So frustrated!

HINGLOCK
HINGLOCK Posts: 2 Member
edited February 2 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello All,

I joined MFP a few years ago to help me lose the last 15 pounds. I had gained about 30 pounds in college and was able to lose about 20 of those pounds with a combination of p90x and a Jillian Michael's plan. Last year I thought I had begun to see the light! I lost about 13 pounds after doing some calorie restriction and working out 6 days/week intensely (this put me at about 120 lbs). I kept the weight off for about 6 months, but hit a wall in December 2012 when the weight began to creep back on. I began having health problems consisting of severe cramping in my abdomen. Doctor's were never able to figure out what was causing the pain. My OB found several cysts on my ovaries and decided to put me on birth control (worst idea ever). After beginning birth control, I gained all of the 13 pounds back. I was infuriated! I think all of us know how hard it is to lose even one pound, and to think that 13 has been gained is a real set back. So, for the past several months I have been trying to lose the weight AGAIN. I honestly don't know what to do at this point. I haven't even lost one pound and am so FRUSTRATED. I even bought a BodyMedia Fit Link to calculate my daily calorie burn because I thought that maybe I was eating more than I realized. Well, to my dismay, I have been well within the 500 calorie deficit per day to lose a pound a week and guess what?! NO WEIGHT LOSS. I have made my journal public and was hoping you could help me to figure out what I'm doing wrong. Being so close to my goal weight, I know it's not going to be an easy road, but I really could use the outside insight! Thank you!

Replies

  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    Looking at your diary, you swing between being on target, way under and way over. I see a 3000 quick-add a few days back. There are two possibilities here:

    a) You're eating way more than you think since you're not tracking food meticulously, or
    b) You are not burning as much as the Body Media Fit thinks you are; this is possible if your metabolism adjusted from prior dieting. Even the BMF is just using calculations that work for the average person. You may not actually be burning that much.

    I would start by getting meticulous with your food tracking. Choose the actual brands you're eating, use a food scale for everything solid and measuring cups for liquids. Track everything. After a month of tracking, if your expected loss and actual loss don't line up, then you're not burning as much as you think you are and should eat a little less.

    But if you only have 15 lbs to lose, you should also consider reducing your deficit to maybe 250-300 calories/day. That's when tracking meticulously becomes even more important.
  • retirehappy
    retirehappy Posts: 3,431 Member
    Are you measuring everything? You are eating pretty healthy stuff except for that 3 beers with pizza meal :tongue:

    Just tweak the carbs and protein and see if that helps. You tend to eat a lot of carbs and little protein, just adjust those and see if anything happens.
  • l0sing_it
    l0sing_it Posts: 67
    3500 calories = 1 pound lost. Look over you total calorie deficit for the week. If it is less than 3500, you will not see any weight lost. That should answer your question. Good luck to you!
  • HINGLOCK
    HINGLOCK Posts: 2 Member
    THank you for the suggestions! Mrsbigmack - if I buy a food scale how does the weight of the food equate to calories? Also, I probably should have mentioned that I'm a vegetarian (sometimes Salmon works its way in there though). The 3000 calorie quick add was from a day spent at a beer festival so that total was an estimate, but you are definitely right about being more meticulous. Speaking of alcohol, do you think I could be sabotaging my efforts by having a few beers on the weekend? I always try to work it into my calories and always come out in a deficit. Thoughts?
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