Why am I not losing? I want your opion!

Why am I not losing weight?
And possibly help me

Why don't you take your own sardonic advice you gave nmiller0903 yesterday when she asked for help.

You could try canceling your membership and using those slim wraps around your waist instead.

Or try wearing sunglasses and neon clothing with tight fitting yoga pants to work out in.

Looking like everyone else will help you blend in.

Also making eye contact with the mirror and staring at yourself or one other person in particular will help keep you from looking around.

The good news is I think that gym serves pizza and bagels so you can eat that with the other members and maybe bring some soda and ice cream in, as a treat.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235625-gym-intimidation?page=2

You don't have to be scared of being constantly hungry -- if you feel that way, you're doing it wrong! The goal should be to eat as many calories as you can while still losing weight, not to eat as few calories as you possibly can.

I like your idea of aiming for 1600/day for a few weeks to assess how you do at that intake, then making changes afterward if necessary. You really need to approach this as an experiment -- if you have too many variables, you have no idea how each individual variable is affecting the outcome. Take those two weeks to establish a baseline, and be incredibly consistent. Don't make any drastic changes to your diet that you won't be willing to live with long-term, because then you won't get an accurate picture of how your body will do on 1600.

If you feel satisfied on 1600 and lose, great! You found your number and you can keep going from there. If you're unreasonably hungry, add 50-100 calories/day for the next two weeks and then re-assess. Once you have your baseline figured out, you can go over occasionally and under occasionally (so that your weeks average out), but I would get everything stabilized and figured out first before tweaking anything.

As for feeling hungry all the time I'd suggest taking the time to experiment a bit with foods and find what satiates you the most for the least calories. Typically this will be things like lean meats (chicken, tuna, turkey etc) but I think each person is unqiue and has to discover for themselves what they find satisfying to their hunger.

Trick is to find something satisfying that isn't that caloric. If you eat an entire pound of tunafish for example that is only about 350 calories for example. Finish that off with a head of broccoli for some fiber for an extra 50 or so cals. I dare you to eat that and not feel full to the point of not wanting to eat again for quite a while. Now that is what works for me and it might not work for you, but only you can find out what works for you. Somewhere out there there is a low-ish calorie food that will satisfy you, just have to do some searching.

The plan AliceDark laid out seems like a good one to me OP. I'd add you can also play a bit with the macros you eat (percentages of protein, fat and carbs). You may find that a small increase in protein and a small reduction in carbs makes all the difference in the world between a 1600 cal day making you starving and a 1600 cal day making you full.

It's more often what you're eating rather than how much. Avoid sugar (specifically simple sugars, like sweets and white breads and pastas), and sodium. I've found that doing research on my favorite meals that include these two in order to figure out what and how much of that what goes in them makes creating a healthier alternative a lot easier. I personally don't track my calories except to see the distribution of carbs, fats and protein I'm consuming, and to make changes. There are TONS of foods out there that are low in calories and very filling. You kinda just have to figure out what works best with you.

You're also at a point of weight loss (according to your icon), that will begin to make it harder in general to lose weight because of how much you've already lost. I've lost 60 pounds since I started my journey and I'm finding that I need to make adjustments to my workouts and be more strict with the kinds of foods I'm eating. I need to eat even more clean than I already am. Increase your cardio for more calories burned (running is best if you can, your body will continue to burn calories once you get off the treadmill), and lift heavy. The more muscle you create the more fat you will burn. And no, it won't make you bulk unless you're on a weight training/food program that is designed to do that.

If you're not a runner, check out the couch to 5k app. It's fantastic. You can increase your intervals or stay the same based on what you're ready to do, and it trains the non-runner to be able to complete a 5k in roughly 9 weeks.

In short, figure out what you're eating, how much sugar/sodium you're consuming and try as best you can to eliminate them as much as possible. Play with food, do research and get creative. Intensify your workouts. You should break through your plateau. Eating every two hours or so (small meals all day) will boost your metabolism!

I hope this helps!

Eat more salad - because it's healthy, low calorie and filling
Eat more lean meat - because protein is filling and it's good
Eat less calorie dense salt laden processed foods
Find your TDEE and stay under it.

easy

Simple, yes. But NOT easy.

We're already working on finding ways for her to eat the diet that makes her feel best that are also satiating to her and keep her under her TDEE.

You mentioned eggs and veggies and cheese. What about taking an egg scramble with diced vegetables and a sprinkle of reduced-fat cheese to work with you and eating it when the hunger hits? You may have seen my usual breakfast in my diary (though it hasn't been "the usual" of late).

I know you probably don't want to use the "diet" versions of stuff I use, so here's something to use as a guideline to modify further:



If you leave out the egg white, the reduced-fat turkey sausage, and the Laughing cow cheese wedge and just replace with the equivalent calories of reduced-fat cheese, that will still be a little bit of protein and make it tastier. I personally need the potato in there to keep me full. I can eat about half a pound of grilled chicken and half a pound of roasted vegetables and be ravenous about 20 minutes later if there's no starchy carb going in with it. That's where the self-experimentation is going to come into play.

I think we need to work on that TDEE thing. It leaves me confuzled.

That part is simple. You look at the average calories you eat per day, and the amount of weight you lost. How long of a time period do you have perfectly accurate food logging for? That's the time period we examine.

Say you have 60 days worth of data and you lost 7 pounds in that time. Say your average calorie intake was 1800 calories/day during that time.

7 pounds of fat is equivalent (roughly) to 24500 calories. Over 60 days that means your average daily deficit is about 408 calories.

That plus the average calorie intake per day is your TDEE. 1800 + 400 = 2200. Your TDEE would be roughly 2200 calories/day.

So if 1800 calories on average kept you feeling hungry, you might try adding 100/calories per day for a week or two and see if that helps. Your deficit would be on average 300 calories per day, which would equate to roughly 0.6 lb. per week loss. Add 100 cal/day more if you're still hungry. Still 0.4 lb. per week loss. Still respectable and no hunger!

Does that make sense?

I guess Paleo/Primal isn't working out for you then.

Well, if that's the diet that makes her feel best, then I don't see a reason to throw it right in the dustbin without even attempting to tweak it first.

The carbs are *definitely* too low for me, but I'm not her.

Absolutely.

I'm just making a tongue-in-cheek reference to past pro-Paleo threads she has posted in.

1) Find willpower
2) Set new goal to 1500 calories tops everyday
3) Drink water when you feel hungry (Get about 11 cups a day for your weight)

Love it!!!

You don't eat breakfast. No offense, just my honest opinion. Eat breakfast and you'll be less hungry.

I eat the same bloody breakfast every day and to be honest I'm not sick of it yet.

All Bran Buds - For fiber and carbs
Soy Milk - For calcium and protein (and to wash down the Buds)
Greek Yogurt - For protein

I get hungry again around noon after my run. I usually have veggies and a piece of protein (fish, tuna, ham or chicken) plus a slice of Whole Grain bread (for some more fiber and to feel a bit more 'full')

Not hungry until dinner. Again a nice piece of protein, maybe some whole wheat pasta and loads of veggies.

Might have a snack around 9 - usually some cottage cheese or sliced roast turkey, but more often than not I don't have much in the evening.

I always have a piece of dark chocolate and a Werther's hard candy at some point in the evening as well. Never crave sweets otherwise.

I dunno. I feel like breakfast is so key to maintaining my hunger. I used to not eat until 4 or 5pm and then I would go bonkers with food, craving all the carby/fatty comfort foods. Now I feel like my breakfast and lunch gets me through the day and keeps me happy and regulated (not to mention REGULAR in the bathroom).

Eat breakfast.

Remember folks, just because you eat breakfast doesn't mean you get to ignore where the OP said she doesn't like/want breakfast and then launch into a really personalized reason for why she should eat breakfast.

I don't eat breakfast. When I do eat breakfast I always go over my calories/am horrifically hungry the rest of the day and yet I don't feel the need to go around telling other people to stop eating breakfast. Because personal preference.

Good luck to you OP, you have someone awesome helping you and I'm sure you'll get it all hammered out in no time.

Remember folks, just because you eat breakfast doesn't mean you get to ignore where the OP said she doesn't like/want breakfast and then launch into a really personalized reason for why she should eat breakfast.

I don't eat breakfast. When I do eat breakfast I always go over my calories/am horrifically hungry the rest of the day and yet I don't feel the need to go around telling other people to stop eating breakfast. Because personal preference.

Good luck to you OP, you have someone awesome helping you and I'm sure you'll get it all hammered out in no time.

Fair enough, I should have read her reply to the breakfast thing. In my opinion most people who don't eat breakfast, don't like breakfast. They start eating breakfast and then eventually they start liking breakfast. I don't have anything but personal experience to back that up with, but it seems a common trend among people who 'don't like breakfast'.

I would contend that people who think breakfast is mandatory would find that if they stopped eating breakfast they would eventually come to realize it's not something they need to get through the day. I have nothing but personal experience to back that up (which is why I don't go around telling to stop eating breakfast) but I know people like that so it seems just as relevant as your opinion.

But, again the OP isn't hungry in the morning. So there isn't a need, that I can see, for her to add a meal she doesn't want.

Confuzzled,

I figure my original post was TL:DR, but here's a pertinent quote:

"I try to cook healthy, large, high protein dinners I can eat throughout the week. I do notice a pattern that when I have my favorite dishes on hand in the fridge (pork and chicken carnitas, with lettuce, cheese and sour cream) I feel much more satisfied and full and nourished, and my overall calorie count is much lower. In light of this, I am going to start cooking more of these foods as they are my staples, and I currently have several pounds of each in the fridge, hoping for a better week. I can really eat a ton of this type salad if I go real light on the cheese and only have 500-700 cal, so it helps for the ravenous hunger I sometimes have come over me."

Also, if you review my journal, you'll see that I do my best to live off of pork and chicken carnita salads. I also prep that meat in the Crock Pot. Last night I made 6 lb of chicken!

I'm with you, buddy. You're preaching to the choir.

I think we need to work on that TDEE thing. It leaves me confuzled.

Ok.. well you're probably not gonna like this.. but oh well.. lol..

I did read it.. and I did look. I thought the carnitas were pre-made, not home made. But that's not the real issue. What I see is Mcdonalds, ice cream, Sweeteners, soda, candy, take out, pork sausage, lots of cheese and other toppings (sour cream, butter, etc..) ... What I don't see is any veggies other then green beans nor do I see fruit (2 apples once). And that is just this week.

You don't seem to eat until noon. I'd be starving too if I didn't eat anything all morning, after not eating anything all night while sleeping. That's a really long time to go without food everyday.

You're not losing weight because you're not eating right. While none of those foods are inherently bad and I won't tell you not to eat them. If you really want to lose the weight, you need to cut out more of the salt and more of the empty fillers and calories and more of the toppings. Do you weigh everything? A cup is a cup, but my cup is probably a different size then yours. How big are your tablespoons of sour cream? Or that pat of butter? what about the peanut butter? 1.5 oz is not a lot.. did you weigh it? It's amazing how fast that adds up.

Oh and 60 grams of protein isn't a lot. when I said increase protein I meant to over 100 or to you LBM amount. if you know what that is. I have a bad day if I only hit 120 grams. and I've been eating pretty ****ty lately. Stress related. That plays a huge part too.

We all get really super hungry sometimes. That means our body is telling us we are either not eating enough, OR we are not giving it the nutrients it needs. I found that I cant' do low carb. I get ridiculously tired and hungry and cranky. I average where you are (120-150 grams). Maybe you are not eating enough carbs for your body?

We are all different. What works for everyone else will likely not work for you. If you're gaining weight, you are eating too much. Period. If you're hungry after eating your calories for the day. Change what you eat so you can eat more. It really is simple to do, but harder to get our heads around.

To give you more ideas.. I eat 8-12 oz of lean meat with dinner and 4-8 oz with lunch. A whole can of tuna over a salad and a sprinkle of feta and pepper is amazing and high protein low calorie. I make chili soup and throw raw broccoli slaw in it to make it more substantial. Both are super easy to make and eat at work. Get plain Greek yogurt and mix your own fruit into it. high protein, and the fruit helps the sweet tooth and hitting the other nutrients.

Oh yea... and water.. LOTS of water. Get rid of that soda.. it's just adding sodium to your day, which retains water and adds weight on you. I like to drink tea when I need something with flavor. Green tea also has health benefits, if you care for that sort of thing.

Do you read labels and ingredient lists when you purchase things, so you know what you are buying? Do you know there is added salt and sugar in most of the food items we buy that are in a can or box? Even the ones you wouldn't think have it. Canned tomatoes for example, why the salt and sugar?? and beans.. why? If it's something you eat a lot of it will add up quickly. I read the ingredients until I find one with nothing added that is not necessary. (which usually means nothing is added).

I read a comment that you're following paelo? If that is so you have to accept that it's not working. If you are not losing the weight and you are hungry, then your diet is not working. A friend of mine tried paleo for awhile. She lost a bit in the beginning and then stopped losing and started getting really hungry. She had to accept that it wasn't right for her. She still makes the recipes but she eats dairy now and other items. I thought cheese wasn't on that menu?? Or at least a very small amount of it only?

Eating carnitas everyday.. and it's not working for you right? Skipping eating until after noon.. not working right? Not eating a lot of veggies or fruit.. not working.. fairly high fat grams each day.. (in my opinion at least) not working.. Change. what you need to do is change.

Anyway.. there's what I see.. take it or leave it.


ETA:... The "i work full time" is just an excuse.. I also work full time, work out 1-2 hours a day. a single parent to a super busy teenager I usually cook every meal every day and I date and go hiking and cook and do other things that interest me. I'm not big on the prepping. Something I need to do more and am working on. I don't do it because i get bored of the food and end up not eating it. Id id it this week though and ate it all. Go me. I even get up in the morning and cook eggs, stick them in a container and take them to work. If you want it, you'll do what you have to do get it. There are 2 options.. Do or not do. You either do it, or you don't. If you want it bad enough, you'll do what you have to to get it. if that means getting up 10 minutes earlier to make lunch or staying up later to get in your work out or whatever it means. I'm super determined and super motivated to get where I want to be. You either are and you'll make the changes, or you are not and we will see you back on here with the same issue next month.