Totally fed up

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Hello friendly people....

I did Lighterlife about 6 or so years ago and lost 2st then another stone over the following year by following GI. I have kept the weight off for all this time until the last year when over the whole year I gained 5lbs. Come this new year I decided enough was enough and to nip it now before it got any worse.

I found MFP on my android apps so had a look, thought that'd be a good idea and signed up. It gave me a goal of 1200 calories a day so I started logging everything. The scary thing for me was that in a normal day, without making any changes to my eating habits, I was actually struggling to reach 1200 - but within the first week I'd lost 2lbs of the 8 that I'd set myself, so thought I must be doing something right and carried on.

In the second week I didn't lose a thing, and nothing in the 3rd week.

So I came onto the message boards to read up and began to think that I wasn't eating enough so upped my intake, trying to ensure I ate 'at least' 1200 (after taking exercise into account). The 4th week has seen absolutely no change either :o(

I'm not one for 'exercising', simply can't stand it.... but.... I do walk to work and back every day (1 mile each way, and add on another .1 or .2 if I go the 'long' way!) and I do walk briskly and power walk up the hills. And I spend the weekend with my horses and can quite often burn 300-600 easily. And on these days find it even more difficult to reach 1200.

My OH has often said to me that I don't eat enough. He's as skinny as a rake and eats two full meals a day plus snacks. I've even tried to ensure that I eat 3 meals a day, something which I've never done my entire life.

A typical day would normally have been venti skinny latte first thing at work, nothing throughout the day if I wasn't hungry or I might go and get a small soup, occasionally a sandwich (oh, I've always watched fat intake, never counted calories btw) and if they had a birthday at work, would join in with a bit of cake or biscuit or whatever was going. I'd then get home and would have something to take away the mild hunger (usually some form of protein, maybe a slice of wafer thin ham or some biltong!) then wait till OH got home when we'd have our main meal of the day.

So that's it, that's me... slightly unconventional perhaps in my eating habits, but they've served me well these last 6yrs. But I can't carry on gaining and I'd really like to understand why my body is more than content to remain at this weight regardless of whether I eat my 'prescribed' 1200 or not!

I'm definitely on the verge of giving up tracking as it's just getting me down now :o(

Thanks for reading all that drivvel.
Mandi

Replies

  • stevemcknight
    stevemcknight Posts: 647 Member
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    Mandi - you can do this if you want to, but the "I won't exercise" thing just won't work. You don't have to mindlessly run on the the treadmill - I hate that too, find something you do like and do it. Simply walking a mile or two a day is great extra supplemental calories burned, but it's not going to get you to the goal. Tracking is key for me and a lot of people here, but no more key than being active.

    There are so many different forms of being active, try them and find something that works for you.

    Steve
    KnightFit.com
    "Those who don't find time to exercise now, will find time to be sick, fat and old in the future."
  • lindaloseit
    lindaloseit Posts: 4 Member
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    Hi
    I learn from allot of MFP that we have to eat at lease 50% of what we burn and all of our 1200 calories to see it drop. also you can be gaining leg muscle that weights more then fat. I hope you dont give up and give this some time it wont happen over night but you will get there.
  • dlaplume2
    dlaplume2 Posts: 1,658 Member
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    Hello friendly people....

    I did Lighterlife about 6 or so years ago and lost 2st then another stone over the following year by following GI. I have kept the weight off for all this time until the last year when over the whole year I gained 5lbs. Come this new year I decided enough was enough and to nip it now before it got any worse.

    I found MFP on my android apps so had a look, thought that'd be a good idea and signed up. It gave me a goal of 1200 calories a day so I started logging everything. The scary thing for me was that in a normal day, without making any changes to my eating habits, I was actually struggling to reach 1200 - but within the first week I'd lost 2lbs of the 8 that I'd set myself, so thought I must be doing something right and carried on.

    In the second week I didn't lose a thing, and nothing in the 3rd week.

    So I came onto the message boards to read up and began to think that I wasn't eating enough so upped my intake, trying to ensure I ate 'at least' 1200 (after taking exercise into account). The 4th week has seen absolutely no change either :o(

    I'm not one for 'exercising', simply can't stand it.... but.... I do walk to work and back every day (1 mile each way, and add on another .1 or .2 if I go the 'long' way!) and I do walk briskly and power walk up the hills. And I spend the weekend with my horses and can quite often burn 300-600 easily. And on these days find it even more difficult to reach 1200.

    My OH has often said to me that I don't eat enough. He's as skinny as a rake and eats two full meals a day plus snacks. I've even tried to ensure that I eat 3 meals a day, something which I've never done my entire life.

    A typical day would normally have been venti skinny latte first thing at work, nothing throughout the day if I wasn't hungry or I might go and get a small soup, occasionally a sandwich (oh, I've always watched fat intake, never counted calories btw) and if they had a birthday at work, would join in with a bit of cake or biscuit or whatever was going. I'd then get home and would have something to take away the mild hunger (usually some form of protein, maybe a slice of wafer thin ham or some biltong!) then wait till OH got home when we'd have our main meal of the day.

    So that's it, that's me... slightly unconventional perhaps in my eating habits, but they've served me well these last 6yrs. But I can't carry on gaining and I'd really like to understand why my body is more than content to remain at this weight regardless of whether I eat my 'prescribed' 1200 or not!

    I'm definitely on the verge of giving up tracking as it's just getting me down now :o(

    Thanks for reading all that drivvel.
    Mandi

    There is a post about "eating 700 calories a day and still not losing" that you need to read. It wil explain everything you just said and you will walk away feeling like the light has just been turned on.
  • colochel
    colochel Posts: 263 Member
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    Tracking calories is kind of pointless if you aren't tracking calories expended during exercise. Also, is the food you're eating doing anything for you nutritionally? Ive used this example before, but im going to use it again: I could easily stay under 1200 calories eating hot pockets all day (say, one at each meal), but it wont help me lose weight. Tracking fat is good to do, but have you thought of tracking other things - maybe sodium intake?

    Also, I would try incorporating weekly measurements into your routine. The scale may not budge, but it doesn't mean you aren't changing.

    I hope you do not give up. We all want to see you meet your goals! Sorry if I butchered any spelling, on my cell and my autocorrect is insane.

    Good luck!
  • Tigergrr
    Tigergrr Posts: 16 Member
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    Steve - thanks but I didn't say I wont, just that I hate it. I've been trying to find other ways - like the flat hasn't been so clean in a long time! I've been 'dancing' around, climbing stairs instead of getting the lift. And OH has just brought our Wii home from work so I can get on the Wii fit again. And the horses are getting fitter too as I've got more motivation (one of them has only just come back into work after being rescued with a lot of muscular and skeletal problems that I've been getting sorted over the last year).

    dlaplume2 - yup, I've read it... hence me increasing my intake... but it still doesn't seem to be helping.

    Linda - thank you... my colleague at work has been doing this along with me but has also reached a point where she's fed up. She suggested giving it another week, then another two, but I've persuaded her to continue with me until at least the end of Feb and see where we are then.

    It's just so demotivating doing all the tracking, upping my 'exercise', and still seeing no changes.

    Btw, dunno if it makes any difference, but I'm 5'1" and currently weigh 9st 5lbs. I wear sizes between 8 and 12 and I'm within the healthy BMI range but only just and would like to tip the scales at just below the 9st mark.

    Thanks for your comments.
  • Tigergrr
    Tigergrr Posts: 16 Member
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    colochel - Yes I'm tracking calories expended during exercise, hence the reason I find it even more difficult to reach the 1200 after a day at the yard with the horses. Nutritionally wise, my main meal of the day is generally very well balanced (following GI principles) and love my veggies and salad. I've checked my sodium (having read about that on here) and that has been lower than I expected and certainly lower than the daily goal.

    The measurement thing I should do. I did get into a pair of size 8 jeans that have been sitting in my draw unworn for the last 6yrs or more.... but that was more to do with me never having tried them since I was doing LL than actually 'just' getting into them now ;o)

    And your spelling was fine ;o)
  • dlaplume2
    dlaplume2 Posts: 1,658 Member
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    Steve - thanks but I didn't say I wont, just that I hate it. I've been trying to find other ways - like the flat hasn't been so clean in a long time! I've been 'dancing' around, climbing stairs instead of getting the lift. And OH has just brought our Wii home from work so I can get on the Wii fit again. And the horses are getting fitter too as I've got more motivation (one of them has only just come back into work after being rescued with a lot of muscular and skeletal problems that I've been getting sorted over the last year).

    dlaplume2 - yup, I've read it... hence me increasing my intake... but it still doesn't seem to be helping.

    Linda - thank you... my colleague at work has been doing this along with me but has also reached a point where she's fed up. She suggested giving it another week, then another two, but I've persuaded her to continue with me until at least the end of Feb and see where we are then.

    It's just so demotivating doing all the tracking, upping my 'exercise', and still seeing no changes.

    Btw, dunno if it makes any difference, but I'm 5'1" and currently weigh 9st 5lbs. I wear sizes between 8 and 12 and I'm within the healthy BMI range but only just and would like to tip the scales at just below the 9st mark.

    Thanks for your comments.

    It did say that when you go for so long with a deficit you will gain weight at first. You need to ride that and take the weight gain for a few weeks then it will fall off. You have been at a deficit for a while your body needs to adjust so it will stop thinking you are in starvation mode before it start letting go of the weight.
  • Tigergrr
    Tigergrr Posts: 16 Member
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    I just read it again - and have even bookmarked it so I can keep referring to it. It's a fab piece, and the kind of info I need as I have a very logical and analytical mind.

    I'm pasting this as I think I need to read this bit over and over and over.

    "Giving A Stubborn Body The Message


    In certain, very stubborn cases, it may be necessary to eat at a eucaloric (maintenance) or hypercaloric (over maintenance) level for a few weeks to ensure the metabolism does get the signal that everything is alright and you aren't going to kill the body.
    Remember, your body could care less about your desire for fat loss. It just wants to survive."

    I've been 'very good' this last week or so and have had a proper breakfast and some lunch as well as my evening meal. It's really hard to eat when I'm not hungry tho, it's just so alien to me!

    I thought I'd been doing so well since my big loss and have often preached to those who have regained about changing your eating habits 'for life', but seems I've mis-judged it myself and despite eating nutritionally healthily, I'm just not eating enough nutrition full-stop!!!!
  • gailosborne
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    Hi There.

    The less we have to lose the slower it is.

    I would make sure you are logging really accurately (I'm not being rude btw - but I think we can all under estimate...I know I have.)

    I would also try to eat a bit more at breakfast even if you don't feel like it and eat more regularly through the day to keep your metabolism going strong which is easier said than done at times.

    Keep to your low GI diet and keep upping the walking and other activity and you will lose, it may not be fast but it will happen. I know its frustrating but I do think slow and steady wins the race when you get down to your size.

    I think home exercise programmes like P90X or the Gillian Michaels Shred one will give your weightloss a kick too and sculpt your body and you may decise you don't even need to lose the llbs.

    Keep going and taking it one day at a time and you'll get there. Keeping so much weight off for 6 years is remarkable - congratulations.
  • gailosborne
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    There is also a great thread on here, 'relatively light people trying to get leaner' which is very helpful Mandi. x