Can't lose weight eating healthy?
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There are tons of people here who eat less than healthy and still lose weight. There are several kinds of healthy foods that I can't eat because they give me heartburn or make me bloat or sick to my stomach. Whatever works best for you is great. I don't weigh my food and I still lose weight but I do eat healthier and smaller portions.(I've lost and kept off 30lbs for 3 years) Of course it's always better to feed your body quality food over sweets and super processed stuff. Maybe your body is craving more of a balance between the different types of foods. Maybe you are allergic to something you were eating or wasn't being processed correctly in your system. Lots of things can leave you stagnant. Congrats on the renewed weight loss and as long as it's working for you keep it up!
Thanks. I'm really wanting to be healthier as well as lose weight, but I honestly feel better eating mcdoubles and ice cream than I did eating tofu, fish, veggies or drinking tons of water...0 -
Factory weights are averages and can be out by up to 20% which means if it says 100 cals it could be 80 cals or 120 in reality. That 40 cal difference adds up over time, even within the course of one day. Even machine sliced bread can vary. My current loaf days 83g for 2 slices but in reality it's almost always over 90g for 2 slices.
Wow. That's super weird. I seriously thought since they had grams next to it that it was already weighed. Some of mu stuff says 'about' like popcorn and my green giant packages, which I understand needs to be measured, but most of my stuff doesn't say about.0 -
Its simple, well nothings simple when it comes to dieting, but there is a science to it... "if your dieting and still gaining weight then you are taking in more calories then you are burning" the answer is exactly what you dont want to hear you need to cut more calories. Id say start with carbs cut more then half the cabs you are eating out now and say no to soda or any sugar for that matter and you will be shocked by your weight lose by the end of two weeks, I promise it will work but you have to stick to it and dont give up when it gets hard.
PS if your not weight training START weight training will burn more calories then cardio good luck!0 -
Its simple, well nothings simple when it comes to dieting, but there is a science to it... "if your dieting and still gaining weight then you are taking in more calories then you are burning" the answer is exactly what you dont want to hear you need to cut more calories. Id say start with carbs cut more then half the cabs you are eating out now and say no to soda or any sugar for that matter and you will be shocked by your weight lose by the end of two weeks, I promise it will work but you have to stick to it and dont give up when it gets hard.
PS if your not weight training START weight training will burn more calories then cardio good luck!
I didn't drink anything but water while I was eating healthy. Now that I'm drinking soda, I'm losing. Also eating mostly carbs now.
I also went to the gym with my roommate and he helped me with curls, bench press and we did treadmill and bikes for 40 minutes. I even walked for about an hour to two hours a day depending on if I had to actually go anywhere or not. I gained 30lbs over 4 months and did not lose inches anywhere on my body, but gained 2 on my waist. That's why I say healthy isn't working much...
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I've gone through long periods where I've not eaten anything prepackaged or fast foods.. I even lived in third world countries where these things are not even options where our meals consisted of fruits and veggies we grew, goats our neighbors raised, dairy products we processed ourselves (yogurt and "village cheese") grains we bought in bulk and divided among family and olive oil we pressed ourselves and I didn't lose any weight eating this way. If you're eating like a horse, it doesn't matter WHAT it is. Sure it's a lot easier to gain/maintain on fast foods and junk foods, but I assure you that even eating healthy, locally grown and raised natural whole foods, you're not guaranteed to lose weight.0
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I wish that there was a like button on here... Not sure how to reply to that, but I get what you're saying.0
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What's your height, what to do you weigh, and how much do you want to lose?
Could you write down what kind of things you'd eat while eating healthily, just a typical day.
I do wonder if some people can read...she did state no computer! You might be able to track calories and weigh food but some people are lacking basic comprehension skills
Before I knew MFP existed, I used to do a food diary on paper. I don't know about in the US, but in England all food in tins/packets etc has calories data and ingredients listed. So your bread, tuna, ham, cheese, cereal etc. I think even egg boxes have that info on them. Veggies don't, but you can get books with list of calorie info in them. I'm sure WW or Slimming World provide a little book with points/calorie data.
Anyway, my point is I lost weight while keeping a paper diary.
Obviously tracking on here is better, and also weighing food is better, but weight loss can be done without doing that.0 -
I am 5'3 and 220 right now. I've never been this big and it's been getting worse the better I eat.
I was 195 about a year ago and I ate anything. I'd even blow through buffets. Now that I eat less and actually exercise, I gained a crap load. It seems like the more I eat what I want when I want, the healthier and less I way. When I was 120 I think the only vegetables I ate were with pot roast, mashed potatoes, corn or deep fried. I'd eat cake for breakfast too. Now I have a couple eggs and I'm a fatty. 0 -
You were probably eating too much. It's very easy to underestimate your food intake unfortunately. You have to weigh everything with a scale to be really accurate.
But yeah your maximum calories will go down as you lose weight and get older. I could eat what I wanted when I was 200 pounds and hardly gain anything it seemed, now if I don't weigh everything and make 100% sure of my calories intake, I gain weight.
Also make sure to get your thyroid checked.0 -
I'm the same height as you. If I eat 1600-1800 calories every day, I gain. Even if you're tracking accurately, it may be that you're consuming more than your body needs. All the calculators out there (even TDEE) are only estimates, and will vary for each person. I find I do better on 1200-1400 per day. Towards the higher end of that, I normally track at the same weight or have very small (0.2lb) losses.
As for junk food... I lost 60lbs a few years ago still eating KFC (I'm talking tower meals, not a salad!) at least once a week. You can eat any food and lose weight, as long as your total calories are at a deficit.0 -
Just about everything above is wrong.Its simple, well nothings simple when it comes to dieting, but there is a science to it... "if your dieting and still gaining weight then you are taking in more calories then you are burning" the answer is exactly what you dont want to hear you need to cut more calories. Id say start with carbs cut more then half the cabs you are eating out now and say no to soda or any sugar for that matter and you will be shocked by your weight lose by the end of two weeks, I promise it will work but you have to stick to it and dont give up when it gets hard.
PS if your not weight training START weight training will burn more calories then cardio good luck!
It *is* simple. Calories in < Calories out . What it isn't is *easy*.
Eating "healthy" isn't a guarantee of weight loss. You still need to find a way to eat fewer calories than you use, no matter what you're eating.
You don't need to cut carbs or fats or sugars or sodas or whatever. Every gram of carbohydrate that you cut out cuts 4 calories from your daily intake. Every gram of fat cuts 9 calories. There is a minimum amount of fat you do need per day, probably at least 50 grams at your size, for hormonal balance and all the other things your body needs fat for. Don't go cutting your protein, especially once you start lifting weights. Higher protein helps you retain muscle mass (i.e., your calorie-burning engine) while you are eating at a deficit.
If you cut carbs, you will lose about 10 pounds at first, but most of that will be water. For every gram of glycogen your body stores, it takes 3 grams of water along for the ride, so when you decrease your carbs below what you need, it'll dip into the "short-term" glycogen storage to make up the difference. After you reach maintenance, and go back to eating more carbs, guess what comes right back with a vengeance? All the glycogen your body wants to store, along with its watery pals. My body only shed 4 pounds when I did low carb, so it was a big ol' fail for me. Plus it sent my brain chemistry haywire, but in normal healthy people, it isn't unsafe, just unnecessary.
Weight training does not burn more calories than cardio. But you absolutely do need to do it, on that we agree. What it does is protect your bone density and help preserve your muscle mass. Don't buy into the hype about light weights-high reps for "toning" either. "Toning" doesn't actually mean anything; lowering your body fat % is what leads to more definition, which is usually what people mean when they say "toned" (incorrect though the usage may be).
Don't buy into the hype that lifting heavy will make you bulky either. You don't have enough testosterone as a woman to get bulky. Trust me when I say lots of us work really freakin' hard for a long time trying to get even a little bit "bulkier" and it is slow going and takes focus and dedicated effort. It never happens by accident.
Just lift weights that are heavy (for you) at 3-10 reps, and do enough cardio to maintain cardiovascular health. Then adjust your caloric intake downward slightly until you start losing weight. Then just be patient and results will come in time. It's not rocket science.0 -
I looked at your diary, I went about a month back, you won't lose weight eating crap. Plain and simple.0
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OMG, i have this SAME ISSUE!!
It seems like when I become obsessed with eating healthy and working out, I GAIN weight as opposed to when I am not worried about it and eating anything I want. It doesn't make ANY sense at all and is extremely frustrating. I want to do the best thing for my body and eat healthy and work out, but it doesn't pay off, because I just get fat!!! I feel your pain and not sure what to do about it either.0 -
It is not physically possible to eat fewer calories than your body burns off and not lose weight, no matter whether they come from cheeseburgers and fries or organic locavore artisanal kale. :noway:I looked at your diary, I went about a month back, you won't lose weight eating crap. Plain and simple.
It's certainly easier to eat fewer calories than you need by eating non-calorie-dense food, but that was not your claim.0 -
At the end of the day it's calories in vs calories out. If you aren't losing weight and after ruling out a medical condition you may or may not have, then you are doing something wrong. You're not a special snow flake, sorry. Re-evaluate how you are recording your food intake and the calories burnt from exercise.
Re-evaluate your food choices and make sure you are really measuring your portions to the best of your ability. Do you use measuring spoons or do you weigh your peanut butter? But you'd never guess that you should actually be weighing it!
Do you have frequent or regular cheat days? One cheat day can kill any calorie deficit that you achieve during the week if you eat enough calories.
Do you eat out at restaurants often? Just because a restaurant publishes nutritional information doesn't mean it'll come out that way when prepared. What's to stop a heavy handed cook from using more oils and butters than the recipe calls for? Nothing against eating out, but you are effectively estimating every time you eat out.
It's not enough to just eat "healthy" foods, and the definition of healthy largely depends on what your goals are. I could argue all day with someone who practices paleo's definition of healthy vs my definition (If it fits your macros). At the end of the day it's calories in calories out. Even seemly healthy foods can cause fat gain if you are eating above what you burn.
On a side note, I don't buy that you don't have regular access to a computer and who doesn't have a smart phone now adays? If you want to track everything on a note pad that's ok, but at the end of the day you need to make sure your entries are consistant and correct, otherwise what's the point.0 -
At the end of the day it's calories in vs calories out. If you aren't losing weight and after ruling out a medical condition you may or may not have, then you are doing something wrong. You're not a special snow flake, sorry. Re-evaluate how you are recording your food intake and the calories burnt from exercise.
Re-evaluate your food choices and make sure you are really measuring your portions to the best of your ability. Do you use measuring spoons or do you weigh your peanut butter? But you'd never guess that you should actually be weighing it!
Do you have frequent or regular cheat days? One cheat day can kill any calorie deficit that you achieve during the week if you eat enough calories.
Do you eat out at restaurants often? Just because a restaurant publishes nutritional information doesn't mean it'll come out that way when prepared. What's to stop a heavy handed cook from using more oils and butters than the recipe calls for? Nothing against eating out, but you are effectively estimating every time you eat out.
It's not enough to just eat "healthy" foods, and the definition of healthy largely depends on what your goals are. I could argue all day with someone who practices paleo's definition of healthy vs my definition (If it fits your macros). At the end of the day it's calories in calories out. Even seemly healthy foods can cause fat gain if you are eating above what you burn.
On a side note, I don't buy that you don't have regular access to a computer and who doesn't have a smart phone now adays? If you want to track everything on a note pad that's ok, but at the end of the day you need to make sure your entries are consistant and correct, otherwise what's the point.
Poor people don't have those things jerk. Not everyone on the planet has money to waste on gadgets. I asked for some advice on eating. Not smart *kitten* remarks on the fact I don't have mind numbing technology at my finger tips every day like you.
You can't eat less than your body burns either. I know how to weigh food, I already posted that early. Was asking for tips to try and do this healthier, but guess I'll do it eating crap since I'm down another pound... 0 -
I looked at your diary, I went about a month back, you won't lose weight eating crap. Plain and simple.
Three weeks of not checking calories before the day is over, not obsessing, eating just 'crap' and not exercising and I'm down 7lbs now. Guess you're wrong on that one.0 -
It doesn't matter what you eat, stop rationalizing. If you are gaining weight, you`re eating too much of whatever you`re eating.
FULL STOP.0
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