So Frustrated!!!!!!!!!!!

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Tweety1983
Tweety1983 Posts: 100 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I lost 13 pounds last year. Got very sick over the winter and gained most of it back.... I have been working my butt off for months now and I cant lose anything... I'm so frustrated! I do cardio and strenght training.... A lot of yard work... I dont stop all day!!!!!! I also eat between 1200-1300 calories.... My diary is open if you would like to look... Any suggestions welcome..... Please help!

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  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 3,019 Member
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    if your doing that much working out and exercises you arn't eating enough. do you have a hrm? have you had your thyroid checked?
  • vorgas
    vorgas Posts: 741 Member
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    A quick search for '1200' in the forums will show post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post after post of people eating at this amount and stalling out. They almost all have had success by gradually upping their calories to a more sane amount. At the very least, eating back exercise calories and not netting below 1200.

    Take from that what you will.
  • debbiedalessio
    debbiedalessio Posts: 1 Member
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    Hi Tweety,
    I am going to add you as my friend to see your activity- it looks like a lot of the food you eat is processed- how much fresh fruits and vegetables do you eat? I will be available later to take a better look, I am running out now. I look forward to reaching out later.
    Debbie
  • LazyBearGrrr
    LazyBearGrrr Posts: 35 Member
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    Yes! You need to eat your exercise calories back. You're basically starving yourself. And what you are eating is of low nutritional value (e.g. cinnamon toast crunch for breakfast most days).

    Start eating a healthy breakfast: oatmeal, eggs, fruit, meats
    Start eating clean: there's a lot of processed foods in there
    Start paying attention to your macros (carbs, fats, proteins): you're not getting enough protein and your carbs are usually high
    Start eating back your exercise calories

    It's one thing to come in at your calorie goals, but you really need to pay attention to WHAT you're eating, not just calories in/out.

    If you have the cash, get a Fitbit (or equivalent) and HRM so that you can measure your calories out accurately.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    I dont stop all day!!!!!! I also eat between 1200-1300 calories
    There's your problem - as others have said, you're not eating nearly enough. I went through a few days of your diary, and you are generally netting below 1000 calories a day. :noway: Waaayyy too low, especially with all of your activity.

    Food is fuel - eat too little for too long, especially with a high activity level, and you're giving your body a reason to store fat rather than burn it. Goal means GOAL, not hundreds of calories below target. MFP has a deficit built into your daily goal already (especially at 1250 a day), so that if you ate to goal every day and did zero exercise, you'd lose weight. Factor in the exercise, and you're creating a HUGE deficit, which is not good. That's why they add the exercise cals back into your goal - you are supposed to eat them, and bring your net for the day back up to goal.

    You need to start eating back those exercise cals, and possibly change your settings to a higher goal for the day overall - 1250 is really low - 1200 being considered the bare minimum for women. Without knowing your stats, it's hard to say for sure, but I'd be willing to bet your BMR, basic coma calories, is higher than 1250. You are most definitely not in a coma, so your body deserves more fuel than that.

    Great info here, give this a read: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974889-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet I've had my best success at losing the fat since following the info in that topic.
  • servilia
    servilia Posts: 3,452 Member
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    The 1200 cals is supposed to be your NET!
    So if you burn 600 cals in exercise (like I see you have), you're supposed to eat them back.
  • TigressPat
    TigressPat Posts: 722
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    as most people said, you aren't eating enough.

    also, from looking at your diary, you eat mostly carbs and very little protein.
    you also get most of your calories from boxed/packaged/pre-made and fast foods.

    try to make a few changes.
  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
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    In your profile, I read you have a garden. Why not plant some veggie and fill your menu with them. As the others have said, you're eating too few calories and lots of crap.
  • Tweety1983
    Tweety1983 Posts: 100 Member
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    Thanks Yall! I will try to up my calories! Not easy to do. I barely can eat what I do. I usually eat cleaner but for the past month things have been so hectic and money has been very tight. And I have so many veges in my garden, I can everything I usually make most foods from scratch but when kids are in the hospital and stuff its hard to do at times.... And the crappy breakfast lately is because of the Bronchitis I have been having that has been making me sick and I cant eat until about noon. Thanks for the help yall! I appreciate it...
  • Tweety1983
    Tweety1983 Posts: 100 Member
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    Oh and I do have a HRM but I don't use it when I'm working in the yard do to not wanting to mess it up. It might be a cheap one but I cant afford to mess it up....
  • El_Cunado
    El_Cunado Posts: 359 Member
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    I would try upping your calories.
  • margieo1983
    margieo1983 Posts: 45 Member
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    Thanks Yall! I will try to up my calories! Not easy to do. I barely can eat what I do. I usually eat cleaner but for the past month things have been so hectic and money has been very tight. And I have so many veges in my garden, I can everything I usually make most foods from scratch but when kids are in the hospital and stuff its hard to do at times.... And the crappy breakfast lately is because of the Bronchitis I have been having that has been making me sick and I cant eat until about noon. Thanks for the help yall! I appreciate it...

    I understand about it being tough to eat healthy when money is tight and time is limited. McDonald's is fast, cheap, and completely terrible.

    Cheap suggestions: Frozen fruit and veggies, especially when they're on sale.
    Canned tuna
    Whole grain Triscuit crackers (I know they're processed, but whatever). Sometimes go on sale 3 for $5
    Watch the ads for sales on meat, fresh produce, and cheese.

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