I dont know what to do

1356

Replies

  • babyluthi
    babyluthi Posts: 285 Member
    Definitely try to bring up the exercise. High intensity interval training (it can be done on any equipment, even walking) will increase your caloric burn. If you feel weak after doing increased activity for a couple of weeks, then bring up your intake to < 500 below maintenance.

    Hrm.. do you really think HIIT is good for someone over 300lbs, and who has only begun exercising?
    Did I read the weight wrong?
  • babyluthi
    babyluthi Posts: 285 Member
    I recommend that you increase your calories along with your exercise intensity. Keep getting lots of good exercise, but make sure you are breathing hard and sweating for most of it.

    Also, do you do strength training as well as walking? Strength training will increase muscle mass, and the more muscle you have the higher your metabolism will be.

    omg,, i confess, i do not exercise as much as i ought to. i can explain but it will be like im making excuses. I am trying to add more exercise in now but i confess, i am not where i should be... :( im sorry... im trhying to focus on the food right now. long story.. :(

    Get your food sorted over the next week or so..then add in the exercise,
    If you have knackered knees and joints then the pool is a great place where you can burn some calories with low impact.
    Think about joining the over 200 and over 300 groups,.. they might be really helpful too.

    You are going to do fine:)
  • babyluthi
    babyluthi Posts: 285 Member
    I recommend that you increase your calories along with your exercise intensity. Keep getting lots of good exercise, but make sure you are breathing hard and sweating for most of it.

    Also, do you do strength training as well as walking? Strength training will increase muscle mass, and the more muscle you have the higher your metabolism will be.

    omg,, i confess, i do not exercise as much as i ought to. i can explain but it will be like im making excuses. I am trying to add more exercise in now but i confess, i am not where i should be... :( im sorry... im trhying to focus on the food right now. long story.. :(

    There is no reason to apologize. You can lose weight without exercise. The exercise portion is for fitness. Do what you can do and when you can/want to, increase your exercise. Get your weighing/measuring and tracking down first then you can branch out when you're ready/able.

    EXACTLY.
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member

    Eat every 3 hours to keep your metabolic rate working so you do not get the crash and burn. Insulin is the fat storing hormone. you want to keep your metabolic rate on an even keel and will control your blood sugar level.

    Eat Low Glycemic foods. 50% vegetable and fruit, 25% good lean protein and 25% good fats like fish, avocados, walnuts, olive oil. This is what you put on your plate.

    No
  • __Di__
    __Di__ Posts: 1,656 Member
    If you are just eyeballing your food, no way are you tracking correctly. You must weigh your food, even measuring cups cannot be trusted. The scale is your best weapon to lose weight. Weight loss happens in the kitchen.

    I agree a scale is important. But when I looked at OP's diary, most of the foods were listed as, example: 1.5 links of sausage, 1 granola bar, 1 slice of cheese, 1 apple, 1 cup of chili, etc ~ food items that don't really require a scale IME. I understand cup measurements might not be perfect, but could they be off by so much it'd create a 30 day stall?

    Just wondering because I admit I don't use my scale religiously and than when I do seems I usually under estimate, but not by too much.

    How big were the sausages, how thick was the slice of cheese, was the chili jammed in the cup or loose in there (I never use cups they are notorious for food, but good for liquids). Those food do require a scale because they can be high in calories if "eyeballed" wrongly.

    OP glad you are getting food scales, it is a very important piece of equipment for weightloss.
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,654 Member
    I recommend that you increase your calories along with your exercise intensity. Keep getting lots of good exercise, but make sure you are breathing hard and sweating for most of it.

    Also, do you do strength training as well as walking? Strength training will increase muscle mass, and the more muscle you have the higher your metabolism will be.

    omg,, i confess, i do not exercise as much as i ought to. i can explain but it will be like im making excuses. I am trying to add more exercise in now but i confess, i am not where i should be... :( im sorry... im trhying to focus on the food right now. long story.. :(

    That is quite ok for you right now. At your weight, exercise will be very difficult. (no offense), but you are correct in focusing on your food intake at this point. When you do start to exercise, start off just slow to moderate walking. Start off at a comfortable time for you and slowly increase it as you get stronger and lighter.

    Probably what has happened is when your dr put you on the water pills, you dropped a lot of water weight quickly then your body leveled out and is kinda resting from that fast loss.
    This, and probably eating more than you think you are, is why the weight loss stopped.
    How much were you eating to maintain your weight before you started restricting calories?
    This number will better determine how many cals you need to eat to lose now.
    Some people your size may have been used to eating 3000-5000 cals per day. For them to drop to 2000, they will lose quickly and easily for awhile.
    If you have only been eating around 2000 a day, and are sedentary, and possibly diabetic or pre-diabetic, then it will be harder to create a deficit and the weight will come off more slowly.

    Many people mistakenly think that people who are considerably overweight, have been eating massive calories. That is not always the case. If you have been slowly gaining over the years, then you may have only been eating slightly more than your TDEE (total calories your body burns every day).

    Good job getting a scale and being diligent in measuring and logging. If you continue to better your food choices and watch your calories closely, you will start to see progress. If you don't, then try lowering your calories by 100 and try that for a week or two to see if that helps.

    I agree with another poster that you are most likely insulin resistant at least, so increasing protein and getting in healthy fats, while lowering your carbs, should help you as well. A good place to start is 30Pro/30Fat/40Carb, then tweak it from there as you need to.

    You can do this. I have a friend on my list who started at over 400 and has lost 200 pounds already. She is also over 50, so it certainly can be done.

    Hang in there. Feel free to friend me if you like.
  • Qskim
    Qskim Posts: 1,145 Member

    Eat every 3 hours to keep your metabolic rate working so you do not get the crash and burn. Insulin is the fat storing hormone. you want to keep your metabolic rate on an even keel and will control your blood sugar level.

    Eat Low Glycemic foods. 50% vegetable and fruit, 25% good lean protein and 25% good fats like fish, avocados, walnuts, olive oil. This is what you put on your plate.

    No

    Why no?
  • NonnyMary
    NonnyMary Posts: 982 Member
    Definitely try to bring up the exercise. High intensity interval training (it can be done on any equipment, even walking) will increase your caloric burn. If you feel weak after doing increased activity for a couple of weeks, then bring up your intake to < 500 below maintenance.

    Hrm.. do you really think HIIT is good for someone over 300lbs, and who has only begun exercising?
    Did I read the weight wrong?

    i am 334 today :(

    but i changed my goals to what mfp says. the only thing i disagree with is the high sodium of 2500 a day... i will try to see if i can have a lower sugar amt in the fruit, maybe an apple, i have to look it up.

    i know where i've been majorly messing up - coffe in the morning, fine. but i take the container and dump a bunch in, i might have been doing 1/4 cup half and half. i do believe that stuff like this has got me in trouble

    well i suppose its been a learning experience, i know i need to go deeper and more disciplined ,, thank you all :) but one good thing i have made some accomplishments this past month - handling the food choices, now i just have to make better measurements, because i think the food im eating is ok, but probably just a little bit too much. so at least its not Popeys' chicken but im going over more healthy options. so onward and upward ... errr downward with the scale and i will report back to you.

    but please keep on discussing :) im encouraged :)
  • NonnyMary
    NonnyMary Posts: 982 Member

    Eat every 3 hours to keep your metabolic rate working so you do not get the crash and burn. Insulin is the fat storing hormone. you want to keep your metabolic rate on an even keel and will control your blood sugar level.

    Eat Low Glycemic foods. 50% vegetable and fruit, 25% good lean protein and 25% good fats like fish, avocados, walnuts, olive oil. This is what you put on your plate.

    No

    Hi - can you explain please?
  • NonnyMary
    NonnyMary Posts: 982 Member
    I recommend that you increase your calories along with your exercise intensity. Keep getting lots of good exercise, but make sure you are breathing hard and sweating for most of it.

    Also, do you do strength training as well as walking? Strength training will increase muscle mass, and the more muscle you have the higher your metabolism will be.

    omg,, i confess, i do not exercise as much as i ought to. i can explain but it will be like im making excuses. I am trying to add more exercise in now but i confess, i am not where i should be... :( im sorry... im trhying to focus on the food right now. long story.. :(

    That is quite ok for you right now. At your weight, exercise will be very difficult. (no offense), but you are correct in focusing on your food intake at this point. When you do start to exercise, start off just slow to moderate walking. Start off at a comfortable time for you and slowly increase it as you get stronger and lighter.

    Probably what has happened is when your dr put you on the water pills, you dropped a lot of water weight quickly then your body leveled out and is kinda resting from that fast loss.
    This, and probably eating more than you think you are, is why the weight loss stopped.
    How much were you eating to maintain your weight before you started restricting calories?
    This number will better determine how many cals you need to eat to lose now.
    Some people your size may have been used to eating 3000-5000 cals per day. For them to drop to 2000, they will lose quickly and easily for awhile.
    If you have only been eating around 2000 a day, and are sedentary, and possibly diabetic or pre-diabetic, then it will be harder to create a deficit and the weight will come off more slowly.

    Many people mistakenly think that people who are considerably overweight, have been eating massive calories. That is not always the case. If you have been slowly gaining over the years, then you may have only been eating slightly more than your TDEE (total calories your body burns every day).

    Good job getting a scale and being diligent in measuring and logging. If you continue to better your food choices and watch your calories closely, you will start to see progress. If you don't, then try lowering your calories by 100 and try that for a week or two to see if that helps.

    I agree with another poster that you are most likely insulin resistant at least, so increasing protein and getting in healthy fats, while lowering your carbs, should help you as well. A good place to start is 30Pro/30Fat/40Carb, then tweak it from there as you need to.

    You can do this. I have a friend on my list who started at over 400 and has lost 200 pounds already. She is also over 50, so it certainly can be done.

    Hang in there. Feel free to friend me if you like.

    thank God, according to my last checkup I am not prediabetic, (not sure how i escaped that because I was the queen of eating sweets so much); the only thing wrong was a slight high blood pressure.

    I did go on the treadmill here in the gym in my building where i work (i forgot it was even there); anyway i did 15 minutes at 3.5 incline and 2.0 speed, i was able to do 15 minutes (159 calories yay) and i was able to do that, knees got a little sting in them.

    but mainly, i can walk 3 blocks and then my feet cannot take it. part of it is the wieght, part of it is i cant find comfy shoes. i went to new balance which is supposed to be THE best, but they hurt my feet, so i will have to find the answer to that. when i was thinner i could walk 8 miles on a saturday pretty easy. that was about 10 years ago. i want to be able to walk around again without having to look for a bench every 20 minutes.

    well thats my story, im not trying to be a whiner or look for sympathy or make excuses but im really going to try and im excited to see what will happen this next 4 weeks with all of your suggestions that i can do :)

    this is weird - i think the treadmill is better for me than street walking because of the incline, it puts a different balance on a diferent part of my foot, and its not the toes... so i may be onto something. will see again shortly :)
  • jenijen25
    jenijen25 Posts: 137 Member
    hi hun If your going to up your calories do it by adding more fruit and veg to your diet this will help with the plateau as it will keep your metabolism going and help you to burn calories faster Id recommended eating a big breakfast in the morning im not a morning eater but I make sure I get my bowl of bran flakes with semi skimmed milk and banana and a miiler light yogurt with fresh strawberrys also have a warm water with squeezed lemon even just giving that a try for a week I reckon might help you out and you don't have to go all out with exercise have the big healthy breakfasts and add more fruit and veg and try and do ten minutes a day would love to know how you get on xxx
  • You say you drink about 3 glasses of water a day, what else are you drinking to stay hydrated? I some milk logged in your journal but nothing else (on the days that I looked at it), anything you are drinking (or eating) besides water should be logged into your food diary and the calories should be counted. Are you drinking empty calories? Pop? Juice? Are you drinking coffee or tea? with cream/sugar? I personally would start with getting away from some of the processed food you are eating as there seems to be a lot of them in your food diary....(muffins, bread, pizza, sausage) while they may be "lowfat" and you may are staying within your calories it still seems to be a lot of processed foods. If the scale has stopped moving, it's just time to refine your choices a bit more. Instead of a muffin for breakfast how about a couple of eggs and veggies in an omelet? Instead of the frozen pizza, some grilled chicken breast with veggies? I know that I stay full longer if I eat "real" food rather then the processed stuff. And please, pleaese, please measure and weigh your food. When I first started, I was guestimating but when I started actually measuring my food I realized that my guestimate as to what a cup of cereal looked like was WAY off...

    You also need to commit to exercise, aim for 30 mins a day at least 4 days a week. If at first you can't do all 30 mins at one time then break it down into small chunks that you can manage and do it faithfully, you will slowly build up to where you can do the 30 mins at one time. If you really want to get to your goal, you have to move to burn calories. Try different things until you find an exercise you can tolerate. Swim laps, walk around the block, walk at the mall, exercise tapes, find something you can tolerate and commit to doing it faithfully.

    If I read your original posting right you lost 28lbs in the first month, that's 7 lbs a week, that's a lot of weight, really fast; you can't expect to maintain that fast of a weight lost, long term. It wouldn't be healthy and it's not realisitic. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Eat more real foods, drink way more water, and move and the scale will start moving...
  • fittocycle
    fittocycle Posts: 827 Member
    I can understand your frustration. It does make you want to pull out your hair when the scale does not move!

    However, I peeked at your food diary and I think you could make some changes that will help you lose weight.

    *Think of food as fuel for your body. You want to get the most bang for your buck. Skip the muffin for breakfast and opt for the old-fashioned, cook on the stove oatmeal for breakfast. Add in a teaspoon of brown sugar, a tablespoon of walnuts and a sprinkle or two of brown sugar. The oatmeal will keep your blood sugar levels more steady and help you stay full longer.

    *Opt for more lean protein sources such as fish, chicken or bison. Sausage is tasty but is high in fat and calories.

    *Add in more vegetables and fruit.

    *Try to eliminate or limit processed foods, which is pretty much anything in a box or bag. Honestly, it might taste good but the nutritional value is terrible!

    *Nuts are a great snack but portion size is key.

    *Keep in mind that you are in it for the long haul. Think about foods for heart health.

    *Incorporate more movement into your day. Park your car further away in the parking lot, take the stairs instead of the elevator, and just get up and walk around more. Buy a pedometer and aim for 10,000 steps a day. Little things can make a big difference!

    Don't give up and check in and let us know how you're doing! I bet the scale will be moving for you soon!:flowerforyou:
  • NonnyMary
    NonnyMary Posts: 982 Member
    You say you drink about 3 glasses of water a day, what else are you drinking to stay hydrated? I some milk logged in your journal but nothing else (on the days that I looked at it), anything you are drinking (or eating) besides water should be logged into your food diary and the calories should be counted. Are you drinking empty calories? Pop? Juice? Are you drinking coffee or tea? with cream/sugar? I personally would start with getting away from some of the processed food you are eating as there seems to be a lot of them in your food diary....(muffins, bread, pizza, sausage) while they may be "lowfat" and you may are staying within your calories it still seems to be a lot of processed foods. If the scale has stopped moving, it's just time to refine your choices a bit more. Instead of a muffin for breakfast how about a couple of eggs and veggies in an omelet? Instead of the frozen pizza, some grilled chicken breast with veggies? I know that I stay full longer if I eat "real" food rather then the processed stuff. And please, pleaese, please measure and weigh your food. When I first started, I was guestimating but when I started actually measuring my food I realized that my guestimate as to what a cup of cereal looked like was WAY off...

    You also need to commit to exercise, aim for 30 mins a day at least 4 days a week. If at first you can't do all 30 mins at one time then break it down into small chunks that you can manage and do it faithfully, you will slowly build up to where you can do the 30 mins at one time. If you really want to get to your goal, you have to move to burn calories. Try different things until you find an exercise you can tolerate. Swim laps, walk around the block, walk at the mall, exercise tapes, find something you can tolerate and commit to doing it faithfully.

    If I read your original posting right you lost 28lbs in the first month, that's 7 lbs a week, that's a lot of weight, really fast; you can't expect to maintain that fast of a weight lost, long term. It wouldn't be healthy and it's not realisitic. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Eat more real foods, drink way more water, and move and the scale will start moving...

    Hi i wanted to address your questions - I have no excuse for not excercising more, i am working on transportation from the gym, long story ugh... :( but i can do swimming once i get there.. i can do stuff at home too... no excuses. I like the suggestion about breaking it down in small sections like 20 minutes. i did lose the most in the first 2-3 weeks, and then i think i started using processed food that i didn't want to waste, it was bought before i went on this MFP. "diet" new way of eating. now that i lost the water weight i ate the same way and have been mis-estimating. but i will get a scale tonight. I also do not drink empty calories like juice or soda pop, just 1-2 coffee with no sugar. and i was trying to use fruit as a water sort of. i also will work on drinking more water :) i would like to lose 2 pounds a week but i fi lose 1 pound even that will be ok with me. but NOT this stayhing the same for 30 days ,, that tells me im doing something wrong and ya'll agree - YAY - problem is solvable :) when i lose a bit more weight i will be able to walk better too... thats what i am looking forward to! but i am not trying to make excuses just letting you know where i am at right now.. :)
  • NonnyMary
    NonnyMary Posts: 982 Member
    I can understand your frustration. It does make you want to pull out your hair when the scale does not move!

    However, I peeked at your food diary and I think you could make some changes that will help you lose weight.

    *Think of food as fuel for your body. You want to get the most bang for your buck. Skip the muffin for breakfast and opt for the old-fashioned, cook on the stove oatmeal for breakfast. Add in a teaspoon of brown sugar, a tablespoon of walnuts and a sprinkle or two of brown sugar. The oatmeal will keep your blood sugar levels more steady and help you stay full longer.

    *Opt for more lean protein sources such as fish, chicken or bison. Sausage is tasty but is high in fat and calories.

    *Add in more vegetables and fruit.

    *Try to eliminate or limit processed foods, which is pretty much anything in a box or bag. Honestly, it might taste good but the nutritional value is terrible!

    *Nuts are a great snack but portion size is key.

    *Keep in mind that you are in it for the long haul. Think about foods for heart health.

    *Incorporate more movement into your day. Park your car further away in the parking lot, take the stairs instead of the elevator, and just get up and walk around more. Buy a pedometer and aim for 10,000 steps a day. Little things can make a big difference!

    Don't give up and check in and let us know how you're doing! I bet the scale will be moving for you soon!:flowerforyou:

    hi - yes :( i am using up food that i bought pre-weight loss and dont want to waste it.. i gave up about a huge grocery bag of food to my bff and thes were the risiduals that i didn't think were that bad, but apparently they are...

    I told myself that if i were to start on this, i would allow myself that one treat in the morning,, thats what i bargained with myself in the beginning, but i do think i can lay it aside now,,, i could not do that at first. i said though i would see if i can eat it and see how it affects me, i think i can now give it up.. that was my ONE vice that worked awhile,, lol... i was so stubborn, you would not believe. but i think i can do it. downstairs in the restaurants they have oatmeal in just about every one.. steel cut! i will try that next :) and now that my food diary is open, i think i feel like im going to be accountable in a way to you all because now i cant hide.. i was hiding ... i kept it on private till today. I basically dont want you all who are working hard, and taking the time to help me to just be for nothing when you try to help me and all i do is eat bad stuff... so i am out of hiding!!! i will eat better consequently. you'll see (yes i know im doing it for me, but hope that makes sense about the coming out of hiding thing)
  • kganc001
    kganc001 Posts: 317
    As for not wanting to waste leftover food? Take it to a local food bank or church, they can ALWAYS use the extra food. :)
  • schaapj2
    schaapj2 Posts: 320 Member
    1. Up your calories for a few days....I take a break from logging and eat at my TDEE for a couple days and then drop back down to TDEE-20%.
    2. UP your exercise and change what you do. Try HIIT intervals-5 -10 of them per exercise period (I like 1:00 min @3mph and 1:00min @5.5mph for 8 intervals on the treadmill). If you use the treadmill, try the elliptical. Or try a class or something you havent done before.
    3. Start lifting heavy
    4. Measure your food with a food scale.
    5. Drink at least 80 oz. of water a day
    6. Be patient. If you see no drop in 2-3 weeks, change it up again. May have to wait as long a 4-6 weeks
    7. Look at your macros-might want to adjust if carbs are too high. Try a 40C/30P/30C split

    If all else fails, you might be carb sensitive. I found by eliminating wheat and trying to get out gluten and overall reducing carb intake, I've had the best success. However, carbs are needed for exercise, so you'll have to strike the right balance by lowering carbs and still having good productive workouts.
  • bsuew
    bsuew Posts: 628 Member
    I think that getting on a regular exercise plan. 40 + aleast 3-4 times a week. Even just walking at a good pace you need to start moving. Also, get a food scale as soon as you can. A good thing to go by is 3oz of meat is about = about the size of a deck of cards. That's helped me over the years :). If you can't walk that much start and you'll be suprised how fast you'll be able to! Good luck your welcome to friend me if you'd like. I've been on here since Feb 2012 logging every day for almost a year now. Good luck!!
  • aszwarc
    aszwarc Posts: 200 Member
    After all the great advice you've been given, this is going to seem sad and pathetic, but are you weighing yourself at the same time and under the same circumstances every time you weigh? I ask because in one post you referenced "tonight" in reference to your weight.

    Weighing in the evening will almost always lead to heartbreak because your body still has all of the day's food and beverages in it. I find that morning, upon first waking up (but after using the toilet) is a more reliable and consistent number.

    Also, don't weigh more often than once a day. That will only lead to madness as you see the numbers go up and down over the course of the day. In fact, you might want to put the scale away for a week and just weigh one day a week or even every other week. Then you'll be more likely to see a change, which will be more motivating than the emotional roller coaster of all the minuscule ups and downs.

    Congrats on those first 27 pounds, too!
  • jkal1979
    jkal1979 Posts: 1,896 Member
    You have received a lot of good advice, especially the food scale. As far as exercise goes, if you are looking for something that you can do at home I recommend Walk Away the Pounds by Leslie Sansone. They have basic walking steps along with several other moves to get you going. They are easy to follow and can give you a great workout. You can find them on YouTube.