Super obese, why isn't the weight falling off me?
Replies
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I've been at this for 7 weeks and have lost 8 lbs which is about a lb a week. For someone my size, I should be losing more. I track everything on paper which is why my diary isn't open. I think I am going to switch and try to log on this site. I started using paper so I could show it to my dr and just got in the habit of writing everything down. I can assure you though, I am sticking to my 1800 calorie limit, measuring EVERYTHING and don't have any food logging issues.
I really think the problem is my metabolism. I work from home and do no exercise and this has been going on for a few years. I recently got a Fitbit and it turns out I only walk about 300 steps a day on average. My daily calorie burn has got to be much less than the BMR calculation so it's possible even at my weight I'm not even burning 1800 calories a day.
I am going to start walking a bit and hopefully it won't cause me excruciating pain and maybe lower my calories a little to see if that makes a difference.0 -
Increase your activity. If you watch TV at all, walk in place or do crunches during the commercials. Do you have stairs? Start walking your stairs, do calf lifts, someone else mentioned walking from the front to the back of your house. Do *anything* to get you moving a little more than what you're used to. Also, don't neglect ordinary objects around your house to help with strength training if you don't have any equipment. Canned goods and books are great for arm workouts.0
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I've been at this for 7 weeks and have lost 8 lbs which is about a lb a week. For someone my size, I should be losing more. I track everything on paper which is why my diary isn't open. I think I am going to switch and try to log on this site. I started using paper so I could show it to my dr and just got in the habit of writing everything down. I can assure you though, I am sticking to my 1800 calorie limit, measuring EVERYTHING and don't have any food logging issues.
I really think the problem is my metabolism. I work from home and do no exercise and this has been going on for a few years. I recently got a Fitbit and it turns out I only walk about 300 steps a day on average. My daily calorie burn has got to be much less than the BMR calculation so it's possible even at my weight I'm not even burning 1800 calories a day.
I am going to start walking a bit and hopefully it won't cause me excruciating pain and maybe lower my calories a little to see if that makes a difference.
8 lbs is still great! Don't cut yourself short!!
Definitely start using this site to log your food. It's easier than writing everything down on paper. You can print off your daily food logs and bring them to show your doctor (That's what I do).
Since you do not exercise and are very, very sedentary, I do think it wouldn't hurt to cut back your calories to 1600. Remember, the kind of carbs you eat are going to make or break your weight loss because you are pre-diabetic. Make sure you are eating the right carbs (complex).
If you are in that much pain when you walk, skip it for now and focus on the diet aspect. Diet is 80% of weight loss anyways. The exercise can wait until you have lost a significant amount of weight. It will be easier for you to move around once you are down 100-150 lbs.0 -
You can set your Fitbit food plan to sedentary instead of personalized. That may affect the number of calories recommended.0
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At least the scale is going down--that is progress!I've been at this for 7 weeks and have lost 8 lbs which is about a lb a week. For someone my size, I should be losing more. I track everything on paper which is why my diary isn't open. I think I am going to switch and try to log on this site. I started using paper so I could show it to my dr and just got in the habit of writing everything down. I can assure you though, I am sticking to my 1800 calorie limit, measuring EVERYTHING and don't have any food logging issues.
I really think the problem is my metabolism. I work from home and do no exercise and this has been going on for a few years. I recently got a Fitbit and it turns out I only walk about 300 steps a day on average. My daily calorie burn has got to be much less than the BMR calculation so it's possible even at my weight I'm not even burning 1800 calories a day.
I am going to start walking a bit and hopefully it won't cause me excruciating pain and maybe lower my calories a little to see if that makes a difference.
I bolded the above part, however, because pretty much everyone who is not seeing the results they want say the same thing. You're eating less than you burn, which is terrific, but some inaccuracies in logging could be the difference between 1lb per week or 2lbs per week. Logging your food on here using a food scale and the MFP database instead of on paper will be a huge improvement. Then, after a few more weeks if you still are not getting the results you want, you can open your diary so the MFP community can better advise you.0 -
At least the scale is going down--that is progress!I've been at this for 7 weeks and have lost 8 lbs which is about a lb a week. For someone my size, I should be losing more. I track everything on paper which is why my diary isn't open. I think I am going to switch and try to log on this site. I started using paper so I could show it to my dr and just got in the habit of writing everything down. I can assure you though, I am sticking to my 1800 calorie limit, measuring EVERYTHING and don't have any food logging issues.
I really think the problem is my metabolism. I work from home and do no exercise and this has been going on for a few years. I recently got a Fitbit and it turns out I only walk about 300 steps a day on average. My daily calorie burn has got to be much less than the BMR calculation so it's possible even at my weight I'm not even burning 1800 calories a day.
I am going to start walking a bit and hopefully it won't cause me excruciating pain and maybe lower my calories a little to see if that makes a difference.
I bolded the above part, however, because pretty much everyone who is not seeing the results they want say the same thing. You're eating less than you burn, which is terrific, but some inaccuracies in logging could be the difference between 1lb per week or 2lbs per week. Logging your food on here using a food scale and the MFP database instead of on paper will be a huge improvement. Then, after a few more weeks if you still are not getting the results you want, you can open your diary so the MFP community can better advise you.
OP takes about 300 steps a day. She is not burning more than she is consuming.0 -
At least the scale is going down--that is progress!I've been at this for 7 weeks and have lost 8 lbs which is about a lb a week. For someone my size, I should be losing more. I track everything on paper which is why my diary isn't open. I think I am going to switch and try to log on this site. I started using paper so I could show it to my dr and just got in the habit of writing everything down. I can assure you though, I am sticking to my 1800 calorie limit, measuring EVERYTHING and don't have any food logging issues.
I really think the problem is my metabolism. I work from home and do no exercise and this has been going on for a few years. I recently got a Fitbit and it turns out I only walk about 300 steps a day on average. My daily calorie burn has got to be much less than the BMR calculation so it's possible even at my weight I'm not even burning 1800 calories a day.
I am going to start walking a bit and hopefully it won't cause me excruciating pain and maybe lower my calories a little to see if that makes a difference.
I bolded the above part, however, because pretty much everyone who is not seeing the results they want say the same thing. You're eating less than you burn, which is terrific, but some inaccuracies in logging could be the difference between 1lb per week or 2lbs per week. Logging your food on here using a food scale and the MFP database instead of on paper will be a huge improvement. Then, after a few more weeks if you still are not getting the results you want, you can open your diary so the MFP community can better advise you.
OP takes about 300 steps a day. She is not burning more than she is consuming.
? That is not what my post says at all. She could be eating more than she thinks she is if she is not accurately logging her food using the MFP database, hence her "slower" weight loss.0 -
I've been at this for 7 weeks and have lost 8 lbs which is about a lb a week. For someone my size, I should be losing more. I track everything on paper which is why my diary isn't open. I think I am going to switch and try to log on this site. I started using paper so I could show it to my dr and just got in the habit of writing everything down. I can assure you though, I am sticking to my 1800 calorie limit, measuring EVERYTHING and don't have any food logging issues.
I really think the problem is my metabolism. I work from home and do no exercise and this has been going on for a few years. I recently got a Fitbit and it turns out I only walk about 300 steps a day on average. My daily calorie burn has got to be much less than the BMR calculation so it's possible even at my weight I'm not even burning 1800 calories a day.
I am going to start walking a bit and hopefully it won't cause me excruciating pain and maybe lower my calories a little to see if that makes a difference.
Before concluding your metabolism is hosed, I'd experiment with a reduced carb macro for a bit. You said you're around 40% now - you could try dropping the calories to perhaps 1600 as FFF said, but also instead of 180g of carbs you might try 100g and see how that goes for a bit. You should feel free to self-experiment a bit with your macros and see if it makes any difference to your progress. If it doesn't help, you can always raise your carb macro up later.
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OP takes about 300 steps a day. She is not burning more than she is consuming.
Well, she is, if she is losing 1 lb a week. But 300 steps a day is what concerns me the most, OP. Bring your Fitbit logs to your doc and see if you qualify for any water based PT coverage under your health insurance.0 -
At least the scale is going down--that is progress!I've been at this for 7 weeks and have lost 8 lbs which is about a lb a week. For someone my size, I should be losing more. I track everything on paper which is why my diary isn't open. I think I am going to switch and try to log on this site. I started using paper so I could show it to my dr and just got in the habit of writing everything down. I can assure you though, I am sticking to my 1800 calorie limit, measuring EVERYTHING and don't have any food logging issues.
I really think the problem is my metabolism. I work from home and do no exercise and this has been going on for a few years. I recently got a Fitbit and it turns out I only walk about 300 steps a day on average. My daily calorie burn has got to be much less than the BMR calculation so it's possible even at my weight I'm not even burning 1800 calories a day.
I am going to start walking a bit and hopefully it won't cause me excruciating pain and maybe lower my calories a little to see if that makes a difference.
I bolded the above part, however, because pretty much everyone who is not seeing the results they want say the same thing. You're eating less than you burn, which is terrific, but some inaccuracies in logging could be the difference between 1lb per week or 2lbs per week. Logging your food on here using a food scale and the MFP database instead of on paper will be a huge improvement. Then, after a few more weeks if you still are not getting the results you want, you can open your diary so the MFP community can better advise you.
OP takes about 300 steps a day. She is not burning more than she is consuming.
? That is not what my post says at all. She could be eating more than she thinks she is if she is not accurately logging her food using the MFP database, hence her "slower" weight loss.
You did say it…. "You're eating less than you burn, which is terrific"
If OP was burning more than she's eating, she'd be losing way more than 1 lb a week. Especially at 440 lbs.
But I do agree that she needs to log on here instead of paper!0 -
First of all, I love your attitude!
Assuming your logging is accurate and you don't have any underlying medical conditions (these are big assumptions, but other people have already talked about them)...
If you really think the issue right now is that you're beyond sedentary, you need to increase the amount of movement you do. Note that I didn't say "do more exercise" -- I'd be really worried about you getting hurt and further immobilizing yourself, which is the last thing you need to do. Just move, however you can. Move your arms, pick up gallon jugs or grocery bags. If it hurts to walk, can you march in place? Look up seated exercises and do them. Then, when they get easy, do them standing up. Yes, you can lose weight just by diet alone, no exercise, but at this point any extra motion you can do is going to help.0 -
I appreciate everyone's posts, even though I am not the OP. Speaking of which, how can it be that everyone is putting in so much work to post so many thoughtful and helpful replies, and then the OP never returns (I know we can see if they read), replies, or opens their diary either?? I've seen lots of posts like these. Things that make you go hmmmmm.....
Probably because half the people who reply are more concerned with shooting down dissenting opinions and championing their own standards than actually addressing the op's plight. And it happens a lot on these forums.
If you are so sure of yourselves people simply state your opinion people. Shooting down others is proof of your own insecurity. It is the attempt to leave only your own opinion as the valid one buy burying anything else in denial. And it is childish. And disrespectful to both other posters and the OP whose intelligence you demean by suggesting that she isn't smart enough to make up her own mind.0 -
At least the scale is going down--that is progress!I've been at this for 7 weeks and have lost 8 lbs which is about a lb a week. For someone my size, I should be losing more. I track everything on paper which is why my diary isn't open. I think I am going to switch and try to log on this site. I started using paper so I could show it to my dr and just got in the habit of writing everything down. I can assure you though, I am sticking to my 1800 calorie limit, measuring EVERYTHING and don't have any food logging issues.
I really think the problem is my metabolism. I work from home and do no exercise and this has been going on for a few years. I recently got a Fitbit and it turns out I only walk about 300 steps a day on average. My daily calorie burn has got to be much less than the BMR calculation so it's possible even at my weight I'm not even burning 1800 calories a day.
I am going to start walking a bit and hopefully it won't cause me excruciating pain and maybe lower my calories a little to see if that makes a difference.
I bolded the above part, however, because pretty much everyone who is not seeing the results they want say the same thing. You're eating less than you burn, which is terrific, but some inaccuracies in logging could be the difference between 1lb per week or 2lbs per week. Logging your food on here using a food scale and the MFP database instead of on paper will be a huge improvement. Then, after a few more weeks if you still are not getting the results you want, you can open your diary so the MFP community can better advise you.
OP takes about 300 steps a day. She is not burning more than she is consuming.
? That is not what my post says at all. She could be eating more than she thinks she is if she is not accurately logging her food using the MFP database, hence her "slower" weight loss.
You did say it…. "You're eating less than you burn, which is terrific"
If OP was burning more than she's eating, she'd be losing way more than 1 lb a week. Especially at 440 lbs.
But I do agree that she needs to log on here instead of paper!
I just...don't understand what you don't understand. I said, "You're eating less than you burn, which is terrific." Yes, my statement is 100% accurate because she is losing weight. Ie, she is eating less than she burns. Now, she may not be losing AS MUCH as weight as she wants--which is simply a matter of deficit size. She might think she is at a huge deficit, but in reality, if her logging is off, she is at a smaller deficit, hence a smaller weight loss per week.0 -
Perhaps you are thinking my reference to burn=exercise. I'm using burn for her TDEE.0
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Hi,
You are not a lost cause! You've lost 8 pounds already, which is great. When I started, I was morbidly obese as well, insulin resistant, bad thyroid, and also had knee pain. I lost very slowly; the first year I lost a whole 17 pounds.
When I reduced my carbs, I turned to low-carb, high-fiber tortillas (La Tortilla Factory is the brand I use) to be the "carrier," if you will, instead of bread. This helped me feel less lost without bread. I wrap my egg whites in them (breakfast burrito- egg whites, avocado, and pico de gallo), my sandwiches, make quesadillas, black bean burritos, etc. You can make pizzas on them too! They saved me.
I definitely agree with the others about moving your arms more. Have you seen mini-cycles before? They are tiny units that have just pedals on them, like you would see on an exercise bike, and people put them under their desks at work. You can also put one on the table and pedal with your arms. They sell them on Amazon in a variety of price ranges. This would be a great way to burn some more calories without causing you any further knee pain. Definitely lift some bottles of water or canned goods at home too (or buy some hand weights) as other suggested. Another useful tool is an exercise band; you can wrap it around a study piece of furniture and do seated rows. Basically, let's take advantage of the fact you can use your upper body!0 -
I've been at this for 7 weeks and have lost 8 lbs which is about a lb a week. For someone my size, I should be losing more. I track everything on paper which is why my diary isn't open. I think I am going to switch and try to log on this site. I started using paper so I could show it to my dr and just got in the habit of writing everything down. I can assure you though, I am sticking to my 1800 calorie limit, measuring EVERYTHING and don't have any food logging issues.
I really think the problem is my metabolism. I work from home and do no exercise and this has been going on for a few years. I recently got a Fitbit and it turns out I only walk about 300 steps a day on average. My daily calorie burn has got to be much less than the BMR calculation so it's possible even at my weight I'm not even burning 1800 calories a day.
I am going to start walking a bit and hopefully it won't cause me excruciating pain and maybe lower my calories a little to see if that makes a difference.
Keep in mind that writing it on paper isn't as accurate, doesn't show you macronutrient breakout and still leaves room for error. Also, if you potentially have insulin resistance, you will benefit from doing carbs at or near 80-120g total. This is about the range I see from a lot of women with PCOS. I would suggest logging your food on MFP for 1 month and come back to us. This will allow us to suggest area's to improve or modify. At some point you can incorporate exercise. it's not a requirement to lose weight.0 -
Here's some information that might help
Log your food accurately and honestly. Go for 80% good choices the other 20% don't worry so much about. I eat lots of delicious food and have consistently lost. Keep it simple find a REASONABLE deficit:
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
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide?hl=logging+step+guide
Find an activity you enjoy doing - I found I love to ride my bike and lift heavy stuff
Here are 2 more threads that will help take the time to read them:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here?hl=so+you're+new+here
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
People really need to stop posting these generic copy/paste messages on threads such as these.
This is a person with 250 pounds or more to lose. 2 lb's a week on someone with that much to look is not "ideal". Any gastric doctor in the world would agree, such as his/hers, would expect much more per week.
Why is it not ideal??? I was 560 lbs. with 300+ pounds to lose and on the advice of my doctors and dietician we established a weight lose perimeter of 2 lbs. a week.... I guess I could be wrong but it worked pretty good for me...0 -
First of all, I love your attitude!
Assuming your logging is accurate and you don't have any underlying medical conditions (these are big assumptions, but other people have already talked about them)...
If you really think the issue right now is that you're beyond sedentary, you need to increase the amount of movement you do. Note that I didn't say "do more exercise" -- I'd be really worried about you getting hurt and further immobilizing yourself, which is the last thing you need to do. Just move, however you can. Move your arms, pick up gallon jugs or grocery bags. If it hurts to walk, can you march in place? Look up seated exercises and do them. Then, when they get easy, do them standing up. Yes, you can lose weight just by diet alone, no exercise, but at this point any extra motion you can do is going to help.
Amen! For someone who has that sedentary a lifestyle, and the physical pain that goes hand in hand with such a lifestyle, just the idea of an exercise program is very intimidating. Just adding more activity to your daily routine is a great place to start. Maybe take a lap around the house. Once that becomes easier, add another lap. Just add more activity. Clean a room. Clean a cabinet. As you slowly add activity it will be easier for you to take on more tasks that eat up more calories. I wish you the best!0 -
Here's some information that might help
Log your food accurately and honestly. Go for 80% good choices the other 20% don't worry so much about. I eat lots of delicious food and have consistently lost. Keep it simple find a REASONABLE deficit:
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
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide?hl=logging+step+guide
Find an activity you enjoy doing - I found I love to ride my bike and lift heavy stuff
Here are 2 more threads that will help take the time to read them:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here?hl=so+you're+new+here
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
People really need to stop posting these generic copy/paste messages on threads such as these.
This is a person with 250 pounds or more to lose. 2 lb's a week on someone with that much to look is not "ideal". Any gastric doctor in the world would agree, such as his/hers, would expect much more per week.
If anyone is under a doctor's care then they should be following their doctor's orders. Otherwise there is nothing wrong with using the links as guidelines. In addition, the author of those guidelines clearly stated that a person's actual deficiency will depend on their personal circumstances.0 -
If I cut my calories by a few hundred and reduced my carbs under 100g I could probably lose 3-5 lbs a week which is what my dr thinks I should be losing. I realize my health is in jeopardy by having this much weight on me but as I previously stated, I really want this to be a lifestyle change. I know if I drastically change my eating, I may lose a good chunk of weight but I'll gain it all back. My mindset has been to make healthy changes that are realistic and I can do for the rest of my life.
I am getting pressure from my dr and from certain family members to have weight loss surgery and it's really hard defending myself when I don't have substantial losses with my method. I know it will take time but I'm going to need to lose well over 50lbs before it's noticeable. As long as I don't have any immediate health issues and can work with the knee pain, I would like to continue doing what I am doing with some tweaks to my diet and some activity.0 -
Have you looked at the weight loss ***** website. This lady started off at over 400lbs and has managed to lose over half of it. Like you she was really against having surgery. She is on facebook and does a daily blog. I follow her blog and I am sure she would be able to give you the best advice. www.weightloss*****.com. Good luck x0
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You don't have to defend yourself to anyone. You are doing the right thing by asking questions and weighing your options. This is your body, health, and life. Therefore, tell everyone else to back the hell off and give you time to digest all of the information available to you in order to make the decision that is right for you. Do not allow anyone to pressure you in either direction because you will have to live with the consequences.0
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virgogrl, you are losing weight and you can show that to any who doubts you. Slowly admittedly, but you are losing.
You are right that changes have to be slow and sustainable. It takes weeks to break old habits and form new, better habits. So carry on the slow style.
With your weight and the pre-diabetes you probably want to reduce the carbs and this should be mainly the processed simple carbs like white flour and sugar. There is nothing wrong with fruit and veg and a moderate amount of whole grain starchy foods is also acceptable.
If after a several months of a healthy diet weight loss is still very slow you might want to try something unusual, Atkins-style diet or intermittent fasting for example. Whatever you do, give it a few weeks for any change to take effect; there is no point changing a diet every week as weight loss is not linear and a week too short to notice change. Weight fluctuates and it is the long term trend that needs to move down. Remember: you're in a marathon not the finishing sprint of the Tour de France.
Regarding exercise: someone has already suggested water based exercises. If you have access to a pool this is an excellent option. The water keeps the weight of your knees while the water resistance works cardiovascular system and muscles. Exercises like Aquarobics and Aquajogging give a good workout. On land cycling is the lowest impact on the joints but some people with knee problems cannot do it, plus you need a bike suitable for your weight.
Keep at it, you'll get there!0 -
If I cut my calories by a few hundred and reduced my carbs under 100g I could probably lose 3-5 lbs a week which is what my dr thinks I should be losing. I realize my health is in jeopardy by having this much weight on me but as I previously stated, I really want this to be a lifestyle change. I know if I drastically change my eating, I may lose a good chunk of weight but I'll gain it all back. My mindset has been to make healthy changes that are realistic and I can do for the rest of my life.
I am getting pressure from my dr and from certain family members to have weight loss surgery and it's really hard defending myself when I don't have substantial losses with my method. I know it will take time but I'm going to need to lose well over 50lbs before it's noticeable. As long as I don't have any immediate health issues and can work with the knee pain, I would like to continue doing what I am doing with some tweaks to my diet and some activity.
This is great, and you should celebrate even the progress you've already made, because it's a big step in the right direction, even if it's not melting off yet like you thought it would.
I've seen a lot of comments about thyroid, and I just wanted to add that I'm hypothyroid and have never had it affect my weight loss. The only thing that ever stops me is my tendency to eat more than I should. Weight loss is 90% diet, so definitely work more with tweaking your intake than your exercise. Stay active! But definitely focus on the food.
Chances are there's a miscalculation somewhere, or a trend of them, sending your estimate too far in the downwards direction. If you're not making all your food and weighing it, I can almost promise the issue is trying to estimate other people's cooking. It is extremely difficult to always accurately eyeball portion sizes and ingredients. Butter and oil is a common culprit (not necessarily yours, but in general). Just putting butter in the pan and using it as a non stick agent adds all those butter calories to the food you then cook in the pan. (Sorry if you know that already and I'm being captain obvious here, you never know what's obvious.)
Or maybe you're doing a diet where veggies and fruit are "free" calories, and not counting them, and still eating too many? Both are fairly low calorie and great as healthy foods, but still have calories that could be thwarting your weight loss.
Any sugary beverage that's not explicitly diet (again sorry with the obviousness), any alcohol, using MFP to estimate food you're unsure of that you get from a restaurant regularly--any of these things or a combination of them can play a big role in stagnating weight loss. One time, for example, I was trying to log some yellow curry from a restaurant outing with coworkers and the first entry I found said a LAUGHABLE 120 calories for a whole cup! Cute, very cute! (In reality, I probably ate close to 600-700 calories worth of rice and curry, at about two cups of food.)
Another common culprit is over estimating exercise burns. MFP has some really questionable entries for house cleaning of all things. IMO folks shouldn't log an exercise unless it is exercise you specifically set out to do to do exercise. Anything less is your normal activity, and any sweat broken while cleaning or gardening probably did not result in 1000 calories burned, no matter what the entry in the database might have you believe. Also, machine readings for calories burned are also often inaccurate. The easiest way to get around this problem is just to do your exercise, and instead of eating exactly those calories back, just have an extra small healthy snack after. A handful of almonds, a banana, an apple and a tbsp of peanut butter, maybe. Trust me, you won't go into some weird body shock mode if you miss out on 50-200 exercise calories. As long as you're eating less than you're burning, you'll lose the weight.
Also don't forget to recalculate your maintenance intake every 10-15 pounds, just so you know what not to go over on cheat days. Remember. Cheat days are maintenance days, not go super crazy days! (That's a mistake *I* made early on.)0 -
If I cut my calories by a few hundred and reduced my carbs under 100g I could probably lose 3-5 lbs a week which is what my dr thinks I should be losing. I realize my health is in jeopardy by having this much weight on me but as I previously stated, I really want this to be a lifestyle change. I know if I drastically change my eating, I may lose a good chunk of weight but I'll gain it all back. My mindset has been to make healthy changes that are realistic and I can do for the rest of my life.
I am getting pressure from my dr and from certain family members to have weight loss surgery and it's really hard defending myself when I don't have substantial losses with my method. I know it will take time but I'm going to need to lose well over 50lbs before it's noticeable. As long as I don't have any immediate health issues and can work with the knee pain, I would like to continue doing what I am doing with some tweaks to my diet and some activity.
You can always try this in phases. First, do a custom set up and set your diary to 1600 calories. Set macros to 30% carbs, 40% fats and 30% protein. Log for 4-6 weeks and reassess. And within that 4-6 weeks, set small goals for yourself. Maybe aim to add an additional 100+ steps a day. Maybe it's doing sit down exercises and have the mindset, do your best and forget the rest. So if you goal is 100 steps but only get 50, then you reset and try again the next day. Maybe force yourself to get up more often or even keep some small weights at your desk. Just keep in mind, that you don't have to take huge leaps.. they can be small step which improve each week.
ps - in case you need it, here is the link to do a custom setup http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/my_goals0 -
You are doing great! 8 lbs is 8 lbs!! Just keep at it. Little by little. I didn't have as much to lose as you, but I did lose almost 100 lbs. I didn't drastically change my diet, didn't really pay too much attention to 'macros' etc. other than cutting back on things I saw had more calories and less nutrition, such as bread, pasta etc. AND upping my protein...WAY more chicken breast, etc. BUT I did still eat SOME bread , pasta, rice etc. JUST LESS. Use your food scale and weigh everything exactly to the gram. Eventually you won't have to be so precise, but it really helps to reduce calorie errors now, and teaches portion control. Don't use spoons/cups/etc. Weigh. Like peanut butter- wow- 15 grams doesn't look like a tablespoon, but apparently it is, lol. Liquid things I measure, like milk, juice, etc. I also learned pretty quick that I didn't want to drink my calories, so I did pretty much cut out juice, but I didn't drink much before anyway. Measure your creamer, stuff like that... Count every nibble, every spoon lick, etc.
As for exercise...do what you can. Move a little more every day and you will slowly get stronger. Get some hand weights and a DVD for beginners (you can do it sitting) or Wii fit. I LOVE my Wii fit. It's easy enough, but still gets you moving.
Drink a lot of water- it gets you up and to the bathroom a lot, lol. And keeps you full so you don't get so hungry.
Good luck and keep up the great work. It can and will be slow, but slow is better than not at all!!0 -
???what???Denial. You aren't ready till you are ready. For some, weight loss surgery doesn't work. You many not be able to change yet.
Where did you get that idea???0 -
You're stuffing your face still. To maintain 440 lbs you'd need to eat around 2800 calories a day.
Where did you get that number from? I'm 80 pounds less than the OP and I have to eat 3700 calories to maintain.
I did a simple tdee calculation and set it to sedentary,
Im not sure what calculator youre using but that seems about 1500 calories off.
All that matters is to be 440 lbs and claim to not be losing at 1800 cals a day is flat out BS.
I'm 6'1 185 and lose at 2350.
No, it's not.
But people really need to stop judging on this forum because they do not know the medical issues that are impacting a persons metabolism. Does she has cushings or graves or hyperthydroidism? Does she have a metabolic disorder?
The answer is you don't know.
Just because YOU lose at 2350 doesn't mean someone else will.
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^^This. Everyone's metabolism is different and the calculators can be way off. My suggestion if you are not losing at the recommended calorie level is to get a BMR test to see how many calories you ACTUALLY burn.0 -
First of all, I love your attitude!
Assuming your logging is accurate and you don't have any underlying medical conditions (these are big assumptions, but other people have already talked about them)...
If you really think the issue right now is that you're beyond sedentary, you need to increase the amount of movement you do. Note that I didn't say "do more exercise" -- I'd be really worried about you getting hurt and further immobilizing yourself, which is the last thing you need to do. Just move, however you can. Move your arms, pick up gallon jugs or grocery bags. If it hurts to walk, can you march in place? Look up seated exercises and do them. Then, when they get easy, do them standing up. Yes, you can lose weight just by diet alone, no exercise, but at this point any extra motion you can do is going to help.
Amen! For someone who has that sedentary a lifestyle, and the physical pain that goes hand in hand with such a lifestyle, just the idea of an exercise program is very intimidating. Just adding more activity to your daily routine is a great place to start. Maybe take a lap around the house. Once that becomes easier, add another lap. Just add more activity. Clean a room. Clean a cabinet. As you slowly add activity it will be easier for you to take on more tasks that eat up more calories. I wish you the best!
I agree with these posters. Keep trying because you're losing and that's great! I think you should try to add any kind of movement that you can-even fidgeting as much as you can throughout the day while you're working or whenever could be helpful.
Also, I think you've said that you do not want the WLS. I hope you don't give into pressure from family or a doctor or whatever if you don't want it. There are always other options that are way less invasive than surgery-like a medically supervised diet.0 -
Low carbs isn't for everyone but it sure has worked for me. Ask your doctor about decreasing more. It can be hard on the kidneys if they aren't healthy. Also, are you drinking soda? Diet or regular, either way replacing sodas with plain old good for you water will help you shed more especially if you cut out the bread. It was hard for me to give up bread but I noticed I lost a lot of water weight quickly by doing it. I have also cut out preservatives as much as possible and sugar and artificial sweetener. Stay away from processed food, eat more raw and fresh veggies and fruits, and baked chicken or fish. Find some sort of exercise you can do without hurting that knee. Keep moving!!0
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