I can't ever lose weight

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im2lexi4myshirt
im2lexi4myshirt Posts: 23
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been trying to lose weight since seventh grade. I just graduated high school and all I've ever done was lost 5 lbs. about a few months ago but obviously I've gained a lot of weight since seventh grade because of puberty and growing in general. I am a vegetarian so I don't get too much protein and I work out 5-6 days a week: 2-3 days strength training, 3 days cardio. I'm just wondering if there's anything I'm missing to the weight loss equation. I'm not overweight at all, I just want to look better and feel better in everyday life. I maybe want to lose 10-15 lbs. and I really don't care if it takes 1 month, 2 months, or 7 months. Thank you for any tips!
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Replies

  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
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    First, being a vegetarian is no excuse for not getting enough protein. There are many vegetarians here who get plenty of protein.

    It sounds like you want to recomp. Do you lift weights at all? If so, what weight and for how many set/reps?
  • jadethief
    jadethief Posts: 266 Member
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    To lose weight, you need to be in a caloric deficit.
  • caimay175
    caimay175 Posts: 42
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    Agree with JTick. If you don't need to lose weight, why try? It's a very difficult ride to get off of once you're on. Focus instead on eating well, and lifting to get stronger and improve your body composition
  • im2lexi4myshirt
    im2lexi4myshirt Posts: 23
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    Oh I definitely understand! A ton of vegetarians eat even more protein than non-vegetarians! I just can't do it for some reason. I don't like beans and not a particularly big fan of nuts or hummus or tofu haha. I will definitely try, though. And for weights, I do lift. Not very much, though. I do one arms day and one legs day.

    For arms, I will do 4 sets of each exercise: 10 reps of 10 lbs., 8 reps of 15 lbs, 6 reps of 20 lbs., and 4 reps of 25 lbs.

    For legs, I will do the same 4 sets things but I use 50-90 lbs. depending on how sore I am.

    I feel like by explaining all that, I'm not doing enough haha.
  • laurenawolf
    laurenawolf Posts: 262 Member
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    Oh I definitely understand! A ton of vegetarians eat even more protein than non-vegetarians! I just can't do it for some reason. I don't like beans and not a particularly big fan of nuts or hummus or tofu haha. I will definitely try, though. And for weights, I do lift. Not very much, though. I do one arms day and one legs day.

    For arms, I will do 4 sets of each exercise: 10 reps of 10 lbs., 8 reps of 15 lbs, 6 reps of 20 lbs., and 4 reps of 25 lbs.

    For legs, I will do the same 4 sets things but I use 50-90 lbs. depending on how sore I am.

    I feel like by explaining all that, I'm not doing enough haha.

    Working out is for fitness.
    Weight loss comes from a calorie deficit.

    Are you weighing and logging everything that goes into your mouth? That is the only way you will know if you are eating in a deficit.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    Forget the number on the scale. Get on a progressive strength training program, get that protein in, and you will be much happier with your body.
  • itsbasschick
    itsbasschick Posts: 1,584 Member
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    i've been a vegetarian for years, and i get plenty of protein. first off, egg beaters or egg whites have 5 grams of high quality protein per 3 tablespoons. i use 9 tablespoons per serving, and can through in stuff like red bell peppers to make a scramble that tastes great yet is fat free. fage 0% greek yogurt is packed with protein, low in calories and has no fat. there's also the morningstar farms meat substitutes - the sausages are amazing, my meat eating son LOVES them, and they have 10 grams of protein per patty. and don't forget sargento or market pantry reduced fat cheese - my fave is sargento reduced fat swiss, as it offers 7 grams of protein in a 60 calorie slice.
  • im2lexi4myshirt
    im2lexi4myshirt Posts: 23
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    Oh I definitely understand! A ton of vegetarians eat even more protein than non-vegetarians! I just can't do it for some reason. I don't like beans and not a particularly big fan of nuts or hummus or tofu haha. I will definitely try, though. And for weights, I do lift. Not very much, though. I do one arms day and one legs day.

    For arms, I will do 4 sets of each exercise: 10 reps of 10 lbs., 8 reps of 15 lbs, 6 reps of 20 lbs., and 4 reps of 25 lbs.

    For legs, I will do the same 4 sets things but I use 50-90 lbs. depending on how sore I am.

    I feel like by explaining all that, I'm not doing enough haha.

    Working out is for fitness.
    Weight loss comes from a calorie deficit.

    Are you weighing and logging everything that goes into your mouth? That is the only way you will know if you are eating in a deficit.

    i try to, but honestly i know that i can't always do everything perfectly. Maybe I'll focus more on weighing and measuring
  • GuybrushThreepw00d
    GuybrushThreepw00d Posts: 784 Member
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    1. profile pic = you don't need to lose weight so forget a calorie deficit.
    2. take measurements and pics of yourself
    3. do weight training, stronglifts/crossfit for 3 months
    3. report back with your results.
  • David_AUS
    David_AUS Posts: 298 Member
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    I would urge you to consider if it is really weight that you want to lose? My suggestion is to look more towards body fat % and measurements. If you are a healthy weight, which it sounds like you are - weight is a poorer indicator of progress as you can swing a number of pounds depending on what you have eaten, the time of month etc... For weights you do not need to lift frequently but you do need to be challenged, if you are not experiencing some kind of burn or muscle failure at the end of your reps than you need to increase the weight a little - remember muscles grow in rest and recovery - not in the gym.
  • desertlily0713
    desertlily0713 Posts: 2 Member
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    If you can, try investing in a good vegan or vegetarian protein powder. Local whole foods supplement stores usually have a pretty good selection. (I can't vouch for taste because I have never tried them, but I work in a whole foods store and know that some of them are awesome sources of protein and other nutrients.) If I were in your shoes, I'd go with Raw Fit. It has pantethenic acid which increases production of coenzyme A which will give your metabolism a little boost. It also has chriomium, which helps you not to constantly crave carbs. If you're a carboholic like me, its very helpful. These things are completely safe to use and I haven't heard of any harmful side effects, but if it puts your mind at ease, you can absolutely do research on your own to see if something having those ingredients would work for you. Most important, don't put a bunch of pressure on yourself and do it the safe way. It takes a really long time for even minimal weight loss. Just do what makes you feel good and you'll get where you want to be. :)
  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
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    Oh I definitely understand! A ton of vegetarians eat even more protein than non-vegetarians! I just can't do it for some reason. I don't like beans and not a particularly big fan of nuts or hummus or tofu haha. I will definitely try, though. And for weights, I do lift. Not very much, though. I do one arms day and one legs day.

    For arms, I will do 4 sets of each exercise: 10 reps of 10 lbs., 8 reps of 15 lbs, 6 reps of 20 lbs., and 4 reps of 25 lbs.

    For legs, I will do the same 4 sets things but I use 50-90 lbs. depending on how sore I am.

    I feel like by explaining all that, I'm not doing enough haha.

    You're not lifting enough.

    I'd recommend a small calorie deficit..say TDEE - 10%. Then, find a progressive lifting program (Stronglifts, Strong Curves, Starting Strength) and follow it. You need to lift HEAVY, with high weight and lower reps. The scale might stay close to the same, but you'll see some awesome results in how your body looks.

    ETA: Protein is very important for recovering from workouts. A vegetarian protein powder would be a great help to you. I get pretty sore if my protein is lacking, but I recover much faster if my protein is where it should be.
  • frood
    frood Posts: 295 Member
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    Forget the number on the scale. Get on a progressive strength training program, get that protein in, and you will be much happier with your body.
    +1
  • Varcolaci
    Varcolaci Posts: 15
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    If you don't need to lose weight, don't try. A portion of all weight you lose will be muscle. Your first problem is lack of protein. This is a big problem. Contrary to popular belief, nuts are not a good source of protein. They are a great source of fat. If you won't eat meat, eggs or cottage cheese, then you have to get protein powder and other supplements. Find out your total daily energy expenditure. Find out your lean body mass. Get online and calculate what you should be eating macro-wise and do it. IF you are working out hard and see no gains, then you are not eating enough good calories. Vegetables only have a few calories, if that is all you eat you should be eating several pounds of them a day just to stay healthy. Anything less than 1200 calories total and you are dangerously malnourished. Convert your weight to muscle rather than trying to lose weight when you are already thin.

    And as a personal opinion: Humans are omnivores. Meat contains many nutrients essential to our health, including Protein and Iron. Vegetarians tend to have a lot of health problems, bad skin and frail constitutions because they simply are not getting enough nutritional food to maintain their immune system and overall health. I urge all vegetarian and vegan friends to please reconsider, for their health. Meat and poultry really are pretty much required parts of a human diet. If you insist on cutting those things completely out, then you owe it to your body to replace that loss with supplements.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
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    Oh I definitely understand! A ton of vegetarians eat even more protein than non-vegetarians! I just can't do it for some reason. I don't like beans and not a particularly big fan of nuts or hummus or tofu haha. I will definitely try, though. And for weights, I do lift. Not very much, though. I do one arms day and one legs day.

    For arms, I will do 4 sets of each exercise: 10 reps of 10 lbs., 8 reps of 15 lbs, 6 reps of 20 lbs., and 4 reps of 25 lbs.

    For legs, I will do the same 4 sets things but I use 50-90 lbs. depending on how sore I am.

    I feel like by explaining all that, I'm not doing enough haha.

    You're not lifting enough.

    I'd recommend a small calorie deficit..say TDEE - 10%. Then, find a progressive lifting program (Stronglifts, Strong Curves, Starting Strength) and follow it. You need to lift HEAVY, with high weight and lower reps. The scale might stay close to the same, but you'll see some awesome results in how your body looks.

    ETA: Protein is very important for recovering from workouts. A vegetarian protein powder would be a great help to you. I get pretty sore if my protein is lacking, but I recover much faster if my protein is where it should be.

    Everything this lady says. Definitely look into a lifting PROGRAM. Picking up weights and improvising isn't going to get you what you want.
  • MakePeasNotWar
    MakePeasNotWar Posts: 1,329 Member
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    If you just want to look and feel better, I would recommend increasing your protein (if you are lacto-ovo veg, should be easy; if vegan, try protein powders from hemp, soy, rice, etc and maybe some meat analogues if the sodium isn't an issue for you), and tweaking your resistance workouts to fewer reps, higher weight. Maybe drop the first set altogether? Do weights 2-3 times a week and let your body rest and refuel in between.

    I am also vegetarian, and recently increased my protein intake from 60-70grams a day (CDC minimum recommendation is 46 or higher, so that's not too low health wise) to 150g on the advice if my trainers. In 4 months I have transformed my body from over 25% body fat to 18.3%. I only weigh about 10 lb less, but I look and feel so much better.

    You might gain a few pounds of fluid weight when you start lifting, but it's temporary so stick it out at least 3-4 weeks before you consider reducing your calories.
  • mommyrunning
    mommyrunning Posts: 495 Member
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    I mean this to be helpful so please forgive me if it sounds too blunt (no rudeness intended). From your post is sounds like a huge obstacle you are facing is that you keep saying you "can't". If you start off with that mentality it will make it harder from the get go. I am a vegetarian and it does take more work to eat enough protein but it is doable. Cottage cheese and quinoa are 2 others sources of protein. If you don't like quinoa by itself there's tons of recipes out there to spice it up and they sell rice-quinoa blends. You could also do protein shakes. For the weight loss it can be harder to lose when you are smaller and don't have much extra. As others suggested it may be more about toning then actual weight loss.
  • markja
    markja Posts: 270 Member
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    I know exactly what you mean. I have the same problem. Actually, I can lose weight but, it just seems to take me longer than others. The proof? I've actually lost 30 lbs since March. It's taken me about 4 months while it would take most folks about 3 months.

    I found my daily requirement based on sedentary levels and logged all of my exercise and food. I'm dropping a little over 7 lbs a month on average. It takes a while, a long while, but, you can do it.

    Just stay in deficit and log everything you eat! every spoonful taste, every little snack, every french fry you snag from your spouse's (or whoever) plate, every piece of candy... you get the picture.

    My problem is that emotionally I don't feel the cream in my coffee counts even though I know it does mentally. Thoughts over feelings. It's kind of like feeling that you have money because you just go paid even though you know that the whole paycheck is spent on groceries, gas, rent and bills.

    Stay in deficit and you will lose.
  • juliafromrf
    juliafromrf Posts: 106 Member
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    And as a personal opinion: Humans are omnivores. Meat contains many nutrients essential to our health, including Protein and Iron. Vegetarians tend to have a lot of health problems, bad skin and frail constitutions because they simply are not getting enough nutritional food to maintain their immune system and overall health. I urge all vegetarian and vegan friends to please reconsider, for their health. Meat and poultry really are pretty much required parts of a human diet. If you insist on cutting those things completely out, then you owe it to your body to replace that loss with supplements.

    Proof? Especially the part in bold. It's okay to have your personal opinion, but please don't scare people away from a vegetarian diet without backing up your arguments.
  • _HeartsOnFire_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
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    First, being a vegetarian is no excuse for not getting enough protein. There are many vegetarians here who get plenty of protein.

    It sounds like you want to recomp. Do you lift weights at all? If so, what weight and for how many set/reps?

    I've been vegetarian for 24 years. Protein can be an issue if you're not trying, but I've been hitting at least 100-120 (yesterday it was like 140g) so I agree...no excuse.

    Yes. Lift all the heavy things. Pick them up, put them back down.

    Want to lift heavy things?
    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

    Stronglifts Summary
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/560459-stronglifts-5x5-summary

    Stronglifts Womens Group
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/4601-stronglifts-5x5-for-women

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