I cant lose weight!

24

Replies

  • genkiemi
    genkiemi Posts: 12
    Looking at your diary I have to say this, it's not just about how many calories you eat, it's about when you eat those calories and what is IN those calories. You could eat 1200 calories worth of peanut butter or 1200 calories worth of protein and vegetables.. I know which one of those will help you lose weight. Also, you seem to be eating breakfast everyday but only having lunch or dinner rather than both. If your target is 1500 calories, allocate yourself 400 for breakfast, 400 lunch, 400 dinner and then 300 snacks. On Friday you had no dinner but 889 calories in snacks? Is this right? And on Saturday you skipped lunch and had a 845 calorie dinner? Are you just not logging things in order or is this how you eat? You need to stabilise your metabolism, eat regularly, don't skip meals and make sure the calories you do eat are GOOD calories. Too many people stick to the 1200-1500 calories a day but the calories they eat are full of sugar or saturated fats. Friday you had 96g of sugar this is about 23 teaspoons of sugar. Try and reduce your sugar intake to 30g a day (this is roughly the recommended intake for adults males) play with this amount for a little while and assess how you feel.

    I have lost 18kgs and still have 11kgs to go. One thing I have learnt along the way is that you cannot trick yourself into thinking you're eating well because you're within your calorie goal, it's about what food you eat. 100 calories of vegetables is better then 100 calories of sugar.

    Whops! I dont log things in order but I do log everything I eat. I didnt realize the sugar thanks for telling me, Ill stop drinking the carton of chocolate milk from school from now on, I believe that is the only bad sugar im getting though? 1 cup of 2% milk has 13g sugar but im sure its good sugar?
    Are you reading the other posts? The information here is WRONG, read cingle87's post. A calorie is a calorie, regardless of time, source, if the food was high-fat, etc. IT DOESN'T MATTER. Just be completely on the ball about calorie counting and it wouldn't matter if you ate your deficit in pizzas and lard, you'll still lose weight.

    Yes im reading everything, But wouldnt it be better to eat healthier than a diet with high-fat pizzas and lard?
    Of course! Eating refined carbs and sugars are digested very quickly and you'll be hungry again in an hour, which can lead to you eating more than if you ate whole grains and proteins, which keep you full for much longer and make the diet change much easier. Also, fat has a high calorie density than carbs and protein, which means you'll reach your calorie limit much faster if you only eat pizza (a nice visual example: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-does-200-calories-look-like.htm). And of course you need to make sure that you're getting your proper nutrition for your other body functions. But in the end the calories are still the same, if you can manage a deficit on pizza (and take a vitamin supplement or something), you'll still be able to lose weight.
  • pieee3
    pieee3 Posts: 12
    Looking at your diary I have to say this, it's not just about how many calories you eat, it's about when you eat those calories and what is IN those calories. You could eat 1200 calories worth of peanut butter or 1200 calories worth of protein and vegetables.. I know which one of those will help you lose weight. Also, you seem to be eating breakfast everyday but only having lunch or dinner rather than both. If your target is 1500 calories, allocate yourself 400 for breakfast, 400 lunch, 400 dinner and then 300 snacks. On Friday you had no dinner but 889 calories in snacks? Is this right? And on Saturday you skipped lunch and had a 845 calorie dinner? Are you just not logging things in order or is this how you eat? You need to stabilise your metabolism, eat regularly, don't skip meals and make sure the calories you do eat are GOOD calories. Too many people stick to the 1200-1500 calories a day but the calories they eat are full of sugar or saturated fats. Friday you had 96g of sugar this is about 23 teaspoons of sugar. Try and reduce your sugar intake to 30g a day (this is roughly the recommended intake for adults males) play with this amount for a little while and assess how you feel.

    I have lost 18kgs and still have 11kgs to go. One thing I have learnt along the way is that you cannot trick yourself into thinking you're eating well because you're within your calorie goal, it's about what food you eat. 100 calories of vegetables is better then 100 calories of sugar.

    So wrong it hurts, this whole the only way to loose is to eat clean is pure BS. Lets take your example 1200 cals of PB vs 1200 cals of protein and veg . Yes one gives you a more balanced diet, but they are still 1200 calories worth of energy for your system. Your body doesnt give a flying monkeys where it get its 1200 cals from as long as its getting its 1200 cals. You will find many people on here that eat dirty and love it, I for one am happily loosing with and guess what, I eat dirty, my diary is not all protein and veg, crossian every day, beer when im not working and its not stopped me one bit.

    Next to your point about meal timings, again more BS. Meal timings have no affect what so ever on your body, many people on here are doing IF where you have prolonged periods of not eat, and then consuming all their cals in a short window, suprise suprise they are loosing, even though going against your meal timing theory. Myself will often skip breakfast and have all my cals for lunch dinner and snakcs.

    So please when you are giving adivce don't say this is how you should be doing it, say this is how im doing it and its helping me, but there are others ways.

    Untrue. Your body notices if you eat say 1200 calories of chocolate. You will be getting much more sugar than say 1200 calories of vegetables. Bodies process things differently. Some people need more protein, some people need more carbs, ect. Not to mention that you're a male so it's easier for you most likely. If all you eat is say. ice cream, you're going to have a lot harder time getting healthier and gaining muscle and burning fat though, no matter what. Eating balanced is important otherwise, you won't or will have a very hard time being healthy as your body needs a proper balance of vitamins and minerals and all that jazz. Have you tried eating "clean" compared to eating "dirty"? If you haven't you can't argue as maybe you'd do even better if you ate clean, maybe not though. It also depends on what you think is "dirty". Eating clean doesn't mean you have to eat all veggies and protein 24/7 and never touch beer.

    Also, timing at night is important theoretically, as well as if you decide to eat right before an intense activity or after, and if you do it so that throughout the day you feel full and never feel the need to binge (hence why it is often suggested to have 5 small meals).


    Anyways, pleee, are you on any medications?

    No medications, I do notice timing help against binge eating but apparently I need to eat more calories lol Im going to try to do a 40% protein 40% carbs (good carbs) and 20% fats diet as of when I wake up
  • TheLoneMarmot
    TheLoneMarmot Posts: 43 Member
    "According to a Tel Aviv University study, human metabolism is significantly impacted by our body clock — the circadian rhythm that manages our body’s biological processes over each 24-hour cycle".

    http://www.timesofisrael.com/want-to-lose-weight-make-breakfast-your-big-meal-and-have-dessert-with-it/

    http://israel21c.org/news/eating-a-big-breakfast-fights-obesity-and-diabetes/
  • Boogage
    Boogage Posts: 739 Member
    How long have you been doing this without seeing a change? When you begin training you will get noobie gains and hold a lot of water to repair muscles which can temporarily increase weight. Weight also comes off in chunks so there might be weeks when you lose nothing and weeks when 4lb falls off. I tend to see a drop in weight when I stop working out for a few days so if you're getting disheartened that might be worth a try. As for the cardio, I think its plenty but steady state cardio is less effective than HIIT so it would be better if you could walk and then run for 30 seconds every couple of minutes.

    I have been doing this about probably 4 weeks? I started out weighing 185 pounds eating junk and lifting weights (not a good job of lifting) But 4 weeks ago I started eating better and doing cardio and going ham in the gym.I was still about 185 though. The second week I took probably 5 days of diet pills that week and I got all the way down to 170 and I have been stuck at 170-174 since I stopped the diet pills for like 2 weeks now. Im trying to lose weight with gym and eating right but it seems to suck. Ill try walking then doing a sprint every once and a while to see if that helps, Or maybe I should just start jogging
    . This isn't a plateau then. I'd guess that the weight you lost in the first 2 weeks was mainly water as you added cardio and better lifting and as your body has replenished its self you regained a couple of lbs and now your muscles are holding the water for repairs (I expect you would have lost without the pills). Its great that you are trying to eat better as your overall health should improve and you should start feeling better in yourself and hopefully have more energy for working out. I'd say its worth trying to work out your TDEE and eating at a small deficit as you won't be able to build much muscle in a deficit and more muscle will keep fat burning long after your workout. You could try jogging if you like but still add in a sprint to alter your heart rate every now and then. The most important thing is that your workout is something you will be able to stick to as if you dread it you'll end up giving up. Now I think you just have to be patient as it takes 2-3 months to really see if all your hard work is paying off.
  • Maidofmer
    Maidofmer Posts: 908 Member
    You should probably seek advice from a doctor about eating habits and work out a plan that helps you. You'll soon see that this post will become a screaming match as opposed as something to help you. It took forever for me to know what to do, and I'm still learning. I was maybe a year or two older than you when I finally had enough and started losing. I looked at it logically. What's going to help me? Fruits, veggies, grains, the food pyramid, or candy and crap? Even though fruit has a lot of sugar in it, it's natural and easy for the body to digest, unlike candy which is refined, unnatural and hard to digest. Compare it to trash. A paper bag decomposes faster than a plastic one. You don't see lollipops coming off a tree do you? and if you do, let me know where it is. I don't know about all this clean or dirty eating. No idea what that means. But you know what you have to do. What's better for you? chicken, veggies, and rice, or a big mac with fries? Don't know if you eat that stuff. Water or pepsi? nothing wrong with having something occasionally. If I want ice cream when it's hot, I'll have it, but very small portion and not often. Sometimes I have a beer on the weekends. Doesn't make me gain back my weight that I've lost. Take it easy with the chocolate milk. Some people, like me, need to eat right and exercise. others, the Twinkie diet works for them.
  • pieee3
    pieee3 Posts: 12
    How long have you been doing this without seeing a change? When you begin training you will get noobie gains and hold a lot of water to repair muscles which can temporarily increase weight. Weight also comes off in chunks so there might be weeks when you lose nothing and weeks when 4lb falls off. I tend to see a drop in weight when I stop working out for a few days so if you're getting disheartened that might be worth a try. As for the cardio, I think its plenty but steady state cardio is less effective than HIIT so it would be better if you could walk and then run for 30 seconds every couple of minutes.

    I have been doing this about probably 4 weeks? I started out weighing 185 pounds eating junk and lifting weights (not a good job of lifting) But 4 weeks ago I started eating better and doing cardio and going ham in the gym.I was still about 185 though. The second week I took probably 5 days of diet pills that week and I got all the way down to 170 and I have been stuck at 170-174 since I stopped the diet pills for like 2 weeks now. Im trying to lose weight with gym and eating right but it seems to suck. Ill try walking then doing a sprint every once and a while to see if that helps, Or maybe I should just start jogging
    . This isn't a plateau then. I'd guess that the weight you lost in the first 2 weeks was mainly water as you added cardio and better lifting and as your body has replenished its self you regained a couple of lbs and now your muscles are holding the water for repairs (I expect you would have lost without the pills). Its great that you are trying to eat better as your overall health should improve and you should start feeling better in yourself and hopefully have more energy for working out. I'd say its worth trying to work out your TDEE and eating at a small deficit as you won't be able to build much muscle in a deficit and more muscle will keep fat burning long after your workout. You could try jogging if you like but still add in a sprint to alter your heart rate every now and then. The most important thing is that your workout is something you will be able to stick to as if you dread it you'll end up giving up. Now I think you just have to be patient as it takes 2-3 months to really see if all your hard work is paying off.

    Okay so would you say I should eat more calories? Also with how much I have been eating I think I have gotten stronger than before (as long as im not losing strength im happy), When I do cardio I will like walk for 5 minutes and sprint for 30 seconds or something like that for 50 minutes? And being patient is so hard for me!
  • Boogage
    Boogage Posts: 739 Member
    How long have you been doing this without seeing a change? When you begin training you will get noobie gains and hold a lot of water to repair muscles which can temporarily increase weight. Weight also comes off in chunks so there might be weeks when you lose nothing and weeks when 4lb falls off. I tend to see a drop in weight when I stop working out for a few days so if you're getting disheartened that might be worth a try. As for the cardio, I think its plenty but steady state cardio is less effective than HIIT so it would be better if you could walk and then run for 30 seconds every couple of minutes.

    I have been doing this about probably 4 weeks? I started out weighing 185 pounds eating junk and lifting weights (not a good job of lifting) But 4 weeks ago I started eating better and doing cardio and going ham in the gym.I was still about 185 though. The second week I took probably 5 days of diet pills that week and I got all the way down to 170 and I have been stuck at 170-174 since I stopped the diet pills for like 2 weeks now. Im trying to lose weight with gym and eating right but it seems to suck. Ill try walking then doing a sprint every once and a while to see if that helps, Or maybe I should just start jogging
    . This isn't a plateau then. I'd guess that the weight you lost in the first 2 weeks was mainly water as you added cardio and better lifting and as your body has replenished its self you regained a couple of lbs and now your muscles are holding the water for repairs (I expect you would have lost without the pills). Its great that you are trying to eat better as your overall health should improve and you should start feeling better in yourself and hopefully have more energy for working out. I'd say its worth trying to work out your TDEE and eating at a small deficit as you won't be able to build much muscle in a deficit and more muscle will keep fat burning long after your workout. You could try jogging if you like but still add in a sprint to alter your heart rate every now and then. The most important thing is that your workout is something you will be able to stick to as if you dread it you'll end up giving up. Now I think you just have to be patient as it takes 2-3 months to really see if all your hard work is paying off.

    Okay so would you say I should eat more calories? Also with how much I have been eating I think I have gotten stronger than before (as long as im not losing strength im happy), When I do cardio I will like walk for 5 minutes and sprint for 30 seconds or something like that for 50 minutes? And being patient is so hard for me!
    Yes you should be eating more. When I started this journey I was eating 1200 cals and after a couple of months of doing just cardio for 1 hour a day I began to get sick and dizzy and had to have a break from my workout every 5 minutes as I couldn't breathe. I felt so much better when I increased the cals by a couple of hundred. I am shorter and female so in theory you should need even more calories than me. It's great that you feel stronger now and lifting will help you retain the muscle you have but I don't think you will feel strong for long if you don't fuel your body with more cals. TDEE calculations are just a rough estimate of your calorie needs but its a great place to start and if you aren't looking to lose much weight you should minus 10% off that to give you a small deficit so your body doesn't burn up too much muscle instead of fat. If you don't see the results you'd like after giving your body time to adjust (scale might go up before it goes down) then you can tweak the numbers a bit and maybe drop 100 cals to see if that gets things moving. Your plan for cardio sounds good.
  • sazroy
    sazroy Posts: 262 Member
    Looking at your diary I have to say this, it's not just about how many calories you eat, it's about when you eat those calories and what is IN those calories. You could eat 1200 calories worth of peanut butter or 1200 calories worth of protein and vegetables.. I know which one of those will help you lose weight. Also, you seem to be eating breakfast everyday but only having lunch or dinner rather than both. If your target is 1500 calories, allocate yourself 400 for breakfast, 400 lunch, 400 dinner and then 300 snacks. On Friday you had no dinner but 889 calories in snacks? Is this right? And on Saturday you skipped lunch and had a 845 calorie dinner? Are you just not logging things in order or is this how you eat? You need to stabilise your metabolism, eat regularly, don't skip meals and make sure the calories you do eat are GOOD calories. Too many people stick to the 1200-1500 calories a day but the calories they eat are full of sugar or saturated fats. Friday you had 96g of sugar this is about 23 teaspoons of sugar. Try and reduce your sugar intake to 30g a day (this is roughly the recommended intake for adults males) play with this amount for a little while and assess how you feel.

    I have lost 18kgs and still have 11kgs to go. One thing I have learnt along the way is that you cannot trick yourself into thinking you're eating well because you're within your calorie goal, it's about what food you eat. 100 calories of vegetables is better then 100 calories of sugar.

    So wrong it hurts, this whole the only way to loose is to eat clean is pure BS. Lets take your example 1200 cals of PB vs 1200 cals of protein and veg . Yes one gives you a more balanced diet, but they are still 1200 calories worth of energy for your system. Your body doesnt give a flying monkeys where it get its 1200 cals from as long as its getting its 1200 cals. You will find many people on here that eat dirty and love it, I for one am happily loosing with and guess what, I eat dirty, my diary is not all protein and veg, crossian every day, beer when im not working and its not stopped me one bit.

    Next to your point about meal timings, again more BS. Meal timings have no affect what so ever on your body, many people on here are doing IF where you have prolonged periods of not eat, and then consuming all their cals in a short window, suprise suprise they are loosing, even though going against your meal timing theory. Myself will often skip breakfast and have all my cals for lunch dinner and snakcs.

    So please when you are giving adivce don't say this is how you should be doing it, say this is how im doing it and its helping me, but there are others ways.

    You're so wrong it hurts. It's been proven that while yes 1 calorie is still 1 calorie, depending on the type of calorie and the way it digests will improve chances for weightloss. 1 calorie of celery will use more energy to digest than 1 calorie of chocolate.

    Speak to a nutritionist or a personal trainer and you will be told the same thing about metabolism and regular eating.

    Clearly his way of eating hasn't been working, so I'm merely telling him of a proven way that does work if done correctly. Why anyone would fill their days worth of calories with sugar and **** food is beyond me. I'd much rather pig out on nutritious food. Read a medical journal on nutrition and you will see tons of information that prove you will lose more weight eating the RIGHT calories.

    I'd rather lose weight the healthy way, not the easy way. Cheers, thanks, bye.
  • sazroy
    sazroy Posts: 262 Member
    Looking at your diary I have to say this, it's not just about how many calories you eat, it's about when you eat those calories and what is IN those calories. You could eat 1200 calories worth of peanut butter or 1200 calories worth of protein and vegetables.. I know which one of those will help you lose weight. Also, you seem to be eating breakfast everyday but only having lunch or dinner rather than both. If your target is 1500 calories, allocate yourself 400 for breakfast, 400 lunch, 400 dinner and then 300 snacks. On Friday you had no dinner but 889 calories in snacks? Is this right? And on Saturday you skipped lunch and had a 845 calorie dinner? Are you just not logging things in order or is this how you eat? You need to stabilise your metabolism, eat regularly, don't skip meals and make sure the calories you do eat are GOOD calories. Too many people stick to the 1200-1500 calories a day but the calories they eat are full of sugar or saturated fats. Friday you had 96g of sugar this is about 23 teaspoons of sugar. Try and reduce your sugar intake to 30g a day (this is roughly the recommended intake for adults males) play with this amount for a little while and assess how you feel.

    I have lost 18kgs and still have 11kgs to go. One thing I have learnt along the way is that you cannot trick yourself into thinking you're eating well because you're within your calorie goal, it's about what food you eat. 100 calories of vegetables is better then 100 calories of sugar.

    Whops! I dont log things in order but I do log everything I eat. I didnt realize the sugar thanks for telling me, Ill stop drinking the carton of chocolate milk from school from now on, I believe that is the only bad sugar im getting though? 1 cup of 2% milk has 13g sugar but im sure its good sugar?

    There is good sugar this is true, looks up fructose and see if any of the foods you're eating contains it. Glucose is awesome for our bodies and is in everything you eat, then you have lactose which is in your milk (I can't have lactose or dairy, as a sufferer of IBS I have to avoid dairy and fructose). Fructose is a huge contributor to weight gain. I never believed in it until I tried it. I always scoffed at the whole "sugar is bad for you" I was like "I rarely eat it anyway" or "Never heard of sugar hurting anyone before" until I began to cut it out, and my god do I feel better.
  • sazroy
    sazroy Posts: 262 Member
    Looking at your diary I have to say this, it's not just about how many calories you eat, it's about when you eat those calories and what is IN those calories. You could eat 1200 calories worth of peanut butter or 1200 calories worth of protein and vegetables.. I know which one of those will help you lose weight. Also, you seem to be eating breakfast everyday but only having lunch or dinner rather than both. If your target is 1500 calories, allocate yourself 400 for breakfast, 400 lunch, 400 dinner and then 300 snacks. On Friday you had no dinner but 889 calories in snacks? Is this right? And on Saturday you skipped lunch and had a 845 calorie dinner? Are you just not logging things in order or is this how you eat? You need to stabilise your metabolism, eat regularly, don't skip meals and make sure the calories you do eat are GOOD calories. Too many people stick to the 1200-1500 calories a day but the calories they eat are full of sugar or saturated fats. Friday you had 96g of sugar this is about 23 teaspoons of sugar. Try and reduce your sugar intake to 30g a day (this is roughly the recommended intake for adults males) play with this amount for a little while and assess how you feel.

    I have lost 18kgs and still have 11kgs to go. One thing I have learnt along the way is that you cannot trick yourself into thinking you're eating well because you're within your calorie goal, it's about what food you eat. 100 calories of vegetables is better then 100 calories of sugar.

    Whops! I dont log things in order but I do log everything I eat. I didnt realize the sugar thanks for telling me, Ill stop drinking the carton of chocolate milk from school from now on, I believe that is the only bad sugar im getting though? 1 cup of 2% milk has 13g sugar but im sure its good sugar?
    Are you reading the other posts? The information here is WRONG, read cingle87's post. A calorie is a calorie, regardless of time, source, if the food was high-fat, etc. IT DOESN'T MATTER. Just be completely on the ball about calorie counting and it wouldn't matter if you ate your deficit in pizzas and lard, you'll still lose weight.


    I suggest you read a book called Integrated Nutrition. Then respond to my post :)
  • sazroy
    sazroy Posts: 262 Member
    @ op, maybe you're losing inches? are your clothes baggy? are you more toned and defined? how about changing your routine? try some yoga. or go to a class at your gym. get a work out dvd from the store.
    also, watch your sugar intake and sodium. I cut out a lot of salt and about 5 of my 11 lbs was water weight. If you're still in school, ask a gym teacher. If not, go to your old school and ask a gym teacher.

    ETA: My trainer made up a work out plan with me. cardio, lower body, upper body. try a day each of one thing. I was doing 65 minutes on the elliptical each night for months. sure, i'd burn a lot of calories but I wasn't seeing results. I still do cardio, but I mix it in with the stairmaster. cardio and lower body work out.

    @ genkiemi , there is such a thing as too much cardio and not all calories are created equal. a 4 oz piece of chicken breast may have the same amount of calories as a pop tart, but one has calories that give the body the needed energy. the other is known as an empty calorie. no nutritional value at all. When I was your age, and younger, I was taught this in high school. now that I'm older, speaking with doctors, dietitians, nutritionist, and personal trainers, I'm going to agree with the ones that are certified and have spent their lives researching weight loss.

    Thanks for understanding what I meant. It's about filling yourself with calories that fuel your body and nourish it. People are quick to jump on people who are saying "eat healthy"... too many people SEEM to want to find the answers through cruddy food and lack of exercise.
  • sazroy
    sazroy Posts: 262 Member
    Looking at your diary I have to say this, it's not just about how many calories you eat, it's about when you eat those calories and what is IN those calories. You could eat 1200 calories worth of peanut butter or 1200 calories worth of protein and vegetables.. I know which one of those will help you lose weight. Also, you seem to be eating breakfast everyday but only having lunch or dinner rather than both. If your target is 1500 calories, allocate yourself 400 for breakfast, 400 lunch, 400 dinner and then 300 snacks. On Friday you had no dinner but 889 calories in snacks? Is this right? And on Saturday you skipped lunch and had a 845 calorie dinner? Are you just not logging things in order or is this how you eat? You need to stabilise your metabolism, eat regularly, don't skip meals and make sure the calories you do eat are GOOD calories. Too many people stick to the 1200-1500 calories a day but the calories they eat are full of sugar or saturated fats. Friday you had 96g of sugar this is about 23 teaspoons of sugar. Try and reduce your sugar intake to 30g a day (this is roughly the recommended intake for adults males) play with this amount for a little while and assess how you feel.

    I have lost 18kgs and still have 11kgs to go. One thing I have learnt along the way is that you cannot trick yourself into thinking you're eating well because you're within your calorie goal, it's about what food you eat. 100 calories of vegetables is better then 100 calories of sugar.

    this is false. A study was done where the researcher himself ate 1200 cals a day in TWINKIES. no execise. And he steadily lost weight.

    Depends how long he did this for, you would lose weight from malnourishment and then you would plateau. I have been overweight my whole life and ate less than 1000-1200 calories a day. I actually joined MFP to make sure I started eating more. As soon as I ate more, and more good food, the weight fell off.
  • ARoseinDecember
    ARoseinDecember Posts: 29
    Didn't read any of the replies, but...are you taking measurements also? If you're strength training, you could be adding muscle and losing fat...so no change on scale, but perhaps in the way clothes fit/size?
  • sazroy
    sazroy Posts: 262 Member
    Looking at your diary I have to say this, it's not just about how many calories you eat, it's about when you eat those calories and what is IN those calories. You could eat 1200 calories worth of peanut butter or 1200 calories worth of protein and vegetables.. I know which one of those will help you lose weight. Also, you seem to be eating breakfast everyday but only having lunch or dinner rather than both. If your target is 1500 calories, allocate yourself 400 for breakfast, 400 lunch, 400 dinner and then 300 snacks. On Friday you had no dinner but 889 calories in snacks? Is this right? And on Saturday you skipped lunch and had a 845 calorie dinner? Are you just not logging things in order or is this how you eat? You need to stabilise your metabolism, eat regularly, don't skip meals and make sure the calories you do eat are GOOD calories. Too many people stick to the 1200-1500 calories a day but the calories they eat are full of sugar or saturated fats. Friday you had 96g of sugar this is about 23 teaspoons of sugar. Try and reduce your sugar intake to 30g a day (this is roughly the recommended intake for adults males) play with this amount for a little while and assess how you feel.

    I have lost 18kgs and still have 11kgs to go. One thing I have learnt along the way is that you cannot trick yourself into thinking you're eating well because you're within your calorie goal, it's about what food you eat. 100 calories of vegetables is better then 100 calories of sugar.

    So wrong it hurts, this whole the only way to loose is to eat clean is pure BS. Lets take your example 1200 cals of PB vs 1200 cals of protein and veg . Yes one gives you a more balanced diet, but they are still 1200 calories worth of energy for your system. Your body doesnt give a flying monkeys where it get its 1200 cals from as long as its getting its 1200 cals. You will find many people on here that eat dirty and love it, I for one am happily loosing with and guess what, I eat dirty, my diary is not all protein and veg, crossian every day, beer when im not working and its not stopped me one bit.

    Next to your point about meal timings, again more BS. Meal timings have no affect what so ever on your body, many people on here are doing IF where you have prolonged periods of not eat, and then consuming all their cals in a short window, suprise suprise they are loosing, even though going against your meal timing theory. Myself will often skip breakfast and have all my cals for lunch dinner and snakcs.

    So please when you are giving adivce don't say this is how you should be doing it, say this is how im doing it and its helping me, but there are others ways.

    Untrue. Your body notices if you eat say 1200 calories of chocolate. You will be getting much more sugar than say 1200 calories of vegetables. Bodies process things differently. Some people need more protein, some people need more carbs, ect. Not to mention that you're a male so it's easier for you most likely. If all you eat is say. ice cream, you're going to have a lot harder time getting healthier and gaining muscle and burning fat though, no matter what. Eating balanced is important otherwise, you won't or will have a very hard time being healthy as your body needs a proper balance of vitamins and minerals and all that jazz. Have you tried eating "clean" compared to eating "dirty"? If you haven't you can't argue as maybe you'd do even better if you ate clean, maybe not though. It also depends on what you think is "dirty". Eating clean doesn't mean you have to eat all veggies and protein 24/7 and never touch beer.

    Also, timing at night is important theoretically, as well as if you decide to eat right before an intense activity or after, and if you do it so that throughout the day you feel full and never feel the need to binge (hence why it is often suggested to have 5 small meals).


    Anyways, pleee, are you on any medications?


    THANK YOU! Clearly some people care more about weight loss than nutrition :/
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
    Knowledge is power, feel the power grow within...

    ETA: It may seem like alot of information OP but you will get through it in no time and will have a strong foudation to work from, also a much more solid understanding of things.

    This is link is best to get started with...
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1069278-acronyms-and-terms-for-new-mfp-members-v-6

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/817188-iifym

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html

    Most probably the most helpful group on here...

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/10118-eat-train-progress

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833026-important-posts-to-read

    I highly recommend adding lifting to your routine...

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/weight-training-for-fat-loss-part-1.html

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/weight-training-for-fat-loss-part-2.html

    http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/FAQ:The_Lifts

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/926789-protein-sources

    Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength is a good place to start.

    Good luck OP

    Ahhhh...a quiet voice of reason. All of this, and a bag of chips. :)

    Best of luck.
  • Dauntlessness
    Dauntlessness Posts: 1,489 Member
    Get a good HRM with a chest strap to see how many calories your actually burning at the gym. I found that mfp and machines usually overestimate around 30-50%.

    Get a food scale if you don't already have one. Make sure you count every single thing and dont guess at portions.

    Eat more...find out what your tdee is and create a deficit from that. Believe me, eat to lose actually works. Saying that, it may be lower than the calculators numbers on the internet... Mine is around 2k but the calculators say 2600. I wouldn't be surprised with your height and weight it would be near 3k...so if I were you I would be eating at least 2k a day

    If all else fails, see a doctor because the numbers don't add up and maybe something is wrong.
  • dinglekerri
    dinglekerri Posts: 47
    Maybe your stuck in a routine? Keep doing the treadmill but try finding other cardio exercises that you like as well to mix it up a bit. Your body should respond better when you switch it up and keep it guessing. Jumping jacks can be very effective! Best of luck!
  • lacroyx
    lacroyx Posts: 5,754 Member
    Knowledge is power, feel the power grow within...

    ETA: It may seem like alot of information OP but you will get through it in no time and will have a strong foudation to work from, also a much more solid understanding of things.

    This is link is best to get started with...
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1069278-acronyms-and-terms-for-new-mfp-members-v-6

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/817188-iifym

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html

    Most probably the most helpful group on here...

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/10118-eat-train-progress

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833026-important-posts-to-read

    I highly recommend adding lifting to your routine...

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/weight-training-for-fat-loss-part-1.html

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/weight-training-for-fat-loss-part-2.html

    http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/FAQ:The_Lifts

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/926789-protein-sources

    Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength is a good place to start.

    Good luck OP
    this. all this. lots of reading but worth it
  • charleyreedto175
    charleyreedto175 Posts: 60 Member
    Hey: Look more to your food and what you eat. Try and eat at least three times a day. Spread things out. Eat real food and stay away from shakes and empty calories. Look at meals and not snacks as a food source. You can look at my log. I eat three meals a day. I work out with weights six days a week and do Carido for an hour to two hours daily. Sometimes I walk. Sometimes I run. Change things up. Find something you like and stick with it.
    I lose weight daily. I lose weight weekly, and I log and track everything. You can friend me if you want.
  • Ophidion
    Ophidion Posts: 2,065 Member
    To clear the debate a little bit I feel the need to clarify the definition of what a calorie really is.

    It is a measurement,the "food calorie", "large calorie" or kilocalorie (kcal or Cal), equal to 4.184 kilojoules. thus a 1 calorie= 1 calorie...equivalent units.

    Nutritional values are a completely separate set of measurements.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    Knowledge is power, feel the power grow within...

    ETA: It may seem like alot of information OP but you will get through it in no time and will have a strong foudation to work from, also a much more solid understanding of things.

    This is link is best to get started with...
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1069278-acronyms-and-terms-for-new-mfp-members-v-6

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/817188-iifym

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html

    Most probably the most helpful group on here...

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/10118-eat-train-progress

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833026-important-posts-to-read

    I highly recommend adding lifting to your routine...

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/weight-training-for-fat-loss-part-1.html

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/weight-training-for-fat-loss-part-2.html

    http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/FAQ:The_Lifts

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/926789-protein-sources

    Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength is a good place to start.

    Good luck OP

    Ahhhh...a quiet voice of reason. All of this, and a bag of chips. :)

    Best of luck.

    This so this...

    As for anyone that tells you it depends on when you eat your calories pure bunk.
    Looking at your diary I have to say this, it's not just about how many calories you eat, it's about when you eat those calories and what is IN those calories. You could eat 1200 calories worth of peanut butter or 1200 calories worth of protein and vegetables.. I know which one of those will help you lose weight. Also, you seem to be eating breakfast everyday but only having lunch or dinner rather than both. If your target is 1500 calories, allocate yourself 400 for breakfast, 400 lunch, 400 dinner and then 300 snacks. On Friday you had no dinner but 889 calories in snacks? Is this right? And on Saturday you skipped lunch and had a 845 calorie dinner? Are you just not logging things in order or is this how you eat? You need to stabilise your metabolism, eat regularly, don't skip meals and make sure the calories you do eat are GOOD calories. Too many people stick to the 1200-1500 calories a day but the calories they eat are full of sugar or saturated fats. Friday you had 96g of sugar this is about 23 teaspoons of sugar. Try and reduce your sugar intake to 30g a day (this is roughly the recommended intake for adults males) play with this amount for a little while and assess how you feel.

    I have lost 18kgs and still have 11kgs to go. One thing I have learnt along the way is that you cannot trick yourself into thinking you're eating well because you're within your calorie goal, it's about what food you eat. 100 calories of vegetables is better then 100 calories of sugar.
    Bolded parts totally bogus information. Check my diary I skip meals, I typically eat over 30g of sugar a day (I eat that for breakfast) . What I do is eat what I want when I want (mind you I have a normal life and do just eat 3 meals a day but that's a choice rather then a prerequisate).

    As for the posts noted above all good reads esp for someone just starting down this road. Maintain a calorie deficet and you will loose weight. Make sure you are eating enough that you are sustaining your activity and don't worry about good foods and "bad" foods that just skews your relationship with food.

    I read every post sited here and after I did and followed what they said I started loosing more weight quicker...1lb a week and know that the information in these posts are much better then what you are going to get from most people.

    Find out what your TDEE is (you will find the calculation in one of those posts) and if you want to loose weight eat that minus 15-20%, continue your exercise if it makes you happy and you will see the weight come off...good luck.
  • lilolemeakared
    lilolemeakared Posts: 10 Member
    I am no expert and the advice I am giving works well for me so you can try it but honestly you are going to have to weed through the extreme, the biased, and the just plain crazy talk to find out what works for your body.

    What works for me is a 90% clean eating diet. So what does this mean? Calories are calories and no matter where you get them 1 calorie of a Big Mac equals the same 1 calorie if you were eating quinoa. The thing that makes them so different is how they satiate your hunger and the nutritional effects they provide your body with. So quinoa is a superfood. In my example I gave you a high fat, calorie laden example of a Big Mac. Which has offers little to no good nutrients. Then I gave you quinoa, which is known to be one of the top seven healthy foods which we should be consuming because of the nutrient dense calories.

    So for me, what do I crave? The Big Mac of course. Does the Big Mac satiate me? Yes and no, of course I want that sugary sweetness of a coke and the saltiness of the fries to go with it, right? Okay, say I am full but I have just blown my calorie count for the day and the weird thing is that I am going to be hungry again in just 3-4 hours. Lets go over to quinoa.

    I cup of quinoa is very fulling and has less calories than the Big Mac. The things you pair with quinoa is chickpeas, beans, onions, peppers, mangos, etc. you can make it as nutrient packed and flavorful as you want. It is really hard to overeat on fresh fruit and vegetables. However, too many fruits can mess with your sugar levels.


    But you are a young man and honestly, probably doesn't cook. So why am I telling you about Quinoa? So you will understand the difference. Today's fast food is almost as addictive to the average body as crack. This even true for today's processed foods. It is all of the chemicals, refined sugars and flours which put our digestive system on this crazy roller coaster ride. No, I am not saying to stop eating all processed foods and to stop eating out. But knowing and understanding your hunger is the goal here. So next time, if you have one of these items and you feel like you are on the roller coaster and need to eat, change it up. Go for something healthy. I go for foods that have only one but no more than three ingredients on the food label. Then drink a big glass of water. Substitutions here and there will shake up your metabolism and the more you explore and add fresh fruit and veggies into your diet the more you will crave them instead of the Big Mac.

    Just be smart. Crash diets do not work. Choose something that does not leave you neglected or deprived and stay away from programs which are too hard for you to sustain for a long period of time. I don't expect you to go as extreme as I did because you do not suffer from my ailments. Good luck.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    I feel sorry for you OP - this thread attracted all the weird and wonderful theories under the sun!

    It's really not complex:
    Be totally honest,consistent and accurate with your food logging.
    Eat at a small calorie deficit over a long period of time.
    Be patient - weight loss is rarely linear.
    Eat a balanced diet of foods you like, control your portion sizes.
    Do a mix of strength and cardio training for muscle retention and fitness.

    You don't need:
    To eat "special" foods.
    Supplements or "diet pills".
    Massive deficits.
  • arlenem1974
    arlenem1974 Posts: 437 Member
    the minimum calories for a women is 1200 but for a man its 1500. You should be eating at least that before exercising.
  • sazroy
    sazroy Posts: 262 Member
    I was just going to keep this between me and the OP but I wanted those of you who judged my opinion to know a bit more of my background. I am a 5 foot 1 inch female who was 30kgs overweight. I was huge. I hated food, I starved myself, my weight kept rising. Why? Because of what I ate, I ate very very little but what I did eat was all carbs and processed crap. Then I went on an eating plan that introduced more food into my diet, I went from 3 meals a day to 6 meals a day. I was stuffed, it was so hard for me to eat more. But I did it. In my first month I lost 6 kilos. My first week I lost 2.8kgs. It was falling off of me, and it was eating more food but eating more good food, I didn't cut out the bad food though, I had pasta, bread, even chocolate cake, but I also had whole grains, nuts, protein, vegetables. A few people on your forum understand what I mean but the others just seem to wanna argue. I just want to help you. You can download an ebook for free called Integrated Nutrition, it will explain what I mean by choosing your calories wisely. Still have you chocolate milk!! Just have less. People on there are arguing deficits are what make you lose weight, you cannot lose weight of you're not healthy, any doctor, trainer or nutritionist will tell you this, a healthy body works best. When you are healthy then the weight loss comes easy! You have to have your body functioning correctly. Nothing you eat is bad, so to the person who says I'm trying to make you have a bad relationship with food - they are wrong! I HAD a bad relationship with food, for my entire life. Now I love food, I eat heaps of food. I have chocolate, I have broccoli. I am healthy. That's what matters, there is no point being skinny if you aren't healthy, skinny people can be just as unhealthy and at just as much risk for cancer and heart attacks as overweight people. Be healthy and be happy in the choices you make. I believe it because I have been on diets since I was 11 years old. Can you imagine being 11 and attending weight watchers? Nothing worked until I changed my food. I read and I study and I learn, I choose to understand WHY eating my way works for me. Goodluck OP, you will get there.
  • sanndandi
    sanndandi Posts: 300 Member
    Knowledge is power, feel the power grow within...

    ETA: It may seem like alot of information OP but you will get through it in no time and will have a strong foudation to work from, also a much more solid understanding of things.

    This is link is best to get started with...
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1069278-acronyms-and-terms-for-new-mfp-members-v-6

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/817188-iifym

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html

    Most probably the most helpful group on here...

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/10118-eat-train-progress

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833026-important-posts-to-read

    I highly recommend adding lifting to your routine...

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/weight-training-for-fat-loss-part-1.html

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/weight-training-for-fat-loss-part-2.html

    http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/FAQ:The_Lifts

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/926789-protein-sources

    Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength is a good place to start.

    Good luck OP
    this. all this. lots of reading but worth it

    Re-quote for emphasis! All this ^
  • jsuaccounting
    jsuaccounting Posts: 189 Member
    any Paleolithic humans who engaged in nutritionally motivated hunting would have done so in order to increase their food energy intake in order to maintain or gain weight, not in order to achieve weight loss… In view of this, the "Paleo diet" theory that overfed sedentary modern humans who need to lose excess adipose should regularly eat the fatty flesh and eggs found in supermarkets because active, underfed, extremely lean prehistoric people who struggled to meet their basic kcaloric needs ate lean game flesh or eggs whenever possible lacks basic credibility.

    Considering the evidence it is not surprising that many of the prominent proponents of Low-Carb and Paleo diets who have not partaken in caloric restriction have gained considerable amounts of weight while adhering to such diets.

    Do not eat more protein. The elephant is a large animal with large bones and fine tusks of ivory. It does not get fat but will not fit into the supermarket doorway. It eats grass leaves and thorns. You asked for advice - mine is consume starches like potatoes and rice and lots of green vegetables, oats and fruits.

    Log into J McDougall MD and follow his newsletter for a healthy heart. Keep your calories down to 1200 per day. Eat real foods and avoid processed foods. Do not consume any diet drinks nor anything with artificial sweeteners like asparteme because they can increase your weight due to interfering with your senses. Ask me any questions you like.
    Do not listen to this!

    You're a 5'8" 18 year old male. You need a lot more than 1200 calories.

    Totally agree with the above poster - get your full protein and stay well above 1200. If you are cutting calories cut from low nutrition carbs first. Trying to up protein may certainly help.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    I was just going to keep this between me and the OP but I wanted those of you who judged my opinion to know a bit more of my background. I am a 5 foot 1 inch female who was 30kgs overweight. I was huge. I hated food, I starved myself, my weight kept rising. Why? Because of what I ate, I ate very very little but what I did eat was all carbs and processed crap. Then I went on an eating plan that introduced more food into my diet, I went from 3 meals a day to 6 meals a day. I was stuffed, it was so hard for me to eat more. But I did it. In my first month I lost 6 kilos. My first week I lost 2.8kgs. It was falling off of me, and it was eating more food but eating more good food, I didn't cut out the bad food though, I had pasta, bread, even chocolate cake, but I also had whole grains, nuts, protein, vegetables. A few people on your forum understand what I mean but the others just seem to wanna argue. I just want to help you. You can download an ebook for free called Integrated Nutrition, it will explain what I mean by choosing your calories wisely. Still have you chocolate milk!! Just have less. People on there are arguing deficits are what make you lose weight, you cannot lose weight of you're not healthy, any doctor, trainer or nutritionist will tell you this, a healthy body works best. When you are healthy then the weight loss comes easy! You have to have your body functioning correctly. Nothing you eat is bad, so to the person who says I'm trying to make you have a bad relationship with food - they are wrong! I HAD a bad relationship with food, for my entire life. Now I love food, I eat heaps of food. I have chocolate, I have broccoli. I am healthy. That's what matters, there is no point being skinny if you aren't healthy, skinny people can be just as unhealthy and at just as much risk for cancer and heart attacks as overweight people. Be healthy and be happy in the choices you make. take a moment to actually ask me "why" why is this what I believe? I believe it because I have been on diets since I was 11 years old. Can you imagine being 11 and attending weight watchers? Nothing worked until I changed my food. I read and I study and I learn, I choose to understand WHY eating my way works for me Goodluck OP, you will get there.

    Those that are disagreeing with you know for a fact that in order to lose weight you have to eat in a calorie deficet. It doesn't matter what food you eat or when you eat it. That calorie deficet includes the exercise you do. Regardless of your background or your claims that you ate 1000-1200 and still gained still doesn't make what you say true. There are many people on this site who have years of education and/or personal real life experience to back up what they say where they have lost the weight years ago and have kept it off. You can say you have real life experience as well which is true but just because you have a certian perception doesn't make it so.

    As for not being able to lose weight if you aren't healthy Bogus....and there are real life situations that prove that too...


    There are somethings you say that are very true such as there is no bad food and no one is disagreeing with the fact that eating healthy is a good thing.

    Changing your food does not make you lose weight being a "true" calorie deficet does. They come here to help people when given albeit good intentioned bad advice.

    To the OP it is unfortunate your thread came to this but read the posts highlighted...go to the group Eat Train Progress, they know what they are talking about (I know from personal experience) and good luck and know that you can do it.
  • Ophidion
    Ophidion Posts: 2,065 Member
    Nothing worked until I changed my food. I read and I study and I learn, I choose to understand WHY eating my way works for me. Goodluck OP, you will get there.

    It is a public forum which means people are allowed to disagree with you or call you out on your reasoning or methods.
  • IroncladLuke
    IroncladLuke Posts: 21 Member
    like someone else just posted, log weigh, make things simple as you can

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