End my suffering please

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LexyLou_5
LexyLou_5 Posts: 43 Member
in Motivation and Support
Ok a slightly dramatic subject tittle but i need help :

I have been on this journey for 18 months and I'm not liking it.

I am 33 years old, 5ft 4 , 147 lbs i have PCOS making my struggle slightly more difficult. I aim to tobe 135 lb which is a 14 lb lose.

So what am i doing wrong or right. MFP is set to 0.5 lb a week lose as i dont have a huge amount to lose, I'm also on fitbit set to the same.

my TDEE is 1972

BMR 1357

Calorie set at 1650

I swim and where possible walk 10,000 steps each day, slacking slightly recently due to a new job.

My fitbit states my calorie deficit on recent weeks a - 2000 or more - what does this mean ?? is this good or bad ?

My MFP states for the past few weeks that i have only been slightly over with my calories each week maybe a 100 or so

I welcome any help or advice as to what is going wrong why am i not losing weight ??

Many many thanks in advance

Replies

  • cmeiron
    cmeiron Posts: 1,599 Member
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    Do you weigh everything with a food scale and log absolutely everything you eat?
  • LexyLou_5
    LexyLou_5 Posts: 43 Member
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    I'd be lying if i said i weighed EVERYTHING but yes i say 80% of my food and i am pretty realistic.
  • cmeiron
    cmeiron Posts: 1,599 Member
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    I'd be lying if i said i weighed EVERYTHING but yes i say 80% of my food and i am pretty realistic.

    Start here.

    Unless you weigh (solids) and measure (liquids) everything you eat, there is no way to know for 100% sure how much you're taking in. You could easily be eating at maintenance since your deficit is (appropriately, for your current weight and goals) small.

    It is extraordinarily easy to underestimate your calories when you eyeball food. Read this, and watch the video in the 4th post. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think
  • sun_fish
    sun_fish Posts: 864 Member
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    I'd be lying if i said i weighed EVERYTHING but yes i say 80% of my food and i am pretty realistic.

    Start here.

    Unless you weigh (solids) and measure (liquids) everything you eat, there is no way to know for 100% sure how much you're taking in. You could easily be eating at maintenance since your deficit is (appropriately, for your current weight and goals) small.

    It is extraordinarily easy to underestimate your calories when you eyeball food. Read this, and watch the video in the 4th post. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

    In addition to this, what are you basing your TDEE on? Using your actual results is the best way to determine this number. And it's my understanding of PCOS that you need lower carbs, but that is about all I know so you may want to ask your doctor or do some more research on the PCOS component.
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
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    Can you take Metformin? It balances out so many hormones involved in PCOS, and I find that it makes my weight loss much, much faster. Of course, don't eat fast carbs except as a treat even on Metformin. Insulin resistance can turn into diabetes, so it's more than just a weight thing. Good luck!
  • LTKeegan
    LTKeegan Posts: 354 Member
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    I was just listening to the fit cast and they said that most women report that they eat right 75-80% of the time. And the difference between the way you are and where you want to be is that extra 10%. So bump your weighing things up to 90% of the time.


    Also, I've been doing the TDEE method, sort of, and it worked better for me. I do TDEE (set to LIGHTLY ACTIVE) - 20% and eat back 50% of my exercise calories, because I think I tend to OVER estimate how many calories I burn. That has been working really well for me. So my BMR is 1340, I eat 1390 + 50% of exercise calories.

    Maybe you're in the same boat of under estimating what you eat (by not faithfully measuring) and overestimating what you burn.
  • runningjen74
    runningjen74 Posts: 312 Member
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    The PCOS deal means what you eat can make a difference to you. Yes I know the Calories in/out deal, but when your hormones are messed up, you've to work that bit harder. Sort out the hormones as much as possible and the rest will come far easier. I have PCOS but generally considered myself to be symptom free (it's only now things have normalised I realise I wasn't well)

    I guess I've ignored mine in the past. I did lose weight where I got myself down to where I am now, but hormones still messed up. I got very regular headaches, very irregular (to non existent) cycle, was/am also diagnosed with a hypothyroid. When I got down to my current weight from eating a lot less and running, no difference in my symptoms, I was miserable and put all weight back on. I was eating low fat, high carb - following the food pyramid, lots of vegetables, whole grains, etc... I've no idea what my macros were.

    Now...I eat lowish carb (I aim for under 100gm a day), 100gm+ of protein and the remainer is fat. The fat is important, don't go for low fat. I aim for 1500 Kcal's a day. I lift weights, as heavy as I can manage. Result is I don't get headaches (got several a week before) and I've a regular cycle for the first time in over 10 years. My weight loss has stalled a bit at the moment, so I'm back to measuring, etc... tweeking what I'm doing. However I have lost ~50lb and I'm convinced the big things have been sorted in terms of hormones.

    For PCOS and me I think key is
    - Carbs 100ish
    - lift weights
    - Eat lots of healthy fats

    I found Jillian Michaels book master your metabolism helpful in understanding some of the hormonal stuff, also Robb Wolf's Paleo Solution. You don't need to buy in everything or any of what they say. But it helped me understand the hormonal part of how I work.

    Best of luck
    - Jen
  • Strongandhealthy1234
    Strongandhealthy1234 Posts: 52
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    I'm 5'6 and plateaued for 4 months at 145. It was really tough going down to 135. You may not like what I will say here. 1600 cals will not get you to 135. I had to go lower calories that was the only way I lost down to 135 and to 130. The great news is that now I'm maintaining 130 at 1700 cals.
  • Jezebel9
    Jezebel9 Posts: 396 Member
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    was just looking at the side effects of Metformin. I just wouldn't do it. Just my opinion.
  • cmeiron
    cmeiron Posts: 1,599 Member
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    I'm 5'6 and plateaued for 4 months at 145. It was really tough going down to 135. You may not like what I will say here. 1600 cals will not get you to 135. I had to go lower calories that was the only way I lost down to 135 and to 130. The great news is that now I'm maintaining 130 at 1700 cals.

    This might be the case for the OP but it might not. Until she knows what she's eating she shouldn't make any drastic changes to her intake. Also, FWIW, I got down to 130 from 140 eating between 1800 and 2300/day. It's very individual.
  • LexyLou_5
    LexyLou_5 Posts: 43 Member
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    Thank you all,

    I have done a huge amount of research on my PCOS, i am not being given Metformin due to me not being massively overweight and also that i do not want children. It appears that in the UK unless you want children the treatment given to you varies from if you want children. Therefore although i do have a great GP it is out of his hands. So i am going this journey alone. I am booking into have a vitamin and mineral test, having PCOS messes with my levels. I currently take many supplements each day in the hope they help , and so far they are. I just felt i would like to know the true stats - the geek part of me i suspect needs facts and figures. Because of my kinda messed up body i need to eat every few hours else my insulin level get out of sorts.

    I am not really wanting to go to low on calories, surely there is some risks going too low.


    I have set my new figures according to this advice and also some extra research, lets see how i get on.

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