Need help losing weight

First off - congratulations on cutting down on your caffeine. My husband is a Mtn Dew fanatic and he too gets those headaches when we tries to cut down.

If you are eating less than 1200 calories a day, then you very likely will not lose weight. Just because your body thinks it's in starvation mode, doesn't mean you feel like you are starving. I personally don't think anyone should go under 1200 cals a day without doctor supervision. I know I do it from time to time, but its a rarity, not a rule.

If dairy doesn't work for you -- then don't eat it. Find the things that do. I recently read a book by JJ Virgin about identifying the foods that your body doesn't like. Dairy was one of them. It's an easy read if you would like to google it.

In the meantime, do a little homework on yourself. Find out what your daily caloric intake should really be, and strive for that. There are plenty of calculators out there to help you find not only your BMR but also your TDEE. Find out what foods work for you and how often. I tried a diet that said you should eat 5-6 small meals a day. It didn't work for me. I've found I have better success if I eat backwards -- a larger breakfast or lunch and a smaller dinner. I also found if I more toward the top of my calorie range, I drop the weight more easily.

Then there's the dreaded "E" word -- exercise. I get you have two kids. How old are they? How about a game of chase or keep away in the yard? Now that the weather is warmer, an evening walk with the kids will not only wear them down in time for bed, but help you get in a little cardio.

You have taken the first step by joining MFP... but only you can control it from here. This is a great website for motivation, quick answers to struggles and obviously to help you track your foods/exercise. But no one can give you the magic bullet. It comes with time, practice and diligence.

Good luck!
Ann

Hi Rekki -- I haven't posted much in the community, but I can tell you what has worked for me and what I have learned from experience and working with my personal trainer and with a dietician as well.

Just so you know where I'm coming from, I'm a 57 year old man who had Total Knee Replacement done in September of last year and gained weight in the months before and after surgery. Since getting clearance from the doctor at the beginning of the year, I've lost about 35 pounds in about 4.5 months and now have reached near my goal. With the help of MFP, my trainer and exercise, I've lost 11% body fat, and 7 inches on my waist and hips while increasing in places guys like to increase: arms and chest. In fact, I'm having trouble stopping losing weight and am having to ramp up my calories. Drastically.

From all I've read, from what I've been taught, and from what I've seen works for me, splitting your calorie intake into 4-6 smaller meals spread regularly through out the day works best whether you are trying to lose, maintain or gain weight. Your body needs to know that it is going to be fed regularly, rather than going into shutdown mode cause it can't count on when that next meal is coming. I was on a 1300 calorie a day diet for almost that entire time. And I NEVER deviated. Not even one day (I know, some say take a treat day, but I'm compulsive). I would eat between 1250-1325 or so calories every day. Spread fairly evenly into 5 "meals" (or snacks) of about 200-300 calories each. And I was never hungry. And those calories were always split about 50/30/20 between carbs/fat/protein. Your splits are all over the map. Which is probably confusing your body too. Sometimes a calorie is just a calorie. Sometimes it isn't. And this is something my dietician has pounded into my head: too much protein in one meal is useless (which I see you've done): your body can't absorb it and just get flushed out of your system. Try to pay attention to how your calories are split between carbs/fat/and protein. It's in MFP for a reason.

Never go under 1200 calories a day. EVER!!!!!!! Your body WILL go into shut down mode. In fact MFP will issue that warning to you at the bottom of the screen if you try to close your diary if you are under that amount for that specific reason. That should tell you something right there.

Obviously you have issues with caffeine. Welcome to the club. I'm the founding member. With me it is diet coke. And I'm much worse than you on that -- 4 or 5 7-11 double gulps of diet coke a day. But no calories at least. If you can make the switch to diet Mountain Dew you will be cutting out all those empty calories (I know, water is better). And still getting your caffeine. Maybe do it slowly -- pour half a can of each in a glass and drink it that way for a week to get used to the diet flavor. But trust me I know giving up the caffeine totally can lead to massive headaches too. So wean off of caffeine slowly if you can.

It's tough, but hang in there. And don't give up. It will be SO worth it.

Maybe try drinking coffee. If you don't like it, it sucks, but it delivers the drug just fine.

Food diary reads like a nightmare. 1200 is .. meh. But 500 is just bad news.

Rekki,

Your best friend is right. You are not eating enough. Are you logging all of your food intake? Because if so, there were a couple days that were only around 500 calories. That is nowhere near enough to keep your body functioning, even if you only sleep.

Try not to think of this as dieting. You are wanting to make lifestyle changes and develop good habits that you can and will follow for the rest of your life. Most diets aren't sustainable... You want to learn to make healthy choices, eat healthy foods, and the right portions of them, to fuel your body and keep it going. Also, don't deprive yourself of things that you enjoy, but rather, learn how to make them fit into your calorie and macro limits. (All except the Mt. Dew. That really should go!! :-)

I am certainly no expert, and have only been on here for about 3 weeks, but I have learned SO MUCH from reading the forums. There are a lot of really great people on here that will help you, encourage you, and motivate you. I am a 42-yr old guy with a LOT to lose, but I am well on my way and have already dropped about 15 lbs. If I can do this, so can you!

Feel free to add me to your friends list if you want. I am willing to support anyone that wants my help.

Cheers