I'm such a failure.

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2

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  • _runnerbean_
    _runnerbean_ Posts: 640 Member
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    Well they say no more that 1500 calories a day well stupid me logged the exercise and I went by making sure I was always at 1500. so instead of only 1500 I made up for the deficit. so If I burned 900 I ate 900 more to keep it at 1500. I'm a fairly intelligent person I don't know how I could have been so stupid. I guess I should eat 1500 and no matter how many calories I burn don't eat so I'm 1500 ahead can't believe I didn't figure it out duh.
    You are doing things exactly right if the 1500 is your MFP goal and you have set your daily activity rate as sedentary or lightly active. My daily goal is 1200 cal. If I burn 200 cals at the gym I eat 1400cals but my net is 1200cal. I've lost 13lb in 6 weeks doing this. Some people say only eat back half the calories burned so you could maybe try that for a week and see what happens. Congratulations on all your exercising- sounds like you've been doing a great job.
  • susiessoaps
    susiessoaps Posts: 11
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    Thanks everyone ! I think I am a little depressed and at a struggling point. I am feeling emotions I have never felt before. I am just really angry with myself for being in this position.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
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    Anytime you start a new exercise routine, most likely you are going to TEMPORARILY put on some weight, because your muscles are going to hold water in order to repair themselves. It'll level out if you stick with it.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
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    Hey dont ever get discouraged I use to feel like that too then I discovered Herbalife and I feel good always energized and I'm losing the weight. Not telling you to join Herbalife but find whats best for you, you can do this I remember those nights crying and not feeling good because of my weight!! You got this never give up of you want more info on Herbalife I will be happy to provide you with some.

    Dude, you can't be promoting products on the forums. It's against the rules.
  • skinnyinnotime
    skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,141 Member
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    Just keep at it, you'll soon start seeing changes
  • DaveStreitmatter
    DaveStreitmatter Posts: 6
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    Watch the movie Hungry for Change, it is excellent and really made me change the way I look at food. I am however, just starting my journey so I don't have many results yet to so for it. Only down 10 lbs so far.
  • kessler4130
    kessler4130 Posts: 150 Member
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    Ok first, MFP's calculator sucks, that being said use this one.
    http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

    Secondly, do not eat back your work out calories, I work out for 3 hours a day on weekends and an hour and a half on weekdays and have never eaten back calories. I have lost plenty of weight, at the ideal rate of 2 lbs a week doing just that.

    Third, to say you are burning 900 calories doing whatever program is just insane, maybe a top athlete completing the program at its full intensity, but average Joe is not.

    Next please watch this video > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcM8HablpZk , this guy has a PHD and is one of the top trainers, power lifters, and champion body builders in the world.

    Lastly, it is hard to tell as your diary is not open to us, but if your protein is to low you will retain your body fat as your carbs and fats would be offsetting the low protein, the only weight you would lose would be lean body mass. Please keep in mind, macro nutrients are more important than that "a calorie is a calorie nonsense. Your body cannot synthesize protein, please make sure you are getting at least 0.8 grams per lb of lean body mass, not total, lean, your body at 0% body fat.
  • mamadon
    mamadon Posts: 1,422 Member
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    I know exactly how it is to be 45 and out of shape. Well more true, 50 and really fat lol. The truth is, your negative attitude has as much to do with failing as anything else. I spent years and years beating myself up every single time I tried and failred to lose weight. You HAVE to stop beating yourself up and expect yourself to be anything less than human if you want to succeed. You messed up, big deal just carry on and start again.
  • j6o4
    j6o4 Posts: 871 Member
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    If you don't own a digital scale and weigh your food, you might be eating more than you think. Also, if you don't have a good way to calculate calories burned, since MFP and those cardio machines gives you an inflated number, switching the the TDEE method might be more beneficial for you because it will eliminate the need to eat back exercise calories since it's already factored in into your calorie goal.
  • radmack
    radmack Posts: 272 Member
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    Just don't give up. You may need to adjust how many of your exercise calories to eat back. But if you keep at it, and weigh/measure your food, you will lose fat.
  • rocabrera2013
    rocabrera2013 Posts: 8
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    Hang in there!! I feel the same way at times and im having to pick myself up, dust myself off and start over! 11 years ago I weighed 248 pounds and have worked so hard at keeping the weight off and i have definitely fallen off the wagon many times over!! not sure how you were using the calorie counter incorrectly, but that is my fear too. Im not real sure how it all works but I'm here to motivate you! Dont give up! Dont let it beat you...its a totally beatable thing! Brush it off, get back in the mindset and plunge forward! Good luck!
    Ro
  • lessismoreohio
    lessismoreohio Posts: 910 Member
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    “I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.”
    ― Maya Angelou
  • susiessoaps
    susiessoaps Posts: 11
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    Because of all of you I feel so much better today. I'm just going to keep at it no matter what I am beyond determined. Thank you all! Any advise you all have to help me in the smallest of way I would appreciate little tricks ideas anything! Susan
  • Sonyanw
    Sonyanw Posts: 8
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    Take your measurements as well, might be gaining muscle... and never think of yourself as a failure!! It sounds like you are doing awesome!
  • teamike
    teamike Posts: 83 Member
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    Well they say no more that 1500 calories a day well stupid me logged the exercise and I went by making sure I was always at 1500. so instead of only 1500 I made up for the deficit. so If I burned 900 I ate 900 more to keep it at 1500. I'm a fairly intelligent person I don't know how I could have been so stupid. I guess I should eat 1500 and no matter how many calories I burn don't eat so I'm 1500 ahead can't believe I didn't figure it out duh.

    It sounds like your are doing it right. It may be water retention, what is your sodium intake/water consumption like? I go through weeks like this then all of the sudden I will lose 4-5 pounds. Keep doing what you are doing and fine tuning your diet and you'll get there in no time.
  • teamike
    teamike Posts: 83 Member
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    If you don't own a digital scale and weigh your food, you might be eating more than you think. Also, if you don't have a good way to calculate calories burned, since MFP and those cardio machines gives you an inflated number, switching the the TDEE method might be more beneficial for you because it will eliminate the need to eat back exercise calories since it's already factored in into your calorie goal.

    ^^^This^^^
  • gypsy_spirit
    gypsy_spirit Posts: 2,107 Member
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    I'm not going to get into the "eating back exercise calories" fray. I'm also not going to comment on gaining muscle while eating at a deficit.

    My concern for you is how you are talking to yourself. Calling yourself a failure and looking at this process with that perspective is only going to make you give up. There is no failure - unless you out and out QUIT. Successful people on MFP know that you have to just get up every day, do what you need to do, and make it count. Sometimes you will not see progress, but trust me, if you stick with it - it will come.

    Focus on your health goals and not on the scale. Make a list today, of all the things that have improved since you started your plan.

    Beginning today, start telling yourself a different story. You are worth it! :flowerforyou:
  • aylajane
    aylajane Posts: 979 Member
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    Glad you are not giving up! Too many people dont see anything successful or they mess up once and think "well, thats it... may as well give up and eat what I want since I am destined to be fat anyway". That is a terrible way to look at it. Some of the most inspirational quotes I have heard related to this, that really got it through my head that one mess up does not mean quitting are:

    Just because you trip on the top step doesnt mean you throw yourself down the stairs.

    Just because you get one flat tire doesnt mean you may as well just slash the other three.

    You mess up one day, you fix it the next and get right back on track. When things dont appear to be "working" you read and read and look hard at what you are doing and make adjustments, monitor, adjust, monitor, adjust, etc. until it DOES work. You are no different than anyone else - "it" does work, your body DOES work like everyone else's, you just have to figure out the owner's manual :)
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
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    I'm not going to get into the "eating back exercise calories" fray. I'm also not going to comment on gaining muscle while eating at a deficit.

    My concern for you is how you are talking to yourself. Calling yourself a failure and looking at this process with that perspective is only going to make you give up. There is no failure - unless you out and out QUIT. Successful people on MFP know that you have to just get up every day, do what you need to do, and make it count. Sometimes you will not see progress, but trust me, if you stick with it - it will come.

    Focus on your health goals and not on the scale. Make a list today, of all the things that have improved since you started your plan.

    Beginning today, start telling yourself a different story. You are worth it! :flowerforyou:

    This is fantastic advice

    Though it is rather scary the amount of people who think you gain muscle that easy. Professional Male Body builders will struggle to put 1 pound of muscle a month that is with optimum diet and lifting heavy and after years of training. Gaining muscle is not easy and even more so for women (sorry blame the man upstairs)
  • Chickaboo2014
    Chickaboo2014 Posts: 136 Member
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    1) Your food diary isn't open, so no one can offer any real solid advice as to whether or not this has a dietary component or not. Are you logging *everything*? Every sample, nibble, and lick of a spoon, add to your daily caloric intake. Are they all present and accounted for?
    2) Your weight on the scale can be affected intensely by the amount of water your body is retaining. That can change for a multitude of reasons: muscle repair, menstrual cycles, sodium intake, overall hydration levels. Your bowel movements, or lack thereof, can also be playing a role as well. And all that is aside from what's going with your fat and muscle levels.
    3) Add a tape measure to your weight loss toolbox: the scale can, and will, mess with your head. A tape measure never will. Measure your: neck, shoulders, chest, waist, hips, upper thigh, calves, upper arms and forearms. Write those measurements down. Now every month re-measure. That will tell you far more surely what changes are happening across your body better than a scale and more reliably than your mirror.
    4) In the grand scheme of things, three weeks is nothing. I understand that it *feels* like an eternity once you've decided to lose weight, but it's not. That weight didn't appear overnight. Buckle up, because this is going to be a long trip. Be patient with yourself and your body. If you religously log your food and follow your calorie targets without cheating them, you'll be happily surprised to find that you're not a failure at all.

    Excellent response!

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