Hard time losing

Lake_Po
Lake_Po Posts: 228 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm trying to figure out exactly how I'm going wrong.

My MFP says I should eat around 1500 cals. When I joined a year ago, I followed very closely to those goals. I lost about 20lbs and then stopped. Around holiday time I fell into the slump a lot of people fall into, over-indulging. I gained back 13lbs. I got sad and took some time and lost a couple of those pounds but nothing much else happens. I do exercise lightly, sometimes more, sometimes less. It seems to be my diet I can't get under control.

So for the last few months, I was going through some tough times. I decided to try a variation of high protein/healthy carb. I was still eating fruit a few days a week and only eating chicken breast (I eat it plain, I don't like stuff on it), brown rice a couple times a week or less and lots of veggies. I tried to cut out sugar, to cut out flour, to cut out candy/snacks. I was averaging between 900-1100 calories a day and I gained 4lbs in a month and a half. I gave up and started just eating whatever I felt like and now I'm in this low, low, crappy place. I'm considering going to a doctor to try and figure out if the issue is me or my body.

My mother in law insists that the fruit is the reason I gain weight. Other friends say it's because I'm not eating enough calories, and definitely not enough of the right kind of calories. I'm just tired of not doing anything right with this. I guess it's my inconsistency. Input is appreciated, please make your criticisms constructive and informative. I will appreciate and welcome, low carb thoughts, clean eating thoughts, and any and all ideas.
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Replies

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,388 MFP Moderator
    It doesn't matter if you eat low carb, clean, moderate carbs, high protein/high fat, IIFYM or whatever, it comes down to calories. If you lost well on 1500, that shoudl be your starting point. If you exercise, then eat a bit more. I can assure you, the types of food do not effect after loss. Higher carbs will store more water weight, but it doesn't prevent you from losing fat. Heck, you can eat ice cream every night if it fits in your calorie goals, I know from experience.

    One thing that will be beneficial in a diet is high protein and fat foods. They are good for satiety and protein (combined with resistance training) is good for muscle retention.

    You can go to a doctor to get blood work to start, but also get your cholesterol tested as it's another data point for measurement.
  • linsdog
    linsdog Posts: 94 Member
    It doesn't matter if you eat low carb, clean, moderate or whatever, it comes down to calories. If you lost well on 1500, that shoudl be your starting point. If you exercise, then eat a bit more. I can assure you, the types of food do not effect after loss. Higher carbs will store more water weight, but it doesn't prevent you from losing fat. Heck, you can eat ice cream every night if it fits in your calorie goals, I know from experience.

    This, if it worked for you the first time why not get back on the program you were on?
  • Lake_Po
    Lake_Po Posts: 228 Member
    I didn't clearly state... I did go back to eating the 1500 and it plateaus out at about 20lbs weight loss and then I don't seem to get anywhere after that.
  • tonynguyen75
    tonynguyen75 Posts: 418 Member
    It "plateaus" because 1500 calories is no longer your maintenance after you lose 20lbs. You will need to increase exercise and/or reduce caloric intake by 100-200 calories.

    But seeing as how you gained weight on 900-1000 calories a day, your hormones could be out of balance due to such a lower caloric intake. See a doctor to get some blood work done. There's only so low you should cut your calories to.
  • therightjenn
    therightjenn Posts: 1 Member
    Definitely talk to your doctor about this, get the needed bloodworm to be sure you aren't having thyroid or other issues. Then talk with a nutritionist. Exercise has got to be part of the equation. The more you exercise, the more you burn. 1500 calories is probably too high, but again, talk with your doctor and nutritionist, and then stick to the plan. I personally have found that carbs (bread, rice, pasta) stick to me like glue if I eat them in any quantity, but especially if I eat them after 2 p.m. Track everything. Drink more water. And stick with it. You can do this. :)
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,388 MFP Moderator
    I didn't clearly state... I did go back to eating the 1500 and it plateaus out at about 20lbs weight loss and then I don't seem to get anywhere after that.

    How long did you plateau, did you weight and measure your foods? And what are your height, weight age and workout routine?


    Based on your ticket, you could have been under fueling your body at 1500 and required more fuel. It's not uncommon to see plateau's when you create a large deficit, which then in turn your body will store water weight as a defense mechanism. .
  • MicheleWE
    MicheleWE Posts: 179 Member
    I've been questioning a few things and stumbled onto a MFP group that answered some of them. I recommend checking out the Eat More 2 Weigh Less group-there is also a website. Repairing a messed up metabolism takes time but it is possible (according to the testimonies). I always wondered why I just couldn't be "normal" so I am going to give this a shot. I figure if I am just sitting still in my weight loss while working so hard then I really don't have anything to lose. Hope it answers some questions for you too.
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
    Slight underestimates or wrong MFP entries (there are a lot of them) can throw intake estimates off by a lot. Exercise calories also have huge variance potential.
  • mysambo
    mysambo Posts: 1
    Know where you are coming from. Plan says I can eat 2100 a day and I just eat 1200 to maybe 1000 a day. I have a hard time believing the less you eat the less you will lose. Had one doctor that made a lot of sense to me. He said your body is like a furnace,keep food (wood) in the fireplace(stomach) and it will always stay hot and burn calories. Eat a couple of times a day and the furnace goes out in between eating and it has to be relit every time and does not burn near as many calories. I have found that if I stay at between 1100-1200 calories and drink plenty of water I steadily drop 2-3lbs. a week. Just make sure your calories come from good foods and not all sugars. I have been plateauing for about 7 weeks but now I am on the downhill again. DON'T GIVE UP!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,388 MFP Moderator
    Know where you are coming from. Plan says I can eat 2100 a day and I just eat 1200 to maybe 1000 a day. I have a hard time believing the less you eat the less you will lose. Had one doctor that made a lot of sense to me. He said your body is like a furnace,keep food (wood) in the fireplace(stomach) and it will always stay hot and burn calories. Eat a couple of times a day and the furnace goes out in between eating and it has to be relit every time and does not burn near as many calories. I have found that if I stay at between 1100-1200 calories and drink plenty of water I steadily drop 2-3lbs. a week. Just make sure your calories come from good foods and not all sugars. I have been plateauing for about 7 weeks but now I am on the downhill again. DON'T GIVE UP!

    Your metabolism is contently burning calories as part of the basal metabolic functions. So you are constantly burning calories. Adding more meals will not relight the furnace. It just causes your body to adjust the functions. This is why studies have shown the meal frequency or timing do not play into weight loss.

    And you do not need to starve yourself to lose weight. I would suggest that you either were measuring correctly or possible you weren't eating enough. Under fueling your body will cause hormone reactions as part of a famine response. Your body will release cortisol and increase water to preserve functions and muscle tissue. This may cause plateau in weight loss. Increasing calories can reduce hormones and allow your body to drop the water weight as food will be used for energy instead of fat cells.
  • laurelobrien
    laurelobrien Posts: 156 Member
    if 1000 calories a day is causing weight gain, you're either counting calories very wrong or you need to see a doctor have tests done.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    At over 200 lbs you aren't plateauing on 1500 calories or gaining at 1000 without having a major medical issue. You are either under estimating your food or over estimating your activity if you eat exercise back. A plateau isn't a couple weeks of no loss either, but rather an extended period of time with no loss and that's usually because you need to readjust calories as you lose.
  • fivethreeone
    fivethreeone Posts: 8,196 Member
    I was going to comment in here, but just listen to Psulemon, that citrus knows its stuff.
  • alishacupcake
    alishacupcake Posts: 419 Member
    I was going to comment in here, but just listen to Psulemon, that citrus knows its stuff.

    Ditto!!
  • Alex_is_Hawks
    Alex_is_Hawks Posts: 3,499 Member
    I was going to comment in here, but just listen to Psulemon, that citrus knows its stuff.

    QFT.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    I was going to comment in here, but just listen to Psulemon, that citrus knows its stuff.

    The Lemony Goodness
  • michail71
    michail71 Posts: 120 Member
    I was averaging between 900-1100 calories a day and I gained 4lbs in a month and a half. I gave up and started just eating whatever I felt like and now I'm in this low, low, crappy place. I'm considering going to a doctor to try and figure out if the issue is me or my body.

    I'm not even sure if that is possible, which should be good news for you. Breathing and brain activity alone should be more than that.

    There had to be some miscalculations. Were you trying to adjust for exercise? That can get some people in trouble.
  • michail71
    michail71 Posts: 120 Member
    Assuming the weigh gain had no water component that would be a daily excess of 311 calories over maintenance.
  • Lake_Po
    Lake_Po Posts: 228 Member
    Thanks everyone.

    I am making a doctor's appointment for next week. I should have maybe mentioned that I was seeing a "weight loss specialist" last year. His only option to me was to take phentramine. He never did a single blood test or any other physical testing. Just the only answer to weight loss is I need to take uppers.

    I know that I was careful with my measurements, but I'll try again and see what I might have been doing wrong.

    I have a lot of things to survey and see where I'm going wrong. :)
  • michail71
    michail71 Posts: 120 Member
    Good luck!

    I hope everything is ok. Those numbers look really low.

    Also, make sure to not adjust for exercise and just let the activity level do it's thing.

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