So frustrated! What am I doing wrong???
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dmb0114
Posts: 49
Hi all!
I apologize because I am sure this gets posted a million times but I truly am frustrated. Tiny bit of background, I used to go to a trainer but now don't, he moved and I haven't started with anyone else. At any rate, he was totally against the 1200 calorie diet idea. He had me on 1750-1900 calories a day and was comfortable if I went up to 2000 (although I wasn't... LOL) and I was losing. So fast forward a year-ish to now. I have really started exercising again (5-6 days a week) doing a mix of cardio and strength training and tracking my calories.
It has been about a month and I am eating right around 1800 calories a day. I am exercising (as I said) 5-6 days a week. I drink a ton of water (like so much that my dr regularly thinks I need to be tested for diabetes) and yet in this month's time I have lost all of .8 lbs. Grrrrrrr!!!
So talk me through this. Pull me away from the edge of either giving up or cutting my calories back (to 1400 ish???). Just frustrated seeing post after post of "I can barely even eat 1200 calories and I am losing 10 lbs a month" while I am struggling to even lose one pound.
So let me hear your thoughts!!!
Oh... and for reference,
I am female
39 years old
5 foot 6.5 inches
current weight 175
goal is low 150's
Also, my diet is currently private because I got tired of people saying I was eating TOO much at a 1800 calorie/day setting.
Ok, I'll stop rambling now.
AND, THANKS!!!!
I apologize because I am sure this gets posted a million times but I truly am frustrated. Tiny bit of background, I used to go to a trainer but now don't, he moved and I haven't started with anyone else. At any rate, he was totally against the 1200 calorie diet idea. He had me on 1750-1900 calories a day and was comfortable if I went up to 2000 (although I wasn't... LOL) and I was losing. So fast forward a year-ish to now. I have really started exercising again (5-6 days a week) doing a mix of cardio and strength training and tracking my calories.
It has been about a month and I am eating right around 1800 calories a day. I am exercising (as I said) 5-6 days a week. I drink a ton of water (like so much that my dr regularly thinks I need to be tested for diabetes) and yet in this month's time I have lost all of .8 lbs. Grrrrrrr!!!
So talk me through this. Pull me away from the edge of either giving up or cutting my calories back (to 1400 ish???). Just frustrated seeing post after post of "I can barely even eat 1200 calories and I am losing 10 lbs a month" while I am struggling to even lose one pound.
So let me hear your thoughts!!!
Oh... and for reference,
I am female
39 years old
5 foot 6.5 inches
current weight 175
goal is low 150's
Also, my diet is currently private because I got tired of people saying I was eating TOO much at a 1800 calorie/day setting.
Ok, I'll stop rambling now.
AND, THANKS!!!!
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Replies
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Hi, the main advice i would offer is to be patient. View this as a healthy eating plan instead of a diet and give it time, maybe 18 months or 2 years to loose the weight you want to loose. Eating a decent amount of food and eating healthy and exercising will be good for you long term, so i would suggest you just stick with it and enjoy eating a sustainable healthy diet0
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It's hard without seeing your diary, but a lot of it is WHAT you eat. Not just how much. What is a typical day for you?0
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You said you are doing cardio and strength 5-6 days a week. How many hours per week of each?
Oh and is it around the same amount of exercise that you did with your trainer or more or less by how much?0 -
It's hard without seeing your diary, but a lot of it is WHAT you eat. Not just how much. What is a typical day for you?
Typical day would be...
Early - usually plain oatmeal made with 1/2 cup skim milk and usually a fruit
Morning Snack - lots of time an egg/and egg white plus piece of toast OR if out and about a LUNA bar or something similar
Lunch - almost always salad with a little bit of cheese or grilled chicken (if cold sometimes will do a vegetable soup)
Afternoon snack - handful nuts and a fruit or if I'm craving sweets will rarely do a Kashi cookie or Cascadian Farm cereal bar
Dinner - this varies greatly... MOST nights some form of lean meat with veggies and a starch BUT probably 2ish times a month will eat spaghetti with the family or pizza but definitely very aware of portion control and always eat a big salad or just cut up fresh veggies with it (I do also sometimes struggle with still craving junk and so will allow myself ONE treat a day be it a mini ice cream sandwich or mini (bite size) candy bar, etc... but always keep it 100 cals or under and this is not every day)
I don't eat after 6pm because evening snacking has always been a pitfall for me so nothing after dinner and I have stuck with that rule!
Hope this helps... and THANK YOU!0 -
You said you are doing cardio and strength 5-6 days a week. How many hours per week of each?
Oh and is it around the same amount of exercise that you did with your trainer or more or less by how much?
In all honesty I am sure I do less than what I did with a trainer... he was always really good at pushing me when I thought I was done!
An average week is 2-3 days of cardio only which consists of either the elliptical for anywhere from 30-60 minutes OR walking outside for 30-60 minutes (3.5-4 mph/pace) but if I am particularly stressed I have been known to do 2 cardio sessions in a day or go a bit more than an hour. On days that I do strength training (3days week) I usually only average 20-30 minutes cardio and then do 30 minutes of strength so probably right around an hour total.
Thinking about this maybe I do need to lower my calorie goal because I am sure I am not burning as much without the trainer. Hmmm... thanks for your thoughts!!!
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That's what I was thinking, you may be eating very near TDEE, and since starting up again, you are able to make some great body improvements, which has gain involved.
But, you don't mention measurements either, and that should be a huge part of the discussion. Because those improvements usually match with fat falling off, so weight the same, inches down.
The fast pace of improvements will stop eventually, and just fat drop.
Walking counts about 1/2 time when adding up hrs a week.0 -
Ok, not sure if this helps the discussion any but I did a "typical" workout this morning involving 30 minutes on the elliptical and a strength training session of just over 20 minutes and wore my HRM which indicated I burned 441 calories for the 50 minutes of exercise.
I personally do not know how to do measurements... guess I need to get back working with a trainer. But, I can say (and I know this is probably not worth much...) but since early March til now, I have lost just a tad over an inch off my waist. So...
Thanks again for everyone's thoughts! I'm not giving up... just frustrated! 0 -
I am going to suggest that you try this energy calculator to input your exact activites on a typical day and see what you come up with. It sounds to me like you aren't eating enough.
http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced
I just inputted your info with 7.5 hrs sleep and sitting on your behind for 16 hours, and got a BMR of 1517, and a TDEE of 2078.
If you stand 6 hrs (no exercise) and sit the rest of the time, TDEE goes up to 2554. If you are exercising, you adjust for that, it will only go up further.0 -
I am going to suggest that you try this energy calculator to input your exact activites on a typical day and see what you come up with. It sounds to me like you aren't eating enough.
http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced
I just inputted your info with 7.5 hrs sleep and sitting on your behind for 16 hours, and got a BMR of 1517, and a TDEE of 2078.
If you stand 6 hrs (no exercise) and sit the rest of the time, TDEE goes up to 2554. If you are exercising, you adjust for that, it will only go up further.
Ok... so using those calculations but then figure in workouts a minimum of 3 times a week that burn 400+ calories (per HRM) and then another 2-3 work outs a week that burn right around 300 calories....
Maybe I'm just not smart enough to lose weight... I feel like I am getting lost in the numbers! LOL!!!!
I think my frustration is that I went from almost NO exercise (other than occasional walks) for the past year+ and eating pretty much whatever the heck I wanted to really exercising, strength training, focusing on healthier food choices and tracking calories and I have stayed pretty much the exact same weight. YES, I do feel better... but.....0 -
Ok, not sure if this helps the discussion any but I did a "typical" workout this morning involving 30 minutes on the elliptical and a strength training session of just over 20 minutes and wore my HRM which indicated I burned 441 calories for the 50 minutes of exercise.
I personally do not know how to do measurements... guess I need to get back working with a trainer. But, I can say (and I know this is probably not worth much...) but since early March til now, I have lost just a tad over an inch off my waist. So...
Thanks again for everyone's thoughts! I'm not giving up... just frustrated!
Some measurements will be very beneficial, also allows getting best estimate of BMR, in case other methods not using bodyfat % are inflated by a lot.
And this spreadsheet will use measurements and log progress, uses that same study above for calorie estimates, but less levels and looking at the week as a whole.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/961054-spreadsheet-for-bodyfat-bmr-tdee-progress-tracker0 -
Really need to see your diary to see your eating habits. Don't give up whatever you do! You may be losing inches. The scale is just one factor...how do you feel in your clothes? have you measured yourself? We all want the scale to move downward, but it's not the sole factor in determining your efforts! Good luck!!!0
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Ok, not sure if this helps the discussion any but I did a "typical" workout this morning involving 30 minutes on the elliptical and a strength training session of just over 20 minutes and wore my HRM which indicated I burned 441 calories for the 50 minutes of exercise.
I personally do not know how to do measurements... guess I need to get back working with a trainer. But, I can say (and I know this is probably not worth much...) but since early March til now, I have lost just a tad over an inch off my waist. So...
Thanks again for everyone's thoughts! I'm not giving up... just frustrated!
Some measurements will be very beneficial, also allows getting best estimate of BMR, in case other methods not using bodyfat % are inflated by a lot.
And this spreadsheet will use measurements and log progress, uses that same study above for calorie estimates, but less levels and looking at the week as a whole.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/961054-spreadsheet-for-bodyfat-bmr-tdee-progress-tracker
I will definitely check it out. Thank you!0 -
Bumping this.
We are the same height, and close in weight, but I have about three years on you After reaching a low of 144 in March 2012 (eating @ 1400-1500 plus exercise calories) I've been stalled for close to 8 months, I attempted a "reset" for over three months, and ended up gaining about 15 pounds. Now, I can't even get back to my lowest weight. I'm hovering around 160ish, and everything I've tried has failed. No measurement changes, either. I've tried TDEE -15, -20, and nada. I'm thinking Scooby has my TDEE estimated too high, since I consistently gained during/after reset. Macros set to 40/30/30, eat pretty good, except for splurging some on the weekends. I might get shot down for this, but I'm thinking of going back to 1400-1500 calories. I just have a really hard time believing that my metabolism is so damaged that it's taking almost a year to show any losses. I definitely feel your pain. 0 -
I have no great advice and nothing to add except I'm sorry! I'm right there with you! Just turned 39 in Feb. close in measurements. I just ordered a Bodymedia Fit which should arrive on Monday and am hoping it will help me to be a bit more accurate on numbers. I just wanted to say that I completely understand how you are feeling. I'm to the point that I feel hopeless and like I am standing in place like a deer in the headlights trying to figure out what to do! I've tried 1400, 1500, 1600, 1800 calories and nothing seems to work. I know for me I am really good for a month and then when I don't see results I say screw it, have a few bad eating days and try a new plan and repeat!
I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry and it sucks!
Good luck to you!!0 -
I am 5'7" and very close in weight. I use the spreadsheet that Heybales linked you to. As he says, body fat % or measurement is very important to determine your TDEE. I just got my body fat % tested and it was 25.1% and my RMR was 1750. What I learned by using this spreadsheet is that I over estimated my acitivity level. I always thought I was moderate activity, but when I used Heybales spreadsheet I realized that I was between light and moderate. I weight lift 3 days a week and walk 2 days a week. By taking my body fat % and putting that in his spreadsheet along with my acitivity by minute, I determined what my TDEE is. His spreadsheet is very detailed for activity and gives you the correct multiplier. The online calculators will overestimate or underestimate if you pick the incorrect level. My TDEE is right around 2300.0
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How much do you push yourself with the strength training? Over the last eight months or so I've been doing the New Rules of Lifting for Women book (there's a group on here!) and it taught me a LOT about "heavy" lifting.
I am 41, 5'7", 127ish pounds and my body shape has changed considerably since eating more and lifting "heavy" (for me!)
I have also cut my cardio to a HIIT type (sprints on treadmill, stairs...) only a few times a week for not very long. I take restorative walks on "rest" days...
It's definitely working for me. I am eating 1900 calories/day which is just a shade under TDEE. While I've only lost a few pounds on the scale, I'm much happier with my body and I love not "white knuckling" it through trips, special events, bake sales, etc.
If you want answers from some very smart people on this forum, open up your diary for a few days!0 -
I love not "white knuckling" it through trips, special events, bake sales, etc.
Love it! That could even mean you stay out of the powdered donuts at the bake sales!0 -
It's hard without seeing your diary, but a lot of it is WHAT you eat. Not just how much. What is a typical day for you?
Typical day would be...
Early - usually plain oatmeal made with 1/2 cup skim milk and usually a fruit
Morning Snack - lots of time an egg/and egg white plus piece of toast OR if out and about a LUNA bar or something similar
Lunch - almost always salad with a little bit of cheese or grilled chicken (if cold sometimes will do a vegetable soup)
Afternoon snack - handful nuts and a fruit or if I'm craving sweets will rarely do a Kashi cookie or Cascadian Farm cereal bar
Dinner - this varies greatly... MOST nights some form of lean meat with veggies and a starch BUT probably 2ish times a month will eat spaghetti with the family or pizza but definitely very aware of portion control and always eat a big salad or just cut up fresh veggies with it (I do also sometimes struggle with still craving junk and so will allow myself ONE treat a day be it a mini ice cream sandwich or mini (bite size) candy bar, etc... but always keep it 100 cals or under and this is not every day)
I don't eat after 6pm because evening snacking has always been a pitfall for me so nothing after dinner and I have stuck with that rule!
Hope this helps... and THANK YOU!
One thing in your sample food journal that I noticed is the pre-packaged stuff: Luna bars, cereal bars, Kashi cookies. They're marketed as healthy, but they're nothing more than glorified candy bars. They really should be treated as a dessert, not a "healthy" snack.
You mentioned being careful to keep your desserts to 100 cal or under, while a Luna bar is 170-200 calories with 11+ grams of sugar (that's about a tablespoon of sugar!). You might consider ditching them altogether, and saving the sugar for your dessert treat. OR if you do have one, think of it as your dessert for the day.
I know you suggested that you weren't eating them regularly; however the processed sugars and fats are more likely to have an effect on fat burning than a piece of fruit. Just something to think about. Diet is about 80% of weight loss, and by that I mean quality of food. There's also a lot less room for error (i.e., junk food), when you don't have a lot to lose.0 -
Sugar is really nasty stuff. I think we underestimate how much of an impact it has on our lives. I try hard to stay under 25g of sugar per day and I perform optimally at this level. 20g is best I find.0
