Destined to be overweight forever???

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24

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  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    Thanks for your reply Stef :)
    I have logged it as 30g which is 2 tsps..am I doing this incorrectly?
    I am losing one week but then putting back on the week after..I don't understand what is going wrong with my body?
    I am not eating anywhere near maintenance cals even if my weighing are a couple of grams out..

    I am going to try and increase my cals to 1400 and eat back some of my exercise cals and see how that goes for me...it may help improve my mood and skin too!

    Hopefully I will be posting huge thank yous to you all in a few weeks!

    did you weigh it? if not how do you know it was 30g...

    When I didn't weigh my food I lost half the weight I should have...

    and with your diary closed it's hard to tell where logging errors are but it typically comes down eating more than you think
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
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    Suggested reading:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819925-the-basics-don-t-complicate-it
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/817188-iifym

    And why large deficits can be problematic:
    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html
  • icrushit
    icrushit Posts: 773 Member
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    Don't know how much you're eating currently, but 1200 seems way too low for the level of activity you mention. Also although you say the scales isn't moving, are are thinner ? As if so, you may be replacing fat with muscle, a very good thing, but the only way you'll know if that's the case is by monitoring your body fat %. In any event, it seems you need to drop the pounds in any event, if the 2stone overweight you mention is an accurate estimate.

    Food allergies could be a culprit, if you genuinely feel you cannot figure out why no weight at all is shifting. Likewise, metabolism, although this is probably more relevant to someone with a history of disordered eating, or really really bad eating in the case of those who develop insulin resistance.

    Re: low carb, don't forget there's another option other than high or low carb, and thats moderate carb, if you want to moderate your carbs a little but lowering carbs too much is sapping your energy levels.

    I think if I were you, I would be incline to continue as you are currently, but weigh yourself daily, as well as take body fat measurements daily for a week or two, just to get a sense of perspective on what, if anything is happening with your body :)
  • wizzybeth
    wizzybeth Posts: 3,578 Member
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    #1 - please don't think people are accusing you of lying when they say to log "honestly." It probably isn't the best term to use but what they mean really is to be 1000000000% accurate - don't count a handful of grapes as 1/2 cup because you "eyeballed it" or assume that spoon of Nutella is pretty much a teaspoon. The only way to be 100% accurate is to weigh it.

    (Says she who forgets to weigh bananas until after she's eaten half of it...lol)

    #2 - have you measured yourself? Maybe you've lost inches in your hips or around your waist?
  • Bex_2584
    Bex_2584 Posts: 47 Member
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    Thanks for your reply Stef :)
    I have logged it as 30g which is 2 tsps..am I doing this incorrectly?
    I am losing one week but then putting back on the week after..I don't understand what is going wrong with my body?
    I am not eating anywhere near maintenance cals even if my weighing are a couple of grams out..

    I am going to try and increase my cals to 1400 and eat back some of my exercise cals and see how that goes for me...it may help improve my mood and skin too!

    Hopefully I will be posting huge thank yous to you all in a few weeks!


    did you weigh it? if not how do you know it was 30g...

    When I didn't weigh my food I lost half the weight I should have...

    and with your diary closed it's hard to tell where logging errors are but it typically comes down eating more than you think

    Stef I have just made my diary public... PLEASE don not take this last week as being typical...it's the start of the school holidays here and my routine was out of wack for a few days but now I am back in to it....

    I KNOW I eat a fair amount of sugar which is where I could also be going wrong??
  • Bex_2584
    Bex_2584 Posts: 47 Member
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    Don't know how much you're eating currently, but 1200 seems way too low for the level of activity you mention. Also although you say the scales isn't moving, are are thinner ? As if so, you may be replacing fat with muscle, a very good thing, but the only way you'll know if that's the case is by monitoring your body fat %. In any event, it seems you need to drop the pounds in any event, if the 2stone overweight you mention is an accurate estimate.

    Food allergies could be a culprit, if you genuinely feel you cannot figure out why no weight at all is shifting. Likewise, metabolism, although this is probably more relevant to someone with a history of disordered eating, or really really bad eating in the case of those who develop insulin resistance.

    Re: low carb, don't forget there's another option other than high or low carb, and thats moderate carb, if you want to moderate your carbs a little but lowering carbs too much is sapping your energy levels.

    I think if I were you, I would be incline to continue as you are currently, but weigh yourself daily, as well as take body fat measurements daily for a week or two, just to get a sense of perspective on what, if anything is happening with your body :)
    Never thought of measuring body fat.

    A couple of people said I look like I have lost weight but even my trusty tape measure hasn't shown any results yet.

    I am going to keep going! I will do this!
  • Bex_2584
    Bex_2584 Posts: 47 Member
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    #1 - please don't think people are accusing you of lying when they say to log "honestly." It probably isn't the best term to use but what they mean really is to be 1000000000% accurate - don't count a handful of grapes as 1/2 cup because you "eyeballed it" or assume that spoon of Nutella is pretty much a teaspoon. The only way to be 100% accurate is to weigh it.

    (Says she who forgets to weigh bananas until after she's eaten half of it...lol)

    #2 - have you measured yourself? Maybe you've lost inches in your hips or around your waist?

    Sorry, I did get on the defensive there...I think I am being a little too sensitive.

    I will try and weigh everything from now on...I just figured if I over estimated then I would be OK.

    And no, the measurements haven't come down as of yet but I am due to measure next Sunday so will see then...fingers crossed!
  • Icandoityayme
    Icandoityayme Posts: 312 Member
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    Don't get discouraged. You mentioned sugar and yes, that can be part of the problem. Weighing food is highly important. Guessing will get you in trouble. Drinking plenty of water will also help and I have found that when I drink unsweetened green tea that seems to make a difference as it helps with any water retention you may have. I have problems with that myself and my hands don't swell up like they use to. Green tea has no calories and low in caffine and is equivalent to water intake. You also have to consider your bad times of the month. That causes issues. Maybe bump up you exercise a bit if you feel you could do more. There are many variables to consider. You didn't gain weight over night so, losing it won't be over night either. Don't get too stressed over it. It will happen. You just have to tweak things a bit and see where improvements need to be made. Nobody is destined to be fat. I use to think that myself and that is partly why I was trying like I should have been before I joined here. I felt like it would never happen for me. Yet here I am every day, weighing and measuring and doing my best and it is paying off and I never saw that happening. It will happen if you are consistent and stick with it.
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
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    I am leery of taking any advice given in nutrition that sets a random low calorie deficit without first taking into account your Height, Weight, Activity level, Energy expenditures over the course of the day, etc..... Setting an arbitrary number such as 1200, in my opinion without factoring in the stuff I mention isn't advice I would heed too.... Weight loss comes down to burning more calories than you are taking in, I know simple concept but it truly works. I would figure out those things and apply them and buy a food scale and start measuring and weighing out your portions. You need to find out just how accurate your logging has been, and you need to continue to log everything you take in. Then comes the trial and error stage allowing a couple weeks each time to log your weight, see trends, and then adjust up or down to get the results you are looking for...... Best of Luck
  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
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    I peeked at your diary, and weighing out your portions would help a lot with your accuracy. You have things like a small banana, you log the same 90 calories for each banana, bananas will vary in size so they aren't all 90 calories, most of mine are 105 +. That's a small difference but when you have multiple small errors they do add up.

    Stef wrote a great thread on how to improve logging:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide?hl=logging+step+guide

    The nutella just using a tablespoon measurement will never be accurate and can be off by lots. I love eating tablespoons of peanut butter and if I don't weigh it, I can easily fit 32 g of peanut butter on 1 tablespoon (but the serving size will say 2 tablespoons) so if I didn't go by the weight, I would be eating double what I was logging.
  • Bex_2584
    Bex_2584 Posts: 47 Member
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    Thank you everyone that has replied. I appreciate all of what you are saying.

    I am wondering whether to up my calories a little after reading some negative threads on 1200 cal eating plans??

    Or maybe I make sure I eat back my exercise calories??

    I am going to give it another 8 weeks and if still no changes I am going to book in with my GP for some advice.

    Thanks again
    If you are not losing weight then you do not need to up your calories. What you need is accuracy and to get into a caloric deficit which you are not in due to the fact that you are not losing weight.
    Don't know how much you're eating currently, but 1200 seems way too low for the level of activity you mention. Also although you say the scales isn't moving, are are thinner ? As if so, you may be replacing fat with muscle, a very good thing, but the only way you'll know if that's the case is by monitoring your body fat %. In any event, it seems you need to drop the pounds in any event, if the 2stone overweight you mention is an accurate estimate.

    Food allergies could be a culprit, if you genuinely feel you cannot figure out why no weight at all is shifting. Likewise, metabolism, although this is probably more relevant to someone with a history of disordered eating, or really really bad eating in the case of those who develop insulin resistance.

    Re: low carb, don't forget there's another option other than high or low carb, and thats moderate carb, if you want to moderate your carbs a little but lowering carbs too much is sapping your energy levels.

    I think if I were you, I would be incline to continue as you are currently, but weigh yourself daily, as well as take body fat measurements daily for a week or two, just to get a sense of perspective on what, if anything is happening with your body :)
    No, people don't just accidentally add muscle. It takes hard work, proper nutrition and proper training. If it were easy then everyone would he ripped. And especially not someone claiming to only be eating 1200 calories. Sorry

    Thanks for you post MrM but please be aware that I am training and working my *kitten* off to gain muscle. Nowhere have I said I accidently gained it?? Not quite sure where you read that?

    Thanks to everyone that has words of encouragement and shared threads on accurate logging.

    I will keep going and fingers crossed get where I need to be.
  • Bex_2584
    Bex_2584 Posts: 47 Member
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    I peeked at your diary, and weighing out your portions would help a lot with your accuracy. You have things like a small banana, you log the same 90 calories for each banana, bananas will vary in size so they aren't all 90 calories, most of mine are 105 +. That's a small difference but when you have multiple small errors they do add up.

    Stef wrote a great thread on how to improve logging:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide?hl=logging+step+guide

    The nutella just using a tablespoon measurement will never be accurate and can be off by lots. I love eating tablespoons of peanut butter and if I don't weigh it, I can easily fit 32 g of peanut butter on 1 tablespoon (but the serving size will say 2 tablespoons) so if I didn't go by the weight, I would be eating double what I was logging.

    Yes I know it could be better...the banana thing is a pain as I just grab one as I run out the door (they are the mini version ones for kids lunchboxes?) and I never eat a full one.

    I haven't bought any nutella this week as I need to cut that crap out...lets see if it makes a difference!
  • WarriorCupcakeBlydnsr
    WarriorCupcakeBlydnsr Posts: 2,150 Member
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    Lots of great advice here for you about weighing/measuring, logging accurately, so I won't go into those. I will suggest if you haven't done it already is get a really good check up with your doc. I spent a year gaining (yeah, I said gaining) while eating 1700 calories a day. I weighed/measured/logged EVERYTHING, was eating off a food plan I had gotten from a registered dietician.... this was a food plan she set up because of how much I worked out and she knew that 1200 cals wouldn't cut it for me: I worked out 6 days a week (1 hour every day Mon-Sat and on Wed and Thurs I actually did two hours) doing a good combo of weights and cardio. I gained 40 lbs in that year.... All the while trying to figure out what was going on, how could I be gaining??? I would go figure out my TDEE (2600) then my TDEE-20% (2080) and wonder how could I still be gaining if I was eating so much less that my calculations, I tried upping my cals to the TDEE-20% for a month, still gained (same steady rate, no dramatic jump because I was suddenly eating more).... SO, finally went to an endocrinologist, who did every possible test to see what the heck was going on: I'm hypothyroid and insulin resistant. I've now been on medication for almost a year, the doc got my med levels stabilized about 6 months ago, I'm still eating the same 1700 cal food plan, weighing/measuring everything, as of my last doctor visit (I only weigh myself at doctor appointments so I don't get back into my obsessive relationship with the scale) I am down 6 lbs. I know it's not much, but I've finally started losing and I know my road is long and slow now, but I'm okay with it (I'm on limitations for working out right now since my knees are causing problems, but once the treatment for that is done and I'm back to my regular workouts, I may be able to lose a little bit faster)
  • 7deadly
    7deadly Posts: 23 Member
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    It is a marathon, not a sprint.

    If yore not losing fat you think that you are eating under your daily expenditure then one of your assumptions is wrong.
    Either there are some hidden calories, you aren't as active as you thought you were or you aren't challenging yourself in the gym.
    Doing the same workout day after day won't get you the results- you have to keep pushing the bar higher, improving your times, upping the intensity.
  • Bex_2584
    Bex_2584 Posts: 47 Member
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    It is a marathon, not a sprint.

    If yore not losing fat you think that you are eating under your daily expenditure then one of your assumptions is wrong.
    Either there are some hidden calories, you aren't as active as you thought you were or you aren't challenging yourself in the gym.
    Doing the same workout day after day won't get you the results- you have to keep pushing the bar higher, improving your times, upping the intensity.

    I should be so lucky as not to push myself..our trainer is brutal and is really putting us through our paces. Like I say, I am training for Tough Mudder which involves trail runs, ropes and hills, types and circuit training. None of the classes I do are ever the same which is why I have stuck at them for so long.

    The only thing that may be the same is the morning run route I do but even that incorporates hills.

    As I said previously, I am going to eat back my exercise cals and give it another few weeks. If still no changes then I shall be taking my food diaries and booking in with the GP.
  • njmark72
    njmark72 Posts: 99 Member
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    I think you are doing something wrong here. My guess is you are not counting all of your calories correctly. For my first month I only ate food I could accurately calculate. I would go to McDonalds for a plain McDouble before going to the local bar for a burger just because I could get a pretty accurate calorie count. I also weighed myself everyday so when I started eating at other places and had to estimate calories I could see what places screwed up my progress.

    How often do you walk? How long do you walk for? I started walking 3 miles per day for like the first month and now I do between 6-8 miles a day. 8.16 miles last night in under 2 hours.

    I used ot mix in running but it kept screwing up my feet, blisters, achilles tendinitis, etc and it wasn't producing any better results for me than walking.

    If you seriously want to lose weight, dedicate yourself for 1 month of being strict. Follow your MyFitnessPal calorie recommendations and stay at your suggested caloric in-take. Exercise at least 5 days a week. If you walk do it for at least 1 hour a night or in the evening after having a small dinner. When you get home, have a glass of water, shower, watch a little TV and go to bed.

    Weigh yourself in the morning and you will have lost weight. I have been doing this for 4 months and 1 week and have lost 70 lbs. Obviously everyone is different so find what works for you through trial and error.

    I can honestly tell you that I feel better and better everyday.

    You can do it.... Good luck!

    Mark

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  • BrittanyMG3
    BrittanyMG3 Posts: 163 Member
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    I used to think the same thing, I was stuck in the "Obese" BMI category for 7 years, struggled the same as you, never seeing results.
    I re-evaluated my plan after the birth of my daughter in January, cut out things that seemed "healthy" that really aren't that healthy (like lean cuisine meals, clif bars) i used to also take a "cheat meal" once per week. i simplified my recipes/meals to fewer simple ingredients- like chicken breast, brown rice and asparagus. i cut out added salt/condiments, cut back milk and switched it for almond milk, cut back carbs, upped my protein and water.... and cut out the cheat meal. I also watched my portion sizes and bought a food scale-best purchase ever!
    I've only made changes that have been recommended since the dawn of time, but i realized that when I thought i was already eating healthy, i really wasn't eating the best I could have.
    It's paid off tremendously, 73lbs gone since January.
    I noticed that you are doing a lot of working out, some times it can take longer for inches to be gone before pounds. I am now 135lbs -but- I am not in very good shape. I'm sure that you are making progress, maybe you can go through and check what you are eating like I did, make sure you are 100% happy with it, make sure you are drinking lots of water so you don't hold onto water with all of the exercising you are doing.
    Good luck to you! Your results will sneak up on you and surprise you when you least expect it, stay strong and keep pushing through! :smile:
  • Bex_2584
    Bex_2584 Posts: 47 Member
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    [/quote]
    Do not take my previous comment as an attack or get defensive. You stated you were overweight and we're trying to lose weight now you say you are working your *kitten* off to gain muscle. You won't be doing both simultaneously, it's one or the other. And keep in mind that to gain muscle you will need a caloric surplus and progressive overload. Before you turn this into an argument about how I don't understand what you're doing keep in mind that you came here for advice because you don't feel that what you are doing is working so be a little receptive to information that you may not be so familiar with.
    [/quote]





    Just a bit of background info...I have been working out for the past year in order to gain muscle which in turn will burn fat and help me lose weight/ inches....if this is not the right way to go someone please tell me now so I am not wasting any more time.

    As the working out alone wasn't helping me get any smaller (whether that be weight loss or inch loss) my PT advises me to reduce my calories along with the training to see if that helped...it has not :(

    Trust me MrM I am not intending to get in to any argument and I appreciate what everyone is saying.

    I was looking for encouragement or people with similar issues to share any tips they found useful. I have had lots of great advice given.

    I have been told for my height I 'should' be around 8-9st - which is NEVER going to happen so I set a target for myself of 10 1/2 stone which I feel is achievable given my build. I do gain muscle fairly easily on my legs but still carry a fair amount of fat. Mainly due to gaining 5 stone when pregnant.

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