Training like an athlete but results like a couch potato!

I did not read through this entire thread, I'm just checking in to share my main sources of vegetarian protein:

Eggs (yolk-in helps me stay satisfied longer with fewer calories)
Baked tofu (you said gross, but try marinating it or buy the pre-marinated baked tofu)
Edamame
Beans. I have beans 1 or 2 meals a day.
Vegetables and mushrooms.
Whole grains and quinoa.
Silken tofu smoothies (the tofu makes a creamy base for the smoothie, you can't taste it).
Tempeh and seitan

I don't believe you need as much protein as many people suggest, but I don't wish to get into a debate - to each their own. I aim for 80g/day, I weigh 164 now and my goal is 145.

Good luck reaching your goal! Your dedication to exercise is awesome.

Your body is dealing with regulating harmones , intense workouts, and fasting it maybe freaking out just relax alittle eat good and keep working out the 3 week period is a sign of harmonal in balance that cause weight issues I have had them myself. Also careful that you don't burn out your adrenals with all the exercise and diet fasting.

use this calculator:
http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

imo:
for #5: pick 5-6 hours / strenuous.
for #6 select 15%/weight loss. 20% at the absolute max, but really, 15%.
for #8, they're all pretty similar. go with Mifflin (based on other threads i've read)
leave calibration factor empty.

if you know your body fat%, enter it.

Scroll down for 3 numbers:

1) BMR - how many calories you'd burn if you were in a hospital bed all day
2) TDEE - how many calories you need to maintain weight, based on your chosen activity level, etc.
3) Goal Calories - based on that 15% reduction you entered earlier, this is how you actually lose weight.

And... now you have a number. Is it right? Depends on your body. But it's a start. If you are ridiculously good at keeping to that exact goal, you could then use the calibration factor after a month to get even more personalized results, but i can't imagine anyone being that exact. So... just use it as a guide. If you're losing about the amount of weight per month (not per week, too short to tell) you want, you're on the right track.

i found i was eating at least 500 calories less than i should be.

Re: Supplements. They are worth the money if they help you get through your exercise as placebos and if you don't mind if they might not have any actual effect. Some might. Some certainly don't. But if the action of taking them gets your head straight, then imo they're worth the money. Once you get into your routine and are sticking to a diet/exercise regime phase them out. I think some things, like electrolyte replacement, are definitely important. But 'fad' chemicals/natural ingredients are far less likely to actually be anything.

I think you're doing wonderful and I completely understand your frustration! I'm one of those people that seriously has to work off the weight, pound by pound. I cut out sugar (except for the occasional treat), dairy, wheat and I eat lots of protein and healthy fat and will lose like a pound a month. Also like you I also have a hard time getting in all my calories for the day which is usually because I'm a night person and enjoy snacking at night but since I'm trying to lose weight I don't eat past 7PM.

My best advice is ask your personal trainer to do some heavy lifting with you. Things like dead lifts, overhead lunges, overhead squats, back squats, front squats, push ups, burpees, and kettle bells swings. For cardio box jumps are amazing and so is jump roping. This is how I lost all my baby weight (70 pounds) with my first son and trust me I tried everything! I also like to run but I know from past experience you can spend 60 mins running and feel great but not get the results you want unless you really spend time lifting and lifting heavy 5 days a week! I also see a lot of people are telling you to eat more healthy fats- personally I love coconut oil for just about everything! I put it in my coffee/tea, I cook with it everyday, I use for my skin, my hair and even as a diaper rash cream for my 3 month old baby. The benefits are endless! Don’t give up and ignore all the rude comments, you need to figure out what works best for you and your body. Remember to be patient it took me over a year to find my style of working out and to choose a diet that worked for me, my lifestyle and budget. It took me a year and half to lose all the weight and get into the shape that I wanted. I would love to have you add me as a friend, right now I’m starting over since I just had my second child 3 months and always need encouragement! Best of luck!

Lots of good advice on here. Just a couple of additional thoughts:

1- as many others have said, you really should raise your fat and protein intake. In as much as many foods higher in fat and protein are also higher in calories, focusing on that could likely go a long way to also raising your total calorie intake (as more calorie-dense foods will get you more calories with less volume, and it's volume that fills you up).

2- weight loss really comes down to a simple formula - burn more than you eat on a consistent basis without going too far, and you'll loose weight. Eat too little (which it appears you are), and your body will slow its metabolism and hoard anything it can turn into fat, making you gain or maintain weight even while eating at a deficit.

In your case, you're adding multiple complications. Vegetarian, a new birth control program, coming off of a juice fast, and a huge list of supplements of questionable value. There's so many variables that could be relevant it's hard to narrow things down. For example, doing the juice fast, you're likely to lose a lot of water weight, which will be put back on when you return to a normal diet. So, part of your "plateau" may actually be losing of weight in reality, but offset by a return to normal hydration levels, thus hiding some real weight loss. Likewise, as your body adjusts to the birth control, your hormones will cause varied reactions. That alone would be cause for not worrying too much in the short term.

Do the supplements help with your rib problem? Have you actually tried with and without just the ones for that issue? Given the nature of core muscles, recovery isn't usually an issue for them, so I wouldn't be surprised if there's not much help coming from them. There are just so many on your list it's bewildering, and something there may be part of the issue...

3- in addition to eating more fat, you might want to consider what types of fat you're eating. You mentioned in one of your responses your tiny 10% fat being like one spoon of "I can't believe it's not butter" spread, and your diary lists another olive oil spread. Hydrogenated fats, aka trans-fats. Since you're not vegan (at least, you're eating dairy and eggs in your diary), I would suggest replacing the butter replacements with butter. It'll taste better, has healthier fats, and the higher total fat content will be good for you. Another good choice would be coconut oil (which is solid and spreadable at room temperature, just like your spreads). As someone else mentioned, avocados might be a good choice for you (though I hate them...). As for protein, you already said you were buying some beans and such. You might also try quinoa. It's a complete protein, rare in the grain world. And you're already eating eggs, so eat more (and I'd suggest whole eggs for you, at least at this point - there's not much to be gained in just egg whites.

4- you're eating a lot of nutritionally-dense, but low calorie foods, which is what most of us struggle to do. But you also need to flat out eat more calories. You probably have all your micronutrients well beyond supplied. Indulge a bit in something calorie-dense. Have a cookie, or a brownie, or a bowl of ice cream!

5- I disagree with some of the other posters about you not training like an athlete - at least in terms of exercise time. Many age-group amature triathletes who focus on sprint-distance triathlons train under 300 hours a year, and what you describe is well above that mark. But, what an athlete does do differently is train with a goal in mind and a periodization plan. If you're very consistent in your workouts (especially anything cardio/endurance-targeted), your body will adapt to that level and type of activity, and you'd get diminishing returns. You might consider speaking with the trainer you're working with about setting up a periodization plan, to break things up, give periodic recovery weeks, etc. Periodically working out less provides a chance for your body to adjust, then you can work out that much harder in the next chunk (remember, it's not when you work out hard that your fitness improves, but rather when you rest after working out hard). Or, maybe, choose an event to work towards, a plan to train for it, and actually -train-for it (as opposed to merely exercising). It will make your gym time more meaningful and enjoyable, and may help break your plateau.

Edit: Nevermind

When I did TDEE for myself I picked light activity so I don't add house cleaning, and shopping as exercise but everything else I log as exercise. So I end up eating way more on exercise days. I prefer this method but both do work. I am 35, 176.6lbs, 5'7 with a desk job. I eat 1550 calories on non-exercise days (which is -20% of my lightly active TDEE) then I eat back most of my exercise calories.

Don't forget to recalculate your TDEE every 5-10lbs lost! AND Be patient, it might take a couple weeks for your body to adjust.

Patience! Eek. One thing I am horrible with but I am working on. Not just in fitness either.

Thanks all! I really like the way this thread turned out and has been very helpful.

I'm actually really surprised on how this thread went. I only suggested getting out my popcorn because typically "the fitness buffs" in the forums usually eat anyone and everyone alive either aren't that don't eat enough and/or take diet supplements. I had my share of negativity from "the fitness buffs." However, having said that about "the fitness buffs" tend to give very good advice underneath their crude bluntness.

When I did TDEE for myself I picked light activity so I don't add house cleaning, and shopping as exercise but everything else I log as exercise. So I end up eating way more on exercise days. I prefer this method but both do work. I am 35, 176.6lbs, 5'7 with a desk job. I eat 1550 calories on non-exercise days (which is -20% of my lightly active TDEE) then I eat back most of my exercise calories.

Don't forget to recalculate your TDEE every 5-10lbs lost! AND Be patient, it might take a couple weeks for your body to adjust.

Helpful Helpful!!! Awesome advice