Why am I not losing weight?

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rlynnrowe
rlynnrowe Posts: 3
in Motivation and Support
I work 2 jobs 5-6 days a week.
I wake up at 5am and work at Starbucks for 5-6 hours then I head home, shower, and go to work at Sherwin Williams (a paint store) for 5 hours. Both jobs I am constantly standing/moving/stocking/lifting ect. At Starbucks I drink coffee with Soy milk and 1 sweet and low, classic oatmeal with brown sugar and nuts or sausage, eggs & cheese (no bread), and then a strawberry smoothie with soy milk and matcha powder for lunch. For dinner I usually stop by Wendys for a spicy chicken salad or a grilled chicken wrap. My diet (in my opinion) is not unhealthy. I don't over eat or overindulge. I don't eat sweets. I've completey cut back on all carbs. I stopped eating bread a month ago, I stopped drinking soda 3 years ago. The pounds STAY. I am 21 years old, 190lbs and 5'6". My "healthy" weight is 135-140.

I feel unhappy, uncomfortable, and tired. Its so confusing.

Is it because of stress?

I tried zantrex but it makes me feel jittery and unfocused. I'm totally de-motivated to workout, seems although nothing will help, plus I honestly NEVER have the time. I hardly get to spend time with my husband to begin with, so if I started working out after work I would probably never speak to him all week. I have Sundays off, where I have church and the my life group that evening.

What is my problem / what am I doing wrong?

Side note* I have a Mirena IUD, and have seen reports on women who gained a lot of weight because of it. I've gained 30 pounds and I consider myself more active now than I was before I got it.. Don't know if thats the root of the problem? Others say any fluctuation in weight over 5 lbs is not due to birth control…?

Replies

  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    How many calories a day do you eat? How much do you really burn through exercise a day?
  • maddyk91
    maddyk91 Posts: 193 Member
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    it sounds like you just might not be either counting your cals closely enough/missing something in your diet that is slowing the weight loss down.

    as the person above asked, are you logging everything?

    Sausage, eggs, and oatmeals add up quickly in calories. And so does extras like dressings, oils, and croutons in your dinners. For example, last week, I went and got a salad from McAllisters and it was SEVEN HUNDRED CALORIES (saying that in exasperation)! Can you believe that? Just because of the cheese, croutons and dressing!

    So watch your calories closely. You'll lose weight if youre burning more calories than youre taking in! :) And dont forget, weight loss is slow, not fast!
  • Marbella29660
    Marbella29660 Posts: 71 Member
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    Either your not counting your cals accurately or your not counting your exercise burns accurately. Either way your consuming more than your burning and that's why your not losing. Keep accurate records and you'll see a difference.
  • Rachelwin65
    Rachelwin65 Posts: 55 Member
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    Hi RLynn,

    I am not sure if you have tried logging your food, but it might help A LOT! I was sort of stunned by how many calories hide in some of the foods I eat. It has been a real eye opener to actually weigh chicken breast and realize that I would normally eat almost 2 or 3 times the normal serving.

    So, I would invest in a scale for when you eat at home. And look up the calorie counts for all your meals out. (I am sure Starbucks has nutrition info available.)

    Track everything and be prepared to be surprised. LOL.

    Also, I have been walking for just 15 minutes or so every day and even that is making a big difference in how I feel. I have also found some 'indoor' walking routines on youtube. (Denise Austin has one, It is only 15 minutes long and it is about a 'mile' by the time you are done.)

    Mostly it is about whether you are really ready to do this. If so, don't be afraid to face the truth of what you are eating. Share your food diary, too, if you want. And set SMALL goals for yourself to get started. One might be that you will log everything that goes in your mouth for a day. Or a week.

    And, since you are a church girl, I will also say that for me, prayer is big. I have been genuinely asking God to show me what I need to do to be the woman he intends me to be. I have gotten quite a lot from my prayer time, including to stop being ungrateful for my body. God gave it to me. It might need a different kind of care than some people's, but it is mine and I am the only one who can care for it. And also, create what the Catholics call a rule of life. Commit to certain things you are willing to do to take care of yourself. For me, logging my food and walking 15 minutes every day are two things that are part of my new rule of life.

    Hope some of this helps you. Prayers for your journey.

    xo
    Rachel
  • Rachelwin65
    Rachelwin65 Posts: 55 Member
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    PS: my husband and I have been walking together every day and it has been awesome. 15 minutes is all it takes to get started...:smile:
  • emdeesea
    emdeesea Posts: 1,823 Member
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    My suggestion is to do some activity that actually gets your heart rate up. Just standing and walking at a low pace probably isn't going to burn enough calories for weight loss, especially if you're been doing that for a while. It's good but it's not enough.

    Additionally, if you're not already doing it, you need to log everything you eat and invest in a food scale.

    I'm the same size as you and it wasn't until I started doing all of the above that I started dropping the weight. And I'm a nurse who used to work 12 hour shifts - LOTS of walking, lifting, etc.

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