Very little weight loss: Looking for non-traditional advice
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I agree with everyone that counting calories and weighing and measuring everything is the way to go. If you're not willing to put in the effort you could try the plate method. Make sure your plate is 1/2 filled with vegetables and 1/4 grains 1/4 meat/protein. I have never tried this but I heard it works for others. And use a smaller plate.0
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In the past I measured food and calories. It is not something I can sustain for every meal for the rest of my life. So no, I do not currently count calories. However I do eat reasonable portions and periodically I will go back and count for a week at a time to make sure my portions are OK.
Here's an idea. Scoop out your reasonable portion and then scrape 1/4 of it into the garbage.0 -
Fortunately you don't need any nontraditional advice. Unless you are exempt to the laws of thermodynamics, you simply must eat less calories then you burn in a day. If you are currently not losing weight you are simply eating too much. As the 20 other people said, if you aren't counting calories you can never be sure how much you are eating but what you can be sure of, if you aren't losing weight, you're eating too much. My advice is eat less, and move more until weight starts coming off. That advice works for literally everyone.0
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Those weeks when you do check and find your "portions are ok"... either that calorie level is too high for you to lose OR (and most likely) the weeks you don't count you eat/drink more than the weeks you do.In the past I measured food and calories. It is not something I can sustain for every meal for the rest of my life. So no, I do not currently count calories. However I do eat reasonable portions and periodically I will go back and count for a week at a time to make sure my portions are OK.
A lot of the people who think they're 'very active' think that means they can eat whatever they want but that's often not the case.0 -
I say try to count your calories atleast 4 days a week. Make sure your portion sizes are right. Have you downloaded the app to make it easier? Maybe counting points would be easier on Weight Watchers. I did that before coming here. Best of Luck0
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If you aren't losing weight, you aren't in a deficit. If you aren't counting calories, you don't know how much you are eating. All the other traditional advice you listed is irrelevant at this point.
^Pretty much this. The only other thing I could suggest is liposuction.0 -
For all the talk, it always boils down to the same thing: Eat less and/or move more.
That's it. There is no other advice.
Your post says you've checked off weighing and measuring, but you say you don't do it. You don't have to, but if you want to play the numbers game, you have to weigh and measure.
Your post says you eat clean. I'm not sure what the definition of the word is, but if you mean "healthy", there is another contradiction because you make ice cream shakes.
Cut out the junk food. Save treats for occasional (rare) treats. Eat lots of fruits & veggies, only lean, white meats, whole grains and low-fat dairy. Remember to eat normal amounts (especially the meat and breads) if you refuse to weigh and measure. Berries are low-cal and really filling! Remember that it's okay to be hungry once in a while if you aren't eating as much as you need. You really, really need to see a nutritionist, since you have special dietary considerations. Ask your questions if they haven't been answere, like "How much fruit.", but she'll probably answer them.)
Exercise every day. Outside, if weather allows. The more you do, the more you lose and the more energy you have daily. Every little bit helps. In addition to workouts, park at the back of the lot and walk. Take the stairs. Lift your legs while watching TV. Clean the house - get a pillow for your knees, if you must, but get down on the floor and wash it. Move every chance you get. Go to bed TIRED.
That's not very typical advice, but you asked for atypical advice...and it's good advice, too.
If you want to lose, you have to do a LOT of work for a LONG time and you have to keep it up when the going gets tough.
See your endocrinologist. Synthroid levels take time to even out and start working. It's normal to be tired when you don't have enough hormone. It's normal to have to work a lot harder than others, even when they even out. It lets you lose, but it's not the same as people who have the hormone naturally. I don't have a thyroid and have to rely solely on the pills. I also have to take large amounts of supplements that interfere with the pills, so...I get it. But keep working. Don't stop.
Good luck.0 -
Posting: "I don't count calories" on a site 99% dedicated to "counting calories" and questioning why you aren't losing weight...
...
...
Let that sink in for a while.0 -
I have to agree with what everyone else is saying.
I understand that counting calories, weighing and measuring everything you eat can be tedious and thinking that you will have to do that until you reach your goal weight and beyond is a bit disheartening to think about. But if you want to lose weight, that's just reality. I have had to come to terms with the fact that because of what I've done to myself (gained a lot of weight), if I want to be healthy, then weighing, counting, measuring are musts in my life.
Eyeballing is not a good idea, it is not accurate, even if you really think it is. I can pretty much guarantee that you are underestimating your calorie intake.
Best of luck!0 -
My weight loss became consistent only once I started counting calories. The first couple of weeks of intuitive eating had me losing weight (because I it stopped me from binge eating, so overall, I ate less). But for about 6 weeks after that, my weight loss was at a stall save for a pound or so. In the past two weeks that I have used MFP, I have lost 4 lbs. Counting calories has been crucial to making sure that I not only eat less but don't eat too little. It can be tedious, but I'd rather deal with entering stuff into my MFP app (10 minutes max of my day) than see my waist circumference increase with every passing month for the rest of my life.0
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Is it a matter of "can't" or "won't" count cals? Because it seems to me you can, but just won't. And as far as reasonable portions--well that can be subjective. I know people who think five slices of pizza is a reasonable portion.In the past I measured food and calories. It is not something I can sustain for every meal for the rest of my life. So no, I do not currently count calories. However I do eat reasonable portions and periodically I will go back and count for a week at a time to make sure my portions are OK.0 -
Here is a "non-traditional" way to count calories.
Once a week (or however many times you CAN), prepare a menu plan for yourself and count the calories in the menu plan.
Prepare your food, measure it, and store it for easy grab & go eating throughout the week. If you want a bit of variety in your week, do 2 different menu plans and alternate days.
If you want snacking wiggle room, prepare menus with 100-200 calories less and ONLY count your snacking calories.
It is not traditional "count as you go" but pre-counting calories. However, you don't have as much on the fly choices and you HAVE to stick with your menu unless you plan to count as you go when you deviate.
And here's a good video blog about meal planning: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=819374251418299&set=vb.206180602737670&type=2&theater
Steve really knows his stuff!0 -
Resistance training looks to be lacking. Your crossfit stuff can have it, but it depends on the class/teacher/trainer. Progress on weight training and improve your body composition.
^^Agreed.
***L***I***F***T***!***
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If you aren't dedicated to counting calories and measuring portions then you aren't dedicated to losing weight. Simple as.0
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Have you considered ritual sacrifice?
With love,
Burt0 -
Low thyroid function creates a situation where you unfortunately have to be even more strict that the average person. It sucks. It really really does. It is not fair. However, your body wants to hold on to weight. You will have to actually count calories and move as much as you possibly can in order to make headway.0
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If you are in the overweight category, literally 25-30 BMI, that might actually be a healthy weight for you. I think healthy weight is a range so for some people it is a bit higher than for others. It sounds like your eating is great, and you are able to do some pretty intense workouts on a regular basis, so maybe you are actually in the right range for you. To get below that range would take serious efforts such as counting all calories and continually being hungry, so you would need to decide if that was worth it to you.0
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Do everything you're already doing but lift heavier weights. You should also weigh your food, but if you don't want to, w/e0
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In the past I measured food and calories. It is not something I can sustain for every meal for the rest of my life. So no, I do not currently count calories. However I do eat reasonable portions and periodically I will go back and count for a week at a time to make sure my portions are OK.
So...what do you use MFP for then? If you don't use the log I mean.0 -
In the past I measured food and calories. It is not something I can sustain for every meal for the rest of my life. So no, I do not currently count calories. However I do eat reasonable portions and periodically I will go back and count for a week at a time to make sure my portions are OK.
Sounds like your "reasonable portions" are your maintenance calories.0 -
So, if you're not losing weight, you're eating at maintenance. To lose weight, you need to create a deficit. You can do that however you choose -- you don't HAVE to count calories, or weigh food, or anything. People gained and lost weight long before calorie counting was a thing. Weighing your food and counting calories is a very efficient, very accurate way to lose weight, but it's not the only way to create a deficit.0
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Wow, people are kind of rude.
If you want to try something different, you might check out the Metabolic effect, you can look at the website for free and the book is really cheap http://www.metaboliceffect.com/ It is written by two brothers who are biochemists, trainers and naturopathic doctors. They don't make you count calories but you do have to stick to the proportions of food and nutrients that your body needs and you need to be strict about it. They also have good advice for building muscle AND while you do need to create a calorie deficit to lose weight, that is not the whole story. Our bodies are not strictly calculators, there are dozens of hormones that regulate metabolism and weight loss and certain foods turn them on and off.0 -
Wow, people are kind of rude.
If you want to try something different, you might check out the Metabolic effect, you can look at the website for free and the book is really cheap http://www.metaboliceffect.com/ It is written by two brothers who are biochemists, trainers and naturopathic doctors. They don't make you count calories but you do have to stick to the proportions of food and nutrients that your body needs and you need to be strict about it. They also have good advice for building muscle AND while you do need to create a calorie deficit to lose weight, that is not the whole story. Our bodies are not strictly calculators, there are dozens of hormones that regulate metabolism and weight loss and certain foods turn them on and off
Huh?0 -
I like to do a quick peruse over people's profiles and post history, as often one or two posts from someone don't give us the full picture.Walnut milk! Excellent in smoothies, baking, or other recipes.
To make walnut milk, soak the nuts overnight in water, then blend and strain in the morning.
It's an excellent way to make recipes creamy without dairy calories.
If you're not tracking calories, and thinking you're somehow making out in the deficit calorie by drinking straight walnuts over "dairy calories," then perhaps you should look into some nutrition classes, or at least--if not actively counting calories--actually seeing calorie vs. calorie in different foods.
Otherwise, you're not eating "too much" if you're not gaining. You're simply eating at your maintenance. If you want to weigh less than you are, you have to change your "reasonable portions" to smaller ones. If you want to lose fat, couple that with strength training.0 -
Sounds like you need to eat less. Since you're not tracking and not willing to track we don't know how much you're actually eating, but since you're not losing we can confirm it is too much. Start eating smaller portions and see how that works for you.0
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Wow, people are kind of rude.
If you want to try something different, you might check out the Metabolic effect, you can look at the website for free and the book is really cheap http://www.metaboliceffect.com/ It is written by two brothers who are biochemists, trainers and naturopathic doctors. They don't make you count calories but you do have to stick to the proportions of food and nutrients that your body needs and you need to be strict about it. They also have good advice for building muscle AND while you do need to create a calorie deficit to lose weight, that is not the whole story. Our bodies are not strictly calculators, there are dozens of hormones that regulate metabolism and weight loss and certain foods turn them on and off.
Who is being rude? The people giving silly answers are doing so because she DID ask for non-traditional advice.
As for your last bit... yeah, people will preach thermodynamics to you all day, but if you do throw in certain disorders, things legitimately get screwy, and this is coming from a very objective, "science or die" person who's had to be told this by numerous endocrinologists, one of whom has even thrown the research at me to help me see that yes, some people really are different. OP has a recently diagnosed thyroid disorder. Her glucose is off. These two things could very well make her needs and/or her results different than others. However, if after 6 months of strict weighing/measuring and counting calories, we could consider that an issue, as the "estimating portions" is a user error that thyroid or no thyroid issue can't make a difference in.
However, in all of that, no food has ever been responsible for "turning metabolism on or off." Some foods can reduce the effectiveness of thyroid pills--is that what you mean?0 -
I just got back from the gym and my sculpt work out class. Many fit yet overweight girls in there. All i could think ..was I'm going to start really counting close and not kid myself. you should do the same… It couldn't hurt to try it for a few weeks and see what happens.0
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I agree with the overwhelming suggestion to count your calories. You could be overeating...but undereating relative to your activity level could also prevent you from losing weight. The key either way to is figure out just how many calories your consuming. It isn't fun and can be tedious, but you won't have to do it forever once you figure out what's going on and get a good feel for how much you should eat each day to lose.0
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All I've got is the traditional advice of "measure everything." Eyeballing simply does not work.0
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The food I eat is 90% whole, unprocessed, and clean. (I don't count calories or measure food because it simply isn't realistic for me. From time to do I do it short -term as a way to re-orient myself to correct portions.)
The above is why you are not losing weight. Also, you will not get much non-traditional advice (i.e. new diet, cut out all fat and sugar, etc) because those things are fads based on broscience and myths.
As far as weight loss goals go, in order to lose weight you must eat less calories than you burn. Even with medical conditions, you can find that number, but it takes a bit more work.
If you don't count calories or weigh your food, you have no idea how many calories you are eating. I suggest you make a habit of counting calories, weighing food (not measuring, because it's not accurate), and ensure that you are using correct portion entries. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide
Also, either figure out your TDEE or eat back a portion of your cardio calories.
Sorry, this is it. Bets of luck! 
This.
But if you want some non-traditional advice, I suggest having more sex. Not only does it burn calories, but it may improve the quality of your sleep.
You're welcome.
winning right here.0
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