Feeling a bit discouraged

EatingAndKnitting
EatingAndKnitting Posts: 531 Member
in Motivation and Support
I weigh myself daily, I probably shouldn't, but normally I enjoy seeing the fluctuations in weight. It's amazing to me that you can weigh one weight one day and a completely different weight the next. Anyway, that's my little quirk.

I'm on two psych drugs to control my bipolar disorder. Not taking them is not an option for me, because I know down that path lies madness (and depression). However, I do think they interfere with weight loss. I successfully lost 70 pounds on WW a few years ago before I was taking these drugs, but the last time I tried WW I lost some, gained it back, lost some, gained it back, etc. I think I lost a total of two pounds in two months before I quit.

I had a bad week last week. My elderly cat died Tuesday and being close to payday I was stuck eating what was in the cabinets. As a result, I went over my calories every day last week. Not by enough to gain, I don't think, but enough. Despite not eating right, I did work out a lot (for me) last week, 30 minutes a day of cardio (walking), and some farting around on the cable machines. Maybe I'm just retaining water from working out? Maybe I underestimated my calories and I DID gain fat?

Doesn't help any that I'm really confused about calories right now. According to MFP I should eat 2070 calories a day to lose weight. According to a TDEE calculator (scoobys) my BMR is 2509 and I should eat 2400 (that's with telling the calculator that I have a desk job with little exercise - 2700 cals/day if I add in 1-3 hours a week of light exercise). My dietitian has me on 1700 a day. I don't know what or who to believe!

Yesterday I was 292 and today I was back up to 294. It feels like I'm never going to get out of the 290s right now. :grumble: I have been as low as 289, but I haven't seen that number in a while. I'm down from 300, so I'm making progress, and I'm absolutely NOT going to quit. Especially, not quit exercising, turns out I'm loving it.

I really just need to vent. Thanks for listening.

Have a drink on me! :drinker:

Replies

  • belgarath64
    belgarath64 Posts: 125 Member
    Well first, put the scales away. I weigh myself once a week, and guess what? I see a loose every week, so far. As for how may calories you are to take in I would go with the nutritionist, 2400 seems very high.
    just know we are here to support you and we know you can do it. It may seem almost impossible sometimes but I have faith in you. :)
  • EatingAndKnitting
    EatingAndKnitting Posts: 531 Member
    Well first, put the scales away. I weigh myself once a week, and guess what? I see a loose every week, so far. As for how may calories you are to take in I would go with the nutritionist, 2400 seems very high.
    just know we are here to support you and we know you can do it. It may seem almost impossible sometimes but I have faith in you. :)

    Thanks Belgarath.

    I thought 2400 seemed pretty high too, which is why I'm going with MFPs goal for right now.
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    MFP is set up so that you eat back exercise calories. Therefore once you add these onto your 2070 allowance then your intake would be nearer the 2400. They are different methods which arrive at a similar number in the end.

    At your weight you could probably afford to be a little more aggressive with your loss, hence the 1700 number quoted by your nutritionist. But then given the choice of eating 1700 cals or 2400 cals per day, I would go for the latter - yay for food! Also bear in mind that nutritionists are not qualified dietitians and depending on their own personal interests and experience they can be guilty of dishing out spurious advice, so take it with caution.

    Going with the higher number you would need to be very accurate with your logging as there is a smaller margin of error. However, why not try it for a couple of weeks and see what happens with you weight. If you're losing then stick with it, if not then try shaving 100 cals off. Tweak your intake gradually until you reach a level where you are consistently losing weight.
  • JeffInJax
    JeffInJax Posts: 232 Member
    2400 is a bit too high if you ask me. At 1.5 pounds loss a week im 247 and 6'5" and i eat around 2000 calories a day BEFORE exercise calories. If i burn 400-500 calories in exercise i usually eat half to three quarters of it back.
  • ddkphotos
    ddkphotos Posts: 304 Member
    sorry about your cat. it's hard when we lose a family member.
    good for you for realizing that you need the meds - you can find a way to lose weight while on them.
    that is a big range of possible caloric goals - I would suggest somewhere between 1,700 and 2,000 - see how you feel.
    if you're starving and unable to reach the 1,700 - go up a bit... or start at 2,000 but don't eat if you're not hungry.
    having healthier food around does help...
    I tend to eat 5 or 6 smaller times a day - breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner and usually something in the evening... about 200 to 300 calories per time - so I'm never really hungry... works for me...
    don't give up - you can do this!!
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    I actually just looked at that scoobys calculator. I notice that it might be a good starting point but it only guesstimate like the average person. Mine says I can eat Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) 2110 calories which is what I need to eat to maintain weight. I know that number is a little off because there is no lean body mass for scoobys calculations.
  • EatingAndKnitting
    EatingAndKnitting Posts: 531 Member
    Sorry, I meant registered dietitian, not nutritionist. (My coffee hasn't kicked in yet. :blushing: )

    I will start tweaking the numbers and see what happens.
  • Kate7294
    Kate7294 Posts: 783 Member
    I'd go with the 1700. Making better choices in your foods when you can. Try eating smaller meals more often. A few of my friends on here are only eating once or twice a day. I eat between 4-6 times a day. I have a hormone thing (PCOS) and was borderline diabetic ( though sugars good now). I tend to get the shakes if I go to long between meals/snacks. In your case if your still hungry on the 1700 eat back your exercise calories. A lot of people on here are eating at least half of their earned calories back. Try to at least walk for 10-20 minutes a few times a week. Hope this helps.


    My highest was 262lbs. Lost 67lbs in 9 months after my above diagnosis with introduction of Metformalin prescription for diabetes/PCOS. Ended up getting pregnant again at 39. At 41 I'm back at it to get my BMI out of that Nasty Obese section, and to try to lower my cholesterol.
  • haildodger
    haildodger Posts: 181 Member
    Only weigh yourself once a week. It cuts down on the fluctuations. Choose the same day every week, and do it first thing in the morning before you eat. And show some resolve. Where the mind goes, the body will follow.
  • jkal1979
    jkal1979 Posts: 1,896 Member
    I'm so sorry for your loss.

    I took a look at your food diary and two things that really stood out was your sodium intake and your measurements for you food. Do you use a food scale?
  • EatingAndKnitting
    EatingAndKnitting Posts: 531 Member
    I'm getting a scale next week. I'd been using an old postage scale (before MFP), but it only weighed in ounces, and it broke. A new scale will help a lot, I know.

    As for sodium, I just need to stop eating those foods.
  • Snip8241
    Snip8241 Posts: 767 Member
    Sorry for your loss. Stress can sideline us. You have had emotional stress. :flowerforyou:
    Put the scale away. I am obsessed with mine and I put it, no almost threw it, in the closet this morning.
    The advice to get a food scale is sound. A cup can vary by weight and you can be eating way more than you think you are. :smile:
  • ZBuffBod
    ZBuffBod Posts: 297 Member
    And drink more water to flush out that sodium! Good luck.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    And drink more water to flush out that sodium! Good luck.

    High sodium intakes will still mess up the scale no matter what you try.
  • EatingAndKnitting
    EatingAndKnitting Posts: 531 Member
    I went back and looked at my sodium values. I did not realize that tomato sauce had that much sodium (or I picked the wrong ingredient in the tracker for my recipe).

    Oh, my.

    Thanks everyone, I bet a large part of it is the sodium.
  • gardengirl40
    gardengirl40 Posts: 24 Member
    I agree about the smaller meals more often, it is supposed to be a lot better for your blood sugars, as someone whose mood is a slave to my blood sugar levels, I know that when I'm eating smaller (and with more protein) but a little more often I am a lot more pleasant to be around!

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