011 - Feb 2012 - I lost 20 lbs. I don't know what is going on now. The only thing I haven't been doing is strength training. So I have starting incorporating that into my workouts.
I am used to weighing 130 or so pounds and now I am up in the 145-149 range, HATE IT!!! I do have more muscle but I have a bunch of jiggle that I want to get rid of; that's what I want to loose.
I will be 44 in a couple months. I had my first born at age 35 and couldn't wait to get the doctors approval to start exercising again. I was up to 4 miles walking as soon as I got the okay and continued for the next 4 or so years.
Then I went down hill. I started eating more and didn't care. I rarely exercised.
I am tired of hearing you are getting older. I am 44 and still doing 3-5 back handsprings in a row. I plan to do them until I'm 50. lol
I haved read and re-read and taken advice from other friends who are in shape, etc.
I am a yo-yo dieter. I go up and down every year. So, this is my story and I welcome any input or advice.
Every year I always gain weight during the fall/winter months (because I don't track my calories and I stop exercising - my fault - I stress eat because I am a teacher and that is the way I cope), and around March I begin eating and exercising to lose the weight because I feel awful about myself and I want to get back in the clothes I have in my closet that I can't wear anymore. I seem to do this every year As soon as it gets warm and the sun is shining I get motivated to get back on track.
So, when I have done this in the past I usually lose 5 pounds within the first 2 weeks, then I taper off and lose 1-2 pounds a week. Well, not this time. I have been eating 1200-1400 calories a day and even exercised 5 days last week. Since I have started doing this (almost a month) I have lost nothing! Actually I go up and down a pound every week.
People say don't worry about the number, but how you feel and how your clothes fit. No Way!!! The number really needs to go down. I am overweight and my BMI is too high.
So, after doing this for a month and no weight loss should I get my thyroid checked? Should l give it more time since I am almost 40 and it gets harder to lose? At this point I really want to lose weight, and just need someone to tell me what to eat, when to eat, and what exercise I should be doing. I really wanted to lose 25 pounds by June, but don't know how to accomplish it. HELP!!!!!0 -
I have been eating 1200-1400 calories a day and even exercised 5 days last week.
Well, there's your problem.
While I would agree that she'd probably have healthier and more sustainable loss by eating more. How would eating this low for one month cause her to not lose weight?
Are you suggesting her TDEE is less than 1200 and she is not in a deficit?0 -
I eat approx 1500 calories a day - (set to 1200 but I eat about half of my exercise calories back). On strength training days, I eat approx 100 calories more. I have faith that if I keep doing what I'm doing - weights 3x per week - adding lil more weights each time and cardio (zumba) 3x per week - the weight will come off.
Stay patient - keep working and it'll happen. Have you lost any inches at all? If you're not tracking them, please do.
Good luck to you!!
Good advice right here ^^^0 -
Are you suggesting her TDEE is less than 1200 and she is not in a deficit?
She's at too much of a deficit.0 -
So far these are the basics i've found have been successful for myself and others around me on MFP
1) Eat your TDEE - 10-20% by creating a calorie deficit your body will use stored fats to fuel your body to live
2) Strength Training! I can't stress this enough. the more lean muscle mass you have the higher your metabolic rate will be resulting in you burning more calories naturally day to day, plus you want to be fit not skinny. Strength training also helps tone muscle and skin as it reshapes to fit the new you.
3) DITCH THE SCALES!!! Regardless of what people say weight doesn't matter if you know your Lean muscle mass and body fat % Get out your tape measure and get your body fat % tested. weight can fluctuate by as mucha s 6lbs from eating a large meal, needing the bathroom, water in muscles to help repare after strength training or having a larger than normal sodium intake causing a retention of water.
Losing 'weight' off the scales doesn't necessarily mean you're losing fat you could be losing water and Muscle mass which once gone can leave room for more fat to be stored and cause terrible problems in later life(osteoporosis....etc)
This is a lifestyle change you've yo-yo'd in the past, don't aim to lose weight you could end up finding it again and gaining it all back plus more.
Instead this time treat it as you're going to lead a healthier lifestyle you as a person shouldn't feel tired all the time or grumpy but happy, energetic and you'll notice it in other parts of you're life.
Good luck0
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