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Any advice on losing about 10 pounds?

sp0okbat
sp0okbat Posts: 7 Member
edited February 9 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all, new here so I apologize if this is the wrong area or something , haha.

I've been trying for months now to lose 7- 10 pounds and I've had no luck. I'm currently 5'2, female, and I weigh 115, which is the most I have ever weighed. :/ I know that might not seem like a lot, but I have a very small frame, so it looks pretty unflattering to me at least.

Anyways, I've always been one to eat "clean" and healthy. I haven't eaten chips in years, I don't eat sweets often at all, I haven't had soda in years, I rarely eat fast food (and by rarely I mean, in all of 2013, I ate one 3 inch Subway sandwich). I feel I eat pretty healthy, so I don't understand where all of this weight gain is coming from and why it's so hard to lose some weight.

My ultimate goal is to lose some fat and gain some muscle.

I often have a hard time hitting my 1200 calorie goal, today was a lot better though, I hit 900 before exercise... if anyone has some tips for foods I could eat that are healthy and pack more calories that would be great. I think my food plan is viewable for people here.

I get a lot of exercise because my job entitles me to be on my feet for 9-10 hours a day moving around constantly. I also make an effort to park farther away so I can walk more, take the stairs... little things. When I have time I run maybe 2-3 times a week for a mile or two.

This is just so frustrating, I feel like I am gaining weight instead of losing it. I wear a size 3 in pants, which is fine for me. I just want to lose some belly pudge and ultimately tone up. My tummy bulges a little and I'm so used to having a nice flat tummy.

Replies

  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
    First thing you will need to do is ensure you are logging everything you eat and as accurately as possible.

    This means buying and using a food scale and recording your food weight in grams.

    Once you start doing that and eating the same calorie level consistently, you will be able to track your weight over several weeks and then adjust your intake as needed in order to meet your goal.
  • infamousdrew76
    infamousdrew76 Posts: 176 Member
    1+1 does not equal 3! What you're saying does not add up! Move more, eat less! That simple!
  • sp0okbat
    sp0okbat Posts: 7 Member
    Reality: I have been logging everything I eat. Today I discovered the bar code on the app and was so stoked. :)

    I measure everything I eat, but weighing it sounds like a good idea.

    Infamous: I am below my recommended calorie intake though consistently, so shouldn't I try to eat more ?
  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
    Reality: I have been logging everything I eat. Today I discovered the bar code on the app and was so stoked. :)

    I measure everything I eat, but weighing it sounds like a good idea.

    Infamous: I am below my recommended calorie intake though consistently, so shouldn't I try to eat more ?

    Measuring can result in a fairly inaccurate count. Weighing is the most accurate method. :)
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    Reality: I have been logging everything I eat. Today I discovered the bar code on the app and was so stoked. :)

    I measure everything I eat, but weighing it sounds like a good idea.

    Infamous: I am below my recommended calorie intake though consistently, so shouldn't I try to eat more ?

    Measuring can result in a fairly inaccurate count. Weighing is the most accurate method. :)

    ^Agreed. You'd be surprised how often the serving size differs when it comes down to measuring and weighing. For instance,a serving of hummus is either 2 tbsp or 28g. Even if I level the hummus with a knife across the tablespoon, I still usually end up with more than 28g. And it is enough of an overage where the calories really add up.
  • sp0okbat
    sp0okbat Posts: 7 Member
    Reality: A food scale it is! I hope that helps. :) Thank you!
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    Wanted to add you should probably be eating and netting more than 1200. What did you choose your weekly loss as? It should be 0.5lbs/week.

    Trying to lose too fast or having too big of a deficit will actually be more harmful than good.

    Here's some links to read that have good info/tips in them:

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

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

    http://body-improvements.com/2013/05/24/undiet-your-diet/

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1122891-9-reasons-fat-loss-is-always-slower-than-you-d-like

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1105036-article-on-flexible-dieting-by-armi-legge?page=1#posts-17068746
  • sp0okbat
    sp0okbat Posts: 7 Member
    Joy: I believe I did a pound. I'll update it to 0.5 though! I'm having a difficult time hitting 1200 calories.

    My breakfast usually consists of a soy milk + fruit smoothie, or 1/2c of plain oatmeal with 1 tablespoon of craisins and some cinnamon, or 1 c of miso soup and fish, or some poached eggs and vegetables.

    Lunch is usually some sort of protein and a salad of some sort with lots of water or tea.

    and dinner is usually some sort of protein, soup, and vegetables.

    For a snack I'll do veggies, fruit, a smoothie, a handful of granola, a spoonful of peanut butter; something a long those lines.

    I don't drink dairy nor eat much red meat at all, but if you have any food suggestions that would be great! :)

    I've started looking through those links and I'm learning a lot! :) thank you so much for sharing.
  • redladywitch
    redladywitch Posts: 799 Member
    Sounds like you have some great advice so far. I agree with weighing your food. That seems to be more accurate. Check those links out.


    Best of Luck.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    Joy: I believe I did a pound. I'll update it to 0.5 though! I'm having a difficult time hitting 1200 calories.

    My breakfast usually consists of a soy milk + fruit smoothie, or 1/2c of plain oatmeal with 1 tablespoon of craisins and some cinnamon, or 1 c of miso soup and fish, or some poached eggs and vegetables.

    Lunch is usually some sort of protein and a salad of some sort with lots of water or tea.

    and dinner is usually some sort of protein, soup, and vegetables.

    For a snack I'll do veggies, fruit, a smoothie, a handful of granola, a spoonful of peanut butter; something a long those lines.

    I don't drink dairy nor eat much red meat at all, but if you have any food suggestions that would be great! :)

    I've started looking through those links and I'm learning a lot! :) thank you so much for sharing.

    Have you considered increasing portions a bit? Or including cooking with (or adding to salads, etc) things like olive oil, avocado oil, nuts, etc? Even the little things will add up.

    What sort of soy milk do you use? If it is light, have you considered going back to the full or the DHA-3 Omega one (if you use Silk).

    Are you using anything that's promoted as low fat or low calories? If so, maybe switch those out for non-fat, etc items. Even for your dressings/condiments.

    Have you considered including protein powder? You could add it to oatmeal, cereal, or just drink it plain (water or milk). You could even make desserts with it (like cheesecake, bars, cookies, and such).
  • sp0okbat
    sp0okbat Posts: 7 Member
    Avocado oil is a great idea!! I'll have to give that a try, I've never considered that before but it sounds super yummy!

    I have been using light, but a switch back wouldn't be bad at all. The silk kind is my favourite.

    I tried some protein powder in my smoothie today and it was pretty awesome. Do you have any brands you'd recommend ? I'm pretty new to that stuff, but I am completely interested in trying it!

    Anything that will help with eating more calories really haha. What about carbohydrates ? I tend to stick to whole grain/whole wheat everything when it comes to carbs and I try to limit how many I consume. Could that be a factour ? Should I eat more carbs ?
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    What has your weight done, in weekly increments if you have them, over the last 4 weeks?

    Also, can you open your diary so people can help with more specific advice.
  • sp0okbat
    sp0okbat Posts: 7 Member
    What has your weight done, in weekly increments if you have them, over the last 4 weeks?

    Also, can you open your diary so people can help with more specific advice.


    Mostly stayed the same or I somehow gained a pound and then lost a pound :( sure! how do I do that ?
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    Avocado oil is a great idea!! I'll have to give that a try, I've never considered that before but it sounds super yummy!

    I have been using light, but a switch back wouldn't be bad at all. The silk kind is my favourite.

    I tried some protein powder in my smoothie today and it was pretty awesome. Do you have any brands you'd recommend ? I'm pretty new to that stuff, but I am completely interested in trying it!

    Anything that will help with eating more calories really haha. What about carbohydrates ? I tend to stick to whole grain/whole wheat everything when it comes to carbs and I try to limit how many I consume. Could that be a factour ? Should I eat more carbs ?

    Protein powders that I use are from Optimum Nutrition Gold Whey Isolates. I'm lactose intolerant and this doesn't bother me at all. It's a pretty decent price and has a variety of flavors. It's 120cals for 31-32g (about a scoop) with 24g protein.

    Another brand that many others rave about that I want to try one day is Trutein, but it's more expensive.

    If it'll help you with your numbers, yeah, eat the carbs :D Nothing wrong with them at all :) Just note that if you've been low carbing it for a bit, you will see a slight temporary gain when you start eating more of it again. If you like wheat and whole grains, than that's perfectly fine to stick with.

    There is no such thing as good and bad food. Just make sure that what you are eating is in moderation.


    And just another piece of advice - maybe don't focus so much on a scale goal. Instead, rely on measurements to track progress. Set a goal in terms of body fat % and if you are unhappy with how you are looking, try incorporating strength training into your exercise routine to help with body composition :)
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    What has your weight done, in weekly increments if you have them, over the last 4 weeks?

    Also, can you open your diary so people can help with more specific advice.


    Mostly stayed the same or I somehow gained a pound and then lost a pound :( sure! how do I do that ?

    Go to My Home --> Settings --> Diary Settings and set to public.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    What has your weight done, in weekly increments if you have them, over the last 4 weeks?

    Also, can you open your diary so people can help with more specific advice.


    Mostly stayed the same or I somehow gained a pound and then lost a pound :( sure! how do I do that ?

    Settings > Diary Settings and then choose Public :)

    ETA: hehe. Sara beat me to it :tongue:
  • sp0okbat
    sp0okbat Posts: 7 Member
    It's public! :)

    I'll look into those powder brands, thanks so much!
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    You have only logged 22 days since October 4th, of which 2 were in October and 4 in November.

    Weigh your food, log everything, eat to a reasonable number and then reassess.
  • kate21797
    kate21797 Posts: 77 Member
    Any type of nuts. They give you a fair amount of calories per serving, with lots of protein and healthy fats.

    Girl, I hope I can be where you are one day! I'm 5'2", 145 pounds. I'd kill to me 130, let alone 115. Losing weight might not necessarily get you the tummy you want, but toning up definitely will.
  • Erikalynne18
    Erikalynne18 Posts: 558 Member
    it sounds like you may want to re-evaluate your goal and maybe focus more on inches lost than scale weight :) It seems to me you just want to tone up so don't focus on the scale as much. Have you been taking measurements? If not, you should start :) Also, take progress pics because you may not see a change in the scale and the mirror (since you see the same thing everyday).
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