Am I doing this right? I know I WAS but am I STILL?

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doitformetoo
doitformetoo Posts: 4
in Getting Started
I started trying to lose weight (Dr recommended) on May 1st. I did it "on my own" until the 19th, shooting for 2 lbs per week. I had only lost 2 lbs :( !! Talk about depressing.
I found Myfitnesspal the next day. Put in my info, and followed it as close as I could until June 5th. I was hoping for 4 lbs (and would have given up had I not lost more than 2 lbs again), but was blown away when the scale showed an 8 lb loss!!
I weighed in again on 6/22 and was down another 6 lbs. (For anyone keeping track, thats 16lbs in about 7 weeks)

Now, MFP has taken me from 1400 cal/day to 1300 per day. I'm having a hard time here. I'm usually around 1600-1700.
I keep looking for ways to get more exercise in, but thats almost impossible and I'll explain why...

I have a full-time office job which requires me at my desk most of the 8 hours. During my smoke breaks, I make it a point to walk circles around the smoke area, instead of just sitting or standing, but theres very little mobility during my work day.
Once home, I have 4 children. I cook dinner, clean up after dinner, get kids bathed, clean the house, get kids ready for bed, etc. I'm in constant motion from about 6pm until 9-9:30 pm.
This is where my only "free time" would come in. At this point its dark outside...not going jogging now! I'm looking into getting a treadmill or an elliptical, so after the kids are in bed, I can get 30min-an hour in a few nights a week, but honestly, cash is not the greatest right now.

I know stress and sleep can effect results too. With a husband, 4 kids, a full-time job, a house to keep clean, meals to cook, bills to pay, and my husbands company to run, stress is abundant. And sleep?? Not much with the baby up every night.

And here's where I'm getting concerned...
My doctor told me I should consistently lose weight until around the 180 mark (started at 212. I'm now at 196). After 180, he said I'm going to HAVE to get more exercise in to keep the weight loss flowing. But, as I said, I hit 196 on 6/22...its now 8 days later. I'm not "officially" weighing in again until July 3rd, but I peek from time to time and this morning, I was still at 196. So, I have lost nothing in the last week :( I'm worried I've hit my wall, and I dont have a way to really work around it. Please don't tell me I'm going to be stuck at 196, since I don't have exercise equipment, or free time.

What do I do to stay at the 1300 calories I'm "supposed" to be at without feeling hungry ALL THE TIME? And what can I be doing maybe at work, or something, to get little exercise bits in whenever I have a few extra minutes?
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Replies

  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
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    It sounds like your doctors advice might be a little too aggressive for your weight loss goals, without knowing your actual stats aside from currently 196, I am guessing you cant have 75+ lbs to lose. These are typical reccomendations for weight loss rate:

    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal

    It is common for beginners to see large drops in the scale, some of this might be actual fat, but alot of it is just water weight from changing your diet. That settles down a few weeks in and then you will see the slower loss rate when losing actual fat from a calorie deficit.

    MFP will gradually decrease your calories (I beleive they advise you to recalculate every 10 lbs) because as you get smaller you need less calories, therefore you have to eat less to create the same deficit for the same rate of loss. It is healtier to slow you loss down as you get closer to your goal (to get MFP to reconize this you will have to go in and change the settings in your profile), you can only cut out so many calories before you start hitting a wall, your body has to run off of something.

    As for exercise, you don't necessarily have to do it, but it does have all sorts of health benefits and it does help you create a larger deficit to lose faster, or just allows you to eat more if you are having troubles meeting your calories goals.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    Now, MFP has taken me from 1400 cal/day to 1300 per day. I'm having a hard time here. I'm usually around 1600-1700.
    I have a full-time office job which requires me at my desk most of the 8 hours. During my smoke breaks, I make it a point to walk circles around the smoke area, instead of just sitting or standing, but theres very little mobility during my work day.
    Once home, I have 4 children. I cook dinner, clean up after dinner, get kids bathed, clean the house, get kids ready for bed, etc. I'm in constant motion from about 6pm until 9-9:30 pm.
    This is where my only "free time" would come in. At this point its dark outside...not going jogging now! I'm looking into getting a treadmill or an elliptical, so after the kids are in bed, I can get 30min-an hour in a few nights a week, but honestly, cash is not the greatest right now.

    I know stress and sleep can effect results too. With a husband, 4 kids, a full-time job, a house to keep clean, meals to cook, bills to pay, and my husbands company to run, stress is abundant. And sleep?? Not much with the baby up every night.

    Re: exercise at night

    Walk At Home or Just Walk......this is actually low impact aerobics. You can do this after the kids are in bed. It takes just a small amount of space.

    I do this because I know I won't walk in 90° or in snow or in rain....this is excuse proof for me.

    There's a 1 mile "walk" here under the Try It! button
    http://www.walkathome.com/

    MFP gives you extra calories for exercise. This keeps you at your original deficit.

    Bathroom squats are great at work.
  • itsbasschick
    itsbasschick Posts: 1,584 Member
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    walk... just walking works miracles as long as you don't stop and start a lot. i started with 15 minute walks, worked up to 20 and then 30 and now 40. also if you know the layout of your grocery store, you can probably shop briskly without stopping on most aisles, which makes it pretty decent exercise.
  • melissaclaire93
    melissaclaire93 Posts: 30 Member
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    Jillian's 30 day shred is a great short workout! It's only 20 minutes, but it burns calories and works those muscles! Log it in as Circuit training (general). All you need is some weights and some water! :)
  • CindyMarcuzAdams
    CindyMarcuzAdams Posts: 4,006 Member
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    Try this after the kids are in bed...put on some music and dance. If you feel silly dancing, march or walk in place. It works. Hold soup cans for a bit of extra arm work. If you have ankle weights more work for you.
    Due to arthritis my only exercise is walking and I am a wimp with heat cold and rain.

    Good luck
  • walk757
    walk757 Posts: 96 Member
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    Add some strength training at night if you cannot get outside for a walk. This will increase your metabolism too. Squats, planks, abs.....no high cost equipment or gym membership required. Good luck and good health!
  • Jess__I__Can
    Jess__I__Can Posts: 307 Member
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    Can you do any exercise at your desk? I have a 5lb weight I use sporadically, and I am replacing my office chair with an exercise ball. There are so many other desk exercises if you google them.
  • krmthomas
    krmthomas Posts: 34 Member
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    Cleaning and chasing after children do burn calories. There is an option in Cardio for cleaning. Try keeping track of that to get a more accurate count for your calories. Try looking online (craigslist or kijiji) for used equipment and save yourself the cash. Another option try doing some cardio video (try youtube for free options).
  • RogueinSF
    RogueinSF Posts: 20
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    So, this is the second time I have had to count calories, the first time I was starving the entire time, this time, not so much. My weight wouldn't budge (I need to lose 50lbs) even with daily exercise so I am eating 1200 calories a day which seems to be working just fine for me. I think the difference staving off hunger this time is what I am eating - really balanced small meals with tiny snacks in between and tons of water. I don't drink any of my calories save for my coffee in the morning to which I add chocolate almond milk. That is huge, no drinking calories. Otherwise I recommend complex carbs, fat, and protein at every meal. It is working for me. Incidentally, I am starving right now after lunch 3.5 hours ago (four rye crisp crackers and 1.5oz of cheese), I have 4oz of raspberries waiting for me and I know that will suffice till dinner (two cups of homemade vegetable soup to which I will add 4-5oz of lean protein). Good luck and hang in there!
  • RogueinSF
    RogueinSF Posts: 20
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    I like Jillian Michael's yoga videos too. 30 minutes of strength and cardio and you are good! I do that and skiwalk, and I am getting pretty strong!
  • lee91356
    lee91356 Posts: 330 Member
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    Try getting a fitbit or one of those pedometers that takes account your weight/ height/ and movement and it will tell you how much your moving a day (miles, steps and calories) and make adjustments from there. sometimes just going grocery shopping can drastically increase your steps or doing laundry and house work.

    I got one because I work about 9-10 hours a day now in an office and dont have the energy to exercise like I did and now that I'm in maintenance and I wanted to make sure I wasnt eating too much, and so this way I have a good idea of what I burn each day and how many miles I'm walking.

    This really inspired me and I make a "game" out of it and each day/ week try to get higher then the last. I even use my lunch breaks sometimes to walk and run errands rather than drive so it can boost my steps. I know it not ground breaking but it helps and keep me in check.
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
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    exercise is good for you , but weight loss comes mostly from what you eat. Eat your 1300-1400 calories, and supplement that with as many non starchy vegetables as you can eat, you don't have to count non starchy vegitable calories if you dont want , that's how you will keep from being hungry.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    Are you on sedentary? Seriously, you aren't. Most people who think they are aren't, and the activity in the evenings you described are definitely at least lightly active. That should get you more calories, and if not consider trying a lower weekly goat, like 1.5 or 1 lb (if you are at 2). If you follow that, you should lose. There's no wall after which you need exercise. Controlling calories is enough, exercise is for health, fitness, and to be able to eat more. Weight loss also fluctuates, so don't panic if you do end up having a no loss week. (I stall for a few days throughout a month for all kinds of reasons and none.)

    That aside, I do think it's better to be able to work exercise in. For me it's important to be able to eat more and to have other things to work toward in getting fit besides the scale. Under your circumstances I'd try a DVD. You might want to check some out on the internet first, but many aren't expensive. Fitness blender is also something to check out.
  • maidentl
    maidentl Posts: 3,203 Member
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    There are a ton of free exercise videos on YouTube!

    BeFit https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD0nBMLdq_KbIK9u-mzpNkA

    Fitness Blender https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiP6wD_tYlYLYh3agzbByWQ

    Blogilates https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIJwWYOfsCfz6PjxbONYXSg
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
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    For exercise you can look up 'convict training' or 'you are your own gym.' Great workouts without equipment that will help build strength. You have gotten some good advice about changing your goals. I know you want the weight of fast (we all do), but are you going to stick with it if you are miserable? I know I can't.

    Weight loss will not be consistent. If you have consumed a salty meal the day before, your body will hold onto water. If it is close to TOM, you body will likely hold onto water. These aren't true stalls or gains (depending on what it does), so try not to be too focused on the scale. Take some measurements and pictures. I can really see the difference between my most recent picture and my starting picture.

    If you are hungry and having a hard time keeping within your calorie goals, eat more veggies, they are lower calorie for greater volume. This will help you feel full longer. Protein and fats help you feel full longer as well. You just need to play with the balance that works for you. It does take time to find what works for you. Have you been eating back your exercise calories? You should eat back at least half of them. The MFP program is set up that you eat those back. That helps with the hunger too.

    I hope some of this is helpful. Best wishes for you. :flowerforyou:
  • Tora32
    Tora32 Posts: 33 Member
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    I second YouTube. I've been able to find free workouts on there for pretty much any type of exercise from yoga to kickboxing to bodyweight training, and you could probably even mix some of the shorter ones into playlists for more full-length workouts if you need to. I've found plenty of dance and Zumba routines on there if you're into that like I am. ;)

    Exercise dvds are another easy option, whether it's buying them cheap off amazon or a second-hand store, or checking them out from the library. Also, if you happen to have a wii or an Xbox with kinect, try some of the more active games to get moving. Some of them can really get you moving if you let them!
  • yosassi
    yosassi Posts: 30 Member
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    Fitness Blender has quite a few awesome free videos. If you are looking into purchasing programs, I am a huge fan of the 21 Day Fix from Beachbody. It is a program that doesn't have you counting calories, but rather has you reconsidering what you eat based on the food item and portion control. I had been using My Fitness Pal as a calorie counter on and off for two years, but saw more results from the portion control diet than from calorie counting. It's a little more expensive, but it is such a change of pace that it may be worth it for you. I am a broke graduate student and still believe it is one of the best investments I made! I can answer any questions you may have about how to make it work with what your doctor recommended! Feel free to message me and good luck :)
  • bonniejo
    bonniejo Posts: 787 Member
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    What about playing games with the kids before bed?

    I would consider a fit bit zip investment. They're about $50 and I think that one will help you quite a bit. Takes the guesswork out of the exercise part!
  • TEMMEAlexa
    TEMMEAlexa Posts: 79 Member
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    I think you already have your hands full.You are already working all your waking hours but if you still want to squeeze in more exercise then i feel you should try waking up a little early than you usually do.This way you could try going for a jog, join a gym or even try your hand at yoga at home.Morning exercise is going to keep you fit through the day and also help you lose weight.
  • krogers810x
    krogers810x Posts: 92 Member
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    If you really want a machine, I second the recommendation to try Craigslist. I bought my elliptical about a year ago for $75! It's a quality machine and was a total steal. It took a few weeks to find it, but with patience you can find what you need.

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