what should i change in my diet?

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tonya8457
tonya8457 Posts: 2
in Health and Weight Loss
im currently on a 1200 calorie a day but can't seem to lose the weight.. my diary is open and would like to see what i should change to help me hit my goal weight..
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  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Do you weigh your food? What you eat really shouldn't make a difference.
  • tonya8457
    tonya8457 Posts: 2
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    only my meats.. if it comes with a label i use go by that..
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    if you have 55 pounds to lose you might need to be eating more.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
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    How long have you been consistently eating at that level of calories?

    I'd definitely recommending weighing all your food on a digital scale, or as much as possible. "1 tablespoon of butter" for example could easily be more than you think.

    Also, what are your stats (age/height/weight)? Are you exercising too? A bit more info might help people to give more advice.
  • Siansonea
    Siansonea Posts: 917 Member
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    Your accounting. The actual foods you eat aren't important, but accurate calorie totals are crucial. You can eat really healthy foods, but if your calorie total is off, you won't lose weight. Or you could eat a steady diet of Wendy's, McDonald's and Taco Bell, and lose weight if you keep track of the calories properly.

    What I'm saying is that you're either not eating 1200 calories a day, or your calorie limit should be less than 1200. It's unlikely that your calorie limit is off, 1200 is a deficit for most people. So, you need to make sure you're counting accurately and logging EVERYTHING. That means all the veggies, all the condiments, all the little splashes of milk in the coffee, etc. EVERY. THING.
  • Siansonea
    Siansonea Posts: 917 Member
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    if you have 55 pounds to lose you might need to be eating more.

    I wondered how long it would take for this old saw to be offered. To clarify: a symptom of "not eating enough" is LOSING WEIGHT. If a person isn't losing weight, well, it's pretty clear that "not eating enough" is NOT the culprit. :huh:
  • Phoenix_Warrior
    Phoenix_Warrior Posts: 1,633 Member
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    I went back to the end of November in your journal. Are there days you really don't eat lunch or breakfast? Then, there's a day when all you had was lunch. How accurate are you truly being? That is the most important thing when it comes to weight loss. If you are guessing, missing entries even when they may seem trivial, it could offset your weekly deficit.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    if you have 55 pounds to lose you might need to be eating more.

    I wondered how long it would take for this old saw to be offered. To clarify: a symptom of "not eating enough" is LOSING WEIGHT. If a person isn't losing weight, well, it's pretty clear that "not eating enough" is NOT the culprit. :huh:

    i see reading comprehension skills are on the low o did you really not see the inclusion of the word might? :huh:
  • forevermaryb
    forevermaryb Posts: 108 Member
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    I went back to the end of November in your journal. Are there days you really don't eat lunch or breakfast? Then, there's a day when all you had was lunch. How accurate are you truly being? That is the most important thing when it comes to weight loss. If you are guessing, missing entries even when they may seem trivial, it could offset your weekly deficit.

    ^this. Reduce processed foods and take-out. They do a number on your sodium intake and can prohibit weight loss. You don't really eat many fruits or vegetables. I found that reducing carbs and increasing my protein helped in weight loss for me, plus it keeps me full longer. Good luck.
  • Katla49
    Katla49 Posts: 10,385 Member
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    How long have you been consistently eating at that level of calories?

    I'd definitely recommending weighing all your food on a digital scale, or as much as possible. "1 tablespoon of butter" for example could easily be more than you think.

    Also, what are your stats (age/height/weight)? Are you exercising too? A bit more info might help people to give more advice.

    I agree with this advice. Get a digital scale and weigh your portions. We also bought dishers to help with things that can be served with a spoon such as rice, potatoes, gravy, breakfast cereal, etc. Dishers look like ice cream scoops and are a bit more convenient than measuring cups, which will also work. You may be surprised at how much you are actually eating. Measuring will help tremendously with portion control. Why are you limiting your tracking to proteins? You need to log every bite and swallow of everything you ingest. Good luck to you.

    Log every bite and swallow, & move more.

    (Edited for spelling and punctuation.)
  • supermodelchic
    supermodelchic Posts: 550 Member
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    You are not eating the proper kind of calories, way to much processed food. No white bread, no rolls, no poptarts ect.. Eat clean the fewer ingredients the better. Complex carbs( quinoa, oatmeal, brown rice, sweet potatoes, healthy fats( avocado, olive oil, nuts) lean protein( ground chicken, chicken breast, 7% lean beef, 7% ground turkey) ton's of fresh veggies, limit fruits , they are still a form of sugar...
  • Siansonea
    Siansonea Posts: 917 Member
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    if you have 55 pounds to lose you might need to be eating more.

    I wondered how long it would take for this old saw to be offered. To clarify: a symptom of "not eating enough" is LOSING WEIGHT. If a person isn't losing weight, well, it's pretty clear that "not eating enough" is NOT the culprit. :huh:

    i see reading comprehension skills are on the low o did you really not see the inclusion of the word might? :huh:

    Oh, my reading comprehension is quite good, thank you. You see, when one is not losing weight, one's problem might be a lot of things, but not eating enough is not one of them.
  • Siansonea
    Siansonea Posts: 917 Member
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    You are not eating the proper kind of calories, way to much processed food. No white bread, no rolls, no poptarts ect.. Eat clean the fewer ingredients the better. Complex carbs( quinoa, oatmeal, brown rice, sweet potatoes, healthy fats( avocado, olive oil, nuts) lean protein( ground chicken, chicken breast, 7% lean beef, 7% ground turkey) ton's of fresh veggies, limit fruits , they are still a form of sugar...

    That's odd, I've lost 15 pounds on a steady diet of Taco Bell, McDonald's and Wendy's. Your argument is invalid.
  • JenMc14
    JenMc14 Posts: 2,389 Member
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    only my meats.. if it comes with a label i use go by that..

    But if it's multiple servings in a package, how do you know how many servings you are having? Weigh and/or measure everything.
  • BikerChickAlice
    BikerChickAlice Posts: 36 Member
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    Simple...to many carbs! More protein, less carbs!

    Zara.

    84lbs down :-)
  • QuincyChick
    QuincyChick Posts: 269 Member
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    Wow. Not even a full page in and we're full of all kinds of misinformation.

    I think the OP needs to faithfully track calories for a week or two and see what happens. My kitchen scale changed my life.
  • kelly_e_montana
    kelly_e_montana Posts: 1,999 Member
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    To anyone that says a calorie is just a calorie, get off MFP for a while and do some internet research. There are some really interesting studies in the last few years that indicate that's an over-simplification and simply not true. In recent years, there has been a lot of research coming out on the composition of calories and the effects on weight. For example, there was a 2012 article in the Journal of the American Medical Association on a study that compared low-fat, low glycemic, and low carb diets and found differences. There was a study at Pomona College in California that suggests whole foods are better for dieting than processed foods.

    Some researchers and doctors feel that certain foods contribute to insulin resistance, which contributes to obesity. Here's an interesting video from a TED talk on one expert's opinion on why not all calories are created equal: http://kristinwartman.wordpress.com/2013/06/29/all-calories-are-not-the-same-watch-ted-talk/

    I don't normally quote blogs, but the point is this one links to a TED talk, which I actually appreciate.
  • elisabeisme
    elisabeisme Posts: 308 Member
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    first:

    1. you've been doing it for a month and already lost 4 pounds. that's not losing nothing - that's averaging a pound a week which is not bad at all. keep doing what you're doing and you'll be at your goal by this time next year. a fit and proud woman setting an awesome example for your family.

    however, I recognize you may want to go a tiny bit faster so:

    2. you eat a lot of fast food. there have been some studies done where they compare the actually calories in restaurant meals versus what is stated on the website and there can be huge discrepancies. the teenager behind the counter at Wendy's doesn't care about your meal plan, he just smears a bunch of mayo on the hamburger without concern if he's putting twice as much on as he's supposed to. the counter person shoves as many French fries into the paper wrapper as they can fit, resulting in a "small" having as many fries as a "large"

    3. you have a lot of "risky" condiments in your diary such as mayo and salad dressing. If you are eyeballing those instead of weighing them, you're likely getting a significant overage.

    4. are you measuring your milk and juice? the glasses in most folks house are more like 12 ounces rather than 8. Eight ounces is drinking from a glass the size of your toddler's sippy cup.

    5. are you sure you never getting extra mouthfuls anywhere? One of my friends who is a mommy is always forgetting and licking the spoon when she serves her kids. that can really add up.

    finally:

    6. my weight fluctuates at least a pound or two up in the week before TOM or after a salty meal. keep your focus on the trend and don't get distracted from your plan by any single weight in.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    You are not eating the proper kind of calories, way to much processed food. No white bread, no rolls, no poptarts ect.. Eat clean the fewer ingredients the better. Complex carbs( quinoa, oatmeal, brown rice, sweet potatoes, healthy fats( avocado, olive oil, nuts) lean protein( ground chicken, chicken breast, 7% lean beef, 7% ground turkey) ton's of fresh veggies, limit fruits , they are still a form of sugar...

    No...

    A calorie is a calorie. The difference between a 'good' and a 'bad' calorie, if it even exists, is minimal, and at 1200 calories a day, I can tell you it's definitely not the problem here.

    The problem is that OP probably eats too much because she's not weighing her food properly.
  • Phoenix_Warrior
    Phoenix_Warrior Posts: 1,633 Member
    Options
    To anyone that says a calorie is just a calorie, get off MFP for a while and do some internet research. There are some really interesting studies in the last few years that indicate that's an over-simplification and simply not true. In recent years, there has been a lot of research coming out on the composition of calories and the effects on weight. For example, there was a 2012 article in the Journal of the American Medical Association on a study that compared low-fat, low glycemic, and low carb diets and found differences. There was a study at Pomona College in California that suggests whole foods are better for dieting than processed foods.

    Some researchers and doctors feel that certain foods contribute to insulin resistance, which contributes to obesity. Here's an interesting video from a TED talk on one expert's opinion on why not all calories are created equal: http://kristinwartman.wordpress.com/2013/06/29/all-calories-are-not-the-same-watch-ted-talk/

    I don't normally quote blogs, but the point is this one links to a TED talk, which I actually appreciate.

    No thanks. I'll take my success and those who've lost much more than me and maintained eating"bad" food and counting then an internet search, any day. I'm not promoting "eat anything you want" because nutrition is important to me, too. But unless there's an underlying medical condition, it is calories in vs out.

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