If I am at a deficit, why am I not losing weight?

I'm not trying to say it is impossible for me to lose weight at all, or that I'm perfect and not doing anything wrong etc.

I have had my cheat days, but even if I do I try to keep my week at the correct total, i.e I would eat less the next day or exercise it off, etc.

I try my best to weigh everything correctly, or scan things I can't, and I try avoid eating anything I can't properly track to make sure I am not eating more than I am supposed to.

I can guarantee, even if my entries are just estimates (scanning or picking from a list instead of weighing) I am never eating at any less than a 100 deficit on any given day, my goal is at about a 400-500 deficit.

I also exercise for at leats an hour 3 times a week besides the last 2 weeks just gone as I was sick, so I think I only went one or twice a week.

I haven't been to the doctor yet about whether it is a thyroid problem, he says I look fit so I shouldn't worry anyway, but that isn't the point. I want to lose weight for me.

Does anyone have any tips or opinions on what I may be doing wrong?

I don't care about criticism, I just want to get on the right track, so any help at all is greatly appreciated. I am getting very demotivated, and I don't want to give up, but I don't know why I am not losing anything.

With a quick look at your diary it seems your cal. intake is all over the place.

My advise is, weight your food and log everything. And I mean EVERYTHING!

Drink more water! I drink 1 gallon everyday, sometimes 2.

And last but not least, your 19 years old. Stop stressing about the little stuff and enjoy your youth.


p.s. Don`t go to McDonalds anymore. Or that other burger place you ate today. But out of curiosity, how did you even eat all of this in one sitting?

Mcdonald's (Australia) - Big Mac, 1 burger 492 35 27 25 859 6
Mac Donalds - Medium Fries, 1 medium fries 340 41 17 4 800 0
Mac Donalds - Quarter Pounder With Cheese, 202 g 490 37 25 30 1,180 10
Mac Donalds - Small French Fries, 70 g 230 29 11 3 160 0
Mac - Nuggets , 0.5 box (6 pices) 162 11 10 7 256 0
Cocacola - Coke, 83.33 ml 36 9 0 0 8 9

you read right,
1, I did not lose weight because i kept craving more, eating it and pretending like i did not. It is almost impossible to eat a big mac and not want a sweet drink.
2, also it doesn't give the same energy, your work outs will suffer.
3, and don't forget the lack of fiber which encourages the rubbish to sit in you while your body absorbs every single fat in it.
A calorie is not a calorie. Please do some research on how our bodies process different food groups and you will see what i am saying.

A big mac won't cause any problem, add that with a chocolate, a cup of coke and some biscuits and your tummy will just sit there. better still, don't. it defeats the purpose of the fitness journey.

check out xxxxxxxxxx.com and see if that may be the answer to your problems. It helped me go from size 18-20 to an 11-12 and lose over 40 pounds. I love using myfitnesspal because it helps me stat on track.

Me again. There as been a lot of posts so once again I will try answer all the questions.

I don't actually enjoy fast food, like at all. I get bored of food easily, and I only like a select few things from each take out place, so after a week I don't really want to go, but either my partner goes or it is easier and quicker than cooking.

I actually don't enjoy most food. I do try new stuff a lot, but I have certain foods and meals I like, and that's pretty much it. I am also gluten and dairy intolerant. Which is why i don't eat the buns of burgers when I have take out and I try not to have cheese on stuff. The only dairy I do want to eat is yoghurt. I don't always stick to this though, I love certain things too much, i.e pizza.

Also, if my week evens out, it doesn't affect or "sabotage" me. That's ridiculous. Your weight fluctuates so much over a week anyway there would be no point weighing yourself every day, because at the end of the week when you weigh in, your weight is affected by both the day you overate and the other days you underrate to make up for it. If I ate 3000 calories on Monday and ate 500 or less every day ( not healthy obviously but for arguments sake) for the rest of the week, I would still be under my weekly goal and I would have still lost weight. That's the same as thinking eating at any time of day would affect digestion of the food.

I like the idea of the soup bags, in my environment that may actually really work, and someone else mentioned a cooler in my room due to the lack of space, which is also a really good option for me. It will make it easier to preprepare.

As I stated before, waking up early is not an option. I would if I could but the owners of the house are very snooty about any noise, ironically they make a lot themselves, but whatever.

I have a very tiny room that literally only has room for our desk, our bed, a built in robe and me and my partner, so I can't even exercise before work because my gym is pretty far from home and work.

I agree that it doesn't matter what I eat as long as I am at a deficit, whether it is fast food or better stuff, if I am trying to lose weight. I am more disappointed in myself for the fact that I started dieting and calorie deficits to be healthier and lose excess weight, and eat better, and now I just try eat below a deficit regardless of what I eat.

I made a food plan today for the rest of the week, so if anyone wants to see it let me know, but I think between me and my partner and the cooler I bought last night, we should be able to start having pre prepared meals. And then when we move out we wont even have a space or time issue coz we will have our own place.

for my bmr and tdee, a1400 calorie goal is just over a 500 cal deficit. Which I think is about 1poound a week? Which I am happy to do. atm the rate seems to be over the last 2 months, its been about 250g a week so I have only lost 2 kg.

It isn't horrific but it could be better. It is honestly convenience that I eat the way I do.

I barely ever have an appetite or am hungry. I eat at night because my partner makes me and I know I should, and occasionally I will get peckish throughout the day, but not often, I am usually preoccupied. So hunger isn't the reason I overeat, its more I see food I like, like a chocolate pudding lets say, and I will eat it. Even if I am not hungry.

I also don't seem to really know when I am full unless I am completely stuffed. There isn't an in between. it goes ok, ok, ok, ok, ok, stuffed.

I don't know if that's normal, but regardless. I really need to be stricter on eating more nutritious foods.

I do take multivitamins and fibre and iron and vitamin c every day. So my body isn't completely malnourished, but it would help eating better, I know.

I suppose now it is just finding a way to do that for me that I will actually stick to.

Also, I did do intermittent fasting for a while there at the beginning, didn't see much of an effect. Not sure if I didn't give it long enough or it just doesn't work for me, but I was eating only 1200 calories (healthy food too, didn't have this work schedule then) and fasting for about 20 hours, so if anything should have worked, fasting should have, and it didn't. Everyone said they lost about 8kg/ 16ish pds on average after a month of fasting, I lost about a kilo, maybe half. AND I was also exercising too.

I just checked. I'm logging 486 calories for the 50-min. classes. Does that sound reasonable?

Lynn

She is not the only person who is trying to lose weight unsuccessfully. It can be incredibly frustrating! I keep hoping for a magic pill but ... ;-)

I've been on MFP for just a few weeks now. I've logged every bite that I've put in my mouth. I have gone over my allowed limit 3 times, but am usually under by 100+ each day. Some days I am closer to my limit. I am exercising regularly. I haven't lost much - less than MFP says I should have.

My general day is: breakfast is fiber and flax seed whole grain toast (2). I was having peanut butter and a sugar free preserve, but to cut calories, I have now switched to Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread. I measure out the spread to be sure I am eating what I log. And coffee (black). ~300-400 cal.

Lunch is typically a Chobani yogurt, apple and sparking ice beverage, eaten at my desk (I use an insulated lunch bag and ice block). I will often eat a 2nd apple before or shortly after lunch, which I log in with my lunch. Sometimes I'll have a protein bar (190 cal.) as well. Then I usually only have 1 apple. ~300 cal.

Dinner varies quite a bit...if I eat at McDonald's, it is generally a classic grilled chicken sandwich, no mayo and a diet coke. At home, it can be any type of meat, veggies and a starch. I try to measure my quantities to be sure I am logging the correct amount. ~350-500 cal.

Snacks are ice cream or Chick-a-boom popcorn. The popcorn is only 37 cal. per cup, so that's not bad. The ice cream is only when I have calories left over.

I'm allowed 1460 per day without counting exercise. I try my best to stay at that level or below, even when I exercise (but some days I am just HUNGRY and eat some of my exercise calories as well). I've floated between 2-4 lbs lost...generally closer to the 2 lb lost for the last 1.5 weeks. I'm also 50 yrs old.

Any idea what I'm doing wrong?

Lynn