This is what I never wanted

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jobegone
jobegone Posts: 91
in Introduce Yourself
Hi everyone.
Well I am a serial dieter who is just about at the end of her tether. I have been following slimming world on/off for a while but recently I have been sticking to it with a vengeance and actually putting on weight !!

I nearly got down to losing a stone and then the week after my birthday I put on 3lbs. Kinda accepted that and said that's ok, il stick to this and get it off next week. Wrote food diaries, sent them to my consultant and she said they were fine but needed to have my Healthy Extra A (which is a certain amount of diary, which I was having in tea or coffee through the day) so go to class feeling quite good and confident and put on 2lb, which then resulted in me crying in class .... EMBARASSING !!

Then I put on 1/2lb, then lost 1.5lb, then yesterday I put on 1/2lb again.

I'm not stupid, I know you've got to eat less, move more to lose weight. I eat home cooked healthy meals, lots and lots of fruit and vegetables, I don't eat fast food, one every few months and have a curly wurly or a hot chocolate for treats. I also exercise ALOT. Considering I'm 16st I am fit and go to body pump, body combat, FIT classes weekly as well as gym sessions working on strength and cardio.

I enjoy a drink, but where my usual tipple used to be cider I have moved to spirits and diet mixers but I only drink once a week on average.

I just don't know where I'm going wrong. I've had people say I'm exercising too much, must be putting on muscle. People saying I'm eating too little. I don't know but I'm fed up.

Soooo I'm going to try the dreaded counting calories, which is something I NEVER wanted to do, so it's gonna be hard.

I'm not promising to stick with it but I've got to do something I have been overweight my entire life. I don't want to be this way anymore. I am done.

Wish me luck ! Xx
«1

Replies

  • martymum
    martymum Posts: 413 Member
    Options
    hi

    Good luck sweetie...there is a LOT of info on the forums so have a good read...if you open your food diary then people can help you adjust your macros (protein, carbs etc)

    MFP does work and helps promote a healthy life not a restricted diet.

    martyx
  • SairahRose
    SairahRose Posts: 412 Member
    Options
    You've got this.
    It's not easy, but you can do it!

    Good luck on your journey :D
  • joolsmitchell
    joolsmitchell Posts: 53 Member
    Options
    Hi, I used to go to S/W too and did very well for a time, but since counting cals with MFP and watching my macros I came to realise that in fact S/W isn't really a healthy way to lose weight! It promotes over eating in a big way with all its 'free food' and some of those free foods can contain a lot of salt, and when you consume too much salt it causes water retention there fore you gain weight one week and then maybe lose some the next. I also found a lot of processed foods that it claims are 'free' contain lots of sugar or salt. To be honest I am baffled as to how anyone ever really lose weight on it at all. Give this a try and hopefully you will be pleasantly surprised and you may also have your eyes opened to S/W as I have. Best of luck..if you need a friend for help and support feel free to add me. :-)
  • toutmonpossible
    toutmonpossible Posts: 1,580 Member
    Options


    I'm not stupid, I know you've got to eat less, move more to lose weight. I eat home cooked healthy meals, lots and lots of fruit and vegetables, I don't eat fast food, one every few months and have a curly wurly or a hot chocolate for treats. I also exercise ALOT.

    Stupidity is not the problem for most people. It's more the difficulty of finding a structure that works for them. Good luck.
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,583 Member
    Options
    OP, you may not be eating enough to fuel your workouts.

    Want some tips?

    Here ya go.

    1. don't trust the initial setup that MFP provides. If you put in the wrong/inaccurate information, it'll tell you to eat an amount that may not be applicable.
    2. Make sure you eat enough.
    3. Figure out what works for you and is sustainable/healthy/long term.
    4. avoid fads. don't buy in to any "Hey, try the twinkie and vodka diet"
    5. Don't cut out anything now that you don't plan on literally giving up forever.
    6. GET A FOOD SCALE. Weigh everything. No, seriously.
    7. Get an HRM with a chest strap. You'll at least have a better idea of what you're burning. It'll be more accurate than the generic info in the exercise database.. and even more than the cardio machines. This is great for steady state cardio (run/walk/etc)
    8. Don't go balls out. You'll burn out. I see 300 lb people show up here, instantly start working out and cutting their intake SEVERELY... trying to cut out all of their carbs at once.. whatever. Take it slow. Figure out how much you need to eat FIRST in order to lose.. then incorporate exercise.
    9. Don't cardio yourself to death.
    10. Take the information on the forums with a grain of salt. A lot of people that have been here for a while.. and have been successful, may seem jaded. They give out GREAT advice day after day, only to be met with people that refuse to listen.
    11. Eat real food. Not diet food. Not "low fat, sugar free, now without X." It's easier to get/find/count.
    12. don't set time restrictions.
    13. measure yourself weekly. Don't just weigh. Measure and take pictures.
    14 BE PATIENT.
    15. Avoid forum topics that have "1200" in the title. It's just full of butthurt. Lots of it.
    16. This isn't a game, it's about changing your lifestyle. Do that.

    pretty much that.

    ...and don't fall into the "1200 calorie" vertigo of suck because of:

    the typical MFP users does this:
    1. I wanna lose weight, let's try MFP.
    2. OH! Wow, it tells me I can lose 2 lbs a WEEK? AWESOME!
    3. I just sit at a desk when I'm not working out, I guess I'm sedentary.
    4. MFP tells them 1200 calories, and they don't even eat that.. then they work out on top of it.. creating an even bigger deficit.
    5. Lose a lot, fast, brag about 1200 calorie success.
    6. Come back in a few months trying to figure out why they're dizzy, tired, not losing weight.
    7. Get on the forums, ask why they aren't losing.
    8. Get two responses (I eat 1200 and lose) (I eat 2200 and lose)
    9. Argument ensues about who is right.

    Now. That being said. These threads happen hundreds of times per day. Most times, and I mean really.. seriously.. 95% of the time.. people get the 1200 number because they don't put the right information in when they set up the account. There are a great number of people that are trying to help. I'm one of 'em.

    I'm a hardcore advocate of actually finding out what works for the individual.. by means of other calculators, averages, time, practice, and patience.

    Blanket prescriptions of 1200 calories "because it worked for me" is more harmful to the generic new user than the "figure out what you need to eat." Unfortunately, one is a LOT easier to type.

    Find out what you need: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
    Take the tips, links, and info above and make the cart more manageable to stay on.
  • estatitra
    estatitra Posts: 80 Member
    Options
    I think you weigh yourself too often. Those losing 1/2 pound gaining 1 pound everyday are not really representative of losing and gaining fat. Weigh yourself once a week or two weeks.
  • drcrisos
    drcrisos Posts: 68 Member
    Options
    I never wanted to count calories either. I would just eat less and exercise. Well, after that not panning out so well for me over the years, I found this website. Decided I would try. First try, I got tired of counting calories. Why did weight watchers give you all fruits and veggies free, but not MFP? I eat a lot of those and hated that it took away from the other foods I could eat. So I stopped doing MFP.
    Fast forward, I decided that I had to do something serious if I wanted to be healthier, lose weight, and ease my arthritic joints. So, got back on MFP. I have not been doing it that long this time, but realized it opened my eyes to what I was eating, how much I was eating. I am logging everything, and am finding myself making better choices so I can eat more and not feel hungry.
    It keeps me honest. I love it, it's easy, and there is so much support and information on here that I never feel like I am doing this alone.
    Good luck and don't give up!
    Feel free to add me if you need the support :)
  • steve2kay
    steve2kay Posts: 194 Member
    Options
    MFP does work and helps promote a healthy life not a restricted
    I agree with this. Calorie counting isn't something to be dreaded, it's valuable information about what's in food rather than hiding it behind some wacky scheme.

    Like I now know that packet X of crisps (chips if you're American) has 250 calories, so I can either eat some pretzels (140 calories) instead or I can go for a 15 minute jog, or I can make a better choice for dinner. But, because I know how those 250 calories fit in my day, I'll probably pass.

    The calorie counting just helps me make informed choices - and then deciding not to eat crisps is a positive thing rather than something I'm depriving myself of.
  • DesireeNL
    DesireeNL Posts: 220 Member
    Options
    I did Weight Watchers for years. I also always told myself that counting calories was something I never wanted to do. I thought people who counted calories were the type who are scared of an apple.

    I quit WW and meanwhile I've been on MFP for over 2 months. I'm counting calories. It's not about eating as little as possible. It's about eating the max amount of calories for your body and STILL lose weight!

    It pays off to figure out your TDEE (search the forums for specific info) which is the amount of calories your body needs to maintain. There are calculators for this as a starting point. You eat a little below your TDEE (-10% to -20%) and you'll lose weight. I found that I'm eating much more than I did on WW.
  • traceyjolli
    traceyjolli Posts: 60
    Options
    I have tried loads of other diets including weight watchers, slimming world, rosemary conley and even slimming pills.... none have worked long term so I joined MFP last year.... I lost three stone by counting calories and found it works for me.

    I then lapsed and am back on it losing two stone since June.

    Give it a go... you might find its the one that works. feel free to add me xx
  • _HeartsOnFire_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
    Options
    OP, you may not be eating enough to fuel your workouts.

    Want some tips?

    Here ya go.

    1. don't trust the initial setup that MFP provides. If you put in the wrong/inaccurate information, it'll tell you to eat an amount that may not be applicable.
    2. Make sure you eat enough.
    3. Figure out what works for you and is sustainable/healthy/long term.
    4. avoid fads. don't buy in to any "Hey, try the twinkie and vodka diet"
    5. Don't cut out anything now that you don't plan on literally giving up forever.
    6. GET A FOOD SCALE. Weigh everything. No, seriously.
    7. Get an HRM with a chest strap. You'll at least have a better idea of what you're burning. It'll be more accurate than the generic info in the exercise database.. and even more than the cardio machines. This is great for steady state cardio (run/walk/etc)
    8. Don't go balls out. You'll burn out. I see 300 lb people show up here, instantly start working out and cutting their intake SEVERELY... trying to cut out all of their carbs at once.. whatever. Take it slow. Figure out how much you need to eat FIRST in order to lose.. then incorporate exercise.
    9. Don't cardio yourself to death.
    10. Take the information on the forums with a grain of salt. A lot of people that have been here for a while.. and have been successful, may seem jaded. They give out GREAT advice day after day, only to be met with people that refuse to listen.
    11. Eat real food. Not diet food. Not "low fat, sugar free, now without X." It's easier to get/find/count.
    12. don't set time restrictions.
    13. measure yourself weekly. Don't just weigh. Measure and take pictures.
    14 BE PATIENT.
    15. Avoid forum topics that have "1200" in the title. It's just full of butthurt. Lots of it.
    16. This isn't a game, it's about changing your lifestyle. Do that.

    pretty much that.

    ...and don't fall into the "1200 calorie" vertigo of suck because of:

    the typical MFP users does this:
    1. I wanna lose weight, let's try MFP.
    2. OH! Wow, it tells me I can lose 2 lbs a WEEK? AWESOME!
    3. I just sit at a desk when I'm not working out, I guess I'm sedentary.
    4. MFP tells them 1200 calories, and they don't even eat that.. then they work out on top of it.. creating an even bigger deficit.
    5. Lose a lot, fast, brag about 1200 calorie success.
    6. Come back in a few months trying to figure out why they're dizzy, tired, not losing weight.
    7. Get on the forums, ask why they aren't losing.
    8. Get two responses (I eat 1200 and lose) (I eat 2200 and lose)
    9. Argument ensues about who is right.

    Now. That being said. These threads happen hundreds of times per day. Most times, and I mean really.. seriously.. 95% of the time.. people get the 1200 number because they don't put the right information in when they set up the account. There are a great number of people that are trying to help. I'm one of 'em.

    I'm a hardcore advocate of actually finding out what works for the individual.. by means of other calculators, averages, time, practice, and patience.

    Blanket prescriptions of 1200 calories "because it worked for me" is more harmful to the generic new user than the "figure out what you need to eat." Unfortunately, one is a LOT easier to type.

    Find out what you need: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
    Take the tips, links, and info above and make the cart more manageable to stay on.
    Everything this guy said... Just look at his ticker!
  • chrisrennert
    chrisrennert Posts: 10
    Options
    Awesome post. I was going to reply to the original, until I read yours. You said it all.
  • xxghost
    xxghost Posts: 4,697 Member
    Options
    ^ I agree with that fantastic long post up there.

    And I especially want to emphasize the bit about finding what works for you. People can recommend you eat x calories, x grams of this, x cups of that. But you won't know what works for you until you've been at this for a while. It took me months to get into the swing of things, and I still have my off days. Just stay positive, reward yourself for every tiny success (even just recognizing you can climb the stairs without breathing heavily, run an extra 30 seconds and tighten your belt a bit more is a reward in itself), and don't give up on yourself. Remind yourself why you want this.

    Good luck, and have fun! Exercise and eating right shouldn't be dreaded!
  • VoodooAborisha
    VoodooAborisha Posts: 147 Member
    Options
    I am not an expert on anything, but I have struggled with weight loss and finally found something that worked for me.

    In January, I thought "I'll lose some weight for summer!" And I started doing 50 - 90 minutes of Cardio 5 days a week. Really sweaty huffing and puffing Cardio.

    I did that for 7 weeks, religiously. I read all the forums here and elsewhere, and was doing a very carefully designed diet of 5 small meals instead of 3 large, averaging about 1400 -1600 calories per day, good sources of protein, low carbs, mostly fruit and veg, hardly any fat, really watched everything, drank plenty of water. no colas, no alcohol.

    I lost absolutely NO weight, and absolutely NO inches. I was working my butt off for 7 weeks and literally NOTHING happened.

    But recently I started doing a circuit training DVD instead - just 20 minutes a day - and I have started losing weight! Circuit training is doing strength training/weights like squats, lunges, crunches, hand weights, push ups, all that kind of stuff - and every 3 or so minutes you stop that and do like 1 - 2 minutes of Cardio (jumping jacks, jumping rope, etc.). So you do get your heart rate up, but the main thing is really the strength training to build muscle. Apparently, if your fat to muscle ratio is too high, it is practically impossible to lose weight. The more muscle you have, the faster you burn fat. So if you are in a rut, maybe you need to build more muscle. Remember, for ladies who want to build muscle tone to look thin, the key is lots of repetitions (like 2 or 3 sets of 20 repetitions each) of exercises on a low weight (only 3 or 5 lbs to start out) that only starts to fatigue you after the 10th or so movement; whereas guys (or gals) who want to bulk up , what they do is only a handful of "reps" of the heaviest weight they can get off the ground. Building muscle doesn't equal bulking up, unless you specifically use the techniques to do so. Building muscle makes your workouts more efficient, and burns more fat faster.

    I don't know if this would help you - goodness knows I have tried and failed several things. But this worked for me, so I thought I would suggest it in case it might help you. It might not work for everybody.

    Good luck!

    Voodoo Aborisha
  • jameshinton7503
    jameshinton7503 Posts: 2
    Options
    OP, you may not be eating enough to fuel your workouts.

    Want some tips?

    Here ya go.

    1. don't trust the initial setup that MFP provides. If you put in the wrong/inaccurate information, it'll tell you to eat an amount that may not be applicable.
    2. Make sure you eat enough.
    3. Figure out what works for you and is sustainable/healthy/long term.
    4. avoid fads. don't buy in to any "Hey, try the twinkie and vodka diet"
    5. Don't cut out anything now that you don't plan on literally giving up forever.
    6. GET A FOOD SCALE. Weigh everything. No, seriously.
    7. Get an HRM with a chest strap. You'll at least have a better idea of what you're burning. It'll be more accurate than the generic info in the exercise database.. and even more than the cardio machines. This is great for steady state cardio (run/walk/etc)
    8. Don't go balls out. You'll burn out. I see 300 lb people show up here, instantly start working out and cutting their intake SEVERELY... trying to cut out all of their carbs at once.. whatever. Take it slow. Figure out how much you need to eat FIRST in order to lose.. then incorporate exercise.
    9. Don't cardio yourself to death.
    10. Take the information on the forums with a grain of salt. A lot of people that have been here for a while.. and have been successful, may seem jaded. They give out GREAT advice day after day, only to be met with people that refuse to listen.
    11. Eat real food. Not diet food. Not "low fat, sugar free, now without X." It's easier to get/find/count.
    12. don't set time restrictions.
    13. measure yourself weekly. Don't just weigh. Measure and take pictures.
    14 BE PATIENT.
    15. Avoid forum topics that have "1200" in the title. It's just full of butthurt. Lots of it.
    16. This isn't a game, it's about changing your lifestyle. Do that.

    pretty much that.

    ...and don't fall into the "1200 calorie" vertigo of suck because of:

    the typical MFP users does this:
    1. I wanna lose weight, let's try MFP.
    2. OH! Wow, it tells me I can lose 2 lbs a WEEK? AWESOME!
    3. I just sit at a desk when I'm not working out, I guess I'm sedentary.
    4. MFP tells them 1200 calories, and they don't even eat that.. then they work out on top of it.. creating an even bigger deficit.
    5. Lose a lot, fast, brag about 1200 calorie success.
    6. Come back in a few months trying to figure out why they're dizzy, tired, not losing weight.
    7. Get on the forums, ask why they aren't losing.
    8. Get two responses (I eat 1200 and lose) (I eat 2200 and lose)
    9. Argument ensues about who is right.

    Now. That being said. These threads happen hundreds of times per day. Most times, and I mean really.. seriously.. 95% of the time.. people get the 1200 number because they don't put the right information in when they set up the account. There are a great number of people that are trying to help. I'm one of 'em.

    I'm a hardcore advocate of actually finding out what works for the individual.. by means of other calculators, averages, time, practice, and patience.

    Blanket prescriptions of 1200 calories "because it worked for me" is more harmful to the generic new user than the "figure out what you need to eat." Unfortunately, one is a LOT easier to type.

    Find out what you need: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
    Take the tips, links, and info above and make the cart more manageable to stay on.

    Trogalicious speaks sense, the only thing I would add to everything everyone has said is remember to drink plenty of water, not exercise drinks, unless you are an elite athlete you don't need what they supply.

    When you think you fell hungry have a glass of water unless you tummy rumbles you are not really hungry, read the link below, I thought it made sense!

    http://www.menshealth.co.uk/lose-weight/motivation/are-you-ireallyi-hungry-492862?click=main_sr

    Good luck, its a mind field of what you should and shouldn't do, just make your self happy, and enjoy what ever you do, otherwise what is the point.
  • LunaMischief
    LunaMischief Posts: 166 Member
    Options
    4. avoid fads. don't buy in to any "Hey, try the twinkie and vodka diet"

    Whut? This diet doesn't work???? Ah man, all those twinkies I'd bought on eBay are for nothing then....

    :laugh:
    Find out what you need: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

    I second this one.... made me realize i wasn't eating enough for the workouts I was doing.
  • jobegone
    jobegone Posts: 91
    Options
    wow, thats alot of support/advice very quickly! thanks!
    im abit more confused though...i put all my details into the scooby calculator and its telling me my calorie amount for just maintaining is like 2224 - thats mad and if thats the case, iv not been eating anywhere near that and still not lost weight so what gives??? so i wonder if there might be any truth in your body going into starvation mode if your not eating enough then storing it if you have a blow out???? hmm, makes me abit nervous to try to eat 2224kcal consistently. Thats alot of food.

    might see how it goes for this week just going off what MFP says to eat then adjust if needs be.

    anyone else have that problem with being scared to eat their daily calorie intake?? x
  • bridgie101
    bridgie101 Posts: 817 Member
    Options
    This diet starts hard, or annoying as you have to count calories, but gets much easier as you build up a body of foods you usually eat. So logging gets quicker and quicker and quicker.

    Truly: there's no other way to lose weight than to eat fewer calories than you expend, so counting them, knowing how many of them you have eaten, is surely the most logical way to go on it?

    it makes sense. There is no magic bullet. :) Slow and steady wins the race. :)
  • YesIAm17
    YesIAm17 Posts: 817 Member
    Options
    I just don't know where I'm going wrong. I've had people say I'm exercising too much, must be putting on muscle. People saying I'm eating too little. I don't know but I'm fed up.

    Yes, it is possible to exercise too much.

    Yes, it is possible that your weight gains are actually muscle.

    Yes, it is possible that you aren't eating enough.

    You might want to be looking more at Body Fat % than pure body weight too.

    I think you might find "In Place Of A Road Map" very helpful: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013

    Welcome to MFP glad to have you here... best of success! You can do it!
  • ihateyoga
    ihateyoga Posts: 111
    Options
    It is SOOO hard to change the lifestyle.

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