A challenge for you: Spot the reason I'm not losing weight

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Replies

  • zoe_tay
    zoe_tay Posts: 2 Member
    Thanks for all the advice guys!! So much to think about.

    I would say the recurrent suggestion is to be more stringent in my weighing of foods, I didn't have a weighing scale at university so it was a bit difficult, and now I'm home for the summer my mum cooks. Excuses I know, but I shall invest in some and track the amount I'm eating more carefully.

    ALCOHOL: When I go out I tend to drink only vodka/gin and tonic, and I save healthy meals at home in case I get the dreaded munchies :P Obviously they're still calories, and perhaps that is something to look at if I want to drop those pounds. I don't see giving up alcohol when out with my friends a viable option though really, I'll just have to stay the way I am if the alcohol really is to blame! It's just too much fun ;) I think what @flyer69 said was a good idea to work out the day after, I can never muster the energy!

    WEIGHTS: I go to the Les Mills Body pump class at least once a week, I've got SO much stronger since doing them and I just love them. Perhaps if I did my own weight sessions I might see more of a fat loss, again something for me to read further into.

    I do often feel like I'm not eating enough. It was strange the other weekend, we had our end of year party at uni before we went home, I ate half a large dominoes, drank, generally just ate pretty ****ty for a couple of days, and I lost 2 pounds? A couple of days later after eating "healthily" again, I'd put it back on. Strange.
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member

    Again, the posters here telling me I'm "high" and "crazy" and "wrong" for suggesting she cut out fruit are men who seem to be pretty trim. Once again, for women -- especially women with high BMI -- eliminating sugars (and yes, that means fruit) may be the only way to lose weight.

    Check out OP's profile. She has a picture up from May 2013. She's very trim (and very beautiful!) She almost certainly doesn't have a metabolic issue where she shouldn't eat fruit or she wouldn't be this small now.

    The times I do my best with my diet are when I'm eating tons of fruit, because it keeps the cravings away.

    OP, have you set to MFP's settings and stuck to them? I think you could lose some weight that way, but it doesn't really look like you have much to lose (and you don't need to, but I understand wanting to), so you won't lose quickly. Keep your love of life and sports and keep on keeping on.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    IMO you're not eating enough. You're 19, go to college, and are probably at least lightly active, even without counting exercise. 1500 calories just doesn't seem like enough.
  • TS65
    TS65 Posts: 1,024 Member
    I honestly didn't start dropping weight until I dropped my carbs to 50g and sugar to 25g. Sounds harsh, but it's really not hard to do if you're eating whole foods (grilled chicken/fish/steak, and a veggie for your meals). Since allowing that to slide upward (due to fruit and other natural carbs), my weight loss has completely stalled - even though I'm still eating the same amount of calories.

    Some people will argue it doesn't matter what you eat (calories in/calories out), but in MY case, that isn't true. FOR ME, it truly is about limiting carbs and sugar - even if they are natural.
  • SGSmallman
    SGSmallman Posts: 193 Member
    Keep your cardio at the level it is and start to lift heavy weights lifting for women, strong lifts etc you look great as you are but if you want to kick it up a gear and get fit starting doing resistance training that will give you those inches lost and body recomposition :)

    It sounds like your food intake and knowledge is pretty good your body has probably just become accustomed to= your training and knows how much to burn/ store for it
  • TS65
    TS65 Posts: 1,024 Member

    ALCOHOL: I tend to drink only vodka/gin and tonic,

    A Gin and Tonic has 171 calories.

    How many do you drink in a night? 1? 5?
    How many nights a week? 3? 7?

    Don't know your drinking habits, but let's estimate. Assume you have 4 per night (1 per hour or so), 3 nights per week. 12 x 171 = 2052 calories on top of your normal eating. After drinking do you go out to eat? Are you careful with what you eat? If your inhibitions are down, we can tend to make poor choices. It's not hard to undo all the work you've done during the week by partying on the weekend.

    Alcohol can do some serious damage to weight loss.
  • wwwdotcr
    wwwdotcr Posts: 128 Member

    ALCOHOL: I tend to drink only vodka/gin and tonic,

    A Gin and Tonic has 171 calories.

    How many do you drink in a night? 1? 5?
    How many nights a week? 3? 7?

    Don't know your drinking habits, but let's estimate. Assume you have 4 per night (1 per hour or so), 3 nights per week. 12 x 171 = 2052 calories on top of your normal eating. After drinking do you go out to eat? Are you careful with what you eat? If your inhibitions are down, we can tend to make poor choices. It's not hard to undo all the work you've done during the week by partying on the weekend.

    Alcohol can do some serious damage to weight loss.

    Skip the Tonic, thats an extra 80-100 calories per drink. Do a Rum and Diet. Thats usually all I drink... except carb up friday when I'll treat myself to a mojito.

    These days I am running a 1000 cal deficit (-500 food -500 exercise) when I know I am going to be out drinking. That way I still am losing 500 calories and still losing weight.

    Since I use a real conservative TDEE, we are looking at around 1200 calories of food for days I plan on going drinking (weekdays). Only diet that makes it work is Keto. Never hungry, sometimes I have to force feed myself at the end of night to hit macros.

    My lifts haven't suffered yet... as long as 1g per LBM, the rest is optional besides 0.4g per lb for fat (essential body functions).
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Thanks for all the advice guys!! So much to think about.

    I would say the recurrent suggestion is to be more stringent in my weighing of foods, I didn't have a weighing scale at university so it was a bit difficult, and now I'm home for the summer my mum cooks. Excuses I know, but I shall invest in some and track the amount I'm eating more carefully.

    ALCOHOL: When I go out I tend to drink only vodka/gin and tonic, and I save healthy meals at home in case I get the dreaded munchies :P Obviously they're still calories, and perhaps that is something to look at if I want to drop those pounds. I don't see giving up alcohol when out with my friends a viable option though really, I'll just have to stay the way I am if the alcohol really is to blame! It's just too much fun ;) I think what @flyer69 said was a good idea to work out the day after, I can never muster the energy!

    WEIGHTS: I go to the Les Mills Body pump class at least once a week, I've got SO much stronger since doing them and I just love them. Perhaps if I did my own weight sessions I might see more of a fat loss, again something for me to read further into.

    I do often feel like I'm not eating enough. It was strange the other weekend, we had our end of year party at uni before we went home, I ate half a large dominoes, drank, generally just ate pretty ****ty for a couple of days, and I lost 2 pounds? A couple of days later after eating "healthily" again, I'd put it back on. Strange.

    Food scale: it is invaluable imo, as is accurate and complete logging (I noticed that you missed a few days/entries over the last few months - not a big deal, but it does not help when stalled, as is not using a food scale) - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

    Alcohol: swap the tonic to diet and just make sure you do not 'over-do it'. And keep an eye on those munchies (which often do not get logged)

    Weights: I would up the frequency

    Sound like you had a whoosh - happens when you have a 'cheat day' quite often. Basically it is water weight being released.

    ETA: my advice is to get the track as accurate as possible and up your classes. If you are still seeing a stall, then you may want to look at the keto/low carb/oh noes sugar advice, but until logging is accurate, there is no reason to believe that basic calorie counting (while getting enough protein and fats) is not going to work.
  • babyluthi
    babyluthi Posts: 285 Member
    Drink 3 liters of water a day.

    One when you first waken up.
    One by the end of lunch.
    One by the end of tea.

    You will pee lots. But you will lose weight.:happy:
    so, let me see.. if I drink 3 liters of water, but still net 1500 calories over my tdee.. I'll lose?
    how bout no.

    That is absolutely NOT what I said.
    You need to drink lots of water to lose weight as well as a sensible eating plan.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Drink 3 liters of water a day.

    One when you first waken up.
    One by the end of lunch.
    One by the end of tea.

    You will pee lots. But you will lose weight.:happy:
    so, let me see.. if I drink 3 liters of water, but still net 1500 calories over my tdee.. I'll lose?
    how bout no.

    That is absolutely NOT what I said.
    You need to drink lots of water to lose weight as well as a sensible eating plan.

    I don't drink water...*shrugs*
  • HealthFitNow
    HealthFitNow Posts: 1,205 Member
    My nephew couldn't lose weight if his life depended on it. A fluke had him checking his thyroid (it wasn't intentional) and low and behold, his thyroid was way off. He went on Thyroid meds and he dropped 25 lbs in a couple of months without changing his diet or exercise. It wasn't his diet. or calorie intake. or exercise. It was his metabolism/system/thyroid.

    Some chemicals in life are catalysts that make things work.

    I don't know what the issue is, but I would check out body type diets; Six Week Body Makeover (also a form of body type--not so much the calories as the food blendings); the Zone diet (also a food blending diet).

    If that doesn't work, systematically go through removing one thing at a time out of your diet. e.g. dairy. or wheat (check celiac disease), because an allergy can cause all sorts of imbalances.

    If you can, visit a doctor, who believes in a healthy diet/lifestyle and is willing to test you for a variety of hormone issues and is willing to help you find the right way to lose.

    It sounds like you are working hard. You have put a great deal of effort and it can be discouraging.

    I was systematically losing weight a pound or two a week. Then I tried SENSA. I gained four pounds in two weeks, without changing my diet or exercise. Devastating. No one could explain why I had such an adverse reaction to the product. But I ballooned and it was awful. Once I stopped the Sensa, I started losing again. Go figure.

    BTW, I found this here. Lots of good articles. http://eatmore2weighless.com/faqs/resources/


    I hope you find out. Best wishes
  • LERHarvey
    LERHarvey Posts: 3 Member
    I am sure someone has already said this, but looking at your diary you are eating way too much sugar. You may only be having 1200 calories some days but when 75% of that comes from a food loaded with sugar it isn't going to do you any good. I would totally cut anything processed (cookies, yogurts etc) Have you tried just eating a wholefoods diet? Nothing processed, just all natural food (fruit, veg, whole grains, natural yoghurt, oats, nuts, seeds, very dark chocolate etc)

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