where am I going wrong?

chunkycherub79
chunkycherub79 Posts: 38 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hi, I've been on here a few months now but only just found my way to the community area.

My starting weight was 306.3lbs. My current weight is 290.2lbs.
I have a lazy thyroid for which I'm taking medication for.

The calorie counter tells me I should be eating 1600 cals daily.
I usually eat approx 1200. Except on a Sunday which I class as a 'free' day and will have a meal out.
I do the gym 3 times a week, usually burning 370 cal doing cardio and 170 cal doing the weights each time.

I only lost 1.8 lbs this week.
My problem is my weight loss is slower than my not so heavy friends' and I'm really frustrated. I've been told by a couple of friends that maybe part of the problem is I'm eating too few calories. But I'm wary of eating more incase I gain back any, that would really knock my motivation that is already weakening daily.

Please advise?

Thanks :)
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Replies

  • chunkycherub79
    chunkycherub79 Posts: 38 Member
    Just to add, I'm a 35yr old woman :)
  • knra_grl
    knra_grl Posts: 1,566 Member
    Your diary is closed so it's hard to give advice but why only 1200 calories when MFP set you at 1600? The 1600 is already a deficit number so you basically doubled it. Eat more. If you made your setting sedentary when you started your account enter your exercise and eat more still. You are not helping yourself by eating so little.
  • chunkycherub79
    chunkycherub79 Posts: 38 Member
    Thanks for your reply. I'll try and open my diary :)

    I have tried to stick to 1200 as any less and it says sumat along the lines of 'you are eating too few cals, try eat 1200"
    I can't say I've never gone over the 1200, cos I have. But I try not to.
    I'm starting to think I probably should. It's just that fear of gaining that's stubborn.
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
    Often times, it's WHAT you are eating that makes the difference. Avoid highly concentrated sources of calories, such as vegetable oils, and DO try to include on a daily basis things that are low in calorie density, like melons, cucumbers, salads, etc.
  • chunkycherub79
    chunkycherub79 Posts: 38 Member
    Thanks for your reply :)

    Now the weather is getting milder hopefully my craving of hot things will lessen and I'll get the spring/summer seasonal appetite of things like that.
    When its so cold and miserable weather I tend to crave the stodgy warming foods.
  • njitaliana
    njitaliana Posts: 814 Member
    Hi, I'm 60 years old and disabled and started off with a weight about the same as yours. I have 37 lbs off in 3 months, so if I can do it, you can do it!

    I would start by eating the amount of calories MFP tells you to eat. At certain intervals as you lose more, your weight loss will stop or greatly slow down, and you will probably need to drop your calories by 50 calories a day to continue losing. So, if you start at 1600 cal a day, then when you take off maybe 25-35 lbs, if you see your weight loss stall, you can drop to 1550 cal a day. And so on.

    If you start at 1200 cal, you will be stuck when you plateau (and you will plateau). Your metabolism will slow, and you won't be able to go any lower on your calories, as 1200 is the lowest you can safely go.

    So, I'd increase to 1600 calories first off.

    Then, I'd eat three healthy, balanced meals a day. You are only eating two meals a day, and they aren't very balanced. You are really heavy in simple carbs, which just aren't good for you or your weight loss. Eat much less simple carbs (tea biscuits, white dinner rolls, white pasta, etc.) You are also heavy in processed, salty foods (canned soup, ham, canned vegetables, cheese), which cause water retention. I'd eat less of the simple carbs and the processed foods.

    Try maximizing fresh or frozen unsweetened fruit and plenty of fresh or frozen vegetables. I try to get 5 cups of fresh vegetables each day. Apples are always available, as are grapes, so you can add those to your meals until the good summer fruits come out. Eat lean meats (white meat chicken, unbreaded fish, pork tenderloin, sirloin steak, 93% extra lean beef), rather than fatty cuts. Eat whole grains like old fashioned oatmeal and brown rice, whole wheat pasta, but watch how big your servings are (1/2 cup of rice or pasta is a serving).

    Some ideas for healthy meals could be 4 oz broiled chicken breast, fresh green beans, 1/2 cup brown rice; 1 or 2 cups of chili made with beans and extra lean ground beef and diced tomatoes and spices, plus a salad; pork loin or tenderloin, fresh zucchini, a salad with lettuce and tomato and cucumbers and onion and bell peppers and 2 Tbsp low-fat salad dressing; 1 serving of whole grain pasta (1/2 cup) with 4 oz turkey meatballs, spaghetti sauce, cooked spinach and a salad. Make enough to have leftovers for lunch. For breakfast, have things like eggs, turkey bacon, turkey sausage, no-sugar added yogurt, low fat cottage cheese, oatmeal, fresh or frozen fruit, etc. I like to make crustless quiches for breakfast and have 1/4 quiche each day with fruit, skim milk and either tea or coffee. Or I make muffins with whole grain flour and have one a day with yogurt. It makes mornings easier if the foods are prepared already. Or, try healthier cold cereals such as Kashi Go Lean, with skim milk and fruit.

    I think those things might make a difference in your weight loss.
  • njitaliana
    njitaliana Posts: 814 Member
    Ps, Eating healthy snacks also helps stop cravings. Some healthier snack ideas would be string cheese, fruit, Dole sugar free fruit-n-gel cups, Jello sugar-free pudding packs, Hormel turkey pepperoni, 1/4 cup nuts or 1/2 cup pistachios in the shell, 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, turkey and cheese rollup (2 oz turkey and 1 slice low-fat cheese), sugar-free yogurt, raw veggies, Finn crisp whole grain crackers with laughing cow light cheese spread, celery filled with 1 Tbsp peanut butter or 1 Tbsp low-fat cream cheese, etc. Protein will help keep you full and help stop cravings.
  • benjaminlight
    benjaminlight Posts: 78 Member
    Why so few calories?

    I started at 327 pounds - shooting for losing 1.5 pounds a week, and after losing almost 70 pounds, I'm still eating 2330 calories a day.

    1200 seems like too few calories for where you are right now. You will have serious difficulty sustaining that amount of calories, for the long-term. Perhaps decrease your pounds per week loss in your goals, increase your amount of workout time, or something similar?

    You will plateau faster as your metabolism decreases and have more difficulty keeping it going for the long-term commitment it's going to take to do it at that level, IMHO. Think less diet and more lifestyle.

    P.S. Nice job on the loss!! :)
  • knra_grl
    knra_grl Posts: 1,566 Member
    I am going to say you are way too low on your calories if you are honest with your diary - some days you skip breakfast and when you do have breakfast its tea biscuits.

    Try having some protein in the morning - eggs or egg whites with a slice of whole wheat or multigrain toast or some greek yogurt with some fruit (just a couple suggestions)

    Also have some healthy snacks throughout the day. You have some pretty heavy exercise days where your calories increased to over 2000 and you still only ate around 1200 - your body needs FUEL and since you seem to be depriving it of that much needed fuel your weightloss is slower.

    I think you should be eating the 1600 cals or as close as you can get and a bit over that on your exercise days.
  • njitaliana
    njitaliana Posts: 814 Member
    I just found a helpful link on how to eat more healthily to lose weight and avoid diabetes. It's from the Center for Medical Weight Loss.

    http://www.centerformedicalweightloss.com/health-and-fitness/general-health/diet-plans-for-diabetics/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=4266788
  • laurenpcatchu
    laurenpcatchu Posts: 16
    Trust me! You should try eatin 1500~ for two weeks and see if the results change..

    I was eating 1000-1200 cals a day , working out every day for a month, and lost absolutely nothing..
    I went to an actual doctor and wellness couch and they told me i need to eat protein.. lots of it.. and around 1400 cals with my weight in order to lose.

    Apparently when you dont eat enough, your body stores your fat rather than burn it.. also when you lose weight with too few cals it will be lean body mass rather than fat!
  • RavenLibra
    RavenLibra Posts: 1,737 Member
    take into acount that muscle is denser than fat.. and that while you are dieting IF you begin to fall into "deprivation mode" your body will begin to consume your muscle as a source of protien... which will make you feel weak and unmotivated as well... SO...this IS not just about caloric intake... it's about developing healthy eating habits...I knew a fella years and years ago... who lost 200 lbs in a year by limiting his diet to consume and vegetables... he ended up in the hospital suffering from malnutrition and he even did some damage to his internal organs because once again his body began consuming what protein it could find...

    ALSO take into account he amount of muscle you must have to have to move yourself from one location to another... what helps me focus on my goal is this:

    I imagine myself at my goal weight... and then I picture that the extra weight (the fat I have wrapped in my skin and covering my vital organs heart, liver, kidneys, etc) I am carrying is in the form of 20 lb bags of flour... to make it real fo rme I periodically go to the supermarket and pick up a 20 lb bag of flour... THEN when I exercise... ( I am about 40 lbs from my goal).. i imagine what it woudl be like to exercise with 2- 20 lb bags of flour... HOW much stronger must I be to accomplish that?

    so at 300 lbs... a person of medium density... (man is probably packing 5- 20 lb bags of flour... a woman... probably closer to 7.... SO the point here is... WOW you MUST have a lot of muscle to be carrying that much flour with you everywhere you go...

    to lose weight in a sustainable and healthy fashion like all things in life is about balance... balance caloric intake against healthy eating choices... balance exercise against cardio and maintaining muscle mass...

    Remeber 1000 calories of potato chips is not the same as a thousand calories of broccoli.... you could eat 2-3 grilled cheese sandwiches made with processed cheese and plain white bread... OR you could have the same with a calorie reduced cheese substitute on a healthy 7 grain (whole grain) bread...

    and ask yourself about cravings... WHY? becaise your body is asking for something it needs... IF you begin eating a nutritionally balanced meal... cravings will stop...at least the physical cravings...

    Balance... THEN it's about balancing your emotional life... remember that you are NOT (or at least should NOT) here to loose weight... YOU should be here to learn and develop an understanding on how to create and live a healthy sustainable lifestyle... losing weight is ONLY a SMALL part of that equation...

    gOOD LUCK!!!
  • chunkycherub79
    chunkycherub79 Posts: 38 Member
    Thanks again for your replies.

    It all does make sense what you're saying.

    I never eat breakfast. When I've logged in 'breakfast' it means I've eaten earlier than my usual 2 ish pm. I tend to stick with the rich tea biscuits purely because I thought they were better for me than the toast I have occasionally when I'm exceptionally hungry during the daytime.

    The reason I don't eat breakfast is I feel it's like a key to the gates of my stomach. Once I've eaten I want to eat and eat and eat. I never feel satisfied. Therefore if I don't eat to late on in the day. There is less time for me to have to fight myself wanting to eat. It's easier for me to eat nothing than eat a little then have to wait to eat more. Dunno if that makes sense to anyone?

    Vegetable wise I have started having frozen veg recently to pad or the meat/fish and rice/pasta/potato evening meals. Whereas before I'd chuck it in the pan. I do now weigh and measure a portion. Cos that is an area i really fail at. Second helpings are a thing of the past.

    Im not keen on fruit really except bananas.i bought frozen berries but really am not keen. I don't like yogurt unfortunately. Nor milk. I drink a lot of coffee. No sugar and I use coffee mate.

    My fitness for my size I dont think is as bad as it could be. My legs are muscly as ravenlibra said from carrying my body around.dAnd I'm far from weak. I'm assuming going to the gym is building more muscle. Therefore turning fat to muscle which spangly weighs heavier. So hopefully I'm swapping some of the lbs of fat for lbs of muscle. Which isn't so bad either I suppose it's it.

    About the plateuing, that happened to me previously.
    . I lost 7 stone then suddenly stopped.
    I'd eaten so little I couldn't decrease my intake. I'm doing the same thing I now realise. I'm really gonna have to make a conscious effort to not feel guilty eating my daily cal limit ay by mfp.

    I've just taken a reading of all my limb measurements and will see how I go this week eating more cals.
  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
    You don't have to eat breakfast, I don't normally eat my first meal until around 1 or 2 in the afternoon. When I used to eat breakfast I was hungry all day. Meal timing is personal preference.

    Now you want this change to be sustainable for the rest of your life, so I'm glad you are going to raise your calories up. I've lost just shy of 100 lbs by eating 1600-1900 calories daily.

    Log everything, be honest and as accurate as you can, find an activity you enjoy... and have PATIENCE. Stop comparing your weight loss to that of anyone else. You should only compare yourself to being better than you were yesterday.

    I also drink a lot of coffee normally, that has no impact unless you add lots of stuff to your coffee. I switched to drinking better coffee so that it tasted good black.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    I have a lazy thyroid for which I'm taking medication.
    MFP has a Hypothyroidism and Hyperthyroidism group: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/770-hypothyroidism-and-hyperthyroidism
  • serindipte
    serindipte Posts: 1,557 Member
    1. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

    2. If you aren't already using one, get and use a food scale. Weigh all solids. Measuring cups/spoons are not accurate:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY

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

    4. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think
  • chunkycherub79
    chunkycherub79 Posts: 38 Member
    Thanks for your replies :)

    I do enjoy going to the gym, once I'm there lol. It's a real push to make myself go some nights, especially when my partner has to work and I need to go alone.
    Since starting I've increased the levels/weights/rpm etc that my instructor set or for me a few times already. But this week I'll make an app with my instructor to see if she thinks what I'm doing is the optimum routine for me.
  • chunkycherub79
    chunkycherub79 Posts: 38 Member
    I use digital scales :)
  • minizebu
    minizebu Posts: 2,716 Member
    I see your current weight and age. What is your height?
  • chunkycherub79
    chunkycherub79 Posts: 38 Member
    5ft 8"
  • JojoEffeckt164
    JojoEffeckt164 Posts: 146 Member
    Those people that told you to eat more are right! I always stricktly stick to the MFP advice and that is working best for me. Just give it a try for a week or two and see what happens!
  • minizebu
    minizebu Posts: 2,716 Member
    For your age, weight and height, your BMR is approximately 2060 calories.

    If you are not losing weight, the most likely reason is that you are underestimating how much you are eating or you are overestimating how much you are burning. Although, you did indicate that you have a medically diagnosed thyroid problem, so you will probably want to get current bloodwork done and make sure that your medication is calibrated according to your doctor's current recommendations.

    The reason that raising your calorie limit might help is that it is less restrictive and easier to stick to and you may be more honest about exactly how much you are ingesting. Weighing your food to get an accurate calorie count will help. Writing down what you eat as soon as you eat it will make it less likely that you'll forget to record something. Walking a bit every day will help to raise your energy expenditure.

    Good luck with your program.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    You're losing nearly 2 lbs per week. That's a healthy and sustainable loss.
  • chunkycherub79
    chunkycherub79 Posts: 38 Member
    I'm not sure what BMR means?

    Looking back at my own diary I can see days I have missed recording meals when there are empty spaces. But the full days are accurate. And those that I've missed I don't believe would be over my 1200ish as I check my diary to see how many cals I have left before eating anything.

    The quantity of calories I enter in my diary I am getting from the equipment at my gym. I was given a key to enter in each machine which records my work out. My instructor has set the keys data up with my body stats, height, weight, age etc. So I have been going of what the key tells me.
    My partner who has different stats and exercise routine burns different quantities so I can only assume it's accurate? I will check this week when I see my instructor though ;)

    I've just mentioned on another thread actually about this thyroid thing of mine. I was told almost 12 months ago after numerous blood tests for other things that my thyroid was lazy, but after my initial prescribed dose and then 8 th week check of levels, I've not been tested since.
  • gebruce
    gebruce Posts: 3
    Can we first start by changing your topic question from "where am I going wrong" to "what am I doing right"? You've lost 16.1 lbs which is awesome! You've made some positive changes in your eating habits maybe even to the point of possibly depriving yourself of too few calories consumed which can sabotage your weight loss. Our bodies are like engines, we need fuel (food) to operate efficiently. However, if you put in the wrong fuel (bad gas) your engine will seize up. You won't be able to lose weight at a reasonable rate. Maybe that's a silly analogy but it is important to eat the right kind and right amount of food for you body. It is such a tricky balancing act.

    What has worked best for me personally to lose 47 lbs (slowly) is following a plan that my daughter, a PT and Wellness expert, designed for me. It's nothing complex. The key is small meals every 3-4 hours that consist of low carb, high protein, no sugar, and low sodium. The important thing to remember is just because your eating more meals DOES NOT mean that you are consuming more calories.

    It's also fantastic that you joined a gym and you're moving your body. Another excellent way to fire up your metabolism and also another thing that you are doing right!

    Please listen to me when I say, even though you don't know me, don't hide behind your sluggish thyroid. I take a high dose of Levothyroxine for hypothyroidism. I have in the past but never will again use this for an excuse. Just because we have thyroid disease, only means that it is an extra challenge to lose weight NOT impossible to lose weight!

    So as I see it CC, you have a lot more 'Right' going on than you do wrong.

    Best Wishes for success
    Genia
  • serindipte
    serindipte Posts: 1,557 Member
    I'm just curious, but you mention that you have a food scale.. are you using it with all of your solids? The reason I ask is because your numbers are so even that it makes me wonder how you find 100g bananas every morning. There is only one item in recent days that is anything other than an even gram measurement that it would suggest that you may not be actually weighing everything. I'm not saying this is the case but it's odd.
  • minizebu
    minizebu Posts: 2,716 Member
    BMR stands for basal metabolic rate and represents the calories that your body expends when completely at rest (not accounting for any activity at all). However, the BMR figure that I quoted is for a typical individual with your stats. Because of your thyroid issue, your BMR may actually be lower than this.

    If your insurance will cover it, then another trip to the doctor and new bloodwork may be advisable. I think that, especially in the first year of diagnosis, more than two visits are warranted in order to get your medication dosage regulated properly.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    If your insurance will cover it, then another trip to the doctor and new bloodwork may be advisable. I think that, especially in the first year of diagnosis, more than two visits are warranted in order to get your medication dosage regulated properly.
    My endocrinologist has my blood tested every three months, then adjusts my dosage of Synthroid accordingly. I started at 25mcg; I'm currently at 88mcg.
  • aldiba1994
    aldiba1994 Posts: 5 Member
    Why so few calories?

    I started at 327 pounds - shooting for losing 1.5 pounds a week, and after losing almost 70 pounds, I'm still eating 2330 calories a day.

    1200 seems like too few calories for where you are right now. You will have serious difficulty sustaining that amount of calories, for the long-term. Perhaps decrease your pounds per week loss in your goals, increase your amount of workout time, or something similar?

    You will plateau faster as your metabolism decreases and have more difficulty keeping it going for the long-term commitment it's going to take to do it at that level, IMHO. Think less diet and more lifestyle.

    P.S. Nice job on the loss!! :)
    this
  • FoxyLifter
    FoxyLifter Posts: 965 Member
    1. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

    2. If you aren't already using one, get and use a food scale. Weigh all solids. Measuring cups/spoons are not accurate:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY

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

    4. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

    QFT! Please go though all 4 of these when you have the time. This is where you'll find the most help. Good luck! :drinker:

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