Help - Working out and eating right - fat not coming off

The first thing that jumps out at me is that she isn't posting this herself. It's great that you're supportive and want to help, but you can't do it for her. Second, I agree with everyone else - one week is not enough time. Weight loss is a long, very slow process. You make some changes, get into the routine, and settle in for the long haul.

Counting calories using a food scale IS very important, yes. But one thing I would caution your wife about when considering MFP's caloric need estimates is that they are just that: estimates. All these online calculators are. I understand how discouraged your wife is feeling -- I've been there -- but if you've had a full panel run (not just the most basic thyroid test), and everything is clear, then it's a matter of finding the right balance.

For me personally, that meant not only weighing foods but also getting a BodyMedia Fit device to get a more accurate idea of how many calories I burn. It turns out that my metabolism is slow, and on a "just hanging out" day, I'm burning 200-300 calories less than most of the calculators tell me I should be at a sedentary level (I always set to sedentary to find my baseline and then adjust my intake for activities I do throughout the day), and that was important information I could use to help me plan. I know I need at least 1 hour and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per day to eat at TDEE and still see weight loss. If she hasn't, she might want to try using this calculator (http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/) to get her rough numbers and use it to adjust her MFP goals manually while she's working out that balance.

Frankly, I'm impressed that your wife manages to find time to do these high-intensity workouts with so many kids. Kudos to her. I'd just encourage her to consider the following:

1. Some of the workouts you mentioned also build muscle. Muscle is more dense than fat, so if she isn't taking her measurements (as opposed to just weighing), she may not notice some of her fat losses for a while -- the scale doesn't tell the whole story.

2. Her workouts are making her stronger and healthier. That makes them worthwhile, even if the numbers don't change quickly. Her value is not in the number on the scale, but in who she is. It's easy to fall into the mindset that the workouts are what she HAS to do, almost a punishment for not losing the weight. That attitude is almost certain to lead to depression, especially when it feels like it's never enough. What working out SHOULD be is an expression of personal value -- "I am worth so much that I will put time into keeping myself well and strong."

3. If she is actually depressed and not just discouraged, another important expression of self-value is in getting help for that, regardless of her weight. She deserves to sleep well (don't underestimate sleep's impact on the metabolism), fuel well, move well, and FEEL well, and it's her responsibility to make sure that she makes the decisions that will help her do that.

4. Fast weight loss usually leads to fast weight regains, particularly for us ladies. She needs to be patient with her body. Her body is remarkable -- it grew how many babies inside of it?! -- but it didn't do that overnight, either. If she expects results after a week, she's getting caught up with unreasonable expectations and the discouraging results are leading her to give up too soon. Some women develop an unhealthy relationship with their scales; maybe it's time for you to hide that thing for a few months, so she can refocus on her health and on the actions that should -- given sufficient time -- make her healthy and strong. Dennis Wholey once said, "Happy people plan actions. They don't plan results." There's a reason for that. We can't fully control the results or the speed with which we see them. We can, however, control the actions we take -- the ones that are most likely to lead, eventually, to our goals.

I'm new here myself -- I'm using MFP as my nutrition tracker because it integrates with my BodyMedia Fit and has a more user-friendly interface and much larger food database than Body Media's nutrition tracker does. That being said, if your wife wants encouragement or a chat, she's free to look me up here.

So it's been about 1 1/2 years

...my wife does breastfeed still.

Everybody loves milk, but maybe it's time for a change.

Yesterday I celebrated both my daughter's 2nd birthday and 2 years of nursing. Not your breasts, not your business.

I can't breastfeed, I got rid of my moobs by having a calorie deficit. More importantly it makes my nipples hurt.

So it's been about 1 1/2 years

...my wife does breastfeed still.

Everybody loves milk, but maybe it's time for a change.

Yesterday I celebrated both my daughter's 2nd birthday and 2 years of nursing. Not your breasts, not your business.

It was a suggestion in regards to her not losing weight, not an indictment on breast feeding. Do be so defensive.

Breastfeeding does not prevent weight loss. Particularly in cases of extended breastfeeding where you are only nursing once or twice per day and the baby is receiving most of its nourishment from outside sources. And it was in regards to how long she has been nursing, as the poster quoted not only how long she has been nursing but suggested that it was time for a change.

I didn't say it was good advice. If you had responded to that post with this^^^^^that would have been a great response. I was just pointing out that the suggestion wasn't an indictment on breastfeeding and your reply was somewhat defensive. I agree with you btw.

all good advice, maybe she needs a cleanse by eating clean, lots of fruits, greens, fish and lots of water, some foods actually cause inflammation, and some times we can over train and stress our bodies so much it can't loose, look these things up on the internet, they are all true. I had to change from eating certains foods, I found out I have food sensitivites.

You can eat as you describe above and still gain weight. Weight loss, maintenance, or gain is depending on how many calories we take in and don't burn, not on the type of food we eat.

Food sensitivities are indeed another story, but still, it's eating too much that makes us gain weight.

ok, just read the thread a little more closely, I have finished menopause, all those symptons are definitlely a part of the onset of early stage menopause and trust me, menopause will stop you from losing weight or make it extremely difficult, check into that also.

Maybe for some women, due to the hormone changes causing an increased appetite and some water retention, but this is not true for all. I have been menopausal for the last year and I have lost 42 pounds and am maintaining my weight (since January).