Nothing seems to be working! Aaaaaghh!!!

pcoyles
pcoyles Posts: 2
in Getting Started
Hi all. Noob here.

I like many others used to be in good shape and was very active but for the past 10 yrs I have been sitting on my *kitten* behind a desk at work and the pounds have been piling on. I am 5' 8", Male, aged 40 and I currently weigh 12 stone 8lbs.

It's not so much the weight I'm concerned about but it's the rolls of fat around me that I now want to get rid of. I'm not large too look at but I am conscious about it and my moobs that have annoyingly developed!

I also have psoriasis and my doctor told me to try and eliminate certain foods to see if it helps, I have now cut out dairy and use only soya milk and butter, no cheese at all. I have also cut out anything with white / processed flour and gone for wholemeal in my pasta, rice and bread. I've really cut down on potatoes and biscuits and crisps are a no no. I never drink alcohol unless its a special occasion which is about 3 times a year. My psoriasis is really showing major improvements so I'm sticking to this strategy and I'm actually enjoying the food changes!

I decided to start using myfitnesspal as I thought that I must be losing weight by changing the way I eat so I now record everything I eat to the letter. I am eating around 1200 - 1350 cals per day, this is not on purpose to drastically lose weight but it's come naturally by changing the way I eat for my psoriasis.

It's been 3 weeks now and I have not lost a single pound, how can this be? I've read so many threads by others on here and from what they are saying, plus the drastic dietary change, surely it should be falling off me by now???

Replies

  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    Your logging is spotty. Get a food scale. Stop using generic entries. Choosing the lowest calorie entry will not get you closer to your goal.

    Weigh all your food. Log everything you eat & drink accurately & honestly. Learn to identify reliable entries—there's a lot of junk in the database. Verify everything against the label.

    Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • ataylorgardner
    ataylorgardner Posts: 203 Member
    I agree use a scale to measure out your foods and double check the calories against the food labels. Also make sure you are drinking plenty of water. That may sound weird to some but I was having a difficult time losing weight in the beginning and when I upped my water intake I finally started seeing a change. It may have just been a coincidence but its worth a try ;) What are you doing to be more active? Have you added any exercise to your plan or just a dietary change?
  • UFITYETXX
    UFITYETXX Posts: 38
    Your body might be in starvation mode...doesnt seem like enough calories...
  • kerricus
    kerricus Posts: 165 Member
    I think you are eating too few calories. According to your stats, you need to eat 1685 calories. My understanding is that if you go below that, your body is going to conserve fat.

    Here's where I came up with that number: http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

    Either that, or you're eating way more than you think. Measure and log everything you eat so that you can be accurate. We'll be able to help you more if you do that.
  • lotzobru
    lotzobru Posts: 1
    I had the same problem! i had been over weight for years, it effected my job and promotions. I am a Marine and i didn't get my new promotion until i started to eat right and loose weight. All I really did was cut out all the extra meat that I was eating and swap it with fruit and get on a schedule of eating every 2 hours.
    Your calorie intake is way too low, you body is in starvation mode and is eating/braking down your muscles instead of burning fat. You need to up you intake to more like 2000 to 2500 a day. Get workouts that burn more than 400 calories every other day, eat things that are bright in color because it usually has more fiber and takes more for your body to break it down. Spinach, kale, fruits, peppers, etc.
    I hope this helps you!!
  • Regan45
    Regan45 Posts: 191 Member
    I agree with everyone that is saying weigh/measure everything you put in your mouth. Drink lots of water!
    It did take me 3 weeks to lose one pound. It was discouraging but I didn't give up and I met my goal.
    You can do this!
  • kelli_panzera
    kelli_panzera Posts: 171
    Your body goes into starvation mode...it seems from what you are saying that you don't eat nearly what your body requires to function every day. I didn't drop a single pound at 1200 calories, but I do well between 1500 and 1600 per day. I also eat back about half of my exercise calories. Hope you find what works for you! Sometimes you have to mess around with things until you find your own personal answer.
  • ImaSpoiled1
    ImaSpoiled1 Posts: 2
    This comment is not on the weigth loss end of things, but have you tried tanning to control your skin as well? I'm not talking about trying to get a tan, but quite a few of my family members have psoriasis and have found tanning a few times a week has done wonders to control it.

    I agree with Regan45. I found out that I can eat all the good stuff I want, even exercise, but if I don't drink all the water 8 glasses min, the scale will not budge for me.

    I know you can do it. Best of wishes.
  • poohbah4
    poohbah4 Posts: 127
    How much do you want to lose? 12 stone 8 is about 178 lbs, and at 5' 8" you're probably only looking at a 15-20 lb loss, which will be slow. Probably some strength training will help to tone up that roll around your middle. Hang in there. :flowerforyou:
  • MissLCWolff
    MissLCWolff Posts: 69 Member
    I'd say try eating a bit more. I'm a 5'5" woman and 1200 calories is too low for me on a daily basis, so I can't imagine it's doing you any favors. Try mixing up your exercise routine so you're always challenging yourself, and eat a varied number of calories from day to day so your metabolism will stay high even though your net weekly calorie intake is still low. I also agree with the people recommending you drink water--even though water weight isn't "real" weight loss, being properly hydrated keeps you healthy and gets rid of the excess pounds of water weight that might be hiding your fat loss progress. Above all, don't let yourself be discouraged. Even if the number on the scale isn't moving, you're making better and smarter choices for your body than you were before.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    Apparently no one has looked at your diary, because you are not eating 1,200 calories. With 18 lb. to lose, set your goal to .5 lb. per week (which is way more than 1,200 calories), and learn how to log everything you eat & drink accurately & honestly. You're not losing because you're not eating at a deficit.

    Logging is simple, but it ain't easy.

    And read the Sexypants link:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • mdallas6
    mdallas6 Posts: 95 Member
    Try low carb eating!!! Works great!
  • pcoyles
    pcoyles Posts: 2
    Many thanks to all of you for commenting. There are some really good tips here.

    I'll take all of this advice on board and report back in a week with any progress.

    Again, Thankyou.

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