I know I know but HELP!!

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TiffanyW1014
TiffanyW1014 Posts: 614 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm am at a gaining/stand still and I need help( thinking i might be taking in 2 many calories???). Currently I am down 70 lbs since June and I am very happy with that but this numbers crap is driving me nuts. I WANT to lose 2 + lbs a weeks so all input is needed. I am 5'8 and weigh 190. I want to know what I need to do to get this weight off. PLEASE HELP!! I need to know calories in, calories out in english lol! For some reason I just can not get this concept. Thanks in advance!!
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  • meggonkgonk
    meggonkgonk Posts: 2,066 Member
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    You want any kind of useful help I would say open your food diary- even if its just for the next hour or two- We can't see what or how much you are eating to be able to tell if it's enough/too much without that.
  • shaunshaikh
    shaunshaikh Posts: 616 Member
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    At 190 lbs, you probably need to adjust your goals to 1 pound per week. loss. It gets harder to lose weight the lighter you get and having too large of a calorie deficit will stifle your results over time.
  • meggonkgonk
    meggonkgonk Posts: 2,066 Member
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    You may however be getting to a point where 2+ lbs per week is just not realistic. I started as high as 182, and I never lost more than 2lbs in a week and averaged 1.5
  • rich_MTatl
    rich_MTatl Posts: 5
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    Maybe you are taking in too much carbs? Use the Goals feature under My Home and use the Custom Change Goals option to possibly modify your percentage of Carbohydrates, Protein and Fat intake. I would suggest setting carbs to 50%, protein 30% and fat 20% as a good start for weight loss. You could keep your total net calories at the same level, but more calories will be from protein instead of carbs. Of course, you must maintain an exercise routine when making this type of shift. After reaching your weight loss goal then recalibrate the percentages to something closer to what is recommended by the Dietary Guidelines:
    45% to 65% carbohydrates.
    10% to 35% protein.
    20% to 35% fat.
  • dababers
    dababers Posts: 135
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    Tiffany...can't see your food diary, and you don't mention your activity/exercise level, so I can't really say. Basic formula is calories in-calories out=weight lost/gained. Something may be askew with your calculations. Are you logging EVERYTHING you eat? Remember MFP's numbers for calories burned for exercise are a bit generous. Good luck
  • TiffanyW1014
    TiffanyW1014 Posts: 614 Member
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    Maybe 2 lbs is a bit out of reach. But I have to do/change something and I just am not quite sure what to do at this point..
  • sassyg
    sassyg Posts: 393
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    Quite simply, you're at the point now where 2lb+ a week isn't realistic.
  • ubabe1
    ubabe1 Posts: 144 Member
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    What are you doing for exercises? If you are in a routine you might want to step it up or change to a more aerobic form.
  • TiffanyW1014
    TiffanyW1014 Posts: 614 Member
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    Diary is now open!! Thanks
  • TiffanyW1014
    TiffanyW1014 Posts: 614 Member
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    Tiffany...can't see your food diary, and you don't mention your activity/exercise level, so I can't really say. Basic formula is calories in-calories out=weight lost/gained. Something may be askew with your calculations. Are you logging EVERYTHING you eat? Remember MFP's numbers for calories burned for exercise are a bit generous. Good luck

    I do log everything I am very honest. Even the bad food which you will find if you look. I exercise somehow everyday mybe taking Sunday off. I also wear a HRM so the calories are a bit more acurate.
  • TiffanyW1014
    TiffanyW1014 Posts: 614 Member
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    Quite simply, you're at the point now where 2lb+ a week isn't realistic.

    Kinda figured but I guess I just don't want to hear it or face it since I am still like 50 lbs away from my goal...
  • ♥_Ellybean_♥
    ♥_Ellybean_♥ Posts: 1,646 Member
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    Maybe 2 lbs is a bit out of reach. But I have to do/change something and I just am not quite sure what to do at this point..

    Have you changed your exercise routine up? I know my husband lost 110lbs and stopped loosing, it took him adding in a few classes a week that was not his normal stuff to start losing again...

    Also go over your diary from back when you started and where losing.. see if there are any changes? even little ones like sodium count make a difference.

    I have to agree with others though, maybe 2lbs a week is a bit unrealistic at this point, you've come so far.
  • crazymama2two
    crazymama2two Posts: 867
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    what is the "normal" weight range for a 5'8" inch person *supposed* to be?
  • Vicky14174
    Vicky14174 Posts: 715 Member
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    way too much sodium, not enough protein and fiber, too many pills that are not working, skipping meals is not a good thing and above all, not enough real food. you need to eat real food that is not processed. I'm not trying to be mean or anything but you have to eat food. Vitamins and supplements are good to a point but it really all boils down to what you eat. take a look at my diary and tell me what you think. I eat very little processed food and if I'm going to be really busy during the week, i cook most of my meals on the weekend, portion them out and freeze them. Then when i get home i just pull out what i want to eat and warm it up.
  • Purpleshade13
    Purpleshade13 Posts: 2
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    Ever find a really awesome Shampoo? One you fell in love with cause it worked sooooo well on your hair and made it look so good? But a few weeks or months later, it just doesn't have that vada-voom appeal it used to?
    If you've ever had this happen, you've learned that it's best to switch your shampoo ever few weeks, otherwise your hair GETS USED TO IT, and doesn't look it's best.
    The rest of your body gets used to things, too!!!
    When you hit a stand still like that, it's more than likely cause your body has adjusted (become used to) the healthy eating and exercise habits that once produced weight-loss sucess for you in the past. The answer is simple, though... You need to SHOCK YOUR SYSTEM. Shake things up, wake up your fat burners and put them back to work. Eat Veggies, Fruit and Fish for a week, or switch-up your exercise routine to something totally different, or go off sugar completely all week long and let yourself go for 1 hour every week-end, or do a 3 day apple cleanse (which really works... but the key is at the end of day 3, it two spoonfuls of Olive Oil. The sudden burst of fat causes the body to release it's toxins easier). HOW you SHOCK your body back into FAT BURNING mode is up to you, and there are lots of ways to do it.

    Hope this helps!
    GOOD LUCK
  • newjmf
    newjmf Posts: 78
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    Looking at your diary, you seem to be under calories, which is great in most cases, but you might need to lower your sodium to around 1,500 mg. I lowered mine, cut out as many processed and fast foods as possible (I do live a little and still treat myself once in a while). The first week that I lowered my sodium and started the "clean eating" habits, I busted my pleteau and saw a 3 pound loss. Also, many of my friends lowered their sodium and have seen better results.

    Just remember that everyone is different and your body may respond to more or less carbs (there are good and bad cabs, complex, etc.) Your body may also respond to less fat, more protein, etc.

    Congrats on your accomplishment thus far and good luck in figuring things out!
  • sassyg
    sassyg Posts: 393
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    A couple of things that might help:

    eat more real food. you're doing these shake things, and then eating a lot more crap than you should consider ideal the rest of the time.
    Fruit and veges. I looked through the last 5 days and only saw two, TWO entries of fruit/veg. You should be aiming for 5+ a day

    It's about the right sort of calories, as much as it is about the amount of calories, if that makes sense. lean meat, fruit and veg, wholegrains, with the odd treat so you don't go crazy.

    1lb a week goal, you may still find you have weeks where you lose more if you look after your body. But even still, that's only a year. A year seems a lot when you're looking forward, but not looking back. Imagine if, before you started, someone said you could be 50lb lighter this time next year! that would seem awesome.
  • TiffanyW1014
    TiffanyW1014 Posts: 614 Member
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    what is the "normal" weight range for a 5'8" inch person *supposed* to be?

    I do believe it is like 125-152 or close to that.
  • pkgirrl
    pkgirrl Posts: 587
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    According to BMI, 5"8 should be between 120-165, baring in mind that this chart doesn't consider skeletal frame size, or body fat levels, take it with a pinch of salt. Obviously people with more muscle mass or larger frames should be higher, less muscle mass or smaller frames lower.

    I'm 5"7, medium frame, about 24% BF, and I look scary at 120. My cousin's 5"9, 125-130, and looks perfect. Lean, but not skeletal by any means.

    Back to topic, Tiffany, I peaked at your food diet and congrats on being so honest with your diary! It's really good because when a little plateau does come along, it's so much easier to pinpoint what you could change. It does look like you eat a LOT of sodium, so that could be one of the reasons why you're not seeing the results you want on the scale. ( nothing some extra water and cutting it down for a bit won't cure.)

    If that doesn't help though I'd suggest lowering your calories, and trying to limit the processed food. It looks like you're eating about 1800-2000 a day, so it's pretty awesome that you've managed to lose steadily this far. Maybe try cutting down to 1400-1500 net a day? Just be sure to eat all of your exercise cals back! =)
  • mschelle
    mschelle Posts: 240 Member
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    I would definitely agree that 2lbs/week is no longer safely attainable for you (congratulations! you're too thin to lose a lot of weight at a time!). I'm 5'10 and 169, and I'm lucky if I get 0.5/lb a week.

    That said, I did look at your diary (no judgement here...I keep mine closed for a reason :ohwell:)

    Do you have your MFP set to calculate a 2lb/wk loss? 1800-ish calories seems kind of high for a daily intake with loss figured - unless that's a net which includes your workout burns. Are you using a HRM for your exercise calories?

    I notice your diet consists of a lot of fast food and herbalife. I hate to cook, so I understand the convenience of fast food, but you may want to try some fresh food and scale back the 800+ calorie meals. What your body can't use right away, it stores - so when you eat huge meals like that, there's more to store. I'm personally a fan of eat a little bit every couple hours. You can drop the herbalife and save yourself a lot of money and a couple hundred calories per day.

    For convenient foods, I like the Bistro Ready Pac salads - ready to go with everything included and only 270-290 calories. Great for a lunch. And for dinner, maybe try some of the Healthy Choice meals - even Marie Callendar's has some yummy < 400 calorie meals. The Bertoli bag meals are pretty good and reasonable for dinner too - but I should mention I don't watch my sodium because i have low blood pressure and actually have to have more sodium in my diet so I don't get dizzy.

    Are you absolutely sure you're entering your portions correctly? A cup of cereal, for example, barely fills the bottom of the bowl, so most people underestimate it. Every once in a while, I'll go back and start measuring everything again to make sure my visual cues on portions haven't distorted over time.

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