Help - Not loosing weight :(

BeaThomas
BeaThomas Posts: 10 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Hey guys,

Please help me out here - I can not shift a single pound!!!!!

I exercise daily and I rarely go over my calories for the day.

Exercise includes pole dancing twice a week, rock climbing once a week, yoga, pilates, swimming, zumba and general gym!

I eat reasonably healthy, every now and again I have a cheat - usually at the weekends!

I try to avoid sugar.

I don't drink tea or coffee.. Only lemon water!

Can someone please give me some advice?

I used to be very slim and in the past two years I have gained 3 stone.. very upsetting :(

Replies

  • GuybrushThreepw00d
    GuybrushThreepw00d Posts: 784 Member
    It would be worth opening your diary so we can have a look.

    Do you weigh your food? How long without a loss?
    How much water do you drink?

    You're just up the road from me in Gford :)
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    If you used to be very slim what has changed in your lifestyle that you gained?
    As above says, let us see your diary and see if we can shed some light.

    You say you cheat at the weekends, could you be undoing all your good efforts during the week? I know that was once me!

    Generally we don't lose weight cos we are just eating too much, hard to hear I know! :/ are you weighing/measuring everything you eat? that means logging every single morsel that goes in your mouth?

    Have you worked out your BMR/TDEE?

    heres a few helpful links:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide?hl=logging+step+guide


    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • BeaThomas
    BeaThomas Posts: 10 Member
    HIya - only just seen the replies!

    How do I open up my diary? I didn't even realise it was private, sorry!

    I don't weigh my food, no. Quite frankly I just don't have time to faf about with that..

    I drink plenty of water but I don't really record it as I lose track - all I drink is water all day and throughout exercise.

    I don't post my exercise regimes on myfitnesspal anymore as I want to stick to my calorie intake of 1350 and if I add exercise it adds more calories and I get a little lost!

    What is my BMR/TDEE?

    I log everything I eat except at the weekends because I use the web browser at work not my app :(

    I go on holiday next week so I know that'll be a right off because of no internet - but when I get back I will deff try at the weekends..

    For example this sunday I had toast with butter and then around 2pm we had a roast dinner (Chicken with all the trimmings) with home-made apple crumble and ice cream.. that was my cheat day! I had no supper though..

    I'm even more active than I was at my slimmest :(
  • GuybrushThreepw00d
    GuybrushThreepw00d Posts: 784 Member
    HIya - only just seen the replies!

    How do I open up my diary? I didn't even realise it was private, sorry!

    I don't weigh my food, no. Quite frankly I just don't have time to faf about with that..

    I drink plenty of water but I don't really record it as I lose track - all I drink is water all day and throughout exercise.

    I don't post my exercise regimes on myfitnesspal anymore as I want to stick to my calorie intake of 1350 and if I add exercise it adds more calories and I get a little lost!

    What is my BMR/TDEE?

    I log everything I eat except at the weekends because I use the web browser at work not my app :(

    I go on holiday next week so I know that'll be a right off because of no internet - but when I get back I will deff try at the weekends..

    For example this sunday I had toast with butter and then around 2pm we had a roast dinner (Chicken with all the trimmings) with home-made apple crumble and ice cream.. that was my cheat day! I had no supper though..

    I'm even more active than I was at my slimmest :(

    Ok, so you best guess how much you're eating. EG. Roast dinner with chicken, you might approximate how many grams of roast potatoes you eat, or the weight of the chicken you're eating.... Or you just choose a canned "Roast chicken dinner meal" option from the list?
    Calorie counting only works when you're accurately doing it. For people that don't have time to faf about with it, thats why weightwatchers was invented. They use points which don't require quite as much effort to track properly.

    The fundamental issue you have "I can not shift a single pound" is because you're not actually managing to create a calorie deficit between what you eat and how active you are. I think you're in a place of; you want to drop a bit of weight but it's not yet high enough on your priority list to change your approach.

    Google TDEE and BMR, learn what they mean and why it's important. Find a TDEE/BMR calculator, know your numbers. Learn why MFP adds calories when you exercise (and why you should eat back *most* of them).

    Good luck.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    HIya - only just seen the replies!

    How do I open up my diary? I didn't even realise it was private, sorry!

    I don't weigh my food, no. Quite frankly I just don't have time to faf about with that..

    I drink plenty of water but I don't really record it as I lose track - all I drink is water all day and throughout exercise.

    I don't post my exercise regimes on myfitnesspal anymore as I want to stick to my calorie intake of 1350 and if I add exercise it adds more calories and I get a little lost!

    What is my BMR/TDEE?

    I log everything I eat except at the weekends because I use the web browser at work not my app :(

    I go on holiday next week so I know that'll be a right off because of no internet - but when I get back I will deff try at the weekends..

    For example this sunday I had toast with butter and then around 2pm we had a roast dinner (Chicken with all the trimmings) with home-made apple crumble and ice cream.. that was my cheat day! I had no supper though..

    I'm even more active than I was at my slimmest :(

    You can open your diary by going here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings Select "Public" towards the bottom of the page and then save changes.

    You can find plenty of BMR and TDEE calculators online to get an estimate of yours. Scooby's calculator will give it to you on one page if you fill in your stats here: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
  • nilbogger
    nilbogger Posts: 870 Member
    If you don't have time to faf about with weighing your food then you really don't know how much you are eating. It could be a lot more than you think.
  • whippetwomen
    whippetwomen Posts: 35 Member
    Just had a peek at your diary. Mon-choc-115 cals, more choc 280 cals, warburton thins 200 cals.
    Tues - choc 115, thins 200, rice crispies bar 118, cauliflower cheese 163, stuffed mushrooms 195, pigs in blankets 178, pizza 128, more pizza 190. Wed so far, rice crispies bar 118, thins 200. You are not really into dieting mode yet.
  • BeaThomas
    BeaThomas Posts: 10 Member
    It's dark chocolate - over 70% 2 squares - I don't think that's bad at all.

    I also forgot to mention I'm lactose intolerant so although I don't log it as dairy free everything is home made and dairy free :)

    Like I said in my first post I have a sweet tooth - I have to have something relatively sweet a day or I will binge!

    I think I need to start logging everything properly - stuffed mushrooms were mini and I picked out the stuffing because it tasted funny! so I basically just had three mushrooms - that isn't bad at all?

    Unfortunately my office has no means of heating food up - so one week I'll have salad and salmon. I am sick of that so I am having ham salad thins (wholemeal thins) at the moment! That is better than a sandwich would you not agree?
  • BeaThomas
    BeaThomas Posts: 10 Member
    Thanks for opening your diary. It looks like you are not logging consistently, and when you do the measurements are not always precise. Also you are eating a fair amount of pizza, which is often high in sodium and can cause water retention.

    On one day, you had "homemade spaghetti bolognese, 1 bowl." What is that, really? You might use more or less meat and pasta than someone else that created the entry. Entries like this are red flags that you might be overconsuming without realizing it. I know if you asked me and my friends to each make a bowl of spag bol, you would get 10 different calorie amounts. Same goes for a "slice" of pizza. If you are like me, when standing at the counter you pick the biggest slice on the tray. Why not if they all cost the same? ;) But the bigger slice doesn't have the same cals as the small one.

    Try being more consistent with logging first. Even if you go over your goal, the idea is to get a more realistic picture of your consumption. I think once you start being more honest with yourself, even if you use measuring cups instead of a scale, you will see why you are not losing.


    Yes I think I need to start logging properly - I am starting to understand MFP a lot more now! Thanks for pointing out about the spaghetti bowl - I definitely wouldn't have thought of it like that!!
  • BeaThomas
    BeaThomas Posts: 10 Member
    HIya - only just seen the replies!

    How do I open up my diary? I didn't even realise it was private, sorry!

    I don't weigh my food, no. Quite frankly I just don't have time to faf about with that..

    I drink plenty of water but I don't really record it as I lose track - all I drink is water all day and throughout exercise.

    I don't post my exercise regimes on myfitnesspal anymore as I want to stick to my calorie intake of 1350 and if I add exercise it adds more calories and I get a little lost!

    What is my BMR/TDEE?

    I log everything I eat except at the weekends because I use the web browser at work not my app :(

    I go on holiday next week so I know that'll be a right off because of no internet - but when I get back I will deff try at the weekends..

    For example this sunday I had toast with butter and then around 2pm we had a roast dinner (Chicken with all the trimmings) with home-made apple crumble and ice cream.. that was my cheat day! I had no supper though..

    I'm even more active than I was at my slimmest :(

    Ok, so you best guess how much you're eating. EG. Roast dinner with chicken, you might approximate how many grams of roast potatoes you eat, or the weight of the chicken you're eating.... Or you just choose a canned "Roast chicken dinner meal" option from the list?
    Calorie counting only works when you're accurately doing it. For people that don't have time to faf about with it, thats why weightwatchers was invented. They use points which don't require quite as much effort to track properly.

    The fundamental issue you have "I can not shift a single pound" is because you're not actually managing to create a calorie deficit between what you eat and how active you are. I think you're in a place of; you want to drop a bit of weight but it's not yet high enough on your priority list to change your approach.

    Google TDEE and BMR, learn what they mean and why it's important. Find a TDEE/BMR calculator, know your numbers. Learn why MFP adds calories when you exercise (and why you should eat back *most* of them).

    Good luck.

    I think all these comments have been a massive help and massive eye opener for me..

    I will start weighing my food - it's a little frustrating on here though everything comes up as cups or 1/2 cups.. is that the american way?

    How do you weigh your food if you are eating in a big family - i know it's simple to say 'weigh your food' but isn't quite that simple if you aren't the one cooking it that evening and if it's within a large amount of people!

    The roast I had was cooked for 12 people - I can't whip out scales at the dinner table? hahaha how do you get round this?

    Thanks :)
  • Frank_Just_Frank
    Frank_Just_Frank Posts: 454 Member


    I don't weigh my food, no. Quite frankly I just don't have time to faf about with that..

    I'm even more active than I was at my slimmest :(

    I don't blame you for estimating the portions when you log them but take the time once in a while to measure things, you could be surprised. You may be eating more than you think.

    Also, please don't measure exclusively with the scale. Get a cloth measuring tape and check your sizes. You may be getting slimmer while gaining muscle and retaining some water.

    Patience is the key. It sounds like you're doing the right things. Best of luck!
  • whippetwomen
    whippetwomen Posts: 35 Member
    It's dark chocolate - over 70% 2 squares - I don't think that's bad at all.

    I also forgot to mention I'm lactose intolerant so although I don't log it as dairy free everything is home made and dairy free :)

    Like I said in my first post I have a sweet tooth - I have to have something relatively sweet a day or I will binge!

    I think I need to start logging everything properly - stuffed mushrooms were mini and I picked out the stuffing because it tasted funny! so I basically just had three mushrooms - that isn't bad at all?

    Unfortunately my office has no means of heating food up - so one week I'll have salad and salmon. I am sick of that so I am having ham salad thins (wholemeal thins) at the moment! That is better than a sandwich would you not agree?
  • BeaThomas
    BeaThomas Posts: 10 Member
    Ok thank you :)

    I pole 3 hours a week which is a lot of muscle training so I need to up my cardio to help this even out.. as I could be gaining muscle quicker than I am shedding fat!
  • GuybrushThreepw00d
    GuybrushThreepw00d Posts: 784 Member
    I will start weighing my food - it's a little frustrating on here though everything comes up as cups or 1/2 cups.. is that the american way?
    There's lots of recipes that use grams
    How do you weigh your food if you are eating in a big family - i know it's simple to say 'weigh your food' but isn't quite that simple if you aren't the one cooking it that evening and if it's within a large amount of people!
    You can stick a digital scale under your plate and then load it up noting how many potatoes/chicken you're getting.
    I'm pretty good at eyeballing how much stuff weighs now, but i still weigh most of the time.
    The roast I had was cooked for 12 people - I can't whip out scales at the dinner table? hahaha how do you get round this?
    Know where the calories come from. The meat's all good, as is the steamed/boiled veg - go easy on the other stuff.
    You'll get to know what an average size chicken breast is about 150g, and veg can be approximated as it doesn't go high on the calorie count
  • BeaThomas
    BeaThomas Posts: 10 Member
    Wow you have all been so helpful :)

    Really appreciate all this - feeling a lot better about everything now!

    Change starts now!!!
  • 212019156
    212019156 Posts: 341 Member
    I'm assuming that is you in the pole dancing pic. If then you are not overweight so I'm again assuming you are just trying to get lean. To get from fat to reasonable lean-ness in my opinion not that difficult. To get from a reasonable level of lean-ness to really lean is much more difficult and requires more diligence.
  • xShreddx
    xShreddx Posts: 127 Member
    Keep the carbs below 100g and you'll lose weight since it is the primary fuel source and fat is secondary. Less carbs means quicker fat burn!
  • BeaThomas
    BeaThomas Posts: 10 Member
    I'm assuming that is you in the pole dancing pic. If then you are not overweight so I'm again assuming you are just trying to get lean. To get from fat to reasonable lean-ness in my opinion not that difficult. To get from a reasonable level of lean-ness to really lean is much more difficult and requires more diligence.

    According to my BMI I am over weight.

    I know I am not heavily over weight - but I am scared that one day I will be!

    Becoming lean is something I would love to achieve I am just not sure how..

    I am currently weighing in at 12 stone 5 and I would ideally like to be around 10 stone with muscle and tone!

    I need to be far more strict than I already am - it's hard..
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    According to my BMI I am over weight.

    I know I am not heavily over weight - but I am scared that one day I will be!

    Becoming lean is something I would love to achieve I am just not sure how..

    I am currently weighing in at 12 stone 5 and I would ideally like to be around 10 stone with muscle and tone!

    I need to be far more strict than I already am - it's hard..
    You've received some great advice so far. While it is more work to accurately measure and log everything, it's necessary to really understand the relationship between what you're eating and how many calories you're consuming. Most of us severely underestimate portion sizes and how many calories are in those portions. Once you've been doing it for awhile, you'll find you need to weigh and measure less and less.

    You're right, it's hard. But if it were easy, everyone would be thin. :smile: See if you can find some healthier and less calorie dense foods to replace the chocolate and treats. Or, rather than a whole chocolate bar, buy some miniatures and eat just one every day. Eat it slowly and savor it and you'll probably find it satisfies you as much as a whole bar would have without doing nearly as much damage. Be sure to leave room in your calories for that treat every day since you said you need it or you'll binge. I always reserve 100-200 calories for a treat every evening. I know I'm going to want something a few hours after dinner, so I plan for it.

    Be sure to use the tape measure as well as the scale to track your progress. Sometimes, the scale won't move but you'll be shrinking and honestly, I think the latter is more important. No one but you sees the number on the scale.

    Lastly, add some strength training in with the cardio. I started doing that earlier this year and I'm definitely seeing a difference in my body composition. More muscle = higher metabolism so it's a win all around. The scale hasn't moved as much but I'm down several inches in my waist, hips and thighs. I am seeing muscle definition in my back and abdomen and my arms and calves are getting solid. I wish I had started lifting years ago.
  • 212019156
    212019156 Posts: 341 Member
    Have you had your body fat percent assessed? That will tell you a lot more than your actual body weight. BMI will not provide an accurate picture especially if you are muscular.


    According to my BMI I am over weight.

    I know I am not heavily over weight - but I am scared that one day I will be!

    Becoming lean is something I would love to achieve I am just not sure how..

    I am currently weighing in at 12 stone 5 and I would ideally like to be around 10 stone with muscle and tone!

    I need to be far more strict than I already am - it's hard..
  • GuybrushThreepw00d
    GuybrushThreepw00d Posts: 784 Member
    If she was BMI Overweight because of the sheer amount of muscle mass on her body, I think she'd already be well versed in body fat measurements. :laugh: :laugh: :drinker:
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    Keep the carbs below 100g and you'll lose weight since it is the primary fuel source and fat is secondary. Less carbs means quicker fat burn!

    Lowering carbs is a personal preference if not medically needed. It's not necessarily needed in a calorie deficit.

    OP, what I've done when I come across cup servings on MFP (which is a lot), is I'll compare the weight of what I chose to the weight of one serving on the nutrition label. Your cup won't always match up to the brand's version of a cup.

    This post will give you a lot of tips for logging:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide

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