Okay, I really need some help!
voraciouszest
Posts: 12
Before I ask for your advice, I'd like to explain my situation to you.
I am a 27 year old woman working full-time. I get up at 5AM to get ready to leave for work at 6AM and often don't get home until 6PM that night. Time is something I don't have nearly enough of so I decided to try a Lunch and Dinner package with Lite n' Easy - a company that makes and delivers calorie controlled meals. Now, I have no complaints with the food I was eating. It was all fresh, tasty and balanced. The problem I have is that I have not lost any weight at all in the past week. I will admit that I have only exercised twice in that week, but I also have an active job where I am on my feet for 9 hours of the day and I never fail to do my 10,000 steps. Now I know that it doesn't seem to be such a big concern to fail to lose weight over the past week, but this is only the second week on this diet and I expect to have lost at least a little...
I have been told before from previous blood tests that I carbohydrate intolerant. As such, I need to decide whether to give up the Lite n' Easy (balanced but with processed carbs) and start a carb-free diet or am I jumping to conclusions too quickly? I'd also like to hear from people who have had similar problems or just generally want to give some good advice.
I am a 27 year old woman working full-time. I get up at 5AM to get ready to leave for work at 6AM and often don't get home until 6PM that night. Time is something I don't have nearly enough of so I decided to try a Lunch and Dinner package with Lite n' Easy - a company that makes and delivers calorie controlled meals. Now, I have no complaints with the food I was eating. It was all fresh, tasty and balanced. The problem I have is that I have not lost any weight at all in the past week. I will admit that I have only exercised twice in that week, but I also have an active job where I am on my feet for 9 hours of the day and I never fail to do my 10,000 steps. Now I know that it doesn't seem to be such a big concern to fail to lose weight over the past week, but this is only the second week on this diet and I expect to have lost at least a little...
I have been told before from previous blood tests that I carbohydrate intolerant. As such, I need to decide whether to give up the Lite n' Easy (balanced but with processed carbs) and start a carb-free diet or am I jumping to conclusions too quickly? I'd also like to hear from people who have had similar problems or just generally want to give some good advice.
0
Replies
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It's likely from eating prepackaged foods that you're eating more than you think you are. Are they labeled with nutritional info by weight?
Buy your own food. Buy a food scale. Weigh all your food whether it's prepacked or not. Make sure it fits into your calorie goal. Viola, weight loss.0 -
How many times a day are you using these meals? How many calories? What's the sodium like? Are you logging and weighing everything else you eat?0
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Before I ask for your advice, I'd like to explain my situation to you.
I am a 27 year old woman working full-time. I get up at 5AM to get ready to leave for work at 6AM and often don't get home until 6PM that night. Time is something I don't have nearly enough of so I decided to try a Lunch and Dinner package with Lite n' Easy - a company that makes and delivers calorie controlled meals. Now, I have no complaints with the food I was eating. It was all fresh, tasty and balanced. The problem I have is that I have not lost any weight at all in the past week. I will admit that I have only exercised twice in that week, but I also have an active job where I am on my feet for 9 hours of the day and I never fail to do my 10,000 steps. Now I know that it doesn't seem to be such a big concern to fail to lose weight over the past week, but this is only the second week on this diet and I expect to have lost at least a little...
I have been told before from previous blood tests that I carbohydrate intolerant. As such, I need to decide whether to give up the Lite n' Easy (balanced but with processed carbs) and start a carb-free diet or am I jumping to conclusions too quickly? I'd also like to hear from people who have had similar problems or just generally want to give some good advice.
I'm a huge fan of pre-packaged food. For realz, yo.
How many calories were they?
Did you log it?
Can we have a peaksy at your diary?
:drinker: 0 -
Most prepared food like that is high in sodium, which will cause you to retain water. Make sure you are drinking a lot of water to flush your system. We also don't know what else you are eating in between times, what weight you are trying to lose, etc. Take a long look at those meals you are getting and consider your options ie making your own.0
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It's likely from eating prepackaged foods that you're eating more than you think you are. Are they labeled with nutritional info by weight?
Buy your own food. Buy a food scale. Weigh all your food whether it's prepacked or not. Make sure it fits into your calorie goal. Viola, weight loss.
There is full nutritional value for every meal I am eating. Like I said before, all meals are balanced - vegetables, protein and carbs - and in realistic portion sizes. I am following a calorie controlled plan with full information on what I'm eating and haven't gone over my calorie goal or too far under it.0 -
Most prepared food like that is high in sodium, which will cause you to retain water. Make sure you are drinking a lot of water to flush your system. We also don't know what else you are eating in between times, what weight you are trying to lose, etc. Take a long look at those meals you are getting and consider your options ie making your own.
I very rarely go over the sodium intake MFP recommended for my profile. I also drink a lot of water.0 -
Well, a week isn't too long. Don't worry about the time.
I wonder though if your calorie goals are just to high. You might simply need a larger deficit.
If you're not losing weight in another week, reassess your calorie requirements.0 -
How many times a day are you using these meals? How many calories? What's the sodium like? Are you logging and weighing everything else you eat?
Yup. I can honestly say I am logging everything I eat.
And these meals are a 7-day a week thing. They are low fat, low sodium, balanced.
The only negative thing I can pinpoint is that they include high carbs like white rice, white bread, potatoes, etc.0 -
1. don't trust the initial setup that MFP provides. If you put in the wrong/inaccurate information, it'll tell you to eat an amount that may not be applicable.
2. Make sure you eat enough.
3. Figure out what works for you and is sustainable/healthy/long term.
4. avoid fads. don't buy in to any "Hey, try the twinkie and vodka diet"
5. Don't cut out anything now that you don't plan on literally giving up forever.
6. GET A FOOD SCALE. Weigh everything. No, seriously.
7. Get an HRM with a chest strap. You'll at least have a better idea of what you're burning. It'll be more accurate than the generic info in the exercise database.. and even more than the cardio machines. This is great for steady state cardio (run/walk/etc)
8. Don't go balls out. You'll burn out. I see 300 lb people show up here, instantly start working out and cutting their intake SEVERELY... trying to cut out all of their carbs at once.. whatever. Take it slow. Figure out how much you need to eat FIRST in order to lose.. then incorporate exercise.
9. Don't cardio yourself to death.
10. Take the information on the forums with a grain of salt. A lot of people that have been here for a while.. and have been successful, may seem jaded. They give out GREAT advice day after day, only to be met with people that refuse to listen.
11. Eat real food. Not diet food. Not "low fat, sugar free, now without X." It's easier to get/find/count.
12. don't set time restrictions.
13. measure yourself weekly. Don't just weigh. Measure and take pictures.
14 BE PATIENT.
15. Avoid forum topics that have "1200" in the title. It's just full of butthurt. Lots of it.
16. If you ask a question on the forum, give as much information as you can ("yes, I have a food scale and weigh my food" is worlds better than "I eat a palm full of miscellaneous boiled chicken parts..sometimes.")
17. Be honest with yourself and honest with us.
18. This isn't a game, it's about changing your lifestyle. Do that.
pretty much that.
...and don't fall into the "1200 calorie" vertigo of suck because of:
the typical MFP users does this:
1. I wanna lose weight, let's try MFP.
2. OH! Wow, it tells me I can lose 2 lbs a WEEK? AWESOME!
3. I just sit at a desk when I'm not working out, I guess I'm sedentary.
4. MFP tells them 1200 calories, and they don't even eat that.. then they work out on top of it.. creating an even bigger deficit.
5. Lose a lot, fast, brag about 1200 calorie success.
6. Come back in a few months trying to figure out why they're dizzy, tired, not losing weight.
7. Get on the forums, ask why they aren't losing.
8. Get two responses (I eat 1200 and lose) (I eat 2200 and lose)
9. Argument ensues about who is right.
Now. That being said. These threads happen hundreds of times per day. Most times, and I mean really.. seriously.. 95% of the time.. people get the 1200 number because they don't put the right information in when they set up the account. There are a great number of people that are trying to help. I'm one of 'em.
I'm a hardcore advocate of actually finding out what works for the individual.. by means of other calculators, averages, time, practice, and patience.
Blanket prescriptions of 1200 calories "because it worked for me" is more harmful to the generic new user than the "figure out what you need to eat." Unfortunately, one is a LOT easier to type.
Find out what you need: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
and make sure to read: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
...and here's another approach.
Block off 6 weeks. log EXACTLY what you eat for those six weeks, weigh at the beginning, weight at the end. If you've lost, you're eating under your TDEE. If you haven't lost, congrats.. you found your TDEE, if you've gained... then you're above TDEE.
From there, look at how much you lost or gained and you have a rough estimate of how to shift your intake to balance it out.
Online calculators are great, but they're just estimates. They give you decent ideas for starting points. From there, it's on you to fine tune it.0 -
prepackaged food is very high in sodium &/or sugar, as both sodium and sugar are preservatives used by the food industry. those two things alone can cause weight gain. muscles also weigh more than fat and burn more calories than fat.
find a way to make your own meals so you know what's in it.
suggest make a dinner on both Saturday and sunday (with at least 2-3 leftover servings each meal). freeze the leftovers in individual portions so you can take out and cook for dinner during the week. after a month of doing this, you will have plenty of frozen dinners to grab on the go and need to cook only every other weekend too.
calories in = calories out... keeps you at same weight. so to lose weight you need more exercise or fewer calories.
1# of weight = 3500 calories. to lose 1# a week you need exercise to burn 500 calories daily, or consume 500 fewer calories daily (as long as you are staying above the minimum calorie so your body doesn't do starvation mode which is holding onto all calories you eat). 7 days *500 = 3500 = 1# weight loss.0 -
It's likely from eating prepackaged foods that you're eating more than you think you are. Are they labeled with nutritional info by weight?
Buy your own food. Buy a food scale. Weigh all your food whether it's prepacked or not. Make sure it fits into your calorie goal. Viola, weight loss.
There is full nutritional value for every meal I am eating. Like I said before, all meals are balanced - vegetables, protein and carbs - and in realistic portion sizes. I am following a calorie controlled plan with full information on what I'm eating and haven't gone over my calorie goal or too far under it.
A balanced diet is great for your general health, but has nothing to do with weight-loss. Eating too many well balanced calories will only cause weight gain. Weight loss is a matter of more calories burned than calories consumed. Regardless of how well balanced or nutritious those calories are.
Give it another week and then reassess the situation.0 -
Carbs have zero to do with weight loss. If you are in a calorie deficit, carbs are not going to prevent you from losing weight.How many times a day are you using these meals? How many calories? What's the sodium like? Are you logging and weighing everything else you eat?
Yup. I can honestly say I am logging everything I eat.
And these meals are a 7-day a week thing. They are low fat, low sodium, balanced.
The only negative thing I can pinpoint is that they include high carbs like white rice, white bread, potatoes, etc.0 -
Yup. Nailed it.1. don't trust the initial setup that MFP provides. If you put in the wrong/inaccurate information, it'll tell you to eat an amount that may not be applicable.
2. Make sure you eat enough.
3. Figure out what works for you and is sustainable/healthy/long term.
4. avoid fads. don't buy in to any "Hey, try the twinkie and vodka diet"
5. Don't cut out anything now that you don't plan on literally giving up forever.
6. GET A FOOD SCALE. Weigh everything. No, seriously.
7. Get an HRM with a chest strap. You'll at least have a better idea of what you're burning. It'll be more accurate than the generic info in the exercise database.. and even more than the cardio machines. This is great for steady state cardio (run/walk/etc)
8. Don't go balls out. You'll burn out. I see 300 lb people show up here, instantly start working out and cutting their intake SEVERELY... trying to cut out all of their carbs at once.. whatever. Take it slow. Figure out how much you need to eat FIRST in order to lose.. then incorporate exercise.
9. Don't cardio yourself to death.
10. Take the information on the forums with a grain of salt. A lot of people that have been here for a while.. and have been successful, may seem jaded. They give out GREAT advice day after day, only to be met with people that refuse to listen.
11. Eat real food. Not diet food. Not "low fat, sugar free, now without X." It's easier to get/find/count.
12. don't set time restrictions.
13. measure yourself weekly. Don't just weigh. Measure and take pictures.
14 BE PATIENT.
15. Avoid forum topics that have "1200" in the title. It's just full of butthurt. Lots of it.
16. If you ask a question on the forum, give as much information as you can ("yes, I have a food scale and weigh my food" is worlds better than "I eat a palm full of miscellaneous boiled chicken parts..sometimes.")
17. Be honest with yourself and honest with us.
18. This isn't a game, it's about changing your lifestyle. Do that.
pretty much that.
...and don't fall into the "1200 calorie" vertigo of suck because of:
the typical MFP users does this:
1. I wanna lose weight, let's try MFP.
2. OH! Wow, it tells me I can lose 2 lbs a WEEK? AWESOME!
3. I just sit at a desk when I'm not working out, I guess I'm sedentary.
4. MFP tells them 1200 calories, and they don't even eat that.. then they work out on top of it.. creating an even bigger deficit.
5. Lose a lot, fast, brag about 1200 calorie success.
6. Come back in a few months trying to figure out why they're dizzy, tired, not losing weight.
7. Get on the forums, ask why they aren't losing.
8. Get two responses (I eat 1200 and lose) (I eat 2200 and lose)
9. Argument ensues about who is right.
Now. That being said. These threads happen hundreds of times per day. Most times, and I mean really.. seriously.. 95% of the time.. people get the 1200 number because they don't put the right information in when they set up the account. There are a great number of people that are trying to help. I'm one of 'em.
I'm a hardcore advocate of actually finding out what works for the individual.. by means of other calculators, averages, time, practice, and patience.
Blanket prescriptions of 1200 calories "because it worked for me" is more harmful to the generic new user than the "figure out what you need to eat." Unfortunately, one is a LOT easier to type.
Find out what you need: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
and make sure to read: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
...and here's another approach.
Block off 6 weeks. log EXACTLY what you eat for those six weeks, weigh at the beginning, weight at the end. If you've lost, you're eating under your TDEE. If you haven't lost, congrats.. you found your TDEE, if you've gained... then you're above TDEE.
From there, look at how much you lost or gained and you have a rough estimate of how to shift your intake to balance it out.
Online calculators are great, but they're just estimates. They give you decent ideas for starting points. From there, it's on you to fine tune it.0 -
1. don't trust the initial setup that MFP provides. If you put in the wrong/inaccurate information, it'll tell you to eat an amount that may not be applicable.
2. Make sure you eat enough.
3. Figure out what works for you and is sustainable/healthy/long term.
4. avoid fads. don't buy in to any "Hey, try the twinkie and vodka diet"
5. Don't cut out anything now that you don't plan on literally giving up forever.
6. GET A FOOD SCALE. Weigh everything. No, seriously.
7. Get an HRM with a chest strap. You'll at least have a better idea of what you're burning. It'll be more accurate than the generic info in the exercise database.. and even more than the cardio machines. This is great for steady state cardio (run/walk/etc)
8. Don't go balls out. You'll burn out. I see 300 lb people show up here, instantly start working out and cutting their intake SEVERELY... trying to cut out all of their carbs at once.. whatever. Take it slow. Figure out how much you need to eat FIRST in order to lose.. then incorporate exercise.
9. Don't cardio yourself to death.
10. Take the information on the forums with a grain of salt. A lot of people that have been here for a while.. and have been successful, may seem jaded. They give out GREAT advice day after day, only to be met with people that refuse to listen.
11. Eat real food. Not diet food. Not "low fat, sugar free, now without X." It's easier to get/find/count.
12. don't set time restrictions.
13. measure yourself weekly. Don't just weigh. Measure and take pictures.
14 BE PATIENT.
15. Avoid forum topics that have "1200" in the title. It's just full of butthurt. Lots of it.
16. If you ask a question on the forum, give as much information as you can ("yes, I have a food scale and weigh my food" is worlds better than "I eat a palm full of miscellaneous boiled chicken parts..sometimes.")
17. Be honest with yourself and honest with us.
18. This isn't a game, it's about changing your lifestyle. Do that.
pretty much that.
...and don't fall into the "1200 calorie" vertigo of suck because of:
the typical MFP users does this:
1. I wanna lose weight, let's try MFP.
2. OH! Wow, it tells me I can lose 2 lbs a WEEK? AWESOME!
3. I just sit at a desk when I'm not working out, I guess I'm sedentary.
4. MFP tells them 1200 calories, and they don't even eat that.. then they work out on top of it.. creating an even bigger deficit.
5. Lose a lot, fast, brag about 1200 calorie success.
6. Come back in a few months trying to figure out why they're dizzy, tired, not losing weight.
7. Get on the forums, ask why they aren't losing.
8. Get two responses (I eat 1200 and lose) (I eat 2200 and lose)
9. Argument ensues about who is right.
Now. That being said. These threads happen hundreds of times per day. Most times, and I mean really.. seriously.. 95% of the time.. people get the 1200 number because they don't put the right information in when they set up the account. There are a great number of people that are trying to help. I'm one of 'em.
I'm a hardcore advocate of actually finding out what works for the individual.. by means of other calculators, averages, time, practice, and patience.
Blanket prescriptions of 1200 calories "because it worked for me" is more harmful to the generic new user than the "figure out what you need to eat." Unfortunately, one is a LOT easier to type.
Find out what you need: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
and make sure to read: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
...and here's another approach.
Block off 6 weeks. log EXACTLY what you eat for those six weeks, weigh at the beginning, weight at the end. If you've lost, you're eating under your TDEE. If you haven't lost, congrats.. you found your TDEE, if you've gained... then you're above TDEE.
From there, look at how much you lost or gained and you have a rough estimate of how to shift your intake to balance it out.
Online calculators are great, but they're just estimates. They give you decent ideas for starting points. From there, it's on you to fine tune it.
I want this guy to be my life coach 0 -
And another thing..... There is nothing inherently wrong with prepackaged meals. Nothing at all. Period.
Eat fewer calories, lose more weight. Sorted.0 -
Thanks for all the help, guys. I'll be patient and keep trying what I've been trying and see where I go from there.
Perhaps my problem had more to do with eating too few calories rather than too many.
In a perfect world with more time for myself I'd be happy to exercise every day and make my own meals but right now I just don't have the time or energy. I'll admit I was looking for that initial boost to get me started and make my own way from there and I've panicked at the first road block.0 -
Hi, I stuck rigidly to my calorie allowance, usually coming in 300 or so cals a day under, for 5 long weeks, no weight loss. Was on the verge of giving up, when I got on the scales after 2 more weeks and found 2lb gone. Then another 2 weeks another 2lb gone. Motivated now and taking this more seriously. I think the 1200 calorie allowance is pretty generic. Have now cut to 800 ish a day. Am 66 and retired so, apart from 2-3 mile dog walk and gardening I can't really do much more exercise. (Dodgy hip and back) There is definately a time delay before the weight starts to drop, and the older you are, the longer it takes. Keep it up, but please try and think for yourself as well as ready meals, because they will become boring after a while and you will start craving things you are being deprived of now. I still eat more or less the the same things, just less of it, half a fish pie with lots of veg. Instead of all of it. I stop and think before putting anything in my mouth, do I really want this, am I really hungry or is that biscuit or 3 with morning coffee really necessary. I really think it is the extras, snacks, tasting food when cooking, achohol with meals, sugar in coffee. All very small in them selves, but they all add up.0
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