Why is there nothing happening?

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Hi, I'm only writing this because I have become so discouraged. It's been over 2 months and I have not lost weight. I'm a 27 year old woman and weigh almost 300 lbs. My calorie intake has been 1580 as mfp recommended. I've been drinking 8 glasses of water a day when I used to barely drink at all. I put my activity level as sendentary because that is what it really is. I understand that I should be exercising but I was hoping on losing some weight to alleviate the pain I suffer from daily before I started to really concentrate on it. Any tips or explanation on why at this weight and that calorie intake i'm not losing? It's not like I tried it for a week and quit, it has been months of staying under and following this "plan". Thank you to anyone who takes the time to reply, I really appreciate it.

Replies

  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    Unless you are a true medical oddity there is no way someone weighing 300 lbs can eat less than 1600 calories a day and have not lost anything. Are you weighing and measuring everything? It's really hard to guess on amounts.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    Open your diary if you'd like advice on it. But as Mokey said - be sure you're weighing and measuring everything, Track all the bites, licks and nibbles too.
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
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    What are you drinking?
  • born2drum
    born2drum Posts: 731 Member
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    You can lose weight just by lowering food intake but you need to accurately weigh your portions, if not, you're overestimating.
  • 1longroad
    1longroad Posts: 642 Member
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    At 300 pounds, you should have lost something. Do you weigh and measure your food or just estimate your servings? That can make a huge difference. Are you eating enough protein? Without seeing your diary it is hard to help offer suggestions. I know for me, what has worked, is eating several amall meals a day. I normally eat 5 or 6 times daily.

    Lately, unfortunately that isn't happening, due to my health, but it has served me well since last March.
  • DeeDeeMee
    DeeDeeMee Posts: 133 Member
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    Hi Cemartel,

    It is impossible not to lose weight as long as you're burning more than you're expending, although some medical issues can make it harder to do so. Have you consulted with your doctor about your problems? If you're eating something that you're allergic to for instance, it might cause you to retain fluid.

    Also, how often and what time of day are you weighing yourself and are your scales on a flat surface?

    If you wouldn't mind, could we have a look at your diary? There might be something you're eating regularly that isn't being logged correctly.

    :)
  • DeeDeeMee
    DeeDeeMee Posts: 133 Member
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    Hi Cemartel,

    It is impossible not to lose weight as long as you're burning more than you're expending, although some medical issues can make it harder to do so. Have you consulted with your doctor about your problems? If you're eating something that you're allergic to for instance, it might cause you to retain fluid.

    Also, how often and what time of day are you weighing yourself and are your scales on a flat surface?

    If you wouldn't mind, could we have a look at your diary? There might be something you're eating regularly that isn't being logged correctly.

    :)

    Sorry, typo.... not expending, consuming.
  • tinadevrieszoller
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    Are you looking at carbs vs protein as you look at your daily totals? Lowering the carbs can help you lose more or break out of a plateau.
  • mreimer102
    mreimer102 Posts: 28 Member
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    Drink 8-10 glasses of WATER a day. Eat only serving sizes only, which is usually 1/2 to 1 cup of anything. If you put meat on your plate, weigh it and if you add a veggie, make sure it is only the recommended serving size on the pks or can. One of the keys is to eat every 2 to 2 1/2 hours to keep the metabolism going. If you do not eat often, everything halts. Never go over your serving size recommended on pkg, cans, etc. I snack often, but it usually is under a cup, and many times 1/2 cup. Like mixed nuts, its only 1/3 cup, Special K snacks and again only the serving size.
    You will lose if you stay under your calorie amount and portion control, and eat healthy snacks every couple of hours. Walk if you can't exercise. Since starting I have lost 15 pounds and I walk every day. You have to get up and moving or it will be very slow. I also drink fruit drinks and add skim milk, or add yogurt to my frozen fruit. There are so many ways to make the fruit shakes, with no sugar, just Stevia added. Lay off sugar, fats and carbs as much as you can, I allow one slice of bread and use Weight Watchers Smart ones for my meals. So many ways of keeping your proper calorie count.
  • cemartel5
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    I am really bad at consuming proteins. As for what i'm drinking I'm doing the 8 glasses of water a day, no juice, carbonated drinks etc. I did gain 90lbs in one year when I started the medication I've been on for many years and have always found it so difficult to lose weight. Maybe that's adding to it? I'll really try to cut down on carbs but I usually stay under my daily.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    Not getting enough protein isn't stopping you from losing weight and even with a medication issue it still makes no sense. Open your diary if you really want help.
  • Siansonea
    Siansonea Posts: 917 Member
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    Your math is wrong. You're not counting your calories accurately enough. Get that right, and you'll lose weight. It doesn't matter what you eat, but having enough fats, protein and fiber will help you feel less hungry. And no, you don't have to exercise if you don't want to. In fact, if you're struggling with the willpower just to count calories and eat accurately, you might want to skip the exercise until you have more willpower to spare. Exercise isn't really a weight-loss tool anyway, but a lot of people use exercise as an excuse to eat more calories. What inevitably happens is that they vastly overestimate how many calories they burn, and they end up wiping out their calorie deficit, and their weight loss stalls and they "plateau". A plateau is just unscheduled maintenance. If you're not losing, you're eating too many calories, whether you know it or not. There's something you're not counting. Count EVERYTHING. No exceptions.
  • bob_day
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    Do this and you *will* lose weight:

    1) Eat mostly to get the nutrition your body needs, and less for enjoyment. Establish a healthful diet and learn to enjoy healthful foods, and make eating less a part of your life.

    2) Three meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That's it. No snacks, and no "in between" meals.

    3) Give up sugar. No sugar in coffee, soda, or on cereal. Give up fruit juice -- it's mainly just another form of sugar. Water is the only liquid you need.

    4) In the beginning, establish a very regulated moderate calorie diet. Don't follow any sort of fad. Just pick a selection of foods that add up to a normal balanced diet -- whole grains, veggies, fruit, dairy, a little meat, etc. But start out by having exactly the same three meals each day -- the same foods and the same amounts. Weigh the portions on a scale. Consider frozen dinners. Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, Kashi, Smart Ones, and probably other brands have several that are low in calories (350 or less) and saturated fat, 25% daily value or less of sodium, and high in fiber -- no need to weigh these.

    5) Weigh yourself every day on a 0.2 lb. accuracy scale. Your weight will fluctuate, but with a constant diet it should trend down over every two or three days. If it doesn't, eliminate items from your diet or reduce the size of portions until your weight does go down. (If you don't have a 0.2 lb. accuracy scale, I'd recommend the EatSmart Precision Plus Digital Scale, which is sold on Amazon.) Don't obsess over the scale — let it be your friend and point the way to a weight losing diet.

    6) When you have achieved a weight losing diet, then you can start making adjustments to add variety, but make sure that you keep losing weight.

    7) It's not necessary for weight loss, but do try to get a little exercise.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
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    Do this and you *will* lose weight:

    1) Eat mostly to get the nutrition your body needs, and less for enjoyment. Establish a healthful diet and learn to enjoy healthful foods, and make eating less a part of your life.

    2) Three meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That's it. No snacks, and no "in between" meals.

    3) Give up sugar. No sugar in coffee, soda, or on cereal. Give up fruit juice -- it's mainly just another form of sugar. Water is the only liquid you need.

    4) In the beginning, establish a very regulated moderate calorie diet. Don't follow any sort of fad. Just pick a selection of foods that add up to a normal balanced diet -- whole grains, veggies, fruit, dairy, a little meat, etc. But start out by having exactly the same three meals each day -- the same foods and the same amounts. Weigh the portions on a scale. Consider frozen dinners. Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, Kashi, Smart Ones, and probably other brands have several that are low in calories (350 or less) and saturated fat, 25% daily value or less of sodium, and high in fiber -- no need to weigh these.

    5) Weigh yourself every day on a 0.2 lb. accuracy scale. Your weight will fluctuate, but with a constant diet it should trend down over every two or three days. If it doesn't, eliminate items from your diet or reduce the size of portions until your weight does go down. (If you don't have a 0.2 lb. accuracy scale, I'd recommend the EatSmart Precision Plus Digital Scale, which is sold on Amazon.) Don't obsess over the scale — let it be your friend and point the way to a weight losing diet.

    6) When you have achieved a weight losing diet, then you can start making adjustments to add variety, but make sure that you keep losing weight.

    7) It's not necessary for weight loss, but do try to get a little exercise.

    Um. No. All that needs to be done is to count calories accurately and meet your macros. You can eat whatever and whenever you like and as often. As long as you meet your macros.
  • Siansonea
    Siansonea Posts: 917 Member
    Options
    Do this and you *will* lose weight:

    1) Eat mostly to get the nutrition your body needs, and less for enjoyment. Establish a healthful diet and learn to enjoy healthful foods, and make eating less a part of your life.

    2) Three meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That's it. No snacks, and no "in between" meals.

    3) Give up sugar. No sugar in coffee, soda, or on cereal. Give up fruit juice -- it's mainly just another form of sugar. Water is the only liquid you need.

    4) In the beginning, establish a very regulated moderate calorie diet. Don't follow any sort of fad. Just pick a selection of foods that add up to a normal balanced diet -- whole grains, veggies, fruit, dairy, a little meat, etc. But start out by having exactly the same three meals each day -- the same foods and the same amounts. Weigh the portions on a scale. Consider frozen dinners. Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, Kashi, Smart Ones, and probably other brands have several that are low in calories (350 or less) and saturated fat, 25% daily value or less of sodium, and high in fiber -- no need to weigh these.

    5) Weigh yourself every day on a 0.2 lb. accuracy scale. Your weight will fluctuate, but with a constant diet it should trend down over every two or three days. If it doesn't, eliminate items from your diet or reduce the size of portions until your weight does go down. (If you don't have a 0.2 lb. accuracy scale, I'd recommend the EatSmart Precision Plus Digital Scale, which is sold on Amazon.) Don't obsess over the scale — let it be your friend and point the way to a weight losing diet.

    6) When you have achieved a weight losing diet, then you can start making adjustments to add variety, but make sure that you keep losing weight.

    7) It's not necessary for weight loss, but do try to get a little exercise.

    Um. No. All that needs to be done is to count calories accurately and meet your macros. You can eat whatever and whenever you like and as often. As long as you meet your macros.

    This is all you need to do to lose weight. I did everything else "wrong", because I'm a lazy b____, but I still lost weight. :drinker:
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    The user has deactivated her account. That's too bad.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
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    I was going to tell her to read this article but it looks like she gave up after a few hours. Alas.

    I'm posting it anyway: http://www.acaloriecounter.com/blog/why-am-i-not-losing-weight/
  • LokiOfAsgard
    LokiOfAsgard Posts: 378 Member
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    Though the user deactivated, I'm gonna post incase anyone else needs it, or OP decides to come back.

    I'm about 220 and 1500 calories is too little for me. I would suggest uping your calories. I have a feeling you've put the setting to lose two lbs a week, which while possible and very nice to do, isn't always the best option. So change the setting to 1 lb a week.

    As for why you're not losing, I can't be sure. You could very well be eating too little, if you were also eating too little before tracking your calories. If you eat not enough, for long enough, it gets much harder to lose weight. If this is the case and you up your calories, you MIGHT gain a bit, but it should come right back off.
    Don't worry about your carbs.
    Carbs are good and important! They give you energy! You don't want to go over all the time, but stay close to the range MFP gives you if you can.
    Keep up with your protein as well. Actually, try to aim over your protein, as well as your fiber, and your water if you can. At the very least, try your best not to eat too little.
    And with your medication, talk to your doctor. You might be able to get a different kind that won't effect your weight as much, or your doctor can help you figure out how to lose weight, even with that medication.

    I hope it helps, and I hope you come back <3