What am I doing wrong? Advice needed!

Also current amount of calories you eat daily

I would need to see your diary to offer any a advise. Others will probably want to see it too, you could open your profile to be viewed by mfp members only, just to get some answers.

I don't count calories (sorry! My view is that if it's all good for you, as long as the portions aren't huge-- its generally okay)


I'm 24, 5'8 and 225.

you're gonna need to count calories if you're expecting to figure out how much you need to eat to lose.

weight loss is a math equation. Gotta have numbers for that.

I don't count calories (sorry! My view is that if it's all good for you, as long as the portions aren't huge-- its generally okay)

That's what you're doing wrong.

Hi all! I feel like I'm doing everything right and I'm just not losing!! Below is what I'm currently doing, and if anyone has ANY tips-- I'd so appreciate them!!

Hey!

-Working out: 4-5x weekly, at least 45 min. of cardio, and weight training

Doesn't really matter how long you work out for, it's how much calories you are burning as you need to add that onto myfitnesspals daily calorie allowance

-Eating: I don't eat red meat, or drink... My normal foods: Special K, Eggs (only 1 yolk), grilled chicken over field greens, tuna or brown rice with veggies.

For losing weight it doesn't matter what you are eating, just total calories consumed

- I average 9 hours of sleep (I love my sleep!!) - Drink at least 2 liters of water a day.

Sounds reasonable

How on earth am I not losing weight?? It's hard to keep working so hard, for the scale not to reflect it. I once had an issue w/ my thyroid but my last check up said it was completely fine (May 13).

Help!

You've recently said you don't count your calories. There's your problem. If you are failing by not counting them either count them or continue to fail.

You can't lose weight just by eating "clean" foods. In fact personally I don't believe "clean" foods exist.

Count calories, by weighing solid foods and measuring liquids. If your cals are well below your calculated maintenance intake then you may have some type of hormonal imbalance (thyroid) that you want to get checked out.

For starters, throw out your scale.
Now, make the tape measurer your friend, you only need to visit once a month though. You should really go by how your clothes fit to gauge where you are.
Depending on how long you've been working out and watching what you eat, your body may still be adjusting.
If it's been a couple months or more, then maybe check in to seeing a nutritionist. EVERYBODY's bodies are different, and what works for one person won't work for someone else. It can be as simple as the calories you are taking in either aren't enough, or aren't the right kinds of nutrients for your body.
Once you find out what your body is wanting, let the slim down begin!!

Hope this helps.

How on earth am I not losing weight?? It's hard to keep working so hard, for the scale not to reflect it. I once had an issue w/ my thyroid but my last check up said it was completely fine (May 13).

Help!

If you have been here since Sept of last year and you haven't been losing weight in all that time - that was probably time wasted. You are doing something wrong, no matter how hard you protest. I was like you. I didn't want to hear that I was doing it wrong.

*eat at a calorie deficit
*weigh (solid foods), measure in cups/ spoons (liquid foods) and LOG EVERY BITE.
*find something you love to do and then do it consistently
*patience

If you're not ready to lose the weight - that's okay. It's hard work. It's doing it every day. It's learning to build better habits around food and exercise. It's learning to eat correct serving sizes of all foods. When you're ready to do these things - you will be successful. Best of luck!

I don't count calories (sorry! My view is that if it's all good for you, as long as the portions aren't huge-- its generally okay)


I'm 24, 5'8 and 225.

My mother eats the healthiest foods of anyone I know and she has been obese most of her life.

You need to count calories.

Whats great about MFP is you don't have to "count calories". The site does it for you. If you are really against calorie counting, at least log a few days of food, and you can get a general idea of where you stand calorically. You may find you are taking in more than you think. You can adjust accordingly.

The definition of Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

If you dont want to count but want to see results, kick up your work outs (i would say double the time and or intesity) - 6 days a week without fail. Drink plenty of water too. Also make sure that at least 50% of the work outs you do is focused on strength training. Muscle burns calories faster than the other tissues....FACT!

I just restarted in the middle of January- haha not from the previous September!

As for inches, I've lost 3 off my waist, and 1 off my hips and thighs... I'm really new to this, so I apologize if I don't know the "norms" for weight loss.

when you signed up for myfitnesspal, it made you create a profile and gave you a caloric goal. You put the information in. Actually, if you're logged in to the forums, just click "My Home" up there. It'll show you a number in green. Says Calories Remaining under it. The app/website told gave you the information you needed to get started. For whatever reason, you chose to just do it your way.

try actually using MFP.

here:
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. If you ask a question on the forum, give as much information as you can ("yes, I have a food scale and weigh my food" is worlds better than "I eat a palm full of miscellaneous boiled chicken parts..sometimes.")
17. Be honest with yourself and honest with us.
18. 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/

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