Encouragement Please!! This is so hard for me.

kelleigh16
kelleigh16 Posts: 9
in Health and Weight Loss
I currently have my daily caloric intake set at 1,400 calories. I tried 1.200 for a while, but could never stay under it. I am 5'8.5" and currently weight 154lbs. I am only trying to lose between 8 and 10 lbs. My goal weight is 144. I work out 4-5 times per week and typically burn between 400 and 800 calories. The last time I had my body fat percentage checked it was around 22%.

The main problem is that I barely fit into my size 8 clothes anymore. I bought a few size 10 pants so I'm not uncomfortable, but I don't want to buy a whole new wardrobe.

I feel hungry most of the day and am constantly obsessing about when I can eat next. I never stick to logging food and exercise for long because I don't see results quickly enough and it doesn't feel worth the tremendous effort. Plus it seems like no matter what I am always over on something. If my sodium is good I am under on protein. If my sugars are good I'm way under on carbs. I have two servings of fruit per day and that is almost all the sugar I'm allowed.

Any words of encouragement or advice from someone who has experienced the same is much appreciated!!

Replies

  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
    I have also felt hungry before and have had to buy larger pants due to weight gain.

    Best of luck to you!
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    The closer you are to goal, the more slowly you lose. With only 10 lb. to go, set your goal to .5 lb. per week and be patient.

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

    Edited to add that I use MFP's protein & fiber goals as minimums, and ignore carbs & fats. Everybody's different, so it will take trial & error to find what works for you. Do not give up!
  • kikkipoo
    kikkipoo Posts: 292 Member
    I refuse to look at sugar. My goal is just to make sure that what sugar I am eating is coming from things like fruit and not processed and refined sugars like ice cream and bon bons. Don't stress too much. This is nothing more than data, but you are never going to hit the perfect macros and stay under on everything day in and day out. Go with the 80/20 rule. Try to make the right decisions at least 80% of the time and you will do fine.
  • cpcoursec
    cpcoursec Posts: 82 Member
    Water and protein can help with the hunger issue.
  • kelleigh16
    kelleigh16 Posts: 9
    The closer you are to goal, the more slowly you lose. With only 10 lb. to go, set your goal to .5 lb. per week and be patient.

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

    Edited to add that I use MFP's protein & fiber goals as minimums, and ignore carbs & fats. Everybody's different, so it will take trial & error to find what works for you. Do not give up!

    Great read! Thank you! Patience is so not my virtue.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    I didn't think I was patient, either. But every good decision you make makes the next choice a little easier. Logging everything I eat accurately & honestly became a habit (like brushing my teeth). I lost very slowly—but I lost.

    I know it's a cliché, but if I can lose weight, then you can too!
  • DirrtyH
    DirrtyH Posts: 664 Member
    I never stick to logging food and exercise for long because I don't see results quickly enough and it doesn't feel worth the tremendous effort.

    A. It is worth the effort

    B. It gets easier. It can be hard at first because you're changing everything that was easy/second nature about how you ate. You didn't think about it, you just ate the stuff you eat and now you're having to change it, and it's hard. But if you stick with it, it becomes the new normal and you don't have to work quite so hard at it.

    Give yourself short term goals so you don't get overwhelmed, and just keep putting one foot in front of the other.
  • lindsaymarcin
    lindsaymarcin Posts: 81 Member
    Make sure you are drinking lots of water and I mean LOTS. It will seriously help you feel fuller. Also, if you haven't already, invest in a food scale. I have found that sometimes you can eat way more than using a measuring cup which has helped me stay on target tremendously!
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,313 Member
    I currently have my daily caloric intake set at 1,400 calories. I tried 1.200 for a while, but could never stay under it. I am 5'8.5" and currently weight 154lbs. I am only trying to lose between 8 and 10 lbs. My goal weight is 144. I work out 4-5 times per week and typically burn between 400 and 800 calories. The last time I had my body fat percentage checked it was around 22%.

    The main problem is that I barely fit into my size 8 clothes anymore. I bought a few size 10 pants so I'm not uncomfortable, but I don't want to buy a whole new wardrobe.

    I feel hungry most of the day and am constantly obsessing about when I can eat next. I never stick to logging food and exercise for long because I don't see results quickly enough and it doesn't feel worth the tremendous effort. Plus it seems like no matter what I am always over on something. If my sodium is good I am under on protein. If my sugars are good I'm way under on carbs. I have two servings of fruit per day and that is almost all the sugar I'm allowed.

    Any words of encouragement or advice from someone who has experienced the same is much appreciated!!

    I would suggest unless you have a medical condition that requires tracking sugar and sodium, stop tracking them. What is important above all else is calories, followed by protein and fat. Set those goals and seek to meet them turning off the other categories.
  • CJ_Holmes
    CJ_Holmes Posts: 759 Member
    1. You aren't overweight, so any weight you lose will most likely be a slow process. It SHOULD be.

    2. I hope you mean 1400 NET calories. Even that sounds very low for someone as active as you are. I would guess your hunger, obsessing, and inability to stick with your goals all come from attempting to eat too litlle. You then give up, eat too much, and wonder why you aren't seeing progress.

    My suggestion would be to find a reasonable calorie goal that creates a small deficit and doesn't make you feel like you are being tortured. If you can't stick with it, it's probably not reasonable. You also can't find a good target number if you don't log accurately and consistently for a while. It's all just guesswork and emotions if you have no data. Log every single thing for 2 weeks and see what happens. If you gain, lower from there. if you lose, hurray!
  • kelleigh16
    kelleigh16 Posts: 9
    I didn't think I was patient, either. But every good decision you make makes the next choice a little easier. Logging everything I eat accurately & honestly became a habit (like brushing my teeth). I lost very slowly—but I lost.

    I know it's a cliché, but if I can lose weight, then you can too!

    Thank you!:happy:
  • kelleigh16
    kelleigh16 Posts: 9
    1. You aren't overweight, so any weight you lose will most likely be a slow process. It SHOULD be.

    2. I hope you mean 1400 NET calories. Even that sounds very low for someone as active as you are. I would guess your hunger, obsessing, and inability to stick with your goals all come from attempting to eat too litlle. You then give up, eat too much, and wonder why you aren't seeing progress.

    My suggestion would be to find a reasonable calorie goal that creates a small deficit and doesn't make you feel like you are being tortured. If you can't stick with it, it's probably not reasonable. You also can't find a good target number if you don't log accurately and consistently for a while. It's all just guesswork and emotions if you have no data. Log every single thing for 2 weeks and see what happens. If you gain, lower from there. if you lose, hurray!

    Good advice. Thank you!
  • Kristinemomof3
    Kristinemomof3 Posts: 636 Member
    Eat more, you don't have a lot to lose, your body thinks you are starving it and holding onto the weight and making you bloated.
  • prattiger65
    prattiger65 Posts: 1,657 Member
    1. You aren't overweight, so any weight you lose will most likely be a slow process. It SHOULD be.

    2. I hope you mean 1400 NET calories. Even that sounds very low for someone as active as you are. I would guess your hunger, obsessing, and inability to stick with your goals all come from attempting to eat too litlle. You then give up, eat too much, and wonder why you aren't seeing progress.

    My suggestion would be to find a reasonable calorie goal that creates a small deficit and doesn't make you feel like you are being tortured. If you can't stick with it, it's probably not reasonable. You also can't find a good target number if you don't log accurately and consistently for a while. It's all just guesswork and emotions if you have no data. Log every single thing for 2 weeks and see what happens. If you gain, lower from there. if you lose, hurray!

    All of this!!!! You have an adherence problem. Probably because you are trying to eat too little. So it's the starve/binge cycle. You stop that by eating the "correct" amount of calories everyday.
  • nerase
    nerase Posts: 1 Member
    You can do it!! Just be patient. As others have said, you are not overweight, so the pounds will come off slowly. Two months ago I was in the SAME position as you. I gained 10 pounds over the holidays (October - December) due to a very busy work schedule and decreased levels of activity. Our trip to a tropical location (too many high calorie drinks and snacks) was the final straw. I woke up on January 1st. to the reality that my pants could barely button up! I am normally an active person, but I temporarily gave up control of my circumstances and ended up paying the price. I was determined to get back to my normal weight.

    I am the same height as you, and I started out in Jan. at 152 pounds. Through consistently logging, making good food choices and exercising, I am now at 143 pounds. My progress has been slow, but steady. Don't get discouraged. You didn't gain the weight immediately, so you won't lose it immediately either. Be consistent and it will happen. My goal is 135, and it is going to take me even MORE work to get there, because I have very little to lose. I am only aiming for .5 pound loss per week.

    Also, my calories are set at 1450 for NON-EXERCISE days, and I eat back 70% of my workout calories, which means I consume
    much more than 1450 most days. And I have been steadily losing. I suspect you may not be eating enough, which is causing the binges. I started out at 1300 calories, but quickly realized it was not sustainable. I had similar problems sticking to my calorie limits as you are now, so I modified my daily intake limits. Up your calories a bit and take your time with this process. If you work hard it will happen.

    Good luck!

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